By Greg Cummings One afternoon in June 2011 a black back mountain gorilla known as Mizano was engaged in battle with a pack of poachers’ dogs in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda …. In an effort to save his hounds, the poacher thrust his spear into Mizano, killing him. A post mortem revealed the … Continued
“I’ve always said I didn’t want kids because I wanted to travel and adventure… but meeting you guys has blown that argument out of the water…” I laughed over my wine glass as our backpacker guest of the evening proceeded to ask a million questions about “How we do it” with four kids, and expressed … Continued
The concept of time often becomes irrelevant when travelling as magical moments can happen in seconds, hours or days. Despite only spending a week in Rwanda, it provided some of the most memorable moments of my life and is a place I hope to visit again. It is a thought-provoking nation, a country of contrasts … Continued
It is nearly my 45th birthday: Did you participate in my #45×45 Birthday Project yet? DO IT TODAY! We have helped nearly 45 families to receive Solar Cookers. Join in! My father, who is also a Penn grad and the reason I traveled from Los Angeles to Philadelphia for college, often says, “Sleep? I can … Continued
We’d reached the town of Wadi Halfa in the northern Sudan when a humid wind hit the overland truck. While traveling through the desert avoiding the impassable banks of the Nile, we were astonished when the breeze suddenly felt moist. I understood that Lake Nasser must be close. This body of water, created by the … Continued
Greg Cummings’ Gorillaland describes a compelling and terrifying trip through the heart of Africa. The reader is treated to a cast of characters like individual strings in a Byzantine intrigue, from the pristine to the corrupt, to the archetypal and historical. When each is tightened into place and woven more completely together the story’s tapestry … Continued
Far from the commercialism of Tunis City, in a forgotten quiet glade away from the crowds, several small statues forming Le Tophet rise from a dip in the earth. 1) Le Tophet: photo from Wikipedia These unassuming relics are virtually the only remnant of the great Phoenician civilization which had its capital at Carthage. … Continued
Many years ago I arrived in the West African country of Gambia, broke as the day is long. Having a poor understanding of the country’s infrastructure, I assumed that having money wired from abroad would be a relatively easy task and was not overly concerned. I was misinformed. I had come to this sliver of … Continued
A sunset at Falealupo, Savaii, Samoa. When I travel, I imagine that I am talking to strangers from a different culture and that I witness different lives to learn about those same lives, but in reality I always reach hidden treasures; insights into my own reality and dreams. Sometimes the action of travel teaches me … Continued
It was late in the evening when the plane touched down and the doors opened; that was it…………my first smell of Africa; a warm and comforting scent of spices and soil. In March 2011 I travelled to Sierra Leone with the maternal health charity ‘Life for African Mothers’. All I knew of Sierra Leone was … Continued