var textForPages =["Vol. 9, no. 3<br/>DISPATCHES<br/>D<br/>fi<br/>fi<br/>fi<br/>e<br/>e<br/>el<br/>l<br/>ld<br/>d<br/>d<br/>n<br/>n<br/>n<br/>o<br/>o<br/>o<br/>t<br/>t<br/>t<br/>e<br/>e<br/>e<br/>s<br/>s<br/>sf<br/>f<br/>f<br/>o<br/>o<br/>o<br/>r<br/>r<br/>r<br/>O<br/>O<br/>O<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.A<br/>A<br/>A.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>T<br/>T<br/>T<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>’<br/>’<br/>’s<br/>s<br/>s<br/>S<br/>S<br/>S<br/>i<br/>i<br/>i<br/>r<br/>r<br/>r<br/>E<br/>E<br/>Ed<br/>d<br/>dm<br/>m<br/>m<br/>u<br/>u<br/>u<br/>n<br/>n<br/>n<br/>d<br/>d<br/>d<br/>H<br/>H<br/>Hi<br/>i<br/>i<br/>l<br/>l<br/>l<br/>l<br/>l<br/>l<br/>a<br/>a<br/>a<br/>r<br/>r<br/>ry<br/>y<br/>yC<br/>C<br/>Cl<br/>l<br/>l<br/>u<br/>u<br/>u<br/>b<br/>b<br/>b<br/>m<br/>m<br/>m<br/>e<br/>e<br/>em<br/>m<br/>m<br/>b<br/>b<br/>b<br/>e<br/>e<br/>er<br/>r<br/>rs<br/>s<br/>s<br/>SM<br/>","Susan Kentner, 9-time traveler<br/>“Iceland is often called ‘the land of ice and fire’—but at the intersection of these two extremes is an abundance of water. Waterfalls in Iceland are everywhere, plummeting over rocky cliffs with intensity ranging from narrow streams to thundering torrents. Seljalandsfoss was somewhere in between ... but it was special because we could get so close, and appreciate from every angle. I came to love the sound of rushing water, which silenced the world around me as I felt the spray on my face. Soothing like white noise ... but a complete sensory experience.”<br/>","","6 Letter from the Editor<br/>7 Correspondence<br/>Our readers share letters, photos, and more<br/>9 Where in the World<br/>Can you identify this picture?<br/>10 O.A.T. Photo Contest<br/>Congratulations to our 2015 winner!<br/>12 Spotlight on What’s New<br/>New O.A.T. Adventures for 2017<br/>14 World Calendar<br/>Upcoming events of interest<br/>16 Artifacts<br/>Willa Reiff’s travel-inspired quilts<br/>24 Call of the Wild<br/>The whales of Iceland<br/>25 Outlook on Women<br/>The life and travels of Isabella Bird<br/>26 Adventure Countdown<br/>Harvest festivals from around the world<br/>34 Trailblazers<br/>A conversation with Andres Cabrera Quesada<br/>35 Literary Adventure<br/>Postcards from Stanland: Journeys in Central Asia by David H. Mould<br/>36 Field Notes<br/>Traveler Elena Cunningham realizes her life-long dream to explore Africa<br/>38 O.A.T. Philanthropy<br/>Next Generation Leaders in Kenya and Tanzania<br/>58 Adventure Update<br/>News briefs from O.A.T.<br/>“Governed by a Grand Master answerable only to the Pope, the Knights were a force to be reckoned with. But their day of reckoning came in 1523 when the army of Suleiman the Magnificent forced their surrender ...”<br/>40 Moveable Feast<br/>43 SPECIAL FEATURE<br/>Southern Indian delicacies<br/>Grand Circle Cruise Line Small Ship Cruise Tours<br/>Malta PAGE 46<br/>","“We learned to appreciate the country’s beauty and to momentarily forget<br/>its disarray, dirt, and dilemma of unbelievable poverty among the masses of people that is India.”<br/>“It didn’t matter whether I was on a sunset walk on the beach in Hoi An, or sipping a glass<br/>of wine in a sports bar after getting hopelessly lost in Hanoi’s Old Town ... Spending time alone with<br/>my thoughts allowed me to understand Vietnam and what it meant to me.”<br/>India PAGE 28<br/>Vietnam PAGE 18<br/>","A Message from Harriet Lewis<br/>Dear Traveler,<br/>In May, my family and I went trekking in Bhutan. It was a special trip for all of us, because my son, Edward, and his wife, Caroline, are expecting a baby in October.<br/>In fact, by the time you read this, I’ll probably be a grandmother! I knew Bhutan would<br/>be the last family trip we’d be taking for a while—which gave me a lot to think about.<br/>Fortunately, Bhutan is a place that encourages contemplation. The mountainous setting is as beautiful as it is remote, and we did much of our trekking in silence, together but alone with our thoughts. And the Buddhist culture, by nature, fills me with a sense of peace. We’ve all heard “do unto others ...”—but when you’re surrounded by people who live by these words every day, you can’t help but feel calm, and welcome, and safe.<br/>When I discover a place that I love, I know that our travelers will love it, too—so I’m delighted that Bhutan is one of several destinations featured on new O.A.T. journeys, which you can experience in 2017. On page 12, we highlight five new adventures, including Japan & South Korea, north India’s Sikkim & Bhutan, and China & Inner Mongolia. All of these destinations offer truly off-the-beaten-path discoveries that will satisfy the most adventurous and experienced travelers.<br/>You’ll hear from one of those travelers in this issue of Dispatches. On page 28, 5-time traveler Hugh Beykirch shares his impressions of India—one<br/>of my favorite places in the world and a must-visit for travelers who, like Hugh, have a need to “discover what might wait for [us] around the bend.”<br/>We also hear from our Editor-in-Chief, Laura Chavanne, about her recent adventure in Vietnam. I love when our associates get out in the world to mingle with our travelers—in fact, most of them are accomplished world travelers themselves. I’ve known Laura for years, and can’t help but feel somewhat responsible for her willingness to go solo on this adventure— she learned her “marketing advice” from me! Read her story on page 18.<br/>There’s a whole lot more to discover in this issue—including two new small ship journeys in Italy on page 44, and a chronical of the powerful and mysterious Knights of Malta on page 46. All of these places make me realize the magic of becoming a grandmother: Sure, I’ll spend plenty of time with Edward, Caroline, and their new arrival ... but I can pack up for my next journey whenever I hear it calling.<br/>Happy travels,<br/>Harriet R. Lewis<br/>Vice Chairman<br/>Overseas Adventure Travel<br/>DISPATCHES<br/>Fall 2016 Vol. 9, no. 3<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/>Rachel Fox<br/>CORRESPONDENTS<br/>John Bregoli<br/>Meghan Colloton<br/>Zack Gross<br/>Karen Hansen<br/>Lyette Mercier<br/>Megan Mullin<br/>Paige Solomon<br/>Travis Taylor<br/>Jenna Thomas<br/>David Valdes Greenwood Victoria Welch<br/>Sarah West<br/>MANAGING DESIGNER<br/>Andrea Erekson<br/>DESIGNERS<br/>Brian Babineau Jessica Pooler<br/>PHOTO EDITORS<br/>Amanda Fisher Meredith Gausch Susan Greene Meredith Mulcahy Gregory Palmer<br/>PRODUCTION MANAGER<br/>Erin Aitken<br/>PROJECT MANAGER<br/>Anna Schneider<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 • FALL 2016<br/>","Correspondence<br/>Letters, photos, and more<br/>Correspondence<br/>How Peace Came to Wellington<br/>While in Wellington on O.A.T.’s New Zealand: Natural Wonders North & South adventure, I saw evidence of the presence of U.S. Marines in the country in 1942. Early in the day as our group strolled along the beautiful sunny waterfront, I noticed plaques along the quay commemorating the presence of the Marines and their gratitude to the people of New Zealand.<br/>Later, we visited Old Saint Paul’s,<br/>a historic Anglican church that had also served as an Anglican Cathedral in its early years. When I entered,<br/>I immediately noticed a Marine Corps flag flanked by an American flag and, across the aisle, the flag<br/>of the city or diocese and the flag of the Commonwealth of New Zealand. I asked one of the volunteers about the Marine flag.<br/>In 1942, the Second Marine Division<br/>was training near Wellington for<br/>the major battles to come in the<br/>South Pacific. The Marines took quite a fancy to the young ladies of New Zealand. The young men of Wellington did not take kindly to the Americans’ attentions toward their women, and many fights broke out between Kiwis and Marines in the dance halls and bars. The tension built until one night the Marines and the Kiwis met in huge numbers to fight. All hell broke loose. It took the local and military police three hours to stop the fighting and restore order.<br/>Nursing their black eyes and broken bones, the Marines and the Wellingtonians agreed to fight no more—or at least not on that scale. A contingent of Marines led by the Division Commanding Officer and a large group of Kiwis attended a special ceremony at Old St. Paul’s, where papers were signed and the flags of the USMC/United States and the City of Wellington/New Zealand were raised ceremonially at the church. They are still there—more than 74 years later—proudly hung by two groups of men who got back to fighting their common enemy instead of each other.<br/>Larry Kavanaugh Rocklin, CA 10-time traveler<br/>Knot Worth its Weight<br/>I enjoyed reading your most recent Dispatches (Vol. 9, no. 2) and always look forward to the next issue.<br/>I must call your attention to a photo error you have on page 57, image “D” [of the Nautical Know-how quiz] for the Bowline Knot. It has been many years since I learned my knots as a Boy Scout, but I still remember and use some of them. The knot you illustrate would not<br/>hold anything. Here is the correct image of the Bowline. Many more images can be found on the Internet by Googling “Bowline”.<br/>Keep up the good work!<br/>Joe & Nancy Kiwak Dudley, MA 26-time travelers<br/>Editor’s note: Thanks to Joe and other savvy travelers for pointing out this error. Clearly we need to spend less time in the office and more time out at sea!<br/>Reflections on Israel and Palestine<br/>I just returned from O.A.T.’s Israel: The Holy Land and Timeless Cultures with the Palestine extension. I had the great fortune to have two fabulous Arab guides, Khalil and Nasser. Not only did they enlighten me on the history, archeology, and geography of the Holy land—even though Muslims, they knew everything about the Bible—in fact many events I never knew. It was a high energy trip; one day according to a member’s Fit Bit, we walked 42,000 steps, up, down in caves, tunnels, mountains.<br/>One of my highlights was connecting to Noor Nabris, a graduate student here at the University of Minnesota who taught a class on Palestine that I attended last fall. For 8 weeks I learned about the Middle East conflict, the plight of the Palestinians, the different zones, the wall, the refugee camps, Gaza, etc. She had returned to Jerusalem and began a job with Doctors without Borders, counseling emotionally- damaged kids from the war.<br/>While in Jerusalem, she picked me up, drove me around her neighborhood, the refugee camps, and continually informed me what was going on in this conflicted area. In Bethlehem she brought her fiancé Mohammed to talk with our group, answer any questions we had.<br/>This truly made my trip special, relevant and I now feel a deep<br/>Jayne Kennelly Minnetonka, MN 10-time traveler<br/>connection to the Palestinian people as well as to Mohammed and her.<br/>As I was walking around the markets in Palestinian towns, I couldn’t help but notice examples of Palestinian and Arab fashions with mannequins in head gear, and long heavy dresses. It was such a contrast to our idea of fashion, it made me smile.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 7<br/>","No Reflection on You<br/>The following is a poignant poem by traveler Evie Groch, which was inspired by her recent Small Ship Cruise Tour to The Rivieras: Italy, France & the Isles.<br/>Her stoic smile attached<br/>to the lower half of her face,<br/>stiff, shallow, a thin facade,<br/>her eyes two soft muddy pools<br/>staring through you as they<br/>sap you of pity, demand<br/>your attention.<br/>Clad in earth tones of hanging cloth, head-covering saintly as a madonna’s,<br/>she hovers, glides, approaches<br/>for a skeletal embrace.<br/>A plastic cup in one bony hand<br/>asking for what need not be voiced.<br/>Day after day, we come across her<br/>in Florence, circling il Duomo, its aged<br/>bricks complementing her dark skin.<br/>Among the crowds she is invisible,<br/>eliciting no response, no break in brisk walk, no eye contact, just a quick side step.<br/>None of these a deterrent to her mission,<br/>like an ant, who, when its route is blocked<br/>or comrades crushed,<br/>continues on the programmed path, oblivious to obstacles, impervious to pain, noiseless, determined, surviving<br/>in silence and anonymity.<br/>This, in the city of art, white marble,<br/>and an overabundance of ruins and style.<br/>Evie Groch<br/>El Cerrito, CA 9-time traveler<br/>Photo Submission Advice<br/>If possible, I would like a little advice on what type of photos you think are most appropriate for your publication.<br/>Frank Goudy Cuba, IL 18-time traveler<br/>Editor’s note: We receive wonderful photos from our travelers constantly— but also know you’ve got questions on what it takes to capture the best shot possible. Below Frank’s question, you’ll find an answer from our O.A.T. Photo Editors. I hope this helps!<br/>Follow the rule of thirds<br/>When taking a photo or video, your instinct might be to place your subject in the center of your picture. Resist this temptation!<br/>One of the first compositional techniques that professionals learn is the “Rule of Thirds.” In your mind’s eye (or your camera’s, if it has the<br/>capability), draw two<br/>horizontal lines and<br/>two vertical lines to<br/>divide your frame<br/>into nine equally-<br/>sized rectangles. As<br/>a rule of thumb, the<br/>key compositional<br/>elements of your<br/>subject (faces,<br/>horizons, animals,<br/>etc.) should be<br/>placed along these<br/>imaginary lines, or at their intersections. Framing your subjects in this manner allows you to take advantage of this phenomenon, subtly creating a more appealing presentation.<br/>Watch the light<br/>The best time of day for photography and videography is in the early morning just after the sun rises, or in the evening just before it sets.<br/>Avoid shooting in the early afternoon, when the bright, harsh light of the sun overhead can ruin an otherwise perfect image. If you must take a picture in less than ideal lighting conditions, put your subject in the shade, and use a flash to control the amount of exposure.<br/>Have fun with your photo<br/>Images of smiling people posed stiffly in front of an iconic landmark are ubiquitous—so why not try to capture a moment that makes the viewer laugh? Photos or videos that have a sense of humor, such as a funny or unique expression, are more interesting for the viewer.<br/>Often times, a simple change of perspective can make an otherwise typical photograph or video memorable, so try placing your camera at unusual angles—angle it up from the ground, or get a higher vantage point.<br/>8 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","Note from the Editor<br/>I remember one of my first meetings with Harriet Lewis, early in my tenure at O.A.T. and before<br/>I’d had the opportunity to do a lot of traveling. I was preparing for a week of vacation and planning on just staying home—and Harriet said, “Why don’t you go somewhere?” I replied that I had no one to go with ... and how do you think she responded?<br/>I ended up spending the week in New York and D.C., visiting friends and family—and navigating airports by myself for the first time. I never imagined that 15 years later, I’d go a few thousand steps further<br/>and travel solo to Vietnam. Writing about my trips always brings back vivid memories, but this one was particularly special because going alone was a huge milestone for me—and I loved every minute of it.<br/>In the office, we often joke about wanting to be like our travelers when we “grow up” ... and now I feel one step closer. Though I’m still waiting for Harriet to let me retire.<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/>Can you identify this stone behemoth?<br/>Test your knowledge of the world by identifying this landmark and the country where it can be found.<br/>(For the answer, see page 59)<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 9<br/>","Enter O.A.T.’s 2016 Photo Contest<br/>2015 GRAND PRIZE:<br/>A FREE Overseas Adventure Travel trip for two, anywhere we travel<br/>BEST IN CATEGORY 2015 WINNERS $300 in Travel Credits<br/>Scott Moats • 4-time traveler • Pekin, IL<br/>Roland Suarez-Ontog • First-time traveler • Venice, FL<br/>Herb Knopp • 16-time traveler • East Northport, NY<br/>Marvin Derezin • 4-time traveler • Los Angeles, CA<br/>GRAND PRIZE WINNER<br/>Howard Jennings • First-time traveler • Cadyville, NY<br/>Winners of our 2016 photo contest will be announced at www.oattravel.com on January 14, 2017 and also in the winter issue of Dispatches magazine.<br/>How to Enter: Email a .jpeg to OATphotocontest@oattravel.com<br/>OR mail photo prints to: O.A.T. PHOTO CONTEST<br/>Overseas Adventure Travel, One Mifflin Place, Suite 400, Cambridge, MA 02138<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. adventure within the past 5 years.<br/>• Limit 3 entries maximum per category.<br/>• Visit www.oattravel.com/photocontest<br/>for more information.<br/>• Entries must be postmarked no later than 11/30/16.<br/>• You must include the following information on back of photo or in your email:<br/>1. Your name, address, phone number, 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<br/>be reproduced in our publications 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/>LOCALS<br/>NATURE<br/>LANDMARKS<br/>TRAVELERS<br/>10 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","Immersions<br/>A photo journal of O.A.T. travelers “going native” as they connect with local cultures<br/>Immersions<br/>By Rachel Fox<br/>Rachel is the Managing Editor of Dispatches, and most recently traveled to Peru and the Galápagos Islands.<br/>Sew Beautiful<br/>A Shell of a Woman<br/>4-time traveler, Leticia Balderas has an impromptu sewing lesson from a local woman during a day of discovery in Costa Rica. Wearing a floral print herself, Leticia was drawn to the tropical design being embroidered, and jumped at the chance to learn the new technique while on her Real Affordable Costa Rica adventure.<br/>Southern Hospitality<br/>On Machu Picchu & the Galápagos, 6-time traveler, De Gallow saw her share of giant tortoises. But it wasn’t until her Trip Leader asked her to crawl into the shell of one on display, that she found the moment fitting, in more ways than one. “My father’s Italian nickname for me was “Babalucci,” which doesn’t mean tortoise, but rather snail.” Close enough!<br/>Maasai High Five<br/>During Soul of India, 6-time traveler Scott Moats captured fellow traveler Julia Molander embracing South Indian culture, as she receives the blessing of “long life, good health, and much success” from preists at the Ekambareswarar Temple in Kanchipuram, India.<br/>3-time traveler, Jo Ann Crebbin captured this jubilant moment between young Maasai children in Tanzania and her husband, Dean, while on Safari Serengeti: Tanzania Lodge & Tented Safari. No matter your age, the greeting of a high five is universally, and enthusiastically, accepted.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 11<br/>","Spotlight on What’s New<br/>New O.A.T. Adventures for 2017<br/>Our Sir Edmund Hillary Club members are always eager for new horizons to explore—and our five newest O.A.T. adventures<br/>all feature the types of off-the-beaten-path destinations that especially appeal to experienced travelers. Here are the highlights of what you’ll discover on each—and they’re all ready to reserve now.<br/>Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju, South Korea<br/>South Korea & Japan: Temples, Shrines, & Seaside Treasures—17 days<br/>Korea: Seoul, Daegu temple stay, Gyeongju • Japan: Tokyo, Shima, Kyoto<br/>Optional extensions:<br/>6 nights pre-trip in Eastern China: Shanghai & Suzhou 3 nights post-trip in Hiroshima, Japan<br/>Highlights of this adventure:<br/>• Enjoy lunch with Japanese “ama”—or “sea women”—who make their living free-diving for pearls<br/>• Venture into the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea<br/>• Learn how to make traditional handwoven Hwamunseok mats in Ganghwa village<br/>• Take part in a dining ceremony and candlelight meditation before spending the night at a Buddhist temple<br/>• Immerse yourself in local culture during an evening stroll through Tokyo’s red light district<br/>• Witness Kinkakuji temple, a magnificent structure adorned in more than 100 pounds of pure gold leaf<br/>• Whisk through the countryside aboard a shinkansen—Japan’s legendary bullet train<br/>View the full itinerary, watch films and videos, and more at www.oattravel.com/jko<br/>India’s Sikkim & Bhutan: Hidden Kingdoms of the Himalayas—19 days<br/>India: Delhi, Martam, Darjeeling • Bhutan: Thimphu, Gangtey, Punakha, Paro<br/>Optional extensions:<br/>6 nights pre-trip in India’s Sacred Cities of the North: Amritsar & Dharamsala<br/>5 nights post-trip in Nepal’s Modern & Ancient: Kathmandu & Bandipur<br/>Highlights of this adventure:<br/>• Learn about age-old Sikkim traditions in Martam, India, where you’ll meet with a local shaman in his home<br/>• Greet the day in Gangtok with an early morning meditation session led by a local monk<br/>• Visit one of the oldest tea estates in the Darjeeling Hills, where you’ll talk to a planter and learn about the tea-making process<br/>• Participate in a morning yoga session while witnessing the sunrise at Kanchungunga, the world’s third highest mountain<br/>• Meet with the monks at Gangtey Goenpa, a remote 17th-century monastery overlooking Bhutan’s Phobjikha Valley<br/>• Visit a sanctuary for black-necked cranes to learn about the winged winter visitors to Phobjikha Valley<br/>• Soothe your muscles during a traditional Bhutanese hot stone bath<br/>• Spend time at the “Fertility Temple,” ancient home of a rogue Buddhist monk known as the<br/>Divine Madman<br/>• Visit Tiger’s Nest Monastery,a Buddhist temple complex perched on a cliff 3,000 feet above Bhutan’s Paro Valley<br/>View the full itinerary, watch films and<br/>videos, and more at www.oattravel.com/sik<br/>Tea plantation, Darjeeling, India<br/>12 DISPATCHES•FALL2016<br/>","China’s Inner Mongolia & Shanxi: Hidden Gems of the North—18 days<br/>Beijing • Xilamuren Grassland • Hohhot • Datong • Pingyao • Xian • Hong Kong<br/>Optional extensions:<br/>7 nights pre-trip in<br/>China Past to Present: Shanghai & Suzhou<br/>6 nights post-trip in Paradise Found: Shangri-La & Shilin<br/>Highlights of this adventure:<br/>• Explore one of the great wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China<br/>• Experience grassland life during an overnight stay in a traditional round tent called a ger, then spend a day with a local Mongolian family<br/>• Step into the Yungang Grottoes, a treasure chest of ancient Buddhist art housed in an elaborate cave system<br/>• Witness the Hanging Monastery, a labyrinth of catwalks and galleries that appears to defy gravity 250 feet above the valley floor<br/>• Step back through the centuries in Pingyao’s walled city, a perfectly-preserved scene of ancient China<br/>View the full itinerary, watch films and videos, and more at www.oattravel.com/xln<br/>The Stans of Central Asia: Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan—16 days Ashgabat, Turkmenistan • Uzbekistan: Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand, Tashkent<br/>Optional extensions:<br/>7 nights pre-trip in<br/>Kyrgyzstan & Kazakhstan<br/>6 nights post-trip in<br/>Tajikistan: Khujand & Dushanbe<br/>Highlights of this adventure:<br/>• Mingle with locals at the domed bazaars of Bukhara, and meet with a puppet maker to learn about his ancient craft<br/>• Visit an Akhal-Teke horse farm to view the golden stallions considered the pride of Turkmenistan<br/>• Journey to Nukus, capital of the autonomous Karakalpakstan Republic, a remote locale near the Aral Sea<br/>• Journey across the sands of the Kyzyl Kum Desert to Bukhara, and stop to rest at a small tea house like merchants in ancient camel caravans<br/>• Witness legendary Uzbek hospitality in Khiva,<br/>have lunch with a local family, and listen to traditional Karakalpak throat singers<br/>• Meet with a master potter and learn about the beloved Uzbek craft in the small village of Gijduvan<br/>• Visit the observatory of Uleg-Bek, a grandsonof Tamerlane who built an instrument to catalog the stars in Samarkand<br/>• Explore the ancient streets of Vobkent, a small village that served as a beacon for Silk Road caravans, and have lunch with village families<br/>View the full itinerary, watch films and videos, and more at www.oattravel.com/slk<br/>Soul of India:<br/>The Colorful South— 17 days<br/>Chennai • Mahabalipuram • Thanjavur • Madurai • Periyar • Kerala’s backwaters • Cochin<br/>Optional extensions:<br/>9 nights pre-trip in<br/>Sri Lanka<br/>7 nights post-trip in Rajasthan OR 3 nights post-trip in Dubai<br/>Highlights of this adventure:<br/>• Spend A Day in the Life of an Indian fishing village, where you’ll cruise with local fishermen and learn to cook your catch.