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
Papua New Guinea, Koroba, Two Wigmen, 1983 - The man on the left plays the Koroba Flute. They said it was used to attract girls. They also used it to amuse themselves while they walked, to avoid boredom. These men are examples of how fit most of the men are. Only the very elderly seemed debilitated. Most men were very strong as a result of constantly walking up and down the incredibly difficult topography of the Highlands of New Guinea. Their toes are splayed out. At first I thought their feet looked odd. Later, I realized that it was my feet that were unnatural, a result of wearing shoes. Their feet were how feet are supposed to be.
UK, Brighton And Hove Prov, Windmill Repair
Vietnam, Ha Tay Prov, Milling Yard
Philippines, Palawan Prov, Waterfall
Estonia, Laanemaa Prov, Sea Sky -
Kayah Woman, 2012
Myanmar, Kayah Province (Division) - 8x10 film
The Long-Neck, or Giraffe-Necked woman are originally from Kayah State in Myanmar. To travel there required a permit. I had seen them before in Mae Hong Son Province in Western Thailand, but there, they are refugees. Like many customs involving disfigurement, this one is dying out. Typically, only the old women wear the neck rings. There is a photo on this site from Mae Hong Son of a girl wearing the rings, but these were removable. The woman in this photograph is one of the last remaining original Long Necked Woman. I found her in a house in a village on the side of the road.
Azerbaijan, Calilabab Prov, Kickin Around Shoes
Vietnam, Tuyen Quang Prov, Night Shop
Myanmar, Kachin Prov, Street Scene
June 28, 2009 - I woke at 5a after about 40 minutes of sleep! We had rice and tea, then took the one hour drive to the airport for 15,000 Kyat. I slept on the chairs of the airport waiting lounge. I sat with Ian in the last row and Lani and Mama sat in the first row. It was nice to try to take photos of the mighty Ayeyarwaddy River from the air. Then we continued on in clouds, landing one hour and twenty minutes later in Myitkyina. We were met by U Myint U, a representative of Exotic Myanmar Travel in Yangon. Until now all was exciting. But as the facts unfolded about our plans, I felt despair. We were met by U Myint U, a representative of Exotic Myanmar Travel in Yangon. Until now all was exciting. But as the facts unfolded about our plans, I felt despair. We rode to town, checked out the New Light Hotel, then the Two Dragons (whose Chinese style, I did not like), then finally the Riverside. The surroundings were great but the rooms dank and smelly. We returned to the New Light and I negotiated with the Sikh owner for $25 for the family room. A discussion ensued between Myint U, the owner and I. This confirmed that there were no traditional clothes worn in the whole of Kachin with the exception of January 5-13, when there is a festival and people return from other parts. I was not quite sure about this. The story was that the insurgent fighting over the years resulted in the Kachin tribepeople being relocated on the Chinese side of the border (a tacit recommendation to go to Yunnan State). Myint U said that we could go to Bhamo in the south and then take a 2 day river trip down the Ayeyarwaddy River to Mandalay, then go from there to Lashio via Kok ?, the place were the train goes over a gorge on a 100-year old bridge. In Hsipaw, we could see traditional people, he said. I believed him. Furthermore, there was incredbly bad and good news concerning Putao. The bad news was that even if we went to Putao, we could not see any tribespeople at all, not any wearing traditional clothes. The good news was this: in fact, there were still about five or six Tarong people left living at the base of Khakaborazi, Southeast Asia's highest peak at 5881 meters (over 19,000 feet). It was a 15-day hike just to get there from N___, north of Putao. The Tarong people, he said, were 2-1/2 to 3 feet high. There were only old Tarong people left, and they are soon to die out. I asked if he thought that anthropologists have studied them and he thought not (and I assumed this was because of the difficulty of reaching them). I imagined this would be the stuff of which a documentary could be made with Tod, the producer, for a show on the Disovery Channel. So, this was, in a way, good news, because this was a real, authentic wonder, and there is little time to document it. The investment woudl be six weeks of time just to get there, spend a few days with the Tarong and come back. I asked if they spoke Myanmar, and Myint U said he thinks they speak only Rawong, a local tribal language....
Turkey, Balikesir Prov, Mosque