The seahorses were sleeping, tails wrapped around branches, lights dimmed. Beneath them glowed a sign:
Buy crafts made in our giftshop, made by Filipino seahorse fishers and their families. You’ll help the families earn a living without having to catch sea horses.
Huh?
Where did the Shedd aquarium get their seahorses? I would guess they bought them or their progenitors from those Filipino fishers they’re so valiantly trying to wean off of capturing and selling seahorses.
But what really irks me is the fact the aquarium is encouraging its patrons to spend money in their gift shop as a solution to helping the endangered seahorses.
I’ve spent over a month of my life under the ocean’s surface and, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the ocean is big. …
I was browsing around today and stumbled across my latest contribution to the CS Monitor on the ABC news website.
It’s a funny thing not knowing when and where something you write and sell is going to show up. The Monitor has 90-day rights to do whatever the heck they want to do with anything I contribute to them. I suppose if they wanted to turn the Fantasy Kingdom piece into a mini-series starring Ricky Schroeder they could.
It would be nice to be in the know about where and when my writing is going to show up, but I don’t have much of a problem not knowing. Really, I think it’s pretty cool that someone at ABC News liked my story, too. And it’s a…
Kent, Rachael, and Melissa, I owe you all a WAIW t-shirt. Melissa won this contest and Kent and Rachael this one. Email me the address you would like your shirt sent to and I’ll get right on it. Or if you would prefer to receive a coffee mug I could do that, too. Just specify.
I’m about to place my annual Touron Attire Christmas gift order and I’ll have your winnings shipped to you directly even if you live half way around the world in New Zealand!
(Note: Kent and Rachael, you were supposed to win a year’s subscription to National Geographic Traveler, but the offer from NG was only good for the USA. Sorry, hope the T-shirt makes up for it.)…
I’m thankful for a lot of things; among them are Great Moments in Travel. I wrote a column about a few a couple years ago.
Read Away…
Great Moments in Travel
By Kelsey Timmerman
Baja, Mexico-
Moonlight Sonata is a creepy song, especially when it’s played by a vampire.
His white hands pick out the tune across the dusty keys. The notes drift out of the old baby grand and, weighted with misery, fall to the dirty concrete floor. Each one slowly crawls up the paint-chipped walls. Soon the room is filled with a multitude of lurking notes, which slowly fade, only to be replaced once more by the ghostly white hands on the ivory keys.
Senor Nicholas, owner/haunter of the piano museum in the…
The other day my nephew Jared wanted to play with the mic I use to do interviews. So, I decided to interview him. Ahh…the things 3 year-olds will say. Actually, he’s this many now (holds up four fingers) because he just had a birthday.
I thought it would be fun to share my buddy Jared’s thoughts in a little reoccurring feature called “Uncle Kelsey.”
In this first episode, I teach him the basics.
(Note: You may not recognize Jared without his body cast)…
I met Masum on a paddleboat from Dhaka to Khulna. He had been in Dhaka for an eye surgery. This is why he is wearing those glasses. He is not a Bangladeshi Elvis impersonator, just in case you were wondering.
Later, I tracked him down in Jhalakti. He let me stay in his hotel for free. I ate meals at his home and listened to his wife and daughter sing a duet.
I suppose my feeling helpless to do anything for them is a selfish way to feel. The only way I imagine I can help is to…
…
