Dartmouth Alumni Travel

New Zealand – Dusky Sound

First stop on a 10-day cruise around New Zealand.

several people on a muddy trail in the rainforest — Our group moves slowly through the New Zealand rainforest.

two legs, deep in the mud — Deep mud along the trail.

My feet plunged into a muddy pool as we scrambled along a crude track through the temperate rainforest, surrounded by huge ferns as tall as trees and other unfamiliar flora and fauna. The guides warned us it would be muddy – after all, they measure annual rainfall in meters, here in the remote fjords of southwestern New Zealand. Fortunately, I was wearing calf-height muck boots with waterproof rainpants over those. I was just happy to be in the forest, my eighth hike in eight consecutive weekends, spread across three continents and four countries.

Lapland

Northern Finland – Sami culture, reindeer, dogsleds, and more.

After our day in Helsinki (Finland) and our day in Tallinn (Estonia), we hopped on a Finnair flight to the northern tip of Finland – specifically, to the tiny town of Saariselkä, where one can downhill ski at the northern-most lift-skiing resort in the world, cross-country ski on an extensive trail network, explore reindeer farms, experience dogsledding, and more. We stayed four nights at the “Northern Lights Village,” a delightful resort in the middle of all these delightful opportunities. Read on, and check out the photo gallery for more!

David skied on nordic skis to the summit of Saariselkä, Finland.

Tallinn

Dartmouth Alumni Travel to Finland.

While our group was based in Helsinki, Finland (see prior post), we took a long day trip across the Baltic Sea to visit the medieval heart of the city of Tallinn, now the capital of Estonia. What a delightful place! Read on and check out the gallery.

Our group entering the old town of Tallinn, Estonia.

Helsinki

Dartmouth Alumni Travel to Finland.

I had the pleasure of joining an Alumni Travel group for a week in Finland; we visited Helsinki (Finland) and Tallinn (Estonia) before heading north of the Arctic Circle to the northern tip of Finland, where we could enjoy one last burst of winter and hope to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). We had a great group of guests – alumni from Dartmouth College, Tufts University, and the College of William and Mary – all led by the indefatigable local guide, Hanna. I was the faculty leader (common on alumni trips), offering academic lectures twice during the trip. It was a wonderful trip – read on and check out the first gallery of photos!

Peru – Lima

A gastronomic, historic, and artistic adventure.

After our visits to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, we returned to Lima for a Dartmouth Alumni event. We stayed in the beautiful Miraflores Park Belmond Hotel, overlooking the city and its coastline. Over the course of two days we had an opportunity to sample some of the gastronomic delights for which Lima is famous, and to visit some of the museums. Read on…

Breakfast with a view, from the Belmond hotel in Miraflores Park, Lima.

Peru – Cusco

The capital of the Inca Empire.

After leaving Machu Picchu we hopped on a train back to Cusco (Cuzco), a journey of several hours and passing through some of the most narrow ravines I’ve ever seen. In some places the train had to climb down switchbacks by going forward, backward, forward because there was no room for turns! Although we had only a few short hours in the city, it was fascinating. Read on!

The cathedral (left) and other churches on the main square of Cusco.

Peru – Machu Picchu

An incredible visit to an iconic site.

Machu Picchu is one of those world-renowned, iconic locations that has long been on my bucket list. Despite having seen photos, videos, and documentaries about this marvel of Incan engineering and culture, for decades, none of those things can possibly prepare you for being there. We were fortunate to visit on a beautiful day with a chance to spend a couple of afternoon hours exploring the grounds. They did not disappoint! read on, and check out the photo gallery.

Overview of the historic site of Machu Picchu, Peru.

Peru’s sacred valley

The start of a week-long journey in Peru.

Until this year I had never been to South America. Astonishing, I know, given the amount of travel I have had the good fortune to pursue over the past forty years. Now, in just this year I have been to South America twice: in February to Buenos Aires (Argentina), albeit only for one night… and now to Peru for a nine-day visit to both Lima (on the coast) and Cusco (in the highlands). Our trip had four parts – so I will report in four posts. Our first stop was in the ‘Sacred Valley’ of the Incan civilization, outside the historic city of Cusco. There, we passed through small towns, toured some archaeological sites, enjoyed fabulous meals, and met with the delightful people of a small highland faming community. Read on!

An elder of the Village of Qorqor, Sacred Valley, Peru.

Mystical India

Two lovely weeks touring northern India with Dartmouth Alumni Travel. Magical! More stories, and photos, in this blog post.

I’ve just returned from India, where Pam and I had the opportunity to host a Dartmouth Alumni Travel group for a two-week tour of the history, architecture, culture, and arts of northern India. We joined a wonderful group of 12 interesting individuals, and an outstanding tour guide from Odysseys Unlimited, for a bustling tour of Delhi, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Agra, and Varanasi. I think what struck me most about the agenda was its fascinating mix of the sights (palaces, temples, mosques, etc.) with the culture (villages, markets, families. religion) and arts (dance, music, weaving, pottery, jewelry, stonework, carpets, and even paper). Read on for a summary of our journey, and for a sampling of the many photos!

Continue reading “Mystical India”