This website illuminates my life and adventures. My longing for freedom has led me to over 2600 of the world’s 3978 provinces, to every country on earth and to the summit of the highest peak on each continent (thank heaven for good weather!). In my travels, I learned to respect the intelligence and ingenuity of people of all races and callings both past and present. Come see the world as I see it: as a peaceful place, full of nature and beauty. With the right spirit and intent, we can make our world a virtual Garden of Eden.
DISTINCTIONS: BBC 2017 Travel Pioneer • Journal Articles • Explorer’s Club Flag Expeditions
World Parks Project • Walk Across South America • Jeff Shea Travel Map
Cambodia, Krong Kaeb Prov, Statue
Slovenia, Mozirje Prov, Bee In Flower Closeup One
San Blas, Woman With Earrings, 2000 - One of the features of the San Blas costume were gold earrings. The ones shown in this photograph are enormous. I found photographing them challenging. The objective was to show them without having the photograph appear travelogish.
Ireland, Galway Prov, Table In Pub
Tanzania, Richard McGill with Hypothermia on Mt. K, 1984 - Richard McGill from the UK, Gabrielle from New Zealand and I strolled up Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. Gabrielle stopped at Gilman Peak while Richard and I went on to the summit at Uhuru Peak. Here, Richard suffers from hypothermia. In the book at the top, Richard wrote the following inscription, "?A Rootin Stootin Tootin reet Stootir, though a bit of a weed at times?nearly died too!."
Papua New Guinea, Clear Water, 1983 - This photograph shows the remarkable cleanliness of the streams in the forests of New Guinea. Though I drank freely from the steams at virtually every opportunity, I never got sick from doing so.
Estonia, Jogevamaa Prov, Church -
Latvia, Alusknes Prov, Aluksnes, Orchid -
Slovenia, Ziri Prov, Painted Door
Indonesia, Pulsating Rock Yellow, Pink, Red, Violet, 2005 - This photograph illustrates what may be the most amazing sight I have ever seen in all my travels. A white stone was dropped in a glass of water in a dimly lit room. It pulsated colors ranging from violet, blue, green, red, pink orange and yellow. Unfortunately I did not have my video camera. When I used my flash, the stone was just white, although once I caught a photo with the flash where the stone showed white, with clear water around it, and an arc of red an inch from the stone. The owner of the stone was a healer who said the 'nenek moyang' (ancestors) had come to him two years ago. First he only heard their voices. They instructed him how to heal people's sicknesses. After a couple of months, they began appearing to him and showed him how to touch people. People around him said he was a great healer. He did not accept money for his efforts, saying the 'nenek moyang' would punish him. One day, a bag of rice appeared. They told him to put his hand in it and pull out two stones. He showed me the two stones, one white, one red. The red one also glowed and pulsated visibly in dim light when in the glass of water. But it was the white one that pulsated all the colors of the spectrum. There was no trickery or motivation for money in this. It is the only inexplicable phenomena I have ever witnessed first hand.