The Cradle of Humankind

Following my military service, I attended college at the University of Connecticut. My degree program would yield a BS degree, and even though I was a business major, I was required to take at least a few science courses. Today I laughingly admit to my friends that even though I have a daughter with a PhD in Microbiology and a son who is a nurse, I never could pass a course that ended in "-ology". And so it was that I found myself sitting across the desk from my anthropology professor during her office hours confessing that I could not figure out how knowing the cranial capacity of Australopithecus could possibly help me in my future career in business. She either was unusually sympathetic or just couldn't bear to see me in her class another day struggling to appear interested in a topic that obviously meant a lot to her. So, she worked out a program of independent study for me focusing on a project that I agreed I could muster enthusiasm for.

Little did I know at that time that the few weeks I did spend in her classroom contributed an inner hunger that ultimately led me to add another item to my bucket list ..... visiting the Cradle of Humankind at Sterkfontein Caves just northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. I actually traveled half way around the world to the place where the skull of Mrs. Plez, Australopithecus Africanus, had been found. Mrs. Plez was one of the early hominids (estimated age is 2.6 million years), whos cranial capacity (485 cc) had driven me to distraction in my anthropology class.

And so it was, many years later, that we found ourselves winging our way to Africa. We spent weeks travelling through six countries in southern Africa and had another one of those experiences that we will never forget. We began our African oddysey at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. We journeyed through Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozabmbique, Swaziland and ended up in South Africa. There we stayed for a few days in Johannesburg. Two of what will probably be some of the most memorable events in my life happened on successive days. On November 5, 2008, Barack Obama was elected President. The next day we visited Sterkfontein Caves.

Don't we all wonder where we came from? How did we get here? Who were our ancestors? What were their lives like?

I've spent many hours talking with friends about their ancestries. These conversations usually focus on their parents' lineage; when and from where did their ancestors migrate to the United States? True to the question I asked my anthropolgy professor, I have never had any of those conversations end up in a discussion about whether humankind descended from Mrs. Plez.

Still, it is something I have often found myself thinking about. I have always been a spiritual person. I don't want to confuse "spiritual" with "religious". Religion is an element of spirituality, and I have read most of the texts - the Bible, the Torah, the Koran, the Tipitaka. All have perspectives on the origins of the human race. My ongoing curiosity and desire to learn drove me to Sterkfontein. I am reasonably convinced that my ancestors wandered around that area at some point in time. I just can't find the book that they wrote to tell me that.

And so there I was staring at the achaelogical site that produced Mrs. Plez. It was a moving time for me - thinking about all that had transpired between the time Mrs. Plez and her family had wandered around the very spot where I now stood until today. It also made me wonder what others thousands or millions of years hence will think about us.

Thoughts about other places I had traveled played into the entire scenario (see my post, "Guns, Germs and Steel").

Although, as with most of the other places I have traveled, I would love to return to the area around Johannesburg, I think I can check the cradle of humankind off my list. There are so many places to go and so little time available to go there.

Paddling Amongst The Glaciers

When I hear the phrase "contemplating your navel", it always conjures up a mind picture of being somewhere remote, serene and majestic. I suppose I have spent more time looking for great places to do that than actually doing it. But, being one who believes that life is all about the journey, that makes sense. One of the most memorable items on my list certainly meets any criteria I can imagine for a great place to meditate and so much more .........

If there's any connection at all, most folks connect Alaska's Prince William Sound with the site of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. And there is a good reason a lot of folks got up in arms about the damage that event caused to a pristine wilderness environment. The damage was massive.

Prince William Sound is one of the most spectacular tidewater areas on the globe. Here the waters of the Gulf of Alaska meet the Chugach Mountains, home to of one of the largest ice fields anywhere on earth. The ice fields flow to the sea in the form of flowing rivers of ice, the glaciers. Whether advancing or retreating, these massive frozen rivers are always moving. At tidewater these incredible examples of nature and power tower hundreds of feet above the ocean's surface cracking and shifting and periodically sluffing off tons of ice. The ice, often in pieces the size of houses, crashes down the face of the glacier splashing into the ocean sending geysers of water into the air and producing waves that take miles to dissipate. In the fjords, bays and coves where these calving icy behemoths meet the sea is where kayakers often hang out. This is an experience that would do any bucket list proud.

I ticked this adventure off my list the first time we paddled in Blackstone Bay and bobbed on the surface a short distance off the face of Beloit amd Blackstone Glaciers, but we've returned again and again for the same experience.

Although we'd love to spend longer, our kayaking journeys to Prince William Sound usually extend over a long weekend. If we were to put in at Whittier, our jumping off point, it would take a day or more of paddling just to get near our destination. So, thanks to modern day conveniences, we are able to hop on a sea taxi that will take us into Blackstone bay and drop us and our gear off at our predetermined base camp site. From there, it's a quiet paddle to the glaciers. We will often drift quietly during our paddle to or between the glaciers and observe the abundant sea life. Orcas often ply the waters as do seals. Rafts of sea otters float quietly on the surface. Sea birds fly noisily overhead. And, often deep rumblings reverbrate across the waters indicating another portion of a glacier has calved into the sea.

