var textForPages =["Vol. 9, no. 4<br/>DISPATCHES<br/>D<br/>fi<br/>fi<br/>e<br/>el<br/>ld<br/>d<br/>n<br/>no<br/>o<br/>t<br/>te<br/>es<br/>sf<br/>f<br/>o<br/>or<br/>rO<br/>O.<br/>.A<br/>A.<br/>.<br/>T<br/>T.<br/>.’<br/>’<br/>s<br/>sS<br/>Si<br/>ir<br/>r<br/>E<br/>Ed<br/>d<br/>m<br/>m<br/>u<br/>u<br/>n<br/>nd<br/>dH<br/>H<br/>i<br/>i<br/>l<br/>ll<br/>la<br/>ar<br/>r<br/>y<br/>yC<br/>Cl<br/>lu<br/>u<br/>b<br/>b<br/>m<br/>me<br/>e<br/>m<br/>m<br/>b<br/>be<br/>er<br/>r<br/>s<br/>s<br/>SM<br/>","“How could a photo capture this place? The weather can change on a dime in Patagonia—“four seasons in a day,” as our Trip Leader told us—but Torres del Paine revealed itself in picture-perfect hues, intensified by the light of the sun. ‘Paine’ means ‘blue’ in the native language, but one word can’t possibly describe a place of such magnitude, where I felt immense joy in feeling small.”<br/>","","6 Letter from the Editor<br/>7 Correspondence<br/>Our readers share letters, photos, and more<br/>10 Where in the World<br/>Can you identify this picture?<br/>12 O.A.T. Photo Contest<br/>Congratulations to our 2016 winner!<br/>14 New Year, New Adventure<br/>New O.A.T. Adventures for 2017<br/>15 Artifacts<br/>Laura Shechter’s graffiti-inspired paintings<br/>16 World Calendar<br/>Upcoming events of interest<br/>24 Call of the Wild<br/>Mongolian horses<br/>25 Outlook on Women<br/>Albinism in Tanzania<br/>26 Adventure Countdown<br/>Cultural keepsakes from around the world<br/>33 Trailblazers<br/>A conversation with Floriana Strano<br/>34 Literary Adventure<br/>The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen<br/>35 Field Notes<br/>Traveler Laurie Gavel escapes her mother-in-law and discovers solo travel<br/>36 Moveable Feast<br/>Spanish cuisine<br/>38 In the Know<br/>South Pacific wildlife quiz<br/>39 O.A.T. Philanthropy<br/>A bright idea saves livestock and wildlife in Africa<br/>41 Setting Sail<br/>Travelers Eva and Mark K. return to Croatia after fleeing the country in their youth<br/>42 Unlocking Trieste<br/>Discovering Italy’s most mysterious city<br/>47 Cultural Moorings<br/>The history and culture of Stromness<br/>48 Stepping Ashore<br/>Meet Trip Leader Evgeniy Zalberg<br/>49 Hands on Deck<br/>Meet Executive Chef Jan Markech<br/>50 Adventure Update<br/>“A crossroads of various cultures,<br/>a hub of arts and commerce, Trieste— the Italian city you may not have heard of—happily offers up its mysteries<br/>to any traveler who wishes to discover them.”<br/>40 SPECIAL FEATURE<br/>Spotlight on Small Ship Adventures<br/>News briefs from O.A.T.<br/>Trieste PAGE 42<br/>","“Flying into Bhutan is, how to put<br/>this ... not for the faint-hearted.<br/>The flight began auspiciously enough, with breathtaking views<br/>of the world’s tallest mountains, including Everest and Kanchenjunga. But my reverie was short-lived.”<br/>“It is a one-of-a-kind vibrant cornucopia of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that lasts a lifetime. If the unusual and mind boggling is what you seek, look no further.”<br/>Bhutan PAGE 18<br/>India PAGE 28<br/>","A Message from Harriet Lewis<br/>Dear Traveler,<br/>As we entered this new year, I felt a deep desire to identify sources of peace in my life—people, places, and things that help ground me in the kind of turmoil that embodied 2016.<br/>In taking stock, I realize that I’m blessed with a<br/>wealth of calming influences. Above all, I think<br/>of my granddaughter, Kinsley, who was born in<br/>October of last year. While she certainly isn’t<br/>always calm herself, just imagining her promise, her future, reminds me of what matters most in life—and why we need to do our part, no matter how small, to make our world a better place for her generation and beyond.<br/>Nature also has a special way of soothing a racing mind, and the woods around my home in New Hampshire offer plenty of lovely places to disappear for a while. In the springtime, I spend hours in my garden, but the barren trees of winter have a charm of their own—particularly when covered in snow.<br/>There is one item in my garden, however, that brings me peace in any time of year. When I visited Bhutan last year, I brought home a prayer wheel. If you’ve never seen one, it’s a cylindrical metal structure used in Buddhist cultures to bring wisdom and good karma. (That’s the very short version!) Spinning it is a form of meditation—which is especially calming for me, because it brings me back to my time in Bhutan.<br/>I wrote a bit about my experience in the last issue of Dispatches, but the memories flooded back when I read staff writer John Bregoli’s account of his recent adventures there. While the flight into Paro is anything but calming (John describes it as “seemingly miraculous”), it provides a dramatic contrast to the magic of Bhutan itself. Let John guide you through the kingdom that measures “Gross National Happiness” on page 18.<br/>Another of my most treasured destinations is brought to life in this issue: India, which we see through the eyes of 9-time traveler Howard Axelrod. Howard is quick to remind us that “India is not for everyone” ... but the culture shock and sensory overload is exactly what attracts the adventurous soul. Read Howard’s story—and enjoy his beautiful photography—on page 28.<br/>Compared to Bhutan and India, Europe may feel decidedly less exotic— but it’s no less exciting, particularly when you explore some of its hidden treasures. Trieste, Italy, is—as staff writer Megan Mullin puts it—“one of Italy’s most enigmatic cities,” a haven for writers and expats. Explore the unique culture that evolved in this “city apart” on page 42.<br/>Reading and dreaming about travel is another failsafe source of calm for me. I hope you find plenty in this issue to transport your mind to exciting new places—which happen to be yours to discover.<br/>Happy travels,<br/>Harriet R. Lewis<br/>Vice Chairman<br/>Overseas Adventure Travel<br/>DISPATCHES<br/>Winter 2017 Vol. 9, no. 4<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 EDITORS<br/>Rachel Fox Ashleigh Osgood<br/>CORRESPONDENTS<br/>John Bregoli<br/>Megan Mullin<br/>Paige Solomon<br/>Pamela Schweppe 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 Ali Shakra<br/>PHOTO EDITORS<br/>Amanda Fisher Meredith Gausch Susan Greene Meredith Mulcahy Gregory Palmer<br/>PRODUCTION MANAGER<br/>Erin Aitken<br/>PROJECT MANAGER<br/>Robin Plimpton-Magee<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 • WINTER 2017<br/>","Correspondence<br/>Letters, photos, and more<br/>Correspondence<br/>Stuck in the middle with you<br/>Keep on traveling on<br/>I am now reading the most current copy of Dispatches [Vol. 9, No. 3], and your article, “Alone, not lonely,” sure made me sit up and pay attention.<br/>I lost my husband April, 2015, and I have felt the pressure of being alone. During our married lives, we were so fortunate to have the passion of traveling. We have been to 70 countries and 6 continents and I am now trying to do this alone.<br/>July, 2015, alone I took a river trip on the Garonne River and the Bay of Biscay, in France with Grand Circle, this now made 8 river trips, and loved each of them.<br/>This was my first experi-<br/>ence of traveling alone, but as you wrote, you are not alone. Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand in October, 2015 and now Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, and then I spend a week in Switzerland visiting my husband’s family.<br/>I never had this dream of traveling alone, but here it is and I will make the best of it.<br/>My next trip is 3/29/17—<br/>I will be returning to both Belgium and the Netherlands, with a pre- trip, to see the tulips in bloom—what an extraordinary sight this is.<br/>Thank you again for putting your thoughts in writing so others in my position can “wake up and smell the roses”.<br/>I will soon be celebrating my 86th birthday, with the help of God.<br/>Dolores Rickenbach Unadilla, NY 18-time traveler<br/>Editor’s note: Dolores, my condolences for the loss of your husband. It sounds like you had an incredibly rich life of discovery together.<br/>Thank you for letting me know that my story resonated with you. I have a feeling your letter will resonate with your fellow travelers, many of whom now travel solo with us after the loss of a spouse. It’s incredibly brave to take that first step and get yourself back out there. I wish you many more journeys to come.<br/>This photo was taken during my recently completed Southern Africa: Zimbabwe, Namibia & Botswana trip. The location is in South Africa’s Kruger National Park within one-half mile of the Buffalo Rock Camp.<br/>I call it “Have you seen an elephant yet today?”<br/>Our group of twelve were in two jeeps for our morning game drive on the second day at Kruger. The first jeep left camp a couple minutes ahead of the second jeep and soon stopped at the bottom of a draw to watch a group of 18-20 elephants off to our left.<br/>The elephants slowly started to work their way toward us, so our guide moved our jeep up the road far enough to give them plenty of room to cross behind us. The second jeep by then had stopped short of the draw, so we all thought the elephants would cross between the two jeeps.<br/>They did indeed start to cross the road between us, but suddenly they changed direction and started to drift up the hill towards the second jeep on both sides of the road and in the road.<br/>For the next 20-25 minutes, our O.A.T. travelers in the second jeep experienced the thrill of meeting the elephants up close and personal! I took this photo of two of them just as they were totally blocking the second jeep.<br/>It was an incredible start to the day and a truly fantastic trip overall. Our outstanding Trip Leader Noreen Siyawareva told us she had never seen so much variety of wildlife on any other single trip.<br/>Jim Gillings Eugene, OR 10-time traveler<br/>DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 7<br/>","Memories of Sicily in verse<br/>We’ve only been in Albuquerque a week after experiencing the warmth and passion of Southern Italy, traveling through towns<br/>like Palermo, Ortiglia and Catania, just to name a few. I’ve tried to capture my feelings with images in words in the poem, Sicily: Ancient Tapestry, Steeped in Tradition.<br/>Looking forward to our next adventure!<br/>we viewed ancient Greek ruins<br/>in the heat of October, a place called the Valley of the Temples<br/>only to travel back in time, later arriving<br/>at a local restaurant with a passionate chef guiding our hands<br/>as we prepared our own feast of pasta, eggplant parmesan and pizza we walked through the streets, fat and happy<br/>then drove up into the hillside town of Ragusa<br/>touring all day until we flew through back alleys of Modica<br/>in 1960s Fiat 500s built to fit narrow cobblestone streets<br/>as locals waved and cheered us on our efficiently trained drivers we slept like babies that night<br/>but only after more pasta and wine<br/>we wandered in amazement<br/>hillside treasures with names like<br/>Origlia, Taormina and Messina<br/>nestled beside a crystal blue sea<br/>an island called Mothya<br/>with warm breezes at our backs<br/>gliding along calm, salted waters<br/>viewing brightly colored parasailers in the distance,<br/>we learned how brazen men from another time suffered in swamp-like conditions to refine salt from the sea<br/>toured a museum of ancient Greek artifacts<br/>followed by a hearty feast of caponata, salads and wine<br/>we sailed back ready<br/>to climb back into Salvatore’s magic bus<br/>in search of an aguritissimo called<br/>Vecchia Masseria, another hidden treasure<br/>dating back to 1856, a property with horses, goats bougainvillea and prickly pears so completely<br/>in touch with nature and sights of another lifestyle so simple yet, so full of rich sophistication<br/>our last discovery was high in the mountains<br/>hiking among lava rocks on Mt. Etna<br/>before savoring fresh chick pea soup and singing Italian songs with an Italian family filled with old tales and a wise young son entertaining us while we rode donkeys by his prized vineyards<br/>our group bonded seamlessly on this adventure<br/>each location distinctly unique<br/>yet woven together<br/>a new understanding of a country wrestling<br/>with constant change, a passionate people whose lives touched our hearts and minds, I’m forever changed by Sicily,<br/>ancient tapestry, steeped in tradition.<br/>Marsha Johansen Albuquerque, NM 4-time traveler<br/>Memories of Sicily in verse<br/>Sicilian culture was a feast for the senses<br/>passionate street banter, local Mafia, gold mosaics adorning<br/>ornate churches while a tropical landscape filled with bougainvillea, prickly pears, palm trees, olive groves and vineyards savoring new culinary delights each day<br/>glorious eggplant, zucchini, persimmons, pasta with local wine<br/>each day we explored hidden treasures of Greeks and Romans<br/>from long ago, we followed Hosni, a young Muslim guide through ancient streets colored with artistic tiles common themes of climate change and caring for loved ones woven into historic walls<br/>we discovered a secret place where Jews hid and practiced their customs long ago then wandered to a street cafe<br/>tasting couscous with special dipping sauces<br/>gothic architecture, cobblestone streets<br/>tiny cars, motor scooters, homes on hillsides<br/>Italians conversing in small cafes, dressed in bright colors throughout open-air markets proclaiming their love scents of wine, coffee, tomatoes, fresh fish<br/>local farmers bustled about, selling their latest catch<br/>among all locals of multiple heritages, we soon learned<br/>how Arabs, Jews, French and Spanish infiltrated Southern Italy long ago from the ancient port of Palermo<br/>we wandered in amazement of hillside treasures<br/>named Origlia, Taormina and Messina<br/>nestled beside a crystal blue sea<br/>8 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>","Going the extra mile<br/>In Rome, we were happy to take a cab to the Trastevere district in<br/>the rain. Lodo knew a Carmelite priest who let us upstairs of the real farmaci to see a fascinating old pharmacy, complete with old equip- ment for scraping, squeezing, and making pills. Again another plus, no one could discover on our own. He had a story or legend about each spot we visited. We all agreed that we had a wonderful visit and love Rome because of Lodo.<br/>Janet Schroder Wautoma, WI 3-time traveler<br/>Living like a local<br/>On a recent tour of Bhutan (pre-trip to Heart of India) our Trip Leader took us to a small village outside of Punakha where we were able to interact with locals of the village. The children were amazing and loved having their photos taken. We were lucky on this pre-trip as there were only three of us. This allowed a lot of flexibility to see things not on the regular schedule, such as this village. The photo of the gathered children is one of my favorites.<br/>In another close-by village, we were warmly welcomed and<br/>invited inside the “general store/bar”. We sat with the owner and<br/>a neighbor friend and had a delightful conversation, mainly centered on family life.<br/>We loved the Bhutan experience.<br/>Don Drissel Seal Beach, CA 5-time traveler<br/>Our guide Lodo, in a nut shell, beloved by all of us, was the surprise maker. He was over the top with his great sense of humor and had so many great stories. Almond cookies, Baci chocolates, wine tastes from that area, a bread with anise—it seems every spot he had a treat and a great story.<br/>Most of all, when we had free time, he always stayed with us and our local guide to answer questions. We could tell he enjoyed traveling and teaching us about Italy. With emotion, he told stories of the via frangelica, excellent knowledge of art history, and the contratas. He provided hikes for the ambitious, and even had opera music to listen to from his phone about the umbrella pines lining the Appian Way.<br/>He was always flexible, offering an unexpected trip to Pisa for the afternoon, a fundraising benefit opera for earthquake victims, a chance to browse a while when we happened on a flea market, a visit to a craftsman who still etched crystals the old way, and a copper craftsman who even made a special token for one of our travelers who was celebrating a birthday. He also made that celebration a fun event for all of us. Lunch could be with him, not just suggestions for places to eat on free time. When the Jubilee was in Assisi, we flipped days to avoid crowds, yet we had a taste of the activities and decorations. He always watched the weather to maximize the most benefit for outdoor activities. When we asked for photo opportunities, he would try to make it happen, and would ask if we wanted him to take our picture.<br/>One couple had trouble with steep steps, so he always offered them an alternate adventure so they didn’t have to just stay by the bus. Rafting was encouraged for all, but those that did not participate waited and walked in the village and then he photographed the others and joined in the fun wine and snack afterwards. Handmade soap was a gift he offered to all of us as well.<br/>I can’t say enough about his willingness to answer any question, and even if he just told us about something, he would patiently repeat it.<br/>He was clear about every meeting spot and time for those who wanted to explore on their own, but willing to stay with those who did not.<br/>I really appreciated that he sincerely cared about our welfare. Any problem with food or lost items was handled gracefully with his handy phone. Once he retrieved a walking stick left in a restaurant 10 minutes after we left. He called ahead so meals or guides were waiting. Not once did he raise his voice, but I must say we were a great group.<br/>DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 9<br/>","Note from the Editor<br/>I haven’t had the pleasure of traveling since the last issue of Dispatches, so I definitely felt a tinge<br/>of envy when putting this issue together. I won’t have to be envious for long, though, because India is the next destination on my list.