A subject dear to my heart is the time we’ve spent hiking our beautiful coastline. From the rugged Juan de Fuca Trail in the south to endless beaches of the Naikoon way up north in Haida Gwaii, our coastal trails are a gateway to magical places that offer a unique and profound connection with nature. … Continue reading The Coastal Hikes of BC
Our last post described our integration into a comfortable life in Zimbabwe, followed by my tumultuous tenure and eventual demise with CARE Canada. With my usual self-confidence, as unfounded as it may be, I bounced back reasonably quickly and my work took on a wholly different focus. The above is representative of one of the … Continue reading Zimbabwe – Part 2: Mining, Safaris and Corruption (1994 to 1995)
Zimbabwe was one of those critical junctures in our lives. We had just fled our precarious life in Southern Angola as the civil war restarted. Zimbabwe represented a safe haven, good health care for our daughter, work opportunities for Claire, career advancements for myself and wonderful travel opportunities. As was so often the case with … Continue reading Zimbabwe – Part 1: Stability then Upheaval (1993 to 1994)
I had started this blog post on the Greek Island of Kalymnos with the intention of publishing shortly after our return to Canada. A bout of Covid, caught on the long flight home, and then the demoralizing results of the US election have put a damper on things leaving little energy for writing, but as … Continue reading Kalymnos, Rock Climbing and Getting Older
Part One was about our trek in the Solukhumbu District. From there, Andreas and I returned to Kathmandu, reconnected with Steve and John, indulged in the delights of that fascinating town and then began planning our next trip. We decided to bus to the town of Dumre, walk up the Marsyangdi River valley to the … Continue reading Nepal – Way Back When (1980) Part Two: To Manang…..and back?
I’ve wanted to write this post for a long time now. Though my 2-month long sojourn in Nepal happened 44 years ago, it remains one of the most formative experiences of my life and, I believe, shaped its future trajectory. Prompted in part by the women in my life heading off for a trek in … Continue reading Nepal – Way back When (1980) Part One: Solukhumbu
This blog post is, in some small way, prompted by the refugee crises impacting so much of the world. The current, tragic situation in Gaza (Oct/23-May/24) has been especially triggering for Claire. Accordingly, she wishes to share a bit about her past work with refugees traumatized by war. Long before she met Jim, Claire was … Continue reading Claire On the Border: The Genocide and the Refugee Crisis of Cambodia (1980)
After almost 5 weeks traversing Laos from north to south, we are in a better position to articulate the differences between the Vietnamese and Lao. With Cambodia, however we see a striking difference right from the outset. With our border hassles behind us, we started the 65 km leg to the first town of note, … Continue reading 8. Cambodia – surprisingly different
Finally, a border crossing that we didn’t screw up. The Cambodian town on the border, Phsar Prom, was full of casinos, which are banned in Thailand and accordingly, the town was full of Thais. We were in no rush to get to the actual border, as we spent our final riel, changed dollars for baht … Continue reading 9. Thailand – End of the Road (Jan/2024)
I recently reread copies of the long letters we sent home during our posting in Nicaragua and soon realized how difficult it will be to recount those diverse experiences in a single blog post. Our 3 years in the country were full of emotional ups and downs. We witnessed major social, economic and political change. … Continue reading Nicaragua (1986-89): of Sandanistas, Potable Water, Spear-fishing & other Adventures
OVER THE HILL AND BEYOND 