var textForPages =["Vol. 10, no. 1<br/>DISPATCHES<br/>D<br/>fi<br/>fie<br/>el<br/>l<br/>d<br/>d<br/>n<br/>no<br/>o<br/>t<br/>te<br/>es<br/>s<br/>f<br/>f<br/>o<br/>or<br/>r<br/>O<br/>O<br/>.<br/>.A<br/>A<br/>.<br/>.<br/>T<br/>T<br/>.<br/>.’<br/>’s<br/>sS<br/>S<br/>i<br/>i<br/>r<br/>r<br/>E<br/>Ed<br/>dm<br/>mu<br/>u<br/>n<br/>nd<br/>dH<br/>Hi<br/>il<br/>ll<br/>la<br/>ar<br/>r<br/>y<br/>yC<br/>Cl<br/>lu<br/>u<br/>b<br/>b<br/>m<br/>me<br/>em<br/>mb<br/>be<br/>er<br/>rs<br/>s<br/>SM<br/>","“You don’t have to be a spiritual person to feel the energy at Machu Picchu. The indigenous people of the Andes believe that all the<br/>earth is sacred—and their most revered<br/>deity, Pachamama, is the mother of earth and time. I feel connected to both, here, in this place that celebrates the majesty of this mountainous landscape ...<br/>this place where time stands still.”<br/>","","6 Letter from the Editor<br/>7 Correspondence<br/>Our readers share letters, photos, and more<br/>10 Where in the World<br/>Can you identify this picture?<br/>11 O.A.T. Photo Contest<br/>Congratulations to our 2016 winner!<br/>12 Artifacts<br/>Meet Cuban artist, Ańdez<br/>14 Immersions<br/>O.A.T. travelers connect with local culture<br/>15 Spotlight on What’s New<br/>New O.A.T. Adventures for 2017 and 2018<br/>16 World Calendar<br/>Upcoming events of interest<br/>24 Call of the Wild<br/>New Zealand’s geothermal wonders<br/>25 Outlook on Women<br/>International Women’s Day<br/>26 Adventure Countdown<br/>Dance traditions from around the world<br/>33 Trailblazers<br/>A conversation with Ines Bukovic<br/>34 Literary Adventure<br/>Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard<br/>35 Field Notes<br/>Traveler Kay Thomas reflects on her time in the Sahara Desert<br/>36 Moveable Feast<br/>Classic Sicilian cuisine<br/>38 In the Know<br/>Inventions from around the world quiz<br/>39 O.A.T. Philanthropy<br/>Women’s cooperatives around the world<br/>41 Setting Sail<br/>Traveler Doris Foley finds a new traveling partner in her sister-in-law<br/>42 Sunrise on the Suez<br/>An old canal is new again<br/>47 Cultural Moorings<br/>The history and culture of Liguria, Italy<br/>48 Stepping Ashore<br/>Meet Trip Leader Debbie Farnham<br/>49 Hands on Deck<br/>Meet Hotel Manager Zoran Kikic<br/>50 Adventure Update<br/>“Throughout my travels, doves have been a constant. This observation<br/>is far from scientific. But I embraced the idea when I heard the familiar cooing in the courtyard of a Moroccan palace.”<br/>40 Spotlight On<br/>Small Ship Adventures<br/>News briefs from O.A.T.<br/>World on the Wing PAGE 18<br/>","“The Suez Canal— old and new— solves a problem that goes back thousands of years: how to shorten the sailing route from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, a transit that once involved cruising around the entirety of southern Africa.”<br/>“In every direction as far as binoculars could see, wildebeest moved in migration tracing paths traversed many times— faithful to their destination—but filled with peril and death.”<br/>The Suez Canal PAGE 42<br/>Tanzania PAGE 28<br/>","A Message from Harriet Lewis<br/>Dear Traveler,<br/>It’s been a couple of months since we observed International Women’s Day on March 7, but<br/>I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to acknowledge the day here in Dispatches. More than two-thirds of our travelers are women, and while the men who travel with us share the same spirit of adventure, I feel a special kinship with our fun, fearless females. I was tickled<br/>to read 10-time traveler Dolores Foley’s story on page 41: I know many of you leave your spouses at home to travel with friends (I certainly do), but this is the first time I’ve heard of two women celebrating their wedding anniversaries together during one of our trips ... without their husbands.<br/>On a serious note, International Women’s Day always prompts me to reflect upon my place as a woman in the world—and how it compares with women I’ve met in my travels. It’s a reminder to take nothing for granted: my right to vote, to earn my own living, and even to drive a car. I think of the world I want my granddaughter, Kinsley, to grow up in, and the legacy I want to leave—so I feel a responsibility to help level the playing field in whatever small way I can.<br/>I am so fortunate to have Grand Circle Foundation as a vehicle to help create change—and none of it would be possible without travelers like you. On page 39, we highlight a few of the cooperatives we support that provide local women with economic opportunities in India, Zimbabwe, and Laos.<br/>By teaching skills like producing and selling handcrafts, we’re giving cooperative members the power to impact their own futures. If you’ve ever visited a similar organization in your travels, you know how inspiring these women can be.<br/>Of course, there’s plenty more to discover in Dispatches, including a unique feature story from our Editor-in-Chief, Laura Chavanne. She’s known around the O.A.T. office as a “bird nerd,” and as it turns out, it all began when she started traveling. Read about her unusual avian encounters on page 18. We also hear from Wanda Lane, a 7-time traveler who sent us a beautiful story about the wildebeest migration in Tanzania—which happens to be one of my favorite places on Earth. She brings it to life on page 28. And when it comes to dramatic canal chronicles, Panama usually comes to mind—but did you know there’s a fascinating story behind the Suez? Find out on page 42.<br/>We don’t need an internationally recognized observance to appreciate the opportunities we have, and I certainly count traveling among them. It brings me such joy to share these stories with you—and I hope you find them as inspiring as I do.<br/>Warm regards,<br/>Harriet R. Lewis<br/>Vice Chairman<br/>Overseas Adventure Travel<br/>DISPATCHES<br/>Spring 2017<br/>Vol. 10, no. 1<br/>field notes for<br/>O.A.T.’s Sir Edmund Hillary Club members<br/>PUBLISHERS<br/>Harriet R. Lewis Alan E. Lewis<br/>EDITOR-IN-CHIEF<br/>Laura Chavanne<br/>MANAGING EDITOR<br/>Ashleigh Osgood<br/>CORRESPONDENTS<br/>John Bregoli<br/>Andrea Calabretta Meghan Colloton<br/>Rachel Fox<br/>Lyette Mercier<br/>Peter Mooney<br/>Ashleigh Osgood<br/>Jenna Thomas<br/>David Valdes Greenwood<br/>MANAGING DESIGNER<br/>Andrea Erekson<br/>ASSISTING DESIGNER<br/>Ali Shakra<br/>PHOTO EDITORS<br/>Amanda Fisher Meredith Gausch Susan Greene Paola Muñoz Tina Rivosecchi<br/>PRODUCTION MANAGER<br/>Erin Aitken<br/>PROJECT MANAGER<br/>Alyssa Meers<br/>Story ideas, manuscripts, photos, artwork, and other contributions are welcomed and should be mailed to<br/>Editor, c/o Dispatches Overseas Adventure Travel One Mifflin Place, Suite 400, Cambridge, MA 02138<br/>or emailed to<br/>editordispatches@oattravel.com<br/>So that we may properly credit you, please include your name, address, phone number, and number of times you have traveled with O.A.T. The magazine regrets that we cannot acknowledge receipt of or assume responsibility for the return of manuscripts, photos, artwork, or other material.<br/>Dispatches is a publication of Overseas Adventure Travel, One Mifflin Place, Suite 400, Cambridge, MA 02138<br/>6 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>","Correspondence<br/>Letters, photos, and more<br/>Correspondence<br/>We Stand Corrected<br/>Editor’s note: Thanks to our eagle-eyed readers for noticing an error from last edition’s quiz about South Pacific wildlife. The correct response to question 10 was, in fact, B: Rakali. One of our travelers was kind enough to inform us of the mistake.<br/>A year ago, my husband and I embarked on the Ultimate Australia trip with a post trip to New Zealand. We had a fantastic experience, so when I saw the Gone Wild quiz [Vol. 9., no. 4, p38], I couldn’t wait to try my hand at the questions and revisit the memories. I answered the questions and then checked my responses with the ones on p.51. I was doing very well, getting 7 out of the first 9 right! But question 10 and its answer on p. 51 did not correlate. Choice d: Cassowary is a bird. The correct answer is choice b. Rakali. Although I didn’t get the answer right the first time,<br/>due to my internet research, I will never get it wrong again!<br/>Florence Sabrin Fort Lee, NJ 5-time traveler<br/>Choosing to Say “Yes”<br/>I recently read that O.A.T. will again be traveling to Egypt. It’s under- standable that even seasoned travelers can hold some fear of that part of the world. I was there in 2004 and it was an incredible experience. I write my travel journals in rhyme, and I thought I’d share just a few of its beginning lines that deal with stepping beyond that fear.<br/>My poetic journals remain some of my favorite souvenirs of my travels with O.A.T. When I reread them even years later, they bring back all of the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and memories that I treasure.<br/>Long have I held a dream within— Today that journey will begin ... To lands still veiled in mystery, Five thousand years of history,<br/>Of pyramids and lavish tombs,<br/>Of temples, sphinxes, ancient ruins,<br/>Of pharaohs, gods, treasures sublime ... I’m crossing o’er these sands of time. I’ll first explore Egypt, the Nile,<br/>Then head to Jordan for a while.<br/>Though friends and family share a fear Of dangers that are lurking here,<br/>I cannot live my life that way;<br/>Lost dreams—too high a price to pay. “Safe” places simply don’t exist;<br/>And so I’ll carry on, persist,<br/>And live my life and dreams my way. This life-long dream begins today. My joy’s determined—more or less— By times I’ve chosen to say “yes.”<br/>Marie Guzman Greendale, WI 8-time traveler<br/>A Smile Can Change Everything<br/>We were visiting a Veterans Lodge in Java,<br/>listening to their 92-year-old leader spe e<br/>of experiences in World War II. Across the way, I saw this grim-faced woman. She was lost in thought, perhaps of another time...<br/>Her face seemed filled with anger. She was glowering, but looking at no one in particular. She was older, a lady in full veteran dress. Her face was a photo- graph, just waiting to be captured ...<br/>... And so I did. She was unaware.<br/>Then later, as I glanced at her again, she happened to look<br/>up at me. For a long<br/>quiet moment, our eyes<br/>locked across the crowd. I smiled, raised my hand, and I waved.<br/>I was astonished to<br/>see her face change immediately.<br/>The glower simply vanished. A smile washed over her, illuminating<br/>her eyes, her face, her total demeanor. It was<br/>as though she had been touched by a magic wand.<br/>When the meeting ended,<br/>she made her way slowly<br/>through the crowd toward<br/>me. Quietly, she put both of<br/>her arms around me, kissed<br/>me on both cheeks, and then hugged me really tight. She pulled back after a moment and silently slipped something into my hand. She then, never saying a word, turned and simply walked away.<br/>I watched her leave, and just shook my head in wonder. After a moment, I looked down into my hand and found a flowered brooch. Now folks, I have no idea what was in her heart and mind, but this I’ll tell you ... I’ll never forget her.<br/>a<br/>k<br/>a<br/>k<br/>Mary Lou D’Altorio Pittsburg, PA 21-time traveler<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 7<br/>","Friends in High Places<br/>My best memory of our visit to Machu Picchu was after a very rigorous hike to the top. I was just taking in the views and the building structures when I saw three young twenty-something men wheeling a man in a wheelchair across the area where we were standing.<br/>I was so astonished to see someone in a wheelchair that I forgot to pick up my camera to take a picture of them. I realized that the only way that disabled man could have gotten up there was to be carried up by his friends, over high uneven stone steps, through narrow passageways, and across rough stone pathways.<br/>I knew what a challenging climb it was for me, but to carry a friend in a wheelchair! I couldn’t get over that!<br/>But two days later, when we were walking in the town center of Cusco, I spotted the group again and immediately went over to speak with them. We exchanged pleasantries and one of the young men asked me what I thought about Machu Picchu. I told him, “I will never forget the breathtaking sight of Machu Picchu, but what I will remember most was the fact that<br/>you carried your friend to the top. That is just pure love for a friend.”<br/>I then said to the disabled man, “You are a very blessed man to have the love and devotion of these wonderful friends.” Needless to say,<br/>I was practically in tears! Wow!<br/>Donna Perrone East Haven, CT 5-time traveler<br/>Lasting Friendships<br/>Twelve of us recently gathered in Naples, FL (everyone from our tour) to celebrate our wonderful Colombia trip. Our Trip Leader, Mariela Maldonado, was unable to join us as she was on another O.A.T. tour, but she emailed us several times just to let us know she was there in spirit!<br/>I thought you might like to know that good friends are part of what makes O.A.T. trips special and reunions like ours are so meaningful! Plus fun! I’m a docent at the Baker Museum in Naples and our group got together there to tour it. We also got together at a country club and had a cocktail party at another group member’s house. Sharing these great times with you! Happy trails!<br/>Lyn Scanlon Naples, FL 28-time traveler<br/>A Generous Surprise<br/>During my recently completed Southern Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia & Botswana trip, I experienced a unique and unscheduled cultural event.<br/>On the day we were traveling from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe,<br/>to the Kaza Safari Lodge on Impalila Island, Namibia, two people in our group (Bonnie Newlean and Judy Young) decided they wanted to do something special for some of the villagers on Impalila Island.<br/>Working with our outstanding Trip Leader, Noreen Siyawareva, they purchased a large quantity of food in Kasane, Botswana, for a donation once we got to the Lodge. In all, they bought<br/>15 large containers each of maize flour, wheat flour, rice, sugar, and vegetable oil to be given away to needy villagers.<br/>After we got to the lodge, Noreen and Calvin, the lodge manager, worked quietly and quickly behind the scenes to make arrange- ments for a formal presentation ceremony. Calvin contacted a village headmistress and her assistant to come to the lodge and plan the event.<br/>The headmistress and assistant met with Bonnie, Judy, Noreen and Calvin one evening to finalize the arrangements. The 15 villagers chosen to be the recipients were asked to come to the lodge at noon the next day, but were not told why.<br/>The next day, Calvin emceed a beautiful and moving donation presentation, and the recipients were extremely surprised and grateful. Many of them danced in delight. A lot of American and O.A.T. goodwill was built that day.<br/>To me this activity truly epitomizes what O.A.T. is all about— genuine, meaningful cultural experiences which sometimes happen outside of the scheduled activities.<br/>Jim Gillings Eugene, OR 13-time traveler<br/>8 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>","In Search of the Perfect Sign<br/>Over the years, I have decorated my home with antique advertising signs and have been attracted by the eye-catching graphics and subjects of unusual old signs with patina, reflecting their time journey from the past.<br/>Recently I have kept my eyes open when traveling in foreign lands for similar old signs with eye appeal, and have decorated the walls of one room of my house with signs in foreign scripts. For example, I have<br/>a great old porcelain sign from an O.A.T. trip to Morocco advertising gas and oil in beautiful old classic Arabic. Another old sign next to it is wooden and features Bhutanese script, admonishing people not to litter public spaces.<br/>In a recent O.A.T. trip to Myanmar, I was hoping to find an old local sign in Burmese, but was disappointed to find all the signage appears to be new, plastic, and often in English. After a long search, I pretty much “gave up” on finding an “antique” sign that “looked nice” in the classic old Burmese writing style. That changed one afternoon dedicated to aimless wandering in downtown commercial Yangon.<br/>When passing a hole-in-the-wall storefront shop, I spotted a beautiful, small, blue tin sign framed in wood, preserved under an outside overhang which proclaimed a barber shop. It was painted with gold Burmese letters as well as small English subtitles at the bottom.<br/>I returned to the barbershop the next day with our O.A.T. Trip Leader to help translate my desire to buy the sign from the barbershop owner.<br/>Both the owner and our guide were initially mystified by my interest, but both came to understand and were helpful. I bought the old sign (probably the only old one in all of Myanmar, as far as I could tell), for a very modest price that made both me and the barber smile.<br/>As a frequent foreign traveler, I am used to being the one with the camera, but in this instance, the barber had a smart phone and wanted MY picture holding HIS old sign after we removed it from the wall.<br/>Now it hangs in my house. Its gold Burmese script identifies a barber- shop in Yangon, but for me it also symbolizes a great experience getting to meet local folks up close and personal on another O.A.T. trip!<br/>Dean Straffin Cranberry, PA 30-time traveler<br/>Reading Recommendations<br/>Editor’s note: These responses are from some of our readers in reference to<br/>The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen from our Literary Adventure piece in our last edition [Vol. 9., no. 4, p34].<br/>I don’t remember how I heard about The Sympathizer, but it was an amazing book. Reading your article was like having a conversation with a fellow<br/>reader, so, as you now know, I greatly appreciated your thoughts. Since<br/>you asked for further reading ideas,<br/>I thought I’d share with you that<br/>I do read as many books as I can from the suggested reading lists.<br/>The Basque History of the World gave amazing insight into our post-trip to Basque country and also gave another layer of understanding<br/>to our later trip to Iceland. After our trip to Spain and Portugal, Spain in Our Hearts was published, and I LOVED the insights into<br/>the Spanish Civil War, the U.S. connections, and history of that time. I shared that title with our tour guide Marta, and she sent back a recommendation for The Last Day, a book about the Lisbon earthquake. That book was an eye-opener too. Ironically, it ends with a reference to our own Katrina, through which we have lived. (Reading The Last Day also led me to read Candide, something I had never actually done.)<br/>While in Portugal, Marta recommended works by Saramago, Portugal’s winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. I read many<br/>of his works, including Marta’s favorite, Blindness. Saramago’s satirical style is wonderfully refreshing. At that point, I was stunned to realize how many winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature I<br/>did not know! So that is my focus now as well. I read the sagas<br/>and Greenlanders before, during, and after our Iceland/Greenland<br/>trip as well as a number of Laxness novels. Thank you for your recommendations that have enriched each of our trips, especially these last two.