Women half dressed wearing fish costumes. Men half dressed wearing fish costumes. Elaborate doos, makeup for days. Painted floats and classic cars. The streets filled with cheering crowds. Welcome to the Mermaid Parade. It’s quite a spectacle. When to Go I’d read about the Parade for years before finally going in 2016. Once I was there I felt […]
Destinations, Montana, North America, Travel Stories, United States
Take Part in an Authentic Spring Cattle Branding in Montana
22
May
May
As soon as I get out of the vehicle, I’m hit by the baritone wails coming from dozens of distressed heifers. Their calves have been moved to an adjoining pen—and they’re not happy about it. Some pace while others stretch out their necks, raise their noses to the sky and mooooooooooo. (click above to hear the cows that morning) Spring […]
30
Apr
Apr
I had to mull this post over. I asked myself: was a photo-essay showcasing the sexy (and perhaps not so sexy) classic cars that I saw while on my photo tour in Cuba too cliché? My conclusion: Probably, but what the hell. I’m not a car person. As far as I am concerned, they’re just a […]
Asia, Destinations, Mongolia, Travel Stories
The Ultimate Kazakh Mongolian 8-hour Dance Party [Videos]
31
Dec
Dec
I’m not that much for big crazy parties. Don’t get me wrong I have my moments. But normally I’m pretty low-key, preferring an intimate dinner to a raucous evening out on the town. But on a trip to Asia, I gleefully indulged in one of those aforementioned “moments” with a group of Kazakh Mongolians. And when […]
Asia, Destinations, Mongolia, Travel Stories
Why Kazakh Nomad Women in Mongolia Can Spend All Day Milking
01
Nov
Nov
It’s milking time. Again. All hands on deck. The women of the Kazakh nomad community in Western Mongolia are in all-out commando mode. Their tongues click and arms wave as they chase their herds of goats and sheep into a pen. Hundreds of hooves dart this way and that, swirling and spinning, trying to avoid what’s […]
31
Aug
Aug
I remember musing that an American wedding planner would think I’d lost my mind. Wrestling? You want wrestling at your wedding?! Her shock giving way to complete bewilderment and horror when I followed up with…..and, we’ll want a horse race too. A Kazakh Wedding Tradition: The Wrestling Begins I scanned the celebration and grinned. This […]
12
Aug
Aug
We sit on the ground around a low wooden table waiting for the day to begin. It’s overcast, threatening rain, and the ger is dim, throwing everything into monochrome. A pot of boiling milk sits on top of a battered wood-burning stove in the center of the room, and I watch as steam rises into […]
29
Jul
Jul
It’s been a while since my adventure in western Mongolia with photographer Timothy Allen and seven fellow photography lovers, and yet I still think of it all the time. We camped in the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, a vast and profoundly beautiful and pristine expanse where we met the world’s most tolerant and gracious […]
31
Mar
Mar
The young girls from the Samburu Tribe whisper to each other, their hands cupped over their mouths in playful secrecy. I can’t help but laugh to myself; it’s funny how some things are so universal. The scene reminds me of my high-school days, my friends and I giggling over my latest crush. A few feet […]
03
Aug
Aug
Twenty minutes drive from Cape Town, high up in the hills of the Constantia Mountain Range sits Eagles’ Nest Winery, an award-winning boutique vineyard that has become a treasured respite for locals and travelers alike. I heard about the vineyard through a fellow travel writer and South African native, Linda Markovina of Moving Sushi. In […]