<br/>There was a time, when I first started traveling, that I said I would never go to India. The crowds ... the poverty ... the smells ... I just couldn’t understand the appeal. Looking back on my young self,<br/>I chastise her for her ignorance—but it’s exactly the opinion you’ll hear about India from most people who don’t travel. My mother thinks I’m crazy. And maybe I am, but at least I’m in very good company.<br/>I have to wait until the fall to finally realize my dream of India—but in the meantime, I have all of your stories to inspire my future travels. Keep them coming to editordispatches@oattravel.com.<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/>Beginning each year on November 1, where in the world do towering rope umbrellas signify that winter is coming?<br/>Test your knowledge of the world by identifying this landmark and the country where it can be found.<br/>10 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>(For the answer, see page 51)<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 co- Managing Editor of Dispatches, and most recently traveled to Peru and the Galápagos Islands.<br/>Close-knit Friends<br/>Rough Riders<br/>During her Mongolia & the Gobi Desert adventure, 24-time traveler, Judy O’Neil is all smiles with her new friend as they knit scarves near Lake Khovsgol, Mongolia.<br/>Praying With Fire<br/>9-time traveler, Sally Cullen couldn’t resist this action shot of fellow travelers, Gay and Jake Ruby, being carted around by a pair of water buffalo and local farmer while on their Ancient Kingdoms: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam adventure.<br/>Absolute Naansense<br/>Is there anything more spiritual than lighting candles and incense with monks at sunset in Burma? 38-time traveler, Barbara Brown experiences it for herself while at the Shwedagon Pagoda, while on Burma: Land of Golden Temples & Floating Gardens. Talk about enlightening!<br/>11-time traveler, Judy Wing knows that the way to a traveler’s heart is through her stomach. Judy and her hosts are on a roll as they prepare fresh naan during a Home-Hosted visit on Heart of India.<br/>Share Your Travel Moments ... and Enter to Win<br/>If you have memorable photos like these, we encourage you to upload them with our website’s Share Your Travel Moments feature. When you do, you’ll be automatically entered into our 2017 Photo Contest. See pages 12-13 to learn more.<br/>DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 11<br/>","Congratulations to our 2016 Photo Contest Winners<br/>This year, we received thousands of Photo Contest entries, showcasing countries all around the world. Our winners chosen from this very difficult selection appear below.<br/>Congratulations to all of our winners—and to everyone who entered our 2016 contest.<br/>Details of our 2017 contest appear on the next page. Please note that you can submit up to 3 images per category (12 images total per traveler) taken within the past 5 years. So give us your best shot, and good luck!<br/>GRAND PRIZE WINNER<br/>A FREE Overseas Adventure Travel trip for two, anywhere we travel<br/>Jamie Stamey • 6-time traveler • Sherrills Ford, North Carolina<br/>An actor at the Beijing Opera dons face paint in preparation for his performance on Imperial China, Tibet & the Yangtze River.<br/>Comments from the judges: The dramatic lighting in this photo captures the actor’s intensity in preparation for the opera. With little background detail, the powerful<br/>composition draws the viewer directly to his expression.<br/>GRAND PRIZE WINNER<br/>12 DISPATCHES•WINTER2017<br/>","BEST IN CATEGORY 2016 WINNERS<br/>$300 in Travel Credits<br/>Landmarks Winner<br/>Phil Mastores • 5-time traveler • Scottsdale, Arizona<br/>Japan’s famous cherry blossoms frame a jumble of streets leading to Kiyomizu Temple.<br/>Nature Winner<br/>Joaquin Espejo • 13-time traveler • Milan, Illinois<br/>The Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina is captured mid-calve.<br/>Locals Winner<br/>Mark Feider • 9-time traveler • Glendale, Wisconsin<br/>A gaucho herds sheep near the Argentina-Chile border.<br/>Travelers Winner<br/>Kathy Vitale • 5-time traveler • Walpole, Massachusetts<br/>Travelers cheer on the rapids of the Hvita River in Iceland.<br/>LANDMARKS<br/>LOCALS<br/>NATURE<br/>TRAVELERS<br/>HOW TO ENTER<br/>Upload your photos to our Traveler Moments page at www.oattravel.com/moments OR email your photos to OATphotocontest@oattravel.com<br/>Contest Rules<br/>• Eligible subject matter includes shots of scenery, cultural attractions, local people, a special moment with fellow travelers—anything that evokes the spirit of discovery.<br/>• Photo must have been taken by you on an O.A.T. or Small Ship adventure within the past 5 years.<br/>• When uploading your photos to Traveler Moments, please include a short description of the photo or your trip.<br/>• Entries must be submitted no later than November 30, 2017.<br/>• Visit www.oattravel.com/photocontest for more information.<br/>• If submitting your photos by email, you must include the following information in your email:<br/>1. Your name, address, and how many times you've traveled with O.A.T.<br/>2. Name of O.A.T. adventure and where and when photo was taken.<br/>3. Names of the people pictured (if you<br/>know them). Short stories about the photos are also welcome.<br/>Important Terms: All photographs become the property of Grand Circle Corporation, and may be reproduced in our 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/>DISPATCHES•WINTER2017 13<br/>","Spotlight on What’s New<br/>Sneak Preview: New Adventures<br/>An exclusive first look at discoveries to come, in 2017 and beyond<br/>We’re still putting the finishing touches on several new small group adventures by land and sea. While we can’t give you all the details, we want you, as one of our best travelers, to have these trips on your radar as you make your travel plans. As with any brand new itinerary, we can’t make guarantees, but here are four new adventures to look out for in the coming months.<br/>Red Sea Cruise<br/>Journey to lands traversed<br/>by prophets, pilgrims, and pharaohs since the dawn of civilization—and discover the rich cultural, religious, and historic tapestries that await. At the heart of your adventure is a seven-night cruise<br/>aboard the M/V Clio along<br/>the legendary Red Sea, whose<br/>crystalline waters are fringed with ancient ports harboring unparalleled splendor. We’ll unravel a complex web of faiths during visits to Israeli icons like the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives ... uncover the mysteries of Egypt’s Great Pyramids and the indomitable Sphinx ... and witness relics of a bygone race as we stroll through the stony Jordanian city of Petra. Throughout your journey, the region’s transcendent geography will be revealed as we hike, sail, and ride across a diversity of landscapes: from the pastoral slopes of the Golan Heights, to<br/>the man-made might of the Suez Canal, and the jagged canyons of sunburnt Wadi Rum, beloved by Lawrence of Arabia.<br/>Scandinavia’s Fjords & Lapland<br/>Traveling by land and sea, experience Nordic cultures with enduring<br/>ties to nature’s majesty. We’ll sail through Geiranger fjord, one of the world’s most magnificent fjords. Carved by glaciers throughout the Ice Age, the massive fjord offers all manner of natural wonders—thundering waterfalls, ever-changing rainbows, and lush tree-covered slopes tumbling down to the sapphire water. We’ll also journey to Lapland, a sparsely populate, subarctic wilderness full of rugged beauty and unique<br/>wildlife. Your local, expert Trip Leader will bring this breathtaking landscape to life by introducing you to the people who call it home. Cultural encounters continue with a visit with an indigenous Sami family in Ivalo, Finland and learn about their fascinating culture— from reindeer husbandry to their traditional costumes of bright colors and dancing fringe.<br/>South Africa<br/>If you’ve only seen Africa on safari, this adventure will reveal both nature and culture from a different perspective. In Johannesburg, visit Old Fort Prison, where Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela, and Mahatma Ghandi were held. We’ll also experience modern life during visits to local homes, and take in the sobering lessons of the past at the Apartheid<br/>Museum. Explore Swaziland, an African kingdom that originated in the early 19th century and maintained its cultural identity as a British protectorate—never absorbed into South Africa—through much of the 20th century. Hike through stunning natural formations in Ladysmith’s Royal National Park, take in coastal scenery in Tsitsikamma National Park on the famed Garden Route, and witness the dramatic power of the ocean as it surges through the Knysna Heads. Our discoveries conclude in Cape Town, South Africa’s cosmopolitan “Mother City.”<br/>Northern Italy<br/>One of the miracles of Italy is that a relatively small country contains such a wealth of stunning scenery and beautiful cities. On our journey through the northern realms, we’ll explore enclaves of German culture in the Dolomites and cross into Switzerland via the scenic Bernina Express train. In the Lombardy region, we’ll visit with fishermen on crystal clear Lake Iseo, framed by mountains and charming medieval towns, and taste the bounty of<br/>local farms—famed for bresaola production—in Valtellina. Head into the Venetian countryside, where we hike to a medieval<br/>castle and take in views of the surrounding vineyards—which we’ll appreciate all the more during a well-deserved wine tasting. An exploration of Milan, the epitome of modern and chic, serves as a counterpoint to discoveries that take us back in time.<br/>Please note: While these descriptions represent the itineraries we hope to offer, we are still early in the planning process and destinations are subject to change. Rest assured that our final decisions will be made with the quality of your experience in mind.<br/>14 DISPATCHES•WINTER2017<br/>","The Graffiti Painter<br/>Turning street art into true-to-life paintings<br/>Artifacts<br/>She recalls her time in the Sacred Valley and claims, “We got amazing experiences you can’t have by yourself, like visiting the corn beer manufacturer. Without a group, I wouldn’t have had an opportunity to see it. I was traveling with my spouse at the time. When I travel, I want<br/>to see everything—every museum, every archeological site, etc. When you travel with a group, your needs can be met.”<br/>By Ashleigh Osgood<br/>Ashleigh is a managing editor for Dispatches. She enjoyed exploring Peru with O.A.T. back in September of 2015.<br/>Top Far Left:<br/>Graffiti Lima, Peru<br/>Bottom Far Left:<br/>Still Life with Gladiolus<br/>Top Left:<br/>Kitchen Chicha Beer Bar<br/>Bottom Left:<br/>Hotel Still Life<br/>Three-time traveler Laura Shechter from Brooklyn, NY, is a painter of New York cityscapes. She traveled around the world for a full year in<br/>1966 followed by seven months of travel in 1967. She feels these experiences were the equivalent to getting<br/>a master’s degree in fine arts, and now she creates artwork that is photo-based.<br/>Her works are displayed throughout the country—she is featured in 40 museum collections in Brooklyn, Boston, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, 40 solo exhibitions and group exhibitions, books, articles, and more. Laura classifies herself as a contemporary realist.<br/>Some of her recent works were inspired by her third trip with O.A.T., Real Affordable Peru. Her travels<br/>and the graffiti she discovered in Lima inspired her to create a variety of detailed paintings. Laura<br/>has also taken two other trips—Ultimate Galápagos Exploration & Ecuador's Amazon Wilds and Real Affordable Costa Rica.<br/>She enjoys traveling in a group because of all the travel she did on her own when she was younger. She traveled by car, train, and even hitchhiked, but knows that certain things done with a group can’t always be experienced on your own.<br/>At the end of her trip, Laura gave<br/>a lecture at the Escuela de la Artes<br/>in Lima—the main art school in Peru, established in 1623. She planned this portion of the trip on her own,<br/>which took three months of negations with her friend, who is Peruvian.<br/>Laura was a<br/>still life artist before she got into cityscapes— now she specifi- cally focuses<br/>on graffiti in<br/>the city. For her<br/>piece, Graffiti in<br/>Lima, she didn’t<br/>have a lot to choose from since there wasn’t much graffiti in Lima, but she did find a beautiful wall that she believes the city hired artists to paint.<br/>The graffiti happens to be done by three different graffiti artists and one of them is coincidentally a<br/>friend of hers. The two met in New York—he<br/>is an internation- ally known graffiti artist. Laura recalls “After I did this painting, he saw it and called<br/>me up and told me he did the graffiti in my painting. The world really becomes smaller!”<br/>Perhaps you'll create your own masterpieces after joining O.A.T.'s<br/>Real Affordable Peru.<br/>For more details, visit www.oattravel.com/rap<br/>DISPATCHES•WINTER2017 15<br/>","World Calendar<br/>By Peter Mooney<br/>Peter joined the Grand Circle family in the summer of 2016 and looks forward to using his background in travel<br/>by contributing to future editions of Dispatches.<br/>World Calendar<br/>O.A.T. Trip Leaders and regional staff share upcoming events of interest<br/>March<br/>March 13 Holi, the Festival of Colors (India)<br/>Marking the beginning of spring, Holi is a joyous religious festival celebrated by Hindus worldwide. On the eve of<br/>the holiday, people gather around a bonfire to sing, dance, and offer prayers. The following day is a festival of colors during which people celebrate by dousing one another with colored powders and liquids. Make friends of strangers as everyone joins in this gleeful ceremony.<br/>March 29 – April 23 Melbourne International Comedy Festival (Australia)<br/>What better way to infuse fun into your adventure than check out the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF),<br/>the third largest<br/>such festival in the<br/>world. What sets this<br/>event apart from<br/>other international<br/>comedy festivals is a<br/>particularly relaxed atmosphere that generates unfettered creativity as well as audience participation. If you want the chance to explore the comedic roots of the Land Down Under, this is your opportunity, mate.<br/>February<br/>February 26 Annular Solar Eclipse<br/>Will you be one of the lucky few to catch a glimpse of this natural spectacle? An annular Solar Eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth without completely encapsulating the sun, creating a “ring of fire” phenomenon. The eclipse will be visible from various loca- tions in South America and southern Africa.<br/>February 27 – March 3 Havana Cigar Festival (Cuba)<br/>Are you an aficio- nado of the famed Cuban cigars—or just curious about their mystique? The annual Havana Cigar festival kicks off in February<br/>and the plumes drift into March. Explore cigar factories on guided tours<br/>and sample Cuba’s finest. The event begins with a concert featuring Cuban musicians.<br/>February 27 Losar (Nepal)<br/>Enthusiastic Tibetans of Nepal surround Boudhanath Temple in Kathmandu each February for the Tibetan New Year. Dressed in traditional attire, revelers dance, sing, listen to a broadcast by the Dalai Lama. They toast the coming year (2017 is the Year of the Red Fire Chicken) by tossing tsampa flour into the air for good luck.<br/>16 DISPATCHES•WINTER2017<br/>","April<br/>April 3 – 9 Yeouido Spring Flower Festival (South Korea)<br/>Marvel at the fantasy-land beauty of spring in Seoul at this annual event, also known as the Yeouido Cherry Blossom Festival. In addition to cherry trees of which there are more than 1,400, you’ll see spring flowers, including azaleas and forsythia, in full bloom. The festivals also features events by street performers, art exhibits, and more.<br/>April 13 Songkran<br/>(Thailand)<br/>The Thai New Year’s festival kicks off on April 13th each year and lasts three days. Coinciding with one of the hottest times of the year in this part<br/>of the world, the festival features massive water fights among the locals. Grab a<br/>bucket or a water gun, and join in the fun!<br/>June<br/>June 12 – 13 St. Anthony’s Festival (Portugal)<br/>This festival pays tribute to Lisbon’s patron saint<br/>with a citywide party featuring parades, weddings, and, surprisingly, sardines. Not only is St. Anthony known<br/>as the marriage saint for his legendary ability to reunite couples, he was also known to preach so eloquently<br/>as to get fish to poke their heads out of the water just<br/>to listen. That’s why you’ll discover that grilled sardines are ubiquitous at this festival.<br/>June 18 El Colacho (Spain)<br/>Grown men in costumes jumping over babies? Yes, that happens. In one of the world’s most original (and bizarre) festivals, men dressed up as Satan run and leap over<br/>babies lying on mattresses in a symbolic gesture to cleanse their souls. This ritualistic exorcism originated in the 17th century as part of the holiday of Corpus Christi, and the event continues to be one to see.<br/>May<br/>May 5 – 6 Eta Aquarids meteor shower<br/>This annual meteor shower, of which Halley’s Comet is the source, lasts for about a month starting in late April with peak viewing occurring in the first week of May. Due to the low altitude of the radiant of Eta Aquarid meteors, they are most visible in<br/>the Southern Hemisphere. For your best chance to catch a glimpse, watch during pre-dawn hours away from any street lights and allow about a half hour for your eyes to adapt to the darkness.<br/>July<br/>1-31 Tortuguero Turtle Nesting Season (Costa Rica)<br/>With its incredible biodiversity, Costa Rica is always<br/>a nature lover’s paradise. But visitors who travel here between July and October are in for a special treat, as<br/>they will be arriving during turtle nesting season at Tortuguero National Park, a special refuge established for the preservation of sea turtles. During this time of year, sea turtles descend upon the beaches of Tortuguero in droves to make their nests on the sandy beaches and lay their eggs. After about seven to ten weeks, the eggs hatch, and you<br/>can watch from a distance as hundreds of baby turtles dig their way to the surface in an attempt to scramble into the sea to begin the next phase of their life cycles.