<br/>Lynn Thompson Destrehan, LA 5-time traveler<br/>I always enjoy your book reviews and suggestions for reading before<br/>we take off on a new adventure. I would like to suggest Trevor Noah’s biographical book, Born A Crime, which is an amusing, but eye-opening, view of growing up in South Africa during and after the anti-apartheid revolution. He writes exactly like he talks on The Comedy Central<br/>Daily Show—very entertaining. And it is absolutely astounding to think where he is and what he has accomplished, given the early years of his life. It includes many revealing details of life in and around Johannesburg and Soweto, and easy for us to visualize, as we had visited several of the neighborhoods he mentions just last September.<br/>Robin Parker Reston, VA 11-time traveler<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 9<br/>","Note from the Editor<br/>Travel has the power to deeply change all of us—but some changes are more tangible than others. How have your travels impacted your everyday life back at home? I definitely cook and eat differently: in fact, after I write this, I’m breaking out my tagine for a recipe I got in Morocco. Certain, unexpected smells— like warm rain or exhaust—trigger memories from halfway across the world. And my last bout of jetlag got me in the habit of waking up before dawn a few times a week—which my husband never saw coming.<br/>The change that makes me happiest, though, is an appreciation for birds. I’m not a bird watcher, as you’ll understand when you read my feature in this issue, but I realized over the course of my travels that birds just make me happy. And that’s lucky for me, because they’re pretty much everywhere. I had so much fun writing about some of my favorite bird-related memories. It’s not your typical Dispatches feature ... but being the editor has its perks.<br/>Happy reading,<br/>Laura Chavanne Editor-in-Chief<br/>Editor-in-Chief,<br/>Laura Chavanne in Vietnam<br/>Share your travel experiences<br/>Dispatches is your magazine—and as O.A.T.’s best travelers,<br/>we know you have many stories to tell. Want to see your memories in print? Consider sending us ...<br/>• Photos from your adventure, with brief descriptions of what’s going on.<br/>• Stories, anecdotes, or travelogues—whether they’re just a paragraph or several pages in length.<br/>• Artwork or poetry inspired by your adventure.<br/>• Comments and feedback about Dispatches—and what<br/>you’d like to see.<br/>• Don’t fancy yourself a wordsmith? Send an idea for a story and one of our writers will contact you.<br/>Send your submissions via email to: editordispatches@oattravel.com, or by regular mail to:<br/>Editor, Dispatches<br/>c/o Overseas Adventure Travel One Mifflin Place, Suite 400 Cambridge, MA 02138<br/>Artwork submitted by email should be attached as a .jpeg with 300 dpi resolution; artwork submitted by regular mail should be at least 5\"×7\" in size.<br/>So that we may properly credit you, please include your name, address, phone number, and number of times you’ve traveled with O.A.T.<br/>Where in the World?<br/>Where in the world will you find a 250-ton “butterball” that looks like something aliens dropped on Earth?<br/>Test your knowledge of the world by identifying this landmark and the country where it can be found.<br/>10 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>(For the answer, see page 51)<br/>","Enter O.A.T.’s 2017 Photo Contest<br/>2016 GRAND PRIZE:<br/>A FREE Overseas Adventure Travel trip for two, anywhere we travel<br/>Jamie Stamey • 6-time traveler • Sherrills Ford, North Carolina<br/>Winners of our 2017 photo contest will be announced at www.oattravel.com on January 19, 2018 and also in the winter issue of Dispatches magazine.<br/>HOW TO ENTER<br/>Upload your photos to our Traveler Moments page at www.oattravel.com/moments OR email your photos to OATphotocontest@oattravel.com<br/>GRAND PRIZE WINNER<br/>Contest Rules<br/>• Eligible subject matter includes shots of scenery, cultural attractions, local people, a special moment with fellow travelers— anything that evokes the spirit of discovery.<br/>• Photo must have been taken by you on an O.A.T. or Small Ship Adventure within the past 5 years.<br/>• When uploading your photos to Traveler Moments, please include a short descrip- tion of the photo or your trip.<br/>• Entries must be submitted no later than November 30, 2017.<br/>• Visit www.oattravel.com/photocontest for more information.<br/>• If submitting your photos by email, you must include the following information in your email:<br/>1. Your name, address, and how many times you've traveled with O.A.T.<br/>2. Name of O.A.T. adventure and where and when photo was taken.<br/>3. Names of the people pictured (if you know them). Short stories about the photos are also welcome.<br/>Important Terms: All photographs become the property of Grand Circle Corporation, and may be reproduced in our pub- lications and on our websites. First prize is an O.A.T. adventure of your choosing for you and one companion, main trip only, with a maximum value of $10,000 per couple. All applicable taxes are the sole responsibility of the winner, who will receive a form 1099 reflecting the actual retail value of the prize. Please visit www.oattravel.com/photocontest for full terms.<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 11<br/>BEST IN CATEGORY 2016 WINNERS: $300 in Travel Credits<br/>LOCALS<br/>Mark Feider • 9-time traveler • Glendale, Wisconsin<br/>NATURE<br/>Joaquin Espejo • 13-time traveler • Milan, Illinois<br/>LANDMARKS<br/>Phil Mastores • 5-time traveler • Scottsdale, Arizona<br/>TRAVELERS<br/>Kathy Vitale • 5-time traveler • Walpole, Massachusetts<br/>","Artifacts<br/>Cuban Baseball<br/>Art as a cultural bridge<br/>By Bob Brady<br/>Bob is a 12-time traveler<br/>from Braintree, MA.<br/>This piece is an excerpt A from a presentation<br/>he recently gave to the<br/>Boston Chapter of the<br/>Society for American<br/>Baseball Research (SABR).<br/>couple of years ago, I took advantage of an opportunity to visit the island nation of Cuba on a people-to-people cultural exchange<br/>accustomed to, Andez's style is more reflective of old-time caricature-like sketches found in the sports sections of newspapers coupled with a blend of contemporary editorial cartoon-type commentary.<br/>As can be observed in several of his pieces, Ańdez uses a stylized personage in portraying Cuban ballplayers. The character's derivation comes from the island's history. Ańdez created the bearded player representation of Emeterio by merging the image of the Mambí, Cuban guerrilla fighters that sought the country's independence from Spain, with that of a baseball player.<br/>He explained his reasoning to me: “Baseball was a way to fight against Spain by distancing the Cuban from Spanish traditions and reinforcing [our] nationalist sentiments.” To this very day, the Mambises are held in high regard on the island. Instead of the traditional ball cap, Ańdez's players don a caricatured version of a Mambí hat.<br/>The aforementioned is evident in his portrait entitled “Historia” or “History.” Four versions of the hirsute Emeterio character appear in the uniforms of Cuba's “major league” teams representing Almendares, Havana, Cienfuegos, and Marianao.<br/>Bob created his own baseball card, which shows him at Braves Field, and he is now<br/>the president of the Boston Braves Historical Association.<br/>From left to right:<br/>El Grito Entrenamiento La Carga Paisaje<br/>After a variety of presentations on the arts in Cuban society and a robust question and answer session, we were given the opportunity to visit some of the artists' studios. It was during this informal gallery tour<br/>that I met Angel Orestes Fernández Quintana, better known as Ańdez. His distinctive style encompassing graphic humor and commentary has been nationally and internationally recognized in award-winning exhibitions of his works.<br/>While neither Ańdez nor I had a mastery of each other's native tongue, we were able to establish<br/>a relationship through our mutual admiration of baseball. He encouraged me to visit his home-based studio, and when I entered, I quickly found out the reason for his enthusiastic invitation. On display were his uniquely crafted baseball-themed portraits.<br/>Unlike the “photo-realism” of some of the popular baseball artwork in the U.S. that we've grown<br/>program. After several days and many engagements in the capital city of Havana, we headed to Cienfuegos,<br/>a city of some 150,000 inhabitants and referred to as Cuba's “Pearl of the South.”<br/>12 DISPATCHES•SPRING2017<br/>","Expressionist artist Edvard<br/>Munch's famed composition,<br/>“The Scream,” has lent itself to frequent adaptations by visual artists seeking to make a social or political statement. Ańdez joined those ranks with his “El Grito” (“The Cry”), which reflects the intensity of involvement that Cuban fans have attending ballgames. Here, a Cienfuegos Elefantes follower cries out at a perceived bad decision made against his team by the umpire.<br/>Two of Ańdez's paintings document social issues that have negatively impacted baseball on the island. “Entrenamiento” (“Training”) as described by the artist “reflects the crisis in Cuban baseball [caused]<br/>by the exodus of players [as]<br/>represented [by] the player leaving<br/>in a boat, a symbolic element of<br/>the Cuban migrations to the United States.” “La Carga” or “The Load” uses an allusion to the mythical Atlas bearing a heavy globe on his shoulders. Here, Ańdez places a soccer ball on the shoulders of a ballplayer, signaling a concern that younger Cubans seem to be flocking to football to the detriment of baseball. Note that Ańdez adopts a “home plate” format here, which<br/>he repeats in other works. “Paisaje” or “Landscape” portrays the link between the Cuban sugar industry and baseball. Many of the nation's top players emerged from industrial leagues associated with sugar cane refineries.<br/>Left: “Historia” depicts baseball players merged with the Mambí, Cuban guerrilla fighters.<br/>Since my Cuba trip, I have been able to maintain contact with Ańdez, but not without great difficulty. His web access is limited and internet performance<br/>and capacity are well below American standards. Mail remains unreliable. The greatest difficulty, however, is the language barrier. If I had only paid more attention in my high school Spanish class! Like Cuban ballplayers who have come to the United States to achieve greater exposure of their talents, Ańdez and his fellow artists are hopeful of attaining a similar recognition here. Ańdez's portfolio includes many other baseball-related pieces not mentioned above and continues to grow. Perhaps, like me, you may even acquire some of his original and unique Cuban baseball-related artwork!<br/>Ańdez brought Bob to his workshop and explained the meaning behind all of his pieces.<br/>Discover Cuban art when you join us<br/>for Cuba: A Bridge Between Cultures. Visit www.oattravel.com/fct for more information.<br/>DISPATCHES•SPRING2017 13<br/>","Immersions<br/>Immersions<br/>A photo journal of O.A.T. travelers “going native” as they connect with local cultures<br/>By Ashleigh Osgood<br/>Ashleigh is the Managing Editor of Dispatches and has been with O.A.T. since 2013. Her favorite trip so far was Real Affordable Peru.<br/>Jumping for Joy<br/>Ten-time traveler Vicki Sieber-Benson from Westlake, OR, captured this shot of 2-time traveler Rosemary Lemmon from Ontario, Canada, experiencing a moment of pure joy as she interacted with Maasai women and donned their ceremonial dress during The Best of Kenya<br/>& Tanzania.<br/>Singin' in the Rain<br/>Doing the Happy Dance<br/>Paulina Ogagan from Randolph, MA, didn’t shy away from the action during her first trip with O.A.T.—Ancient Kingdoms: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam. All dressed for the occasion, she joined in on a dance lesson with a local woman, and 3-time traveler Jonathan Berthiaume from Providence, RI, captured the moment.<br/>Knitting New Connections<br/>A little rain didn’t stop these go-getters from exploring the usually dry Outback during Ultimate Australia. Trip Leader, Elyjah (left), 4-time traveler Sally Schindel from Prescott, AZ, and Darko Angeleski (right), Executive Chef on one of our small ships, were all smiles despite the weather.<br/>Four-time traveler Sarah Hunt from Brooklyn, NY, showed off her knitting skills during her Southern Peru & Bolivia: Inca Landscapes & Lake Titicaca adventure. Fellow 13-time traveler Leslie Hayes from Ripon, WI, photographed the encounter and noted the Aymara women were quite impressed with Sarah’s technique.<br/>Share Your Travel Moments ... and Enter to Win<br/>If you have memorable photos like these, we encourage you to upload them with our website’s Share Your Travel Moments feature. When you do, you’ll be automatically entered into our 2017 Photo Contest. See page 11 to learn more.<br/>14 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>","New O.A.T. Adventures<br/>for 2017 and beyond<br/>Our Sir Edmund Hillary Club members are always eager for new horizons to explore. Here’s a first look at the highlights of our two newest O.A.T. adventures—one of which is ready to reserve, and another to look forward to in the coming weeks.<br/>Spotlight on What’s New<br/>2017 Departures Ready to Reserve:<br/>Iceland in Winter: Icebergs, Glaciers & Geysers—9 days Reykjavik • Vik • Fludir<br/>Optional extensions:<br/>5 nights pre-trip in<br/>Copenhagen, Denmark<br/>3 nights post-trip in<br/>Worlds of Fire: Iceland’s Westman Islands<br/>• Witness Iceland’s<br/>iconic waterfalls,<br/>Seljalandsfoss<br/>and Skogafoss, as they frost the surrounding cliffs in a layer of sparkling white ice.<br/>• See where Iceland’s natural treasures and historical legacy come together at the Golden Circle, encompassing an active geothermal field, the site of the world’s first parliament, and one of Europe’s grandest waterfalls.<br/>• Keep an eye out for seals at Jökulsárlón, the deep lake where bright blue icebergs calve from a massive glacier and then bob out to sea past a black-sand beach.<br/>• Join locals in an evening soak at Secret Lagoon, the natural hot springs of a geothermal field complete with nearby geyser, and keep an eye on the heavens for a lucky sighting of the northern lights.<br/>• Explore Iceland’s ice cap from within at the Langjokull Ice Cave, a manmade tunnel carved into bright blue ice at the heart of the Langjokull glacier.<br/>• Learn how one of Iceland’s core industries—fishing—is getting a 21st-century makeover at the Ocean Cluster House, where we’ll discuss whaling, fish quotas, and sustainability with an Icelandic entrepreneur.<br/>• Venture into one of Iceland’s essential greenhouses, where the produce that feeds an entire country is grown year-round using geothermal energy and Icelandic ingenuity.<br/>View the full itinerary, watch films and videos, and more at www.oattravel.com/icw<br/>.<br/>2018 Departures Coming Soon:<br/>The sun rises on Iceland’s famous waterfall, Seljalandsfoss, reflecting off the icy winter waters.<br/>Irish Adventure: Belfast, Dublin & the Northwest Counties—16 days County Clare • Connemara • Donegal • Derry • Belfast • Dublin<br/>Optional extensions:<br/>7 nights pre-trip in County Kerry: Killarney & Dingle 5 nights post-trip in Dublin, Ireland<br/>• Witness some of Ireland’s most magnificent natural treasures, including the hexagonal basalt columns that form natural steps from cliffs to sea at the Antrim Coast’s Giant’s Causeway.<br/>• Interact with the warm people of Ireland at a Home-Hosted Dinner, a handwoven tweed demonstration, and a visit to a small fishing village.<br/>• Discover Ireland’s breathtaking cliffs, including the iconic, 700-foot Cliffs of Moher, and the cliffs at Slieve League which, though lesser known, are nearly three times as high.<br/>• Hike through the exquisite, mountainous terrain of Glenveagh National Park—with its waterfalls, scenic gardens, and magnificent castle.<br/>• Visit—and perhaps cross—Northern Ireland’s nearly 100-foot-high Carick-A-Rede Rope Bridge, originally built in the late 18th century by salmon fishermen.<br/>• Explore Belfast like a local in one of the city’s famed black taxis, gleaning personal insights from your driver into Northern Ireland’s turbulent past.<br/>• Journey to the enigmatic Hill of Tara, where folklore places the seat of the ancient High Kings, and artifacts reveal stories as tied to Ireland’s history as they are to myth.<br/>• Explore Slane Castle—home to the royal Conyngham family since the early 18th century, and a distillery since 2017—delving into the history of Irish nobility, and sampling some smooth, triple-cask Irish whiskey.<br/>Perhaps you’ll brave the Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge in Northern Ireland’s County Antrim.<br/>Please note: While these descriptions represent the itineraries we hope to offer, we are still early in the planning process and destinations are subject to change.<br/>Rest assured that our final decisions will be made with the quality of your experience in mind.<br/>DISPATCHES•SPRING2017 15<br/>","World Calendar<br/>By Peter Mooney<br/>Peter, who joined the Grand Circle family in 2016, has lived in Dublin and traveled to Scotland, Italy, and Mexico, as well as a number of Caribbean islands.<br/>World Calendar<br/>O.A.T. Trip Leaders and regional staff share upcoming events of interest<br/>June 22 Inti Raymi (Peru)<br/>What was it like to witness a sacrifice in ancient times? Attend<br/>a grand re-enactment of a religious<br/>ceremony in honor of the most important Inca deity, Inti (Quechua for \"sun\"),<br/>at Sacsayhuamán. Traditionally, the ceremony of the Inca Empire celebrating the winter solstice included the mass sacrifice<br/>of llamas. Of course,<br/>during this staged<br/>event, no blood is shed, and spectators observe from the comfort of their cushy chairs.<br/>May<br/>May 12-14 Rose Festival (Morocco)<br/>Breathe in intense floral scents<br/>and witness<br/>the splendor of Morocco’s Valley of the Roses at this event held every May in the small town of El-Kelaâ M’Gouna. Pink Persian<br/>roses are the<br/>town’s crowning glory, beginning with their cultivation and ending in the<br/>production of cosmetics, rose water, rose oil, and more. The three-day festival celebrates the annual harvest with exuberant song and dance street performances, not to mention a “Miss Rose” beauty pageant.<br/>May 26 - July 24 White Nights of St. Petersburg (Russia)<br/>The White Nights Festival is St. Petersburg’s annual refresh, celebrating the arrival of spring after a long, dark, and typically, very cold winter with an extended twilight that beautifully illuminates the night sky. While the festival stretches into July, it begins in late May with the “Stars of the White Nights” spectacular: opera and ballet performances, a fireworks show,<br/>and much more.