Interview Preview: Bruce Poon Tip - Global Adventure Travel Entrepreneur with a Conscience

September 30, 2005

Interview Preview: Bruce Poon Tip - Global Adventure Travel Entrepreneur with a Conscience

Yesterday I had a chance to meet Bruce Poon Tip, owner and CEO of G.A.P Adventures, one of Canada's most successful travel entrepreneurs. You may wonder, what is he like? Bruce is the owner of Canada's largest adventure travel company, an attractive man of about 37 years of age, dressed in casual attire and not afraid to speak off the cuff. Certainly a charismatic personality who was able to captivate last night's capacity crowd at the G.A.P. concept store in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood.

In 1990 Bruce went on an organized backpacking trip to Thailand where he had a chance to explore the people and the country on $10.00 a day. This experience gave him the idea to create G.A.P Adventures, today Canada's largest adventure travel company that now sells thousands of different trips and annually sends 40,000 passengers on their own small-group adventures. G.A.P has about 300 employees today, headquartered in Toronto, with operational offices in various countries of Latin America. It's most recent endeavours are the G.A.P concept stores which have recently been opened in high-traffic areas in Toronto and Vancouver, places where travellers can research their adventure trip, get more information about their desired destination and book their once-in-a-lifetime experience supported by good advice with no sales pressure.

For his entrepreneurial savvy Bruce has won numerous awards, besides receiving an award as one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40, Bruce has been also been honoured as one of Canada's top 5 entrepreneurs by Canadian Business as well as Canada's 100 leaders of tomorrow. Profit Magazine named him in their 20th anniversary issue cover story as one of Canada's Top 10 Entrepreneurs of the last 20 years. Bruce also received the Global Traders Leadership award from the government for his ground breaking ideas in exporting services.

Recently Bruce was asked by the World Bank and UNESCO to represent a team to visit the Peoples Republic Of China to lecture on Sustainable Development. In January of 2002 Bruce was the only Canadian operator invited to speak at the United Nations Launch of the Year Of Eco Tourism in New York. Bruce defied the odds once again last year by winning Canada's prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year, as well as the National Citation for Entrepreneurship.

G.A.P's additional awards include having two trips chosen among the TOP 25 Adventures in the World by National Geographic Adventure magazine, the Ethics in Action Award, the Global Traders Award and the Clean Air Commute Award for five straight years.

Although a consummate business man, Bruce Poon Tip has a conscience and he has founded his entire entreprise on the concept of sustainability and established travel practices that show consideration of natural surroundings and local cultures. By limiting the travel group size to 12 people, by taking local transportation and staying in small, locally owned hotels and guesthouses, G.A.P travellers are able to minimize their footprint in foreign communities and get maximum exposure to local culture.

Young weaverPlaneterra is a non-profit organization founded by G.A.P to give back. Today Planeterra raises funds for a number of community projects, international charities and an endowment fund to ensure long-term support of community development and conservation projects for years to come. Some of the community projects that G.A.P sponsors through donations include a community school in Ecuador, a foundation in Honduras to help women start their own businesses, an NGO in Costa Rica for environmental and wildlife conservation projects, a local battery recycling project in Chile, a drop-in center for street children in Cuczo, Peru, and many more. G.A.P Adventures itself also initiated a Women's Weaving Project in Peru that taught local women ancient weaving techniques as well as natural fabric dye processes. Today all G.A.P travel groups visiting the Sacred Valley in Peru have a chance to see and purchase high quality textiles produced by these weavers, all sold at fair trade prices.

As another example of the innovativeness of his company, Bruce shared with us the story of how he went out to purchase the "Explorer", the world's first purpose-built expedition cruise ship. In March of 2004 Bruce went on an expedition cruise through the Antarctic and fell in love with the experience. He figured he need to buy his own expedition cruise ship and started looking for suitable vessels. In April of 2004 he found the "Explorer", a historic expedition ship with a capacity of 112 passengers and a crew of 60 people. The ship had been docked in Genoa, Italy, for many months due to the financial problems of its owners. Just another 2 months later, but after many complications, G.A.P took possession of the ship. Only another 4 months later, after extensive restorations, the Explorer went on its inaugural journey and today offers expedition cruises to such unique places as Antarctica, the Amazon, Spitzbergen, and Greenland. (Incidentally, G.A.P. has agreed to sponsor our first Travel Story Contest and the grand prize winner of our contest will win an exciting adventure cruise on the Amazon in the Explorer - all thanks to G.A.P. Adventures.)

G.A.P's innovative business ideas don't end here. G.A.P also has a travel TV Show: Great Adventure People TV shows viewers the world – G.A.P Adventures style. The camera accompanies small groups of G.A.P Adventure travellers and follows them on unique G.A.P. adventure trips– cycling through the fascinating country of Vietnam, exploring exotic Morocco, and hiking, biking and rafting through captivating Spain and Italy. New episodes can be seen in Canada on CTV and will soon also be available in Great Britain on the UK Travel Channel.

G.A.P is a unique company, with a unique philosophy and a unique way of operating. I am looking forward to interviewing Bruce personally and to finding out how he is able to combine a successful high-growth adventure travel business with his dedication to social causes and sustainable travel. Stay tuned for some interesting insights into a brilliant entrepreneurial mind....

www.textronics.com

For more travel articles, advice, photos, interesting interviews &
the opportunity to win a cruise on the Amazon River
visit my website at www.travelandtransitions.com

Interview Preview: Danielle Weiss - Latin America Fan and Sustainable Travel Expert

September 30, 2005

Interview Preview: Danielle Weiss - Latin America Fan and Sustainable Travel Expert

Sustainable travel has been an issue I have been interested in for a while now and through G.A.P Adventures, the sponsor of the grand prize for our soon to be launched Travel Story Contest, I was able to learn more about the topic of sustainable tourism.

Danielle Weiss, a former tour leader for G.A.P, is now the company's Sustainable Tourism Coordinator. While I was quizzing Danielle about sustainable travel issues of course I asked her a bit about herself and her connection to the adventure and eco-travel industry. As she started to tell me more about her background, I realized that I had a very interesting person right there in front of me, who has lived, worked, studied and volunteered in a number of foreign countries. Needless to say, I needed to find out more about Danielle and her background.

Danielle completed a degree in environmental studies at the University of Waterloo and during her college years she travelled to Guatemala and Costa Rica. In her 3rd year of studies she went to Ecuador for two semesters. During the first semester she worked on academic studies, while during the second semester she volunteered in a coastal jungle project where she provided environmental education to local children, got involved in a tree planting program and worked in a women's program.

That year in Ecuador truly changed her life - Danielle came back a different person. The most striking experience was that she had developed a strong distaste for the materialism that is so prevalent in our western societies. A key memory for Danielle was meeting a family who had walked for four days through the jungle with a sick baby to try to reach medical facilities. Unfortunately the family did not reach the hospital in time and the baby died. Images like these shaped Danielle's realization how hard life is for so many people and how lucky we really are.

Danielle will tell us how difficult it was to come back to Toronto and not surprisingly she went back to Latin America not much later. Over a period of several years, Danielle lived, worked and volunteered in different locations in Latin America and fell in love with the countries, the language and the people. She will share stories of survival where she literally survived on about a dollar a day. During one of her stays in Latin America she linked up with G.A.P Adventures and eventually become one of their tour leaders. In the upcoming interview, Danielle will tell us more about her travel experience and her experience as a tour leader, continuously on the road for 12 months.

Today, Danielle is back in Toronto, and after various positions at the head office, she has become G.A.P's Sustainable Tourism Coordinator. Through her work Danielle makes a difference in a number of Latin American communities and demonstrates how individuals and private businesses can lend a hand to people in need.

www.textronics.com

For more travel articles, advice, photos, interesting interviews &
the opportunity to win a cruise on the Amazon River
visit my website at www.travelandtransitions.com

Local Explorations - Hello from Lake Ontario's Waterfront Trail

September 26, 2005

Local Explorations - Hello from Lake Ontario's Waterfront Trail

In our neck of the woods the summer has been absolutely gorgeous, a little on the hot and humid side occasionally, but I am unable to recall a summer that has been so warm and sunny as this summer of 2005.

The weekend before last I just felt like exploring the local area a little bit and since I was unable to pry my husband away from watching some of the season's first football games, I struck out on my own and laid out an itinery for a little local discovery. I've said it before - this website is about exploration and discovery, locally and abroad. The places right underneath our noses often have so many things to discover, we don't always need to get a plane ride away to uncover something new.

Since we spent so much time along Toronto's waterfront during my brother's visit, and since I am big suck for water in all shapes and forms, I thought let's stretch the envelope a little further east and see what Lake Ontario has to offer outside of Toronto's eastern city limits. More specifically, let's check out the shoreline and Lake Ontario's Waterfront Trail.

The Waterfront Trail extends for a total of 740 km and stretches all the way from Niagara-on-the-Lake in the southwest to Brockville in the east. Of course, 740 km in a day would be a bit much, so I focussed my explorations on the communities just east of Toronto: Pickering, Ajax and Whitby.

I started just on the west side of Toronto's city limits at the estuary of the Rouge River, which forms part of a protected nature preserve. The river flows out in a lagoon setting and joins the lake just outside a long extended finger of sand, right beside a beautiful sandy beach. A video production company was just shooting a soca music video and the footbridge over the Rouge River was actually blocked off by the film crew. That didn't deter a bunch of fishermen underneath the railway bridge from casting their lures in hopes of catching the big one.