<br/>DISPATCHES•WINTER2017 17<br/>","18 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>","Happiness is<br/>By John Bregoli<br/>In the 1937 film Lost Horizon, an airplane bound for Shanghai, China, is hijacked and crash lands in the Himalayas. The survivors are rescued by a monk and a group of porters who lead the party over frozen terrain and snow-capped peaks to Shangri-La,<br/>a mysterious valley paradise whose mission is to spread brotherly love and save the world’s natural beauty from destruction. While Bhutan may not be the mythical Shangri-La, the parallels are striking.<br/>a place called ...<br/>Bhutan<br/>","Previous page: The coronation site of every Bhutanese king since<br/>its’ creation, Punakha Dzong is a 17th-century palace built at the confluence of two rivers. The area surrounding Punakha Dzong became a highlight of John’s trip when he encountered a cow crossing a nearby suspension bridge that was only wide enough for one of them to pass. The cow took the honors.<br/>Previous page inset:<br/>O.A.T. writer John Bregoli found his own personal Shangri-La in the landscape, culture, and warm people of Bhutan.<br/>Right: John’s Trip Leader, Karma, and the group’s driver, also named Karma, who came to be known<br/>as “Karma 2” to avoid confusion.<br/>After archery became obsolete in terms of warfare and hunting,<br/>it evolved into a social game—which is now Bhutan’s national sport.<br/>Long isolated from the outside world, the tiny Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan is nestled in the eastern slopes<br/>of the Himalayas, wedged between Tibet and India.<br/>It’s a land of serene monasteries, colorful prayer<br/>flags, terraced rice fields, and traditional villages unchanged for centuries. Snow leopards, red pandas, and royal tigers roam its forested mountains. Traffic lights are unknown, archery is the national sport,<br/>and men and women still dress in national costume. And Bhutan cares deeply about conserving the environment, preserving its culture, and promoting fairness and equality above material things. Happiness would appear to be woven into the fabric of everyday life of this ancient, magical world hidden in the clouds. In short, Bhutan is pretty much a modern-<br/>day Shangri-La.<br/>But just as the travelers in Lost Horizon found out, getting there isn’t easy.<br/>A flight to remember<br/>Flying into Bhutan is, how to put this ... not for<br/>the faint-hearted. The flight began auspiciously enough, with breathtaking views of the world’s tallest mountains, including Everest and Kanchenjunga. But my reverie was short-lived. Just after flying by the white-capped Himalayas, the fun began. Starting<br/>its descent, the plane made a series of sharp left and right banks and proceeded to “thread the needle” between two giant mountains into a narrow valley. Buffeted by crosswinds, the swaying craft then looped<br/>around another mountainside and—seemingly at the last minute—dropped with a thunk onto the runway, reverse thrusters roaring.<br/>After this seemingly miraculous landing, the plane inched along the airstrip, coming to a stop just feet away from the Paro Airport terminal, a tiered, white- walled structure with ornately carved and painted woodwork (looking nothing like Boston’s Logan Airport, I might add). When I stepped out onto the tarmac, I immediately filled my lungs with giant gulps of the clean, cold air. Beyond the airport perimeter, I saw hundreds of prayer flags fluttering in the breeze— just like my heart. I turned, and saw a big wooden sign in front of me. “Welcome to the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon,” it read.<br/>(Only later I did I discover that Paro does indeed top many lists as the world’s most dangerous airport. Instruments can’t be used here, so landings and takeoffs are made only in the daytime and only in clear weather. So challenging is the approach, in fact, that only eight pilots are qualified to land here. Fortunately, we had one of them!)<br/>Entering the Kingdom of Bhutan<br/>My window into the magical world of Bhutan and its longstanding traditions, sacred temples, and historic dzongs (fortresses), was a delightful and extremely knowledgeable Trip Leader, Karma, who greeted me my other travel companions at the airport like long lost friends. Accompanying Karma was our always<br/>20 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>","smiling driver—also named Karma (to avoid confu- sion, we just addressed him as “Karma 2”!). Both were nattily attired at all times in a multicolored, striped gho, the national dress.<br/>Right away, I could tell that Bhutan was a different world than the one I had left a few short days earlier. On the drive to Thimphu, we passed dozens of signs posted along the road every hundred yards or so—but not those tacky ads we’re used to seeing in America. These were more of an inspirational nature, reflecting Bhutan’s deeply held Buddhist beliefs, I supposed. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world,”<br/>one read. Others took the form of subtle reminders to watch your speed when navigating the steep mountain roads. “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accom- plished,” another cautioned. Yes, Bhutan was another world alright—and just to confirm it, the van slowed down to nudge a blasé group of cows off the highway. In a country like Bhutan, I was to discover, cows often outnumbered vehicles on the roads. But in the cities, it’s another animal altogether ...<br/>Woof, woof—who let the dogs out in Thimphu?<br/>My first few nights were spent in Thimphu, Bhutan’s colorful capital. Just across from my hotel was an archery stadium, where I could see<br/>the players in national dress hooting<br/>it up when their opposition missed a target (one that was barely visible to the human eye)—or gathering for a group song and dance to celebrate a hit. And just down the street there was a traffic circle where a stylish white- gloved policeman directed vehicles<br/>like he was conducting a symphony. Karma told me that it was where<br/>they installed the only traffic light in Bhutan several years back. But because no motorist understood what the flashing lights were all about—result- ing in a few accidents—the light was quickly dismantled. I have to say, it’s much better this way.<br/>I asked Karma whether it was safe to walk the streets of Thimphu after dark. “Very safe,” he said, “except for the gangs.” I knew it—this place was too good to be true! “No,” he said. “I’m talking about the dogs. They gather in packs at night, and they can be danger- ous.” They seemed friendly enough to me, I thought. On second thought, the ones I ran into were those that chose to doze blissfully in rows along the street or curl up in fields during the light of day. Karma explained that the dogs were brought to Bhutan long ago to help yak herders protect their livestock<br/>and now the stray population has swelled in towns<br/>like Paro and Thimphu. “Just don’t try to pet them,”<br/>he warned me. And now I understood why there was a tiny set of earplugs wrapped in plastic on my bed at the hotel. Not that I needed them, but those dogs certainly do bark at night—and I mean all through the night.<br/>Over the mountains and through the woods to Punakha<br/>The journey from Thimphu took us up and over<br/>more cow-filled mountain roads on the way to the mist-filled Punakha Valley. It was a hairy ride, but<br/>we had Karma 2 at the wheel who navigated the semi-paved road and its winding curves, switchbacks, and frequent sheer drop-offs—and equally infrequent guardrails—with skill, humor, and aplomb. At the halfway point, we arrived at the 10,000-foot-high Dochula Pass, which greeted us with impossibly<br/>blue skies and panoramic views of the snow clad Himalayan mountain range. Karma informed me that it’s extremely rare to arrive here in perfect weather, so of course I celebrated our good fortune by posing for way too many photos with this glorious mountain backdrop with its 108 chortens (stupas) built in memory of Bhutanese soldiers killed in a war against<br/>“I asked Karma whether it was safe to walk<br/>the streets of Thimphu after dark. “Very safe,” he said, “except for the gangs.” I knew it—this place was too good to be true! “No,” he said. “I’m talking about the dogs.”<br/>The Dochula Pass shrines overlooking the Himalayas.<br/>Left: “Gangs” of dogs lounge during the day, but can cause quite a ruckus at night.<br/>DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 21<br/>","John is a 12-year<br/>veteran of O.A.T. whose adventures have most recently taken him to Italy and Bhutan. His goal is<br/>to reach all 7 continents before he dies, with Antarctica and Australia still left on his list.<br/>The areca nut is wrapped in betel leaves and lime paste is added. The final product is a legal stimu- lant that is chewed.<br/>Right: Imagine John’s surprise when he encountered a brave cow crossing a swaying suspension bridge.<br/>insurgents from India. After an equally treacherous winding descent from Dochula, we reached Punakha, a quiet riverside town of terraced rice fields and farmers with their herds in the forested hills that at various times has served as Bhutan’s capital. Oh, and speaking of cows ...<br/>One of my trip highlights was a visit to Punakha Dzong, a 17th-century palace/fortress built at the confluence of two crystal clear rivers, the Mo Chu (mother river) and Pho Chu (father river). Greatly revered by the Bhutanese people, Punakha Dzong has been the coronation site of every Bhutanese king, and is reached by a rather romantic crossing of a covered, cantilevered wooden bridge straddling the Mo Chu. But it wasn’t that bridge that provided me with a head-scratching moment in a trip filled with surreal experiences.<br/>Further up the river from the Punakha Dzong, there’s another bridge that spans the Po Chu—a really long suspension bridge. Used mostly by maroon-robed monks and local villagers, the nearly thousand-foot- long bridge is festooned with colorful prayer flags and offers incredible views of the swift-flowing river, the surrounding countryside, and the nearby dzong. While I crossed the graceful bridge, it swayed more and more with each step. I’m sure it was stable, but I hung onto the sides anyway. And then when I got about a third<br/>of the way across, and what did I see coming directly<br/>toward me? A cow—all alone, putting one hoof in front of another, not bothered one bit by the unnerv- ing sways of the bridge. Since it wasn’t wide enough for both of us, I graciously backed up and let the beast complete his crossing in peace. I thought I’d seen it all—but a cow taking the initiative to walk across a swaying suspension bridge all by itself? It left me, well, stupa-fied ...<br/>When in Bhutan, do as the Bhutanese<br/>My travel philosophy has always been to go “all in” when I visit a new country. And there were a few things I knew I had to do while I was in Bhutan. One was to try out the doma. A Bhutanese tradition that supposedly dates back to 1639 after the completion<br/>of Punakha Dzong, doma consists of a large areca<br/>nut wrapped in betel leaves with a dash of lime paste thrown in for good measure. Although about a quarter million Bhutanese regularly chew the legal stimulant— as evidenced by the red stains on their teeth—no matter how long I gnawed on the rock-hard wad, I just couldn’t get the hang of it. But I gave it a shot.<br/>I also make it a point to always embrace the local food (don’t recoil in disgust at the thought of eating dog in Saigon until you’ve tried it!). So in Bhutan, I happily dug into bowls of ema datse, the country’s national dish. This fiery blend of powerful red chilies and farmer’s cheese is not for everyone, but I loved it. And it’s quite addictive (like the doma, I suppose). I wasn’t<br/>One of John’s trip highlights was his visit to Punakha Dzong, the coronation site of Bhutanese kings.<br/>22 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>","as big a fan of suja, however, although I graciously downed the steaming beverage made by churning salted tea with yak butter when it was offered to me by a friendly villager in his home.<br/>One thing I didn’t get to do in Bhutan, however,<br/>is get a tattoo. For reasons I can’t explain, I’ve been returning from recent travels with my arm emblazoned with “permanent postcards” from places like Japan, Turkey, Thailand, South Africa, and more. Unfortunately, getting inked in Bhutan (like purchasing tobacco) is illegal. But maybe it’s just as well, since a good choice would have been the snarling white dragon from Bhutan’s national flag—and since I already have that mythical beast on my arm from a trip to China, the next most popular Bhutanese symbol seemed to be a phallus!<br/>I may have been denied my tattoo, but no one was going to stop me from fulfilling a dream while I was in Bhutan—climbing to the top of Tiger’s Nest Monastery. As it turned out, a tattoo might have been far less painful.<br/>Needing a tiger in my tank at Tiger’s Nest<br/>The hike to Tiger’s Nest Monastery is the high point of any visit to Bhutan—both literally and figuratively. Perched on the face of a sheer cliff high above the blue-pine forests of the Paro Valley, Tiger’s Nest Monastery (also known as Taktsang) is Bhutan’s<br/>most sacred locale. But it’s not an easy climb. You’re essentially walking straight uphill for a good two hours—capped by 600 descending steps and then 200 uphill ones to reach the monastery. And then you have to do everything in reverse, of course.<br/>About halfway up, I was reminded of a famous quote: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.” The views I took in were indeed breathtaking, but whoever said that was not making the slog to Tiger’s Nest at the time. I have to admit I was dying—which was rather embarrassing when I realized that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made the same climb last year with hardly a bead of sweat appearing on Kate’s royal brow!<br/>According to legend, in the eighth century Guru Rinpoche (who introduced Tantric Buddhism to Bhutan) flew to this spot on the back of a tigress,<br/>and then proceeded to meditate for three years and three days. Where was one of those flying tigresses when I needed one? Even a jolt of doma would have helped. But I eventually made it. A pilgrimage site for centuries, all Bhutanese visit Taktsang at least once<br/>in their lifetime. And when I stood in silence among the clouds on the side of this mountain deep in the Himalayas, I could understand why. It was every bit as spectacular as I had dreamed it would be.<br/>On my final night in Bhutan, there was a tiny prayer- wheel left on my pillow. And a note that simply stated: “We hope that your visit to Bhutan has given you enlightenment.” Mission accomplished! If you can’t find happiness in Shangri-La—I mean, Bhutan—I’ll give that prayer wheel an extra spin for you.<br/>Bhutan practices the concept of Gross National Happiness, which focuses on kindness, equality, and laughter.<br/>To seek out your own<br/>path to enlightenment<br/>in Bhutan, set out on the spiritual journey of O.A.T.’s NEW India’s Sikkim & Bhutan: Hidden Kingdoms of the Himalayas. Visit www.oattravel.com/sik for details.<br/>What’s with Bhutan’s phallus obsession?<br/>If you’re planning a trip to Bhutan, you better prepare yourself to see some penises. They’re everywhere. Giant painted phalluses boldly flank the doorways of homes. They’re even suspended from rooftops.<br/>Bhutan’s phallic iconography can be traced to the 15th-century Buddhist monk, Drukpa Kunley. Popularly known as the “Divine Madman,” Kunley is said to have subdued demonesses with his, ahem, “thunderbolt.” He spent his days indulging in wine, women, and debauchery while spreading his unorthodox branch of Buddhism throughout Bhutan. “The best wine lies at the bottom of the pail,” he said, “and happiness lies below the navel.” To this day, newly married and childless Bhutanese couples make pilgrimages to Chimi Lhakhang—the Temple of Fertility—to get blessed by a giant wooden phallus, a modern-day version of Kunley’s “divine thunderbolt.”<br/>DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 23<br/>","Call of the Wild<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/>Right: Though Mongolian herders may keep up to 200 horses, they typically only train and ride a select few.<br/>Catching a glimpse of a Przewalski’s horse, or wild Mongolian horse is a rare sight nowadays, and one attributed with being a messenger to the gods.<br/>To spot the noble beast of Mongolia for yourself, travel on O.A.T.’s Mongolia & the Gobi Desert adventure. Visit www.oattravel.com/uln for details.<br/>Mane Attraction: Mongolia’s Horses<br/>“A Mongol without a horse is like a bird without wings”<br/>24 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>Life is changing rapidly in Mongolia’s capital city, as young people leave their ancestors’ nomadic grassland lifestyle behind in favor of a more urban landscape. But you don’t have to travel far beyond the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar to spot the country’s historic icon—the Mongol horse, still the main method of transportation in the country’s vast wilderness.<br/>Horses claimed their place in Mongolian life many thousands of years ago, originally for their milk and meat, and their role persists in Mongolian culture. Mongolians still eat and enjoy horse meat (usually from horses already nearing the end of their life)— but only in the winter. In the summer, to coincide<br/>with the nursing of foals, they switch to a dairy-based diet called tsaagan idee, or “white foods.” Tsaagan idee includes the notorious fermented mare’s milk, known locally as airag, and a homemade alcoholic version that is rarely found outside private homes. Taking a quaff of the local brew is a widely-feared, and treasured, milestone for many visitors to Mongolia.