A weathered taxi pulled up to the gas station. The slightly disheveled, middle-aged driver stepped out into the early morning drizzle and straightened his hat. One of the pump attendants recognized him with a broad smile and the two men greeted each other. "Kenya mpya!" "Eh, Kenya mpya!" An odd greeting for a Saturday morning.... Continue Reading →
Fact of the day: the earth's geomagnetic fields sometimes change direction. It's true. The current geological powers-that-be haven't quite figured out what causes it, but it does happen. If it changed this year (which is unlikely) and any of you in the US decided to use a hand-bearing compass to go find the cool volcano... Continue Reading →
The deep blue and bright blue lay before her, stitched together by a grey-green horizon of stone and pine. Far above her head, the wind that knows no land whipped wispy, white waves across the sky. Just below her paddle, milk-white moon jellies danced slowly around the emerald-green sea-grass. A pair of bald eagles swooped... Continue Reading →
"One of the best temporary cures for pride and affection is seasickness." - Henry Wheeler Show July 11th: late afternoon, Queen Charlotte Straight, north Vancouver Island. The cold wind beat against my jacket and the ominous clouds blew low above our mast. I sat in the cockpit - my arm slung tightly around the starboard... Continue Reading →
Q: How should one begin a water adventure? A: By deciding what to wear. Expedition fashion is critical to a successful outcome (clearly). Take special note of the blue windbreaker, purple fleece, and extra-classy patched blue/green wind pants. Black hat and blue wool socks complete either end of the wardrobe. Second most important question: what... Continue Reading →
This morning, thanks to some crazy previous guest, the alarm clock in my hotel room went off an hour earlier than my phone alarm. I woke up at 4am, lost in a king size bed. What kind of boat I was on and why it was so dark? Was I wrapped in the sail? And... Continue Reading →
Jomo Kenyatta Airport is close. Not a two-minute walk away kind of close, but an over-crowded birdcage kind of close. The halls of the international terminal are narrow and the ceilings low; the duty-free shops are small and have goods stacked in every available nook. The terminal follows the shape of a shallow semi-circle, so... Continue Reading →
At thirty minutes before game-time, there were only a few seats left in the front. Over four hundred fans had crowded under a tent in the parking lot of a local bar to watch England and the USA play their first world cup game. Four hundred people on bleachers and plastic chairs, armed with vuvuzelas,... Continue Reading →
When the cool winds come And the heavy rains fall When young and old sing their songs, Play their tunes, and dance for all, When swings are silent And the walls are bare, When the last guava falls You know summer is near. This is the guava tree that grows in the elementary playground. I... Continue Reading →
I have tried to be consistent with blogging these last few months; at once a week (ish), I think I've done a decent job. In spite of these efforts though, life continues to be much fuller than I have given credit here on the Dunehopper Diaries. This post will thus be a hodgepodge of happenings,... Continue Reading →
Of Wonders & Wanders 
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