My next stop was Pickering, the first community east of Toronto. I went down to the Liverpool Beachfront Park, which houses a brand new very attractive Cape Code style housing development, a marina and a restaurant surrounded by a marsh just inland from the shoreline. At the beachfront of Frenchman's Bay there are various recreation facilities and the boardwalk takes you right up to the fences of the Pickering Nuclear Power Station.

Back in the car I went and I scoped out the next city further east: Ajax, which has a beautiful waterfront. I parked my car at Rotary Park which has a nice pavillion with a food concession, put on my inline skates and rolled eastwards past the Ajax Waterfront Park and Harwood Gardens to the east end of the Waterfront Park. Virtually all of downtown Ajax' waterfront is parkland and near Lion's Point and Harwood Gardens the shoreline is elevated, with many benches to sit down and rest and gaze out onto the infinite horizons of Lake Ontario.

I made a brief stop in Whitby, but by that time my stomach was growling and the nagging feeling in my digestive system made me decide to explore this area in more detail another time. I figured I gotta leave some of the nice stuff for next time.

After almost 20 years in Canada I had never explored these parts of Lake Ontario's shoreline and I was amazed at how many beautiful spots I found. As fall approaches, I am planning to extend my discoveries and head out to discover some of Ontario's brilliant fall colours and get to know my local neck of the woods a little better.

www.textronics.com

For more travel articles, advice, photos, interesting interviews &

the opportunity to win a cruise on the Amazon River

visit my website at www.travelandtransitions.com.

Scott connects with his Slovakian roots by Scott Paul Rains

September 26, 2005

Scott connects with his Slovakian roots

Scott Rains, our disability and travel editor, recounts his story of going to Slovakia and connecting with his Slavic roots. In this article Scott tells us of his multiple family reunions and provides some practical tips for wheelchair-accessible hotels and car rentals throughout Slovakia.

Slovakia – via Rio -from the Seated Position

By Scott Paul Rains, Travel and Disability Editor

For most of us with Slovak roots, meeting family in Slovakia is like the coming together of two worlds – two lifetimes. It’s like filling a hole in a puzzle.

My puzzle had a few extra pieces. Once I discovered a living relative in Slovakia it took me about two years to arrange the trip. My puzzle includes getting around in a wheelchair. The solution came, oddly enough while I was in Brazil.

I was born among Chicago Slovaks (MAZALAN, JANOTA, KLIMCIK) who worked at Benet’s “Wiretown” Factory in Blue Island as tool and die makers and whose children took up insurance and flooring. Metalwork and floor tiles run for generations through our family story. In Slovakia I learned of chapters involving the Rockefellers importing Mazalan’s proprietary sharpening stones, family stoneworkers repairing the lintels in Trencin Castle, and Oravsky Podzamok’s display of the Mazalan quarry and the family’s master stoneworkers. I also learned that the family property, expropriated under the Communists, is now the seedy Medzibrodie nad Oravou grocery and pub. I laughed to learn that several of my grandfather’s “favorite nephews” never really existed! It turns out that one relative mastered both stoneworking and prevarication. For years he graciously accepted donations of clothing and money from my grandfather to support his fictitious children!

Family history is so much better than TV soap operas. And I never would have known any of it without visiting our ancestral villages of Medzibrodie nad Oravou, Bziny, Pribis, and Presov in Orava.

I was born in Chicago but Seattle is home for me. The family moved there when I was young. So, Slovak cultural influence on me, that far from a Slovak enclave, was pretty much limited to Catholicism, paprikosh, and kolachkes. Oh yes, there were the high-spirited music and dancing sessions when we visited Chicago. We’re Gorals after all! Still, I never learned a word of Slovak.

But I did learn Portuguese. In high school and college I was an exchange student in Brazil. To celebrate my 20th wedding anniversary I arranged a return with my wife decades after losing touch with my Brazilian host family. I began an Internet-assisted search for them. Offhandedly, just to master the Internet, I applied my successful search strategies to researching my Slovak roots. I found both families at about the same time. In Rio, amid a festive “family” reunion, I asked about a missing host family member. “Oh, she married an American,” I was told. “He works for the American Consulate – in Bratislava.” Bingo! Suddenly I had more family in Slovakia. By the time I left Rio my calendar showed multiple family reunions throughout Slovakia for the following Easter.

Easter in Slovakia is a wonderful time for meeting family. Many extended families naturally gather for the season. We fit right into the festivities. Younger people, who frequently speak English, were home from school to translate. In fact, we found several eager to drive us around the country to visit castles, spas, scenic spots, cousins and a whole branch of the family in Nitra that we knew nothing about. Easter rates at hotels and airfare rates are still off-season. Stay for a couple weeks and you can watch the trees unfurls their leaves and the earliest spring flowers pop up. Tourist sites are sparsely visited this early in the season and I found staff more than willing to help me around their wheelchair obstacle courses. Street vendors are ready to bargain too. But, take note, castles and museums open a bit later in Slovakia than next door in the Czech Republic so plan to stay into May to make the cultural tour.

So, what did I learn that I can pass on to another disabled traveler?

Our travels required a rental car. Germany had the nearest rental agencies offering cars with hand controls. Even then, they insisted that the controls be mounted for right hand use. I use my left hand. We picked up a regular rental car in Vienna and my sister did all the driving.

The wheelchair-accessible room at the Hotel Danube (Danube@hoteldanube.com) in Bratislava was very comfortable. At lobby level is an accessible computer room with Internet access, a restaurant and a bar. I recommend the hotel but it’s not perfect. If you’re a long-time wheelchair user you’ll be familiar with the drill of using the garbage-bin elevators to get into the mezzanine-level restaurant through the kitchen. Don’t imitate me and risk your life being carried up the stairs to the tiny mezzanine-level gift shop. You won’t miss anything. The small first floor gift shop was pricey for high-end items that can be easily be found in shops a block or two away. The shop did have a helpful selection of literature on Slovakia in English. Stock up!

Orava and Nitra were our other main stops. The Park Hotel in Dolny Kubin has a wheelchair ramp. Their small accessible room includes adaptations made to the bathroom. Typical of hotels that look on disabled guests as a burden, the room I stayed in was at the far, unlit end of the hall. The front desk staff was gracious but the owner was positively cruel to my sister and unapologetic when the mistake proved to be entirely his own. I would steer you away from this untidy hotel if it were not the only choice in town.

Nitra offered several wheelchair accessible hotel choices. I selected Koruna Hotel (koruna@conet.sk) on a hillside overlooking the city. I can recommend it although family kept us so busy that I never explored anything beyond the well-designed room itself.

Watch for positive changes in accommodating people with disabilities in Slovakia. Joining the European Union is bringing in new industry and raised expectations of tourists. Do your best to enlist family or anyone you know who is visiting Slovakia to research the sorts of accommodations required by your particular disability.

Extra Links:http://www.beans-around-the-world.com/slov.htmlhttp://www.beans-around-the-world.com/copacabana.html

www.textronics.com

For more travel articles, advice, photos, interesting interviews &

the opportunity to win a cruise on the Amazon River

visit my website at www.travelandtransitions.com.

An Update from Danielle Lafond from Mancora, Peru (2)

September 20, 2005

An Update from Danielle Lafond from Mancora, Peru (2)

At the end of July I saw a brief feature on local TV about a Canadian couple who had mortgaged their home to create an international non-profit development organization in Peru, starting with shipping a container full of donated medical supplies to a small town on the Peruvian coast. I didn't catch the person's name, but I did catch the website: www.paraelmundo.org. Once on the site I sent an email, and Josh, the co-founder of this organization, got back to me in an email from Peru to arrange an interview with his wife, Danielle, who had came up with the idea for this project.

I had a chance to do an interview with Danielle who told me about how she and her husband Josh remortgaged their home to raise $30,000 to start a non-profit community development organization in a town called Mancora, a small fishing town of 15,000 people, located in northern Peru on the Pacific coast, just south of the Ecuadorian border. They already shipped a container full of medical supplies to Peru, at their own cost.

In August Danielle moved to Peru to join her husband Josh, to help this Peruvian community of Mancora. Danielle will be sharing with us regularly how she and her husband are doing in this little town in Peru and she'll tell us stories (sometimes humorous ones) about cultural adjustment as well as give us progress reports of her non-profit community assistance organiation. Here is her second update:

Hi everyone,

How are things with all of you? I figured it was about time to send you anotherupdate. Things have been busy and always interesting, sometimes strange and often funny. We've had an interesting bunch of visitors occupying the guest room. First we had Dougald, a friend of Miguel's from Toronto, then Danny, another friend of Miguel's from Toronto (who at this moment should be on the Inca Trail - yikes!), and now Tracy, a Toronto paramedic, is here helping out.

Were getting to know Mancora better everyday, although it still continues tobaffle us. Finding things is a challenge, given that you can get limes at the computer store, rent movies at the cable place, and get your laundry done at a restaurant. To find flea powder (Ill tell you why in a second), we had to go to Ruth's, who sent us to Dianna's, who told us to walk three blocks this way and ablock that way, and ask for Nico Machalas house. So we did, and some localkids were able to tell us which house it was. It looked normal on the outside, but his front room was full of a random assortment of things hanging from the ceiling and in glass cases. He did indeed have flea powder, pre-packaged or bulk. We bought the packaged stuff.