<br/>• Enjoy two nights cruising the legendary backwaters of Kerala on an authentic houseboat<br/>• Explore the ancient village of Mahabalipuram, where we’ll see carvings depicting everyday life in ancient India<br/>• Embark on a jungle walk through Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, home to elephants, wild boars, leopards, wild dogs, and monkeys<br/>• Stroll the old streets of Cochin, the “Queen of the Arabian Sea”<br/>• Wander through Mattancherry, home to one of the world’s oldest Jewish quarters, and the historical center of the spice trade<br/>View the full itinerary, watch films and videos, and more at www.oattravel.com/soi<br/>Walled city, Pingyao, China<br/>Fishermen on the water, Cochin, India<br/>Mir-i-Arab Madrasa complex, Bukhara, Uzbekistan<br/>DISPATCHES•FALL2016 13<br/>","World Calendar<br/>By Jenna Thomas<br/>Jenna is a staff writer for O.A.T. and has traveled to five continents and 28 countries, including New Zealand, Morocco, and Vietnam.<br/>World Calendar<br/>O.A.T. Trip Leaders and regional staff share upcoming events of interest<br/>November<br/>November 1-5: La Diablada (Peru)<br/>In a small town next to Peru’s Lake Titicaca, the first week<br/>of November brings a crowd of demons into the city streets— or at least, that’s what it looks like. In reality, the men of Puno dress in costume for a horned procession to honor the ancient spirits of the lake—or to remember the devilish Spanish conquistadors, depending on who you ask. The procession of choreographed dancing is led by a costumed Lucifer, until a figure of Saint Michael appears to defeat<br/>him and his demonic horde.<br/>November 14: Loy Krathong and Yi Peng (Thailand)<br/>These Thai festivals fall on the same date, and both involve releasing lanterns to symbol- ize wishes for the coming year. For Loy Krathong, celebrated throughout Thailand, floating lanterns<br/>are released on a<br/>river and pushed<br/>downstream; for Yi<br/>Peng in northern Thailand, revelers send balloon lanterns floating into the night sky. The northern city of Chiang Mai, where the festivals overlap, enjoys a full week of parades and ceremonies, culminating in a mass release of lanterns into the sky and onto the city canals.<br/>October<br/>Masai Mara. The arrival of rain in mid-October triggers a stampede for newly-sprouted grasses in the south. Lucky safari-goers can enjoy the spectacle of thousands of animals converging at dangerous river-crossings, where they must swim for their life past lurking crocodiles.<br/>Fall Foliage (Northern Hemisphere)<br/>New England isn’t the only place to catch Mother Nature’s autumn show—beautiful, fiery foliage can be seen around the world. In Japan, leaf-peeping—called koyo—draws crowds out of the cities and into the mountains. In Portugal’s Douro Valley, hillside vineyards turn a stunning red and<br/>gold after the fall grape harvest. The mountainside trees of China’s Sichuan province turn a dramatic red-orange. Korea, Russia, and Iceland also put on a dramatic, but fleeting autumn display.<br/>Great Migration<br/>(Kenya)<br/>By October, east Africa’s dry season is well underway and vast herds of wildebeest congregate around shrink- ing water holes in the northern Serengeti and<br/>December<br/>December 21: Solstice (worldwide)<br/>The December solstice takes on an utterly different hue depending on where in the world you are to enjoy it. Down south, it’s the height of summer and days are long. But in the northern hemisphere, it’s the shortest day of the year—above the Arctic Circle, the sun never even makes an appearance. Winter festivals in China, Scandinavia, Iran, and Europe feature bonfires, feasts, and nighttime processions that date back thousands of years to a pagan astrological celebration.<br/>14 DISPATCHES•FALL2016<br/>","February 26: Gyalpo Losar (Nepal)<br/>“Losar” loosely translates<br/>to “new year” in the<br/>Tibetan language—and<br/>ethnic groups observe<br/>nine separate New Year<br/>celebrations on different<br/>calendar days. Gyalpo<br/>Losar follows the Tibetan<br/>calendar, and begins on<br/>the first day of the first<br/>month. While Losar lasts<br/>for nearly two weeks, the<br/>first three days are most important. The first day is spent cleaning house and preparing a special alcoholic beverage called changkol. The second day is the main New Year’s Day, when people visit monasteries to chant mantras, make offerings, and perform traditional dances. And on the third day comes the feasts. Among the dumplings and pastries are balls of dough that contain hidden objects—like wood, stone, or hot pepper—that are meant to be a lighthearted reflection upon a recipient’s character.<br/>January<br/>January 2: Kaapse Klopse (South Africa)<br/>Also called the Cape Minstrel Carnival, Cape Town holds<br/>a spirited music and dance celebration as onlookers watch gaudy, glittery minstrel troupes (inspired by the visiting American minstrels of the time) parade through the city. The festival is to commemorate the one day of the year, January 2nd, that slaves of the 19th century had off. The minstrels compete with other troupes for best costume, singing, and dancing.<br/>January 26: Australia Day (Australia)<br/>Australia’s national holiday recognizes the anniversary of the first British convict ships arriving in Australia in 1788—but over 200 years passed before countrywide celebrations began in 1994. They’re making up for lost time now, with seaside parties, fireworks, concerts on floating stages in Sydney Harbor, and nationwide barbecues. The new national holiday is still controversial, with Aboriginal communities protesting its colonial underpinnings.<br/>February<br/>February 6: Waitangi Day (New Zealand)<br/>Want to experience Maori culture? Waitangi Day is your chance. New Zealand’s national day marks the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, an agreement between the British Crown and New Zealand’s Maori people. Many Maori communities welcome the public onto their marae, or communal<br/>meeting place, to learn about and experience their traditional way of life. The country’s plentiful beaches are a popular setting to celebrate Waitangi Day, as it falls in the middle of the southern hemisphere’s summer.<br/>March<br/>March 13: Holi (India)<br/>Clouds of color fill<br/>the air and streams<br/>of neon water douse<br/>carefree partiers; the<br/>Festival of Colors—also<br/>known as the Festival<br/>of Sharing Love—has<br/>begun in India. An<br/>ancient holiday, Holi celebrates the coming of spring and the triumph of good over evil. People of all ages throughout India smear colored powder and dyed water on each other; in Uttar Pradesh, a unique tradition involves men singing provocative songs to women, who respond by chasing the men with sticks—and then “beating” them.<br/>Late March: Sakura (Japan)<br/>A few delicate pink cherry buds mark the beginning<br/>of hanami—translated as “looking at flowers”—an iconic rite of spring in Japan. Within a couple of weeks, those first few petals bloom into clouds of blossoms that gradually sweep northward,<br/>covering the entire country in a sea of pink. These days, hanami has grown to include cherry-blossom sodas and a televised cherry blossom forecast. But traditional hanami celebrations, like picnicking under the trees, are still the most popular way to appreciate the fleeting advent of spring.<br/>DISPATCHES•FALL2016 15<br/>","Artifacts<br/>Piecing Together Memories<br/>Willa Reiff’s travel quilts<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<br/>and The Toast.<br/>For panels of her Costa Rica-inspired quilt, Willa used her own photos, postcards, and even mosaic tiles as the basis for the rain forest-themed patterns.<br/>Right: Willa Reiff’s handmade quilts were not only inspired by her travels with O.A.T. to Japan and Costa Rica— one is actually made of the fabric from a kimono she purchased in Japan.<br/>Allowyourtravelsto inspirethecreativitywithin you.Fordetailsonthe adventuresWillahadin JapanandCostaRica,visit www.oattravel.com/jpn & www.oattravel.com/rac.<br/>Although 5-time traveler Willa Reiff is now an avid quilter, the craft was not a lifelong hobby. She began her first quilt at 10 years old, but didn’t finish it until she was 22. She didn’t make another quilt until years later, when, she says, “Every summer I would make one for all my new nieces and nephews who were coming along.”<br/>Eventually she joined the North Wind Quilters Guild in her home of Fairfield, CA, a nonprofit group of quilters who put their talents to use making quilts for families in need, veterans, assisted living patients, and for raffles to benefit other community causes. “Of course, we also make quilts for ourselves, to keep,” Willa notes.<br/>One of those personal quilts was inspired by Willa’s trip to Japan with O.A.T. in 2013. She was on the lookout for unique fabric there before she even left. “A woman in the guild mentioned that often there were fabric remnants from kimonos and obis.”<br/>But although she kept an eye out, the only quilt-appro- priate fabrics Willa found at first were handkerchiefs featuring landscape patterns. Then, during a home visit in Kanazawa, one of Willa’s fellow travelers asked their hostess where to find an authentic kimono to take home as a souvenir. She was given the unique suggestion that the local second-hand shops would be the best spot to look. That’s where Willa hit the quilting jackpot, discov- ering an entire bin of leftover obi and kimono fabric.<br/>Although she doesn’t plan her quilt patterns in advance, Willa says she was “inspired” upon returning from Japan and immediately began work on documenting her trip in fabric. She couldn’t bear to cut up the delicate<br/>landscape patterns on the handkerchiefs, so she discov- ered a way to transfer their designs onto a printable, stick-on fabric.<br/>Her next travel-inspired quilt took longer to percolate. After traveling to Costa Rica in 2015, Willa didn’t begin to piece together her tropical wildlife-themed quilt until she spent nine days aboard a trans-Atlantic ship with plenty of time to sew and consider the design.<br/>The quilt’s center depicts her original inspiration:<br/>“I knew I wanted to include the butterflies,” she says, speaking of the spectacularly-colored blue morpho butterflies that are ubiquitous in Costa Rica. “The first time I saw one, I was actually on a cruise from the Panama Canal to San Francisco, and one landed right on the ship’s railing.”<br/>Once again, she worked from inspiration gleaned along her trip instead of from a pre-made quilt pattern, using mosaic tiles, murals, her own photos, and even<br/>a postcard featuring the brightly-colored quetzal bird as the basis for her quilt square patterns. “I cheated<br/>a little bit with the turtle,” she notes with a laugh. “It’s from a pattern for a type of New Zealand turtle and I just used the colors of the turtles in Costa Rica.”<br/>Asked what she enjoys the most about quilting, Willa begins her answer in an unexpected place. “I was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan. Then I moved out to California and so did they. I’m still a Dodger fan even though I live in [San Francisco] Giants territory. When I listen to the games,” she says, swinging back around to quilting,<br/>“I get stressed out and the sewing calms me down.”<br/>16 DISPATCHES•FALL2016<br/>","What’s Your Sign?<br/>Quiz<br/>The exotic food, cultures, people, and natural beauty of other countries can make you feel like you’re in a completely different world. Interestingly though, sometimes it’s changes to the surrounding elements we take for granted most—like street signs— that really make the ‘we’re not in Kansas anymore’ feeling sink in. Take our quiz below to test your knowledge of signs from around the world.<br/>In the Know<br/>By Zack Gross<br/>Zack has been an O.A.T. associate since 2012 and has most recently traveled to Peru and Israel.<br/>1. Because of their abundant and diverse wildlife, this country began using the above warning signs:<br/>a. Peru<br/>b. Bolivia<br/>c. Costa Rica d. Chile<br/>2. This sign can be found throughout Europe. Any idea what it means?<br/>a. The sale of all motor vehicles is prohibited in this district<br/>b. Neither cars or motorcycles can park here<br/>c. Motor vehicles of any kind are not allowed in this area<br/>d. Motorcyclists are restricted from jumping over parked cars<br/>3. In which country will you find a sign that reads “LATITUDE: 00° 00' 00''”?<br/>a. Peru<br/>b. Ecuador c. Bolivia<br/>d. Argentina<br/>4. What do you think the meaning is behind this sign commonly found in parts of Asia?<br/>a. No standing on the toilets<br/>b. You must not squat on<br/>western-style toilets<br/>c. Do not jump into the toilet<br/>d. Please do not jump off of toilets<br/>5. These friendly reminders are scattered throughout Israel, prompting drivers to:<br/>a. Do not enter<br/>b. Yield to merging traffic<br/>c. Pull over to allow emergency<br/>vehicles to pass<br/>d. Stop their vehicle—this is the<br/>Israeli stop sign<br/>6. In which country are you likely to see this sign warning drivers to look out for the iconic, flightless bird that is their national symbol?<br/>a. Australia<br/>b. Myanmar<br/>c. New Zealand d. Botswana<br/>7. This South African road sign warns drivers that...<br/>8.<br/>9.<br/>a. They are entering a pedestrian priority zone<br/>b. Elderly residents are crossing<br/>c. Everyone must wear seatbelts<br/>d. Neighborhood watch is present<br/>in this area<br/>In Morocco it’s not uncommon to pass by one of these signs, which remind drivers that:<br/>a. Camel-riding is allowed in this area<br/>b. Camel drinking stations are<br/>located here<br/>c. Camel petting zoo up ahead<br/>d. Camels may be crossing the<br/>road up ahead<br/>When English isn’t the nation’s first language, sometimes typos can occur. Which country looks as though it is trying to serve underage drinkers?<br/>a. Thailand b. Tibet<br/>c. India<br/>d. Laos<br/>Answers appear on page 59.<br/>DISPATCHES•FALL2016 17<br/>10. Caution! When you’re in this country’s bush, rolling downhill in a wheelchair can land you right in a crocodile’s mouth!<br/>a. South Africa b. New Zealand c. Brazil<br/>d. Guatemala<br/>","18 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","Alone, not Lonely<br/>A solo journey to Vietnam<br/>By Laura Chavanne<br/>It was still dark when I woke up on my first morning in Hanoi—hours before breakfast, but I knew there was no sense in trying to reclaim sleep. I flipped on the light, and uprooted the contents of my suitcase in search of my running shoes.<br/>I would come to fall in love with Hanoi before dawn. In a city seemingly designed for hectic, sweaty misadventures (of these, I had a few), early mornings are an oasis, the calm before the swarm of motorbikes and street vendors.<br/>","Previous page: My group followed the Mekong River to one of the many small villages we explored during our adventure.<br/>Previous page inset:<br/>This is the face of deep concentration—and maybe a bit of pride.<br/>Right: Hanoi’s Old Town from the comfort of a rickshaw, which was definitely more relaxing than walking.<br/>During our walks, Ethan introduced us to the flavors of Vietnam. I vividly remember (and crave) the grilled pork we sampled from this stand in Hanoi.<br/>From my hotel, I easily found my way to Hoan Kiem Lake, and entered the stream of locals who know all too well that in this climate, exercise must happen before the sun. Some jogged, most walked, and a few gathered at a small-scale version of “muscle beach” to lift weights. My favorites, though, were the Zumba enthusiasts.<br/>I heard the music blaring as I rounded the bend at the halfway point, and soon saw dozens of women dancing in unison on the sidewalk, on the banks<br/>of the lake, and in the park across the street.<br/>I stopped to watch—not for so long as to feel like<br/>I was gawking, but just long enough for the sweat<br/>to start pouring. By the time I made it back to the hotel, I looked like I’d just walked in from a monsoon (oh, if only). Still, the concierge greeted me kindly.<br/>I figured they must be used to sopping foreigners here. A bit of advice: If you’re sensitive to heat,<br/>or unaccustomed to it—as I was—you might want to avoid Vietnam in May.<br/>In my room, it occurred to me that I was lucky to have nothing—and no one—in between me and the shower. It was the first of many revelations during this trip that underscored a pleasantly surprising truth:<br/>Traveling alone is awesome.<br/>Taking my own advice<br/>I’m a pretty social person. I’ve traveled with friends and coworkers more often than I have with my husband. And when I decided I wanted to go to Vietnam, I tried to find a companion—but for the<br/>first time ever, didn’t get any takers. (For my husband, vacation time was the deciding factor—but once<br/>I experienced the heat, I realized it was a blessing in disguise.)<br/>There I was: a woman with a dream, but without someone who shared it. It was finally happening:<br/>It was time to take my own marketing advice.<br/>For the past 16 years, I’ve been writing for O.A.T.<br/>in numerous capacities, and I’ve implored would-be travelers—maybe even you—not to pass up a trip<br/>just because you can’t find someone to go with you. “Just go,” I have told you. And I really did believe it<br/>... I’d just never had reason to actually do it. After all, I work for a travel company, which means I usually have an office full of potential companions.<br/>But not so for this trip. So I decided to put the proverbial money (read: my paycheck) where my mouth is: It was time to just go.<br/>20 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","I discovered a few personal selling points of<br/>solo travel that probably won’t make it into our brochures—such as the freedom to make a mess<br/>in a hotel room, the ability to misinterpret a map without anyone making fun of you, and the sheer relief of being grouchy and exhausted in an airport without having to make small talk.<br/>But these minor perks pale in comparison to my biggest discoveries: Spending time with myself— especially in an unfamiliar place—was empowering, freeing, and educational. It laid bare my strengths and weaknesses as a traveler. It gave me quiet time<br/>to really reflect, each night, on how Vietnam impacted me. And it opened up the world for me—because<br/>I’d happily do it again.<br/>Alone with everybody<br/>Of course, the great thing about traveling solo<br/>in a small group is that you’re never really alone. I especially appreciated this group because of the perspective they shared: Each one of them remembered the Vietnam War.<br/>Before I left on this trip, I asked my father how<br/>he felt about my upcoming destination. In those years not long before I was born, he was one of the lucky ones: He served in the Army, but never went overseas. Still, he remembers childhood friends who never came back—and the era still haunts him. “I don’t think I could go,” he told me.<br/>While there were no veterans among my group, I could feel the lasting impact of those years as we traveled through places they remembered from news<br/>broadcasts. I tried to draw parallels from my own life, and came up empty. Might I travel someday to Iraq<br/>or Afghanistan? Perhaps—but I don’t know a single person who’s fought, let alone come close to fighting myself. Nor have I seen my country so united and vocal in protest against a war its people didn’t believe in. Not to say that the global climate has been utopian for the past four decades, but it humbled me to put myself in their shoes.<br/>And we were all humbled as we got to know our Trip Leader, Ethan. At 37, he is exactly my age—yet he grew up quickly during the aftermath of the war,<br/>and spoke of his country with hard-earned wisdom.