<br/>At some point in the distant past, a very brave—or very foolish—Mongolian herdsman decided to hop<br/>on the back of a domesticated horse, and the rich Mongolian horse-riding tradition was born. Historians think that the first Mongolian horseman must have been a child (who else would be bold enough?), and today’s Mongolian horse jockeys are almost exclusively children. They gather to show off their youthful skill<br/>in the annual summer Naadam Festival, where horses race for up to twenty miles with their diminutive riders holding on for dear life.<br/>While a Mongolian herder may keep a herd of up to 200 horses<br/>on his land, he’ll typically train and regularly ride only a few of them, leaving the rest to their own devices. With so little interference from humans, the Mongol horse has changed very little since the days of Genghis Khan, whose funeral involved a ritual sacrifice of forty horses. They are still small and sturdy, well-equipped to deal with a climate that ranges from -40 degrees to over 80 degrees throughout the year, and mainly<br/>self-sufficient. In different regions of Mongolia, herdsman breed for different colors and uses; steppe- bred horses are said to be the fastest, while mountain horses are the strongest. In the far north, horses in the Darkhad region are known for being so strong that they can carry a load equal to their own weight.<br/>While many of Mongolia’s three million horses<br/>are semi-feral, only a few wild horses remain in Mongolia—and indeed, they are the only true wild horses left in the world, since other wild horse popula- tions are actually descended from escaped domestic horses. Wild Mongolian horses, known around the world as Przewalski’s horses, went extinct in the wild nearly fifty years ago. An ambitious zoo breeding program kept the species alive, and they have been reintroduced in the Gobi Desert and the Mongolian steppes. Mongolians call them tahki, or spirit, and revere them as fleet-footed messengers between man and the gods.<br/>In Mongolian society, a herd of many horses translates to elevated status for their owner, and Mongol horses are often given as gifts to visiting dignitaries—former U.S. Defense Secretaries Chuck Hagel and Donald Rumsfeld both received horses while in Mongolia. Despite Genghis Khan’s opinion that “it is easy to conquer the world from the back of a horse,” both Hagel and Rumsfeld left their horses in the care of their original Mongolian owners.<br/>","White Disadvantage<br/>A woman’s crusade to end crimes against Tanzanian albinos<br/>Outlook on Women<br/>By Rachel Fox<br/>Rachel is the co- Managing Editor<br/>of Dispatches, and most recently traveled to Peru and the Galápagos Islands.<br/>No matter which part of the world you’re in, election season has always had an acute tendency to heighten peoples’ emotions. For many of those in Western countries, an election can often be boiled<br/>down to being on a winning or a losing side. Sometimes you fight hard for your candidate and perhaps you can’t stand the thought of the other guy—or woman—coming into power. Maybe a loss disrupts the very bedrock of your values as a human being. Yet at the end of the day, you can go home and sleep safely in your beds, knowing the sun will still rise the next day. After all, that’s democracy.<br/>For albinos in Tanzania—one of the world’s<br/>highest populations with albinism—the narrative<br/>of election season changes dramatically. An estimated 150,000 people in the country have albinism, which is<br/>a rare genetic condition in which people are born with a complete lack of pigment in their skin, eyes, and<br/>hair. Kidnappings and attacks on albinos surge during elections in Tanzania due to longstanding superstitions and myths in which albino body parts are associated with wealth and good luck. Witchdoctors in the country use these parts—mostly limbs, heads, and genitals— in potions to bring good fortune to those willing to pay for it—oftentimes politicians who can afford the hefty price tag and believe it will improve their chances of winning on election day.<br/>Of course it isn’t just politicians in Tanzania who<br/>seek out this barbaric fortune telling, nor are they the only ones who torment those affected with albinism. According to a Pew Research Center poll conducted in 2010, 93% of Tanzanians believe in witchcraft. The United Nations says that at least 70 albinos have been killed in Tanzania since 2000, but since there have been very few arrests and even fewer convictions, activists estimate that number is much higher. Many times, these crimes can be very intimate—perpetrated by a close family member or even a father—and remain unsolved due to the family’s silence.<br/>Al-Shymaa Kway-Geer was the first albino appointed to Tanzania’s Parliament in 2008. The former airline clerk was hand-picked to join the National Assembly by President Jakaya Kikwete, and is charged with<br/>the campaigning and crackdown on crimes against<br/>Tanzania’s albino population. Growing up albino was challenging for Ms. Kway-Geer, as she recalled often being chased by packs of children on the way to school, who would shout the word “zeru” or ghost at her. During her time in Parliament thus far, she has made it her mission to bring humanity to albinism and educate others around the country by speaking on television shows, giving lectures, and writing articles to be circulated throughout Tanzania.<br/>Al-Shymaa, who has adopted several albino children herself, saw a monumental victory just a year after her appointment. As of late 2009, it became Tanzanian law to punish killers of albino people with what she sees as a fitting punishment for the cruelest of killers: the death penalty.<br/>Though Ms. Kway-Geer, along with the Tanzanian government has been working tirelessly with NGOs and civil groups, such as the Tanzanian Albanism Society, like any major social change, the progress is slow. As<br/>of 2015, 17 people have received death sentences for the killings of albinos, but none have yet to be executed. The government has also cracked down on witch doctors, but has been reportedly lenient on punishment and prosecution. Critics argue that enough isn’t being done. Public-awareness campaigns to erase the stigma of albinism, along with establishing protected boarding schools for children top the lists of proposed actions, but through all of the criticism and noise, it’s the pioneering work of Al-Shymaa Kway-Geer which has set this change in motion.<br/>Left: There are an estimated 150,000 people in Tanzania with albinism, a rare genetic condition in which there is a complete lack of pigment in skin, eyes, and hair. Due to longstanding superstitions in Tanzania, albino children are often harassed and even assaulted and killed.<br/>Take part in open discussions about albinism during<br/>O.A.T.’s Safari Serengeti: Tanzania Lodge & Tented Safari. Learn more at www.oattravel.com/unx<br/>DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 25<br/>","Adventure Countdown<br/>By Victoria Welch<br/>Victoria Welch has been writing for O.A.T. since 2010. During that time, she’s explored<br/>17 countries—and she hopes to discover more of Asia in 2017.<br/>Cultural Keepsakes<br/>Authentic items to bring back home<br/>some that shed light on the culture of that destination better than others. Here are ten that stand out H<br/>ome is where the heart is—and for many travelers, it’s also a repository of treasures picked up during adventures around the world. While each item can tell the story of where a person has been, there are<br/>amid the postcards and tchotchkes.<br/>1. Iceland: Lopi mittens<br/>There’s wool, and then there’s lopi,<br/>the iconic knitting wool spun from Icelandic sheep fleece. Lopi features two layers of distinct wool—the durable, water-resident tog and softer thel—that make Icelandic wool products durable, beautiful, and easy to<br/>3. Peru: Aguayo<br/>The brightly hued, tightly woven blankets seen in villages and markets throughout Andean Peru certainly catch the eye. Known as an aguayo, each large, rectangular textile<br/>is knotted together to form a satchel for the wearer’s back. For many locals, the aguyao carries very precious cargo— small children are often transported in this manner.<br/>wear. While sweaters are incredibly popular, mittens are a great way to enjoy their beauty—and take up less space in luggage for the trip home.<br/>2. Portugal: Azulejo tile<br/>Dating back to the early 15th century, these Portuguese “polished stones” have spent centuries pulling double duty. Since King Manuel first spotted them during a trip<br/>to Seville in 1503, the<br/>decorative tiles have<br/>been used for climate<br/>control—they help keep<br/>rooms cool. But along<br/>the way, they also<br/>became a celebrated<br/>approach to depict historical, religious, and cultural themes through mosaics. Smaller individual tiles, often featuring geometric painting or cuts, can easily be transported back home.<br/>4. Morocco: Tagine<br/>26 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>In Morocco, the<br/>word tagine means<br/>two different—yet<br/>related—things. The<br/>popular, stew-like<br/>tagine takes its name<br/>from the dishware in<br/>which it’s produced.<br/>Traditional tagine<br/>pottery features two<br/>pieces, the circular<br/>bowl in which food is<br/>placed, and the tall<br/>cones that collects<br/>and uses water vapor<br/>as part of the cooking<br/>process. If you plan to use your tagine for cooking,<br/>with which you pick: Some are intended to be used for decorative purposes only.<br/>be careful<br/>","5. Sweden: Dala horse<br/>It’s believed that<br/>the first Dala horses were carved from pine about 400 years ago—intended<br/>to serve as toys for the children in<br/>the small Swedish village of Bergkarlas.<br/>The classic look, traditional decoration (a simple paint job), and hand-carved techniques have stood the test of time, and the small pieces are widely recognized today as national symbol and much- beloved handcrafts.<br/>6. Japan: Tenugui<br/>Japanese tenugui have<br/>evolved significantly<br/>since their first<br/>known appearances in<br/>eighth-century Shinto<br/>shrines. Originally an<br/>accessory for religious<br/>ritual, these long<br/>clothes have gone on<br/>to serve a variety of<br/>functions over the<br/>year: headscarves,<br/>sweatbands, kitchen<br/>hand towels, wrapping<br/>paper, and more. Always colorful and often intricately patterned, they also look fantastic framed on a wall.<br/>7. Africa: Maasai Beadwork<br/>The intricate beadwork on<br/>display within the indigenous Maasai community tells so many stories—the trick to appreciating it best is knowing how to decipher what’s being said. The type of jewelry being worn says a great deal about its<br/>wearer—single or married, for instance—while patterns help identify in which of the Maasai’s 16 groups it was created. The community still passes its beadwork traditions down from generation to generation.<br/>8. Croatia: Tie<br/>While it’s considered the longtime reigning fashion capital of the world, Paris got a big assist from Croatia back in the early 17th century. It was during the Thirty Years’ War that Parisians became obsessed with the<br/>knotted neckware worn by Croatian soldiers. The resulting fashion trend, named cravat in honor of Croatia, has proven to stand the test of time in men’s fashion.<br/>9. India: Sari<br/>When gazing at a sari<br/>in use, it can be easy to forget that its wearer<br/>has managed to wind<br/>and drape 15-27 feet of cloth around herself. These incredible—and sizable—pieces of traditional garb have been in use for millennia, and there are more than 80 approaches to draping a sari around the body. More luxurious (and expensive) sari pieces are still handcrafted from silk, but machine-crafted pieces are also popular.<br/>stone—to fashion their tools. The carvings themselves are made from wood or bone: Wood will typically be used for larger pieces, bone for smaller. The resulting artwork has grown increasingly popular among art enthusiasts in the past 50 years.<br/>10. New Zealand:<br/>Whakairo<br/>Form meets function with whakairo, the intricate carving techniques the Maori have long used in New Zealand. Traditionally, an artist will use pounamu—a particu- larly hard indigenous<br/>DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 27<br/>","28 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>","A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience<br/>By Howard Axelrod, 19-time traveler from Ashland, MA<br/>Iam often asked, “What is the most incredible destination that you have visited”? If the operative word is “incredible” then in my opinion, there is simply no place on planet<br/>earth that can compare to India. For the “exotic and unbelievable,” it is unparalleled. As the home of 32 UNESCO World Heritage sites, the crossroads of six major religions, and with 22 official languages spoken, India is the ultimate travel experience. It is a one-of-a-kind vibrant cornucopia of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that lasts a lifetime. If the unusual and mind boggling is what you seek, look no further.<br/>DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 29<br/>","Previous page: Every morning over six thousand men and women come to the shores of the Ganges River at Varanasi in colorful garments and saris to meditate, pray, and bathe in the sacred river.<br/>Right: A must-see attraction in the “Pink City” of Jaipur, according to Howard: The ornately-tiered Palace of the Winds.<br/>A Disclaimer<br/>India is not for everyone. It can be unbearably hot, and air quality is poor from smoke, dust, and vehicle emissions. Beggars abound, and you will see heart- wrenching sights that accompany overpopulation, poverty, and lack of health care. Animals of all types<br/>and sizes (dogs, goats, cows, bulls, monkeys, and the occasional camel or elephant) roam the streets freely, and are in fact part of the traffic pattern. Add to<br/>this bicycles, pedal rickshaws, motorized rickshaws, motor scooters, motorcycles, cars, trucks, tractors, buses, lots of humans (1.3 billion), and constant horn<br/>beeping. The traffic pattern in cities can be only be described as “functional anarchy.” There is trash everywhere, and the “holy” cows that roam freely leave their calling cards in their wake. No matter how careful you are, at some point you are going to “step in it.” Get over all these discom- forts. This is the price that must be paid for the incredible experience that lies ahead. India is an adventure, not a vacation.<br/>In New Delhi<br/>Any tour to India should include New Delhi with its ancient Chandni Chowk street market and architectural wonders such as the Old Jama Masjid Islamic Mosque, a structural marvel and not to be missed. As India’s largest mosque it is capable of accommodating more than 25,000 devotees during prayer. The Sikh equivalent, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, is an equally impressive structure. You will be openly welcomed at both. Although primarily a Hindu nation (80.5% of the population), Muslims and Sikhs represent 15% and 2% of India’s population respectively.<br/>In Jaipur<br/>Buildings in the “Pink City” of Jaipur are made exclusively from pink stone. In 1876, the Prince of Wales and Queen Victoria visited Jaipur. Pink denotes the color of hospitality, and Jaipur’s Maharaja Ram Singh ordered the entire city<br/>India’s largest mosque, the Old Jama Masjid Islamic Mosque, can accommodate over 25,000 visitors, and<br/>is one of New Delhi’s architectural marvels.<br/>Right: In addition<br/>to the thousands of camels found at the Pushkar Camel Festival, spectators will notice<br/>a wonderful barrage of colorful characters—from Sadhus (Indian holy men) and snake charmers,<br/>to acrobats and performing monkeys.<br/>30 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>","painted pink to welcome the guests. The tradition has been followed ever since, and is now required by law. Among the many attractions here, I recommend visiting the City Complex, Amber Fort, Sheesh Mahal (Hall of Mirrors), and the Palace of the Winds, at a minimum. Jaipur is one of the world’s most beautiful and charming cities.<br/>The Taj<br/>Any trip to India would be incomplete without a pilgrimage to the spectacular Taj Mahal in Agra.<br/>The “Taj” was constructed by Shah Jahan in 1631, as<br/>a tribute to his beloved wife who died giving birth<br/>to their 14th child. Your initial view of the Taj is breathtaking, and the scale of it is hard to comprehend. This 240-foot-tall structure with its 115-foot-high dome is approached by following the reflecting pool inward from the main entrance. As you approach, the Taj seems to be constantly getting larger in a dispro- portionate scale. Its beautiful white marble is both stunning and soothing. As perhaps the defining symbol of India, it draws visitors from across the globe.<br/>The Pushkar Camel Fair<br/>All of the above cities and attractions should be part of the itinerary on any quality tour. The focus of this article however, is two “off the charts” places that are not on most itineraries, but absolutely worth seeking out. You might consider planning your trip around<br/>the annual Pushkar Camel Fair, where for five days each November at the time of the Kartik Purnima<br/>full moon, the small village of Pushkar hosts one of the world’s great spectacles. Hundreds of colorfully dressed camel herders and their families from all over northern India bring more than 50,000 camels and 8,000 horses here to buy, sell, and trade.<br/>Watch carefully as the prospec- tive camel buyer examines each animal’s teeth, hooves, eyes, ears, and flanks in an attempt to determine the animal’s age and health. Traders negotiate, and the discussions around the sale of a single animal can go on for the full five days, and involve many cups of tea and lengthy discussions in each trader’s<br/>tent. It is fascinating to watch each party’s body language and strategy, knowing that in the end, both want to make the transaction happen, but only at a price acceptable to each.