We have come home to Boulder for 3 weeks to enjoy the holidays and regroup before heading out again on our own for 4+ months. It was a joyous occasion to walk into our house and be greeted enthusiastically by our golden retriever, Evie, and our cat, Sierra. Our friends Julia and Dunbar are staying…
Category: 2012
Ship Life – It’s a VOYAGE, not a cruise!!
Both times we’ve returned from our Semester at Sea (SAS) adventures, friends ask us what our favorite place was. After struggling to choose just one place, we have realized that the ship itself is among the most memorable places on Semester at Sea, although it seldom gets the attention the ports get. We spend over…
Guatemala – A Great Finale to 4 Months of Travel
After finishing our Semester at Sea voyage, we sandwiched in 10 days in Guatemala before heading back to Boulder over the holidays. Guatemala was the “bonus addition” to the first half of our year of travel, but it turned out to be one of our favorite countries. One of our goals for Guatemala was to…
Fort Lauderdale – “Home” for a day!
The last few days at sea were filled with activity. We had the alumni ball and a series of reflection sessions to allow people to look back at all they had seen and experienced over the last few months. Hallways and common areas were full with people exchanging contact information, trading maps that took the…
Dominica – A Slice of Paradise in the Caribbean
The last port during our Semester at Sea adventure was the untouched island of Dominica, not to be confused with the Dominican Republic. Dominica is a mountainous island with only 70,000 people, mostly descended from African slaves brought to Venezuela. This small island gained its independence from Britain in 1978 and is within eyesight of…
Brazil – Up the Amazon to Manaus
Our senses awaken as we leave the Atlantic Ocean and begin our two day journey up the Amazon River to the town of Manaus. The intense smell of campfires and smoke fill the jungle as Brazilians prepare their breakfast and perhaps clear land for cultivation. The air is a steamy haze of smoke and humidity…
Brazil – Rio de Janeiro
As we sailed into Rio de Janeiro, it was obvious why the view from the harbor is considered one of the modern wonders of the world. Christ the Redeemer sits at the top of one of the many forested peaks that encircle the sprawling white beaches and modern city. Copacabana and Ipanema beaches are right…
Argentina – Big City and Cowboys
As we sailed across the Atlantic from South Africa, we were exposed to three sides of Argentina. The old: the still beloved Evita, who served as first lady and worked on behalf of the poorest Argentines; and the history of what once was among the richest countries on Earth, with European influences and South American…
South Africa – A Magical Complicated Country
The lucky Orris clan returned to picturesque Cape Town, South Africa. Our second visit allowed us to dig deeper and discover a layer of South Africa that we didn’t see in 2009. We added to our knowledge of South Africa’s history through our classes on the ship and our inter-port lectures, Bob and Alice Evans. …
Ghana Stories – Views from Christy and Jay
We have finally figured out how to upload links to word documents. We had several assignments for our travel writing class and we linked them to this page. See the documents below if you want to read more about Ghana. Anticipating Ghana’s Slave Dungeons – Christy Expectations of Ghana – Jay Anticipation of Ghana –…