ZECO TRAVEL TALK

The bus rounded the corner and there it was: one of the most recognizable ruins in the world. Today we were in Hiroshima, standing across from the A-Bomb Dome.

The fractured, skeletal remains of the building stopped us in our tracks. We just stood there, imagining the blast blowing out the windows and peeling the copper off the dome, then the fire consuming the building as the walls and roof collapse.

As we walked through Peace Memorial Park, we came to a memorial standing in a plaza. This is a place that all Japanese know, study, and respect. It is about the story of Sadako, a young Japanese girl who survived the blast and subsequent effects of radiation poisoning. She believed that if she folded 1,000 origami paper cranes, she would be cured of her illness. She succeeded in folding her cranes, but sadly succumbed to leukemia. Today, school children from all over Japan come bearing gifts of folded cranes to honor her memory. The offerings are placed in cases surrounding this monument, topped with a statue of a girl holding a giant folded paper crane. Read more

Having just finished our Welcome Dinner in Kyoto, Lia Oprea our intrepid Expedition Leader started to explain our plans for the following day including just how we were going to get our group of 100 people on to a train that only stops at the station for 60 seconds! Looking around the room I noticed mouths agape and eyes rolling as everyone had the same thought… 60 seconds?!

The next morning we made our way to Kyoto Station for our Shinkansen, or Bullet Train, to Himeji. We made our way to the platform where a carefully choreographed ballet unfolded before our eyes: A futuristic white train slowly glides into the station and stops at its prescribed place. The doors open and out pour 120 people on to the platform, while another 120 wait on a patch of colored tile in a line ready to board. The swift exchange is made all within 60 seconds! Read more

After a pleasant international flight from Seattle to Osaka, Japan, I was woken from a gentle slumber in the early evening by the phone. On the other end was a familiar South African voice: “Hi Matt, Lynne here. Would you like to join our group for Shabu Shabu dinner tonight? We are meeting in 30 minutes.” Would I, – yes! So off we went to Saami Ryotei, a traditional Japanese inn and restaurant built in 1615 on a hill in Maruyama Park. On arrival we had time to walk through the lovely gardens with the scent of camphor trees wafting through the evening air.

As we reached the inn, a taxi pulled up and out stepped two visions of Japanese beauty – a Geiko and a Maiko resplendent in beautiful kimonos and their simple but striking painted faces. At the door of the inn we were asked to remove our shoes and were then lead into a “dining” room with groupings of low tables set with large ceramic pots of boiling water and large trays of meat, vegetables, and tofu. Read more

Within the Burma portion of our recent Eco-Expedition to Burma and Laos, our expedition leader Gary Wintz organized a surprise visit to the Myittawardi Parahita Monastery and Orphanage, arguably one of the most famous Buddhist monasteries and orphanages in Burma. The visit and food donations were arranged in advance by Gary but were a pleasant and unexpected surprise to our travelers. The picture shows the abbot, along with our group standing behind the mound of donated food supplies. After the presentation, everyone who wished to participate distributed fruit and crackers to the 300 orphans adding a very moving and unexpected memory to the expedition.

During our recent expedition to Burma and Laos, Eco-Expeditions’ passengers were treated to many surprise stops within the itinerary. Organized by expedition leader, Gary Wintz, one of these surprises brought passengers to Laos’ largest, newest and most state-of-the art library – @ My Library, located in the north-central Laotian UNESCO World Heritage site, Luang Prabang. @ My Library boasts not only Laos’ largest collection of books on loan, students of all ages are able to take advantage of free computer access, recording facilities, language training and most importantly, quiet settings to study and read. Passengers were treated to a tour of the library and were able to meet and chat with Carol Kresge, director of the library and member of the non-governmental organization that made this library possible, The Language Project. Read more about the library’s successes here.