<br/>I didn’t know much about the so-called “boat people” who fled Vietnam in the 1970s, and was especially surprised to learn that the exodus continued until<br/>the mid-1990s. Ethan, at age 11, was among them.<br/>For any traveler fortunate enough to have Ethan guide them through Vietnam, I believe the full story deserves to be left to him, not me—but suffice it to say that the openness and honesty with which he shared the account made it a highlight of the trip for all of us.<br/>But the darkness of his past did not define Ethan, who, by the time he shared his life story, we had already come to know as fun loving and humorous— fond of singing, playing guitar, and wearing vivid shades of green. And while there’s no question about how war has shaped modern-day Vietnam, the country is so much more than this. We learned this in the most rewarding way possible: by meeting the people and hearing firsthand about their lives.<br/>Even more impressive than the weaving was the precision with which the basket makers sliced bamboo paper-thin.<br/>“And while there’s<br/>no question about how war has shaped modern- day Vietnam, the country is so much more than this. We learned this in the most rewarding way possible: by meeting the people and hearing firsthand about their lives.”<br/>Left: Ethan in Xom Gio village, taking a rare moment to lay down on the job.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 21<br/>","Right: The matriarch of the family we met in Tho Ha demonstrates the art of making rice paper— which is not as easy as she made it look.<br/>“The most compelling evidence of their capacity for forgive- ness rests in these simple facts:<br/>1) that we Americans were in Vietnam to begin with, and<br/>2) that we felt<br/>truly welcomed by everyone we met.”<br/>pottery—but I don’t think Tho Ha will be calling with a job offer anytime soon.<br/>We saw similar displays of mastery when we met puppeteers, textile weavers,<br/>basket weavers, chopstick makers, and confectioners. They left us with an appreciation for the industrious nature of the Vietnamese people, who work tirelessly at jobs that are often physically demanding in order to support their families—and<br/>to give their children the opportunity<br/>to succeed in Vietnam’s rapidly growing economy. Yes, in extremely rural areas, many children still leave school after the five years of primary education required<br/>by the government—usually to support the family business. But we also met aspiring young scientists and engineers at Dalat University ... and in Tho Ha, the son of the rice paper maker held a lucrative position at a software company.<br/>If this doesn’t sound much like communism to you, welcome to the paradox of Vietnam: a politically communist country with a population of capitalists.<br/>The art of moving forward<br/>While Vietnam’s younger generation,<br/>born too late to remember the war, is poised on the brink of a new era, the older generation has been forced to reconcile the<br/>past. The most compelling evidence of their capacity for forgiveness rests in these simple facts: 1) that we Americans were in Vietnam to begin with, and 2) that we felt truly welcomed by everyone we met.<br/>In Tho Ha, racks of drying rice paper cover every inch of available space.<br/>Right: In Bat Trang,<br/>this woman shared a heartbreaking story<br/>of loss, resilience, and (ultimately) redemption.<br/>Labors of love<br/>Nearly every day, we got far away from tourist areas and into small villages, where we saw how people made a living and tried our hands at their crafts— with varying degrees of success. Our first example of this was in Tho Ha Village outside Hanoi, which specializes in hand-making the delicate rice paper that’s commonly used to wrap spring rolls. In the narrow alleyways, bamboo racks covered every available surface with paper drying in the sun: a testament to the hardworking nature of this village and the output they produce each day.<br/>As we watched the family matriarch demonstrate,<br/>I could see that a lifetime of practice informed each movement: the precise amount of raw batter she scooped into her ladle ... the pressure she applied<br/>to uniformly spread the mixture onto the cooking surface ... the exact number of seconds it took to cook each sheet of paper before she could deftly transfer it—perfectly smooth, round, and evenly spaced—onto a bamboo cooling rack ... from beginning to<br/>end, it was pure muscle memory.<br/>And, as we quickly discovered, not nearly as easy as she made it look. It was far from my biggest failure— that would come the next day when we tried making<br/>22 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","Just by opening the doors to their homes, each of our hosts gave us an incredible gift. But they went above and beyond by opening their lives to us as well— honestly sharing their stories and answering all of our questions. In the Bat Trang ceramics village outside of Hanoi, we entered a beautiful house filled with dark, ornately carved wooden furniture. Clearly, the owners were among the village elite—but as the lady of the house told her story, we learned that in the 1950s, during the Communist Revolution, they lost their property and livelihood to Ho Chi Minh’s controversial land reforms. While the Communists would eventually admit to grave errors in their methods—thousands of landowners were senselessly executed—it did little to change the fact that this family had to rebuild their lives, and their lucrative ceramics business, from scratch.<br/>And during our A Day in the Life experience in Xom<br/>Gio village outside Nha Trang, the village chief personally hosted us. Gentle-mannered and slight<br/>of build, but definitely not frail, the chief had been sent to a Communist reeducation camp after the war. During our conversation, no question was off limits— including the subject of torture. The chief explained that the political indoctrination techniques were psychological rather than physical, though inmates were also subjected to hard labor. We had no doubt that he had the strength to endure either.<br/>At the end of the day<br/>Just as my early morning jogs mentally prepared<br/>me for each day—and the countless delicious calories in my future—I spent free time in the afternoons and evenings to process what I had seen and learned. I realized that as a solo traveler, I took much more time to thoroughly reflect. So often during a journey,<br/>Get Up and Go<br/>especially one as eventful as this one, the days too quickly pass you by. I sent more emails home than I have on any other trip, and I did a lot of writing just for myself.<br/>It didn’t matter whether I was on a sunset walk on the beach in Hoi An, or sipping a glass of wine in a sports bar after getting hopelessly lost in Hanoi’s Old Town (another story for another time). Spending time alone with my thoughts allowed me to understand Vietnam and what it meant to me.<br/>Alone, but never lonely: I finally understand the difference.<br/>Laura is the Editor-in-Chief of Dispatches and a new champion for solo travel— though she plans to let her husband join her in Italy next year.<br/>Left: The village chief of Xom Gio told us of his time in a reeducation camp following the war.<br/>Experience your own warm welcome when you join O.A.T. on Inside Vietnam: www.oattravel.com/svd<br/>I initially decided to exercise during this trip because I knew how much I’d be eating— and I wanted to make sure my clothes still fit after beginning every meal with fried spring rolls and ending with dessert. (They did fit, by the way ... but not very well.) Vietnam in May is hot and humid, so running any time after 6am was not an option for me.<br/>But I realized during my early morning jogs that I had unintentionally discovered the best time of day to see locals going about their lives. While most travelers (at least, the lucky, non-jetlagged ones) sleep, the city awakens and begins its daily routine. Health- conscious professionals take the opportunity to socialize while exercising before work ... street vendors chat as they hose down their territories ... and bicycles laden with fresh produce pull up to hotels and restaurants with the day’s deliveries.<br/>Whether or not you prefer to call it exercise, I encourage you to take advantage of jet lag and just take a walk around your hotel when you wake up—it’s better than staring at the ceiling. Not only did I feel more energized for the day, I felt like I was glimpsing a secret world.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 23<br/>","Call of the Wild<br/>By Megan Mullin<br/>Megan, a Grand Circle associate for three years, enjoys adding stamps to her passport—which so far include Japan, Spain, Costa Rica, and Germany.<br/>Right: Iceland’s north Atlantic waters are prime territory for whale watch- ing. A group of lucky O.A.T. travelers got to have their excursion documented by photographers.<br/>“<br/>A Whale Tale<br/>An O.A.T. associate gets up-close and personal with some of Iceland’s friendly leviathans<br/>When I was chosen to go on a photo shoot as an Art Director for our Untamed Iceland adventure, one of the<br/>submerged for several long minutes at a time. “We never knew exactly where<br/>the whales would come back up until a few seconds before. Many times, I had<br/>the feeling that our experienced boat<br/>pilot was concerned that the whale would come up right under us.” A valid concern, as humpback whales can be up to 55 feet long! Plus, humpbacks are also among the most acrobatic of whale species—meaning you’re more likely to spot them breaching (rising and breaking through the surface of the water) than other whales.<br/>Perhaps luckily for Gregory’s little boat, these whales were not in a breaching mood that day. But that doesn’t mean they were shy. “There were, in fact, a couple<br/>of times they emerged very close to our zodiac—almost close enough to touch,” Gregory said.<br/>While Gregory’s close encounter was with humpbacks, there are dozens of different species that call the waters of Iceland home. Other types most commonly seen during a whale watch are orcas, minkes, sperm whales, fin whales, and mammoth blue whales—<br/>the largest animal on Earth. White-beaked dolphins and harbor porpoises can also be seen cavorting amongst the waves.<br/>There is a darker side to Iceland’s relationship with whales, however. Along with Norway and Japan, Iceland is one of only three countries left that still commer- cially hunt whales. The issue is not only controversial with the global community, but within the country itself. While there are some who believe that—as a cold, island nation—it is reasonable to utilize their limited resources, other Icelanders argue that whale was never part of Iceland’s historic diet and is only hunted for exportation and to serve to tourists. Restaurants that do not serve whale meat have begun posting “Meet us, don’t eat us” stickers on their doors, and some whale watch guides now end tours with a message to resist the temptation of trying whale steak after seeing these magnificent creatures in the wild.<br/>As for Gregory Palmer, the only thing he was hunting for was the perfect picture. “While the whales never breached, we did get some pretty decent shots of trav- elers enjoying the show,” he reported. And as for his own face-to-fin moment with Iceland’s gentle giants? “Certainly an experience I will not soon forget.”<br/>Photographer David Binder and O.A.T. photo editor Gregory Palmer often rode in zodiacs in attempt to catch shots of travelers during a whale watch.<br/>Embark on an Icelandic whale watching excur- sion of your own. Visit www.oattravel.com/ice for details.<br/>24 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>f<br/>to go whale watching in the North Atlantic,” said Gregory Palmer, a Photo Editor for O.A.T. Indeed, catching a glimpse of these fascinating animals is often on the “must do” list for many who visit Iceland, as over 20 different species of whale can be found in the surrounding waters.<br/>What makes Iceland such a hub of marine mammal activity? It’s all due to a perfect blend of conditions. The currents of the cold Arctic Sea along Iceland’s north coast mix with the warmer North Atlantic Ocean in the south. Add in the long daylight hours in summer combined with the relatively shallow waters, and you’ve got an ideal feeding area for all sorts of cetaceans. Gregory’s photo shoot took place in summer, so he had high hopes of catching some of the “locals” in action.<br/>“We wanted to get shots of our travelers experiencing the whales from the boat, so we arranged to have<br/>a separate boat—a smaller 15-foot zodiac—for the photographer and me.” Not long after their small crew of three boarded the craft, they spotted two humpback whales “frolicking in the frigid waters of the fjord.” Emphasis on the word: “frigid.”<br/>“Even though it was mid-summer and the water was<br/>at its warmest, the pilot explained to us that we<br/>would have less than 7 minutes before going into shock if we went overboard,” Gregory explained. This fact heightened the level of excitement when the whales<br/>irst things I got excited about was the opportunity<br/>","Free as a Bird<br/>How did a sickly young woman become one of history’s greatest explorers?<br/>Outlook on Women<br/>By Jenna Thomas<br/>Jenna is a staff writer for O.A.T. and has traveled to five continents<br/>and 28 countries, and she is always eager to add another to the list.<br/>Left: Isabella Bird traveled until the age of nearly 70, and was in the midst of planning a trip to China when she died.<br/>Born in 1831, Isabella Bird was plagued by illness from an early age. Headaches, insomnia and chronic pain culminated in spinal surgery to<br/>remove a tumor at age 19. When she<br/>failed to fully recover, and developed depression to boot, the family doctor recommended an overseas journey—<br/>a suggestion that altered the entire<br/>course of Isabella’s life.<br/>With £100 pounds from her father—<br/>and instructions to stay abroad for as<br/>long as the money lasted—Isabella set off.<br/>For seven months, she explored eastern Canada<br/>and the United States. Her long letters home touched on topics ranging from American politics (“they are pervaded by a coarse and repulsive vulgarity; they are seldom alluded to in the conversation of the upper classes”) to the Canadian climate (“In winter,<br/>I cannot conceive a more dull, cheerless, and desolate place than Prince Edward Island.”). Despite her strong opinions, she came away with an overall positive impression of North America, and enough material to write her first book, An Englishwoman<br/>in America.<br/>Back at home, Isabella’s poor health returned. For a decade, she lived as an invalid. But she came to life when she finally went abroad again at her doctor’s insistence. In Hawaii, where she stretched a supposed stopover into a six-month stay, she wrote “I saw myself looking so young in a glass that I did not know it was me, just as I have been startled in Edinburgh sometimes by seeing an anxious, haggard face and seeing it was me.” Away from the draconian “remedies” she had endured her whole life—stiff back braces, heavy doses of alcohol—Isabella flourished.<br/>Eager for more adventure, and fearful that a return home would ruin her health yet again, she set off<br/>for the Rocky Mountains. Isabella arrived in Estes Park, Colorado, then a mere scattering of cabins in an untamed wilderness. “I have found a dream of beauty at which one might look all one’s life and sigh,” she wrote. In the clear mountain air, she was stronger than ever and tackled the daring climb to the summit of Long’s Peak, over 14,000 feet above sea level— becoming the third woman ever to do so.<br/>Isabella was enchanted—and not just by the scenery. For company, she befriended James Nugent, better known as Rocky Mountain Jim. A handsome, one-eyed<br/>“desperado” with the manners of a gentleman, he captivated Isabella despite his violent<br/>past. She confided in her sister that Jim was “A man any woman could love, but<br/>no sane woman would marry.” When he declared his love, she didn’t just turn him down—she left Colorado for good.<br/>Back at home, Isabella turned her letters into her most famous book,<br/>A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains. With scenes of wild adventure and<br/>vivid descriptions of a land that most Victorian women could only dream of,<br/>the book turned Isabella into a household name and a bit of a legend.<br/>When her beloved sister died of typhoid fever, Isabella was distraught. Now 50 and completely on her own, she agreed to marry the family doctor—whom she had refused multiple times—though she insisted on wearing black to the wedding.<br/>As a wife, Isabella was frequently sick and housebound. When she recovered, John developed anemia and died shortly before their fifth anniversary, leaving Isabella completely alone. While she truly mourned his passing, she was now free to do as she wished.<br/>With a substantial income from her book sales, and<br/>no one to hold her back, Isabella traveled solo through the Middle and Far East. At age 60, she learned to take and develop her own pictures, and spent three years lugging an enormous camera through Japan, Korea and China. Isabella wrote that she undertook the journey solely for her own recreation, but the resulting book, The Yangtze Valley and Beyond, was hailed as<br/>“one of the most thoroughly documented accounts<br/>of late 19th-century China ever written.”<br/>In the following years, age forced Isabella to slow down and stop writing—but nothing could keep her from traveling. Nearing 70, she took her first trip to Africa, riding hundreds of miles through Morocco’s Atlas Mountains.<br/>At home in Edinburgh after the trip, Isabella fell<br/>ill again, and died in the midst of planning a trip<br/>to China. Her legacy has endured—her books have never gone out of print. “There never was anybody,” The Spectator wrote, “who had adventures as well as Miss Bird.”<br/>Isabella rides an elephant with native guides through the jungles of Perak, Malaysia in 1883.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 25<br/>","Adventure Countdown<br/>By David Valdes Greenwood<br/>A Cornucopia of Celebrations<br/>Fall Festivals Around the World<br/>or most cultures, the rhythm of local life is set to the drumbeat of the seasons. The autumn harvest has been honored with bonfires, feasts, or dances for as long as humans have raised crops. From ancient Egypt to medieval England and onward to the present, festivals based on the earth’s bounty have remained<br/>a common thread linking people of every heritage and belief. The festival calendar is busy from September to November in the northern hemisphere, and February to May in the southern, with no two events exactly the same. Here are just a few of our favorite ways to mark autumn, wherever you are.<br/>David has been writing<br/>for O.A.T. for 15 years and<br/>his latest adventure will<br/>take him to Cuba in the F Spring of 2017.<br/>Japan<br/>The first week of October is Zuiki Masturi in Kyoto, a festival that honors the grain harvest by offering rice, vegetables, and fruit to the deities. The stars of the show are a trio of shrines, made from vegetables and<br/>taro stalks, which are borne through the streets atop heavy palanquin (like the kind used<br/>to carry royalty). The first Zuiki occurred more than a thousand<br/>years ago in the era of Emperor Murakami. Today, as many as 150 men take turns bearing the palanquin on their way to and from the Kitano Tenmangu shrine. Children get in the act on the final day, when they dress as “shrine maidens” for a dance.<br/>India<br/>Each autumn as the full moon appears in October or November, quiet Pushkar becomes a hotbed of activity, as camels take<br/>over the town. Actually, the beasts’ trainers are the ones who descend, eager to dress their dromedaries in finery for competitions and races during Pushkar ka Mela (the camel fair). 100,000 attendees a year come to witness the events, as well as to enjoy food, dancing, and a carnival midway (Ferris wheels included).<br/>Iceland<br/>Iceland’s first pagans marked the end of fall and coming of winter by slaughtering livestock and feasting on the yield. In contemporary Reykjavik, the traditional is kept alive with Meat Soup Day, the last Saturday of October. Celebrants head for downtown for big bowls<br/>of kjötsúpa, the traditional stew of lamb, potatoes, and vegetables. The city’s best chefs each make their own, so that diners have<br/>choices, but one thing all versions have in common is that they are free. In recent years, the soup tasting has been joined by a “ram groping” (hrútaþukl), in which local farmers compare rams to see which is in best shape. As modern as Reykjavik is, this one time each year, the traditions of the past rule the day.<br/>Montenegro<br/>When you’re a seaside city, your harvest comes from the ocean. The last Saturday of August is when Montenegro’s “farmers” get their due, as fishermen and sailors are honored with Boka Night. This festival on Boka Bay started in the 1800’s with a blessing of the boats, and has evolved over time to feature a parade of vessels that have been decorated to the nines. Roughly<br/>60 compete for the title of best dressed boat, with the winner receiving a cash prize. Live theatre and<br/>concerts, a fireworks display, and dancing round out the festivities, which officially launch the fall.<br/>26 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","Italy<br/>Wine festivals are common across Italy each year, as the grape harvest wraps up, and one of the best<br/>is in ViniMilo, on the slopes of Mount Etna. For two weeks from late August to early September, thousands flock to ViniMilo for wine and cuisine prepared in the “slow food” tradition. The weather is at its most temperate this time<br/>of year, so many of the events are held outside. With live music, wine tastings, and workshops on how to pair food and wine, it’s a party fit for the gods.<br/>Costa Rica<br/>The biggest icon of agriculture in Costa Rica is, without a doubt, the humble oxcart. It’s so revered that it merits not<br/>one but two annual events. San Jose wraps up the harvest season with a colorful oxcart parade on the<br/>final weekend of November. The parade honors the first oxcarts to carry freshly-harvested coffee beans across Costa Rica; the vividly- painted carts are a national symbol and have been recognized by UNESCO as a precious intangible heritage. In March, once winter has passed, the planting season begins anew with the Day of the Oxcart Driver, featuring another parade in a town near San Jose.