<br/>June<br/>June 1 - 5 Kilkenny Cat Laughs Comedy Festival (Ireland)<br/>Get a taste of the Irish’s unique brand of comedy at this annual event that has grown into an international sensation since its inauguration in 1995. Blending Irish comics with international talent, the festival also serves as a sneak peek at routines prepared for the world-famous Edinburgh Fringe Arts Festival held later in the summer. Don’t miss this chance to get a glimpse of the cutting-edge comedy.<br/>July<br/>July 2 Il Palio (Italy)<br/>Saddle up, and get ready for a horse race like you’ve<br/>never seen before. Riding bareback, ten costumed jockeys representing different neighborhoods race around Piazza del Campo, negotiating sharp bends of a narrow track that throw some riders off the horse. Held in honor of the Virgin Mary, the Palio di Siena is a relic of medieval times that locals take very seriously, which is displayed by the commitment of the competitors who are willing to do anything, including shoving rival riders, to win.<br/>16 DISPATCHES•SPRING2017<br/>","September<br/>September 9 - 30 Brisbane Festival (Australia)<br/>If you enjoy arts festivals, this world-class annual event featuring plays, comedy shows, concerts, and much more should be on your bucket list. Brisbane River is the backdrop of a spectacular fireworks show that paints the night’s sky at the festival’s conclusion.<br/>September 29 - October 1 Hermanus Whale Festival (South Africa)<br/>The wonder of whale watching is taken to a whole new level at this event billed as<br/>an eco-marine festival. Witness the endangered southern right whales from<br/>the cliffs of the coastal town<br/>of Hermanus, known as one of<br/>the world's best land-based locations for whale watching. Accompanying views of these sublime creatures is a festival featuring environmental exhibits, ocean-themed activities, musical performances, and more.<br/>July 11-13 Naadam (Mongolia)<br/>Care to see how Mongolia’s nomadic past—and the gender equality movement is working—halfway around the globe? Take in Naadam, Mongolia’s annual sporting event billed as “three games of men,” an<br/>abbreviated Olympiad featuring wrestling, archery, and horse racing. The archery and horse-racing components of this festival, celebrating Mongolia’s independence, have recently been opened to women.<br/>August<br/>Bon (also known as Obon) (Japan)<br/>Take part in the celebration of one of the most cherished times of the year for Buddhist Japanese. This three-day event—the dates of which vary depending on the region of Japan—pays tribute to the spirits of one’s ancestors. Since Bon is a joyous family occasion celebrating the lives of the dead rather than lamenting their departure, music and dance performances are the centerpieces of the festivities. If you have the privilege of attending this festival, don’t be afraid to join in!<br/>August 30 La Tomatina (Spain)<br/>Roll up your sleeves and get involved in one of the world’s most outrageous festivals—if you dare! Once a year in the town of Buñol, municipal trucks roll into the town square filled with people wielding plump tomatoes. At<br/>the sound of<br/>a cannon, the<br/>combatants aboard the truck begin firing their ammunition at masses of people below. What ensues is a massive, hour- long food fight. This tomato-throwing tradition began in 1945. Why? If you don’t mind getting messy, you’ll find out why the locals have learned not to question good, clean fun. Just make sure you’re wearing clothes and shoes that you don’t mind getting rid of.<br/>October<br/>Moon Cake Day<br/>(China)<br/>Across China,<br/>the Mid-Autumn<br/>Festival celebrates<br/>the harvest and<br/>honors the moon<br/>for its role in the<br/>changing season.<br/>The holiday’s contemporary nickname, Moon Cake Day, comes from the tradition of sharing sweet banh trug thu (“moon cakes”), which are given to friends and loved ones as tokens of affection.<br/>October 20-28 Phuket Vegetarian Festival (Thailand)<br/>Join the Chinese community of Thailand as they take<br/>part in one of the world’s most surreal religious festivals. The primary theme of the festival is quite ordinary: abstinence from meat and a strict vegan diet for nine days in honor of the nine Emperor Gods. On the other hand, many of the other ways in which participants “celebrate” are exercises in enduring extreme pain, from firewalking to a tongue-slashing ritual and other forms of self-mutilation. This extraordinary festival is not for the faint-hearted.<br/>DISPATCHES•SPRING2017 17<br/>","18 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>","World<br/>on the Wing<br/>Reflections on birds and beauty in the everyday<br/>By Laura Chavanne<br/>Throughout my travels, doves have been a constant.<br/>This observation is far from scientific. But I embraced the idea when I heard<br/>the familiar cooing in the courtyard of a Moroccan palace. It brought me a strange comfort: I’d also pointed out this sound to my husband a few months before in Tanzania, so similar to one I hear all the time at home.<br/>When I shared my thoughts with a friend standing next to me, she seemed unimpressed, preferring instead to<br/>fixate on the feral cats that milled around us, all of them too thin.<br/>Didn’t anybody feed them, she wondered?<br/>Another glimpse of the familiar in a a c c o o n n t t e e x x t t w w e e d d i i d d n n’ ’ t t u u n n d d e e r r s s t t a a n n d d . .<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 19<br/>","Previous page:<br/>The scarlet macaw is one of Costa Rica’s most magnificent residents— but it’s not the country’s national bird.<br/>Previous page inset:<br/>The author gets a<br/>bird’s eye view of the Monteverde Cloud Forest.<br/>Right: Chicken coops may not be much of a tourist attraction, but their occupants can be charming.<br/>“Some of my desti- nations have been obvious havens<br/>for bird lovers, filled with stunners whose very names command respect: resplendent quetzal ... magnificent frigatebird ... purple-throated mountain gem.<br/>But those aren’t the ones I remember best.”<br/>Unfamiliar situations define our travels, challenging us to put aside what we think we know—about anything as simple as the feeding of cats or as complex as societal norms. But I’ve come to appreciate the flip side: Back at home, in small, surprising ways, my travels have changed the way I view the familiar.<br/>Or hear it, in the case of the doves.<br/>I have friends who wake up at 5am on weekends to stand in marshes for hours with binoculars, giddy about checking new species off their lists. I don’t go with them. But my more casual appreciation for birds brings me joy every day, from the cardinals that sing<br/>in the treetops each morning, glowing like little red flames in the sun; to the fearless seagulls that patrol New England beaches, snatching food from hapless sunbathers with a tenacity I can’t help but admire. (I hope you enjoyed those chips, seagull of yesteryear.<br/>I’d have stolen them, too.) The woods that line our highways teem with massive hawks, turning every long car ride into a safari as I spot them on streetlamps and dead trees.<br/>It’s hard to imagine now, but I never paid much attention to birds until I started traveling. Some of<br/>my destinations, like Costa Rica, the Galápagos, and Africa, have been obvious havens for bird lovers, filled with stunners whose very names command respect: resplendent quetzal ... magnificent frigatebird ... lilac-breasted roller ... purple-throated mountain gem. But those aren’t the ones I remember best. My favorite encounters involve birds that others might overlook— which, for me, makes them all the more special.<br/>Thailand: The one that started it all<br/>Before I begrudgingly began posting all my travel photos on Facebook, I actually printed them and made little albums—something I wish didn’t seem so archaic, and I’m considering doing again. There’s a photo in my Thailand album (which happens to be my very first trip) with a simple caption that reads: “This rooster hated me.”<br/>That was almost 15 years ago. I have reprised that caption many times since.<br/>I don’t remember the exact location of this little village, but it was one of O.A.T.’s unplanned stops, meant to introduce us to everyday life—which, as I now know to be commonplace in rural villages the world over, involved free-roaming chickens and roosters.<br/>My fellow travelers, all enviably experienced, paid the fowl no mind. But wide-eyed little Laura, in Asia for the first time, was downright tickled: this city girl<br/>had never been so close to roosters. They instantly charmed me with beauty and personality. I honed in<br/>on one gentleman who was exceptionally plumed—and seemingly aware of it. He glistened in iridescent shades of orange, red, and green, strutting about like the proverbial cock-of-the-walk. With my drugstore 35mm camera in hand, I tried to see how close I could get.<br/>Yes, that rooster hated me.<br/>But I’d like to think that if he knew how much<br/>I enjoyed him, and how fondly I remembered him to this day as the bird who started it all, he’d look down from rooster heaven—it’s been 15 years, so let’s be real—and forgive me.<br/>20 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>","Costa Rica: The emperor and the every-bird<br/>You don’t have to be a birder to appreciate the winged beauty of Costa Rica. Scarlet macaws, emerald toucanets, purple gallinules, roseate spoonbills—<br/>a literal rainbow of birds ... but one of them, the so-called “grail bird” for any birder traveling here, was a rainbow in itself: the resplendent quetzal.<br/>This was our quarry in San Gerardo de Dota, where we rose at dawn to spend an hour staring at a hole in a tree, waiting for the male to show himself.<br/>That morning confirmed my suspicion that I do not possess the patience of a true birder. But even as a<br/>half hour passed, revealing nothing but long, turquoise tail feathers, I felt a surge of excitement knowing that this could be, beyond compare, the most beautiful<br/>bird I might ever see. And indeed it was, once he finally emerged in all his glory and kindly obliged us with a photo opportunity.<br/>But here’s something I love about Costa Rica: the resplendent quetzal is not its national bird. Nor is the scarlet macaw, the keel-billed toucan, or any of the exotic species you’ll see emblazoned on postcards and t-shirts.<br/>They chose, instead, the clay-colored robin. Which looks about as nondescript as you’d expect. But its sweet, steady song can be heard anywhere in the country, from the rain forest floor to the streets of the city. The clay-colored robin is an every-bird. Not for the tourists, but for the people.<br/>On our last day in San Gerardo de Dota, before heading back to San Jose and then home, I took advantage<br/>of a rare break in the rain to wander the grounds<br/>of our lodge. I heard a song—very simple, but clear, persistent, and close. I don’t know what kind of sparrow it was that regaled me for several minutes from the<br/>top of a scrubby little tree, but our chance encounter meant more to me than a carefully orchestrated pre-dawn reconnaissance mission. At the end of<br/>the rainbow, it’s my favorite photo from the trip.<br/>Israel: The white mystery of Ein Gedi<br/>I remember Israel most for its intensity. Processing the layers upon layers of history and spiritual significance often left me mentally exhausted—not in a bad way, but I appreciated intermittent moments of levity and calm. My most intense experience came at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as we followed<br/>the Via Dolorosa. I physically felt the weight of the devotion emanating from prostrate pilgrims at the site of the crucifixion and around the sepulcher itself. It was so powerful, I eventually retreated outside to the courtyard, where I decompressed alone as my eyes readjusted to the sun.<br/>An oasis was just what I needed—and soon enough, Israel delivered. Like everywhere we went, the Ein Gedi nature reserve—a literal oasis in the Judean desert—<br/>Left: For all its color, the resplendent quetzal is not an easy bird to spot.<br/>“He glistened in iridescent shades of orange, red, and green, strutting about like the proverbial cock-of- the-walk. With my drugstore 35mm camera in hand,<br/>I tried to see how close I could get.”<br/>is mentioned numerous times in the Bible; you don’t so much as hike in Israel without appreciating the significance of the ground beneath your feet. Still, Ein Gedi offered a welcome opportunity for my mind to refresh and reset.<br/>We paused at a freshwater spring, where many of my group opted to physically refresh with a swim. I stayed on dry land, captivated by a nook in the rock wall above us. Inside, a white bird was nesting. Our presence clearly didn’t disturb her, and she sat perfectly still as<br/>I snapped photo after photo. What kind of bird was it? My guide, expert as she was in every verse of the Bible,<br/>This nondescript fellow in Costa Rica proves that one should never judge a bird’s song by its plumage.<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 21<br/>","“Here we were in Israel, where every inch seems to hold a deep spiritual meaning. And I’d been transfixed<br/>by a pigeon.”<br/>Right: Ein Gedi is a literal oasis in Israel’s Judean Desert, and a perfect place to refresh the mind after intense cultural experiences.<br/>and time again, before he diagnosed my latest find: “HA HA HA HA HA: Superb starling.”<br/>There were other memorable birds from that trip, including the guardian red hornbill at a picnic site who considered himself<br/>the rightful owner of our lunches, and a little yellow weaver who flew uninvited into our Land Rover and proceeded to poop on everything.<br/>And then there were the lovebirds: an orange-and- green couple who lived in the eaves of our bungalow in the Ngorongoro Highlands. Every time we returned, they were nestled there together, their two little heads peeking out<br/>at us, one resting atop the other. True to their name, lovebirds form strong monogamous bonds. So we were alarmed one afternoon when we saw only one. We waited, hoping to see the missing bird return on the wing from a foraging or feeding mission.<br/>Sometimes, a birder’s patience is rewarded<br/>by a stunner like the quetzal. Other times,<br/>you end up with a pigeon.<br/>Right: “Superb” though it may be, it’s still a starling, and incredibly common in Tanzania.<br/>knew little about nature. Others came and watched with me as I willed the bird to show herself before we had to move on.<br/>After at least ten minutes, as the last of the swimmers exited the water, she did.<br/>Here we were in Israel, where every inch seems to<br/>hold a deep spiritual meaning. And I’d been transfixed by a pigeon.<br/>Tanzania: The not-so-superb starling<br/>On safari, everyone becomes a wildlife spotter. Sure, we’ll never match the eagle-eyed proficiency of our guides and drivers, but it’s a badge of honor to be the first to point out something that no one else has seen. For every ten rock-rhinos and stick-birds, I actually found something cool. I take credit for an African hoopoe and a red-and-yellow barbet.<br/>Early in our trip, I spotted a striking bird with a red breast, green wings, blue collar, and black head. A superb starling, my Trip Leader informed me. Like our starlings at home, this bird is abundant in Tanzania— the Serengeti’s answer to the pigeon.<br/>But to me, it was superb. So much so that I spotted it no fewer than five times.<br/>“David! There! In that tree!”<br/>“Superb starling.”<br/>“What just flew by? With all the colors?”<br/>“Superb starling.”<br/>David had a deep laugh, which fortunately sounded kind and never mocking. Because I heard it, time<br/>22 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>","Instead, we saw the second tiny head appear from behind its mate, as if to chastise us for our lapse in faith: it had been there all along.<br/>Whether we’re in a far-off country or on familiar ground at home, it’s a gift to<br/>find joy in the everyday. I know many people don’t like birds—and some people downright hate them. But for me, they serve as a small reminder of how travel can change the way we see the world. I’m now more aware of these beings who share my space. I pay attention to their behavior,<br/>and I try to understand it. Travel does that for people, too.<br/>Humor me on your next trip, and listen for<br/>the sound of a dove. You might hear them differently back at home. And maybe, like me, you’ll appreciate them more for what they’ve been throughout history: a symbol of love and peace.<br/>VIETNAM: WHERE THE CAGED BIRDS SING<br/>Even in rural Vietnam, I found the country to be home to a dearth of wild birds, save for the occasional cattle egret (and of course, the villages teemed with roosters and chickens). But in the cities, I noticed bird cages hanging outside nearly every building. Most of the caged birds weren’t particularly beautiful—black, white, and grey, with reasonably cute crests on their heads. I commented on them to my Trip Leader, Ethan, who didn’t have much to say at the time—but I should have known he had something up his sleeve.<br/>At the end of the trip, on one of our last mornings in Ho Chi Minh City, we arrived at an unremarkable entryway, where Ethan chatted with a man who initially seemed wary about letting us in. But in typical fashion, Ethan prevailed, and we walked into a wonderfully bizarre world.<br/>“Laura wanted to know about the birds,” Ethan said. When I’d asked him before, had he tried to explain it sight unseen, I never could have envisioned it.<br/>Men of all ages sat around a courtyard in Vietnam’s ubiquitous plastic chairs, sipping coffee and chatting. But the real chatter took place in the courtyard itself: dozens of birdcages hung from the rafters, each one home to a songbird singing its heart out. Some were colorful, but most were of the nondescript variety I had so often noticed. After all, if Costa Rica taught me anything, it’s<br/>that one should never judge a bird’s song by its plumage.<br/>Laura is the Editor-in- Chief of Dispatches and a 16-year associate at O.A.T. This fall, she’ll discover what birds await her in India.<br/>Left: These inseparable little lovebirds greeted my husband and I each day as we returned from exploring the Ngorongoro Highlands.<br/>Spot a bevy of<br/>beautiful birds on<br/>either Safari Serengeti (www.oattravel.com/unx) or Costa Rica’s Natural Parks & Tropical Forests (www.oattravel.com/bcr).<br/>Ethan explained that this was a bird café. Every morning, the men carry their cages here via motorbike, and strategically hang their pet birds next to a relatively accomplished singer—in hopes that their own bird will learn a new tune. They even hold songbird competitions, and a winning bird with an exceptional repertoire can fetch a pretty penny for an owner willing to part with it.<br/>I remembered something I’d written in my journal at the very beginning of the trip. “Vietnam is beautiful, but where are the birds?” I’d finally found my answer.<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 23<br/>","Call of the Wild<br/>By Jenna Thomas<br/>Jenna Thomas is a staff writer for O.A.T. and has been known to seek out a hot spring or two in her travels.<br/>Right: Champagne Pool is a hot thermal spring in Rotorua on New Zealand’s North Island, named for its bubbly appearance due to the constant emission of carbon dioxide.