Photo Contest Winners
Keli Beard, from Salt Lake City, Utah, was the first of many to correctly send an email with the answer to September’s photo contest: Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Where Was This Photo Taken?
This edition’s photo contest has been sponsored by Eagle Creek. And with the signpost in the photo we think we’ve made it easy enough for everyone to have fair shot at the very cool prize they’ve offered.
Send an email to info@xolaconsulting.com naming the country, region and mountain range, and we’ll send you a new piece of Eagle Creek gear!
Masthead photos by
Susan Hunter & Eythan Sontag
Photo contest photo by
Christina Heyniger
808 Juniper Drive,
Sante Fe, NM 87501
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First, some news: beginning in January 2007 you’ll find a print version of Off the Radar in Transitions Abroad magazine.
This expanded presence allows us to broaden the focus of our online newsletter. We will continue featuring the best small operators as recommended through our growing network of passionate travelers, but from time to time will also bring you stories of unusual travel experiences from our readers.
With this in mind, our November issue delivers the trips of Sea Dog Sailing, some inspiring observations from a friend in Sudan, and links to two niche travel websites we recently discovered.
For anyone trying to balance their adventurous travel yearnings with the special needs that crop up when traveling with kids, we found Babygoes2.com. It’s an independent, free, recommended-by-parents selection of villas and hotels worldwide.
Also, visit Seat61.com. Mark Smith edits Seat61 from Buckinghamshire, England, with advice on “how to travel overland comfortably & affordably where you might think that air was now the only option.” After reading the Sea Dog blurb you might be tempted to check out his page about travel to Croatia by train.
Our friend Sue Hunter recently celebrated her 70th birthday with Sea Dog Sailing on a trip in Croatia, and her experience sounded so magical we had to share it.
Bringing dimension to learning in classic “experiential learning” style, Sea Dog provides sailing instruction in beautiful waters around the world. Captain Stacey Brooks and First Mate Louize Christensen regularly sail in the British Virgin Islands, but also offer “Fantasy Sail Trips,” in a variety of destinations.
While Sue and her fellow shipmates shared the work of sailing with a system of daily rotations - helm, navigation and communication, sail trim, anchor and safety, dinghy - they also reveled in the exquisite beauty of the Dalmatian Coast. Anchoring one afternoon in the deep, fjord-like inlet of Luka Polace on the northern end of the densely wooded island of Mljet, the small group marveled at the island’s natural beauty, cultural landmarks such as a historic 12th century Benedictine monastery and, as Sue pointed out, wonderful seafood dining.
For more information about the sailing school or other fantasy sails contact captstacey@seadogsailing.com.
Ok, so we know you’re not likely to rush out and book a holiday to Sudan, but we felt that our friend Eythan Sontag’s recent note from Darfur, where his adrenaline- seeking backcountry skiing, rock climbing personality is learning to savor the beauty of birdwatching, was worth sharing. It’s a nice reminder that beauty in life exists everywhere. In Eythan’s words,
"Beyond the world of insects, I discovered that Darfur is home to a number of other, larger and, in some ways, more surprising animals. Darfur is mostly dry, experiences only a brief ‘rainy’ season and, in parts, is in the process of desertification.
So, it’s bizarre that I’ve found such a thriving community of water-based birds, like the cattle egret and a couple species of heron. Also, in the browness of Darfur, the dazzling reds and blues of so many other birds also came as a surprise.
The fauna in Darfur, of course, includes plentiful "working" animals as well as lizards, snakes, small rodents, and even pets. At any given moment outside of where I live, I can watch the world passing by on the back of a donkey, camel, horse, cow, goat, lamb or even the occasional monkey.
Not to get too philosophical, but it is interesting to see how adaptable and resilient the animals of Darfur are, very much like its human inhabitants.
Somehow, in the harsh environment of Darfur, which is not known for the high price it puts on life, these animals not only survive, but thrive and co-exist. I’m sure there’s a lesson in there for us humans…" |
