Imagine an ivy-clad turn-of-the –century colonial manor house surrounded by acres of unspoiled land. Inside, you can take tea in the drawing room by the fire or settle in for a lovely breakfast beside the windows overlooking the grounds. Next, imagine a 17’ tall giraffe strolls up and sticks his head inside the breakfast room, […]
The last stop on our safari journey was Sarara, a gorgeous lodge tucked away in the heart of the Matthews Range north of Mount Kenya. We had six full nights here, plenty of time to view the abundant wildlife and to learn about the Samburu people to whom these lands belong. The camp is the […]
E.O. Wilson would love this corner of Africa. In our first few days in northern Kenya we have seen creatures great and small, including three distinct and fascinating species of ants. The first was the safari ant. We had just arrived at Lewa and our guide Simon was coaxing the Land Rover across a shallow […]
If you are of a certain age, you may recall a Sunday evening ritual from your youth: watching The Wide World of Animals in full Technicolor on TV while wearing your fuzzy footy pajamas and munching Jiffy-Pop popcorn. I remember sitting mesmerized as images of lions in full pursuit of field upon field of migrating […]
The Okavango Delta literally overflows with life. The flooded plains and surrounding forests are home to an incredible number of animals we usually only associate with National Geographic specials. Among the twenty-three distinct mammal and countless bird species we saw, we were awed by the big guys: the African elephants –who are much larger than […]
The drums pulsed a steady beat as the warriors filed past. In keeping with Zulu tradition, female visitors were seated on the left and men on the right (all the better to defend the kraal and its occupants, should the sudden need arise). Our eyes attempted to adjust to the dim light inside but it […]
I don’t know what I had in mind when I imagined eating in Africa. I hadn’t really given it much thought. If I had been asked to speculate I would have guessed that the cuisine would be simple dishes consisting mostly of sweet potatoes, rice, and other starches. I certainly never thought we’d be eating […]
“Strap on your helmets…3..2..1…GO!” Katherine and Russell, aka Team White, were off with a roar. Carter and I, Team Blue, had to wait 5 minutes before we could take off—in our super cool sidecar! We are about to embark on an Amazing Race through Cape Town. Each team would have to complete a series of […]
It all started with an email from Dana White. She and her family are also traveling around the world this year (www.6explorers.com) and they visited Argentina last fall. As we were trading notes, she said something like “In the unlikely event something happens and you need help, the Goulds [another family from Dover] are in […]
We had only 72 hours in Santiago, the capital of Chile, so we didn’t have a lot of time to cover much culinary ground. However we did experience a few noteworthy taste highlights. Top among them was the coffee. To our surprise and delight, we discovered that it was impossible to find a bad cup. […]
“Ms. Wilcox, please report to the check-in counter for a message.” I hear my name over the PA system as I am eating soggy pesto spaghetti in the airport in Guayaquil, Ecuador. We are waiting to board our flight to Costa Rica. The four of us race to the counter, half-expecting a message from our […]
When you’re grown up, happy becomes something different. It isn’t what you felt when you were a kid, that feeling that washes over you like a wave and carries you along, leaving an ear-to-ear grin or fits of giggles in its wake. As an adult, I think happy gets pushed aside by feelings of accomplishment, […]
Peru turned out to be one of my top three favorite destinations on this trip so far[1]. It is a country full of vivid color, dramatic landscapes, rich history, and tradition. Plus, the food is delicious and the dollar goes far. We will definitely be back. Here are some of the highlights of what we […]
We were waiting in line for the toilets. The ride from Machu Picchu to Ollanta had been almost two hours and Nature was calling. As I waited for the kids, I entertained myself by eavesdropping on conversations of those in line. One group of four women was particularly interesting. They were American and about my […]
Peru’s varied terrain gives it an excellent base for gastronomy. There are fresh fish and shellfish from the coast, enormous corn kernels and delicious potatoes from the mountains, and juicy tropical fruits and plantains from the jungles. The meats include venison-like alpaca and duck-like guinea pig legs. The best dishes here are complex – blending ingredients […]
If you strategically omit patience and our tempers, our record on what we’ve lost so far is really not so bad. With more than twenty countries and countless transfers by plane, train, bus, boat, and taxi, it’s a miracle we haven’t lost all our worldly possessions. Fortunately, we haven’t lost anything irreplaceable, like say, […]
We took two cooking classes in China: the first was in Beijing (see Dumpling Daze post) and the second was in Shanghai. The cuisine in Shanghai is characterized as less sweet and slightly spicier, but is nowhere near as spicy as that found in Szechuan province. Our lesson at The Kitchen Studio focused on home […]
Well, almost. The high-speed train we took from Nanjing to Shanghai is as sleek and shiny as a silver bullet and, at 300 km/hr, goes almost as fast. Everything in China seems to be new and improved, or at least improving. Transportation is no exception. This particular train is less than a year old and […]
Eating in China has been one of our best culinary adventures yet. This caught me by surprise because I didn’t think I really liked Chinese food. With the exception of dim sum in Chinatown, most of what I had sampled at home came slathered in a goopy brown sauce laden with soggy vegetables and tiny […]
The Great Wall loomed large in my pantheon of must-see destinations. More than 2,000 years old, it is the single biggest man-made structure on the planet. Someone once told me you could even see it from the moon. While I believe that this assertion has been scientifically dispelled, having now visited, it remains larger than […]