<br/>The Lady Knox Geyser<br/>is found in the Taupo Volcanic Zone on New Zealand’s North Island and it erupts daily at 10:15am.<br/>Behold the power of nature on our Pure New Zealand adventure. For more information, visit www.oattravel.com/nzo<br/>Forces of Nature<br/>New Zealand’s geothermal wonders<br/>24 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>No matter where you go in New Zealand, the forces of nature are close by. Even in cosmo- politan Auckland, no less than 48 volcanoes dot the city skyline—nearly all of which are long-dormant. Outside the city, the North Island’s idyllic landscape hides a secret: molten lava bubbles just underneath the gently rolling hills and bucolic green meadows.<br/>In Rotorua, the layer between our world and the fiery underworld is especially thin. It lies in the middle of the Taupo Volcanic Zone—a swath of land that includes some of the world’s most active volcanoes. Here, the landscape is pocked with holes where black mud boils, and the unmistakable odor of sulfur permeates the air. Looking out across Lake Rotorua, hundreds of steam columns rise from vents along the shore. In nearby valleys, geysers erupt like clockwork (the Lady Knox geyser, ever-punctual, goes off at 10:15 every morning).<br/>Here on the southern edge of the Pacific’s Ring of<br/>Fire, not all geothermal activity is quite so forbidding. Deep in the forest, bubbling springs emerge from the Earth’s surface at the perfect temperature for a long, warm bath. In the Waimangu Volcanic Valley, there are serene pools of lime green, Tiffany blue, pale yellow, and citrusy orange water. The world’s only geothermal caves are found here—caverns that hide warm springs in their depths, far below the Earth’s surface.<br/>According to Maori legend, the hot pools were a gift<br/>to their ancestor, Ngatoroirangi, one of the first Maori explorers in New Zealand. He found himself freezing on a mountainside one night as a blizzard approached, and begged his sisters, far away in his Polynesian homeland, to send warmth. The “baskets of fire” they sent to their brother appeared as hot lava, undoubtedly warm enough to save him from freezing to death and thus securing his legacy among the Maori.<br/>Ever since, the Maori have enjoyed a pleasant, if wary, relationship with their bubbling geothermal neighbors. Some of the first Europeans in this area were surprised to see just how interwoven the hot springs and mud baths were with Maori daily life—<br/>so much so that villages were literally built upon active geothermal fields. “Gentleman explorer”<br/>JH Kerry Nichols wrote of the<br/>Maori villages he encountered, “Bathing here seems to be second nature, and the women and girls arrange afternoon bath-parties just as we might assemble our friends<br/>at afternoon tea.” Village homes<br/>were warmed with geothermal steam, warm patches<br/>of ground served as ovens, and Nichols found “a small graveyard situated among boiling springs and steaming fissures ... as if the volcanic fires below were just ready to burst forth and swallow up the living with the dead.”<br/>As close as the Maori live to the geothermal field, they know about its dark side. There is a pool called Tikiteri, or Hell’s Gate—named after the Maori princess who threw herself into the boiling waters to escape an abusive husband. The Champagne Pool, with its festive bubbles and bright colors, is 160 degrees Fahrenheit and laced with arsenic. But neither of them can match the danger of the sleeping giant, Mount Tarawera.<br/>Just after midnight on June 10, 1886, Maori villag-<br/>ers and European settlers awoke to feel the earth trembling. A thundering roar heralded the eruption of nearby Mount Tarawera, as a flaming column of lava and ash pummeled the surrounding hillsides. The lava buried an entire village, killing the 120 Maori people who lived there. The Pink and White Terraces, delicate silica cascades that had drawn tourists to New Zealand from around the world, were utterly destroyed. The eruption was over within hours, but a gaping, 10-mile- long rift that formed during the eruption serves as a lasting reminder of Tarawera’s fury.<br/>These days, scientists closely monitor geothermal activity in the Taupo Volcanic Zone, even sending drones to retrieve data and images from active calderas—but the hot pots and steam vents are still full of surprises. Last fall, two geothermal eruptions burst unannounced out of Lake Rotorua. Geysers of steam and boiling water were reported as high as 90 feet above the lake’s surface. No matter how far technology advances, nature still has the last word in Rotorua.<br/>","International Women’s Day<br/>March 8, 2017, was International Women’s Day. We asked our Trip Leaders and associates around the world to share stories about how they commemorated the day with our travelers.<br/>Outlook on Women<br/>Left: During Heart<br/>of India, Trip Leader Somnath Bose and his group celebrated the day by writing women’s empowerment slogans and holding placards at India Gate in Delhi.<br/>“During lunch, we had unforgettable moments, as the entire group told stories about their grandmothers, mothers, and themselves.”<br/>Blessings from Laos<br/>“Laos is a communist country with conservative culture and traditions, especially toward women. International Women’s Day is marked as a national holiday to recognize the importance and the contribution that women have to our society and economy. Celebrations take place throughout the country. Women have a day off and party while men do all the work!<br/>Our group had a remarkable experience in the<br/>Kia Luang village during our Day in the Life. The villagers honored the ladies and our group with<br/>a Bai Sri Su Khwan ceremony, which shows respect, appreciation, and love; and gives a blessing for good luck, health, wealth, and longevity.<br/>We also had a round table talk about the current status of women in Laos, which reflects how women have become more important in terms of culture and law. For example, at weddings, the groom pays for party and dowry to the bride’s mother. Husbands and sons help with housework, and don’t call it a “lady’s job.” Among the Hmong ethnic group, polygamy is now illegal. Every community has a woman leader to protect against domestic violence, and bring any issues to the village chief. Women now hold high-ranking government jobs, and are given three months maternity leave with pay.”<br/>— Trip Leader Lin Ratgan, Ancient Kingdoms: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam<br/>Bonding in Bariloche<br/>“In my group of 15, 9 were women, all retired professionals. To start the day (just Day 3 of the trip), I wished them a happy day, and I noted the fact that most professional women also raise a family, and how this is a double job, not only during their work hours but when they get back home with the kids, groceries, cooking, cleaning.<br/>While we were about to board our flight to Bariloche, they started sharing<br/>their own personal stories. As we were arriving by lunch time I proposed<br/>a celebration to commemorate all women’s efforts. The perfect way to do it was with learning and discovery: a picada, which is a tasting of the<br/>regional products of Patagonia, including Argentinian wine. During lunch, we had unforgettable moments, as the entire group told stories about their grandmothers, mothers, and themselves.”<br/>— Trip Leader Alejandro Spoltore, Chile & Argentina: The Andes to Patagonia<br/>In the Streets of Santiago<br/>“Our goal was to have a connection with the importance of women in Chile and particularly in Santiago. We took a van to the Human Rights and Memory Museum, which was inaugurated by our first woman president, Michelle Bachellet. This museum is about the Pinochet Dictatorship. Among other demonstrations of atrocity, women were tortured by the secret police of the dictator.<br/>Then we took the metro to the main square, where<br/>we talked about Ines de Suarez, the woman who saved the city of Santiago from being destroyed by the natives in Chile. We also talked about a novel, a bestseller in the U.S., Ines of My Soul, by Isabel Allende. It describes how women were treated at the beginning of the Spanish colonial period.<br/>We walked from the main square to our civic center, chatting on the way about the native Mapuche people of Chile, a matriarchal society ... and guess what? A group of young Mapuche were doing a demonstration in front of our government palace, La Moneda, in honor of women, so we had the chance to interact with them.”<br/>— Trip Leader Christian Vera, The Wilderness Beyond: Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego & the Chilean Fjords<br/>Indian Trip Leader Prabhu Singh Bhati and her group visited a local school, where the women received decorative<br/>Holi powder on their foreheads. They also played with the school girls and had a tug-of-war match with the local women of the village.<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 25<br/>","Adventure Countdown<br/>By Ashleigh Osgood<br/>Ashleigh is the Managing Editor of Dispatches<br/>and has been with O.A.T. since 2013. She started dancing at the age of 2 and has since dabbled in everything from ballet and tap, to Latin dance.<br/>1. Bharatanatyam—India<br/>This Indian classical<br/>dance form is traditionally performed by a solo woman (ekaharya), accompanied<br/>by musicians and singers, as a means of expressing Hindu religious beliefs.<br/>The dancer—who typically sports a sari and lavish jewelry during the perfor- mance—keeps her torso fixed throughout, but uses intricate footwork, hand gestures, face muscles, and even choreographed eye movements to tell a story.<br/>Grab Your Dancing Shoes<br/>Dance traditions from around the world<br/>Uncovering the history and culture of a new destination doesn’t always require words; in fact, some of the most spiritual and traditional beliefs of a nation can be conveyed through the power of movement and music. Below, you can explore some traditional dance styles from around the world, discover their origins, and maybe even take a crack at them the next time you find yourself in these countries.<br/>3. Tango—Argentina<br/>The tango originated in<br/>the 1880s along the border between Argentina and Uruguay. Tangueros, (tango dancers) aim to evoke passion while dancing, combining flowy movements, small steps, and complex leg work. The sultry couple dance quickly gained popularity in South America and Europe because<br/>it was one of the first couple dances to involve improvisa- tion, encouraging creativity and individuality while still dancing with a partner.<br/>2. Dragon dance—China<br/>Dating back to<br/>the Han dynasty<br/>in China (206 BC-220 AD), the Dragon Dance was originally intended to bring about rain during times of drought. In present day, it is often performed during Chinese New Year, during which a team of dancers<br/>4. Kabuki—Japan<br/>Kabuki is a form of Japanese dance-drama that is often classified<br/>as avant-garde—the term “kabuki” itself is derived from the word “kabuku,” which means “out of the ordinary.” In its early beginnings, kabuki featured troupes of only women dancing and acting out short plays in both the male and female roles, but today, men are included<br/>in the performance. The three types of kabuki—jidai-mono (historical), sewa-mono (family or domestic dramas), and shosagoto (dance pieces)— all involve elaborate face makeup made from rice powder.<br/>support a long dragon figure with poles, mimicking movements of a dragon that represents power. It is believed that Chinese dragons bring luck, so the longer the dragon used in the dance, the more luck will be brought to the community.<br/>26 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>","5. Raqs sharqi— Egypt<br/>Combining influ-<br/>ences from Russian<br/>ballet, Latin dance,<br/>and even marching<br/>bands, Raqs sharqi<br/>is the classical style<br/>of Egyptian belly<br/>dance. The dance<br/>was created in the<br/>1950s by Egyptian<br/>film stars, right<br/>around the time<br/>when it became illegal to perform with an uncovered midriff. The raqs sharqi costume includes a long gown and often an additional skirt on top—something a spectator would need to see in person though, as belly dancing is no longer broadcast on Egyptian television.<br/>6. Casino—Cuba<br/>During the 1970s when traditional salsa dance was gaining popularity in New York, Cubans invented their own style of the genre, which they dubbed Casino, named after casinos deportivos (social dance halls in Cuba). Casino<br/>differs from original salsa dance in that the dancers do not step on the first or fifth beats and they also have more freedom to improvise, drawing specific steps or styles from different genres of dance that pertain to Cuban history.<br/>7. Aspara dance— Cambodia<br/>Based on carvings discovered in Cambodian temples, Aspara dance is believed<br/>to have originated in the<br/>7th century. According to Hindu mythology, Asparas were female creatures that descended from heaven and danced to entertain<br/>gods and kings. Today,<br/>dancers mimic the Asparas<br/>in their dress—silk clothes<br/>and elaborate headdresses—<br/>and in their performance with<br/>slow, deliberate movements<br/>that tell a story. Flexible<br/>fingers and wrists are a must<br/>because each intricate movement has a meaning.<br/>8. Barong dance—Bali<br/>This Balinese performance depicts a fight between Barong (a good spirit) and Randga (a demon queen). Barong is a lion-like creature in Balinese mythology—embodied by an elaborate costume that hides everything but the dancers’ feet. The combination of Barong’s quick footwork and the fast-paced music takes audience members on a wild ride, displaying the altercation between Barong and Randga from start to finish. Luckily, Barong always comes out on top in the end.<br/>the dancer evokes a sense of intensity through the use of sharp arm movements and the rhythmic stamping of the feet. In addition to the sounds made by their feet, flamenco dancers also incorporate choreo- graphed handclaps and finger snaps throughout the performance.<br/>9. Flamenco— Spain<br/>The oldest traces of flamenco date back to Spain in 1774.<br/>A traditional flamenco perfor- mance includes a guitarist, a singer, and a dancer or dancers. Flamenco is extremely expressive and emotional—<br/>10. Adumu dance—Kenya and Tanzania<br/>The Adumu dance, or the “jumping dance,” takes place during the coming-of-age ceremony of Maasai warriors in East Africa. While music is played and others clap, participants stand in a circle and one or two warriors enter at a time, jumping straight into the air in a narrow pose. They never let their feet touch the ground, and often they let out high pitched sounds while jumping.<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 27<br/>","  <br/>                                            <br/>By Wanda Lane, 7-time traveler from Okatie, SC<br/>2<br/>2<br/>8<br/>8D<br/>D<br/>I<br/>I<br/>S<br/>S<br/>P<br/>P<br/>A<br/>A<br/>T<br/>T<br/>C<br/>C<br/>H<br/>H<br/>E<br/>E<br/>S<br/>S<br/>•<br/>•S<br/>S<br/>P<br/>P<br/>R<br/>R<br/>I<br/>I<br/>N<br/>N<br/>G<br/>G<br/>2<br/>2<br/>0<br/>0<br/>1<br/>1<br/>7<br/>7<br/>","Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem, “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” rhythmed through my mind as the Land Cruiser advanced slowly into the throng. We were not the British entering a narrow valley in the Crimean War, however. We were but tourists on an expansive plain in the Serengeti awed by the spectacle around us. Had Lord Tennyson witnessed the scene, he might have written:<br/>Half a mile, half a mile, Half a mile onward,<br/>Rode the six tourist,<br/>The temp was a hundred.<br/>On the left, to the right,<br/>In fact, all around us,<br/>The herds moving onward, Stampeded and thundered.<br/>","Previous page: Although their movements appear chaotic during migration, wildebeest possess “swarm intelligence,” which means they can explore and overcome obstacles as a group.<br/>Previous page inset:<br/>Thousands of lions follow the migration, keeping an eye on their prey, and attacking whenever they get the chance.<br/>Right: Approximately 1.7 million wildebeest migrate each year in the Serengeti in search of fresh grazing and water.<br/>Wanda experienced more than spectacular wildlife on her adventure—she got to know some Maasai women in a local village as well.<br/>In every direction as far as binoculars could see, wildebeest moved in migration tracing paths traversed many times—faithful to their destination— but filled with peril and death. We sensed the animal’s pulsing tension as we entered the vista surreal with animals.<br/>The plains onto which we drove throbbed with movement fueled by instinctive ritual to press on, ever onward, searching, seeking, water, water. Embedded in the endless mass of wildebeest were pockets of zebras resplendent and sleek in black and white against the gray-brown coats of the scruffy wildebeest. Zebras ran heads erect in horse-like stature. The wildebeest with sloping backs, shorter back legs and long heads held down appeared gawky by comparison.<br/>The two travel in symbiotic relationship. Short legs hinder wildebeest in seeing danger, but strengths lie in smelling rain and water and an acute hyper- sensitivity to danger. Zebras, tall by comparison and with better eyesight, detect predators more quickly in the high desert grasses and remember migration routes.<br/>As our safari truck moved along the periphery of the amassed animals, small pixels of the larger diorama emerged. A baby stumbled running erratically in circles. He was young, very young. Global warming patterns, delaying the arrival of the rainy season, caused his birth to be later than normal thus robbing<br/>him of critical development time. Disadvantaged from the beginning, he was weak, lacking strength and stability in his legs.<br/>Involuntarily, astonishingly out of context in the spectacle surrounding me, I remembered a book I had often read my children. In Are You My Mother?, a baby bird falls from the nest and searches for his mother. He’s frustrated in his search, but plods resolutely on. Eventually, his mother is found and he is enfolded into the nest once again, a happy ending.<br/>But, the baby bird’s experience of my children’s bedtime routine was vastly different from the plight playing out before me. The young wildebeest lost, panicked, and in imminent danger of demise searched with rising desperation. The herd moves on propelled by their critical need for water, driven by embedded instinct to migrate, to move, to press ever onward.<br/>As the herd moves, the young one falters. Alone,<br/>he will perish. Tagging along with a surrogate<br/>mother isn’t an option. Wildebeest don’t do that.<br/>Nor do zebras. Shortly, our Land Rover flows with the herd and the baby is lost from view. Left to his fate, swallowed up in the dusty haze and the relentless sun.<br/>Somberly we crept on, eventually edging back amidst the migrating thousands. We could detect snuffling and breathing, hear low noises, sense the animals’ urgency to move ceaselessly forward. Part of their world, the dust that settled on them, settled on us.