So why did we need flea powder, you ask? Well we didn't, but our kittens did.Josh and I rescued two kittens last weekend, on Sean's birthday. We were all having a fire on the beach with some friends, and on our way there, we found these two kittens in the garbage dump, crying and hungry and full of fleas. They were really skiddish at first, and we took them home, bathed them, fed them, and put some sand in a box for litter.

Thank goodness, they took to it right away and we haven't had any problems with them going no.1 or no.2 anywhere theyre not supposed to. We call the female Pilsen - she's all black and named after a Peruvian brand of beer. The male is black and white, and he's called Pisco, after a Peruvian liquor. Really, we're not alcoholics or anything, we just thought it'd be cool. We all enjoy them a lot and theyre getting fatter and cuter everyday. Theyre very socialable now, and spend their days going from lap to lap purring. We figure they're about 3-4 months old.

Weve been getting into surfing, and we bought a used board last week. Its an8 foot gunner, which means it can be turned and it has fins. It needed a paint job, so Sean and Miguel have been working on it. One side is red with white maple leafs, and the other side is white with red maple leafs. Go Canada! It was $40. Were getting another board, a 10 foot long board, which are very hard to come by and also very easy to learn on, because its basically a huge flat raft- likething. Pretty much impossible to tip over. You could use it to go fishing on, its that steady. You can't turn one to save your life, but it'll be good for beginners like me.

Also, now that we have two boards, we can go out two at a time, which is more fun. Waves are big here - the last few days they've been 2-2.5metres, which is too big for our beginner butts. We'll wait until they're under 2 metres, thanks.

Weve met some cool new friends here too, from Britain and Australia. There isa Centre for Special Needs kids in Mancora, and we help them out quite a bit. Josh and Tracy have prepared a first aid kit for them and will be teaching some of the parents and volunteers there first aid. Anyway, they have a number of volunteers for a few months at a time, and weve been hanging out with them. Its nice to meet people that are like-minded and who are also here working here, as opposed to tourists who are on vacation.

This past weekend, we took a hiking trip with them. There were seven of us in total, and we were the guinea pigs trying out a new route that the ministry of tourism wants to use as an ecotour. Guinea pigs indeed. It was a little scary, to be honest, and probably not entirely safe, but we did get home safely. All we were told ahead of time was that it was a hike between two beaches.

In fact, it was, but it was a hike from one beach to another along a very rocky, cliffy, shale-y shore, and we had to hurry because the tide was rising. I wore sandals, thinking beach hike = sand, but I was wrong and got a big painful blister within the first hour. Then I borrowed shoes that were too big and I had no socks. Fun times.

Part of the trek involved climbing up shale cliffs, with little safety equipment except for a piece of rope tied to a rock. Thank goodness Josh (former rock climbing instructor) was there to keep an eye out. I almost got schmucked by a huge falling rock that one of the guides threw off the top of the cliff, without looking down to see if it was clear. Anyway, the view was nice and we made it to the end, had lunch, then tried to get back to Mancora. We took a combi (mini-van packed with way too many people) from the small town we were in to Paita, then another combi (also way too packed, Josh was so cramped with his long legs) to Sullana.

When we got to Sullana (at 5pm) we found out there was a strike and no buses were going to Mancora until who knows when, maybe days. So after much negotiation and in front of a growing crowd of onlookers, we ended up convincing a guy with a station wagon to take us the 150km for 20 soles each. We fit seven people into the station wagon (3 in the trunk part looking backwards) and made it home around 7ish last night.

Things with the organization are moving along nicely. We finally got phone andinternet at our place. To call from Canada, dial 011-51-73-258250. We also found a space to rent for the clinic, which is very exciting. Its decked out, with a phone, a bathroom, running water, a finished floor, and three small rooms plus the main space. Weve finished the inter-agency agreement between PaM and the Peruvian Red Cross, and our donations should be on their way any time. We have another 6 paramedics coming to help out in October/November, so well be able to get lots done. On the sad side, one of Josh's first patients died this week. She was 87 and he used to visit her everyday at her house.

I have been working on teaching English to a group of people I taught last year,and I also work with some of them on an individual level for emotional support and other social- worky stuff. We take Spanish classes everyday. The current drama going on right now is that one of the women we work with has been kidnapped by her loser ex, who is that father of her 1 year old, and we haven't seen or heard from her since Saturday. If no one knows anything by tomorrow, we will try the police, but they usually arent very helpful, especially not in domestic violence cases.

Since he's been here, Josh (and others from our organization) have personally been involved in several cases of violence against women in the street. Most people just stand around and watch, but once one person does something, others step up to help. Right after the last incident, several women came to Cecilia's house and wanted to know who we were and if we could help them. They all said that they were afraid to do anything, but that once they saw Josh and Cecilia step in, they felt they could help too.

So thats the update for now.Hope you're all well, I send big e-hugs to everyone!

Hasta pronto,

Danielle

www.textronics.com

For more travel articles, advice, photos, interesting interviews &

the opportunity to win a cruise on the Amazon River

visit my website at www.travelandtransitions.com.

Presenting: Scott Rains - World Traveller, Disabled Travel Advocate & Expert on Universal Design

September 15, 2005

Presenting: Scott Rains - World Traveller, Disabled Travel Advocate & Expert on Universal Design

Scott contacted me about a week ago after having come across this website. We realized that we shared a lot of common philosophies and emails started flying back and forth furiously, capped off by a very long telephone conversation.

Scott is an interesting individual, he has studied linguistics and finished his academic studies with a doctorate in theology. He has worked as a social activist, ranch hand, in social activism, in higher education, as an author, in technology education and in travel. He has travelled to many countries, despite the fact that he has to use a wheelchair. Along the way he has become an expert on disabled travel and "universal design", a design philosophy that makes buildings and facilities available to all people: young, old, tall, short, strong, weak - not just the temporarily able-bodied.

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

I grew up in Pacific Northwest. I believe I went camping once a month for all the years I was in Boy Scouts and on longer summer treks, canoe trips, or camps until I started working summers as a ranch hand on the North Platte River in Wyoming.

2. A major life event occurred when you were 17 years old. Please tell us about that.

One Sunday before my 18th birthday I achieved what was then my life’s dream. I was certified as a ski instructor. That Thursday afternoon I awoke from a biopsy on a spinal tumor paralyzed.

Three months later, my best friends convinced me that I should get out of the hospital and go to a concert with them. Later still that the same group of us camped outdoors for a week to attend the Ashland Oregon Shakespeare festival. One day, driving back to camp, a guy sped up along side our pickup on the country two-lane to ask if that was our wheelchair in the road about a mile back.

It was, of course, and that was about the time that I started thinking, “I’m going to need to figure out a new way to pack for traveling. I guess every trip is going to be adventure travel now.

3. You are a self-described adventurer and have traveled to many places since you became disabled. Please tell us about the destinations you have visited and some of your experiences.

In college I studied in Brazil for a semester but I actually made a conscious decision not to travel as much as I could have when I returned in order to pursue the path of a social activist during the 1970’s and 1980’s. I kept on the move a bit with cross-country drives, a rail trip across Canada and academic travel to England and Wales. Mexico was on the itinerary as my wife and I took a group of students down for a service project. We actually won a free week in Kauai in the days before outfitters would let people with disabilities on Zodiac tours of the Na Pali Coast.

Recently much of travel combines research on destination accessibility like trips to Austria, Slovakia, New Zealand, and a day in Argentina. I have been fortunate enough to explore Australia, Taiwan, Japan, and Brazil on visits to speak on Inclusive Tourism in those countries. I am looking forward to taking up invitations to Nepal, Thailand, and Romania.

4. Please share with us your 3 favorite travel memories of all times.

My all-time favorite is a story of compassion directed toward me as a college student while living in Brazil.

A bit of history first.

In the mineral rich Brazilian state of Minas Gerais the wealthy sponsored construction of numerous chapels and commissioned artwork during the colonial period. The most famous architect and artisan of the time was a disabled man known popularly as “Alejadinho.” One day, on my way to visit his most famous site in Congonhas, I asked three women begging in front of the church how best to enter in my wheelchair. Rather than answer me they placed all placed their entire day’s earnings and hurried away in spite of my protests. I don’t believethat I will ever be wealthier than I was at that moment.

I also recall being scared to death as the Volcan de Agua erupted a large plume of steam a few feet in front of us in the caldera. My Guatemalan friend had only just finished weaving a yarn about how the god of the volcano didn’t like “gringos.”

Right there at the top of my list is a much quieter memory. In the retelling it seems unremarkable, I suppose. Part of my doctoral work was done in Oxford, England. Meeting my fellow students was inspiring. One in particular had a life changing impact on me. What I recall most is that every day a small group of these friends walked me the two miles home – then walked back to their own homes.

5. What are the unique travel challenges of someone with a disability? How accessible are travel destinations to disabled travelers today?

Quality information about accessible sites and services is key. People with disabilities travel by word-of-mouth recommendation more than other market segments I am told. Carting batteries for hearing aids; backups of medications; replacement parts for electric wheelchairs or speech synthesizers can all be part of the logistic task.

Some countries, notably Jamaica, will not let you in with a service dog. Many hotel chains, beautifully accessible in the US, apparently do not want our money in some of the hottest tourist destinations. That’s unfortunate for them since the Harris Online survey commissioned by the Open Doors Organization in 2002 and again in 2005 documents that people with disabilities are traveling in ever greater numbers. In the US alone we number more than 46 million and spend in excess of $13 billion annually on travel. We also consistently report that we would travel more if the options were available.

