beentouring's Guestbook



10th March 2024

Happy you came along!
It was a pleasure having you join us for the long weekend in the Green State!!
15th March 2024

A pleasure to be with you
9th March 2024

A lovely reminder that trips need not take us to exotic locations to be worthwhile. Vermont (the little I've seen) is a beautiful State. i wonder who first had the idea that led by slow stages to today's gondola.
15th March 2024

Beautiful views and historic houses in Vermont - exotic enough.
29th February 2024

The small towns around Ottawa are fascinating, each with its own character. Thanks for a reminder that time marches - it's been a while since I was in Almonte, and it sounds as if I should go again.
8th March 2024

I particularly liked Almonte. Enjoy your visit.
26th February 2024

Artwork affixed to trees?
How is that done without damaging the treess?
28th February 2024

Artwork on Trees
I seem to remember ties were used to affix the artwork, although I didn't look at everything.
22nd February 2024

Thanks for a glimpse of the new Banff, compared to the one I remember from my childhood, from trips there with my children, and from a conference trip 40 years ago. (Yikes.) About 40 years ago I also read a near-future sci-fi book (50 years) that saw people making reservations to get into US national parks. It seems we may get there right on schedule. Love your shots of the Falls, and of the pinecone sculpture.
28th February 2024

Modern Banff
Glad to update you.
14th February 2024

I know you (like me) have also seen England's fields from the air. There's sure no mistaking SK for that green and pleasant land, is there? All straight lines and huge areas. Wow. And you got great shots of the rain storms.
19th February 2024

Saskatchewan
Spring is glorious in Saskatchewan!
14th February 2024

Green!!!
Never have I seen pics of SK with such deep green vegetation ! Gorgeous pics , again.
12th January 2024

All I knew of Stone Town was from a historical romance about Zanzibar and the slave trade, so it's good to have another view of it. It's hard to imagine an architecture inspired by the original need to protect against elephant attacks! (It's like realizing that castle moats had an actual defensive purpose. D'oh! I don't spend much of my life energy preparing against an attack.) Except for the lack of Spanish, I could mistake many of your street photos for scenes in Guatemala or Quito - it's interesting to see how the North and the South, broadly speaking, have broad similarities.
6th January 2024

What a fascinating (if slightly damp) day, exploring spices. as for other "stuff", I admit that I had never thought about where kapok comes from until I saw your photo. Amazing. I love your description of your shopping adventure - avoiding the scarves with difficulty and the jewellery with ease. My own hard/easy would be different - and I find that more things are in the 'easy' category as I get older.
8th January 2024

The tour of the spice farm was an excellent learning experience about our own kitchen cupboards.
31st December 2023

Another ocean - and a warm one! Lovely. I empathize with "screen washout" - it can be a real problem, but it seems that at least some of your shots worked out. I empathize also with your group member who hit his limit. Someone I know who went back and forth to Guatemala professionally (and whose Spanish and Mayan-language facility is excellent) used to say that after watching students come and go, she figured 3 weeks was about as long as people could (usually) be open to cultural/linguistic differences. After that, many people just found them annoying. I expect there's a natural range in this capacity (as in most things) and I'd like to think that we can learn to be more open, but it's a real thing and not any better if it's pushed down or treated dismissively. A good thing, i think, to do a "formal" farewell. I've seen people leave groups for various reasons, never to be acknowledged.
2nd January 2024

Probably we do all have a limit, both for cultural interaction and in shear energy. Many tours are about three weeks long. Perhaps you have touched on the reason.
29th December 2023
Indian Ocean

Sigh! Beautiful beach
Judith. I’ve not had the chance to Visit Tanzania / Zanzibar. Looks idyllic. Beach looks as gorgeous as Negril. Now I can give Chris a hard time about Jamaica having the best sand beaches. Looking forward to next posts. May 2024 bring many more adventures for you. Hellen.
2nd January 2024
Indian Ocean

Beaches
Antiguans say they have the best beaches! I say, the best beach is the one you are on. A Canadian view no doubt.
21st December 2023

So much colour in the school! Lovely - and much ahead of any school construction I saw in Guatemala, which was all unadorned concrete block with high windows. And so much colour in the airplane view of Zanzibar City. In my teens I read a historical novel of Zanzibar where the Arab king fell in love with the green of Zanzibar, compared to the desert of his home. I love the story about the BC'er who "converted."
23rd December 2023

Zanzibar is a colourful place, in hues and history.
14th December 2023

What an amazing "last drive." It's interesting to see 3 roughly similar yet completely distinct body types in the zebras, wildebeest, and gazelles. And of course, the birds! That secretary bird looks ferocious (and e-Bird more or less confirms my reaction: It prefers open rangeland and savanna, where it strides about hunting for reptiles, small mammals, and insects, which it bludgeons with its powerful legs.) That eagle head on crane legs is quite a combination.
17th December 2023

Secretary Birds
From inside the vehicle, they look comical. But, so do some leopards.
13th December 2023

Trip
Looks amazing, excellent pictures, thanks.

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