<br/>30 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>","We pulled into our lungs the same gritty air they breathed. Marveling at their stamina, we wilted in<br/>the heat. But no one thought of returning prematurely to camp.<br/>Our vehicle trolled slowly, our eyes straining in constant surveillance as everyday life in the Serengeti unfolded around us. The carcass of a baby wildebeest propped in the branches of a tree, legs hanging stiffly down was sighted. The predator, a leopard, because of its innate shyness, hid immediately. The visage of nature’s grim, but purposeful, cycle of life was imprinted on our consciousness.<br/>Our viewing intensified. Under<br/>a tree close to the migration<br/>path, we spied a lone male lion<br/>plopped on his belly, a fresh kill between his paws. Ignoring our voyeuristic gawking, the lion’s kingly head returned again and again to the gore of the carcass tearing meat and muscle from bone. Mouth, muzzle and paws thick with blood, he gorged himself oblivious to our presence.<br/>The slain wildebeest lay on its back. Slender, delicate legs with pointed hooves extended skyward moving gently, often in a circular motion, as the lion tore<br/>at the mid-section. Incredibly, juxtaposed with the lion’s kill, an image of a dancer engaged in floor warm-ups with legs stretched and feet arched en pointe transferred to this time, this place. Perhaps<br/>a metaphor for nature’s dance?<br/>Left: A safari vehicle stopped in “traffic” can easily become surrounded by migrating herds.<br/>So mesmerized by the drama under the tree, we noticed only later the scene above us. Vultures filled every space on the tree limbs above the lion, and against a brilliant cerulean sky, a host of vultures circled languidly overhead. In ominous silhouette,<br/>a lone vulture perched perilously atop the tallest branch. All waited in moribund patience, in the order dictated by the Serengeti, their turn to feast.<br/>My journal entry of the following morning,<br/>delineates by bullet points down the page, the further immensity of the migration: a line of wildebeest<br/>on the horizon; wildebeest crossing the road; a line<br/>of wildebeest; more wildebeest; an endless line of wildebeest; more wildebeest; zebras and wildebeest; more wildebeest; a long, long, endless line of<br/>Vultures keep an eye on the action happening below from the tops of trees, waiting for the perfect moment to swoop down.<br/>Below left: Roughly 300,000 zebra join the wildebeest migration each year, accompanied by gazelles and elands.<br/>“Somberly we crept on, eventually edging back amidst the migrating thousands. We could detect snuffling and breathing, hear<br/>low noises, sense the animals’ urgency<br/>to move ceaselessly forward.”<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 31<br/>","Writer Wanda Lane is<br/>a 7-time traveler with O.A.T., hailing from Okatie, South Carolina.<br/>Right: Wildebeest calves are mostly born all at once near the end of February, giving predators<br/>fewer opportunities throughout the year to prey on the young.<br/>Witness the incomparable spectacle of the wilde- beest migration with O.A.T. during Safari Serengeti: Tanzania Lodge & Tented Safari. Learn more at www.oattravel.com/unx<br/>The Serengeti: Know When to Go<br/>wildebeest; yet another huge herd of wildebeest. I quit taking notes, but that didn’t stop the wildebeest from coming, coming, coming. In its reality, the scene was beyond the imaginable.<br/>Finishing his poem, Alfred Lord Tennyson might<br/>have penned:<br/>‘Round us, all around us, The beest pushed on. That many would die Was a fact foregone.<br/>‘Round us, all around us, The wildebeest came, Moving with urgency<br/>In Nature’s life-game.<br/>Rushing on, rushing on, To a fate unknown, 4,000,000 beests their Fate can’t postpone.<br/>Dry season—<br/>May through October<br/>Advantages:<br/>• With very little rain, game-viewing becomes easier as grasses are<br/>low and animals are congregated around water sources<br/>• Water-loving animals—such as elephants, hippos, and aquatic birds—are more likely to be spotted<br/>• Hyenas and lions are more frequently seen—and the lions’ mating season falls during this time<br/>• The majority of the wildebeest migration occurs in the dry season<br/>Disadvantages:<br/>• Mid-day temperatures may exceed 100°F, so wildlife activity shifts to early and late in the day<br/>• Leopards, cheetahs, and wild dogs are much less commonly seen<br/>Wet season— November through April<br/>Advantages:<br/>• The rain-watered landscapes are lush and green, with flowers in full bloom<br/>• Zebras, antelopes, warthogs, and wildebeest are easy to spot as they graze<br/>• Antelope mating season occurs in April and wildebeest calves are born towards the end of February<br/>Disadvantages:<br/>• Temperatures are high and thunderstorms are common<br/>• Wildlife is more dispersed, as water has become more plentiful<br/>32 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>","A conversation with<br/>O.A.T. Trip Leader Ines Bukovic<br/>Croatia’s Adriatic seacoast is home to more than a thousand islands, but to Ines Bukovic—Trip Leader on our Crossroads of the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovenia adventure—Croatia is the country of a thousand faces thanks to its diverse landscapes, cultures, and languages. Ines took some time to chat with us about what it was like growing up in this small country, and why she thinks it’s one of the most beautiful places on Earth.<br/>Trailblazers<br/>O.A.T.: What was your childhood like growing up in former Yugoslavia?<br/>Ines: I grew up in Split, the biggest city on the coast of Croatia, in the 1980s. I had a chance to experience life in post-Tito’s Yugoslavia with all of its good and bad sides. I lived in the part of the country where the economy was based on self-production, so we didn’t import much. Everyone wore pretty much the same brand of sneakers and clothing— so every new and different thing I received was special and priceless to me.<br/>O.A.T.: What was it like living through the War of Independence?<br/>Ines: When the 1990s arrived, so did the War of Independence. It didn’t affect my city like it affected others nearby. However, we were under constant air raid sirens. As a ten-year-old girl, I was afraid of pretty much everything. When<br/>I think about it now, I’m not sure if I was more afraid of the sirens or of what was going to happen after we heard them. I remember I used to sleep with my shoes on, with my green bag next to my bed. I had them in case I needed to run down to the shelter. Although we didn’t have much of a war in Split, what we did have was a deep and painful experience. But once we got our independence, the door to the world was opened.<br/>O.A.T.: Tell me a little bit about what you love most about your home country.<br/>Ines: Croatia is a small country with a thousand faces. When compared to other European countries, it is really tiny, but it’s unbelievably diverse. We have the coast with the clearest blue sea and more than a thousand islands, and mountains, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, fertile valleys, and dramatic caves. Croatia was dominated by different civilizations for centuries—which helped to shape it. There is no such thing as a typical Croatian dish. Every region is so unique. Even the language is rich in dialects. For example, there’s a 30-square-mile island with only a couple of small towns and villages. Each of the towns has its own dialects, so if the inhabitants were to speak to one another, they wouldn’t be able to understand each other. How amazing is that?<br/>O.A.T.: Do you have a favorite place in Croatia?<br/>Ines: City centers are the places where I feel the most comfortable. Although some of the most beautiful moments in my life were spent in the countryside, where I felt connected to nature, completely<br/>and absolutely free, I have always been a city girl. Each time I go from the country back to Split, I feel my heart beat faster. I enjoy the busy atmosphere as people hurry somewhere, talk to each other, laugh. I like the crowd and the noise and being surrounded by people.<br/>O.A.T.: You’ve been sharing your country with travelers for more than ten years. How do you still keep each trip unique?<br/>Ines: I believe that people make a huge difference.<br/>Not one trip that I do is alike because each traveler is so unique. Someone enjoys lighthouses, or beekeeping, or modern art. Having this amazing opportunity to guide small groups allows me to get to know each of my travelers, to find out about their expectations, and to do my best to meet them. At the end of the trip,<br/>I feel so fulfilled to hear that they experienced what they hoped for, or even more than that. It’s just amazing ... it always surprises me. I’ve met so many people through this type of work and so many of them have left a trace on me.<br/>O.A.T.: What made you decide to become a tour guide?<br/>Ines: I always knew I would study foreign languages and work with people. I like the fact that I am constantly surrounded by different people who are all interested in this beautiful part of the world. And this job gives me an opportunity to be constantly creative.<br/>O.A.T.: When you’re not guiding travelers around Croatia, what do you like to do in your free time?<br/>Ines: I like spending time with my family and friends. I’m often away, but I think it’s the quality of<br/>time we spend together that matters, not the quantity. I also like walking—I do it a lot. I’ve been fortunate to live in a beautiful town on the coast with probably the best climate in the world. My town has something very unique: right in its center, you will find Marjan Hill with pine forest and a few gorgeous well-hidden beaches. That’s where my favorite beach is (but don’t tell anyone!).<br/>By Meghan Colloton<br/>Meghan has been writing for O.A.T. and Grand Circle for six years and has been to six continents.<br/>“Ines is an outstanding Trip Leader. She was passionate, profes- sional, and gave us her free time happily. She made all the daily logistics seamless!”<br/>—Lynda Burak, 3-time traveler from Monroe Township, NJ<br/>Discover Croatia with your own dedicated Trip Leader during Crossroads of the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia<br/>& Herzegovina, and Slovenia. Learn more at www.oattravel.com/foy<br/>Born in:<br/>Split, Croatia<br/>Resides in:<br/>Split, Croatia<br/>Trip Leader since:<br/>2014<br/>Languages spoken:<br/>Croatian, French, English<br/>Hobbies & Interests:<br/>Reading, translating French or Latin to Croatian, jogging<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 33<br/>","Literary Adventure<br/>By John Bregoli<br/>During the darkest days of WWII, when all looked lost for England, Winston Churchill rallied the British people and led his country from the brink of defeat to victory. So, what comes to your mind when you picture this towering figure of the twentieth century? I’ll wager it’s a somewhat out-of-shape, cigar- chomping, balding guy, right?<br/>You may have to reassess that<br/>unflattering image if you read Candice<br/>Millard’s new book, which features<br/>a brash, thin, red-haired Winston<br/>Churchill—a fearless lad courting danger<br/>on the battlefield like a swashbuckling Errol Flynn. Millard has a gift for spinning gripping yarns while humanizing larger-then-life historical figures, as evidenced by her earlier works, The River of Doubt and<br/>Destiny of the Republic, about Theodore Roosevelt and James A. Garfield, respectively. In Hero of the Empire, she recounts one relatively brief yet consequential chapter in Churchill’s early life: his capture and escape from a prison camp during the turn-of-the-century Boer War.<br/>By the time the main action gets going, the 24-year-old Winston Churchill had already fought in two wars—one in Sudan, another in British India. Millard describes how when Churchill fought to quell the Pashtun revolt in the mountains of India’s northwest frontier, he would ride into battle on a bright gray pony in order to “attract attention”— but not the enemy’s attention. Churchill just wanted to make it easier for his superiors to identify him when medals were issued for bravery. To reassure his mother that he wouldn’t be killed in India, the cheeky Churchill wrote to her: “I do not believe the Gods would create so potent a being as myself for so prosaic an ending.”<br/>But medals just weren’t in the cards for Churchill in India. So he left the military to run for a seat in Parliament (because he fully “expected to be Prime Minister one day”)—and loses. Shortly after his humiliating defeat, Churchill sensed one more chance for glory—in Africa.<br/>For decades, the British had been scuffling with the Boers, descendants of early Dutch-speaking settlers in South Africa, over regional control. Huge deposits of gold and diamonds had recently been discovered in the Boer republic of the Transvaal, and a Second Boer War had just<br/>broken out in October of 1899. The mighty British Empire assumed the scruffy Boers (Boer is a Dutch and Afrikaans word meaning “farmer”) would be crushed in a matter of weeks, so Churchill was desperate to join the war before it was over.<br/>Since he was no longer a soldier, he hopped on the next ship heading to South Africa as a war correspondent (and this being Churchill, he also brings along his personal valet and a huge cache of provisions, including some $4,000 worth of wine and spirits!). Within two weeks of his arrival, Churchill convinces the military command to let him join an armored British troop train on a dangerous reconnaissance mission. When the train is ambushed, young Winston takes charge of the unfolding disaster by helping to clear derailed cars from the tracks and loading injured soldiers onto the train’s engine. The train escapes but Churchill doesn’t— he and about 60 British troops are captured by the Boer rebels.<br/>Confined to a British officers’ camp in Pretoria, Churchill finds his situation intolerable—not for his treatment, Millard tells us, but because it denied Churchill of “the glory of battle and an opportunity for recogni- tion and advancement.” Escape was all he thought about. And the story of his prison breakout is incredible enough, but then Millard really ratchets up the action as Churchill makes his way alone across hundreds of miles of enemy territory, jumps onto a moving train, holes up (liter- ally!) in a mine surrounded by hungry rats, hides out among bales of wool on a freight train, and finally crosses the border to freedom.<br/>With Great Britain overconfident and underprepared to fight against the guerilla tactics of the well-armed Boer rebels, the Second Boer War (also known as the Boer War or the South African War) turned into a brutal colonial battle that lasted two more years. Churchill’s heroism in 1899 captured the imagination of the British people, and the next time he ran for a seat in Parliament—in 1900—he won handily.<br/>Few historical figures are as formidable as Winston Churchill. In spite of his many controversies (racism and Gallipoli come to mind), I’ve always been awed by Churchill’s brilliant mind, especially his writings and wartime speeches. Yet I knew very little about his early career. For penning this rip-roaring tale of the exploits and travails of a man barely out of his teens who was already on the verge of greatness, I’d grade Millard a solid “V” for Victory for Hero of the Empire.<br/>Explore the lands where Churchill did battle with the Boers on our Southern Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia & Botswana adventure—www.oattravel.com/boo<br/>Hero of the Empire<br/>The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill<br/>by Candice Millard<br/>In the decade John Bregoli has been writing for O.A.T., he’s become our resident expert in literature. Like his favorite historical figure, John Adams, he always has a book within reach, and one of his earliest memories is getting scolded to go to sleep while reading beneath the covers with a flashlight. If you have any reading recommendations for John—especially books with settings relating to O.A.T. destinations—send him an email at DispatchesJohn@oattravel.com. He’d love to hear from you!<br/>34 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>","Lingering Grains of Thought on the Desert<br/>Field Notes<br/>By Kay Thomas, 14-time traveler from Wayland, NY<br/>Left: The rippling dunes of the Sahara Desert prompted Kay to reflect on her experience and truly savor the beauty that surrounded her<br/>in Morocco.<br/>“Now looking back on those incredible days, I understand that the desert brought me to focusing on being in the present<br/>like nothing else has done before in my life.”<br/>Let the beauty of Morocco inspire you during O.A.T.’s Morocco Sahara Odyssey. Visit www.oattravel.com/mso for more details.<br/>The desert changed me. I knew that instantly when I rode away in the 4x4 up and over the dunes to the main road over 45 miles away.<br/>A Morocco Sahara Odyssey tent camping experience in October made me a different person, and I am barely able to put it into words. The mere notion that a writer is stumped is remarkable. I felt something powerful stirring deeply within my soul. I also assumed that thoughts would come to me, and I had to let things go. In fact, I needed to be far, far away from the desert to figure it all out.<br/>Wise men have gone to the desert in the past—some have wandered there for a long time—and filled their wells. Throughout my years, I have had life changing experiences, and as a result, I discovered a new path. I was willing to trust and believed all would be well.<br/>Thinking about the movie, Lawrence of Arabia, and reading biographies of such desert aficionados as Gertrude Bell, all whom had a convoy of servants, survival on the desert must be taken seriously.<br/>When I showed up at camp—all my clothes had been previously bug-proofed—I looked out into a sandy expanse of flats and dunes with only a single lowly bush in sight. The beating sun overhead made sunglasses<br/>a necessity in high 80s temperatures—autumn in the desert—and I took another drink of water. I headed for a traditional tagine lunch, a stew cooked in a dome clay pot, with hot mint tea in the dining tent.<br/>Before our group arrived at camp, our caravan stopped<br/>in the last dusty little town at a grocery store that had a counter with an expanse of supplies behind it. We gave<br/>the owner our list—each of us had contributed a couple dollars—and he put the pile by the door. We bought essen- tials—cooking oil, grains—in hopes of finding a nomad family somewhere near our camp to share our gifts.<br/>Later that afternoon, we went out in our 4x4’s searching, and we came upon an encampment. Our tour guide Kassami Noureddine, affectionately known as Nourey, hopped out and spoke with a woman of about 45 or so, and she invited all 16 of us to sit under an open tent for mint tea and conversation (through our guide as interpreter) while she carded wool. Her teenage daughter was nearby herding in the goats, and was too shy to speak. The husband was off in a distant town working construction and came home infrequently. I had to pinch myself to remember what time period I was actually in.