6. Please tell us about the publications you are involved in and what they are about.

I publish the Rolling Rains Report daily (http://www.RollingRains.com) where I try to highlight what the travel & hospitality industry is doing right. I am especially pleased when I can profile best-of-class products like Estate Concordia eco-lodge in the US Virgin Islands, O'Carrollyns resort in Port Stephens Australia, the Devil’s Playground backpacker hotel circuit around Tasmania, Rolling Around the Algarve accessible lodging, real estate, and events in Portugal, or Aventura Especial adventure outfitters in Brazil.When I find something that is particularly timely I include it in the Rolling Rains Newsletter (RollingrRainsN-@topica.com)

I edit the Travel & Disability section of Suite101.com where you will find abut 40 articles (http://www.suite101.com/articles.cfm/travel_with_disabilities). I just completed editing a collection of scholarly articles on travel for the journal Review of Disability Studies also.

7. You have also been a resident scholar at the University of California at Santa Cruz. What were you involved in with the University?

I was invited by the Center for Cultural Studies to pursue independent research from June 2004 to July 2005. The fellowship allowed me to write many of the Suite101 articles; complete preparation for the addresses I have given at Inclusive Travel conferences in Brazil, Japan, Australia, and Taiwan, and finish editing all the articles in the Travel Forum issue of the Review of Disability Studies.

While there I was also able to work with a group called Shared Adventures (http://www.sharedadventures.com/) on events called Day on the Beach (http://www.dayonthebeach.org/photogallery/2005/) and Day in the Sky (http://www.dayinthesky.org/). A group of us put on the region’s first conference on Universal Design as well. (http://www.universaldesignconference.com/)

8. Please explain to us the concepts of "universal design" and "inclusive travel". How do they relate to the topic of travel and hospitality?

The quick answer is that Universal Design consists of the seven principles that constitute all good design: equitable, flexible, simple, understandable, safe, easy, and proportional. Universal Design starts with the observation that people come in different in sizes and with different capacities and those change through each individual’s lifecycle. An infant, child, youth, adult, and senior each differ but object, spaces, information, and policies can be designed to intentionally include the broadest range of differences without diminishing the level of participation open to any. You can find a good description of Universal Design here.

Inclusive Travel is what results from the application of Universal Design in the travel and hospitality industry. (http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/18423/114773)Inclusive Destination Development is that form of sustainable tourism practice that applies the principles of Universal Design to the process of creating desirable tourist destination that include the broadest range of people possible without stigmatizing any. (http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/travel_with_disabilities/115176)

9. You also have a strong interest in sustainable development, particularly as it relates to tourism. Please comment.

Sustainable development and tourism go hand-in-hand as the UN has shown and as the Australian organization Green Globe 21 promotes.

In November 2004 the international promoter of Universal Design, Adaptive Environments, met for their biennial conference, “Designing for the 21st Century.” I was selected to organize a full-day pre-conference entitled “Universal Design and the International Travel & Hospitality Industry.” At the end of the conference I was also invited to join the South American delegates as an observer while they hammered out a document on implementing Universal Design across their continent. They brought their own unique synthesis to the field producing the “Carta do Rio” or the “Rio Charter on Universal Design as Sustainable Inclusive Development.”

Basically, the document sets out the arguments for how the inclusive human-centered approach of Universal Design is consistent as the complimentary completion of the green sustainability approach. What I find so satisfying is that this synthesis points to new economically viable practices in the industry at just the time when there is rising interest in travel by seniors (aging Boomers) and people with disabilities.

10. You have written quite a bit on the impact of Hurricane Katrina, particularly with a view to the disabled population in New Orleans. What are your thoughts on this topic?

New Orleans is a world-renowned tourist destination. Inclusive Destination Development is an evolving approach in the field of designing tourist destinations. It has special appropriateness to post-Katrina reconstruction.

There is a danger that New Orleans, and other tourist destinations destroyed by Katrina, could be rebuilt in a way that recreates exclusionary spaces and practices. That would economically harm Louisiana’s multi-billion dollar tourism market leaving them uncompetitive as other locations modernize using Universal Design. It would also diminish the leisure activity and employment opportunities for residents with disabilities.

Natural disasters return the land to its pre-modified state. We make conscious, value-laden choices as soon as we begin to imagine them as rebuilt.

New England towns were built around lands left in their natural state to be enjoyed by all - a public asset known as “the Commons.” There is a phenomenon referred to as “the tragedy of the Commons.” This is when access to a public good such as this universally accessible space is usurped by a subset of the public – a “special interest” if you will.

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, just as the aftermath of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, wiped the slate clean of the built environment and infrastructure. It has created a de facto Commons.

The individual parcels of land may belong to private citizens, businesses, or municipalities but they exist within a community that has a shared interest in how that land is utilized.

After a disaster there are practical consequences to the ethically-charged act of not using Universal Design. I suggested this when I wrote “Theme Parks, Imaginary Worlds, and Real Access” (http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/travel_with_disabilities/112537 ) Without Universal Design you have made a choice to rebuild only for a “special interest group” – the temporarily able-bodied.

I am working to influence those responsible for rebuilding after Katrina, just as I am working with crews on the ground rebuilding after the tsunami, to see that they understand the far-reaching implications of their decisions and to help them acquire the technical assistance necessary to implement Universal Design principles in their solutions.

Let me thank you, Scott, for explaining some of these terms to us and for sharing some of your philosophical insights with us. We look forward to working with you regularly to provide specific information to travellers with disabilities.

www.textronics.com

For more travel articles, advice, photos, interesting interviews &
the opportunity to win a cruise on the Amazon River
visit my website at www.travelandtransitions.com

Travel Photography - Some Basic Resources

September 15, 2005

Travel Photography - Some Basic Resources

I have been experimenting for a while now with travel photography, and every time I go away I take hundreds of pictures. The most I ever took on a trip were 900+ pictures on my trip last year to Spain! After that experience I realized that almost 1000 pictures was a bit much and it took me a very long time to sort out my images.

Since then I have become more discerning, and I no longer snap away at everything that moves (or everything that's stationary as well). But I still end up with a few hundred pictures after each and every one of my getaways. Fortunately, digital photography has made taking pictures easy, and the good thing is you can snap away and if you don't like the picture, you just erase it. (But make sure you don't erase the whole memory card, as my husband did after a fabulous first-time exploration of Paris....)

I am not much of a technical photographer (yet), I really rely very much on my camera's basic all-round settings. The only thing I have experimented with recently is macro (close-up) photography with the help of my brother-in-law. I try to follow some basic photography rules, such as getting closer to my subject, adding depth to landscape shots by placing people, trees or animals in the foreground, keeping the camera steady, or putting the sun behind me. Other than that I pretty much just try to frame the shot, pull the trigger and see what happens.

Last year I even tried to experiment using people as subjects for my photos. On the island of Ibiza I saw a really interesting family of Gypsies - 3 generations including grandmother, a young couple and their grandchild - and I asked in the politest Spanish that I could muster, whether I would be able to take a picture of them. What came next totally surprised me: the older woman started cursing me out and shook her fist at me. It took me a couple of seconds to realize she was serious, and ever since that time I have become quite shy when it comes to taking pictures of strangers.

That shouldn't deter you though. To help you improve your travel photography there are a large number of great resources on the web. Discussions cover topics such as whether to use regular film or digital photography, the types of subjects you can cover (animals, people, landscapes, architecture, plants, sports, aerial shots, underwater shots, etc.), techniques, techincal jargon and many more. In the end it doesn't much matter, as long as you get out there and have fun while you document your travel experiences.

Of course the Internet provides a great number of sites with tips for travel photography and galleries from experienced travel photographers. Here is a collection of useful resources on the web to help you spruce up your travel photography:

http://www.travelphotographers.net/index.html

http://www.photosecrets.com/links.html

http://www.fodors.com/focus/

http://www.travelphoto.net/

http://photographytips.com/page.cfm/52

http://malektips.com/digital_travel_photography_help_and_tips.html: excellent tips

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/tribaleye/htm/tips1.htm: good tips on how to approach people to ask for photos

http://www.photosecrets.com/p00.html

General digital camera terms: http://www.cooking-italian-food.com/photography.htm

www.textronics.com

For more travel articles, advice, photos, interesting interviews &
the opportunity to win a cruise on the Amazon River
visit my website at www.travelandtransitions.com

Beans Around the World By Scott Paul Rains, Travel and Disability Editor

September 13, 2005

Beans Around the World By Scott Paul Rains, Travel and Disability Editor

Comin’ into Los Angeleez.
Bringin’ in a couple a’ beans.
Don’t touch my bag if you please, Mr. Customs Man. -
Comin’ Into Los Angeles (Remix)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Travel writers read other travel writers – and compare themselves. It’s an occupational hazard

I once read how a travel writer dealt with the long loneliness of life from a suitcase. He adopted a cockroach as a pet – kept it in a matchbox and got it through customs every time. He fed it, well, come to think of it, I stopped reading his article before he got to that part. Guess I’m a little squeamish.

A can of beans is my clandestine carry-on. Not just any beans. They have to be black beans (“frijoles negros”) from Albertson’s supermarket. You see, I am a “Beans Ambassador” for Beans Around the World.