<br/>Spain<br/>As summer winds to a close, the foods of Spain are celebrated in the Ruta de Tapa (tapas route) in Úbeda, which is known for some of the<br/>best tapas in all of Andalusia. The cobbled plaza of historic Parque<br/>de las Farolas (Lamp Post Square),<br/>is filled with tables and chairs for locals eager to sample the best new creations of local chefs, who often play around with their recipes for months before the event. It becomes a giant outdoor party—and the perfect way to cap off summer.<br/>Chile<br/>When northern nations are still bundled up in late winter, it is<br/>late summer in Chile and time to celebrate the grape harvest. From<br/>as early as the end of February to as late as early May, villages and cities alike host vendimias (wine festivals), with elements secular and sacred alike. In many locations, the festival kicks off with a blessing of the grape harvest by the local priest. Localities vary in what their festival may offer: some crown harvest<br/>queens, others have grape-pressing contests, while others emphasize singing and dancing. Best of all, because dates vary by town, revelers can raise a glass to the fall harvest six or seven weekends in a row.<br/>Cambodia<br/>Like with Chile, end-of-harvest celebrations vary in Cambodia,<br/>not so much by locale as by when the season itself wraps up. Most often in February, villages all<br/>over Cambodia have their own Sdarlien Festivals, which honoring the ancestors and celebrates rice threshing. While some villages observe a specific date on the lunar calendar, most let the crops decide: no one celebrates until the<br/>rice harvest is complete. Starting one night and stretching across<br/>the following day, Sdarlien festivities open with solemn prayers before kicking into high gear, with dancing that may well go all night.<br/>The entire community eats three meals together, and it’s a time<br/>of utmost relaxation before the planting starts up again in May.<br/>New Zealand<br/>Arrowtown, just a short drive from Queenstown, wraps up Austral summer with its Autumn Festival. The third weekend of April finds the local farming community and revelers from Queenstown and beyond all coming together for open-air<br/>markets, a parade, and history exhibits calling to mind the gold rush era. An old-fashioned air prevails with a children’s scarecrow contest and livestock exhibits, but contemporary art has become a major part of the event, with an Art Fair drawing work from across the nation.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 27<br/>","28 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","A<br/>Month<br/>in a<br/>By Hugh Beykirch,<br/>5-time traveler<br/>Life<br/>Ihave just awakened from a long nap sitting in an Economy class “throne” on an Emirates Airbus 380 chauffeuring my old body back to my chosen land of living. I look at the screen in front of my eyes and find myself flying over troubled lands on this earth. There are names like Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Adak, and Chelyabinsk. And I close my old eyes trying to relive the dream that has just been played out this last month.<br/>","Previous page: Like most travelers to India, Hug found the bathing ghats of Varanasi to<br/>be a transformative experience.<br/>Previous page inset:<br/>For more about Hugh’s collages inspired by India, see page 33.<br/>Right: An aerial view of the Bhutan Himalayan Mountains kicks off traveler Hugh Beykirch’s month-long adventure.<br/>It all started with three exciting days in the utopia called Dubai with our nephew and his wife. The four of us loved exploring Bhutan for a splendid week before the young folks had to return to work in the Middle East.<br/>We landed in New Delhi after a hell-raising take-off in Paro that was followed by a gift of the Gods: Clear blue skies and unimaginable vistas of the Himalayas including spectacular views of Mount Everest and his entourage of breathtaking brothers and sisters in the world of mountain heights.<br/>Another wild taxi ride from Indira Gandhi airport and we were about to make the acquaintance of our Trip Leader for the next two weeks in Northern India. Here he was, our bright-eyed, young Hindu god, Singh, opening for us doors to his colorful, magical, brimming-with life, cacophonous, and often disorderly and shabby kingdom— hearing about it in the cadences of his perfect English tempered in softness by<br/>his charming Indian accent.<br/>His intonations took me back to<br/>the final scene of the movie “Auntie Mame”, where Rosalind Russell, all decked-out in a stunning sari, ascends<br/>a stairway and enlightens her grand- nephew that she will open doors and experiences for him in a world that he never dreamt of seeing. I kind of feel<br/>that way with my wife and call myself “Uncle Mame”. Having this need to travel and to discover what might wait for me<br/>around the bend, is what adds zest to my existence. And thus the magic carpet ride of two weeks through the treasure trough of the golden triangle of northern India began.<br/>The adventure begins<br/>First a walk through the neighborhood, adjacent to the fancy hotel in New Delhi, a gilded cage surrounded by dust and decay. Singh made us feel more at ease to try something different on our own. Then we learned of our good fortune to be in India for the “Diwali” festival. It actually started the day after our arrival and lasted for five days all over India.<br/>Hugh’s group experienced the festival of Diwali, which was shared with Trip Leader Singh’s family in Jaipur.<br/>Right: The intricacies of the buildings in Delhi and throughout India, left an impression on Hugh.<br/>30 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","Opus two, the next morning, took us to the largest mosque in Old Delhi. Walking through the markets gave<br/>us our first experience of facing the gauntlet of beggars, beautiful women dressed in colorful saris, hawking street merchants relentlessly pushing their wares into our faces, and money changers offering their not-to-be trusted rupees. We tried to envision the local King of years past and his entourage entering the place of prayers on decorated elephants dividing the throngs of 25,000 worshipers. It must have been impressive.<br/>Next, Singh gave us the wonderful experience of riding a rickshaw through the crowded Muslim enclave, letting us take deep breaths in a totally different aura.<br/>A festival with the family<br/>Over dinner, we learned of the significance of Diwali and what<br/>was happening all around us. The many decorations inside and outside involved millions of electrical and candle lights to celebrate the Festival of Light, ushering in the New Year in the life of the Hindu believer. People were out buying special presents<br/>for each other on the first day. The women were being pampered and beautified on the second day, all in preparation of the colorful family gatherings on the third day of Diwali.<br/>After our arrival in Jaipur, as Singh privileged us<br/>by sharing the event of Diwali with his family.<br/>We were allowed to observe the solemn veneration of the gods conducted by the oldest male member<br/>in the family, Singh’s older brother, along with his wife, Singh’s mother, other family members, friends, and neighbors, all dressed for the occasion. All of us were truly touched by being included in this intimate family affair.<br/>Early morning in the Pink City<br/>Singh was always trying to give us a chance to discover the living and breathing India. By now we had learned that Singh liked us to experience India in the early hours of the day for good reasons. We saw things in a most favorable light and beat the daily onslaught of large groups of tourists.<br/>Thus we saw the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds) and the Amber Fort in perfect morning light. The latter we reached after an exciting jeep ride through town. Once on site, we explored the secrets of the once splendorous Amber Fort with many tourists riding colorful female elephants within the confines of the fort. Having taught<br/>“Having learned a few Hindi phrases, Singh initiates us in using the response to the phrase “Namaste”—folding one’s hands and bowing to the greeter and using the same response. We learn to do it with grace and respect. It is all partofimmersing ourselves in our Indian experience.”<br/>us a few Hindi phrases, Singh initiated us in using the response to the phrase “Namaste”—folding one’s hands and bowing to the greeter and using the same response. We learned to do it with grace and respect. It was all part of immersing ourselves in our Indian experience.<br/>We learned to appreciate the country’s beauty and to momentarily forget its disarray, dirt, and dilemma of unbelievable poverty among the masses of people that is India. A visit to the Sikh Temple before leaving New Delhi gave many of us for the first time an appreciation of the benevolence of that particular religion. We were amazed to see the kitchens where volunteers prepare the meals for feeding as many as ten thousand hungry souls every given day.<br/>As we traveled, we heard of devastatingly sad matters happening in other parts of the world. Being surrounded by non-Christian venues, we learned that prayer can be lifted up to the Almighty no matter where we are or in which house of God we find ourselves. Singh convinced many of us that a visit to a “beef-less” McDonald’s wasn’t such a bad thing, and that a visit to a cotton print factory might be enjoyed by some of our lady travelers. He was right on both accounts.<br/>A highlight for the group was a turban-tying demonstration on the streets of Jaipur.<br/>Left: An early-morning hot air balloon ride over Jaipur gave way to a magnificent view of the Amber Fort.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 31<br/>","Right: On their first game- drive, Hugh and his group were rewarded with a glimpse of a young Bengal Tigress in Ranthambore National Park.<br/>Tourists could be seen riding painted elephants through the Amber Fort.<br/>A tigress in the grass<br/>“Early to rise” was operational again as we departed for a five-hour drive to Ranthambore National Park. Singh used these lengthy drives to discuss any critical issues as they pertain to daily life in India. His forth- right and often detailed explanations were appreciated by the group.<br/>A hike to the Ranthambore fort and temple was accomplished by most. A colorful aside to the hike was the presence of countless monkeys. Singh’s big surprise at this location was our stay at a “palatial” hotel, which none had expected.<br/>Our first game drive was rewarded with a glimpse of a 21⁄2 year-old Bengal Tigress. The second was less profit- able in terms of viewing game. We counted our blessings to have seen at least one of the rare creatures.<br/>The Day in the Life experiences enhance any O.A.T. trip. This was no exception. The school visit was fun; the family visit enlightening;<br/>and meeting the moving force behind a women’s co-operative touching in every respect.<br/>We were all prepped for another lengthy overland drive that brought us to the O.A.T. village camp. All enjoyed the games of cricket taught by and played with our fearless leader; the camp fire entertainment; and the cooking lesson and barbecue in a tent.<br/>We felt like Bedouins out in the desert. Before we embarked on our lengthy bus ride to Agra, we made a short photo stop at a well-known “reverse-stair temple” built by Hindu to conserve rain water and cool off during the heat of summer. It became a backdrop in<br/>the recent hit movie “The Exotic Marigold Hotel”.<br/>The crown jewel of the journey<br/>Upon arrival in Agra, we get to see the backside of the Taj Mahal and a taste of things to come just before sunset. The Jaypee Palace, one of the largest hotels in India, was our reward after another challenging bus ride. Singh had warned us that<br/>the “relaxing” part of the trip was over by the end of the first week of the trip. And he was right.<br/>Our early departure for the Taj Mahal presented us with a smog-free blue sky and perfect lighting on<br/>this crown jewel of the journey we have taken. It<br/>was the promised gain for all the “pain”. The fabulous hotel was icing on the cake. Over rum and coke in Singh’s hotel room, he primed us for the train ride<br/>to Jhansi followed by our last marathon bus ride to Khajuraho. Some of us were wondering what this next stop is all about.<br/>We discovered the next morning how worthwhile our sacrifices were when we marvel at the well-preserved Jain and Hindu temples in the middle of nowhere. Singh was right: The Taj Mahal was about love; the temples at Khajuraho with their Kamasutric carvings are about sex.<br/>A microcosm of life and death<br/>We were spared another bus ride and flew to Varanasi, our last stop on this amazing journey. As in all places visited, we travelers and visitors are living in gilded cages, constantly surrounded by pervasive poverty, hunger, and misery. One feels helpless not being able to do something because doing something, would open Pandora’s Box.<br/>To everyone’s surprise, a beef-less McDonalds experience in India turned out to be a good suggestion.<br/>32 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","Varanasi, the holiest of holy shrines in Hindu, is a microcosm of life and death. The streets are teeming with life while the ghats deal with death 24/7. Viewing the frantic activity of the cremation ghat from the waters of the Ganges was very moving, and being part of the evening prayer and watching the young priests putting mother Ganga to sleep became infectiously uplifting; again contrasts of death and life; contrasts of sadness and joy although there is no evidence<br/>of crying at the death ghat.<br/>Last but not least, we became witness to the bathers at the Ganges at sunrise. We ourselves became blessed by participating in a private ceremony conducted by<br/>a priest aboard our vessel—the moving conclusion of our visit to India.<br/>But we are still in for other treats: meeting one of the great silk and brocade weavers in the holy city<br/>of Varanasi, seeing the ancient looms on which tireless hands have woven the brilliantly colorful cloths that have adorned kings and queens for generations. And of course, Singh always had one more surprise. While the guys did one more round<br/>of rum and coke, the gals were all dressed in colorful saris to accompany us to a farewell dinner full of delectable specialties. A most colorful ending<br/>to a most colorful journey.<br/>The final touches were a Yoga lesson and an Indian musical concert with masters of the Sitar and the Tabla before we were off on our last magic-carpet ride on Jet Air to New Delhi.<br/>We hated saying farewell<br/>to India, farewell to our travel companions, farewell to our young, fearless leader, Singh, farewell to a country filled with colorful contrasts. It all had come full circle, and it wasn’t<br/>a dream. It had been the realization of an old man’s dream that was in the East, that was India.<br/>Hugh Beykirch is a 5-time traveler from Green Valley, AZ.<br/>Left: Used to conserve rainwater, the Chand Baori step well near Agra was built by Hindus and was used in the movie “The Exotic Marigold Hotel.”<br/>India is a true carnival for the senses, and often surpasses travelers’ expectations. Visit www.oattravel.com/hoi for details on an adventure of your own.<br/>Abstract India<br/>When Hugh and his wife returned from their month abroad in Dubai, Bhutan, and India, he was inspired to recreate their experiences through art. Pictured here is “Qutab Minar—A Jewel in the Crown” and “Temple Talk,” two of three abstract collages Hugh created in tones of red, gold, and orange—reminiscent of the spices, sunrises, and palaces the Beykirchs encountered in South Asia.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 33<br/>","Trailblazers<br/>A conversation with<br/>O.A.T. Trip Leader Andres Cabrera Quesada<br/>s a gateway between Europe and Africa, and the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the Iberian Peninsula reflects a truly diverse coalescence of cultural influences. For Andres Cabrera Quesada,<br/>Trip Leader on our Back Roads of Iberia: Spanish Paradores & Portuguese Pousadas adventure, the region’s<br/>By Travis Taylor<br/>Travis has been writing for O.A.T. since 2010. His fiction has appeared in a number of literary journals, most recently The Conium Review and Rathalla Review.<br/>“Our excellent<br/>Trip Leader, Andres Cabrera provided insight and humor wherever we went. His many little surprises added to our experience.”<br/>—Maria Gounaris 6-time traveler from Walnut Creek, CA<br/>Delight in an Iberian adventure of your own. For details, visit www.oattravel.com/wps.<br/>A<br/>rich tapestry of stories and people is precisely what motives him. A few minutes with Andres, and it’s easy to see why 100% of travelers give him an “excellent” rating.<br/>O.A.T.: How did you come to be a Trip Leader?<br/>Andres: I studied tourism in college and when I graduated I tried working at hotels and travel agencies, but it didn’t suit me. Then a good friend suggested I try being a Trip Leader,<br/>and I immediately knew this was my calling. I’m a people person, someone who loves making personal connections, so it made sense.<br/>O.A.T.: What’s kept you excited about travel all these years?<br/>Andres: Well, my trips are different from anything<br/>you might experience with another travel company—they’re not “mainstream.” By<br/>which I mean, my trips go the extra mile, taking travelers to places others don’t. And that’s very important to me. Where as other travel companies—and I have friends who work in the industry, so I know—only go to the famous sites and museums before immediately going back to the hotel, I make sure we see the sites that are off the beaten path.<br/>O.A.T.: I can hear the excitement in your voice— you can’t even contain it!<br/>Andres: (laughs) It’s a privilege to do what I do.<br/>O.A.T.: Why is it a privilege?<br/>Andres: The people—the travelers—they’re the key. They make everything so special. I get to<br/>meet travelers from everywhere: Arkansas and California, Oregon and Maine—and they’re all so different, and I end up learning so much from them. The interactions are amazing. People always have something to say. And how they react to Portugal and Spain, and how they learn, and how they engage with the people...<br/>I always say I am blessed. I’m not in a factory or in a cubicle. We’re sharing meals, having beers together. After a few days, you can’t help but swap stories and start to feel like family.<br/>O.A.T.: What other moments make this trip so special?<br/>Andres: When we visit a bullfighter on his farm. He’s open to questions, and, I’ll be honest, it’s raw. We don’t tip-toe around the subject. You have<br/>the bullfighter right in front of you and this gives travelers the opportunity to engage in<br/>a real discussion. The bullfighter talks about the history of bullfighting. Travelers can— and do—react as they see fit. That’s important. It’s all about gaining insight. The bullfighter sympathizes with different points of views— he gets it. Yes, bullfighting is a controversial thing, but it is a beautiful controversy steeped in history and tradition.<br/>O.A.T.: And how do travelers feel when they leave the farm?<br/>Andres: Their opinions are the same, of course, but travelers are always happy having gotten the chance to learn more and expand their understanding of the topic. It’s great to witness that transition.<br/>O.A.T.: Speaking of transitions, you’ve lived through some major transitions in your country.<br/>Andres: Yes, when Spain passed from a dictatorship<br/>to democracy, this was a major transition.<br/>I saw it firsthand. My parents pretty much lived their entire lives through the Franco dictatorship, and then, when it was over, they had to learn live with democracy. And those who lived through it, they struggled in some ways to move on from the life they knew. They are more classical in their thinking. More conservative. I mean, there is no instruction manual for democracy. I wasn’t flipping<br/>a switch; it took time for it to float down through all facets of our society.<br/>O.A.T.: Can you tell me about a memorable experience with a traveler?<br/>Andres: I remember one lady who came to Spain because she wanted to visit the places<br/>where her ancestors used to live. She was<br/>an American Sephardim, descendants of<br/>the Spanish Jews who were expelled in 1492. She couldn’t speak modern Spanish, but she could sing some truly beautiful old Spanish language songs that she learnt from her grandmother. That was pretty special.<br/>Born in:<br/>Malaga, Spain<br/>Resides in:<br/>Torremolinos, Spain<br/>Trip Leader since:<br/>1998<br/>Languages spoken:<br/>Spanish, French, Italian, and English<br/>Hobbies & Interests:<br/>Trekking, mountain biking, reading,<br/>my family<br/>34 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","Postcards from Stanland: Journeys in Central Asia<br/>by David H. Mould<br/>Literary Adventure<br/>By John Bregoli<br/>During a 2013 speech at the University of Virginia, newly-appointed U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry mistakenly referred to the country of Kyrgyzstan as “Kyrzahkstan.” At least initially, the gaffe hardly raised an eyebrow—primarily because most Americans would<br/>be hard-pressed to name even<br/>one of the Central Asian nations that make up what many call<br/>“the ’Stans,” or “Stanland” (for the record, the five former Soviet republics are named Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan).<br/>Acknowledging that Central Asia is a “geographical blank” for many people, English-born, American-educated author David H. Mould hopes to change all that. Presented as a series of engagingly written vignettes, Postcards from Stanland introduces readers to the complex history, politics, sociology, and colorful melding of cultures he witnessed in this fascinating region of the world.