<br/>The woman and her daughter, like more than 80,000 estimated Berber people with a traditionally nomadic and pastoral lifestyle, are illiterate but desert savvy. Women hold down the home fort pretty much in Berber society.<br/>Who is to say that nomads should strive for more— education and health care—for making a better future for their children? Culturally they don’t know any differently. That became a lively topic of discussion around the dinner table in the evening.<br/>After a tour of her humble shelter with its simple furnishings, we brought out our gifts. She was grateful, hung her head and averted her eyes, which is the custom. She said soon they would move on when the water supply got too low.<br/>Before bedtime, the stars dotted the southern sky as far as I could stretch my neck and I played guessing games figuring out some of the constellations. The tempera- tures cooled to the mid-50s and I slept like a baby.<br/>The next morning, I woke up way before the sun rose when all I could see was a faint outline of the other tents. I was too excited to stay in bed any longer and I climbed a nearby dune to the top. I proceeded to worship God in a natural sanctuary, and it was a special moment of thanksgiving. I saw the outline of a fellow traveler on a distant dune doing yoga, and another taking photos.<br/>Two highlights for me in the Sahara were the camel ride taking in the broad vista in slow motion, and a sunset walk out on the dunes far away from any civilization. Now looking back on those incredible days, I understand that the desert brought me to focusing on being in the present like nothing else has done before in my life. The desert’s solitude offered a message that quietness of mind and body is necessary for my existence.<br/>The daytime desert sky in its cerulean blue is always amazing because the light is just different and gives clarity to the visual. But the night sky ... well, there is the stumbling for words. The stars. The stars. Natural beauty was imprinted on my soul.<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 35<br/>","Moveable Feast<br/>Sicily<br/>A Crossroads of Cuisine<br/>By Rachel Fox<br/>Rachel has been writing for O.A.T. since 2013 and recently traveled to Peru and the Galápagos Islands.<br/>Right: An olive grove in Agrigento, Sicily, looks out onto the Temple of Concordia—part of Valley of the Temples—in the distance.<br/>The name arancini translates to “little orange,” and comes from the round shape and color of the finished product.<br/>Dig into these southern Italian dishes while traversing the largest of Italy’s islands on Sicily’s AncientLandscapes& Timeless Traditions. Visit www.oattravel.com/bya forinformation.<br/>Everything about Sicily is ancient. From the rubble of Roman and Greek ruins, to the Byzantine mosaics, Arab arches, and smoking Mt. Etna looming in the distance, Sicily is not a young island. Even the colorful markets of Palermo are crumbling—but instead of steering into the direction of modernity, Sicily fully embraces its history. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the the local cuisine.<br/>With influences from North Africa, Spain, France, and a slew of other Mediterranean countries, Sicilian cuisine is a veritable blend of cultures and flavors. Perhaps the best example of cultural complexity is caponata. This hybrid dish takes eggplant from the Arabs, peppers and tomatoes from the Spanish, and is blended with an exotic sweet-yet-sour sauce, that can only be described as ancient Sicilian. The staple dish is even often served with crushed almonds, which would be a gift from the Greeks.<br/>There may not be a more beloved aspect of Sicilian culture than its cuisine, and it runs the gamut from fresh seafood and pastas, to arancini and cannoli. The key to all Sicilian food, however, is simplicity. Most often, dishes here are comprised of one part tradition and one part seasonal produce. Sicilians find it impor- tant to be able to taste the unrefined ingredient that highlights the true essence of the land it was grown in.<br/>The warm, Mediterranean climate provides a fertile landscape for the island’s most popular ingredients.<br/>Orange and lemon groves, wine vineyards, and almond and olive farms dot the land and are mainstays in Sicily’s most iconic dishes. Recipes and ingredients may vary slightly between Catania, Ragusa, and Palermo—but chances are good that if you’re in<br/>Sicily, you’re eating well.<br/>Sicily on a Plate<br/>Often referred to at the national dish of Sicily, Pasta con le Sarde (pasta with sardines) has all of the quintessential ingredients that make this Southern Italian island a culinary gem of the Mediterranean. Sardines and fennel are so plentiful in Sicily that there can be no mistaking the origins of this plate of pasta. These elements, combined with the Arab influence of currants, pine nuts, and saffron give the dish palate- pleasing sweet and sour notes that you’re likely to find in just about every seaside restaurant on the island.<br/>When prepared in Sicily, use of wild fennel that grows rampant on the island is preferred, as are freshly caught sardines that require deboning and fileting. This version of the dish—which does not include tomatoes—can be found primarily on the western side of the island, in cities like Palermo and Mazara del Vallo. No matter which ingredients you decide to use in your Pasta con le Sarde (other recipes call for the addition of anchovies and grated Parmesan), the essence of Sicily is sure to shine through.<br/>36 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>","Pasta con le Sarde<br/>Ingredients<br/>1/2 cup currants<br/>1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes<br/>1/2 cup dry white wine<br/>1 tablespoon butter<br/>1 pinch saffron<br/>1/2 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs<br/>1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil<br/>1 medium onion, finely chopped<br/>Instructions<br/>2 small cloves garlic, minced<br/>1 lb fennel, bulb finely chopped, fronds chopped and reserved<br/>2 lb fresh sardines (trimmed and deboned, yielding 1 1/4 pounds) or 1 lb canned<br/>1. Combine wine, saffron, currants, and red pepper flake in a bowl and set aside.<br/>2. Sauté breadcrumbs with melted butter until golden brown and transfer to separate bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and set aside.<br/>3. In a heavy skillet, heat a half cup of olive oil over medium-low heat. When hot, add onion, fennel bulb, and garlic. Season with salt.<br/>4. Cook, stirring occasionally for 25 minutes or until fennel is tender.<br/>Serves: 4<br/>Arancini<br/>5. Add the wine mixture to the sardines, breaking them into pieces<br/>with a fork. Bring mixture to a boil and gently simmer for 10 minutes.<br/>6. Boil large pot of water, adding plenty of salt. Add bucatini and cook until al dente, about 6-8 minutes, strain. Return pasta to the pot and set over low heat. Fold in sardine-fennel mixture and toss in remaining olive oil.<br/>7. Add the fennel fronds, pine nuts, capers and bread crumbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.<br/>1 lb bucatini pasta<br/>1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted<br/>1/4 cup capers, rinsed<br/>Salt and pepper for seasoning<br/>These classic crispy, fried rice balls may be filled simply with cheese (as we do here) or with sauces or vegetables.<br/>Ingredients<br/>For the balls:<br/>2 large eggs<br/>4 cups cooked rice, cooled<br/>1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese 2/3 cup breadcrumbs<br/>Instructions<br/>1. Make the cheese filling: combine pine nuts, mozzarella, fontina and parsley in a bowl; set aside.<br/>2. Make the balls: Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then stir in the cooled rice, the parmesan, and 2/3 cup breadcrumbs. Shape the mixture into sixteen 1 1⁄2 -inch balls.<br/>3. Press your finger into the center of each rice ball to make a well; insert 2 teaspoons of the mozzarella/fontina mixture, then pinch the rice around the filling to enclose.<br/>Serves: 8 as an appetizer<br/>For the coating:<br/>3⁄4 cup additional bread crumbs Canola oil or vegetable oil<br/>For the filling:<br/>2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted<br/>1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (2 ounces) 1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese (2 ounces)<br/>2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley<br/>4. Put the remaining breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Roll the balls in the breadcrumbs and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Loosely cover and refrigerate, at least 1 hour or overnight.<br/>(Pro tip: If you refrigerate overnight, roll lightly in fresh bread crumbs just before cooking.)<br/>5. Heat an inch of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. Fry 3-5 rice balls at a time, turning, until golden brown on all sides (4-5 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; season with salt.<br/>Request a recipe—or share one of your own<br/>Do you remember a favorite O.A.T. meal that you’d like to see featured here? We might be able to find it for you. Or maybe you have a recipe of your own to share, inspired by your adventures. Email us your culinary inspiration at: editordispatches@oattravel.com<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 37<br/>","In the Know<br/>Where It All Began<br/>Quiz<br/>here did the toothbrush have its humble beginnings? Which country gets the credit for inventing the first pair of glasses? Innovations such as these are so regular in our everyday lives, but do you know where they come from? Test your knowledge on the origins of inventions we now consider commonplace.<br/>By Ashleigh Osgood<br/>Ashleigh is a co-Managing W<br/>Editor of Dispatches and has been with O.A.T. since 2013. Her favorite trip so far was Real Affordable Peru.<br/>International Necktie Day is celebrated on October 18 in both the country credited for the invention and various cities around the world.<br/>The longest game of chess took place in Belgrade<br/>in 1989 and lasted for<br/>20 hours and 15 minutes.<br/>You can thank the ancient Egyptians for a number of inventions, including written text and papyrus, which lead to the first recorded documents.<br/>8.<br/>9.<br/>a. France b. Spain<br/>c. Italy<br/>d. England<br/>This French invention from 1890 was much larger than it is today and originally involved a gas stove and chimney pipe in order to produce air. What is it?<br/>a. Air conditioner b. Leaf blower<br/>c. Hair dryer<br/>d. Tire pump<br/>In 1889, construction projects became a little less time consuming when the electric drill was invented in which country?<br/>a. Australia<br/>b. United States c. China<br/>d. Japan<br/>1. This stringed musical instrument was invented in the early 1700s in Padua, Italy, by Bartolomeo Cristofori. Can you name it?<br/>a. Clavichord b. Harpsichord c. Piano<br/>d. Guitar<br/>2. Although the Egyptians cleaned their teeth using a twig that was frayed at the end, the first modern day toothbrush with bristles—made of coarse pig hair—was created in this country.<br/>a. China<br/>b. England c. Japan<br/>d. France<br/>3. Which country is credited with the creation of the necktie, a fashion statement that gained popularity during the Thirty Years War?<br/>a. France b. Croatia c. Spain<br/>d. Scotland<br/>4. You can thank England for this simple invention the next time you find yourself enjoying a glass of wine.<br/>a. Wine bottle b. Corkscrew c. Wine glass d. Wine cork<br/>5. Two different tech companies were working independently on the first CDs before joining forces—Philips of The Netherlands and Sony of which country?<br/>a. China<br/>b. United States c. Germany<br/>d. Japan<br/>6. The ancient Egyptians are credited with the inven- tion of what common breath freshener, comprised of frankincense, myrrh, cinnamon, and honey?<br/>a. Toothpaste<br/>b. Mints<br/>c. Mouthwash d. Chewing gum<br/>7. Those with poor eyesight were forced to live with uncorrected vision until the first pair of glasses was invented in this county in 1286.<br/>38 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>Answers appear on page 51.<br/>10. The centuries-old strategy game of chess has become a fierce competition around the world, but do you know where it originated?<br/>a. Russia<br/>b. India<br/>c. China<br/>d. Germany<br/>","This Work is Never Done<br/>Philanthropy<br/>Supporting women’s cooperatives worldwide<br/>By Harriet R. Lewis<br/>Left: The Dhonk<br/>Women’s Cooperative<br/>in Ranthambore, India, prevents tiger poaching and teaches women handcraft skills, giving them alternative methods of earning an income.<br/>Here in America, we sometimes take for granted the ability we have to make the choices that shape our future. In some cultures, women especially are prevented by tradition or circumstance from pursuing their dreams. As a woman, I have always felt passionate about doing what I can to help women in developing countries achieve economic independence and realize their potential.<br/>I’m proud that Grand Circle Foundation is able to contribute to the empowerment of women worldwide, by supporting self-sustaining entrepreneurial projects that teach local women skills that can make a lasting differ- ence in their lives.<br/>Creative alternatives to tiger poaching in India<br/>A world-renowned tiger sanctuary and conservation center is located in the deciduous forests of northern India: Ranthambore National Park. Some local tribes, however, turn to poaching simply to survive. To protect tigers and humans alike, an alternative and sustainable means of income is needed.<br/>One of the projects we support in the region is the Dhonk Women’s Cooperative. Named for the tree that provides shelter for the park’s wildlife, Dhonk teaches both handi- craft skills and conservation awareness. Grand Circle Foundation has supported this organization since 2014, providing electric sewing and embroidery machines,<br/>a power inverter with battery backup, water tanks, computers, and more.<br/>Goats and crafts in Zimbabwe<br/>In Zimbabwe, Grand Circle Foundation operates in areas surrounding the Ziga and Ngamo Primary Schools in Tsholotsho, both of which are schools the Foundation supports. Because these areas consist largely of vegetation favored by goats, we saw an opportunity for these commu- nities to expand their income-generating resources. With the help of generous donations from O.A.T. travelers, last year Grand Circle Foundation provided women of the<br/>Ziga community with South African Kalahari Red male breeding goats, the materials to build goat pens and shelters, and the necessary medications and sanitary dips for the well-being of the goat herds.<br/>The project is managed by the Ladies’ Goat-Rearing Committee, a group of 30 enthusiastic and committed local women. There is already demand for the meat<br/>and milk of the goat herds, and the much-needed extra income will support the committee members, their families, and the community at large.<br/>Traditional handcrafts represent another source of income for local village women. Early last year, Grand Circle Foundation—along with our partner in Zimbabwe, Wilderness Safaris—held a three-day craft workshop for women from Tsholotsho. The workshop taught this moti- vated group of women sewing, knitting, beading, crochet, batik, tie-dye, weaving, and basketry. By the end of the workshop, the women returned home with the skills to both create beautiful handiwork and operate a business.<br/>Weaving together a community in Laos<br/>Grand Circle Foundation’s women’s cooperative initiative has also been extended into Southeast Asia. In 2011,<br/>we partnered with the Tin Keo School in the Laotian village of Tin Keo. Most of the children’s parents are rice, banana, or corn farmers or weavers. After the harvest, most of the men find jobs in the city to support their families, and, with their children in school, the women are often isolated and lonely. Grand Circle Foundation has supported the creation of a weaving center in the village, so that these women can earn income with their textiles, while also enjoying each other’s company and benefiting from the exchange of ideas, patterns, and techniques.<br/>We’re proud to have had the opportunity to help develop self-reliant women in the communities supported by Grand Circle Foundation, who can now generate an income for their families.<br/>The Grand Circle Foundation sponsored weaving cooperative in Tin Keo Village, Laos, gives women the opportunity to provide for their families.<br/>Each member of the Ladies’ Goat-Rearing Committee contributed one female goat, along with their time dedicated to the daily upkeep of the goat herd.<br/>If you are interested in learning more about Grand Circle Foundation, please visit our website at www.grandcirclefoundation.org Email: foundation@oattravel.com or contact: Grand Circle Foundation • 347 Congress Street • Boston, MA 02210<br/>SM<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 39<br/>","Spotlight on Small Ships<br/>Why O.A.T. travelers should consider Small Ship Adventures<br/>In some parts of the world, small ocean ships are the best and most adventurous way to explore. They allow us to dock in smaller, lesser-known ports and explore unobtrusively in small groups—much like the experience our travelers have come to expect from our Land Adventures.<br/>In this issue of Dispatches, we feature a destination that’s just one highlight of our most popular new adventure<br/>in nearly a decade. When we first announced Suez Canal Crossing: Israel, Egypt, Jordan & the Red Sea earlier this year, the enthusiastic response proved that our travelers have been eagerly awaiting our return to this part of the world. Traveling aboard the 89-passenger M/V Clio, the itinerary includes the famed antiquities of ancient Egypt; the<br/>“Lost City” of Petra, Jordan; and a transit of the Suez Canal—an engineering marvel with roots dating back to the pharaohs. We explore the Suez on page 42.<br/>These pages offer just a brief introduction to the places you can discover by small ship. If you like what you see, you can explore more at www.oattravel.com.<br/>TABLE OF CONTENTS<br/>41 Setting Sail<br/>Traveler Doris Foley finds a new traveling partner in her sister-in-law<br/>42 Sunrise on the Suez<br/>An old canal is new again<br/>47 Cultural Moorings<br/>The history and culture of Liguria, Italy<br/>48 Stepping Ashore<br/>Meet Trip Leader Debbie Farnham<br/>49 Hands on Deck<br/>Meet Hotel Manager Zoran Kikic<br/>“The Suez Canal— old and new—solves a problem that goes back thousands of years: how to shorten the sailing route from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, a transit that once involved cruising around<br/>the entirety of southern Africa.”<br/>40 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>The Suez Canal PAGE 42<br/>","From World Book to World Traveler<br/>Meet Doris Foley<br/>Setting Sail<br/>By David Valdes Greenwood<br/>David has been writing for O.A.T. for 15 years and his latest adventure will take him to Cuba this spring.