The story of Beans Around the World is one of those fascinating practical-jokes-between-friends-that-got-way-out-of-control and went global. Very briefly, two friends kept passing some leftover black beans back and forth until they got, let’s just say “until they got especially attractive to cockroaches and their kin” and we’ll leave the descriptive prose to your imagination. At that point, canned beans became the medium of exchange and, before long, the entire office was borrowing the can to take photos of it in front of tourist icons around the world.

My contribution to the Beans Around the World photo gallery includes such classics as a Slovak rendition of “American Gothic” with the beans posing alongside distant relatives in Orava, Slovakia in front of their log cabin home constructed in 1864. Another tribute to my photographic talent and untutored production values is something I call “Amalie Meets the Beans in Japan” where a garden gnome, vaguely reminiscent of the one in the quirky film “Amalie,” poses with the Beans.

You may wonder how the travels of a can of beans made their way into a column entitled "Travel & Disability." The connection is straightforward. If I can take a picture of the beans somewhere then that location is, by definition, wheelchair “achievable.” I hesitate to say “accessible” because I recall that tracking down some Tasmanian Devils and Wombats in Tassie and negotiating certain paths through the land of the Bunun Tribe in Taiwan made me think that I might be ready to imitate Jesse Owen’s feat of scaling Mount Kilimanjaro in a wheelchair.

If ever you want to spice up your travels with a bit of uncommon adventure or you need diplomatic immunity and your credentials don't qualify you for a recess appointment by a vacationing president of the United States, become a Beans Ambassador.#####

Note to the Customs Agent standing just outside the door as I write this article:

Dear Sir,

I forgot to tell the Agricultural Inspection Agent someting important. Turn the can of beans that you confiscated from me upside down. You will see that it is empty - no illegal foodstuffs have crossed the border in my luggage.

OK, can I come out now? This little room you have me in is getting a claustrophobic and the loudspeaker here at LAX just announced that my connecting flight is leaving soon.

Besides, that Kafkaesque man in the corner-–the guy with the Lone Ranger smile--has been has been crooning into a matchbox ever since we got here and now he's shoving little bits of stale baloney sandwiches into it. Says he’s a travel writer. I swear, I’ve never seen him before….

Links to further reading can be found on this page: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/travel_with_disabilities/117520

www.textronics.com

For more travel articles, advice, photos, interesting interviews &

the opportunity to win a cruise on the Amazon River

visit my website at www.travelandtransitions.com.

Trekking Through the 2004 Adventures in Travel Expo By Scott Paul Rains, Travel and Disability Editor

September 13, 2005

Trekking Through the 2004 Adventures in Travel Expo By Scott Paul Rains, Travel and Disability Editor

Attending the 2004 Adventures in Travel Expo in San Mateo, California was almost like heading out on vacation. That was partly because almost every region of the world was represented. It also had to do with the adventure involved in bringing you this story.

First there was “the landing.” Fortunately, the long taxiing ritual only took place in the parking lot near the San Mateo Fairgrounds. The car was safely stashed away and I joined the crowds.

Then there was a point at which my luggage was lost (and eventually recovered by an observant tour operator.)

And, of course, there were far too many tourist sites to visit once I got to my destination inside the event pavilion!

My hope was that I would be able to report something like, “Adventure Tour Operators Provide Unlimited Opportunities for Travelers With Disabilities.” The story is subtler than that. This is still the era of pioneers where bold, informed travelers with disabilities and those creating adventure opportunities are still fashioning new possibilities together.

The Expo layout was organized regionally. I entered through the Hawaiian section.

Here the aloha experts created an inviting space splashed with brightly colored images of the islands and scented with the occasional plumeria blossom and lei. There is no shortage of travel packages to Hawaii so I moved on down the aisle into the rest of the Pacific Island section -- Pohnpei, Palau, Tonga, Vanatu, Yap, Guam, Chuuk, and the Marshall Islands.

My first stop was at a booth where a young woman wore a white chef’s cap.

“Food tours? ” I asked. “No, the Cook Islands,” she replied. We chatted a moment about Captain Cook’s untiring explorations in the region. I recalled that two weeks earlier I was on a scuba tour. The folks at Dive! Tutukaka did an excellent job of accommodating me on short notice. The dive was around group of rugged islands that Captain Cook reportedly named the Poor Knights Islands. They sit about 23 kilometers off the northeast coast of New Zealand. This island cluster nature preserve blooms bright red each spring – the color of the jam on Captain Cook’s Poor Knight’s Pudding (known to us as “French Toast.”) while the sea below offers a labyrinth of eco-niches and a year-round visual feast for scuba divers. I made a mental note to look for a cruise that retraced some of captain Cook’s travels – hopefully with a more imaginative kitchen crew than he had!

So, I found myself studying the brochures of Cruceros Australis. - a cruise line offering trips through the Chilean archipelago of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Their ship, the Mare Australis, looks warm and comfortable. That seemed especially appealing as I looked at the glaciers and windblown peaks towering in the background of all their brochure photos. Somehow I get the impression that the early European explorers had a tweaked sense of humor. “Tierra del Fuego” means “land of fire.” I wouldn’t want to wander too far from the fire in that chilly terrain near Antarctica.

Just then the stage lit up and an entourage from Tanzania began to announce the “Trek for Life” charity climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Africa sounded more like my optimal temperature. And I knew I could make the summit after interviewing Jesse Owens, the first person to conquer the mountain in a wheelchair. After the presentation I spoke to the Chief Park Warden for neighboring Arusha National Park, Erastus Lufungulo. He enthusiastically took up the challenge to include the wheelchair route up the mountain at the Kilimanjaro website and recounted to me the logistical work he had done to facilitate Jesse’s climb.

Moving on through the pavilion it was encouraging to find the booth for an accomplished inclusive adventure supplier – Environmental Traveling Companions (or “ETC” to their friends). Their offerings include whitewater rafting, sea kayaking, cross-country skiing, and a host of community-oriented good works such as the annual “Day on the Beach” in Santa Cruz, California. ( http://www.dayonthebeach.org/photogaller... )

What I found next was equally encouraging. I discovered an industry ready to make the leap to serving the disability market.

As I raised questions of universal design and the accommodation of travelers of different ages and capacities I found that all the ski resorts present had adaptive skiing programs. Tour operators specializing in Russia, Africa, and the US all had contingency plans for serving this niche even if they had not yet accommodated a client with a disability. No one seemed ignorant of the untapped purchasing power and potential of this niche.

Two tour operators merit special mention.

It was nostalgia for my stint, pre-paralysis, as a ranch hand that made me stop in on Rock Springs Guest Ranch. Eva Gill, Director of Sales and Marketing, for this guest ranch in Bend, Oregon was forthright about both her desire to accommodate guests with disabilities and the constraints at the ranch. The thoughtful approach she has taken is evident at their web site.

( http://www.rocksprings.com/Guest_Ranch/A... ) I read it as respectful of the needs of their guests and as an honest assessment of their facility. I was particularly taken by the fact that she did not hesitate to speak highly of a neighboring equestrian center and to partner with them to provide a safe horseback riding experience. This openness to invest in something beyond simple self-promotion and engage in destination development for travelers with disabilities is a trend to watch for – and one to reward with your patronage!

The other tour operator of note caught my attention because I am drawn to the impossible.

Amazonia Expeditions displayed eye-catching photos of macaws, monkeys, and tranquil canoe scenes. A poster showed their lodge sitting on stilts overlooking a river in the Tamshiyacu-Tahayo Reserve of Peru. They also showed wide-eyed human beings careening along zip lines through the jungle canopy. If ever there was a place where my wheelchair didn’t fit, this was it!

Without question this was someplace I wanted to go.

To my surprise this out-of-the-way eco-lodge is outfitted for travelers in wheelchairs. The staff have accommodated both groups and individuals with disabilities there deep in the Amazon. Lodge access is ramped. Some of the boats are outfitted to allow wheelchair users to remain in their chairs. The owners demonstrated a grasp of the issues facing travelers with disabilities and recognized the uniqueness of the experience they are able to offer.

As if on cue, a family who had made the trip with Amazonia Expeditions enthusiastically greeted the staff as they approached the booth and offered their unreserved recommendation encouraging me to go.

I remained interviewing owners Dolores and Paul for quite a while impressed by their philosophy and competencies. It was only afterward that I learned the true extent of the quiet work they do for the people of the region ( http://www.perujungle.com/charitable.html ) Based on what I heard and saw, Amazonia Expeditions is worth looking into if a memorable, jungle experience is what you are looking for.

All-in-all the day’s whirlwind around-the-world sample of adventure tour options leaves me hopeful that the industry is slowly catching on and moving to capture a missed opportunity to design inclusive travel.

Links to article references can be found on this page: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/travel_with_disabilities/111982

www.textronics.com

For more travel articles, advice, photos, interesting interviews &

the opportunity to win a cruise on the Amazon River

visit my website at www.travelandtransitions.com.

Wheeling Through the Monterey Bay Aquarium

September 13, 2005

Wheeling Through the Monterey Bay Aquarium

By Scott Paul Rains, Travel and Disability Editor

The perfect “10-out-of-10” wheelchair accessible building may not exist. But after visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey California, I know where I’d send someone who asked me how to build - and staff - one. The first thing I’d ask them to do is get in a wheelchair and roll along beside me. Imagine yourself in that chair and take the tour with me.