<br/>While Mould’s affection for the landscapes and people of Central Asia is evident, he also reveals the frustrations he encountered during the several years he lived, worked, and traveled here. He writes about incidents of maddening bureaucracy, intermittent power outages, and outright bribery. And he wasn’t too impressed with his accommoda- tions at times, either. “I don’t deliberately stay in rundown Soviet-era hotels so I can write about them later,” he says, “Sometimes, there’s just no alternative.” During one extended stay with his wife Stephanie in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Mould goes into the challenges of everyday life for strangers in a strange land—and how Stephanie became<br/>adept at purchasing meat at the local market by simply pointing to a diagram of a cow and saying “moo.”<br/>Along with a spellbinding travelogue introducing us to the people, customs, and spectacular scenery that abounds in Central Asia,<br/>Mould’s book also reveals how the region has long stood at the crossroads of history—a staging ground for armies of the Mongol Empire, the 19th-century struggle between the British and Russian empires, and the more recent NATO campaign in Afghanistan. Nations still compete for pipeline rights or outright control of<br/>the region’s oil and gas reserves.<br/>“The more I’ve learned about Central Asia,” Mould writes,<br/>“the less inclined I am to accept broad-brushstroke analyses by governments, international organizations, scholars, and journalists.” In his concluding chapter “The Seven Lessons of Stanland,” he talks about the valuable takeaways he gained from his experiences. One<br/>of them (really just an inside joke) is a local saying: “If you want to leave Kazakhstan, learn English. If you want to stay, learn Chinese.” But a far more valuable one is his advice on travel itself. He writes<br/>of the need to “slow down to understand any place, and certainly Central Asia.” “Most times when I hail down a car in Almaty ... or Bishkek, the driver has something to tell me; in a train, long-distance bus or marshrutka [a type of mini-bus taxi], passengers share food, jokes, and rumors.” For him, “slow travel is the only way to grasp<br/>the paradoxes of places and people, and to start telling their stories.”<br/>And about that earlier gaffe by John Kerry ... Gould tells us that while Kerry was mercilessly teased for “creating a new country,” he certainly wasn’t the first U.S. official to be “tongue-tied by post-Soviet geography.” When Condoleezza Rice was briefing George W. Bush about Uzbekistan back in 2008, the President<br/>was reputed to have stopped her mid-sentence to ask: “Stan-who?”<br/>Postcards from Stanland may be sparse on intriguing tales of the Silk Road, Marco Polo, and Tamerlane, but it goes a long way in demystifying a magical corner of the globe that remains unknown by much of the outside world.<br/>Uncover the rich legacy of the Silk Road on O.A.T.’s NEW<br/>The Stans of Central Asia: Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan adventure<br/>at www.oattravel.com/slk (and if you join our pre- and post-trip extensions, you can send postcards back home from all five ’Stans!).<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/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 35<br/>","Field Notes<br/>Dreams of Africa<br/>Traveler Elena Cunningham realizes her life-long dream to explore Kenya and Tanzania<br/>By<br/>Elena S. Cunningham, 10-time (soon to be 12-time) traveler<br/>Right: Zebras graze on the grasslands while taking in the impressive vistas of the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania.<br/>Witnessing an elephant thrash through the bush near her groups’ tent was athrillforElena.<br/>From the time I was a little girl, I had dreamed<br/>of going to Africa. The dream followed me as an adult as my life went along as life does. College, career, marriage, children, all of the above. Then, in the midst of living my life, I happened to read an article about someone’s African safari at just the right time.<br/>I did not realize it then, but that article would change my life dramatically.<br/>There had been some stresses and I needed something to help me move forward. I decided that the whole family was going to take my dream trip to Africa!<br/>I called all the 800 numbers at the end of the article and began devouring catalogs and researching trips<br/>to East Africa. This was way back in 1986, long before the internet! I even went back to work to begin saving for this big dream to come true.<br/>Two years later, I was on my way to Tanzania! I chose to travel with Overseas Adventure Travel for lots of reasons: cost, group size and itinerary among them.<br/>I ended up going alone! My husband and two boys<br/>did not want to go. But, in Tanzania, I met up with<br/>15 other people looking for adventure and, boy, did<br/>we find it! We traveled all over Tanzania in a big, beautiful Bedford truck that was so wonderful and added tremendously to the sense of adventure. We saw so much of the country while traveling around in our truck. I felt like I was an explorer! I was having the time of my life and everything was pure magic and joy!<br/>Our first stop was Lake Manyara N.P. where we were camping one night. The very first thing after arriving, our guide, Howie, asked me and another woman to keep an eye on the food supplies that had just been unpacked and were spread out on the ground at that moment. No sooner had he left when a huge baboon appeared and, quick as lightning, grabbed a bunch of bananas and ran off with them! We never even had a chance to react! It happened that quickly.<br/>The Tanzania portion of our trip was mostly camping in real tents. Not the well appointed ones O.A.T. uses now. These were basic tents just big enough for two sleeping bags and not a whole lot else. Our first night camping was in Lake Manyara N.P. We set up our<br/>tents in a clearing under giant jungle-like trees. The “bathroom” was a latrine hut you walked to. I had no idea about latrines at that point in my life. Apparently I was not the only one. Holy moly, what a mess we made!<br/>That night a troop of baboons overnighted in the trees around our camp and made the most unimaginable sounds all night long. Screeching, screaming, scare- you-to-death sounds all night. In the morning, everyone was standing around one of the tents which belonged to two ladies. I walked over to see what was going on. Apparently, the ladies were directly beneath the tree where the baboons slept and their tent was covered in the baboons’ bathroom activities. Talk about a mess! But, the O.A.T. camp staff got it cleaned up in no time. And then we were back on the road. But, what an exciting night! My first in the wilds of Africa!<br/>36 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","At that time, you could still camp in the Ngorongoro Crater and we were there for a couple of nights. We arrived and put up our tents and got situated. Later that evening as we sat around the campfire our first night, we heard a loud crashing through the bush nearby. Howie turned on a bright light on our truck and shined it into the darkness. There was an elephant! Right there! He was walking around the area and as<br/>he continued on his journey, he walked right past the tents of our driver and cook, where they were sleeping. What a thrill!<br/>The next night, some sort of creature came snuffling around the base of our tent! I had no idea what it might have been and, honestly, was too scared to get up and try to look out our screen. My roommate slept through it all, but I was pretty frightened. Never did find out what it was. But, wow! I was having an incredible adventure! Listening to the sounds of the animals at night was the most wonderful thing ever! While in the Crater, we were near an open savannah where lots of zebra and wildebeest roamed. At night I could hear<br/>the zebra making their mule-like braying and the wildebeest, sounding like a pasture full of cows. I also heard hyenas off in the distance.<br/>We stayed at a rustic little lodge in the Serengeti called Ndutu. It was a memorable stay because I remember being so thrilled to see ocelots climbing around in the rafters of the lodge. We spent time in the great room before and after dinner and watched them cavorting up in the ceiling rafters. Captivating! After dinner, we all sat around a big bonfire listening to the sounds of the bush at night. Oh my, I am in heaven!<br/>We next spent a couple of nights in tents in the Serengeti. When we woke up the first morning, there were three giraffes right outside our tents! What<br/>a thrill that was! Everyone was up and out taking pictures. I think it was while camping in the Serengeti that I heard my first lion roar. It coincided with my roommates’ visit behind our tent to answer the call<br/>of nature. Right after she got out there, the lion began to roar! I just could not stop myself from giggling while picturing her trying to get herself back together quickly while this lion was roaring. But, on each<br/>trip back, that is what I live to hear. I want to hear<br/>the lion roar!<br/>I am pretty sure the Serengeti was the last of our camping. The differences between our Tanzania trip and the Kenya trip were quite great. Our Tanzanian guide Howie left us at the Kenya border and instead of all of us driving around in our wonderful Bedford truck, we were split up into three smaller groups, each having its own guide and van.<br/>We stayed in lodges from this point on. We saw<br/>many remarkable sights in Kenya and our adventures continued. But they were of a tamer sort until we arrived a our lodge in Meru N.P.<br/>Left: It took decades, but Elena finally realized her dream of experiencing the wilds of Africa, and has been back several times with O.A.T. since.<br/>The next morning, we got up and got dressed and went down to breakfast and our first game drive in Meru. As we began our drive through the park, we encountered men with rifles dressed in camouflage. After seeing many of them, our guide asked what<br/>was going on. Apparently, shortly after we had arrived the night before, poachers had come into the park<br/>and held the park employees hostage while they killed the five white rhinos that had been kept in an enclosure at night for safe keeping.<br/>We were stunned. Never had we expected to hear something like this! You hear about poaching, but never expect to be somewhere it has just happened.<br/>It was devastating news. The people at the lodge would not talk about it and we did find a newspaper that had an account of what happened after we left the park.<br/>Game was extremely scarce that day and one can only guess that this tragedy affected everything in the park-people and animals alike.<br/>This trip to Africa forever changed my life in the best way possible. And, to this day, it is still my favorite adventure ever! I continue to go back to Africa with O.A.T. and will take my fourth Ultimate Africa this November—with my husband, who is also going<br/>back. It will be his second trip to Africa. I am making a traveler of him. He went with me to Turkey last October and absolutely loved it. And, I have signed him up with me for Peru in fall of 2017!<br/>I have taken O.A.T.’s Best of Kenya and Tanzania trip two more times since my original trip. No matter where else I go with O.A.T. in the world, and I have been with them to India, Morocco, Turkey twice, and just recently Costa Rica, I will always go back to Africa. In Africa, everyday is “Anything Can Happen Day”. For me, it is the place where adventure begins. I have had many more exciting experiences in Africa and hope there are many, many more in my future.<br/>Baboons were responsible for making quite the mess and keeping the camp awake throughout the night while in Tanzania.<br/>Elena was able to see her dream of Africa come<br/>to life several times over. To realize yours, visit www.oattravel.com/ktz or www.oattravel.com/bot for details.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 37<br/>","Philanthropy<br/>By Dasia Miles-Langaigne<br/>Dasia is a member of the Next Generation Leaders at Grand Circle, and will be attending college as a freshman this fall.<br/>Right: The NGLs, along with Grand Circle and O.A.T. co-chairman, Har- riet Lewis, as they dance and sing with Maasai in Tanzania.<br/>Next Generation Leaders in East Africa<br/>The NGLs spent time with the children of the Plaster House, a home for kids with disabilities. Dasia bonded with one little girl in particular, who made a lasting impression on her.<br/>Next Generation Leaders are young adults from the inner cities of Boston who display strong leadership skills and have no prior experi- ence of traveling alone. After a three-stage interview process, ten individuals are granted the opportunity to work within Grand Circle Corporation as interns and partake in an expense-free trip to Tanzania and Kenya. Fostered by Grand Circle Foundation, Next Generation Leaders are up and coming high school graduates<br/>on the fast track to becoming a freshman in college.<br/>I, Dasia Miles-Langaigne am a current Next Generation Leader. On July 25, 2016 we departed on a plane to Dubai and then another to East Africa.<br/>While on the trip we stopped at various schools to<br/>drop off donations and interact with the children,<br/>and learn about the school community, as well as<br/>the locals. On the first day we visited the St. Vincent<br/>de Paul Nursery School. Upon our arrival we took a tour of the school and then were led were led through the Kibera Slums by three St. Vincent students. The Kibera Slums is a vast area filled with hundreds of tin homes, shops, marketers, and a great deal of poverty. There we witnessed trenches filled with waste on the sides of the road—watching your step was crucial. The atmosphere is rowdy but yet has a calmness. Large cars and motorcycles are constantly on the move honking<br/>at you to get out of the way, dust is everywhere, small shops are open, people are watching TV or listening to their music aloud. Malnourished dogs resided around every corner, some dead in the middle of the dirt road. The ground in many areas was covered with mounds of<br/>trash. Stories from locals, the scenery of the slums, and being in that particular space has forever altered my definition of the word “poverty”.<br/>People who live in the slums are struggling to find food or to make enough money to provide for their families. Many children are neglected and deprived of love because of the stress placed on their parents. Having to find work while trying to survive creates a stressful environment not only for the parents, but for the children as well.<br/>St. Vincent de Paul Nursery School provides children with the necessary love, care, education, and food that<br/>is not accessible at home. Teachers travel through the community to seek out children who are in dire need of assistance. With my own aspiration of becoming a future educator—witnessing firsthand the work of Lucy Kayiwa, founder, and director of the nursery school—<br/>was a transformative experience for me.<br/>The Next Generation leaders then traveled to Amboseli and helped clear rooms, cement shower walls, sand the outside of a building, and place locks on the outdoor commodes. When a few of the Next Generation Leaders were flicking the cement into the cracks of the wall, children began to gather around and watch us. Many of them laughed because the cement was flying every- where hitting us in the face. It took a while for us to master the flicking motion and the amount of strength required to get the cement to stick, but eventually<br/>we managed to get it right. At the end of the day, we played a giant game of soccer. We tied the game, but it was not an easy match.<br/>38 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","My most memorable experience was at Plaster House, a home for children with disabilities. Picture an oval and on the outskirts of that oval there are connecting building and those buildings are made up of a kitchen, bathrooms, a classroom, and living facilities. In the center there is a large grassy courtyard with a play structure and seating areas. Now add smiling children of various ages in blue hoodies and you have Plaster House. Hearing the stories about how many of the children are severely burned or are missing certain ligaments, I was a bit nervous. We arrived early and were instructed to walk in, but it was clear that many of the Next Generation Leaders were hesitant, includ- ing myself. I was under the impression that I would<br/>be traumatized by what I was about to witness, but<br/>that was not the case at all. Once we made it out of the parking lot and through the doors, we found children of various ages, some sitting on the grass, some on the play structure or in the surrounding buildings, but it was nothing like anything I have seen before. Many of the children suffer from burns, cleft chin, cleft foot, cleft palate, epilepsy, and many other ailments. The children have physical disabilities, but that does not limit them mentally. They protect one another and they have smiles that will make your heart melt.<br/>Immediately upon arrival, we started to interact with the children. A few students started to toss around a soccer ball with the children; accommodations were made for children on crutches and those in wheel- chairs. I found a little girl who couldn’t have been older than four with a cleft palate—she was adorable and playful. She had a toy block and she handed it to me and every time she would reach for it I would move it. She loved to smile and she was ticklish. At one point we sat in the shade and I let her take my camera and take pictures of the other children. I never learned<br/>the little girl’s name, but I hope she will remember us because I will never forget her.<br/>Throughout the course of the trip, we toured the Serengeti, slaughtered and cooked a goat, participated in A Day in the Life of a local village, and took on the gender roles of the individuals within the tribe. We started a fire, rode ATVs through the city, and many other memorable activities. My life-altering trip to East Africa, thanks to Grand Circle, taught me three key life lessons:<br/>1. Hakuna Matata (No worries) 2. With risk comes reward<br/>3. I deserve the best<br/>Hakuna Matata was merely a catchy song from “The Lion King”, now it is a way of life. Although many Kenyans and Tanzanians live in high poverty, most display joy and humility. Most Maasai villagers<br/>live in huts and use tires to make the soles of their shoes. Africa is seen as a poverty-stricken continent, but in reality, Africa is rich and thriving. There are misconceptions pertaining to the actions of the people and what we perceive as “poor people behaviors” are just results of culture and a utilization (or lack) of resources. I have everything and at times I stress about the trivial things, but they have very little and are extremely humble and appreciative. At Plaster House there are children who cannot walk, are bedridden,<br/>and have been ostracized because they are seen as different. They suffer from ailments—some life- threatening, but they still manage to play, be happy, and live. Of course, there will be worries, that’s life, but don’t stress the small things. It’s all about perspective.<br/>Next, with risk comes reward. Joining the NGL program was a risk, but the reward was new knowledge and clarity of self. I learned about both the good and bad qualities about myself; I can now take that infor- mation and improve for the better. I am on the fast track to becoming the best version of me through open and courageous communication, risk taking, thriving in change, quality, speed, and teamwork.<br/>Lastly, I deserve the best. If it’s not the best or better<br/>I don’t want it, it’s that simple. Make the conscious choice to demand quality in anyone and in everything. I will make a conscious effort to share and instill my knowledge from the internship and East Africa trip into my peers, community, and any and all endeavors in the future. From the things that I have done to the people<br/>I have met, I too want to be a conscious giver. Although our internship is coming to a close we will continue to thrive and uphold the title of Next Generation Leader.<br/>Dasia was moved by her experience at St. Vincent de Paul Nursery School, where the NGLs visited children of the nearby Kibera Slum.<br/>Soccer was a language both the young African schoolchildren and the American NGLs could all understand.<br/>Left: During a trip to<br/>a school in Amboseli, the NGLs, together with the older students, all chipped in to help patch shower walls with cement.<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 • FALL 2016 39<br/>","Moveable Feast<br/>By David Valdes Greenwood<br/>David has been writing for O.A.T. for 15 years and his next adventure will bring him to Cuba in<br/>the Spring of 2017.<br/>Right: Ingredients and preparation varies in Indian cuisine from north to south. Southern India are heavy on the rice and lentils, and often comes with a little heat.<br/>Telling South from North at the Indian Table<br/>A Culinary Compass<br/>A popular south Indian breakfast snack, the idly wada is a carby combina- tion of steamed rice cakes and lentil fritters.<br/>Tantalize your senses and discover what makes the cuisine of Southern India so unique. Learn the details of our Soul<br/>of India adventure at www.oattravel.com/soi.<br/>Considering that India is 1.2 million square miles in size, it’s not surprising that there is a difference between Southern and Northern cuisines. While most Americans get their first exposure to classically Northern dishes (which are most common in restaurants here), Southern menus are beginning to show up as well and delight diners with new flavors.<br/>Of course, even designations like Southern and Northern can’t capture the complexity of all the food traditions within each region. But you can certainly discover some signature differences when you look at what’s cooking in the kitchens and served at the tables in the south.<br/>You know you’re eating in South India when ...<br/>Rice is king.<br/>In the more tropical climes of the south, rice is easy to cultivate, and is served at just about every meal, not only with the many curries and stews, but to make savory crepes and desserts. In contrast, wheat rules Northern India, where the temperate climate favors the grain used in naan and other breads.