I have read that some parents will go to great lengths to remain connected to their children once their precious babies reach those dreaded teenage years, but I never really imagined myself as one of those sorts. That is, until I found myself knee-deep in primordial crocodile-infested swamp mud. Carter could not stop grinning; he […]
Penguins come in a surprising range of sizes, but the very cutest is without a doubt the tiny Fairy Penguin. These little guys are the smallest of the bunch, standing only one foot tall and weighing in at just three pounds. The Fairy Penguin, or “Little Blue,” is native to the coastlines of Australia and […]
Before the earthquake of March 11th, we had 72 hours to savor Tokyo. During that time, we spent an afternoon learning classic Japanese home cooking with the kind and talented team of Chef Takamitsu Aihara. Chef Aihara has received a Michelin star for his beautiful cuisine and we were slightly star-struck to be in […]
We stepped off the flight from Vietnam and giggled with excitement: we were in Tokyo! We had only flown for four hours but it felt like we had landed in a different world. Everything was so sleek, high-tech, and almost unnaturally clean. There is simply no comparison between a public bathroom in Tokyo and anywhere […]
One of our touring highlights in Central Vietnam was a day of traditional farming and fishing in Hoi An. Russ took a vacation from the itinerary and opted to stay home with an economics book (?!) while the kids and I took off on a special eco-tour. We drove to the outskirts of the Farming […]
Who doesn’t love a good love story? Every country seems to have one. Here in Vietnam, one of the most poignant is widely known but officially unrecognized by the Vietnamese government: it is the true story of Ho Chi Minh and his Chinese wife and it goes something like this. Ho Chi Minh was born […]
Thailand is not the first nation we’ve visited with a large Buddhist population. After all, Buddha himself came from India. However, it is the first place that has felt distinctly Buddhist. Perhaps it is the 30,000 temples which dot the country, or the bright saffron robes of the monks who are everywhere. Or maybe it […]
Infamous and exotic, the Golden Triangle is situated at the intersection of northern Thailand, Laos, and Burma (Myanmar). The mighty Mekong River flows through the heart of the Triangle and serves as a major trade thoroughfare and border between nations. Just thirty years ago, up to 90% of the world’s opium supply poured out of […]
Eating in Singapore is a national pastime so compelling that more than 5 million tourists visit annually to participate. While some opt for the five-star tables, those in the know come for the street food. We were clueless and consequently delighted when we learned that the city was filled with “food courts” where hawkers selling […]
54New Zealand is a Mecca for outdoor lovers and, while I would never classify myself as a Nature gal, even I couldn’t help but be transported by the lushness and variety of the Great Outdoors quite literally outside my door. Russ, Giles, and I left the lodge at 11:00 am with the stated intention of […]
We had a red-eye flight into Hong Kong that proved easier than expected, due to the kindness of a Kingfisher employee who saw the kids and decided to upgrade our seats! Thank goodness for a decent night’s rest. The goals for Hong Kong were simple: first, to rest and rejuvenate after a couple of weeks of intense […]
When we were in France, I fell in love with the castle Chenonceau. In India, I fell in love with The Lake Palace. The Lake Palace was the summer residence of the Maharana of Udaipur. Maharana means warrior king and is a title distinct from Maharaja. The current ruling dynasty in Udaipur has stood for […]
The cuisine of India is rich in history, dazzling in color, and overwhelming in variety. Countless legumes, vegetables, and spices are combined to create everything from street snacks to five-star entrees. I did a lot of eating and a bit of cooking while here and my first introduction to both came under the expert guidance […]
We didn’t really know much about the Valley of the Kings and so went in with modest expectations. After all, two days prior we had descended into the pyramids themselves like modern-day tomb raiders. What could top that? Our interest was piqued when we were informed that no photography of any sort was allowed in […]
To be entirely honest, I was a bit apprehensive about visiting Jordan. The country is, after all, situated in the heart of the Middle East, a place I had never been and had only heard about in the news. I was extremely conscious of being an American in a region where I imagined Americans were […]
We had walked by the Chanel windows a hundred times. The boutique was right next door. Katherine and I often paused to admire the beautiful and occasionally outrageous outfits. Then one day in early December, we saw something which took our breath away: there amidst the winter white ensembles and holiday decorations were scores of […]
How to celebrate Christmas on the road? It was a question Russ and I hadn’t really considered when we started planning this trip but it loomed large as the end of December approached. We had initially planned to spend the holidays in Vienna in order to explore the famous Christmas markets. However, due to visa […]
This week we took an overnight trip to Strasbourg which is the capital of Alsace, the eastern-most region of France. Alsace straddles the border between France and Germany and throughout history has ping-ponged between the two. It officially rejoined France as recently as 1918 but maintains a Germanic feel and flavor. The joint cultural heritage of […]
We wanted a genuine cultural immersion in one of Europe’s greatest cities. That’s why we decided to rent an apartment in Paris versus stay in a hotel. We’d make the beds, run the errands, and do all the cooking and cleaning. Everything would surely be more fun in French. While this has largely been true, […]
It was late September and we were skyping with our dear friends the Ramsey-Troughtons when all of a sudden Karen asked “Hey, what are you guys doing for the Columbus Day weekend?” I told her that we had no firm plans and she instantly replied “We’re coming!” Sure enough, two weeks later Karen, Colin, and […]
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