<br/>As an outdoor event, lodging for herders and visitors alike is in usually in tents, as Pushkar’s few formal lodgings are booked years in advance. You may be invited into the tent of a camel<br/>trader and his family for tea. Do oblige them. The Indian people are warm and hospitable, and this it is their way of welcoming you. You will be treated as a respected guest, and this will be an experience you will always cherish.<br/>There are many unique events held here including the longest moustache contest, the beautiful bride contest, and various camel parades. My favorite was the camel beauty contest in which the animals are dressed in colorful silks, decorated with lipstick, mascara, and ornate jewelry, and judged by panel of “camel beauty experts.” There are countless stalls at the fair, selling jewelry, clothing, textiles, and camel related parapher- nalia. Pushkar is a carnival spectacle on an epic scale. Expect to see the unexpected here including magicians, colorful gypsy dancers, acrobats, performing monkeys, snake charmers, and Sadhus (Indian holy men). As you scan the horizon in a 360-degree arc, you see tens of thousands of camels. Like so many things in India, the Pushkar Camel Fair is larger than life itself.<br/>Varanasi: The Unrivaled Experience<br/>Varanasi is India’s holiest city, and is located on the Ganges—India’s holiest river. As the world’s oldest continuously populated city, it has remained inhabited without interruption for over 4,000 years. Along its winding streets are some 23,000 temples ranging from simple to spectacular. There is no place like Varanasi on earth!<br/>Sunrise on the steps of the Ganges here is vibrantly colorful and cannot be described in words. Each morning, more than six thousand colorfully dressed men and women arrive before sunrise to chant, meditate, worship, and bathe in the “Mother River.” You will feel brilliantly alive in the cool morning<br/>air as a flaming red sun rises, and you watch this<br/>Snake charmers add as much color as they do character to the Pushkar Camel Festival.<br/>Left: As the defining symbol of India, the white marble facade of the<br/>Taj Mahal is both stunning in scale and soothing<br/>to the senses.<br/>“Yourinitialview oftheTajis breathtaking,and thescaleofitishard tocomprehend. This 240-foot-tall structure with its 115-foot-highdome is approached<br/>by following the reflecting pool inward from the main entrance.”<br/>DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 31<br/>","Howard is a 19-time traveler from Ashland, MA. He has traveled to 77 countries and enjoys photography and writing about his adventures.<br/>Howarddescribessunrise at the steps of the Ganges River in Varanasi as an indescribableexperience. Vibrantlycolorfuland teemingwiththousands of daily worshipers is truly a sight to behold.<br/>Right: Approximately 50,000 camels are present atthePushkarCamel Fair, ready to be traded or purchasedbythefestival participants.<br/>Find yourself forever changed by India with O.A.T. Learn more at www.oattravel.com/hoi.<br/>ancient ritual that represents a spiritually passionate celebration of human existence. There is a palpable and forceful feeling of being alive here.<br/>This daily party-like ritual goes on literally amongst the many funeral pyres that burn the recently deceased in a ritualistic and respectful, but matter- of-fact manner. These cremations go on non-stop around the clock regardless of weather, and burn approximately 25,000 to 30,000 bodies annually.<br/>Each pyre is said to be lit from an “eternal flame” that has remained unextinguished since 1200 BC. Cremation is extremely important for Hindus. They believe it releases an individual’s spiritual core from its transitory physical body, so that reincarnation<br/>can take place. If the body is not cremated or not cremated properly, the soul will not be at peace in the afterlife. As the furnace-like flames from the blazing pyres singed my face and sweat burned my eyes, my pulse quickened and I could feel the blood throbbing in my veins. I found myself pondering the contrast between how we handle death in such a secretive and uncomfortable manner in the West, and how matter- of-fact and out in the open it is here. I have witnessed funeral practices on six continents, and none was as transparent as what I was witnessing here.<br/>Amidst the sights, sounds, and smells, formidable statues of the Hindu gods Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver), and Shiva (the Destroyer), look down watchfully from the tops of the ancient buildings above the steps leading to the Ganges.<br/>Life and death are both celebrated here with equal intensity and measure. Colorfully adorned Sadhus (holy men) with long beards, painted faces, and little<br/>clothing, sit by in a silent meditative state, adding a surreal element to the already surreal. There is little sadness associated with death here, as Hinduism is about the infinite cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Death is considered a natural part of this endless wheel. It is every Hindu’s wish to be cremated on<br/>the bank of this river. Sadly, for those who cannot afford this process, the body is often taken by boat, weighted, and dumped. Although I did not personally see bodies floating in the river, regular sightings are<br/>a well-documented fact. Amongst the burning pyres, holy cows wander, young boys play, and packs of wild dogs sit in the still-warm ashes, attempting to stay warm in the cool morning air. The dogs are numerous, and look healthy. You can connect the dots.<br/>You Will Never be the Same<br/>Remember my disclaimer? “India is not for everyone.” India is undeniably a journey of learning, discovery, and spiritual awakening. It answers many questions but leaves you with more. Your heart will be touched by the warm, engaging, and sincere Indian people who treat you as family in their amazing and unique country. You will have seen the unbelievable, the unimaginable, and the indescribable. Your senses have been heightened and sharpened. You will return changed in many ways. The experience of India affects each person differently, but affects all. India<br/>is Technicolor and surround sound multiplied tenfold. Having experienced many exotic countries including Myanmar, Morocco, Tibet, Cambodia, Russia, China, Bali, Guatemala, and eight countries on the African continent, I can assure you that India is unique and beyond compare. Your mileage may vary.<br/>32 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>","A conversation with<br/>O.A.T. Trip Leader Floriana Strano<br/>Atraveler from an early age, you could say Floriana Strano—Trip Leader on our Sicily’s Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions adventure—was destined to be a Trip Leader. As an educator, language expert, and ambassador of Sicily’s bountiful wonders, she exudes the same warm, convivial feeling as a warm breeze off the surrounding Mediterranean Sea. Thoughtful, well-spoken, and a wellspring of the region’s history, Floriana is an exceptional guide to the cultural delights that await in Sicily, and one who’s received an “excellent” rating by 100% of travelers.<br/>Trailblazers<br/>By Travis Taylor<br/>Travis has been writing for O.A.T. since 2010.<br/>His fiction has appeared in a number of literary journals, most recently The Conium Review and Rathalla Review.<br/>O.A.T.: How did you become a Trip Leader?<br/>Floriana: It started when I was a teacher. For two and half years I was an educator at a language school that participated in these language holidays—two week study-abroad programs that allowed students to practice their English with native speakers in London. I loved traveling with the students. From there,<br/>I just never stopped. I didn’t officially join O.A.T. until February 2014. I remember the exact month because that’s when we started to develop the Sicily’s Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions adventure. I was part<br/>of the program from the very beginning, which makes it extra special for me.<br/>O.A.T.: What languages do you currently speak?<br/>Floriana: I am fluent in English, Spanish, and French. And while I’m no longer fluent in it, I can speak some Japanese. Oh, and I speak Italian, of course! (laughs)<br/>O.A.T.: You grew up in the small town of Giarre, which is at the foot of Mount Etna?<br/>Floriana: Yes, and very close to the beautiful Ionian Sea.<br/>O.A.T.: What is it like to live below an active volcano?<br/>Floriana: Inhabitants like me and my family and all<br/>the people who live around the volcano, we’re not really scared of her—and we always say “her”—because for us, she’s like a mother. This is because our land is made up of volcanic soil, which is some of the most fertile soil in the world. So it is because of the volcano that we’re able to grow good things. Of course, we don’t venture to the top of the volcano, to the crater, because that would be dangerous. But even though she’s the largest active volcano<br/>in all of Europe, we don’t see her that way.<br/>O.A.T.: What do you enjoy sharing with travelers as a Trip Leader?<br/>Floriana: I enjoy seeing places I know so well through the eyes of my travelers. I’m very, very familiar with all the places we go, but I learn things along the way, even in locations I know like the back of my hand. I learn that what might<br/>be common to me—little things I might not even point out or even mention because they’re just so common—are often pointed out by the travelers, who, rightly so, have questions. It jogs my memory a bit, and makes me have to think about things that I see every day. So it’s like I’m rediscovering my homeland.<br/>O.A.T.: Can you share with me a memorable experience with travelers?<br/>Floriana: They’re all memorable in their own way, but one of my favorite memories happened last May on Mother’s Day. We were in Ragusa, and that night we had a few hours of free time before gathering for dinner. I had a lovely group that was mostly women, so I went out and bought a big cake with the words Auguri a tutte le mamme (greeting to all moms) in frosting on its top.<br/>At the end of our meal, I brought out the cake and we all celebrated together. And while we were toasting all mothers, one of my travelers received a text message photo of an ultrasound from her daughter. The woman was going to be a grandma, and we were the first people to hear about it! It was so incredible!<br/>O.A.T.: That’s incredible! What an amazing—<br/>and surprising—experience. What other surprises have you encountered on this trip?<br/>Floriana: In a way, I’m surprised by traveler’s fascination with the mafia. Not that Sicily’s association with the mafia isn’t interesting, but particularly when we discuss how the U.S. landing in Sicily in 1943 was partly made possible by Lucky Luciano—arguably the father of modern organized crime. So I understand from a historical perspective the fascination, especially after the Godfather<br/>II came out. But for me, and most Sicilians, Sicily is so much more than just a single<br/>idea. Like any place, it has its dark corners, but, unfortunately, due to movies and other sources, Sicily has become synonymous with the mafia. But I want travelers to see that it<br/>is so much more than that because it is. It is stunning views, warm and inviting people, delicious food, and one-of-a-kind experiences.<br/>Floriana (top row, center) celebrated Mother’s Day with her travelers last May by surprising the group with a festive cake.<br/>Discover Sicily with a passionate Trip Leader during Sicily’s Ancient Landscapes & Timeless Traditions. Learn more at www.oattravel.com/bya<br/>Born in:<br/>Sicily<br/>Resides in:<br/>Sicily<br/>Trip Leader since:<br/>2014<br/>Languages spoken:<br/>Italian, English, Spanish, French, and Japanese<br/>Hobbies & Interests:<br/>Cooking and reading<br/>DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 33<br/>","Literary Adventure<br/>By John Bregoli<br/>“Iam a spy, a sleeper, a spook, a man of two faces.” Spoken<br/>by a nameless narrator, those are the words that begin this<br/>remarkable debut novel by author Viet Thanh Nguyen. Taking the form of a confession to a mysterious man known as “the commandant” after the fall of Saigon in 1975,<br/>The Sympathizer is a gripping spy thriller that also savagely skewers American culture and offers startling insights about the Vietnam War and its aftermath.<br/>The novel’s hero (also referred to<br/>as “the captain”) is the illegitimate<br/>son of a French Catholic priest and a teenage Vietnamese villager. Educated in the United States, he returns to Vietnam during the waning days of the war and becomes a trusted aide to a general in the South Vietnamese army. With Communist forces closing in on Saigon, the captain dispenses large bribes (through a CIA intermediary) so the general and his extended family can book passage on one of the last flights out of the city now under a storm of shellfire. The captain tells us that while the guard at the airport resented taking the money, he “did what I gambled every honorable man forced to take a bribe would do. He let us pass ... if the southern army comprised only men like him,” he reflects, “it would have won.”<br/>Although he wishes to remain in the soon-to-be reunified Vietnam with his Viet Cong and North Vietnamese comrades, the captain must join the fleeing evacuees. “Your general isn’t the only one planning to keep on fighting,” his handlers tell him. “The war’s been going on too long for them to simply stop. We need someone to keep an eye on them.”<br/>The action then shifts to Los Angeles where, just as in the streets of Saigon, nothing is as it seems. Under the watchful eye of the captain, the general begins building a small army in a delusional attempt to take back South Vietnam. The general’s paranoia about spies and informers in the South Vietnamese community-in-exile is well-founded, however, and the captain is put through a series of tests to prove his loyalty—including the task of assassinating at least one innocent victim.<br/>The Sympathizer<br/>by Viet Thanh Nguyen<br/>As the complex story unfolds, Nguyen weaves in several lengthy sequences that offer insights into the Vietnamese diaspora to the United States, their unfamiliar new homeland: “We ate their food, we watched their movies, we observed their lives ... we were the greatest anthropologists ever of the American people, which the American people never knew because our field notes were written in our own language in letters and postcards dispatched to<br/>our countries of origin, where our relatives read our reports with hilarity, confusion and awe.”<br/>In one of the novel’s most darkly hilarious sections, the narrator is employed as a technical adviser/consultant on a blockbuster film about the Vietnam War, shot in the jungles of Southeast Asia by a celebrated American director (called “the auteur” in Nguyen’s telling). It doesn’t take long to realize that the film we are reading about is<br/>a thinly disguised version of Coppola’s masterpiece, Apocalypse Now. Nguyen’s version is a cliché-ridden disaster, however, especially when it comes to depicting the lives of the Vietnamese and their roles in retelling the story of their own war.<br/>The novel is filled with twists, turns, and tragic betrayals as it hurtles towards its climax, where our narrator, “the captain of two faces,” goes temporarily insane in the final confessional scene with the mysterious commandant back in Saigon—and when his madness is replaced with mental clarity upon discovery of the identity of man pulling the strings of all that has transpired in his life.<br/>In an afterword to his book, Nguyen remarks on an issue that has long divided Americans—one that is especially relevant after our recent election. Most Americans, he says, “don’t understand how many of the immigrants and refugees in the United States have fled from wars— many of which this country has had a hand in.” And while many would view his family’s story as “living proof of the American dream,” Nguyen reminds us that “we are here only because the United States fought a war that killed three million of our countrymen (not counting over two million others who died in neighboring Laos and Cambodia).” He says that his purpose in writing this book was “to provoke people to rethink their assumptions about this history, and also about the literature they’ve encountered before—to make them uncomfortable in a good way.” In that, he has succeeded brilliantly.<br/>Learn much more about the legacy of the Vietnam War on our Inside Vietnam adventure—www.oattravel.com/svd2017.<br/>In the decade John Bregoli has been writing for O.A.T., he’s become our resident expert in literature. Like his favorite historical figure, John Adams, he always has a book within reach, and one of his earliest memories is getting scolded to go to sleep while reading beneath the covers with a flashlight. If you have any reading recommendations for John—especially books with settings relating to O.A.T. destinations—send him an email at DispatchesJohn@oattravel.com. He’d love to hear from you!<br/>34 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>","A Solo Travel Tradition<br/>Hitting the road for the holidays<br/>Field Notes<br/>I’ve been married for 20 years. My mother-in-law retired to South Carolina and we’d go down every year for Thanksgiving for about a week. My mother- in-law and I didn’t necessarily get along and she kept getting increasingly meaner to me year after year. Eventually, I talked to her about it and asked her to be nice to me, and she said, “Back at you.” After that, I decided I didn’t want to deal with that for my vacation.<br/>My husband had a client that he has become friends with and she had traveled with O.A.T. previously. She would always tell him about these trips that she had gone on, and she would always travel by herself. After my conversation with my mother-in-law, my husband suggested that I look into O.A.T. and go on a trip abroad instead of spending my vacation time at my mother-in- law’s. So the next year, I was off to Australia on my first trip with O.A.T. all by myself.<br/>I thought I was crazy when I first got off of the plane in Australia. I had that, “What am I doing here?” feeling.