<br/>Left: From Croatia to Greece, Doris and Linda called the M/V Athena their home as they cruised the Dalmatian Coast.<br/>These two don’t let anything stop them from seeing the world— even their wedding anniversaries, which they celebrated without their husbands.<br/>“We did celebrate before our departure with our families too, but we told people that our husbands gave us the trip for an anniversary present. The captain gave us champagne and treated us royally!”<br/>Create your own<br/>lasting memories<br/>during Hidden Gems of the Dalmatian Coast & Greece. Learn more at www.oattravel.com/das<br/>When Doris Foley was a little girl, she fell<br/>in love with World Book Encyclopedia,<br/>and was especially smitten with anything about Egypt and Greece. Not every child names all her cats after Egyptian goddesses, but that’s what Doris did, and she had visions of someday exploring Egypt herself. It would be roughly 60 years before Grand Circle helped her make that dream come true.<br/>Long before she first went abroad, her career kept<br/>her busy close to home. In Nebraska and then Kansas, she worked as a home economist for the Department of Agriculture Extension to teach nutrition, sewing, 4H, and early childhood education to families. Along the way, she raised three children of her own. But when they were nearing the end of their college studies, she determined that the money she had<br/>been spending on tuition was going to be travel money once they were out of school.<br/>The only hiccup in this plan was that her husband did not share her travel visions. He would sometimes visit relatives in Ireland and Scotland, but for him, travel meant seeing people and then ending the day in a pub. Doris, by nature, wants to do and see more. She loves to “go go go,” she says, and makes no bones about it: “We don’t travel well together!”<br/>Lucky for Doris, her sister-in-law, Linda Storck, wanted to travel as well, but her husband (Doris’s brother) “was happier staying home with cattle.” Together but spouse-free, Doris and Linda began seeing the world. Their first trip was to Europe, a quick hop through England, France, Switzerland, and Holland. That was 26 years ago, and they’ve never stopped since.<br/>A decade ago, Doris heard people talking about Grand Circle Travel’s past Egypt trip, and the childhood dream flickered back to life. From Cairo, which she found<br/>incredibly educational, to the Aswan Dam,<br/>the trip was everything she hoped for. (Grand Circle<br/>is thrilled to be returning to Egypt with a new cruise, Suez Canal Crossing: Israel, Egypt, Jordan & The Red Sea.) And Doris was especially impressed with life on the ship. “We’d been on trips where you have to have your bags packed and out at 6 A.M. day after day, and this was so much nicer.”<br/>Cruises became a staple for Doris and Linda. One of their favorites was Hidden Gems of the Dalmatian Coast & Greece. “For Greece, we’d been there three times, but there was so much that was new to us. The new Acropolis museum had opened since my last visit, and it was fabulous. One of the carytids holding up a column looked just like my granddaughter. At Corfu, at Sissi’s Palace, the architec- ture was just beautiful—up along the ceiling, there were fantastic roosters and dog heads.”<br/>That was just the start. Doris recalls, “I didn’t know what the Dalmatian coast was until I looked at a<br/>map in the Bible. And it was so interesting!” She found Albania fascinating and enjoyed Montenegro despite getting off to rough start: “I hit my head on the welcome sign! But I held my cold water bottle against it and kept going.” She especially liked the optional tour to Cetinje, “following a very curvy road and then getting to try the local ham and cheese.” And in Croatia, Doris’s group joined their Trip Leader and his brother for traditional snacks in the family’s Old Town apartment.<br/>One of the highlights of that cruise was an unusual anniversary celebration: Doris and Linda both celebrated their wedding anniversaries (50 and 52 respectively) aboard ship without their husbands. “We did celebrate before our departure with our families too, but we<br/>told people that our husbands gave us the trip for an anniversary present. The captain gave us champagne and treated us royally! We all had so much fun.”<br/>That same kind of camaraderie was a highlight of her Italy: Tuscany, the Alps & the Riviera trip, when she and Linda fell in with a solo traveler and a mother-daughter pair. “We’ve called ourselves The Fabulous Five. I never laughed so much! I had developed a really bad knee<br/>and had to hustle to keep up, but we had a lot of fun laughing about my cane and my ‘dancing’ to get my knee unstuck.” They had such a good time that four of the five are reuniting for Cruising Burgundy & Provence to the Cote d’Azur this August. “I just got a new knee in January,” she notes, “so I’m ready for anything!”<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 41<br/>","An old canal is new again<br/>By David Valdes Greenwood<br/>42 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>","When Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi basked The Suez Canal—old and new—solves a problem that<br/>in the sunlight on the bow of the El-Mahrousa in 2015, waving to throngs witnessing the opening of the New Suez Canal, it was a bit like time travel. 137<br/>years before, another Egyptian ruler stood in the<br/>same spot on the deck of the very same vessel<br/>as thousands cheered on the very first transit of<br/>the old Suez Canal. But unlike his predecessor,<br/>El-Sisi had to wait only a single year from vision<br/>to execution for his grand cruise, unlike the<br/>15-year wait for the original canal crossing<br/>(which came after millennia of similar efforts).<br/>goes back thousands of years: how to shorten the sailing route from the Mediterranean to<br/>the Red Sea (and thus, by extension, from the North Atlantic to the Indian Ocean), a transit that<br/>once involved cruising around the entirety of southern Africa. As any engineer can tell you, the shortest distance between any two points<br/>is a straight line, but more than 120 miles of desert stood in the way<br/>of making that a possibility.<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 43<br/>","Top: A bird’s eye view of the Suez Canal as it was in 1882, detailing the waterway from the Gulf of Suez to Port Said.<br/>Previous page: In this painting, Austrian artist, Albert Rieger, depicted the Suez Canal and the Egyptian town of Ismalia as it was in 1864.<br/>Previous page inset:<br/>French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps.<br/>Will of the Pharaohs<br/>The first to tackle this problem were the ancient Pharaohs. The original strategy was a canal that wound a bit unevenly from the Red Sea to the Nile River (which, when followed to its end, reached the Mediterranean). Senusret III is said to have built such a canal in 1850 B.C. but silting eventually clogged it and he let it go dormant.<br/>Every few centuries, a new Pharaoh—and at least one interloping Persian, King Darius—re-opened some<br/>or all of the canal, and then, in turn, each eventually surrendered the canal to the build-up of silting. One Pharaoh, Necos, had nearly completed a restoration of the canal when he claimed that an oracle told him to stop, prophesying that the canal would benefit barbarians if he kept up.<br/>In the third century B.C., the canal finally reached<br/>all the way to the Nile: Herodotus describes the meandering canal as being nearly 1,000 furlongs (just over 125 miles). The finished product was wide enough for two Egyptian triremes (massive warships) to sail abreast, with rooms for both sets of mighty oars. And it was a hardy bit of construction: it lasted for several centuries, long enough for Cleopatra to bring her lover Marc Antony out for a cruise on its waters. Then, once again, the encroachment of nature filled in the canal, which has never fully been re-discovered. But the canal’s history was just beginning.<br/>A bumpy road to smooth sailing<br/>In 1798, during the period when France was trying<br/>to wrest control of Egypt, Napoleon Bonaparte sent surveyors to investigate the possibility of building<br/>a Red Sea canal. Things were progressing apace<br/>until his engineers erroneously reported that sea level at the Red Sea was 30 feet higher than the Mediterranean, which meant that opening a channel might well flood the entire Nile Delta, displacing many thousands. Napoleon ordered the plan scrapped<br/>and that might have been that, had it not been for an obscure sect, the Saint-Simonians.<br/>Both a political movement and religious society, the Saint-Simonians primarily attracted philosophers, engineers, and scientists with a shared bent toward making an impact on society. Skeptical of the logic that killed the canal, the group dispatched members to Cairo in 1833 to study the matter for themselves. Their research was conclusive: no such sea level discrepancy existed. But with little initial interest from the Egyptian government, and with plague felling their members the longer they were in Cairo, most returned to France, even as they kept plotting the canal.<br/>One who stayed behind was Ferdinand de Lesseps. Lesseps worked out a deal with the Egyptian viceroy to establish the Suez Canal Company in 1854, and immediately faced opposition from Britain, which feared the canal would complicate their dominance of sea trade routes. In trying to raise funding, Lesseps offered public shares in the Suez Canal Company, a plan drubbed in London papers as “a flagrant robbery gotten up to despoil the simple people.” He was even denounced in Parliament, which led him to focus on Egyptian and French donors only.<br/>After five years of raising money, getting permits, and greasing every Ottoman wheel he could, Lesseps finally got underway. The task was daunting: they had to move 2.6 billion cubic feet of earth, 3/4 of that dredged from water. And that wasn’t going to happen by itself.<br/>As part of the deal with Lesseps, Egypt pressed poor people into service, offering very low pay. As many<br/>as 30,000 workers at a time began the project with picks and shovels in hand. The work was miserable and dangerous, but they persisted, under overt government threat of reprisal if they stopped. After workers began dying, dissent began to foment, which only worsened as the local population grew angry that<br/>Senusret III was the first Pharaoh to attempt building the canal in 1850 B.C., but eventually gave up, as would many Pharaohs that came to power after him.<br/>44 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>","they had so few men left to harvest their own crops. Eventually, this became a liability for Egypt’s rulers, who then surprised Lesseps with a ban on low-wage local workers.<br/>Instead of slowing the canal, this became a win for productivity: forced to design and custom-make massive steam shovels and coal-powered dredgers, the builders found that the pace was much faster. Seventy-five percent of the work was finished by machinery in just the last two years of the decade that went into the building of the canal. Its slated completion date was pushed up to 1869, fifteen years after Lesseps won approval for his plan.<br/>Pomp and shifting circumstances<br/>French sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi wanted<br/>to seize the monumental occasion with an actual monument—a la the Colossus at Rhodes—and he pitched both Lesseps and the Egyptian government on letting him erect a 90-foot sculpture of a woman in peasant robes raising a torch to symbolically light the Mediterranean entrance to the canal. Its title was to be “Egypt Bringing Light to Asia.” Grand as it sounded, Lesseps didn’t like it and the Egyptians didn’t want<br/>it, so the sculptor was turned down. (Not easily dissuaded, Bartholdi decided to build one anyway,<br/>changing peasant robes to a Greek one, and, in 1886,<br/>it debuted in New York Harbor as “Liberty Enlightening the World”—or, as we know it, the Statue of Liberty.)<br/>Even without a colossus, the grand opening was quite an event. Spectators, reporters, and dignitaries from around the world gathered for the big day. Dozens<br/>of ships lined up a full day in advance to prepare for the historic boat parade, with the French vessel l’Aigle selected to pass through the canal first. The British— who once mocked Lesseps, but eventually purchased more than a 40% share in the canal—did not love the idea of France getting such an honor. The night before the opening, a British ship, the HMS Newport, quietly threaded between and past all the anchored ships, sailing along in complete darkness, so that it could slip into the first position unnoticed. When the sun rose, the crewmembers of the l’Aigle were furious but there was nothing to do about it: the canal was not wide enough for it to pass.<br/>The Newport sailed ahead but was officially ignored when the first transit was recorded, the credit still given to the l’Aigle. Both nations have since claimed that their vessel was first. Interestingly, they are not alone: El-Mahrousa tagged as close on the heels of the l’Aigle as possible, so that it finished transit in<br/>“The work was miserable and dangerous, but they persisted, under overt government threat of reprisal if they stopped. ”<br/>Top: It came as no surprise that steam and coal-powered machinery sped up the process of digging out the canal.<br/>Left: It is estimated that at any given time, 30,000 people were digging<br/>out the canal, and more than 1.5 million workers were employed through construction.<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 45<br/>","David has been writing for O.A.T. and Grand Circle for 15 years. He is also a playwright and the author of several books.<br/>Right: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during the inauguration of the new Suez Canal expansion, which was completed after one year, as promised.<br/>Sail the Suez on our<br/>Suez Canal Crossing: Israel, Egypt, Jordan &<br/>the Red Sea Small Ship Adventure. Learn more at www.oattravel.com/rde<br/>the larger ship’s wake, and though it could only truly claim to be the first yacht to cross, Egypt too has often claimed it owned the first ship through the canal. (One thing is beyond dispute: El-Mahrousa is the only ship to appear at both openings.)<br/>The 120-mile canal reduced the sailing route between the seas by 4,300 miles. More than 17,000 ships passed through its length each year, almost 50 per day.<br/>But because the narrowness of the canal precluded two-way traffic, there had been rumblings for decades that it needed to be expanded. No one put a plan in motion to make this a reality until current president El-Sisi, who announced the new canal project in<br/>2014, saying he could have it built in a year. Despite critics arguing that a new one would ruin views at the Mediterranean end, and that the demand for passage wasn’t actually high enough to warrant it, the construction proceeded and the President was right: the canal opened in 2015, just as he said.<br/>The New Suez Canal runs for 22 miles parallel to<br/>the old, offering a reverse direction for ships, while the original canal was both deepened and widened, allowing for the biggest oil tankers (which previously could not pass through). On the busiest days, twice as many vessels now are being accommodated, but<br/>some critics are doubtful that the economic benefits will eclipse the $8 billion price tag during a time of widespread poverty in Egypt.<br/>El-Sisi firmly thinks his vision will be proven correct over the long term. In the meantime, his government issued a statement saying that the canal’s success reflects virtues taught by Mohammed (and which also apply to the opening of the first Suez Canal): “Innovative leadership ... unity and continuity ...<br/>and wariness of naysayers.”<br/>THE YELLOW FLEET: STRANDED BY CIRCUMSTANCE<br/>After Israel gained control of the Sinai Peninsula in the Six Day War of 1967, the Egyptian government didn’t just close down Suez Canal operations: they made it dangerously inaccessible. As if it wasn’t enough to block the entry points on each end with sunken ships, mines were planted in the water. Nobody was getting in or out of that canal.<br/>One problem: More than a dozen international shipping vessels were in<br/>the middle at the time. Fourteen of the ships were docked at Great Bitter<br/>Lake (through which the canal passes), and their stranded crews stayed aboard, unsure how long they would be there. Days became weeks and then months. The desert sands coated the ships’ exteriors so thoroughly, that they collectively earned the nickname The Yellow Fleet. The crews got to know each other and soon it had become a floating village.<br/>Six months in, the ship captains gathered aboard a British Vessel and agreed to create a formal community: the Great Bitter Lakes Association (GBLA).<br/>Six months later, they held a ceremonial event to mark an occasion no one had expected: the one-year anniversary of being stranded. After that, life in the GBLA became much like life in any other small town.<br/>There were soccer matches, dances, concerts, and movie nights. They had their own Olympic games to correspond with the 1968 games in Mexico City. There was commerce, with a valuation system for goods and services that could be traded between ships. Each vessel created its own postage stamps, typically including ship images and often depicting birds that could escape even though they could not.<br/>It was eight years before the canal was reopened and the ships were free to leave. Only two German ships could sail under their own steam at that point, which they<br/>did, to the great anticipation of their countrymen. The sailors were stunned to find the harbor lined by 30,000 of their countrymen, cheering their return as unwitting prisoners of a war that was never their own.<br/>46 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>","Shaped by the Sea<br/>The bounty of Liguria, Italy<br/>Cultural Moorings<br/>By Lyette Mercier<br/>Lyette has been writing for O.A.T. and Grand Circle since 2007. She has also written for websites including The Hairpin and The Toast.<br/>Left: The sun sets on a port in Santa Margherita, bringing an end to another busy day on the docks.<br/>Liguria, a crescent-moon of a province tucked<br/>in Italy’s northwest, is small in size but looms large in Italian history, culture, and cuisine. Bordering the Ligurian Sea, it was home to generations of expert seafarers, including Christopher Columbus. As the Republic of Genoa, the Ligurian region was a major maritime power in Europe between the 11th and 15th centuries due mainly to the spice trade with Asia. It was this trade that inspired the region’s most famous resident, Columbus, to attempt to reach the east by sailing west in 1492.<br/>Today, the ocean still defines local life, with the majority of Ligurian towns bordered on one side by the waters of the Mediterranean and by the steep peaks of the Alps and Apennines on the other. The region is known as the Italian Riviera, with travelers journeying from far and wide to experience its unpar- allelled views, tranquil sea breezes, excellent fresh food, and Mediterranean hospitality.