Enter. Yes, the Aquarium has the usual awkwardly tall ticket booth, but, the staff person is quite accommodating. During this construction period everyone enters through the big, manually opened door at the Group Entrance. It swings easily – with no threshold at all. Onto the easy-rolling tile floor -- you’re in! Spaciousness is the first impression.

Look up. The Marine Mammal display leaves you feeling dwarfed and awed. You can find a spot near the fixed benches to comfortably view the continuously playing movie on whales, seal lions and dolphins.

Look over your shoulder. The Sea Otter home can’t help but make you feel playful. There’s a ramp near the cafeteria to take you to the sunken viewing area right up against the glass. Close and dark, but not claustrophobic, as you sit face-to-face with an impressive wall of water. Otter antics and audience appreciation make the space entertaining. For a top-down view of these critters, look at the monitors on the wall.

Plan your path.. Rule #1 is: Don’t miss the feedings! A close second: Take in the movies.

Shop. If you have some time on your hands for the next showing, as I did, give in to the temptation of the two shops on either side of you. The aisles are wheelchair navigable whether you head towards the logo clothing, sea-motif silver jewelry, books, or baubles. Be advised. There’s another shop upstairs near the Penguins and a fourth at the Jellies: Living Art exhibit. Great stuff there too.

Watch a movie. The reserved seating in the theater’s top row makes it unnecessary to descend the sloped aisle to locate a seat. Staff was quick to approach the non-disabled patrons to vacate these choice seats for me but the guests had already perceived the conflict and were on their way out by the time staff arrived. That comfortable transaction preceded a gripping, and troubling, film introducing the Seafood Watch campaign. Ocean fisheries are being alarmingly depleted. All is not well under the waves. Tangle with Kelp. Facing the columnar, two-story Kelp Forest tank can be disorienting. Sharks circle overhead. Colorful ocean fish lazily swim up to meet you eye-to-eye. An artificial wave machine pulses the long kelp fronds in a hypnotic rhythm and all the tank’s residents proceed in that orderly chaos expected of aquarium-dwellers. At feeding time the pace picks up! You can watch the spectacle from home on one of the Aquarium’s five web cams. What isn’t apparent is that the diver may be one of two volunteer divers who uses a wheelchair when on land. Knowing that we are represented on staff – and in such a prominent role – makes it less surprising to me to find consistently well-trained and attentive staff throughout the facility. Universal design is more than an architectural façade here.

Look around.. While still on the first floor in this section of the Aquarium you can be enthralled for hours spying on cuttlefish, wishing you were as flexible as the octopi, and feeling a certain kinship with the invisible-in-plain-sight bottom fish. The Sandy Beach and Aviary exhibit’s close-up glimpse of shore birds has a voyeuristic feel while the Penguin habitat (take the elevator to the level right above) can have a certain comic tenor – especially at feeding time.

Sniff. The cafeteria has surprisingly good food. Time your visit well. During the busiest periods it gets crowded in the food court’s cramped space and there may not be a staff person readily available to assist you.

Be a kid again. Kids giggle as they crawl through “caves” or sit inside a giant clam. Kids-of-all-ages react with mixed attraction/repulsion to the feel of tide pool creatures of the Touch Tank in the Splash Zone. Be brave. Check out the Bay Ray tank. A wheelchair is no impediment there. The raw power of the Coastal Stream and Tide Pools always draw me in and usually set me up for a contemplative stroll outside along the deck overlooking the Great Tide Pool.

Head south.I like to save the Outer Bay Wing’s exhibits for the finale. Make your way back to the entrance but this time explore the second floor. A dizzying school of anchovies circle continuously overhead in the entrance to the Outer Bay section. That frantic activity is a deceptive introduction.

Linger. The jellyfish exhibit’s monochrome lighting and the bizarre beauty of its jellyfish evoke an almost mystical feel. Pause. Everyone does. At the point where you pass from the Drifters (Jellyfish) into the massive Outer Bay display, a little investigation will turn up an elevator to the balcony. Don’t miss the chance to move up. Watch giant bluefin tuna and sea turtles, sunfish and dorado from your secluded mezzanine perch on a “screen” that rivals an IMAX.

Marvel. Art imitates life imitates art in the Jellies: Living Art display. Spectacular – and humorous. Filmed choreography (none of the dancers in wheelchairs), painting, sculpture, computer animation, ostentatiously framed aquaria keep you moving from one emotion to another while always educating. The Chihuly glass shapes of the sea were especially stunning but only one portion of this beautiful section.

Celebrate. Congratulations on a long day well spent! I prefer to spread the tour over two days and be leisurely. There’s so much to absorb. Celebrate by taking yourself out to one of Monterey’s excellent restaurants. There are several just a short roll away.

Surf. Whether you want to relive your visit or plan for a future one, the Monterey Bay Aquarium web site is an exhaustive resource that is engaging in itself. Plan to surf by.

And by the way, watch out for sharks!

www.textronics.com

For more travel articles, advice, photos, interesting interviews &

the opportunity to win a cruise on the Amazon River

visit my website at www.travelandtransitions.com.

Reflections after my brother's visit: Toronto - Viewed through the eyes of European Visitors

Friday, September 9, 2005

Reflections after my brother's visit: Toronto - Viewed through the eyes of European Visitors

From August 27 to September 6 I had four visitors from Europe in town: my brother Ewald, his wife Anneliese and their two friends - my neighbours from my home town in Austria, Luis and Isabella. You may wonder why this is such a big deal that I need to write about it.

For me this was a huge deal since it was the first time that my brother came to visit me since I immigrated to Canada in 1986. Because of our 9 year age difference we didn't have a chance to spend that much time together when I was young, and my brother wasn't big on flying in the first place. But we hatched the idea of a joint vacation last year, during my first visit back to my home town in 8 years.

So to me this was a very big deal. For our four visitors it was a pretty big affair as well since they had never travelled to North America. After all these 9 days in Toronto were their first exposure to the New World. We managed to cram a lot of things into these nine days: a visit to Niagara's Wine Country, a country driving tour of the Kawartha Lakes, various bicycle tours of Toronto, checking out Toronto's waterfront, Toronto Island, the Eastern and Western Beaches, the Humber River, downtown Toronto with the CN Tower and many of Toronto's neighbourhoods, including Greektown, Chinatown (East and West), Kensington Market, Little India, Rosedale, Forest Hill, Bloor West Village and so many other special spots that Toronto has to offer.

They enjoyed the Toronto's architectural preservation efforts visible in the historic Distillery District or the renovated CN roundhouse that now features the Steam Whistle Brewery. Along the way they managed to photograph many vintage cars and trucks, even a 1950s style hearse in the town of Bobcaygeon. They also fell in love with the Kawartha Lake Region, and ideas of coming back to Canada to rent a houseboat and explore the Trent-Severn Canal System started to percolate.

Of course our European visitors commented on the different dimensions of things, such as the size of cars, of super-markets, even of squirrels in the park, everything seemed just a little larger. Our visitors commented on the sophisticated display rooms and restaurants at Ontario's wineries, the surprisingly excellent quality of the wines (Ontario's wines are not very well known in Europe), as well as the friendliness of service personnel at the wineries, and in various other stores and restaurants around town. We even had a variety of friendly interchanges with dog-walkers, people on the street and lawn bowlers. Toronto definitely showed its best side during these 9 days, and the perfect weather just added to the experience.

Our European visitors are all active people who enjoy exploring and Luis and Isabella in particular are athletes who enjoy biking, hiking, tennis, skiing etc. I took them around on mountain bikes and they loved exploring the city in this way. My husband Nigel, an avid golfer, gave them some golfing lessons at the driving range, and added some putting lessons on the carpet in our house. We all went on a fun outing to a par-3 golf course on the outskirts of Toronto. It was their first initiation to golf and they had a ball, and decided to explore this activity further once they get back to Europe.

With our bicycles we explored the Don River Valley and many of the ravines that criss-cross the Toronto landscape and the comments that came back from my European gang were time and time again about how green Toronto is, and how it doesn't feel like a large urban metropolis, full of concrete and devoid of green spaces and recreational areas. They talked about the liveability of this city, that you don't even need to leave Toronto to enjoy the water and the green spaces, or even off-road mountain biking.

My brother in particular, was amazingly enthusiastic about his time in Toronto. He loved the ethnic neighbourhoods and said he could spend days just exploring Chinatown. He also mentioned that he never felt an uncomfortable feeling of racial tension in any of the neighbourhoods, the way he had experienced it in some areas in various European cities. And they all felt safe, even though we took the subway and explored some of the less affluent areas of the city.

Our four visitors were the most considerate guests you can ever imagine. They took over the kitchen, with my brother, a consummate chef, whipping up gourmet meals every day, using fresh Ontario ingredients. Since I still had to work on different occasions during their stay, they cleaned the house, watered the flowers, even mowed the lawn. You couldn't imagine a better group of guests that would be more considerate and helpful. This 9-day sleepover was one of the most positive intense experiences I have ever had.

Yesterday, I rode down to the Beaches for the first time again since my four special visitors had left. I cycled around all the places that I had taken them, where they had posed for photos and commented on their experiences. And it was amazing how much I missed them, how empty the house felt without them, how deep an impression these 9 days left. I have already touched base on the phone with them a couple of times to make sure they arrived safely and to tell them how much I missed them.