<br/>Lentils run a close second.<br/>Like rice, lentils (dals) are easily grown in the south and are prominent in soups and stews and blended with rice for dishes like idli (steamed rice cakes). All four types of dal (red, yellow, green, and split pea) are common here. Comparatively, northern cuisine is less dal dependent, mostly focused on red dal.<br/>A little heat goes a long way.<br/>The most common spice mix, huli pudi (sambar) combines cumin, lentil, mustard, red chilies, and<br/>fenugreek for a bit of heat. The amount of chilies in the sambar can raise the tempera- ture considerably, though often whole chilies are cooked right in the dish for a real punch. In contrast, the default cooking powder in the north is garam masala, a not-at-all spicy blend of clove, cumin, nutmeg, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, and black pepper.<br/>Dosas are definitive.<br/>Perhaps the single most Southern Indian dish is the dosa, a rolled crepe made from rice and lentil flour, wrapped around stewed vegetables. An authentic dosa is enormous—even folded, it can fill your plate. The way to eat one is to tear off a piece for dipping in chutneys or sauces. You will see dosa vendors in the north, but everyone considers it a southern treat.<br/>Thin is in.<br/>While sauces in the north tend to be thick curries and stews, because they have to be scooped up with bread, in the south, thinner sauces are more common, as they are most often served over rice.<br/>Java is jumpin’.<br/>Tea may seems synonymous with India, but in the south, no good host would let you leave with pouring you an Indian filter kaapi (also known as Mysore coffee). The chicory coffee is mixed with boiled milk and blended through several pourings before serving, and is stronger than espresso. When visiting the north, chai (spiced tea and milk) is still the favorite.<br/>Fritters are hot.<br/>The snack of the south is definitively vada, a savory doughnut-like fritter made from a spiced batter of legumes. It’s as common in the south as samosas (also fried, but stuffed with filling) are in the north.<br/>Nothing died for your meal.<br/>The vast majority of South Indian recipes are vegetarian, substituting legumes and vegetables for meats. In the south, the main exception to vegetarianism is seafood, as a result of the endless miles of coastline.<br/>One treat rules them all.<br/>South Indians love their sweets, the ultimate of which is Mysore Pak (cubes of ghee, sugar, flour, and cardamom). On Dasara, a festival in which cooks must prepare at least 51 items, if they omit Mysore Pak, the meal is incomplete.<br/>40 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","Fish Molee<br/>Instructions<br/>1. Marinate the kingfish pieces or tilapia fillets with the pepper, salt, turmeric, and lemon juice for at least a half hour.<br/>2. While the fish marinates, assemble the spice mix and the vegetable mix. Mix cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. Separately, mix ginger, garlic, chili peppers, and onions.<br/>3. Heat the oil over medium high heat in saute pan until glossy,<br/>then flash fry the kingfish or tilapia for 2-3 minutes, turning once.<br/>4. Remove the fish to a plate.<br/>Mushroom Korma<br/>5. Add the spice mix to the oil; the cardamom pods will pop and sputter. Immediately add the vegetable mix. Cook for five or six minutes, stirring a bit, until the onions are soft.<br/>6. Add the coconut milk, and bring to a boil.<br/>7. Add the fried fish and a pinch more salt, and reduce heat to simmer. 8. When the sauce thickens a bit, add the tomatoes and curry leaves. 9. Heat through and serve with rice.<br/>Ingredients<br/>Fish marinade:<br/>• 1⁄2 tsp black pepper • 1⁄2 tsp salt<br/>• 1⁄2 tsp turmeric<br/>• 1 tsp lemon juice<br/>1.5 lbs kingfish (cut in chunks) or tilapia fillets, skinned<br/>Spice mix:<br/>• 4 cardamom pods • 4 cloves<br/>• 1 cinnamon stick<br/>Vegetable mix:<br/>• 1 tbs chopped fresh ginger<br/>• 2 tbs garlic, minced<br/>• 2 green chili peppers, seeded and diced<br/>• 3 onions, chopped<br/>1⁄2 cup cooking oil<br/>13-oz can of coconut milk<br/>Fresh tomatoes chopped,<br/>or 1 small can chopped tomatoes, drained<br/>2-3 curry leaves (or 2 bay leaves and a bit of lime zest)<br/>Instructions<br/>1. Soak the cashews in the water for 10 minutes. Add the coconut and blend into a paste (in a blender or food processor).<br/>2. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat, then add the onion and sauté for five minutes.<br/>3. Add the ginger, garlic, and mushrooms and sauté five minutes or more, until the mushrooms are browned.<br/>4. Whisk together the cashew paste, curry powder, coconut milk, lemon juice, and sugar, then add to the mushrooms.<br/>5. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer to thicken. 6. Serve with rice.<br/>Ingredients<br/>1⁄2 cup shredded coconut 1⁄2 cup cashews<br/>1⁄2 cup water<br/>2 tbsp vegetable oil<br/>1 onion, chopped<br/>1⁄2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced<br/>4 garlic cloves, minced<br/>2 cups button mushrooms, caps and stems sliced<br/>4 tbs mild curry or korma powder 1 13-oz can of coconut milk<br/>1 tsp lemon juice<br/>A pinch of sugar<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 • FALL 2016 41<br/>","Cultural Anthropologist<br/>By Rachel Fox<br/>Rachel is the Managing Editor of Dispatches<br/>and recently drank her fair share of chicha while on Machu Picchu and<br/>the Galápagos.<br/>Right: To this day, woman make and typically serve chicha to guests and patrons looking to quench their thirst with Peru’s traditional corn beer.<br/>The Legend of Inca Brew<br/>The past and present of chicha de jorda<br/>I<br/>beer known as chicha which has roots planted deep within the country’s history. Though its popularity is thought to have surged during the Inca Empire (1438-1533), the first evidence of chicha can be dated back to around 5,000 B.C., when some of the earliest pottery of the Andean region was likely used to ferment<br/>and store the beverage.<br/>Fermented chicha, called chicha de jora, is made from maiz de jora—or yellow corn—and is generally around 3-5% alcohol. Though some recipes may have changed since the days of<br/>the Inca Empire, one tradition has remained constant: only women make chicha. Women<br/>and girls were even sent to schools to perfect<br/>the practice. Hiram Bingham, who rediscovered Machu Picchu in 1911, speculated that due to its sheer popularity, “one of the chief occupations of the Chosen Women was the making of chicha for the Inca and his nobles and priests ...”<br/>A genuine chicha recipe is said to be made from simply corn and water. The kernels must first sprout while on the cob, and then they are boiled in water for several hours. The mixture is sifted into a large, straw-lined basket set over a tall ceramic jug. The solution ferments for 24 hours and is boiled again before<br/>being filtered and sitting for another full day before consumption. A major difference in the making of chicha today? The fermentation process was originally activated by saliva. Women would partially chew the maize kernels before spitting them back into a vat, and thus kickstarting the boozy concoction.<br/>Corn was considered a sacred crop in Inca times, and still today, it rivals potatoes and quinoa as Peru’s most popular natural commodity. In addition to Inca nobility and the ruling elite drinking chicha at every festival, feast, and, well, moment, the corn beer was offered to laborers in exchange for stonework, and also became<br/>an important symbol within religious ceremonies. In fact, even after the Spanish conquered the Incas in 1533, chicha was briefly used in rituals and mass services, due to the difficulty of importing wine to the region. During this time in the Andes, public intoxication<br/>was considered a religious path that forged a deeper connection to the spiritual world. The Spanish had other views on open drunkenness, and this difference in values would serve as one of the major rifts between the conquering Catholics and indigenous peoples.<br/>n today’s Peru, the signature drink of the nation may be the tart and frothy pisco<br/>sour—but it’s the traditional maize (corn)<br/>A red flag or bag perched above a doorway in Peru signals that the bar or home-owner sells chicha.<br/>Chicha in all of its many forms can be consumed while exploring the cultural and natural gems of Peru. Discover more at www.oattravel.com/mpg or www.oattravel.com/rap.<br/>Chicha was once such a part of Inca and Peruvian culture, that not only was it offered up to gods and ancestors, but human sacrifices had to be doused in it, and then tube-fed for days while they lay buried alive in tombs. It was scattered through sacred places, such a temples and burial sites, and the mummies<br/>of past kings were ritually bathed in corn flour and presented with offerings of chicha. Many Peruvians today—whether they’re of Incan heritage or not—will sprinkle some chicha on the ground before consuming as an offering for pachamama (Mother Earth).<br/>Chicha today can be found in chicherias—which typically constitute a small alley bar or back room in someone’s home. Now located mostly in smaller, rural villages (though also scattered throughout large cities like Lima and Cuzco), the markings of a chicheria or private home serving the beverage, is a red flag hung over a door frame.<br/>Chicha comes in several variations, with the sweetened, unfermented chicha morada, made from purple corn,<br/>as the favorite among children. Chicha blanca, made from white corn is usually sprinkled with cinnamon and other spices, and chicha picante is made with<br/>a squeeze of lemon and dash of hot sauce, called aji. In Cuzco, chicha frutillado is often favored, and uses fresh seasonal fruit, such as strawberries to sweeten the beverage. Whether chicha is the real reason the Incas were able to lift and set 15-ton stones in place with the precision of a Tetris master is up for debate. What isn’t, however, is the deep cultural, religious, and social impact that chicha made on Peru—Inca legend and lore live on today.<br/>42 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","Spotlight on Small Ships<br/>Why O.A.T. travelers should consider Grand Circle Cruise Line<br/>In some parts of the world, small ocean ships are the best and most adventurous way to explore. We’ve heard, however, that many O.A.T. travelers aren’t familiar with our Small Ship Cruise Tours—which is why we decided to include this special section in Dispatches.<br/>In 2017, Grand Circle Cruise Line will be setting sail to explore Italy’s coast, islands, and Malta on two new Small Ship Cruise Tours. The 16-day journey to Italy’s Western Coast & Islands: A Voyage from Rome to Valletta will explore idyllic locales along the Tyrrhenian coast, with Rome and Malta bookending the trip. Undiscovered Adriatic: Eastern Italy, Venice, Puglia & Malta will explore stretches of eastern coastline along Italy’s boot, including Venice and the Tremiti Islands. Both Small Ship Cruise Tours will sail on the 50-passenger M/V Artemis, allowing the ship to dock in smaller ports that make up the heart of coastal Italy.<br/>Within these pages, you’ll find 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.gct.com.<br/>TABLE OF CONTENTS<br/>44 Spotlight on What’s New<br/>Announcing two new Small Ship Cruise Tours to coastal Italy and Malta.<br/>46 Knights of Malta<br/>Demystifying this ancient and powerful order<br/>51 Stepping Ashore<br/>Meet Program Director Ivan Boban<br/>52 Voyages of Discovery<br/>The Viking age in the British Isles<br/>54 Setting Sail<br/>Traveler Elisa Kohanski performed cello for the penguins of Antarctica<br/>56 At the Helm<br/>Meet Captain of Grand Circle Cruise Line’s newest Small Ship M/V Clio, Alberto Palacios Moradillo<br/>57 Cultural Moorings<br/>The war on Corsica’s cultural identity<br/>“Governed by a Grand Master answerable only to the Pope,<br/>the Knights were a force to be reckoned with. But their day of reckoning came in 1523 when the army of Suleiman the Magnificent forced their surrender ...”<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 43<br/>M<br/>M<br/>a<br/>P<br/>a<br/>PA<br/>AG<br/>t GE 46<br/>a<br/>a<br/>a<br/>l<br/>l<br/>l<br/>lt<br/>a<br/>a<br/>","Spotlight on What’s New<br/>Right: You may not yet be familiar with Procida, but after stepping foot onto this colorful island within the Bay of Naples, you won’t soon forget this hidden gem.<br/>Bottom right: The 50-passenger M/V Artemis is able to dock is small ports, allowing you to experience many of Italy’s lesser-known locales.<br/>NEW: Explore Italy & Malta<br/>by Small Ship in 2017<br/>Announcing two ways to explore the world’s most famous peninsula<br/>New for 2017, Grand Circle Cruise Line<br/>will explore the highlights and hidden gems of coastal Italy, its islands, and the tiny nation of Malta from a unique perspective—<br/>by 50-passenger small ship—on two new Small Ship Cruise Tour vacations.<br/>We invite you to join us on Italy’s Western Coast & Islands: A Voyage from Rome to Valletta or Undiscovered Adriatic: Eastern Italy, Venice, Puglia & Malta. Whether you’ve discovering Italy for the first time or returning for another taste of la dolce vita (the sweet life), you’ll see Italy in a whole new way.<br/>A different view<br/>Italy is a perennial favorite destination among Grand Circle and O.A.T. travelers, and we’ve cultivated the insider knowledge that only decades of on-the-ground experience can yield. But we’ve never been able to explore this region quite like this.<br/>The M/V Artemis, the 50-passenger vessel we’ve selected for these itineraries, is designed to give you up-close access to the less-visited ports that many other American travelers miss—and other American travel companies bypass. What’s more, we’ll either dock<br/>in cozy ports—among fishing vessels and sailboats— or tender closer to the shore than other larger cruise ships. Charming coastal delights, like colorful Procida Island and the white-washed city of Otranto, will shape your understanding and appreciation for life here in the deepest and most authentic way.<br/>Six volcanoes sit dormant on the Aeollan Islands, which the Artemis cruises around—often putting on a geothermal show for spectators.<br/>44 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","Italy’s Western Coast & Islands: A Voyage from Rome to Valletta<br/>Our 16-day journey along western Italy showcases the dramatic Tyrrhenian coast, where the legacy of ancient Rome and Greece continue to affect daily life. Bookended by hotel stays in Rome<br/>and Malta, your ten-night cruise showcases an assortment of regional identities and influences, each shedding light on the incredible cultural tapestry on display here. Among the highlights:<br/>Procida: Stroll among multi-hued buildings, gaze out at the sparkling turquoise waters,<br/>and revel an authentic locals-only vibe in this hidden-gem island within in the Bay of Naples.<br/>Civita: Journey into the Pollino mountains to discover pockets of traditional Albanian culture. In Civita, an ancient hillside village, you’ll be welcomed in by a local family for a special Home-Hosted lunch.<br/>The Aeolian Islands: Witness volcanic history’s<br/>past and present as you explore Salina, the docile island home to six dormant volcanoes and incredible landscapes; and cruise around Stromboli, Salina’s fiery sister island known for putting on dramatic geothermal shows.<br/>Undiscovered Adriatic: Eastern Italy, Venice, Puglia & Malta<br/>The Artemis will also journey in 2017 along the back of Italy’s boot and heel, and explore oft-missed—<br/>yet unforgettable—stretches of the eastern coastline. In addition to Maltese explorations and a hotel stay in the “Floating City” of Venice, you’ll gain insights into what it’s like to live in this unspoiled corner of the world, with explorations in:<br/>Monopoli: Revel in the bright contrast of turquoise water against white-washed buildings in this postcard-perfect port town.<br/>The Tremiti Islands: Discover the “Pearls of the Adriatic,” an archipelago of three islands with rugged cliffs, sandy coves, and lush woods—all surrounded by the glittering sea.<br/>Otranto: Step back through time as you explore this charming town of white sand beaches and winding streets, crowned by its famed Aragonese Castle and eleventh-century Romanesque cathedral.<br/>Left: Known as the “Pearls of the Adriatic,” the Tremiti Islands are made up of rocky cliffs, sandy beaches, and dense woods that rise up from the cerulean sea.<br/>Sharing local treasures with American travelers<br/>The opportunity to introduce Americans to<br/>some long-time local favorites is exciting, says Shannon Levi, Executive Vice President of Europe.<br/>“Italy is my homeland, and I’m a proud advocate of its many beauties, including its iconic cities, like Florence, Venice, and Rome,” Shannon says. “But I’m even moreso for the many hidden gems that most travelers seldom get to visit, whether that’s due to their remoteness or lack of time. And that’s among Italians, too!<br/>“What’s really exciting about these two trips is that they allow us to visit those locations that are rarely seen by Americans,” she says. “And the majority are destinations we’re visiting for the very first time within Grand Circle or O.A.T. It’s an incredible opportunity, whether a traveler wants to discover the history of the ancient world, journey through the diversity on display in Italy, or marvel at the soft light of the Adriatic.”<br/>There’s no better way to discover this region than by small ship—and no better time to make those plans than now.<br/>The Aragonese Castle set against impossibly blue skies is the postcard-worthy standout of Otranto.<br/>Learn more about our NEW Small Ship Cruise Tours: See full itinerary details for Italy’s Western Coast & Islands at www.gct.com/rma<br/>or learn more about<br/>Undiscovered Adriatic<br/>at www.gct.com/vma.<br/>Combine These Trips, and Save<br/>Can’t decide which side of Italy you’d rather explore? Combine both of these Cruise Tours into one comprehensive journey with Italian Coastal Odyssey: Hidden Italy, Sicily & Malta. You’ll save $3000 per couple over the cost of taking them separately—not to mention the savings on airfare, since you’ll purchase just one roundtrip international flight. Visit www.gct.com/rvm to learn more.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 45<br/>","46 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","The Knights of Malta<br/>A story of crusades, conspiracies, and constancy<br/>BY Karen Hansen<br/>Areligious order that became a fearsome military machine. A sovereign entity (with Permanent Observer status at the United Nations) that mints its own coins, issues<br/>its own passports, has diplomatic relations with 104 nations, but is not itself a country. A charitable organization that operates humanitarian and relief programs around the world, yet is the center of numerous conspiracy theories ranging from the assassination of JFK to the spread of AIDS in Africa.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 47<br/>","Previous page: An oil painting of the Grand Harbor of Valletta, as it appeared in the late 18th century.<br/>Previous page inset:<br/>The Knights Hospitaller (later known as the Knights of Malta) sporting their armor during the Crusades.<br/>Right: The Hospitaller Fortress of St. John was originally built in Galilee, Israel, by the Knights of St. John in the 12th century, but was built over by the Ottomans in the 18th century, and today serves as a museum of history and ancient culture.<br/>It may all sound far-fetched, but the true history of The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, to give their full name, is the stuff that legends are made<br/>of. And when you visit their historic fortress-city at Valletta, Malta, the legend comes alive. Rising above the Mediterranean, enclosed by limestone walls, this enclave boasts more than 320 bastions, cavaliers, gates, gardens, churches and palaces set within<br/>136 acres. And that’s not even their headquarters.... Those are in Rome, in a comparatively much smaller palazzo. How they got there is a long story. So let’s start at the beginning...<br/>Birth of an order: the Holy Land<br/>The Knights of St. John date back to 1048, when a<br/>group of merchants from the Duchy of Amalfi received permission from the Caliph of Egypt to build a church, hospital, and convent in Jerusalem. This charitable center was intended to serve those making the pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and was led by Gerard Thom, the spiritual founder of the order that came to be known as “Hospitallers.” The Jerusalem hospice<br/>was operated by monks who had taken vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. In accordance with their agreement with the Caliphate, they served all in<br/>need regardless of race or faith.<br/>But things changed after the First Crusades and<br/>the European conquest of Jerusalem. The Order<br/>was charged not just with the care of the pilgrims<br/>but also with their defense, and the safeguarding<br/>of territories that Crusaders had taken from the Muslims. To accomplish this daunting task the<br/>order began recruiting Knights from noble families across Europe. Soon their ranks grew, as did their coffers. Increasingly militarized, increasingly wealthy, the Knights Hospitallers became defenders of the faith. But their defense was not enough to stop the Muslim sultan Saladin from retaking Jerusalem,<br/>and driving the Crusaders from their last strongholds in the Middle East.<br/>The Order resettled in Cyprus, then regrouped on the island of Rhodes, where they built a formidable naval fleet that fought many decisive battles for Christendom during the Second and Third Crusades. Governed by<br/>a Grand Master answerable only to the Pope, the Knights were a force to be reckoned with. But their day of reckoning came in 1523 when the army of Suleiman the Magnificent forced their surrender, and allowed the Knights to peacefully exit from Rhodes. They remained without a territory until 1530, when the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and his mother, Joanna Queen of Castile, granted them the island of Malta.