The summetime weather in the sound can be anything from sunny warm days to cold drizzle or downright downpours. Regardless of the weather, the routine is fairly consistent. Days are spent out paddling around the bays and fjords enjoying the serenity, wildlife in and out of the water and the massive glaciers. Evenings are spent at camp enjoying the sounds, views, space, meals and often a crackling camp fire.

On the mainland, bears frequent many of the shorline areas. Rarely do they cause any problems, but it's always important to remember to make 3-point camps. That's also a reason many paddlers like to camp on islands.

We've camped and paddled in Prince William Sound in the sunshine and in the rain. Each creates its own special atmosphere. Regardless of the weather, the experience is always, peaceful yet exhilarating, serene yet often filled with natural noise, relaxing yet energizing. It's one of my favorite things to do and adventures to go on. The very fact that I can't be there as often or as long as I'd like to be makes each visit to Prince William Sound special, and I cling to every moment and experience, both while there and then in my memory in the days and years that follow.

Paris, the City of Love

It didn't take long for Paris to get on the list. From early childhood, I had heard people gush over the beauty and feel of Paris. There just never seemed to be enough superlatives when visitors tried to relate why their trip to Paris was something they would never forget. My fascination with history added to the mystique and aura of this great city. And so, Paris got on the list. I've visited twice; once in my teenage years and again later in life. The two visits were about as different as they could be, both memorable, but both from completely diferent times in my life.

Memories from my first visit left little doubt in my mind that I hoped to return again some day. It took years to make that happen, but the wait was truly worthwhile. And it did reafirm why Paris is often referred to as The City of Love.

Parisians are classy people. First of all, you never see anyone from Paris who doesn't look like they are from Paris. They have a an unmistakable style and flair about them. But, what I appreciate most about Parisians is how much they enjoy life. I realized that on my first visit, but didn't really experience it until my second visit. The fact that on my second visit I was accompanied by the love of my life probably has something to do with that.

Paris has it all. You can spend days, weeks, months or even years exploring the history, art and architecture of the city. And then you can spend a lifetime just learning how to enjoy life in that great city. Just the thought of hanging out in Paris gets me excited.

First, back to the history part. Charles Dickens opens his "Tale of Two Cities" with the line, "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." That was such a tumultuous time in France's history, particularly if you were one of the aristocrats who arrived at Place de la Concorde (then named Place de la Revolution) in one piece and left without your head thanks to your visit to Madame de la Guillotine. Everywhere you look in Paris you find history. The museums are spectacular and every item in every museum has a story to tell. Often the stories are linked to other things you can go see: the buildings, the palaces, the monuments, the tombs. It's almost dizzying to try to think about how Paris is linked in so many ways to over two thousand years of global history.

OK, so enough about history and edifices. How about life in Paris? Well, one thing Paris is known for is its sidewalk cafes. To be sure, Paris isn't the only city on earth that has sidewalk cafes. But, it's the Parisians who firmly established the sidewalk cafe culture that has spread around the globe. So many people visit the city and are in such a rush to see and do everything, they miss one of the the very things that makes the place so much fun. Well, I don't. We spent about and hour and a half having a leisurely lunch at this cafe (picture) while we waited for the Palais de Justice to open after lunch. We sat and talked and ate and watched people passing by. Everyone had a story.

There aren't enough cafes in Paris for everyone to be able to stake out their own table, so Parisians also hang out in their parks .... and there are a lot of them. The parks are full of benches, and it's no wonder why. People sit on them. Not for just a few minutes - for hours. They come to spoon, to read, to eat lunch, to talk with friends or just to sit back, watch and enjoy the people and scenery. Based on what I observed, what they don't go to cafes or parks to do is to text message all their buddies. I also didn't observe people having lengthy conversations on their cell phones while they ignored their tablemates. Parisians are way too classy for that. Americans, on the other hand .........

The most romantic, and, I think, the most Parisian habit we developed was to head for the quais along the Seine in the evenings. There are plenty of places where one can find steps leading from the street level along the river down to the broad quais just above the water's edge. Groups of friends congregate there, often spreading a blanket out to hold some wine, bread and cheese while they talk or strum guitars or other instruments and sing. As darkness falls, candles are lighted adding a warmer more romantic element to a scene so much that way already. Out in the river, barges and brightly lighted tour boats quietly glide through the water. Music drifts from the dinner cruise boats adding to the aura of music, fun, energy and romance.

Our favorite practice was to stop by the small shops on the Isle St. Louis where we stayed to pick up wine at the wine merchant's, fresh bread at the boulangerie, meat from the butcher shop, and some cheese and fruit from the grocery. We'd walk to the end of the island and descend down broad worn old stone steps to the quai, where we'd find a place to sit, spread out out our dinner, and enjoy the evening. Just the thought of that now brings on a sense of serenity and happiness.

Paris doesn't get off the list. It's one of the items that's going to stay on it reminding us to stop by as we pass through to other destinations or perhaps even to plan another vacation there.