travel – Naturalist on Earth

Cross-country skating

For the first time in my life, I wish the winter wouldn’t end so soon. Also for the first time in my life, I am going to write about sports. You see, I am not a sports person. I hate spectator sports. I get bored with competitive sports after one hour tops, usually much sooner.Continue reading “Cross-country skating”

The Great Loop

Many years ago I drove once to Labrador (in September) and once around Newfoundland (in July), but that was before the road connection between Goose Bay and Blanc Sablon was completed, making it possible to travel around all of Canada’s eastern provinces in one long loop. I wanted to do it for many years, butContinue reading “The Great Loop”

Back to Japan

I spent two months traveling around Japan in 2008, lived there for two years in 2017-19, and this summer came back for a month. It felt, surprisingly, like coming home. I still remember the intricacies of navigating the immense three-dimensional maze of Tokyo and the best choices in vending machines. I still feel intellectual pleasureContinue reading “Back to Japan”

Weekend in Washington

We spent the weekend in Washington, DC. Usually looking its best in spring, the once proud capital is a sad sight under enemy occupation. Its imperial grandeur now feels like mockery. Its great museums are half empty; some exhibits are being removed or changed, reportedly to comply with the new rulers’ neo-Nazi ideology. Dozens ofContinue reading “Weekend in Washington”

Mudslides in the mist: Cusco in the rainy season.

We spent our spring break in Cusco, flying there and back with overnight stays in Callao for plane changes. The kids hadn’t been to South America yet, my wife always wanted to see the area, and I love Peru since my first trip there 30 years ago, when I hitchhiked through the entire country NContinue reading “Mudslides in the mist: Cusco in the rainy season.”