Dear Ageless Traveler,
It’s my second day home after two months on the road, and it feels like I never left. I plan to spend the next three days unpacking, opening mail, and preparing for (drum-roll please) my first cruise ship speaking gig!
Who says dreams can’t come true after age 75? I have wanted to be a cruise ship speaker for decades and finally applied. To my amazement, I was accepted for four presentations in March on a route through the Azores to Morocco.
I am doubly excited because the topics fulfill my vision for you, The Ageless Traveler, regarding what tourism can mean to enhance our lives. My topics are:
- How to be an adventurer at any age
- How to change the world through voluntouring
- How to visit ten exciting cultural festivals in person or online
- How travel supports longer and healthier lives (I call that presentation, Passport to Longevity.)
Rest assured that as I develop these themes, you’ll be part of the process as I hold online sessions on all these topics.
In this week’s newsletter, I will cover our usual sections:
Ask Adriane: The Truth About Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
News you Can Use: Crossing the Mexican Border… an Update
Culture Vulture: Meet the Hominids in The Cradle of Humankind, South Africa
Luxury Travel for Less: The Art Galleries of Johannesburg, South Africa
In this week’s podcast, I interview the President of Ronick Tours and Travel in Uganda. We talk about the source of the Nile, tribal experiences, chimp and gorilla trekking, and the back side of water (the Disney Jungle River Ride, only real life). Don’t miss our discussion of Uganda Unique; it’s a swashbuckling jungle adventure.
If you are interested in traveling to Uganda, contact Derick Remember, the CEO of Ronick Tours and Travel: Email: info@ronicktoursandtravel.com Website: www.ronicktoursandtravel.com
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P.S.
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Tell your friends to join the Salon and listen to our podcasts on Apple, Spotify, iHeart Radio, or wherever they listen to podcasts.
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P.P.S.
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Support us using these affiliate links when you book on booking.com, Get Your Guide, hotels.com, and CruisesIt. You get the best deals, and we get a small compensation, which I use to continue my advocacy to make the world travel age-friendly.
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This Week’s Highlights
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On Our Podcast
Uganda Unique
“Uganda has a lot to offer beyond the gorillas. There is so much more to explore.” Derick, Remember, CEO Ronick Tours and Travel
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This is the first of a two-part series on Uganda, as we embark on an exciting journey to the Pearl of Africa. I chat with Derick Remember, founder and CEO of Ronick Tours and Travel, about Uganda’s breathtaking landscapes, vibrant culture, and unique adventures.
Discover why Uganda should be at the top of your travel list, from the source of the Nile to the stunning Lake Bunyonyi, and the thrilling experiences of gorilla trekking and safaris. Don’t miss out on this captivating exploration of one of Africa’s hidden gems!
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Culture Vulturing Around the World
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The Cradle of Humankind.
While Uganda brought me face to face with primates, a trip to The Cradle of Humankind brought me cheek by jowl with my long, long dead predecessors.
The Cradle of Humankind is a paleoanthropological site 31 miles northwest of Johannesburg, and is the location of the most significant human ancestral remains anywhere in the world. The site includes a system of limestone caves, which you can visit on a guided tour of about two hours. The Sterkfontein Caves yielded the discovery of a 2.3-million-year-old fossil Australopithecus africanus (nicknamed “Mrs. Ples“), found in 1947 by Robert Broom and John T. Robinson. The site was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.
To descend into the caves is to journey to discover the story of hominids who, by force or accident, fell into a hidden hole and died on contact with the rocky earth. The climate of the cave in which they fell preserved their not-quite-human skeletons.
When you visit, plan to spend time in the caves, the explanatory exhibits, and the laboratory to see how bone dating and excavation occur. The Cradle of Humankind is a must-see grandparent trip to make with your budding anthropologist. Or if South Africa is not in your future, check out this National Geographic program.
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Maboneng Precinct–The Art District of Johannesburg
I am an art enthusiast. I like to view art and love to buy at an affordable price. Maboneng Precint in Johannesburg, South Africa, is under the radar as an art scene but is getting better known. It’s easy to book a walking tour of the art-filled neighborhoods with their street sculpture, murals, and graffiti. It is wonderful to discover galleries filled with the work of local artists, with pieces small enough to fit into a suitcase.
I particularly enjoyed the bustling streets of Maboneng with its jazz clubs, buffet restaurants, and a handful of galleries with art at fair prices. Here are two pieces by an artist known as Ian. Ian’s sketches cost $25 per drawing. That’s Luxury For Less.
Listen to my interview with Lorraine Keenan here. Lorraine, a travel expert who mixes voluntouring with sightseeing through her company Hero’s Holidays, organized our Art Safari
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