<br/>Valletta most proud<br/>When the Knights arrived in Valletta there was only<br/>a small watchtower on the Sciberra Peninsula. They demolished it and built Fort Saint Elmo in its place. But when the Ottomans came calling in 1565, the fort was overtaken. Under the leadership of Grand Master Jean de Valette, the Order (with the help of the Spanish navy) defeated the Turks.<br/>When news of the great victory reached Europe, money and resources poured in. Pope Pius V sent his best military architect to create a new city named after Jean de Valette, called Humilissima Civitas Valletta— “The Most Humble City of Valletta.” Built according<br/>to what was then a novel layout, a rectangular grid with wide straight streets, the city’s stout defenses were contrasted by the baroque elegance of its palaces, churches and gardens. Also in contrast was the nickname bestowed upon Valletta by the European elite: Superbissima Civitas—“Most Proud City.”<br/>The Order remained the pride of Valletta for the next 233 years, defeating Ottoman armies and fending off marauding corsairs. With their most worrisome foes under control, the Knights turned their attention back<br/>Jean de Valette, Grand Master of the Knights of Malta, was so successful in defeating the Turks in 1565, that Pope Pius V sent his best architect to create a new city named after de Valette—today known as Valetta.<br/>Right: The Sacra Infermeria in Valletta was a state- of-the-art 600-bed hospital that provided care to anyone in need.<br/>48 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","to the Order’s original aims, building hospitals and medical schools. The Sacra Infermeria or “Holy Infirmary” was a state-of-the-art hospital with more than 600 beds that provided care<br/>for anyone in need, including women, slaves<br/>and non-Catholics. The skill of the doctors was renowned and many advanced surgical techniques were successfully practiced.<br/>The Knights, who came from all over Europe and<br/>were divided into different Langues based on their native tongues, resided with their fellow speakers<br/>in different Auberges or hostels, many of which still stand in Valletta today. But the most impressive residence is the Grand Master’s Palace, built in 1571. Today it is home to the House of Representatives of Malta and the office of the President of the Republic of Malta. Its State Apartments are filled with frescoes and priceless Gobelin tapestries. The Order’s military prowess is displayed at the Palace Armory, filled with weapons, armor and heraldry from both the Knights and their Ottoman enemies. It is no wonder that when UNESCO declared Valletta a World Heritage Site, it described it as “one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world.”<br/>In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte attacked Malta and the Knights, who were bound by oath to never take up arms against fellow Christians, capitulated and left the island. The Knights disbanded and Malta fell into the hands of the British, who planned to demolish fortified Valletta. Fortunately, they never got around to it, but the story didn’t end here....<br/>A new beginning<br/>In 1834 the Knights were restored under a new name, The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta (or SMOM, for short.) They were granted extraterritorial status in Rome, where they still have headquarters at the Magistral Villa on Aventine Hill and the Villa del Priorato di Malta on Via Condotti.<br/>At the latter, there is a famous arched doorway and if you peek through its bronze keyhole, you’ll be rewarded with a view of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, perfectly framed by neat cypress trees and spanning three separate sovereignties: the SMOM, the Italian Republic, and Vatican City State. It’s hard to believe that this unique perspective came about as mere coincidence.<br/>The church here was designed by Piranesi, who was a Freemason, and it is laden with carefully placed symbols representing the Knights of St. John order. And some say they also reflect other, more secretive societies....<br/>Sinister or saintly, the legends abound<br/>The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta is often confused with its onetime rival, The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, also known as the Knights Templar. Wordy names notwithstanding,<br/>Left: The most impressive residence on Malta is the Grand Master’s Palace, built in 1571 and today home to the House of Representatives and office of the President of the Republic of Malta.<br/>the two are not the same. The Templars were dissolved by Pope Clement V in 1307 after a scandal was fomented by Philip IV of France. Philip owed the Templars a great sum of money and to escape his debt he accused them of all sorts of heresy and depravity. Many Templars were tortured or imprisoned and others were quietly absorbed into the Knights of St. John Hospitaller. Later, the Freemasons incorporated symbols from both orders in many of their rites. The secrecy and mystique of the Templars and Freemasons have been favorite tropes in today’s pop culture with books and movies such as The Da Vinci Code, National Treasure, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade fanning the flames of conspiracy theorists.<br/>But what basis is there for the suspicions about the SMOM? Today the Order includes 13,500 Knights, Dames and auxiliary members from around the world, and their list of famous alumni is striking to say the least. Alleged and admitted Knights include former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan; former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; former CIA Directors William Casey and John McCone; UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali; media mogul Rupert Murdoch and Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca; Tony Blair, Konrad Adenauer, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Clare Booth Luce, Joseph Kennedy Sr., William F. Buckley, Benito Mussolini, Phyllis Schlafly and many others.<br/>With so much power, so much wealth, so many secret rites and a privileged political status that shields it from public scrutiny, the Order continues to arouse mistrust. Fuel was added to the paranoiac fire in 1988 when the charge d’affaires at SMOM’s embassy<br/>in Havana confessed to being a double agent for the CIA and for Cuban intelligence. Executives at the controversial U.S. defense contractor Blackwater (now called Xe), which provided private security services in Iraq and came under fire when their employees killed 17 Iraqi civilians, are also purportedly members. But there is no credible evidence suggesting that the SMOM had anything to do with the actions of Blackwater in Iraq, or anywhere else. On the other hand, there is a strong body of evidence pointing towards the order’s continued charitable work.<br/>“With so much power, so much wealth, so many secret rites and a privileged political status that shields it from public scrutiny, the Order continues to arouse mistrust. ”<br/>Peek through the keyhole of the doorway which leads to the Priory of<br/>the Knights of Malta on Rome’s Aventine Hill,<br/>and be rewarded with<br/>a view of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica framed by cypress trees.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 49<br/>","Karen Hansen is a travel writer and was one of<br/>the original editors of Dispatches. She’s traveled to more than 40 countries and became interested in the Knights of Malta when she visited their head- quarters in Rome in 2007.<br/>Right: The current Grand Master is Englishman Matthew Festing,<br/>who hardly looks the part of the leader of a mysterious international organization.<br/>Uncover the mysteries of the Knights of Malta on our two NEW Small Ship Cruise Tours. Visit www.gct.com/rma<br/>or www.gct.com/vma for details.<br/>The humanitarian heritage<br/>The current Grand Master of SMOM is a bespectacled 67 year-old Englishman, Matthew Festing, who looks more like an Oxford don than a criminal mastermind or the head of some sinister cabal.<br/>He is an art historian who worked as a consultant<br/>for Sotheby’s before joining the order. During the Balkan War he delivered emergency supplies to Bosnia by driving in a convoy. The danger was not without<br/>its absurdities: At one point he found himself scouting around England cadging donations of curlers, brushes, and hairdryers, part of an effort to help abandoned Balkan women develop livelihoods as hairdressers<br/>in order to support their families. “There was something very odd about that,” he once mused<br/>in an interview. Not exactly the hair-curling<br/>intrigue of a Dan Brown blockbuster.<br/>The order Festing oversees now employs about 25,000 doctors, nurses, and auxiliary medical staff and<br/>80,000 volunteers in 120 countries. Through Malteser International, its worldwide relief corps, they’ve assisted victims of natural and man-made disasters in numerous scenarios: refugees from the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, the war in Kosovo, and the Rwandan genocide and the war in Syria; tsunami relief in Southeast Asia; earthquake relief in Haiti, Japan, Nepal and Italy. It continues to serve children, the homeless, handicapped, elders, and terminally ill without regard to ethnicity or religion.<br/>The symbol of the Knights of St. John is the Maltese Cross, an eight-pointed cross that represents the eight homelands of the first Knights. It also represents<br/>the blessings espoused by Christ in the Beatitudes.<br/>The cross has been appropriated by many other groups, from French Huguenots to the Kingdom of Prussia<br/>to Hell’s Angels to American surfers and more. But<br/>the Maltese Cross also honors the eight obligations<br/>of the Knights of St. John: truth, faith, humility, repentance, justice, mercy, sincerity, and the endurance of persecution. Having upheld these virtues for nearly 1,000 years, when it comes to bearing the cross,<br/>you could say the Knights own it.<br/>The Maltese Falcon<br/>“The stuff that dreams are made of.” That was how private eye Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) described the black bird statuette that drove the action in The Maltese Falcon, the legendary film noir based on Dashiell Hammett’s novel. It was described as a jewel-encrusted golden treasure that went missing for a few centuries, then turned up, painted over in black, the object of intrigue (and desire) for several seedy types in 1930s Los Angeles.<br/>The movie got the statue’s provenance wrong.... It claimed that the Knights Templar created the priceless peregrine as a gift for the monarchs of Spain. But in reality, it was their rival order, the Knights of St. John, a.k.a. the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), who were bound by treaty to make that tribute, every year on All Saint’s Day. This was a small price to pay for the considerable privileges they’d been granted by the Holy Roman Empire—not least of which was dominion over the island of Malta. But the real tribute was not a statue; it was a live peregrine falcon, one of Malta’s prized birds of prey.<br/>Once driven nearly to extinction, the falcons are making a comeback on Malta. The same might be said of the black statuettes used as props on the John Huston film. About four of them resurfaced in recent years, and while they’re among the most valuable pieces<br/>of movie memorabilia ever made, each comes with strings of controversy and mystery attached. One is made of lead, three of plaster, and though the owners each claim that their bird is the stuff of dreams, none of the experts called in to verify their authenticity can say for sure which is the real deal. As Bogey said to a dissembling Mary Astor in the cinema classic, “You’re good. You’re very good.”<br/>50 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","A conversation with<br/>Grand Circle Program Director Ivan Boban<br/>Grand Circle Cruise Line Program Director Ivan Boban loves to be on the water—as he discusses below, it’s where he grew up. So it’s no surprise that he would one day find himself leading groups of travelers through his home city of Dubrovnik on Hidden Gems of the Dalmatian Coast & Greece via small ship. Here,<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/>“Ivan is friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, and the best Program Director I’ve had. He gives his<br/>all to everyone.”<br/>—Kathleen Worth, 7-time traveler from Umpqua, Oregon<br/>Explore Ivan’s home of Croatia via small ship<br/>on Hidden Gems of the Dalmation Coast & Greece: www.gct.com/das.<br/>Ivan shares more about what it was like growing up in<br/>O.A.T.: You grew up during the Croatian War of Independence (Homeland War). What was that like?<br/>Ivan: War came to Croatia and to my hometown when I was just twelve. It was awful and shocking to realize that I couldn’t play outside anymore and that I needed to stay inside shelters for most of my days.<br/>My life changed from attending school, riding my bike, swimming on my favorite beach, and chasing girls, to waiting for the sirens<br/>to signal an attack on the town, and then running to the shelter. Luckily, my family put me on one of the last ships leaving Dubrovnik after three months of siege and I continued my schooling in Split and Trogir for seven months away from my family.<br/>O.A.T.: You weren’t always a Program Director. Where else did your career path lead?<br/>Ivan: I was looking for a different job after some time spent in tourism. The real estate industry in Croatia was doing well after<br/>the economy opened up in 2000—it was an attractive industry to join. So I got my real estate diploma and became a licensed agent in Dubrovnik. It was an intense, interesting, and dynamic job.<br/>O.A.T.: Why did you leave real estate?<br/>Ivan: Unfortunately, the real estate market collapsed in the U.S., and resulted in the same for Europe. The recession brought down the real estate industry, and my agency couldn’t afford me anymore. I decided to leave the industry and come back to tourism. I never regret the change. I’m happy where I am and working with the people I do.<br/>the region, and why ship life is the life for him.<br/>O.A.T.: What do you like about being a Program Director?<br/>Ivan: Being a Program Director exposes me to<br/>work with people and travel that I love. Sharing my knowledge and experience<br/>is another great thing about it. Learning new things and meeting interesting people with great life experiences is enriching for me as a person, and in my life. This job also gives me the time I need for my family, hobbies, and friends. This job suits my lifestyle and the kind of person I am.<br/>O.A.T.: What types of things do you like to discuss with your travelers?<br/>Born in:<br/>Dubrovnik, Croatia<br/>Resides in:<br/>Dubrovnik, Croatia<br/>Program Director since: 2010<br/>Languages spoken:<br/>English, Croatian, Italian, French<br/>Hobbies & Interests:<br/>Water polo, swimming, triathlons, table tennis, soccer, basketball, playing music and singing<br/>Ivan: Controversial topics are an essential part<br/>of the region I come from. The past itself<br/>is controversial: the times of Tito and dictatorship, corruption in both past and present times, post-war relations between<br/>the Serbs and Croats, war crime prosecutions, drug abuse after the war and in present day, religion, local politics and influence from foreign powers in the region, and immigrants coming into the country from the Middle East. It’s important to share these topics with my travelers to help them understand the part of the world they are coming to visit.<br/>O.A.T.: Do you enjoy the ship life on this trip?<br/>Ivan: Every time I come onboard, I see the people and friends I have worked with for the past several years. The ship gives me a chance to sail and enjoy that unforgettable feeling of cruising up and down three beautiful seas: the Adriatic, Ionian, and Aegean. The sea is my love. I was born on the sea and swimming is my favorite sport. My meditation in the water while I swim means a lot to me.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 51<br/>","Voyages of Discovery<br/>By Paige Solomon<br/>Paige is a new writer for O.A.T. and Grand Circle, but a seasoned Anglophile—with a love for all things British.<br/>Right: Viking Norsemen first stormed the shores of the British Isles in 789 when their longships first landed in Dorset, England, and havoc was wreaked for nearly three centuries.<br/>The Viking Age<br/>Reign of terror in the British Isles<br/>The surviving monks from the Rathlin Island monastery fled to Ireland in 806 AD with the reli- gious text, The Book<br/>of Kells, safely in hand.<br/>The Dark Ages were a violent time<br/>in the British Isles. A large influx<br/>of Vikings—raiders who hailed<br/>from present-day Sweden, Denmark, and Norway—wreaked havoc on Western Europe between the eighth and eleventh centuries.<br/>While there isn’t one clear answer as to<br/>why they invaded, pillaged, and destroyed cities, historians point to shrinking resources in Scandinavia as a result of overpopulation. In search of wealth and adventure, the Vikings set out. With only the North Sea between them, poor defensive efforts, and<br/>an abundance of resources, the British Isles were a prime location to attack: vulnerable and bountiful.<br/>The first attack on the British Isles came<br/>in 789 AD in Dorset, England, when a local official was murdered by the Viking invaders. While the attack in Dorset marked the beginning of the Viking period for the region, an invasion in 793 became a violent and significant precursor for what would follow.<br/>Viking longships cruised into the Holy Island of Lindisfarne off the coast of England where they massacred and enslaved St. Cuthbert monastery’s monks. Holy sites became the targets for these Dane invaders, which some historians believe is due to their wealth, while others argue the Vikings attacked them as an act of religious persecution due to the Viking’s Pagan beliefs.<br/>Next, the Vikings snaked into the north and<br/>west, making sure not to leave any part of the British Isles untouched. A horde of invaders first arrived in Ireland in 795 AD when they attacked Rathlin Island’s monastery. Ireland’s religious sites had been acquiring and building their wealth for centuries, making them the richest organizations on the island and the most susceptible to attacks. That same year, the Norsemen moved into Scotland in an attack on Iona’s monastery. The invaders continually targeted the site over the next decade until ultimately defeating and killing 68 monks in 806 AD. The surviving monks fled to Ireland with the famous Book of Kells.<br/>As the Vikings moved through the Isles, they caused widespread change and chaos for centuries, integrat- ing into the British, Irish, and Scottish cultures. The Vikings established longphorts, or ship camps, where<br/>they created permanent settlements and planned raids. The Norsemen are credited with founding Dublin, as<br/>it was one of two longphorts that were created in Ireland. While there aren’t records of these large long- phorts in England or Scotland, smaller, more temporary settlements were created instead, which lasted a single season to a couple years.<br/>Over time the Vikings carried influential traditions and customs through Britain and Ireland before being driven out of the region. They impacted the growth of cities like York and London by paving the way for trade settle- ments where they presented their own goods—specialty wines and silks. The Vikings were expert craftsmen who introduced affordable jewelry and pottery to the region. They also influenced modern-day English vernacular. Words like “law,” “husband,” and “bug” are just a few that have Norse roots.<br/>52 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","The invaders sculpted the region geographically as well. In addition to founding Dublin, they played an indirect role in the union of the Kingdom of the Picts—present-day Scotland— and Dal Riada—present-day Inner Hebrides and Northern Ireland. In the mid-ninth century, the Vikings invaded the Gaelic kingdom of<br/>Dal Riada, causing its inhabitants to pack up relics and riches and flee into Pictland.<br/>The Picts, an ancient indigenous group, faced reoccurring attacks themselves, but were able to defend their kingdom from Viking invasions. As the Gaels moved into Pictland, tensions arose between the groups. Kenneth MacAlpin, king of Del Riada and new king of the Picts, used the Norse attacks as a way to bring the Gaels and the Picts together to fend off a shared threat. Unfortunately, MacAlpin didn’t live to see the two groups transform into a united Scotland as he died in 858.<br/>Years later, his grandson Constantine MacAed took the title King of Pictland. Following vicious Viking attacks, Pictland was in ruin, but Constantine worked to rebuild a new kingdom from Pictland’s rubble. The Kingdom<br/>of Alba was born—Alba, which translates to Britain in Gaelic, would eventually become Scotland.<br/>Just as the Norsemen influenced the local cultures, they were impacted by the local religion: Christianity. As<br/>the Vikings integrated into local settlements that held Christian beliefs, they too accepted the religion. This was an easy transition for the Vikings, as being Pagans meant worshipping multiple gods. Rather than denounce their gods in favor of a new religion, the Norsemen began to accept the Christian god as well.<br/>The fusion of cultures quickly swept through the British Isles, but after years of destruction and power, the Vikings were eventually driven out of Ireland, England, and Scotland—starting with the Battle of Clontarf in 1014.<br/>King Brian Boru of Munster, Ireland, had a vision of uniting the Celtic kingdoms against the Vikings in<br/>a single battle that would end their power over the island. On Good Friday in 1014, Viking longboats were met at Clontarf by Boru’s troops. Even though Boru had fewer men, he defeated the Vikings in what came to be considered the bloodiest day in ancient Ireland with 4,000 of Boru’s troops slain and 6,000 Vikings dead—including all of the region’s Viking leaders. This drove the remaining Norsemen back to the sea and ended Norse control over Ireland.