Personal memoirs of off-beat adventures in exotic destinations.
From a lively, well-traveled woman comes this collection of personal tales, which includes a glimpse into our planet's natural treasures as well as examples of human interaction. You are taken on fascinating journeys to exotic destinations from Bolivia to Bhutan, from Tanzania to Thailand, and beyond. Many of these overseas adventures include volunteer projects with Earthwatch and Global Volunteers among others, and promise to intrigue the seasoned traveler or inspire the hesitant novice. The author's zest for new sights and enthusiasm for getting to know people of other cultures are contagious. This engaging book just might inspire you to go journeying, too.
Excerpt
(From Ch. 1) Madras has grown and changed since I was last here. I observe the modern shopping centers and cafes and hotels, which seem to make Madras more like every other city, if you ask me. The traffic, ever chaotic, has deteriorated even further. Bicycles must be proliferating like rabbits. There are still oxcarts and meandering cows and an occasional temple elephant to reflect the pace of an earlier age. Among the old-fashioned lumbering "Ambassador" cars is the unexpected flash of a jazzy new low-slung sports car, the Indian-produced "Maruti." Buses are as decrepit and overcrowded as ever. Three-wheeled rickshaws, either pedaled or motorized, complicate the equation.
The blatant cacophony of taxi horns and bicycle bells, the din of vendors peddling their wares, the disorder--by Western standards--of the traffic, how could all this have ever seemed familiar and comfortable to me?
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