ZECO TRAVEL TALK

We had a wonderful trip to the Galápagos… I am still dreaming of the many places we saw. Spending time with Jack (Grove) and Pauli in this rarified environment was such a treat, and being with Greg Estes, our veteran naturalist guide, in his own territory really added to the experience. The most amazing aspect of being on these islands is that there is a total absence of fear. There are no weapons and no predators. We went ashore one morning on the pristine island of Genovesa, and basically just slowly moved around at the mouth of a tidal basin that ended in mangroves, where we observed the birds—mostly red-foot boobies, their fledglings, some Galápagos doves, and a lava heron or two. It was probably one of the most peaceful moments of the trip. I was reminded of that when we got back to the mainland and I spotted a bird I wanted to observe more closely. As I moved closer, of course it flew away. I had forgotten I was no longer in paradise, where you can walk between and around nesting albatross and lovemaking frigatebirds and nobody seems to notice you are big and somewhat out of place. M. & H. Smit

You may have seen J. Henderson knitting sweaters during Zegrahm Expedition trips. She introduced me to the Knit for Kids project on a voyage in 1998/99. Many of you have asked about the project and for information on to how to become involved.

If you go to the website www.knitforkids.org you will find the directions for the sweater. There is one standard sweater that the groups request and they ask that you only use their patterns so the sweaters are all the same when they arrive in a village.

On the map and in the photo album you can see where sweaters have been sent around the world and in the United States. Sweaters are sent in large boxes with a variety of sizes so there is something for everyone. Kids like bright colors. White is not recommended because in some countries white is a funeral color; in certain countries the sweaters will be washed on rocks in a stream.

Sweaters can also be crocheted. In the most recent Knit for Kids newsletter update, Ohio prisoners have learned to crochet and are shown with the sweaters they have made.

As of this date, Ms. Henderson is finishing up sweater #88!

D. Traver

Circumnavigation Of The Black Sea

We had a wonderful time on board Le Levant, a luxurious cruise ship, circumnavigating the Black Sea for two weeks in September. The history and culture of that part of the world are fascinating, and the lecturers on board did a great job.

When we received the brochure for the trip from the MIT Alumni office—who sponsored a group of 22 people—we knew right away that this would be our 8th MIT-sponsored trip. We also knew that we had an extraordinary personal opportunity that no one else on the trip would have—to visit the city of Varna, Bulgaria, the last port of the trip and the birthplace of our adopted grandson. Read more

We’ve come back from our Romania trip with so many memorable images and moments to sift through… Despite the country’s ongoing battle with government corruption, it is such a beautiful place and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the medieval cities, such as Sibiu, Cluj, Sighisoara, and Brasov. The fortified churches and monasteries are out of this world, and the painted monasteries of Bukovina are still something I can’t get over. But beyond the major sights it was the villages, the landscapes, the fir-clad mountainsides, the horse-drawn carts, the horses decorated for a wedding, the “from another era” funeral ceremonies, the dancers… Those were the real highlights.

One of the best times was our visit with an older couple who single-handedly have collected an incredible assortment of objects: archaeological pieces from an dig the man participated in, wooden carvings, old vests, agricultural objects, paintings, and everything having to do with making butter. But his main legacy is–andwill be–that he has been teaching the children of the village the traditional dances and music. Read more