<br/>I had requested a roommate for this trip and she was wonderful. We got along well and it was nice to have another person to chat with in the evening, especially<br/>if we wanted some downtime away from the rest of the group. I enjoyed this trip so much that I have traveled solo with O.A.T. every year since.<br/>On my trip to Southern India a couple years later, I met Anne C. We were two of the younger travelers in the<br/>group and we were both traveling solo. We have become good friends and now she has become my new travel buddy. I had always had enough time and enough money to travel, but I didn’t always have someone to go with. Now I’ve met a friend through travel and I can travel with her! We don’t room together which is nice because you still have time to yourself. We aren’t attached at the hip. We don’t need each other, but it’s so nice to have each other. We went to Morocco together and now we are heading out on the Ultimate Galápagos Exploration & Ecuador’s Amazon Wilds trip together.<br/>I try to pick a place where it is going to be warm during November. Some places weren’t on my list and I ended up going on them and loving them. Morocco wasn’t on my list but I loved it.<br/>India was the most exciting country. My husband never wants to go there, but I’ve gone twice. I love the people and the heart. It is so colorful. When you grow up, you think of these iconic things about India—the Taj Majal and all of the colors—this exceeded my expectations. Heart of India was my favorite. They grow rice and tropical fruits and they fish up north. They farm and wear their saris. It is just so picturesque. The people are so genuine and so nice.<br/>I’ve only traveled solo with O.A.T., and I do travel with my husband sometimes. The only time I travel by myself is when my husband doesn’t want to go somewhere or doesn’t want to travel on Thanksgiving. I do travel with my family too and have enjoyed all of our trips together, but traveling alone, I get to be myself. I’m not a mother, I’m not a wife, I’m just me. When I travel with my family, I have to do the things that the rest of the family wants to do. Especially when the kids were younger, it was too much work. Why do you want to go on a trip when it’s easier at home? Personally I love traveling solo. For 20 days, I’m just responsible for me and I don’t have to pay attention to anybody.<br/>As for my mother-in-law, unfortunately she passed away of pancreatic cancer in September of 2013. I had a trip to China planned for Thanksgiving and I still went!<br/>At the hair salon recently, a woman who I hadn’t<br/>seen in five years asked about my trips. Everyone remembers these trips I go on. Everyone looks at me and says, “you’re right, I’d rather leave my mother-in-law<br/>at home too.”<br/>By Laurie Gavel, 8-time traveler from Newtown, CT<br/>Left: Laurie celebrated her independence in the Sahara Desert in Morocco.<br/>“ After my conversation with my mother-in-law, my husband suggested that<br/>I look into O.A.T. andgoonatrip abroad instead<br/>of spending my vacation time at my mother-in-law’s.”<br/>To read more stories from travelers like Laurie, check out<br/>our e-newsletter,<br/>The Inside Scoop, at www.oattravel.com/ insidescoop<br/>DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 35<br/>","Moveable Feast<br/>Spanish Cuisine<br/>Get a taste of Spain’s culinary history<br/>By Paige Solomon<br/>Paige is an O.A.T and Grand Circle staff writer and self-proclaimed foodie. She frequents tapas restaurants in Boston where her favorite dish is patatas bravas.<br/>For an authentic taste of Spain, bite into the Spanish croqueta—often filled with cheese or savory ham.<br/>Right: The perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine— overlooking the ocean<br/>in the Getaria region in Spain where Txakoli vines are grown.<br/>Patatas bravas might be a simple dish with just a few ingredients, but it’s bold in flavor.<br/>Indulge in the tastes<br/>of Spain when you join O.A.T.’s Northern Spain<br/>& Portugal: Pilgrimage into the Past. For<br/>more details, visit www.oattravel.com/spg<br/>From warm and savory croquetas filled with gooey cheese and flavorful cuts of ham, to sugary sweet churros paired with decadent, melted chocolate—Spanish cuisine is the quintes- sence of comfort food, but it also has an air of sophistication.<br/>So where does Spanish<br/>food get its flair from?<br/>Each of Spain’s regions<br/>have their own individual<br/>culinary personalities.<br/>For example, Andalucía in<br/>northern Spain is simple<br/>in its approach to food,<br/>while Catalonia is innova-<br/>tive and brave when it comes to combining ingredients. The physical geography of the country directly relates to Spain’s culinary landscape as well.<br/>Spain’s vast open space is ideal for cultivating wine vineyards—Spain is the third largest wine-producing country in the world—and Spain’s proximity to the ocean plays an important role in the country’s love<br/>for seafood—Spain is the second largest consumer per capita of fish and seafood in Europe.<br/>Possibly more influential than location, though, is Spain’s history. Spanish food wouldn’t be what it is today without the melting pot of cultures that shaped its core flavors and ingredients. Spain’s history reveals why Spanish flavors seem so familiar.<br/>In the eighth century BC, the ancient Greeks moved through the region, followed by the Romans. Both groups brought their Mediterranean flavors with them, including olives and olive oil, and the Romans are credited with introducing refined wine-producing techniques to Spain.<br/>When the Moors moved into Spain, they too brought with them native ingredients, including honey, almonds, citrus fruits, rice, and spices like cumin and saffron.<br/>The Moors had a large impact on Spanish gastronomy during their occupation of the country—the Moors<br/>even introduced sugar cane to the Spanish people. One unusual outlier in Spain’s culinary history though is<br/>the Moor’s ban on alcohol.<br/>What would a traditional Spanish meal be without<br/>a glass of wine? Wine in Spain dates back centuries— while it is unclear exactly when the first drop of wine was produced, evidence of grape vines can be traced back to the Neolithic era, which is long before evidence of the drink itself can be found. The Phoenicians<br/>are believed to be the earliest wine makers in the region who grew their own vines around the twelfth century BC before the Romans added their own touch to Spanish winemaking.<br/>Then around the 15th century, Spanish explorers began circumnavigating the globe. During their journey to the New World, they discovered foods such as potatoes, tomatoes, beans, corn, chocolate, and vanilla—all of which are prominent ingredients in Spanish cooking today.<br/>You can tell a lot about a culture by its food, and Spain<br/>is no different. Spanish cuisine is a treasure chest of exciting, bold flavors. The secret behind Spanish cooking is the simplicity—the fresh ingredients and thoughtful combinations speak for themselves. Take for instance patatas bravas—potato cubes drizzled with two sauces<br/>(a red and white sauce)—a simple dish that relies on a few ingredients to provide rich flavors.<br/>As the culinary world continues to grow and reinvent old ideas, and as modern dishes take shape and new takes on traditional dishes make their way into restau- rants and homes, Spain’s culinary landscape will always be rooted in its history.<br/>36 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>","Churros with Hot Chocolate<br/>Spain’s relationship with chocolate is a long one. When Columbus brought cacao beans back to Spain from<br/>the New World, the royal family took little interest in the crop. It wasn’t until Hernan Cortes traveled to the Americas and uncovered an Aztec treasure greater than gold—at least to a foodie, it’s greater than gold. The Aztec leader, Montezuma, consumed a sweet drink consisting of chocolate and water—essentially cold or lukewarm hot chocolate. Cortes brought the culinary luxury back and introduced the cacao bean’s full potential to Spain, but the sweet ingredient was kept a secret from the rest of Europe until the late 16th century when locals couldn’t keep their secret any longer and had to sharing their culinary treasure.<br/>Chocolate was consumed as a drink until the 1800s when the world’s first chocolate bar was created. Today, thick, melted chocolate is still enjoyed as a drink but also pairs well with another Spanish favorite: churros.<br/>Ingredients<br/>For the churros:<br/>11⁄4 cups water<br/>pinch of salt<br/>1 teaspoon sugar<br/>1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces<br/>Instructions<br/>For the churros:<br/>1. Heat the water, salt, sugar, and butter in a small saucepan. Sift the flour in a bowl and add to boiling water. Stir continually until it turns to a doughy consistency and it unsticks from the sides of the pan. Transfer the dough to a bowl and let cool until warm.<br/>2. Beat the eggs and add to the dough while stirring. Transfer dough into a piping bag with a star nozzle.<br/>3. Heat the oil to 360 degrees F in a deep frying pan. Squeeze strips of dough into the oil and fry until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pan. When done, transfer to paper towels to drain the oil. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and roll your churros in this mixture.<br/>1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 eggs<br/>4 cups vegetable oil, for frying<br/>1⁄4 cup sugar, for coating<br/>2 tablespoons cinnamon, for coating<br/>For the hot chocolate:<br/>2 cups milk<br/>7 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa)<br/>4 tablespoons sugar<br/>1 tablespoon cornstarch<br/>For the hot chocolate:<br/>4. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 cup of milk and set aside. Place the remaining cup of milk in a saucepan with the chocolate. Cook<br/>on a low heat, stirring continuously, until the chocolate has melted. Add the mixed cornstarch and milk and whisk well. Add sugar. Whisk for 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened. If it’s not smooth, whisk a little bit more.<br/>5. Pour the hot, melted chocolate into a cup or a bowl. Enjoy the chocolate and churros together!<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 • WINTER 2017 37<br/>","In the Know<br/>Gone Wild<br/>Quiz<br/>he island nations of Australia and New Zealand have impressive rosters of unique wildlife, many of which aren’t found anywhere else on the planet. From the world’s smallest dolphin to the largest insect, there are exciting, record-breaking creatures at every turn. Think you’ve got what it takes to pass this<br/>By Ashleigh Osgood<br/>Ashleigh is co-Managing T Editor of Dispatches<br/>and has been with<br/>O.A.T. since 2013. Her<br/>favorite trip so far is Real Affordable Peru.<br/>South Pacific wildlife quiz? Try your luck at our questions below.<br/>This tiny New Zealand native can be found in a variety of habitats, ranging from rain forest to sand dune.<br/>The Maui Dolphin leaps and swims its way through the sea in only a single area of the world.<br/>1. In New Zealand, which animal outnumbers humans roughly six to one, with a population of approximately 29.5 million compared to just 4.4 million people?<br/>a. Sheep b. Horse c. Kiwi d. Goat<br/>2. This native parrot of New Zealand is known for<br/>its wit and curiosity. Pestering humans is its favorite pastime, most notably stealing items from tourists and eating the rubber off of car windows. What<br/>is it called?<br/>a. Kākāriki b. Kakapo c. Kea<br/>d. Kaka<br/>3. Australia contains more than 140 species of marsupials, or mammals that carry their young in a pouch. Which combination below contains only marsupials?<br/>a. Koala, rakali, Tasmanian devil, bilby b. Kangaroo, bandicoot, wallaby, wombat c. Wallaby, koala, kangaroo, rakali<br/>d. Bandicoot, wombat, dingo, koala<br/>4. The Maui Dolphin is the world’s smallest and rarest species of dolphin—with less than 60 dolphins remaining, these creatures are sadly on the edge of extinction. Where is the only place you can find one?<br/>a. Maui, Hawaii<br/>b. The west coast of New Zealand’s North Island c. The east coast of Australia<br/>d. The west coast of Australia<br/>5. New Zealand is home to the world’s largest insect. This creepy crawler is roughly the size of a mouse, and can be found munching on its favorite snack— carrots. What is it called?<br/>a. New Zealand Batfly<br/>b. Giant bush dragonfly<br/>c. New Zealand praying mantis d. Giant weta<br/>Answers appear on page 51.<br/>6. Monotremes are rare mammals that lay eggs—so rare, in fact, that there are only five species of them remaining. They are contained to Australia and New Guinea, and include four species of echina (think spiny anteater) and this animal:<br/>a. Kiwi<br/>b. Cassowary c. Platypus d. Emu<br/>7. The kiwi is a flightless bird native to New Zealand. In comparison to the size of their bodies, they lay eggs that are proportionally the largest of any bird in the world. In terms of body mass, how much do their eggs weigh?<br/>8.<br/>9.<br/>a. 0.2% of their body mass b. 6% of their body mass c. 20% of their body mass d. 30% of their body mass<br/>This megabat is part of the “flying foxes” family and is the largest bat in all of Australia with a wingspan of up to 3.3 feet. It has rather large eyes because unlike most bats, it does not use echolocation to get around. Can you name it?<br/>a. Grey-headed flying fox b. Black flying fox<br/>c. Little red flying fox<br/>d. Spectacled flying fox<br/>The Powelliphanta is a giant land snail endemic of New Zealand, but its size isn’t the only thing that makes it unique. Which of these statements is true?<br/>a. They find shelter on New Zealand’s beaches<br/>b. They are carnivorous and prey on worms<br/>and slugs<br/>c. They do not have a shell<br/>d. They have three eyes<br/>The giant land snail of the South Pacific is often re- stricted to living in small areas of moist forest.<br/>10. Which native Australian rodent had its name changed in the 1990s from the less-appealing moniker, water rat?<br/>a. Brush-tailed rabbit rat b. Rakaki<br/>c. Grassland melomys<br/>d. Quokkas<br/>38 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>","Shine a Light<br/>A bright idea saves livestock and wildlife<br/>Philanthropy<br/>a battery-powered flashing light that deterred predator attacks when put around a livestock enclosure. In every boma (homestead) he has worked with, he reported zero predator attacks. And so my idea was born: Why not try flashing solar-powered Christmas fairy lights?<br/>Since then, for nearly two years, I have had Boston associates bring out several sets when they visit, and I have had them strung up in bomas in Tanzania<br/>and Kenya. Every month when checking in with the Maasai chiefs, they report zero attacks in bomas with flashing lights. There have, however, been deadly attacks in neighboring bomas.<br/>Harriet Lewis learned about the project when she visited Kenya in the summer of 2016. Through Grand Circle Foundation, she generously donated $10,000 for the purchase of flashing solar-powered lights to help the Maasai communities save livestock and, in turn, save wildlife. On November 7, along with a group of 16 O.A.T. travelers and their Trip Leader, Godliving, we started to distribute flashing lights to the Maasai.<br/>We hung lights in 20 bomas, and then went off to meet an elder who had been in a fight with a lioness four months ago. Although he managed to spear the lioness, she was never found. He survived the attack but with horrific injuries to his leg, which was broken in several places. We got to put up lights around his livestock enclosure and a small hut where he keeps his goats.<br/>I went back in the evening to see if the lights were working. Tarangire was lit up like a Christmas tree. Everywhere I looked, I saw flashing lights. I absolutely cannot even put into words what a moment that was.<br/>And the phone call I had with chief Lobulo the next morning—again, no words can describe my state of mind. Apparently, the Maasai slept very well last night. No nonsense in any boma with flashing lights. And to quote Chief Lobulo: “Mama, please bring more lights. Please help. I have received more than 30 phone calls from other elders.”<br/>To think, just two nights ago, one homestead lost four goats and another lost 35. Last night there were zero reports of any losses. Thank you, Harriet, for believing.<br/>By Sandra Vaughan<br/>Sandra is a Grand Circle Foundation Project Manager in East Africa.<br/>Left: In order to keep out predators, lights were hung up around a mud hut that houses sheep and goats in Tarangire, Tanzania.<br/>Every day, we come across stories that tear our hearts out or make us sad—and some stories ignite such a passion within us, we are driven to find a way to help.<br/>My passion was ignited two years ago when a pride of 17 lions went on a killing spree in the Maasai village<br/>of Tarangire, Tanzania, killing two donkeys and some goats. This incurred the wrath of the Maasai, who in turn hunted down and killed seven of the lions. More than 100 warriors went looking for the rest of the pride.<br/>Now O.A.T. and Grand Circle Foundation have a great friend here in Tarangire, Maasai Chief Lobulo, and he was desperately trying to stop the killings. But 11 lions were still hiding out around the village. He called me and asked for help. With two phone calls, we had a team of rangers from Tarangire National Park and friends of the lion research team on the scene.<br/>By that evening, the rangers and researchers had coaxed the lions back into the park, and the situation was resolved. We lost seven lions that day, but saved 11 from the same pride.<br/>It made me realize that we needed to help the Maasai protect their livestock, and eliminate the need for retaliation killings of lions or hyenas.<br/>Researching on the internet, I found the story of Richard Turere, a 13-year old Kenyan boy who invented<br/>Sandra Vaughan was thanked for donations at the Tarangire Primary School by a Maasai chief, Chief Lobulo, and the school’s head principal.