<br/>Although it’s known for its seafood, Liguria is also the birthplace of one of Italy’s most famous sauces: pesto. (It’s ironic that an area that first grew rich through<br/>an international spice trade created one of the world’s most famous herb dishes right at home.) Basil, pine<br/>nuts, and olive oil all grow in abundance in Liguria’s rocky landscape and combining them with parmesan and garlic creates the paste that locals put on pasta, meat, vegetables, and in soups. Ligurian basil has a unique flavor thanks to the sea breeze and mountainous, mineral-rich soil in which it grows, so pesto made in the region is a singular taste experience not to be missed.<br/>Besides the variety of basil, another singular feature of the Ligurian pesto recipe is that locals serve fresh pesto over pasta featuring a boiled and chopped potato. No one knows why the potato is there—theories include that it’s to soak up the pesto’s oil or to make the sauce creamier— but it’s considered bad luck to leave it out.<br/>Of course, Ligurian towns also house a rich fishing culture, with the descendents of Genoa’s seafarers still taking to the sea today. In places like charming Santa Margherita, the day’s catch<br/>is sold straight off fishing boats as they arrive at port. Visitors can watch from the dock as fisher- men unload their haul each day and even buy from them directly if they’re feeling adventurous. (Santa Margherita’s shopping district also features a weekly outdoor morning market selling fresh fruit and vegetables.)<br/>Interestingly, many of Liguria’s best known dishes don’t involve seafood, possibly because Liguria’s sailors, returning from long voyages where only dried provisions and fish sustained them, craved<br/>something different upon returning home. Vegetable and bean dishes are popular, including Mesciua, a soup made from beans, olive oil and farro. Farinata, a favorite local street food, is a flatbread made simply from chickpea flour, water, and olive oil, cooked to golden perfection on a flat stone, and served hot and crispy. And Castagnaccio, a sweet chestnut cake, is made with locally harvested nuts and makes an excellent dessert.<br/>But local fish is abundant and enticing and Liguria’s cuisine also reflects that. Ciuppin is a hearty mixed-fish soup made with tomato broth and stale bread and seasoned with white wine, garlic and onions. Dishes made with local mussels and anchovies prepared with lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and olive oil are also popular. In towns like Portofino, fresh or dried fish can be enjoyed overlooking the waters where they’re caught. Or simply sip a cup of cappuccino or a locally produced wine and watch the fishing boats mingle with the yachts in the harbor.<br/>Regional wines are another hidden gem of Liguria.<br/>The five towns of Cinque Terre are best known for stunning ocean views and vibrantly colored houses packed together along steep terrain. But the area is also home to a singular local wine, Sciacchetrà, a dark, rich, sweet dessert wine made from grapes harvested by hand from vines that grow in rows terraced up the mountain- ous terrain around the villages.<br/>These grapes are sun-dried into raisins, pressed, then bottled and fermented for two years. Because Cinque Terre’s population is so small (there are just 5,000 permanent residents) and harvesting the grapes so difficult, there are fewer than 20 producers of Sciacchetrà. It is only available locally and not to be missed.<br/>Between the gorgeous scenery, singular drinks and dishes, and warm Italian hospitality, Liguria’s small size hides an outsize travel experience.<br/>We have Liguria to thank for this iconic sauce—pesto— one that pairs wonderfully with some homemade potato gnocchi.<br/>Explore Liguria and other quaint seaside regions when you join The Rivieras: Italy, France & the Isles Small Ship Adventure. Visit www.oattravel.com/frv for more details.<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 47<br/>","Stepping Ashore<br/>By Meghan Colloton<br/>Meghan has been writing for O.A.T. and Grand Circle for six years and has been to six continents.<br/>A Conversation with<br/>Trip Leader Debbie Farnham<br/>It wasn’t until later in life that Trip Leader Debbie Farnham would find herself sharing the history and beauty of<br/>her home country with travelers. She began traveling the world at a young age during family holidays, and even spent some time in the U.S. to further her education. It was her experiences living in Chicago that helped her decide to eventually become a Trip Leader, leading travelers on our Maritime Jewels of the British Isles & Ireland Small Ship Adventure. Debbie took some time to chat with us to discuss how her time in the U.S. shaped her future endeavors,<br/>as well as what it was like growing up as a post-war baby.<br/>Born in:<br/>York, England<br/>Resides in:<br/>Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, England<br/>Trip Leader since:<br/>2005<br/>Languages spoken:<br/>English<br/>Hobbies & Interests: Singing in church choir, drama, walking Archie<br/>Experience an attentive and knowledgeable Trip Leader like Debbie during our Maritime Jewels of the British Isles & Ireland Small Ship Adventure. Visit www.oattravel.com/cre for more details.<br/>O.A.T.: What was it like growing up in England?<br/>Debbie: I had a very happy childhood. My father was<br/>a Church of England vicar of a group of small villages in Yorkshire. We grew up in a lovely house with a large garden and orchard full of apple and pear trees. My father liked to grow raspberries and strawberries and my mum made jam. I remember eating lettuce that my father was very proud he had grown. Both my parents enjoyed gardening—something that hasn’t rubbed off on me, I’m afraid.<br/>O.A.T.: You had an air raid shelter in your garden, right? Did you have to use it often?<br/>Debbie: We never used it to hide from attacks since<br/>my village wasn’t bombed. As a post-war baby, I only used it when playing and to show it off to my friends. We were the only family in the village with such a luxury!<br/>O.A.T.: Did you do a lot of travel as a child?<br/>Debbie: My parents took us on holidays abroad from a very early age. My father would take a month off in the summer and we would drive to Dover to catch the ferry to France, and then we would drive through France taking about a week to get to our final destination: a beach holiday in either Spain or Italy. I was so lucky to have this early exposure to travel, which has stayed with me all through my life.<br/>O.A.T.: Tell us about your time in the U.S.<br/>Debbie: After I left school and before I went to college for drama, I got an American Field Service Scholarship, which enabled me to go to America to live with a family and attend high school.<br/>I lived with a wonderful family with whom I am still in touch, in a suburb of Chicago called Oak Park—I went to Oak Park and River Forest High School, and graduated with the class of 1974.<br/>I was so overwhelmed by the generosity of the American people that I think it subconsciously guided me to working with American visitors. I try to give them the unforgettable experience that I got during my year living in the U.S.<br/>O.A.T.: What made you want to go to drama school after your time in the U.S.?<br/>Debbie: Since I grew up in a vicarage, we were always surrounded by music. My father played the piano and the trumpet. I sang in my father’s church choir from the age of 6. When I went away to boarding school at 10, I joined the choir there and sang with them throughout my school years. This love of singing continued into my later education since I attended drama school in London.<br/>O.A.T.: What else do you like to do in your free time besides singing?<br/>Debbie: When I’m not working, I spend a lot of my time walking with my dog, a chocolate Labrador called Archie. He is 11 years old now, but is<br/>still pretty agile and never seems to tire even<br/>if we are out for the day. I also belong to a local leisure center, so I swim and take classes three times a week. I was widowed in 2012,<br/>but I have a great core of friends here who<br/>have been a wonderful support to me. We get together regularly for coffee or “early doors” (6-7:30pm) in the pub, or Sunday lunch parties, which is my favorite form of entertaining.<br/>O.A.T.: What made you decide to become a Trip Leader?<br/>Debbie: I’m encouraged to go that extra mile to make sure our travelers have a truly unique experi- ence. Not many companies encourage you to raise controversial subjects as part of the trip, and I always find these moments both challeng- ing and stimulating. The subject everyone wants to hear about at the moment is Brexit. This really has torn friends and families apart, including<br/>my own—but we always patch up! This is an ongoing subject that we will be discussing for many years to come.<br/>O.A.T. What do you love most about being a Trip Leader?<br/>Debbie: I am so lucky to be able to travel for a living. Not only do you see such wonderful places, but you meet the most fabulous people who stay with you forever. I can’t say I have a favorite place— it always seems to be where I am at that moment!<br/>48 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>","A Familiar Face Aboard the M/V Athena<br/>Hotel Manager Zoran Kikic feels the calm of the sea<br/>Hands on Deck<br/>By Andrea Calabretta<br/>Andrea is a Philadelphia- based writer who has been writing for O.A.T. and Grand Circle since 2008. Her curiosity about the world has taken her to more than thirty countries.<br/>For Zoran Kikic, Hotel Manager aboard<br/>the M/V Athena, the best part of his job is the people—both his fellow crew members and the travelers they welcome each trip. “We are like a family,” he says of the 21-person crew. “And the travelers are our guests.”<br/>A native of Croatia, Zoran started with Grand Circle in 2005 and for seven years, he worked aboard the river ships Symphony, Melody, and Harmony before moving to a rotation on the Mediterranean ships Athena, Arethusa, and Artemis in 2013.<br/>But he wasn’t always a hotel manager. In fact, he started out as a waiter, then became assistant restaurant manager, then restaurant manager, then assistant hotel manager. No wonder so many repeat travelers recognize him. “Each time, we have one or two couples who come to me and say, ‘I remember you!’ I may not recognize them at first, but once they start telling me some details, I usually do.”<br/>Having worked on large cruise ships in the past,<br/>Zoran waxes poetic on the welcoming, intimate feel<br/>of the 50-passenger M/V Athena. He particularly appreciates the comforts of the lounge, sun deck, dining area, and other parts of the ship that encourage travelers to relax and talk with one another.<br/>According to Zoran, one of the best qualities of O.A.T. travelers is that they are knowledgeable about the history of his country and curious to learn more. He says, “I love to communicate with people and<br/>tell them my story”—including his experience as<br/>a soldier during the Croatian war of independence from Yugoslavia.<br/>While working with the NATO peacekeeping mission in Croatia, he befriended a number of American soldiers. Through conversations with them, he realized that even if he didn’t have the money to travel, he could see the world by working in the travel industry. Not long after, he got his first job on a cruise ship.<br/>But the story of his career is not the only part of Zoran’s life that travelers find compelling. “They have a lot<br/>of questions about my love life too,” he says. Zoran is<br/>a Catholic Croat married to an Orthodox Serb. In spite<br/>of what many Americans have heard about tensions between the two ethnicities and religions, “In fact, we don’t hate each other!” he laughs. Of romance between Croats and Serbs, Zoran’s philosophy is, “First we make war, then we make love.” He says that discussing the human side of history is one of his favorite parts of interacting with travelers.<br/>He also likes to talk about his twelve year-old son,<br/>and his love of basketball. On home leaves, which<br/>last for a month, Zoran spends “a hundred percent”<br/>of his time with his family, soaking up their company to sustain him during his months at sea. Sometimes they travel to nearby resorts where they can relax and enjoy the Croatian countryside by bike or on foot. When he is sailing, Zoran’s daily routine is busy, though he occasionally gets a little time to himself to walk “one hour out and one hour back,” exploring the port cities on his itineraries.<br/>His favorite port of call is Kotor, Montenegro, a place<br/>he calls “my jewel.” The ancient city is small, approach- able, and unique, and the city streets and stone houses are very close to the port, allowing travelers to feel<br/>the atmosphere of the city even onboard the ship.<br/>“You really feel the history—and I am in love with history,” he says. Zoran describes Kotor as the type<br/>of place where you can still walk to an open-air market and buy prosciutto and fresh produce from the mountain villagers who make and grow it themselves.<br/>His love for those kinds of discoveries makes Zoran’s job aboard the Athena a natural fit. And his love for<br/>the sea doesn’t hurt either. Though he grew up in continental Croatia, Zoran moved to the seaside as soon as he was able and now lives in the peninsular city of Pula on the northern coast.<br/>“There is just something about the sea,” he says.<br/>“It doesn’t matter the weather—sun, rain, snow—there is something about the sea that makes you calm.”<br/>Perhaps you’ll meet Zoran during The Aegean Islands, Athens & Ephesus by Small Ship. Visit www.oattravel.com/tgr for more details.<br/>Born in:<br/>Germany<br/>Resides in:<br/>Pula, Croatia<br/>Languages spoken:<br/>English, Croatian, and Italian<br/>Hobbies & Interests: Walking, biking, travel, nature, spending time with family<br/>Favorite ports:<br/>Kotor, Montenegro<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 49<br/>","Adventure Update<br/>News Briefs from O.A.T.<br/>Extended hours to better serve you<br/>To give you a longer window of opportunity to contact our Adventure Specialists—particularly for our travelers on the west coast—we’ll<br/>be here to take your calls for an hour longer on weekdays. You can now reach us from 9am-9pm (ET) Monday-Friday. Our weekend hours of 9am-7pm (ET) remain unchanged.<br/>Tips & Advice: New on our Website (see example below)<br/>Our most experienced travelers and top-rated Trip Leaders are an invaluable resource when it comes to planning an adventure, particularly when you’re looking to make the most of your free time. Now, when you’re browsing many of our most popular adventures, you’ll find a wealth of their advice in one convenient place. Discover local restaurants, interesting attractions that aren’t part of the itinerary, cultural insights, and more. For<br/>an example of tips about our Ancient Kingdoms: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam adventure, visit www.oattravel.com/lvc-tips.<br/>Looking ahead to 2018<br/>Our South Korea & Japan: Temples, Shrines & Seaside Treasures adventure sold out in 2017, but our 2018 dates are now available to reserve.<br/>Nearly all of our 2018 Land and Small<br/>Ship Adventures are announced and open<br/>for reservations. If<br/>you know where you’d like to go, but don’t<br/>see 2018 departures on our website, call our Adventure Specialists<br/>to pre-reserve your adventure. We’ll contact you as soon as it’s available to reserve, ensuring you’ll have the best choice of dates and optional extensions.<br/>To see a list of all adventures available to reserve in 2018, visit www.oattravel.com/2018.<br/>Current Travel Trends (see example below)<br/>A new feature of our website displays our current travel trends, including our top three Land and Small Ship Adventures that your fellow travelers are reserving. This section is updated weekly, giving you the most up-to-date insight on what’s most popular amongst our travelers. Visit www.oattravel.com to see what’s trending at any time.<br/>50 DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017<br/>Join the Community: Our Travel Forum<br/>Did you know there’s a place on our website where<br/>you can ask questions about a trip or destination,<br/>and receive an answer from an audience of your<br/>fellow travelers? Our Travel Forum is a lively community of passionate travelers who love to<br/>share their expertise, feedback, and travel memories— and they’re always happy to welcome new users.<br/>Visit www.oattravel.com/forum to view recent posts and share advice of your own.<br/>","Where in the World?<br/>Continued from page 10<br/>ANSWER:<br/>Mahabalipuram, India<br/>What would you do if you found yourself staring uphill at a 20-foot boulder weighing 250 tons teetering above you on a four-foot base? In India, the answer seems to be this: pose directly in its path for a photo, hoping it never rolls forward to crush you.<br/>Vann Irai Kai, best known as “Krishna’s Butterball,” is a massive (and massively<br/>contradictory) stone formation in Mahabalipuram. Perched seemingly precariously<br/>on a 45-degree slope, it looks like it might roll forward at any moment. No wonder<br/>that local rulers more than a millennium apart both tried to dislodge it and move<br/>it to a flat location where it posed no threat. But this is where things get surprising: neither ruler could budge the boulder. For all its apparent top-heaviness, the rock has sat unmoved for at least 1,500 years.<br/>Nobody can explain for sure how it came to be there. Some scientists say that it appears to be a natural formation, while others say that it couldn’t appear where it is and in its current shape without human help. The legends of its origin run the gamut from alien encounters (hinted at by its Indian name, which translates as “Stone of the Sky Gods”) to the Hindu folktale that this rock is one of the handfuls of butter that Krishna routinely stole from his mother.<br/>One thing is sure: it’s a beloved symbol of the region and today’s visitors aren’t worried about danger; they’re worried about missing the chance to take a picture there.<br/>In the Know<br/>Continued from page 38<br/>ANSWERS:<br/>1. c. Piano<br/>2. a. China<br/>3. b. Croatia<br/>4. b. Corkscrew 5. d. Japan<br/>6. b. Mints<br/>7. c. Italy<br/>8. c. Hair dryer 9. a. Australia 10. b. India<br/>Have you been published?<br/>Did you experience a life-changing moment during an O.A.T. adventure? Now, when you write a story about your discoveries and have it published on select travel websites or blogs, travel magazines, or in a local paper, you can enjoy a $100 travel voucher towards your next O.A.T. adventure. To claim your voucher, your story must:<br/>• Be published online so that we can share it instantly with other interested travelers • Mention O.A.T.’s website (www.oattravel.com)<br/>• If published in a local newspaper, have a circulation of at least 25,000 readers.<br/>Limit one voucher per trip. Guidelines subject to change. For more information or to participate, please contact Priscilla O’Reilly at poreilly@oattravel.com or 617-346-6841.<br/>DISPATCHES • SPRING 2017 51<br/>",""];