Now I am looking forward to planning another get-together, for some more joint activities, whether it be in Canada, Austria, or somewhere in between.

www.textronics.com

For more travel articles, advice, photos, interesting interviews &
the opportunity to win a cruise on the Amazon River
visit my website at www.travelandtransitions.com

Coming up: An Interview Scott Rains - World Traveller and Expert on Disabled Travel

September 9, 2005

Coming up: An Interview Scott Rains - World Traveller and Expert on Disabled Travel

For some reason or another, the work on this website keeps connecting me with some interesting and outstanding individuals. Scott Rain (Dr. Scott Rain, that is), contacted me this morning since he had come across my website and felt he wanted to contribute some of his expertise on disabled travel to the Travel and Transitions audience. Scott and I had a long chat this afternoon and based on our shared mutual interests, Scott will become a regular contributor here on this website as an expert on disabled travel.

As a young man, undeterred by the practical necessities of earning a living or saving for retirement, this intrepid romantic studied Linguistics to the level of bachelor’s degree and studied Theology to the doctorate level. At the age of 18 he (involuntarily but permanently) adopted the sedentary position – long before the majority of his peers. His studies, profession, and innate wanderlust (Sagittarius) have put him in other compromising positions along multiple latitudes and longitudes.

The terrain of Scott's professional career is variegated. Equal parts high adventure and pilgrimage he has worked as a ranch hand, in social activism, in higher education, as an author, in technology education and in travel.

Drawing on these experiences Scott contributes articles, photography, research and advice in various online settings. He is an independent travel professional and a member of the industry's professional association, the Outside Sales Support Network (OSSN).

Scott is also a Faculty Fellow of the Graduate Theological Foundation, and Travel and Disability Editor of Suite101.com. He is currently investigating the application of principles of universal design in the travel and hospitality industry. His other research interests include conflicting definitions of disability, identity issues among recently disabled seniors and those whose disability has been of longer duration, and the worldwide increase in the population with disabilities.

Very soon Scott will be sharing with us his insights and travel experiences, particularly as viewed from the perspective of a disabled traveller.

www.textronics.com

For more travel articles, advice, photos, interesting interviews &
the opportunity to win a cruise on the Amazon River
visit my website at www.travelandtransitions.com.

Living, working and volunteering abroad: Danielle Lafond remortgages her condo to set up a non-profit community development project in Peru

September 7, 2005

Living, working and volunteering abroad: Danielle Lafond remortgages her condo to set up a non-profit community development project in Peru

Some time in July I was watching our local TV station, CityTV, and I caught a part of a report about a Toronto couple that had remortgaged their home to start a non-profit community development organization in a small town on the Pacific Coast in Peru. I didn't catch their name or their contact information, only the website: www.paraelmundo.org. I used the contact email on the website to try to locate this couple and to ask them for an interview.

I got a response back and met Danielle Lafond, the female member of the couple and co-creator of the project, in a restaurant in Toronto's Greektown and was struck by her youthful energy, idealism and commitment to improving this world. The decision to put their own finances at risk and invest at least a year of their lives in this Peruvian community had a strong impact on me and I am delighted to be able to introduce to you this delightful young woman: Danielle Lafond.

1. Please tell us about yourself. Where are you from, what is your educational background?

I am in my mid twenties, and I just completed a 4 year social work degree at Ryerson University. Before that, I studied music and also worked and traveled for several years as a tour guide in Canada.

2. You have a very strong social conscience. What life experiences have shaped your belief system?

As a woman of color, I've always been conscious of issues relating to racism and sexism, but I became more politically active after moving to Toronto and connecting with others who had similar experiences. I also had many personal struggles in my teens which influenced my desire to help others.

3. When you were young you hitch-hiked across Canada. Please tell us about that trip and what you learned from it.

I left high school to travel when I was 16. My trip took me across most of the country, and I met many interesting people who were leading very interesting lives, making their living in non-traditional ways. It inspired me to follow my dream of making a life, not just making a living. Also, my faith in humanity, in people, was completely restored. I met many people from many walks of life, and almost everyone was willing to share, laugh, talk and open their hearts and homes to me. The experience left me with a sense that all people share an essential goodness.

4. Some time ago you also went to Cuba and taught ESL classes in exchange for room and board. Please tell us about that experience.

A few years ago, I went to Cuba with no plans, and very little understanding of the sociopolitical situation in Cuba. To me, it was just another island in the Caribbean. I knew I didn't want to do anything typically tourist-oriented, so I ended up at the University of Habana in the summer months, where I worked out deal with someone working there to give me room and meal tickets in exchange for teaching English a few hours a day. I had $500 dollars in the bank, and a return ticket, and I managed to last a few months this way. It was an incredibly humbling experience, because I saw for the first time how people outside North America live, and I was able to meet and learn from Cuban people. I learned a little Spanish, and fell in love with Afro-Cuban and Latin music. I had been a musician my whole life, but this trip showed me how music could be used to connect with people across language and cultural barriers.

5. Through your studies in social work at Ryerson University you spent some time in Peru, completing the placement for your degree requirements. Where did you go and what did you do there? What places did you travel to in Peru and what did you learn about the culture?

As my third year placement, I decided I wanted another international travel experience, and made plans to travel with a close friend. I knew that the experience of doing social work in South America was going to be challenging and emotionally trying, so I was glad my friend agreed to do this together. We spent the first part of our time in Peru travelling, along with my partner Josh. The three of us were amazed by the diversity of the country.

We started in Lima, a city of over 11 million people, with distinct neighbourhoods and cultural practices, then traveled to Arequipa and Cusco, Macchu Picchu, Puno, and Lake Titicaca, which each had completely different cultural groups, languages and food. Many of the people we met were Indigenous Peruvians who spoke various dialects of Quechua. Many of them spoke no Spanish at all. The more we traveled, the more I felt in awe of the strength, resilience and resourcefulness of the people we met, who had been struggling for many hundreds of years, but who are also rich in cultural traditions, food, music, art, history and languages.

6. This time in South America convinced you to stay involved on a more lasting level with the people of Peru. In particular you wanted to do something for a fishing town called Mancora. Please tell us how you got the idea to create a non-profit international development organization.

After our travels, my friend and I ended up in a small fishing community in Northern Peru, 19 hours north of Lima by bus, and about an hour south of the border to Ecuador. Again, we were completely surprised to see another part of Peru so different from all we'd seen thus far. Mancora is in a desert climate, so it is very dry and sunny, and the town has little infrastructure. Many people don't have running water, and most who do only have it a few hours every other day or so. The power cuts out unexpectedly, and safe clean drinking water is not readily available or affordable. Also, there were no social services and very limited access to health care, unless one could afford to pay for it.

The town's dependance on a once-booming fishing industry is rapidly changing to a dependance on tourism. A big El Nino in 1989 caused much grief for the town, which was isolated for 15 days, but it also created a beautiful beach which is now popular with surfers year-round.

As social work students, we were mostly working with women in the community, and we met an amazing couple who had started a small NGO (Non-governmental Organization, or not-for-profit organization) to try and help the people in the community in various ways. My friend and I spent the rest of our time in Peru living and working with them, working and researching what the most pressing needs in the community were. What we discovered from interviewing Mancorians was that the people in town were concerned about the lack of affordable/accessible health care, unemployment, alcohol and drug addiction and domestic violence.

When I returned from my trip, I began discussions with my partner Josh, a Toronto Paramedic, and with a few close friends about starting a not-for-profit organization in Canada to help this under-serviced community in Peru. The most important thing for me was to be able to provide assistance to the people of Mancora as they saw fit, and not to impose my own ideals on them. The people we worked with last year seemed to feel strongly that having accessible medical care was an urgent need in their community, so this is where we focused most of our energy and resources for our first year projects.

7. To get this organization off the ground, you and your husband re-mortgaged your home and you are uprooting yourself from your familiar environment in Toronto. Why did you decide to undertake such significant personal and financial sacrifices?

As Canadians, we are so privileged in comparison to the rest of the world. The more I learn about world history and politics, the more I realize that our privilege, and the richness of the Northern hemisphere in comparison to the South, is a direct result of centuries of the South being continually robbed of their resources. For example, in Peru, we visited countless numbers of sites that had once been laden in gold and silver, which was stolen and used to build up the wealth of European nations.

Although I recognize that there is also an unequal distribution of wealth and resources in Canada, I felt that I wanted to use what privilege I had to benefit this particular community. My husband and I took out a mortgage to finance the first year of this project, and to pay the legal fees associated with starting up an NGO in Canada. Our organization is called PaM, or Para El Mundo (For the World), and you can get more information on our projects at www.paraelmundo.org.

8. Your organization has already completed its first mission: the shipment of a container of medical supplies to the town of Mancora. Please tell us about how you accomplished this mission.

There is currently a container full of medical equipment and supplies sitting in Lima, and we are in the process of working out how to get it here to Mancora. Josh and I financed the cost of the international shipping ourselves, and we are working with the Red Cross in Peru to set up a medical centre here in Mancora. The actual equipment in the container came from donations from various hospitals in Ontario, and we also had an enormous amount of help from DMGF Canada, an organization run by a Toronto EMS colleague who does disaster relief missions. On the day the container was loaded and shipped from Toronto, a number of Toronto EMS staff, firefighters from Toronto Pearson Airport, and friends of ours involved with PaM came to help load the container.

9. What other community development initiatives are you planning for Para El Mundo and the town of Mancora? What are your long-term goals?