<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 • WINTER 2017 39<br/>","Spotlight on Small Ships<br/>Why O.A.T. travelers should consider Small Ship Adventures<br/>In some parts of the world, small ocean ships are the best and most adventurous way to explore. We’ve heard, however, that many O.A.T. travelers aren’t familiar with our Small Ship Adventures—which is why we decided to include this special section in Dispatches.<br/>In 2017, we will be setting sail to explore Italy’s coast, islands, and Malta on two new Small Ship Adventures.<br/>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<br/>Small Ship Adventures will sail on the 50-passenger<br/>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.oattravel.com.<br/>“A crossroads of various cultures, a hub of arts and commerce, Trieste—the Italian city you may not have heard of—happily offers up its mysteries to any traveler who wishes to discover them.”<br/>TABLE OF CONTENTS<br/>41 Setting Sail<br/>Travelers Eva and Mark K. return to Croatia after fleeing the country in their youth<br/>42 Unlocking Trieste<br/>Discovering Italy’s most mysterious city<br/>47 Cultural Moorings<br/>The history and culture of Stromness<br/>48 Stepping Ashore<br/>Meet Trip Leader Evgeniy Zalberg<br/>49 Hands on Deck<br/>Meet Executive Chef Jan Markech<br/>Trieste PAGE 42<br/>","Return to Croatia<br/>In their homeland, two children of war find happier times<br/>Setting Sail<br/>kids and we both had good jobs (I was a doctor and my husband an engineer) and he told us we should move to the U.S. He sponsored us and got us our immigration visas.<br/>We lived right in New York City with our uncle and cousins for a few weeks and then found our own apartment<br/>in Elmhurst in Queens. It wasn’t<br/>easy when we first got here either. I had to go through my internship and residency again. My daughter at age six asked me, “Why are you grown up and have to study all the time!?”<br/>But we never regretted moving here. It immediately broadened all of our horizons. Both of our children are successful lawyers. We lived in the apartment in Elmhurst for several<br/>years and then when our salaries got better we bought a house in Forest Hills. Now we are in Westchester after we retired in a condo. It’s nice in our retirement to have someone else take care of things.<br/>I didn’t go back to Croatia for 10 years, until I went for my high school reunion in 1979. Then we started to go every couple years. Now that our family and friends are getting older, we go more often; we have cousins and friends, most of them in Zagreb. It is much better over there now; the borders are open. It wasn’t good during the Croatian War of Independence from 1990-1996. When we went once in 1992, there was heavy military presence and Dubrovnik was badly damaged. Now, tourism is picking up and we are part of the EU. It is a beautiful country and the people are hospitable. All the tourists come back with a positive impression, which makes us happy.<br/>We went last year on Hidden Gems of the Dalmatian Coast & Greece. That was interesting because we went to the areas we’ve been to on our own, but having a guide made it a discovery trip for us—and I like traveling on the ships. I always say the group tour is like Reader’s Digest: a little bit abbreviated but everything is there. You never see as much on your own as you see with a group. When we were young we traveled on our own because it was cheaper, and we had our freedom to do whatever we wanted—but this way, we have everything taken care of for us. It’s like living in a condo versus living in your own home.<br/>By Eva & Mark K., 17-time travelers from Somers, NY<br/>Left: In September 1943, a tank of the German SS took up the street during the occupation<br/>of Split, Croatia.<br/>Zagreb was my hometown. I was born in 1935, before World War II. Before the war, it was tough; we had to leave our hometown, we were poor peasants, and we were hungry more than fed.<br/>I was six years old when the war started. In the beginning, it was not very good altogether, but it was better than the Eastern Bloc. We didn’t have very much freedom, but school and college were free. My mother was a widow very early so she wouldn’t have been able to afford any schooling, but because it was free, I was able to finish high school and medical school and I did my internship and residence.<br/>However, I wasn’t able to go to school until fourth<br/>grade when I was 10. When we fled Zagreb, we went<br/>to a village outside of Split that was occupied by Italians. They didn’t let any kids go to school there unless<br/>they were actually from there, so I was homeschooled<br/>by my mother.<br/>We were in hiding in that town outside of Split from 1943-1945. If we hadn’t hid, we would have been taken to a concentration camp. We were hiding in someone’s house there, dressed like the local villagers. There wasn’t a large military presence.<br/>Times were very insecure during Tito: It wasn’t economic hardship, we were literally unsafe. My husband and I are both Jewish. He lost his whole family in the concentration camps. My husband’s uncle came to visit from the U.S. in 1967. By this point, we had two<br/>“ We were in hiding in that town outside of Split from 1943-1945.<br/>If we hadn’t hid, we would have been taken to a concentration camp.”<br/>Immerse yourself in Croatia’s history during Hidden Gems of the Dalmatian Coast & Greece. Learn more at www.oattravel.com/das<br/>DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 41<br/>","42 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>","BY MEGAN MULLIN<br/>Look for Trieste on a map of Italy, and you may not find it. Tucked in the far northeast corner, removed from the Italian Peninsula, Trieste is isolated from<br/>the rest of its country. It is as remote as an island—surrounded by the Adriatic Sea on one side and Slovenia on the other. This physical separation gave rise to a cultural one as<br/>well. Situated at the crossroads of numerous disparate cultures—Italian, Germanic, and Slavic—Trieste has become a city apart, one often overlooked by the tourist circuit, but a beloved haunt for writers, serious travelers, and expats.<br/>But how did it evolve into one of Italy’s most enigmatic cities?<br/>","Previous page: Trieste’s Miramare Castle, built in 1860 for thr Archduke Maximillian and his wife Charlotte, looks as if it’s plucked right from the pages of a fairytale as it overlooks the Adriatic Coast.<br/>Previous page inset:<br/>The Ponte Rosso Channel in Trieste offers a clear reflection of the bustling market that frames the waterway.<br/>Right: The port city of Trieste flourished under Austrian rule, rivaling Venice in maritime trade.<br/>Sir Richard Burton, the famous—and at times controversial—British explorer and writer, was assigned a diplomatic post in Trieste in 1872. While he initially viewed it as a dishonorable exile, he came to love the city, and wrote prolifically from his home there until his death in 1890.<br/>Right: Trieste’s former grand elegance can be found in the 18th- and 19th-century buildings within the Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia.<br/>Trieste’s tug-of-war<br/>For Trieste, its centuries-long saga of occupation all boiled down to one important factor: location. In the Middle Ages, Trieste blossomed into a successful port city, rivaling the Republic of Venice as a maritime trade powerhouse. This rivalry spurred the Venetian State to declare war on Trieste in 1368, eventually taking the city in 1369 with the intention to occupy<br/>it indefinitely. Venice’s reign was brief, however— a mere three years.<br/>Trieste next became part of Austria, although this time, Trieste entered the relationship in a more cooperative spirit. In fact, the port city flourished under Austria from 1382 (which later became the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1867) until 1918. It became known as one of the most prosperous seaports of the Mediterranean and a cultural hub<br/>of literature and music. Evidence of this golden era can be found today, especially when strolling through the city’s central Piazza dell’Unità d’Italia. Here, grand 18th- and 19th-century buildings stand as<br/>tall and lofty reminders of Trieste’s elegant pedigree.<br/>Those halcyon days were not to last, however. The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, followed by Trieste’s annexation to Italy after World War I, returned the port city back to the Italian Peninsula— for better or worse. Yet even through the tumultuous years that ensued, Trieste retained the unique cultural diversity that attracted great minds such as James Joyce—who lived there for 15 years—and still enjoys an almost cult-like following of travelers “in-the- know” to this day.<br/>44 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>","Castles & the Canale Grande<br/>Although often overlooked in favor of touristic giants like Rome and Venice, Trieste is a city full of its own splendid sights to see. Being a port town, the harbor is of course the main attraction—and the city of Trieste has surrounded it like a giant stage, with the spar- kling Adriatic as the star performer. Wide boulevards trace the harbor’s perimeter, encouraging long walks by the water’s edge, watching boats great and small glide and out of ports.<br/>But even more magnificent than the main harbor is Trieste’s Canale Grande, a long harbor—like a wide canal—lined on either side by charming cafés. At the end of the canal stands Trieste’s largest church, the Neoclassical Sant’Antonio, which was built in 1849— its graceful pillars reflected in the blue water below.<br/>The city also offers not one but two castles worth a visit. The older sits on the crest of a hill, overlooking the city like a venerable solider. It is the Castle of San Giusto, once an ancient Roman fort. It was remade into the structure you see today in the 15th-century. In quintessential Trieste fashion, construction of the castle was begun by the Hapsburgs but completed by the Venetians.<br/>Then there is the Castle of Miramare—a dazzling white palace straight from the pages of a storybook. Built in 1855-60 for the Archduke Maximilian of Austria and his wife Charlotte, the castle rises above the sea—offering picture-perfect ocean views from almost every single one of its vaulted windows. Visitors can tour both the sumptuous gardens and interior and imagine themselves the protagonist of their own fairy tale.<br/>The coffee capital<br/>Italy as a country is famous for its coffee culture—sipping an espresso in an outdoor café is an image firmly entwined with what<br/>it means to be an Italian. As it turns out, the country’s least- Italian city is the one responsible for bringing the iconic caffeinated beverage to the boot.<br/>Once again, Trieste’s enviable port location led the way for the coffee bean’s introduc- tion. In 1719, when Trieste was still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Habsburg Emperor Charles VI<br/>gave the port tax-free status, which raised the city’s status as a booming port industry even higher. Around the same time, coffee began to rise<br/>in popularity elsewhere in Europe. And as cosmo- politan capitals like Vienna cried out for more coffee, Trieste began importing the beans to keep<br/>up with the demand.<br/>Becoming a coffee bean hub meant the citizens<br/>of Trieste evolved into experts by default. They<br/>had built an entire industry around the beverage, learning to differentiate good beans from exceptional ones, testing various roasting techniques, and developing coffee blends to please every palate imaginable.<br/>Trieste remains the main Mediterranean coffee port today, and roasters have popped up around it—from small, family owned roasters, to Illy, one of the world’s largest and most recognizable coffee brands. Being close to the port means companies have the best beans to choose from, and lots of them. And even though most of the coffee comes into Trietse’s Porto Nuovo (New Port) just south of the city these days, the rich aroma still swirls in the air wherever you go.<br/>This is in large part also due to the many cafés you can find in Trieste. Traditional Italian stand-up coffee bars are plentiful, of course, but Trieste’s Austrian heritage also means classic Viennese-style coffee houses dot the city. These temples of coffee invite a drinker to sit down and savor their cup— which is known it be dark and aromatic. After<br/>250 years, Trieste has indeed perfected its brew.<br/>“TraditionalItalian stand-up coffee bars are plentiful,<br/>of course, but Trieste’s Austrian heritage also means classic Viennese- style coffee houses dot the city. These temples of coffee invite a drinker to sit down and savor their cup—which is known to be dark and aromatic. ”<br/>Due to the tax-free status of Trieste’s port, coffee soon infiltrated the city and led its residents<br/>to be refined coffee connoisseurs.<br/>Left: The Castle of Miramare is surrounded by manicured gardens and rises above the sea, offering storybook views for both onlookers of the estate and those looking out from its vaulted windows.<br/>DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 45<br/>","Megan, a Grand Circle associate for four years, enjoys adding stamps to her passport—which so far include Japan, Spain, Costa Rica, and Germany.<br/>Right: Carnivores rejoice: Trieste has a tradition of pork-centric restaurants known as pig pubs, where coutermen wield knives and serve plates of carved meat.<br/>Revel in the history<br/>and delightful culinary culture of Trieste while on Voyage to Istria: Italy, Solvenia & Croatia. Visit www.oattravel.com/mve for details.<br/>Sauerkraut and Sacher tortes<br/>From Venice to Vienna, Trieste’s multilay-<br/>ered traditions are most easily found in its gastronomy. The additions of traditional Italian offerings—from gelato to pizza—are actually the most recent. To taste the history of Trieste, one instead should belly-up to one of its “pig pubs” and nosh on roast pork served with sides of spicy mustard and sauerkraut. But instead<br/>of a foamy mug of beer, you are most likely to see locals washing down this quintessentially Germanic lunch with a glass of the regional red. Just another way Trieste is Italian ... and not.<br/>Similarly, the pastry shops Italy is rightly<br/>famous for also line the city’s streets. But<br/>between the classic cannoli and almond<br/>cookies, you will find a decidedly Viennese<br/>treat: the rich, chocolate Sacher torte. When paired with Trieste’s famous coffee, this decadent combina- tion truly hearkens back to Trieste’s Austrian roots.<br/>Trieste’s culinary traditions have been influenced by its more local neighbors of course. As a port city, seafood is a natural fit—and its various forms of preparation have been influenced by both Venetian and Dalmatian tradi- tions. And with the sea right at Trieste’s doorstep, fresh ingredients are never hard to come by.<br/>A crossroads of various cultures, a hub of arts and commerce, Trieste—the Italian city you may not<br/>have heard of—happily offers up its mysteries to<br/>any traveler who wishes to discover them. Whether admiring its elegant mix of Neoclassical and Baroque architecture, enjoying its Austrian-influenced cuisine, or simply ambling along its historically-relevant port ... those who unlock the many layers of Trieste will find so much more than they ever expected.<br/>Untangling Trieste: A Timeline<br/>Trieste’s marvelous, multicultural vibe is what attracts visitors to its shores today—but how did it get that way? Our timeline will help you unravel the details of Trieste’s evolution into one of Italy’s most unique places to experience.<br/>177BC<br/>The ancient Romans arrive and establish a colony in Trieste— then known as Tergeste.<br/>948<br/>Trieste is granted relative autonomy by King Lothair II of Italy when its government was passed to Bishop John III. While still retaining feudal ties with Italy, this is when Trieste evolved into a free city and an international port powerhouse.<br/>1382<br/>In an effort to protect the city from further warring with Venice, Trieste successfully petitions the Duke of Austria, Leopold III von Habsburg, to make the city part of his empire.<br/>177 BC 5th century 948 1368-1380 1382 1867 1915 1918<br/>May 23, 1915<br/>War is declared on the Austro-Hungarian Empire. During the outbreak of World War I, Trieste refused to fight under the Austro- Hungarian flag, leading to rising tensions between the cultures.<br/>1368-1380<br/>Venice attacks and subsequently occupies Trieste as a result of the growing rivalry between the two port cities.<br/>1867<br/>The Austro-Hungarian Empire’s reign begins, with Trieste flourishing as one of its main port and trading cities.<br/>November 4, 1918<br/>Italian troops enter Trieste, and are met with enthusiasm—the citizens viewed Italy as liberators from<br/>the deprivations of war. In that same month, the war drew to its close and Trieste was annexed and reunited with Italy.<br/>5th century<br/>The Roman Empire falls and Trieste is occupied<br/>by the Byzantine military, which set up camp there. During this period, Trieste endured frequent Barbarian invasions.<br/>46 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>","Location, Location, Location<br/>How the sea has shaped the culture of Stromness<br/>Cultural Moorings<br/>By Pamela Schweppe<br/>Pamela served as Copy Director for Grand Circle Travel before becoming a full-time freelance writer.<br/>Left: The quaint port of Stromness has a storied history that was often dic- tated by the harsh whims of war and the sea.<br/>The Netherlands newspaper, Ons Volk published its 1939 headline with the catastrophic sinking on the HMS Royal Oak.<br/>Visit this vital seaport<br/>in the north of Scotland while on our Maritime Jewels of the British Isles & Ireland Small Ship Adventure. Visit www.oattravel.com/cre for details.<br/>The rhythm of the sea has pulsed through the culture of the Orkney Islands throughout their history— all 5,000-plus years of it. This cluster of roughly 70 islands off Scotland’s northern coast, across the North Sea from Norway, drew the Vikings in their dragonships to their shores, to leave a lasting influence.