<br/>Decades later in 1066, after the death of the king of England, a fight for succession exploded. The King’s Council selected Harold Godwinson, a member of the royal family, as the next king, but King Harold Hardrada of Norway still had his eyes set on the throne and Duke William of Normandy argued that the king had dubbed him the rightful heir.<br/>Left: The Orkney Islands of Scotland is home to the largest number of Viking ruins in the world.<br/>Hardrada moved his army toward London, capturing York along the way. The new King of England could either wait to fight off Hardrada’s army and the Norman army from France, or he could meet Hardrada’s Vikings with a surprise attack in York—he chose the latter. Godwinson defeated Hardrada and his men on September 5 at what came to be known as the Battle<br/>of Stamford Bridge. This would end the political power the Vikings had over England.<br/>While Ireland and England regained power, a revolt was brewing in Scotland, which eventually came to<br/>a head in 1263. Norway’s King Haakon IV controlled the Outer Hebrides, known as Innse Gall at the time, but Scotland’s King Alexander III believed the terri- tory belonged to him. Alexander ordered his armies to raid the Viking’s land, causing Haakon to respond with a 20,000 person army and 120 ships. On October 1, a strong storm disarrayed Haakon’s fleet, leaving Alexander with favorable conditions to attack.<br/>There was no victor of this battle, but it did leave the Viking’s resources and manpower depleted. Haakon made the decision to wait out the winter before attack- ing Alexander again, but died before spring arrived. Haakon’s successor, his son, only interested in wealth, made a deal to give up the Hebrides and the Isle of Man for silver and yearly payments. This was the end of the Viking reign throughout the British Isles.<br/>Even though the Vikings fled, they left behind a wealth of treasures. Sprinkled throughout the region today are remnants of Norse culture—from mass Viking graves uncovered under Oxford University to the world’s largest number of Viking ruins discovered in the Orkney Islands.<br/>Compared to other European countries, the Emerald Isle has less Nordic influence, but you may still find hints of the Viking age here and there. Next time you sip a pint of Guinness, notice the logo that sits just above the two “N’s”—this is Brian Boru’s harp.<br/>Irish King Brian Boru had dreams of a united Celtic kingdom against the pil- laging Vikings. Considered to be the bloodiest day<br/>in ancient Ireland, the battle at Clontarf on Good Friday, 1014, defeated the Norsemen, killing 6,000 Viking and ending Norse control over Ireland.<br/>Uncover the footprints of Norse culture on Maritime Jewels of the British Isles & Ireland. Visit www.gct.com/cre for details.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 53<br/>","Setting Sail<br/>A Magnificent Performance<br/>A few lucky penguins in Antarctica now know the sound of a cello, thanks to this talented traveler<br/>By Elisa Kohanski, 20-time travelers from Warwick, RI<br/>Elisa has traveled on<br/>20 O.A.T. and Grand Circle trips with her parents, Craig and Maria. While the cello has joined her on other journeys, her per- formances in Antarctica were the most magical— even with frozen fingers. When she’s not traveling with her parents, she’s touring both nationally and internationally with her all-woman ensemble, Trio Nova Mundi.<br/>Right: An accomplished cellist, Elisa played amongst the white wilderness of Antarctica as a thank you for her incredible experience.<br/>“I played to the ocean and to the penguins and<br/>for the people<br/>who made this possible for me.<br/>It was certainly<br/>the most authenti- cally beautiful<br/>and remote concert hall I’ll ever play in.”<br/>I<br/>f Antarctica were music it would be Mozart. Art, and it would be Michelangelo. Literature, and it would be Shakespeare. And yet is<br/>something even greater; the only place on earth that is still as it should be. May we never tame it.”<br/>—Andrew Denton<br/>Arriving in Ushuaia, at the southern tip of Argentina, I was so excited to really get going on our adventure. We were told that this was not a cruise ...this was an expedition!<br/>We were advised that the trip, once into the open waters of the Drake Passage, would be very rough. There were instructions about “Drake-proofing” each cabin. Our expedition team repeated this: “Whether the weather<br/>is cold, or whether the weather is hot, we’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not.”<br/>I’ll spare you the details of my not-so- pleasant evening but will say that the water went from acceptably rough to unacceptably rough (Drake Shake!). I could hear the clothes in the closet sliding from one side to the other and the toiletries in my neighbor’s bathroom flying around. In my room, as<br/>in every room, lounge, and dining room,<br/>the chairs, tables, and even the piano were chained to the floor.<br/>There was an announcement the night before<br/>we would arrive in Antarctica: The first person to spot an iceberg wins a prize! When I woke up and looked out the sliding glass door and saw my first glimpse of icebergs, I pinched myself. I was here! The white wilderness...<br/>At Mikkelsen Harbor, I scoped out my first perfect<br/>site to play the cello. I settled on a location near an old rescue hut, several groups of penguins, and by<br/>the water. It was very cold and the wind was raging!<br/>I perched on a rock with penguins behind me and many of my fellow travelers, guides, and crew in front of me, and I played Saint Saens’ The Swan, and the Prelude to Bach’s G Major Cello Suite. It seemed that the penguins got quiet as I played. I imagine it must have been a strange experience to hear something like a cello for the first time. I think it will most likely be the last time as well! I will admit to being incredibly<br/>uncomfortable from the wind and the cold. Although<br/>I was wearing fingerless wool gloves, I couldn’t feel my fingers or hands the whole time and it was a very strange sensation to play the metal strings on a cello in such an extreme temperature. We tried to record the performance but the only thing that could be heard in the video was wind! I would have to try again.<br/>One of my wishes for this trip was to have the incredible opportunity to play the cello in Antarctica. This was only possible because of the generosity and efforts<br/>of many people: my Program Director, Martin, the captain and crew, and the expedition team led by Claudia. These people are some of the most wonderful, committed, dedicated and genuine people I’ve ever met. They are purely motivated and driven by their desire<br/>to provide the most natural and unspoiled experience of this magnificent and magical place! They made my playing on the continent possible, so when they asked<br/>54 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","me to perform on the ship for all of the crew and the passengers, I couldn’t say no. Thankfully, and somewhat unbelievably, in my group of 19, there was a pianist! Robert Chauls also agreed to play and accompany me. We did a concert of Bach, Beethoven, Elgar, and Saint Saens. It was another first for me, performing on a ship moving quite a lot from side to side!<br/>On our last day of exploring, I was sad at the thought of leaving so soon. But, that day would be my favorite day.<br/>The expedition crew marked a path for us to hike<br/>up to the most spectacular lookout point of the<br/>trip. These are the images that will remain with me forever. I spent as much time as I possibly could breathing the incredibly fresh air, and, at times, sitting in silence just listening: the popping within the glacier, the calving, a small avalanche in the distance, the penguins, the skuas, the incredibly light breeze, the lack of other sounds associated with civilization. I thought about the remoteness of this place and the fact that only 300,000 people have ever been here and how fortunate I am to have had the privilege and honor—a life-changing experience.<br/>In Cuverville, the expedition team encouraged<br/>me to play one more time, and I brought the cello just in case. I felt as though I owed the expedition leaders, guides, and my parents the final Antarctic performance. After almost everyone had headed back to the ship, I pulled out the cello, found a rock, and one more time played for the penguins.<br/>It was snowing lightly and cold, but not quite as windy as the first time. I played to the ocean and to the penguins and for the people who made this possible for me. It was certainly the most authentically beautiful and remote concert hall<br/>I’ll ever play in. Hopefully it’s the coldest performance I’ll ever have to experience. It’s difficult to play well with frozen fingers!<br/>As we headed back into a rough Drake, although not as rough as the previous crossing, we enjoyed more lectures on history and wildlife and relived our experiences from the past few days. I have a feeling that I’ll be reliving them forever. If you have a chance to go, do it!<br/>It’s difficult to put into words what you are a part of: a sight that is ever-changing! Never before as it is<br/>in this very moment, and never the same again.<br/>It is a magnificent performance... it is an inspiration.<br/>While the penguins enjoyed Elisa’s first performance, the wind prevented an audible recording.<br/>Perhaps you’ll encounter the same audience of penguins on your own adventure to Antarctica. Visit www.gct.com/atc for details.<br/>Left: Antarctica put<br/>on a “magnificent performance” for Elisa— and she repaid it with one of her own.<br/>Below left: In order to help preserve the pristine white wilderness of Antarctica, Elisa used disinfectant on her cello before playing outside of the ship.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 55<br/>","At the Helm<br/>A Born Seaman<br/>Childhood tales of faraway lands turn a boy into a captain<br/>By Rachel Fox<br/>Rachel is the Managing Editor of Dispatches and recently traveled to Machu Picchu and the Galápagos Islands.<br/>Top right: Captain Alberto Palacios Moradillo takes the helm as the<br/>M/V Clio’s leader, and with a lifetime of experience, his passengers are in good hands.<br/>Bottom right: Captain Moradillo looks forward to the moments when he can interact with travelers on a personal level— something the Clio’s small size can afford him.<br/>for greater access to smaller ports and less-visited destinations. When it comes to maneuvering a ship, however, Alberto doesn’t have a preference. “There isn’t a big difference between big or small ships,”<br/>he says. “You need to feel the ship—the helm, the propellers, the thrusters—all are an extension of your body. You need to be familiar with the characteristics and dimensions of the ship.” Another must-have when commanding a ship? “Your officers are an extension of you, as well. You need to trust them.”<br/>A clear benefit to captaining a small ship is the inter- action it grants him with travelers. Alberto thrives on feedback, and being able to have conversations with the passengers on his ship provides plenty of opportunities. “If their experience onboard is good, you immediately feel rewarded by their acknowledgement,” says Alberto “The most fun is when a cruise is finished and I feel that the experience has been positive for each traveler. That means the crew has done an excellent job.”<br/>It’s also the type of travelers who take these cruises which makes captaining the Clio fun for Alberto. Though he sees it as a chicken or the egg-type deal. “I still don’t know if it’s the special travelers of Grand Circle Cruise Line that makes this company<br/>so different, or it’s the values of the company which attracts such special travelers who are interested in culture and experiences of the places we go,” Alberto wonders. “Probably it’s both of them. Probably that is the Grand Circle.”<br/>Embark on a Small Ship Cruise Tour through the British Islands on the newly-acquired M/V Clio. Visit www.gct.com/cuk.<br/>Growing up in the coastal port-city of Santander, Spain, children are bound to be influenced by the sea. Couple that with a love of Jules Verne novels and a grandfather who was a naval engineer— complete with stories of mysterious far-off lands and seas—and the child may grow up to be the captain of<br/>a ship. At least that was the case for Alberto Palacios Moradillo, captain of Grand Circle Cruise Line’s newly- acquired Small Ship, the M/V Clio.<br/>Between childhood and present, Alberto has spent<br/>the majority of his life working on boats. “All of my jobs have been related to the sea. After I finished high school, I studied at Cantabria University’s Nautical School for five years. Then, after a year sailing as a deck cadet, I became a 2nd officer.” That was the beginning of Alberto’s career at sea—and he hasn’t looked back. Before becoming a captain for Grand Circle, Alberto had sailed on everything from oil tankers and reefer ships, to 40-foot sailboats and large 2,000 passenger cruise liners.<br/>Now, Alberto calls the Clio his home away from home. The 89-passenger ocean-cruising vessel is the latest ship in the Grand Circle Cruise Line fleet, and at just 328 feet in length, the ships’ compact size allows<br/>56 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>","A Course on Corsica<br/>The 1,500 year long identity crisis<br/>Cultural Moorings<br/>By Sarah West<br/>Sarah was been an O.A.T. and Grand Circle writer for two years and has most recently traveled to the Emerald Isle.<br/>Left: Located just<br/>100 miles off the Tuscan coast, the island of Corsica has long been in a tug-of-war between Italy and France on who can rightfully lay claim.<br/>Located less than 100 miles off the Tuscan coast, the island of Corsica has long been prized by its Italian neighbors: From the third century AD until 1729, it was ruled at various times by the Romans, Tuscans, Pisans, and Genoese. But today, Corsica is not Italian.<br/>By 1755, the island had broken free of its Genoese overlords, and for just over a decade, Corsica controlled its own destiny. But today, Corsica is not independent.<br/>In 1789, Corsica was incorporated as a French state—and has remained part of that country for more than 200 years. But today, Corsica is not wholly French.<br/>The long international tug-of-war has<br/>honed a uniquely Corsican culture—from<br/>a venerated local vernacular to musical and culinary traditions that can’t be matched anywhere else.<br/>Officially, Corsica shares a language with its continental countrymen—but French has only been the language<br/>of the land since 1859. Before that, the vernacular was Corsican, a language closely resembling the Tuscan dialect, and a cornerstone of the local identity for the long-embattled island.<br/>As France’s influence has pervaded the island over the last few hundred years, Corsican has fallen out of favor: Today, only 25% of youth has a strong command of Corsican, and just 10% of the population (most of them nationalists or over 65) uses it as a first language.<br/>However, governmental efforts are now underway to preserve ensure this vital component of Corsican culture. Primary school teachers are expected to provide three hours of dedicated Corsican-language instruction each week.<br/>Preservation efforts extend beyond the four walls of<br/>the classroom as well. Corsican is increasingly used alongside French on the island’s road signs, and more and more national media outlets are beginning to incor- porate Corsican into their broadcasts and articles. Not<br/>to mention, the language’s lyrical nature is essential to one of Corsica’s most beloved and well-preserved cultural exports: polyphonic song.<br/>Dating back to the ninth century AD, no one can pinpoint the exact origins of Corsica’s polyphonic music. But today, polyphonic song is the soundtrack of life in Corsica, performed everywhere from churches and funerals to bars and city squares.<br/>The beauty of Corsican polyphony is its purity. Songs are sung a cappella, by small groups of just three to nine individuals (traditionally men, though female singers have been making their voices heard recently as well). Performers stand in a tight circle and cup one hand over an ear to avoid hearing their neighbors’ voices. Then, the choral cascade begins: Singers chime in with simulta- neous lines of independent melody, which converge into a hauntingly harmonious whole.<br/>If polyphony is the heart of Corsica’s artistic tradition, the humble chestnut is most certainly the soul of its culinary one. Large-scale chestnut cultivation was intro- duced in 1548, when the Genoese governor, concerned about Corsicans’ self-sufficiency, decreed that each landowner and tenant plant at least one chestnut tree each annually or face a steep fine. Sixty years later, the order was upped to ten trees. Eventually, the landscape was overrun with chestnut plantations, and by the<br/>18th century, chestnuts had almost completely replaced cereals in the Corsican diet.<br/>While Corsicans no longer rely on subsistence agricul- ture for survival, chestnuts are nevertheless an integral part of the local diet. After undergoing a month-long roasting process, the smoky chestnuts are ground into flour, which is used to make everything from savory polenta to sweet beignets (French doughnuts).<br/>Even the island’s prized charcuterie is not impervious to the far-reaching influence of the chestnut. During the day, the Corsican pig is free to roam chestnut forests, eating its fill of the favored crop. The resulting cold cuts and sausages boast a pleasant nutty flavor, considered to be one of the best anywhere—from foodie France to indulgent Italy and beyond.<br/>The battle over the island between Italy and France has seeped into the culture. Today, street signs are in both French and Corsican (a Tuscan dialect), though now<br/>just roughly 10% of the population uses Corsican as a first language.<br/>Whether Italian, French, or both—the cultural gems of Corsica can be found on The Rivieras: Italy, France & the Isles. Visit www.gct.com/frv for details.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 57<br/>","News Briefs from<br/>O.A.T. and Grand Circle Cruise Line<br/>Adventure Update<br/>NEW trip extension: Colombia: Villa de Leyva & Bogotá<br/>Beginning with July 2017 departures of Machu Picchu & the Galápagos, experience the colonial gems of Colombia on a new optional extension to two contrasting cities: Villa de Leyva, the cobblestone village untouched by time; and Bogotá, the urban, cultural soul of the country. Along the way, visit Casa Terracota, the largest piece<br/>of pottery in the world and wander past whitewashed buildings peppered with preserved fossils. Then explore the modern bustle and colonial history of Colombia’s capital city. Learn more at www.oattravel.com/mpg.<br/>Historic travelogue film series<br/>Traveler and filmmaker David Conover recently discovered a large archive of historic footage, shot by several filmmakers who documented their travels in decades past. He’s using the footage to create a series of films<br/>for O.A.T., which will<br/>show you how iconic<br/>travel destinations have<br/>changed—and, sometimes, how they’ve stayed the same. For one example of this new series, visit www.oattravel.com/india1959 to see how India looked to travelers in 1959—and be on the lookout for more installments in the weeks to come.<br/>Newly added to Iberian Voyage: Gibraltar<br/>We’ve enhanced our Iberian Voyage: Lisbon to Barcelona Cruise Tour with a full day in Gibraltar—famed<br/>for its legendary rock, where you’ll explore both natural rock formations in St. Michael’s Cave and<br/>a manmade marvel in World War II military tunnels. You may even glimpse Europe’s only colony of Barbary macaques, who have made themselves<br/>quite at home here. Learn more about Iberian Voyage at www.gct.com/clb.<br/>Our M/V Clio is turning heads<br/>While our newly acquired ship was cruising the United Kingdom on Maritime Jewels of the British Isles & Ireland, we received two separate emails from locals who were quite taken by the ship. One woman, who knows her cruise ships because her husband is a guest lecturer onboard many of them, tells us, “I’m fascinated by the ship. It’s very different from any<br/>of the ships we usually see.” And another local on Scotland’s Isle of Arran was kind enough to send<br/>us this photo—even though, in typical U.K. fashion, the rain made it difficult to get a clear shot. We thank our distant admirers for the positive feedback—and hope you like the Clio as much as we do.<br/>58 DISPATCHES • FALL 2016<br/>Image courtesy of Penn Museum<br/>","Where in the World?<br/>Continued from page 9<br/>In the Know<br/>Continued from page 17<br/>ANSWERS:<br/>1. c. Costa Rica<br/>2. c. Motor vehicles of any kind are not allowed in this area<br/>3. b. Ecuador<br/>4. b. You must not squat on western-style toilets<br/>5. d. Stop their vehicle—this is the Israeli stop sign<br/>ANSWER:<br/>Sigiriya Fortress, Sri Lanka<br/>When fifth-century Sri Lankan King Kashyapa established a new capital,<br/>he wanted a palace no one would forget. He made that possible by perching the royal residence high in the sky, the crowning jewel of a 660-foot rock at Sigiriya. The palace itself was gorgeously wrapped in colorful frescoes, but the real showstopper was found on a promontory halfway up the rock face: a gate carved into the shape of a lion standing 100 feet tall.<br/>A lion was a fitting symbol: Kashyapa was noble but bloodthirsty, and came to power only after he killed his own father, King Dhatusena, by walling the monarch up alive—and then chasing his brother, the rightful heir, out of<br/>Sri Lanka. Sigiriya was designed not only to impress but to thwart enemy access. Still, Kashyapa’s brother eventually returned with an army, and the king committed suicide on the eve of the sixth century.<br/>After that drama, the palace became a Buddhist monastery, and was left unoccupied in the 1500s. But King Kashyapa succeeded in being memorable: Sigiriya (now nicknamed Lion Rock) is his nation’s most visited site and earned itself a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list.<br/>6. c. New Zealand<br/>7. a. They are entering a pedestrian priority zone 8. d. Camels may be crossing the road up ahead 9. c. India<br/>10. a. South Africa<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@gct.com or 617-346-6841.<br/>DISPATCHES • FALL 2016 59<br/>",""];