For the mist current information on our ongoing and long-term projects, please visit our website www.paraelmundo.org.

10. What are the key challenges facing your organization?

To be honest, our key challenge is raising the money to keep our organization running. We have a number of great volunteers coming from Canada over the course of the year, and we have many supportive friends in Mancora helping us with projects. We hope that over the next year, we can raise enough money to keep the medical centre open and to continue other projects.

11. Your husband is already in Peru and you will be leaving shortly. Where are you staying, what are the living circumstances going to be?

We are all renting a large 4 bedroom house, and there are four of us living here right now. Josh and I are committed to staying at least one year, and depending on the financial situation of PaM, we would like to stay indefinitely. Our two friends from Toronto who are here with us now may or may not be coming back after Christmas, and we have 10-12 volunteers coming over the course of the year.

12. Your best friends will be joining you and you plan to document the evolution of your project. Please tell us more about that.

Two of our best friends are currently here with us. One is a photojournalist who has already taken many beautiful shots of community events and of our work. We all write a lot, so we are thinking about putting together a collection of photos and journal writings to publish. I think we may start by putting together a calendar for Christmas to raise money for PaM, and see how that goes.

Thank you, Danielle, for sharing with us an account of the unique path you and Josh have taken. I wish you all the best for your efforts in Mancora and hope you stay in touch and update us as to how things are going in Peru.

www.textronics.com

For more travel articles, advice, photos, interesting interviews &
the opportunity to win a cruise on the Amazon River
visit my website at www.travelandtransitions.com.

Presenting: Pablo Chufeni - Servas Traveller and a Champion of Cross-Border Youth Exchanges

September 7, 2005

Presenting: Pablo Chufeni - Servas Traveller and a Champion of Cross-Border Youth Exchanges

I met Pablo at the Canada-US Servas Conference that was held at the beginning of August in Vancouver where I had a chance to spend about an hour and a half with him to find out more about his involvement as a volunteer for Servas, an organization with hosts and travellers in more than 130 countries whose motto is "Travel for peace" to promote greater inter-cultural understanding and tolerance. Pablo is one of those people who always has a smile on his face and he is filled with an incredible amount of energy. Through Servas he has travelled through a variety of European and North and South American countries.

As a volunteer for Servas, Pablo has tried to harness the international network of Servas in new ways, and most recently he has created an initiative that allows young Servas members to go on language exchanges free of charge that are facilitated by other Servas travellers. Both accommodation and language training are provided free of charge by local Servas hosts. So far his network of participating countries includes Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, the United States and Canada which will provide no-cost language study opportunities to young Servas members in Spanish, Portuguese, French and English.

In addition he is also organizing a youth summit for Servas, to be held in January 2006 in the resort town of Bariloche, Argentina. And he does all these activities part-time, after work, as a volunteer. Meet this bundle of positive energy - Pablo Chufeni.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, what is your profession, where do you live now?

I'm 27 years old and I work as a theater professor in various institutes. I also study politics at the university as well as French and Portuguese. This year I started to work for the Developing Bank of the Americas in a social program here in my city, Rosario, in Argentina, where I currently live nowadays. I work in the capacitation department as a tutor for teenagers who are at risk. For 7 years I worked for the local TV station as a general producer, but that took up all my time, so now I prefer to use my days in a different way. I also work for a foundation that works with cultural promotion here in my city.

2. You have been a Servas member for a few years now. How did you hear about this organization and what was your first travel experience like?

I heard of Servas by acident,sitting at a coffee table. First I went to Europe as a traveller, but after that I organized my own local group of Servas hosts here in Rosario, and I got involved in the running of the organization. I have been to official meetings in Canada, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, UK and Uruguay. The Servas experiences are so deep and so profound that it is quite complicated to talk about them in a few lines. What I have experienced is simply amazing, it has changed my life.

3. What countries have you travelled to through Servas? What kinds of people from what places have you hosted in your home? What makes Servas travel so special to you?

I have traveled with Servas in Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Canada, Spain, Belgium, France, Ireland, Portugal, and the UK. But I´ll make my list larger as soon aspossible!!! At my place I have hosted people from the USA, Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Brazil. My house is open to Servas travellers all year long.

It´s not only the bridge that Servas builds for you, but also who is waiting for you on the other side. All the people in Servas are great and interesting, otherwise they wouldn't open their doors and use their time to chat with you and show you their world.

4. Please tell us about your 3 favourite or most memorable travel stories.

I met a nice couple in Lisbon, she was Mexican and he was born in Angola. The time I spent with them was great. They originally met trough Servas when she was a traveller staying at his house. And now they are married!!!

I also met a guy in Brussels who ate food without cooking it and had strong opinions on flavours and health and how human beings developed the art of cooking only by following their tongue. I had another interesting travel experience with an Arab person who lived in Paris. This was simply amazing. We went together to see a show in Paris of Ute Lemper, a German singer that I always liked, and one day I saw signs in the streets of Paris, announcing one of her concerts. Unfortunately the signs said SOLD OUT! But when I returned to his house he told me, Pablo, I've got tickets to a show tonight in case you want to go. We had a great time at the concert.

5. Please tell us about your 3 favourite or most memorable hosting experiences.

It´s hard to say, all my guests have been great in their own way.

6. You are very actively involved in harnessing Servas as a network for learning experiences for young people. Please tell us about the language learning opportunities that you have created through Servas.

In 2003, Servas South America organized an essay contest about “The role of Servas”. I participated and ended up coming in first place. As a contest winner, I was able to attend the Youth South American meeting in Montevideo (Uruguay), also visiting Santa Teresa (Uruguay) where activities were developed for three days. Here I met Camile Costa from Sao Paulo (Brazil) who had taken Spanish classes in Chile. It was then that the idea of using Servas as a platform for developing language study exchanges for young people through Servas was born.
The program is organized in four modules, with respective classes. All the classes are weekly and 1 ½ hour in duration. The modules are: A) Language - B) Arts - C) Social - D) special Events. The young people particpating in these programs get a fully rounded picture of their host society.

7. You are also organizing the first international youth meeting of Servas in the southern hemisphere, called "Patagonia 06", to be held in the beautiful resort town of Bariloche in Argentina during the 3rd week of January of 2006. Please tell us about this initiative.

Working hard with the help of SERVAS Argentina, the first international youth conference in the southern hemisphere will be held January 15 to 22, 2006. PATAGONIA '06 will take place in Bariloche in the heart of Argentinean Patagonia. The landscape is simply amazing. Although our focus is not on the landscape, it provides an additional incentive to attend the conference.

SERVAS YOUTH is not only for people under 30, if you are interested in youth issues and want to help us and develop youth projects in Servas, you don't need to be a teenager. The meeting will cost only U$D 160, which will cover four meals a day, access to every single activity, accommodation in bungalows or tents (no transportation from BsAs included).

This youth meeting will help us a lot to continue developing the position of youth in SERVAS and at the same time to grow as people. There will be three different topics during the meeting. The specific topics of Youth in Servas are: how to develop the youth position, how to reach more young people, the programs that we are already working on and how to make them grow, how can we help developing the local activities in our national group, and how to get young people involved, new programs that we can start implementing, and everything linked to the Youth issue inside Servas.

Here is the link to the PATAGONIA'06 Conference: www3.telus.net/SC/SERVAS/index.htm

8. Despite having your hands full, you are already thinking of other ways of harnessing the Servas network to provide internship and job shadowing opportunities for young people from across the world. Please tell us more about that.

This is an idea for the near future. First I want to reach my personal goal with PATAGONIA '06 and the international youth exchanges. Then I want to usethe Servas network to provide job opportunites to young people abroad to develop their resume and their skills.

9. You also host local "diversity meals". What are they and what is their purpose?

I heard about "diversity meals" from Mary Jane at the United States Servas office. She told me about an activity they have in San Francisco where a number of meals are organized at various Servas members´ houses, where they become hosts to a diverse group of indivdiuals. I decided to borrow this idea and import it to the youth branch of Servas in Argentina.

Although the participants come from different cultural and educational backgrounds, commonalities surface quickly. Diversity meals are intended to foster tolerance and understanding, not just through international travel, but locally with local participants. It is not necessary to visit Bali or Nicaragua to find a differentway of understanding the world. Our neighbours next door are an equally valid option.

10. When you are not volunteering for a good cause, how do you spend the rest of your time?

Honestly I do not have any free time. I work 10 hours a day, so frequently I work on Servas projects at night, that´s why all my emails get sent out at weird times. I also go to the gym daily. In addition, my mother has a life-long medical condition, so I have to help her and stay close to her all the time just in case.

11. What are your upcoming plans, travel and otherwise?

It is always a challenge for my try to find a way to be involved in the kind of activities that I am participating in, considering the fact that I also have to earn money. If one day I find a way to get my economic needs met while working at Servas and anothers NGOs I would be absolutely happy. I always have the feeling that I´m wasting my time when I am working, thinking of all the things that I could be doing if I had the time to spend working on Servas projects. This is my personal challenge.

Thank you, Pablo, for taking your time to explain all your volunteer activities with us. We wish you the very best for you international youth language exchange program and for the Servas Youth Conference, Patagonia '06. You are actively helping to spread the message of intercultural tolerance and peace to the next generation.

www.textronics.com

For more travel articles, advice, photos, interesting interviews &
the opportunity to win a cruise on the Amazon River
visit my website at www.travelandtransitions.com.