<br/>One of the features that attracted the Vikings is a sheltered bay on the west coast of Mainland island, which they named Hamnavoe (literally, “safe harbor”). The largest and most populous of the Orkney Islands, this fertile isle is home to 75% of the islands’ population.<br/>Today, the most important city on the<br/>coast of Hamnavoe is Stromness, from the<br/>Norse for “headland protruding into the tidal stream.” Although the Vikings used this site as an anchorage,<br/>it wasn’t until the late 16th century that a city began to develop here. The Orkneys had passed from Viking to Scottish rule in 1472 (as security for a failed dowry payment), and as wars seared the continent of Europe, merchants looking for safe passage began favoring Scotland’s northern coast.<br/>All sea creatures, great and small<br/>In the 1770s, Stromness became an important whaling port. Dangerous Arctic ice and scurvy took their toll on the whalers, however. A blue plaque memorializes Mrs Humphrey’s House, a temporary hospital that tended to “scurvy ridden whale men who had been trapped in the ice for months” in 1835-36.<br/>When the whaling industry petered out in the late 19th century, a much smaller quarry temporarily took hold: herring. The little fish feed in large schools in coastal waters, and by 1898, as many as 800 ships at a time were casting their nets. Stromness boomed during this period, as small businesses from milliners to pubs sprang up to cater to the influx of workers. By 1908, however, the fish had moved on, and so, for the most part, did the herring industry.<br/>The ravages of World War<br/>The sea continued to determine the city’s history and culture in the 20th century. Scapa Flow, a huge natural harbor protected by several of the Orkney Islands, became the northern base of the British Home Fleet during both World Wars I and II.<br/>Before World War I, most British naval activity was focused around the English Channel. As the German<br/>fleet began amassing, however, Scapa Flow was selected to control the entrances to the North Sea—even though it was largely unfortified. Nevertheless, the British<br/>fleet successfully defended Scapa Flow against German U-boats, and in 1918, as the Treaty of Versailles was being negotiated, the German High Seas Fleet was sent to the Scottish harbor to await its fate. Impatient with waiting, Germany’s Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter gave the command to scuttle the fleet—all 74 ships— on June 21, 1919. Today, Scapa Flow is a popular diving site—with the wrecks of seven of the scuttled German ships a premier attraction.<br/>World War II also saw the sinking of a battleship— only this time, it was a Royal Navy vessel. On the night of October 13-14, 1939, a German U-boat fired a torpedo into the HMS Royal Oak, killing 834 men. As a result, Winston Churchill traveled to the site and ordered that permanent barriers be erected to defend the eastern approaches to Scapa Flow. Those barriers remain to this day.<br/>Renewal through renewable industry<br/>After World War II, the local population and economy declined. But now, in the 21st century, Stromness is reinventing itself again—but always from the perspec- tive of the sea. In 2003, the European Marine Energy Centre—a marine energy resource center that is the only facility of its kind in the world—was established<br/>in Stromness. With its pioneering work in developing marine and land-based renewable energy projects, the center has put the city at the forefront of marine and environmental energy expertise on a global scale. That this new industry has been embraced by the local popu- lation reflects the adaptability with which the people<br/>of Stromness and the Orkney Islands have always risen<br/>with the tides of history. DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 47<br/>","Stepping Ashore<br/>By Travis Taylor<br/>Travis has been writing for O.A.T. since 2010. His fiction has appeared<br/>in a number of literary journals, most recently The Conium Review and Rathalla Review.<br/>From Russia with Love<br/>Trip Leader Evgeniy Zalberg Reveals the Heart of the Baltics<br/>Born in:<br/>Leningrad, Russia<br/>Resides in:<br/>Saint Petersburg, Russia<br/>Grand Circle Cruise Line staff since: 2007<br/>Languages spoken:<br/>Russian, English, German<br/>Hobbies & Interests:<br/>Professional ice hockey, soccer, theater, current events<br/>Experience the knowl- edge of a dedicated<br/>Trip Leader during<br/>Grand Baltic Sea Voyage. Learn more at www.oattravel.com/crb<br/>Like a wooden nesting doll opened to reveal smaller and smaller dolls inside, Trip Leader Evgeniy Zalberg unpacks the cultural gems of the Baltics, going way beyond the surface and delving deep into the many riches of the region. His ultimate goal? “I simply want travelers to fall in love with the places we visit.”<br/>You might say his passion for sharing cities, cultures and customs is in his DNA. Evgeniy’s grandfather started his own one-man tour guide company after retiring as a bus driver. Completely self-taught, he would take friends, family—even his old coworkers at the bus company—on in-depth tours of the Saint Petersburg. This innate love of sharing, educating, and exposing new places and stories was infectious, and as early as the age of five, Evgeniy felt the call to be a Trip Leader.<br/>So in college, he majored in hospitality and tourism. But rather than set his sights on running a tour company, he felt compelled to work with travelers on a more intimate level, just as his grandfather had done. “At the end of the day, I wanted to be the one to show these places to travelers.”<br/>And for nearly a decade, he has done just that with Grand Circle. He particularly enjoys showcasing his home country, where Evgeniy hopes to open travelers’ minds and dispel preconceptions of Russia. “Despite<br/>all that our nation has endured—from invasions and sieges to Communism and cruel dictators—we’ve never lost our passion and enthusiasm for life.” Happiness and positivity, he insists, are two of the most common<br/>traits a traveler will find when they connect with the people of Russia.<br/>Evgeniy points to his mother as an example of this inborn kindness. Before the collapse of communism, he recalls how she would take the train to Moscow—several hours away from their home—to the only McDonalds in the country just to get him a hamburger. Hours later she would return with the cold meal,<br/>but it didn’t matter to Evgeniy who understood the tremendous love behind the journey.<br/>And speaking of fast food, Evgeny<br/>has some important insider tips when it comes to grabbing food on the go in Russia. His top<br/>suggestion is a restaurant called Tea Spoon (Chaynaya Lozhka).<br/>With locations all over St. Petersburg, this eatery is the perfect place to get some pancakes with a variety of tasty fillings—from chicken and mushrooms, to apple and blueberry jam.<br/>Evgeny is confident in his ability to teach his travel- ers the tricks of maneuvering the city to find a Tea Spoon restaurant. “The location of one of them is in downtown, right in front of Gostnniy Dvor on the opposite side of Nevsky prospect. I know this Russian names doesn’t make any sense now, but by the time you get to St. Pete, it will be easy to find you way. You can always identify the restaurant by the orange sign.”<br/>The recommendations don’t end there, though. Because Evgeny grew up in St. Petersburg, he has a wealth of knowledge of the city. He has suggestions for just about any request and loves sharing them with his travelers.<br/>In addition to dining, Evgeny recommends a visit<br/>to a tiny garden in Uglich, a monument in Moscow, strolling down Malaya Sadovaya Street—the shortest street in St. Petersburg, and of course, purchasing a Matryoshka doll.<br/>Travelers fortunate enough to visit the Baltic nations with Evgeniy as their Trip Leader will experience a journey filled with resounding affection for the sites and people encountered along the way.<br/>48 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>","Haute Cuisine on the High Seas<br/>Executive Chef Jan Markech Shows How It’s Done<br/>Hands on Deck<br/>By Pamela Schweppe<br/>Pamela Schweppe served as Copy Director for Grand Circle Travel before becoming a full-time freelance writer. She is also a novelist, a playwright, and a semi- professional singer.<br/>Perhaps you’ll enjoy some of Chef Jan’s creations during<br/>Cruising the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina. For more information, visit www.oattravel.com/mwt<br/>One thing<br/>is for<br/>sure: Jan<br/>Markech knows<br/>how to take his<br/>grandmother’s<br/>advice. He was<br/>only seven years<br/>old when she said<br/>to him, “My dear,<br/>you’re going to<br/>be a chef.” At the<br/>time, Jan was<br/>dismayed to the<br/>point of tears.<br/>“I thought<br/>cooking was a<br/>job for the mama,” he says. His grandmother had seen, however, how interested the young boy was in cooking. “She was right,” Jan says.<br/>For ten years, he worked as a chef for the Slovakian professional army. For three of those years, he traveled the world as part of a United Nations mission. When he was assigned to go to Afghanistan, however, he decided to leave the army.<br/>For his next career move, he took a job aboard a 1,750-guest ocean liner. He prefers the more personal- ized guest experience of the Grand Circle fleet,<br/>however, which he joined in 2005—first aboard the 140-guest M/S River Harmony river ship and now aboard the 50-guest M/V Artemis, cruising the Aegean and Adriatic from Greece to Croatia.<br/>It’s a long day for Jan and his crew of four, who prepare most meals throughout each voyage for both guests and crew. All cooks start preparing breakfast at around 6:30 a.m. Except for a three-hour break after lunch, their day doesn’t end until after dinner is cleaned up and the galley prepared for the next day—usually around 9:00 p.m.<br/>To streamline the process, menu planning occurs before the travel season even starts, and supplies are ordered in advance. “It makes it easier,” says Jan. He does make changes, however, if the ingredients provided en route don’t meet his high standards.<br/>Changes are also made to his menu based on the responses from the travelers themselves. “The question- naire that gets sent to passengers is very important. The company looks at the answers and changes things. We keep getting better and better because we listen to what people want.”<br/>His reward lies in the travelers’ response to their onboard experience. “What I like best about my job is when I see guests come back,” he says. “That’s my biggest satisfaction.”<br/>Born in:<br/>Poprad, Slovakia<br/>Resides in:<br/>Poprad, Slovakia<br/>Grand Circle Cruise Line staff since: 2005<br/>Languages spoken:<br/>English, Slovakian, Czech, German, Croatian, Hungarian<br/>Hobbies & Interests: Skiing, spending time with family, watching his son play hockey<br/>Favorite ports:<br/>The Greek isles<br/>What do you like to do there: Go for coffee, maybe do some shopping<br/>While the recipes Jan prepares onboard are best left to the pros, we asked him to provide his favorite recipe to make at home.<br/>Easy Apple Strudel<br/>For the pastry:<br/>9 oz. flour<br/>1 egg<br/>1 pinch of salt 4 oz. water<br/>1 tsp. of oil<br/>For the filling:<br/>61⁄2 pounds sliced Granny Smith apples<br/>1 cup white breadcrumbs, toasted in butter<br/>1 cup chopped nuts<br/>Sugar, to your taste 1 tsp cinnamon<br/>1 Tbsp Lemon juice 4 Tbsp raisins<br/>3 Tbsp rum (optional)<br/>1. Mix all pastry ingredients together, until dough is not sticky. Let the pastry rest for 1 hour at room temperature.<br/>2. In the meantime, prepare the filling by mixing all ingredients together.<br/>3. After pastry rests, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.<br/>4. Roll the dough into a very thin, rectangular shape on a lightly floured surface and stretch onto a baking sheet.<br/>5. Top one side with the filling, leaving enough dough to fully cover filling with the remainder. Seal the edge with your fingers and a bit of water.<br/>6. Bake the strudel for approximately 45 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve it warm with vanilla ice cream.<br/>DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 49<br/>","Adventure Update<br/>News Briefs from O.A.T.<br/>Announcing NEW extensions<br/>Beginning with 2017 departures, enjoy new opportunities to extend your trip on two O.A.T. adventures.<br/>Starting with September 2017 departures: Stopovers<br/>Relax, refresh, and see more of the world before your adventure begins with this new opportunity to break up a lengthy flight, refresh, explore on your own, and perhaps even add another stamp to your passport. On more than 10 trips to Asia and Africa, our new Stopover option features three-night stays in iconic locales like Hong Kong, Dubai, Beijing, or Amsterdam, where you can spend time on your own before you begin your main adventure—or before your pre-trip extension.<br/>Maybe you have a friend in Amsterdam that you’d love to connect with on your way to Africa. Or maybe you’ve always been curious about Dubai, a place where your flight to India stops en route<br/>to Delhi. This is your opportunity to conveniently expand the<br/>scope of your journey, and what you do during your Stopover is completely up to you! All Stopovers include an airport greeting from an O.A.T. representative, roundtrip transfers, and three nights’ accommodation in a centrally-located hotel with daily breakfast.<br/>Look for details as you browse our Asia and Africa adventures at www.oattravel.com, or ask your Adventure Specialist if a Stopover is available on your departure.<br/>Looking ahead to 2018<br/>We’ve already announced 2018 departure dates for several adventures, and we’re adding more in the coming weeks. If you know where you’d like to go, but don’t see 2018 departures on<br/>our website, call our Adventure Specialists to pre-reserve your adventure. We’ll contact you as soon as they’re available to reserve, ensuring you’ll have the best choice of dates and optional extensions.<br/>To see a list of all adventures available to reserve in 2018, visit w w w.oattravel.com/2018.<br/>After exploring Machu Picchu & the Galápagos, experience the colonial gems of Colombia in two contrasting cities: timeless Villa de Leyva, and urban Bogotá. Visit Casa Terracota,<br/>the largest piece of pottery in the world, and wander past whitewashed buildings peppered with preserved fossils. Then explore the pulsing markets and graffitied streets of Colombia’s capital city. Learn more at www.oattravel.com/mpg.<br/>50 DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017<br/>Our NEW Travelogue film series: It’s a hit<br/>Since we first announced this series of historic travel films in the Fall issue of Dispatches, we’ve created several more installments—and they’ve received an enthusiastic response. The films feature a large archive<br/>Image courtesy of Penn Museum<br/>of decades-old footage<br/>discovered by traveler and<br/>filmmaker David Conover, who then used it to show O.A.T. travelers how iconic travel destinations have changed—and, sometimes,<br/>how they’ve stayed the same. Among our most popular are Zambia (www.oattravel.com/bot), Delhi (www.oattravel.com/hoi), and Kyoto (www.oattravel.com/jpn). Be on the lookout for more of these films as you browse adventures on our website.<br/>Begin your Northern Greece, Albania & Macedonia adventure with an exploration of Athens and Crete. Visit iconic sites like the Acropolis in Athens, and explore Crete, Greece’s largest and most populated island, whose roots date back to one of Europe’s earliest documented civilization: the Minoans.<br/>See the full itinerary at www.oattravel.com/gre.<br/>","Where in the World?<br/>Continued from page 10<br/>In the Know<br/>Continued from page 38<br/>ANSWERS:<br/>1. a. Sheep<br/>2. c. Kea<br/>3. b. Kangaroo, bandicoot, wallaby, wombat<br/>4. b. The west coast of New Zealand’s North Island 5. d. Giant weta<br/>ANSWER:<br/>Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa, Japan<br/>Known as yukizuri—“snow hanging”—the ropes that cover Kenrokuen’s giant pines in autumn and winter serve a purely practical purpose: When snow falls in Kanazawa, it tends to be dense with moisture, and the ropes prevent the weight of the snow from damaging tree branches. Yet both locals and visitors alike appreciate the annual installment as a beautiful symbol of the changing of the seasons.<br/>About 200 ropes surround most trees—but Kenrokuen’s most famous pine, Karasakimatsu, requires a staggering 800 ropes all to itself. The pine is<br/>so massive, support beams stop its lower branches from growing into the water, encouraging them instead to impressively fan outward. A team of gardeners begins work on yukizuri on the first of November, and usually complete the project by mid-December. The rope structures become an attraction in themselves, especially when the snow begins to fall and the garden is lit up at night. In fact, the people of Japan enjoy the aesthetic so much, you’ll even spot yukizuri in Tokyo on occasion—where it rarely snows.<br/>While the yukizuri is a seasonal attraction, there’s plenty to enjoy at Kenrokuen Garden at any time of year.<br/>6. c. Platypus<br/>7. c. 20% of their body mass<br/>8. a. Grey-headed flying fox<br/>9. b. They are carnivorous and prey on worms and slugs 10. d. Cassowary<br/>Have you been published?<br/>Did you experience a life-changing moment during an O.A.T. adventure? Now, when you write a story about your discoveries and have it published on select travel websites or blogs, travel magazines, or in a local paper, you can enjoy a $100 travel voucher towards your next O.A.T. adventure. To claim your voucher, your story must:<br/>• Be published online so that we can share it instantly with other interested travelers • Mention O.A.T.’s website (www.oattravel.com)<br/>• If published in a local newspaper, have a circulation of at least 25,000 readers.<br/>Limit one voucher per trip. Guidelines subject to change. For more information or to participate, please contact Priscilla O’Reilly at poreilly@oattravel.com or 617-346-6841.<br/>DISPATCHES • WINTER 2017 51<br/>",""];