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
Latvia, Tukuma Prov, Mushroom -
Slovenia, Velika Polana Prov, May Pole
Slovenia, Ivancna Gorica Prov, Farm Land
Slovenia, Gornji Grad Prov, Having A Beer
Australia, Lord Howe Is, Balls Pyramid, 2001 - Balls Pyramid is a spectacular sight, a massive cliff jutting out of the ocean 1843 feet above sea level, making it the tallest such "stack" in the world. It lies 13 miles off the coast of Lord Howe Island, a possession of Australia. July 5, 2001 - Novi and I hung out in the airport from 845a till 1135a, when we boarded, along with a score of Japanese tourists, the plane for Lord Howe. When we landed, I could see that the island was really beautiful, picturesque. I asked a Pinetrees staff if they had rooms, and they did, so they led us to their lodge. I had read about this lodge in the TCC bulletins. Novi and I made love. I slept a little. At about 430p, I went out, while Novi slept. I rode my bike to the far beach, then ran, with some walking to Kim's Lookout. It was getting dark, but I decided to continue along the ride. I got to Malabor peak, and now it was nearing darkness. The moon was yellow and encircled by clouds. I let out a whoop, standing so close to the cliff's edge, I felt a little afraid. I saw the sign to Ned's beach, and I took it. I was concerned that it would not drop down to the side of the island where the settlement is, but, now it being dark except for the light of the moon and the airport, the trail finally dropped down. I stood there for a moment, soaking in the breeze, the moon, the clouds, the sound of the waves off of Ned's beach, the whole panorama of dark hills. I felt at peace. I soaked it all in and I envisioned a future world that I could help to mold, in which women could run free and naked, where there was much more love and much less frustration, where life was more like heaven and full of the mystery of the ages. I ran back to my bicycle and rode along the dark roads back to Pinetree. It was exhilarating. Novi and I dined in the dining room, after watching a bit of a performance by the resident musicians. Lani behaved herself very well throughout. After, we laughed, while I danced to "Besame Mucho" with Lani. We retired to our room after dinner. Novita and I talked and laughed in the dark. We made love before sleeping. July 6, 2001 - Today was a banner day. There are few days that are as full of excitement and pleasure as this one. After a not-so-good bfast, I went to call the pilot, but he was already on premises looking for me. He said he had already flown this morning and it was a bit choppy but we could go if I wanted. At 10a we went to the airport and donned our lifevests. We flew out the 12 miles to the Pyramid. Ball's Pyramid is truly one of the world's wonders, a "stack" jutting 551m out of the ocean. On almost every side it is a sheer drop from the top fo the ocean floor; nearly vertical cliffs!! We circled around it twice. I shot lots of photos. There was a rainbow to backdrop it to boot!! Just flying near it filled me with a sense of satisfaction. When we returned we flew to the south of Mt. Gower, around the island over the settlement and then touched down. Stan, the pilot, tipped the wings many times in order for me to get the appropriate photographs. I thoroughly enjoyed the flight, as did Novi. Stan asked us to his house for a coffee. The coffee was terrible, but the house was beautiful. He had redone the inside and outside of the house, the house having been inherited from his father. He said had chosen colors as follows: "I figured the sea did pretty good, the sand and blue of the water." The walls were a yellow and the trim a light sea blue. The floor was a resurfaced yellow cedar, which had so much patina to it, it looked synthetic. "What time is it?" I asked, looking at his watch, which said a quarter to twelve. "We've go to go!" I said; we were on our way to the glass bottom boat. We got a ride back to Pinetrees, went to our room for a minute, then we waited on the beach for the boat. The boat pulled up ten minutes later. Dean led the trip. It was interesting. He knew a lot about the wildlife, having been a ranger for 15 years here. He said there were 100 species of coral, but said there 500 on the great Barrier reef. The information I'd received so many years ago from the guy at Uepi Island who I went diving with seemed to be errorneous. He had said there were something like 47 species on the Great Barrier Reed. When it came time to snorkel, I went without a wet suit. It was brisk, about 19 degrees Centigrade. The dive was very lovely. There were corals everywhere. I also met what is probably a big puffer fish, hiding in a hole. There was also another hole in which there were many large fish. Back on board after about 20 minutes. Dean hammered on two sea urchin to reveal their orange interior, then tied them to the underside of the glass bottom. The fish, mostly small parrot wrasses, fed in quick succession, until the urchin had no more insides left. We returned to shore. I took a long hot shower. We enjoyed a hot coffee in our room. Then we went, under gray skies, for a picnic. We cycled as a family, Lani on my chest, to Ned's beach. There was no one there when we got there. I made a fire in the BBQ pit, and we roasted lamb chops and beef sausages. It started to drizzle, and we finished our blackened repast under the protection of the small shelter there. Then came some white folk, then a group of Japanese tourists. I went for a walk down the beach. Down the other end of the beach, I shot a photo of a mask-like face carved into the hard sand wall. I saw the man with the fish feed bucket coming and I scurried back. He threw gobs of leftover table scraps into the water, but virtually no fish came. The seas were too rough today, he said. Indeed the sea was rough, threatening and pounding its way in. Not long after, I resumed my walk down the beach. It started to rain hard, and I came back, partly soaked. Novi and I waited till the rain stopped. I stopped next to the BBQ pit, even though it was drizzling, without my shirt, just to feel its warmth. Not long before dark, we cycled back. We arrived around 515p. I showered again, a long, hot, lovely shower, soaking it in, reveling in its warmth.
Vietnam, Quang Tri Prov, Temple Detail -
Argentina, Jujuy Province, In Tent with Chariot under Stars, 2010, Image 6231r5
In this photograph, I lay in my tent, a mere silhouette. In front is my chariot, used to pull water across the Altiplano of South America. In this time exposure, the stars are shown as trails in the sky, a result of the turning of the earth. Alone, I felt exalted. My mind was free to travel where it would, as is exampled by that evening’s journal entry. I wrote of the journey as if it was a dream….
November 29, 2010 – trailhead to the Golden Road, before the Quebrada de Humahuaca, on the way to Tilcara, on my walk across the Andes and Altiplano of South America … 11:24 p.m. It was nighttime. I was in my tent. I looked out at the night sky through my porthole, the silhouette of the mountains, almost completely black. On the horizon, there was just a bit of color, a bit of light. But it wasn’t from a city. I don’t think it was from the moon. The light was in the west and the moon was in the east. Did I ever really take the time before to look at the sky? I did. I did do that. And ponder, like man and women have done - and children - from the beginning of time, to look at the sky and wonder what it all means - all these heavenly bodies. In the day-to-day bustle now, who takes the time? And, anyway, the city lights, they dim out the stars. It’s as if civilization kills everything. As if it obscures the clarity of our vision…. I was warm and cozy inside the tent. I had hot chocolate. (Chocolate and coffee. Chocolate and coffee. It keeps me going.) I had walked up towards the pass, up and up in the late afternoon until the sun fully set. But the sky. You know, the sky, even though the sun fully sets, the sky is a great illuminator. And I walked with my camera and my cart, my camera dangling around my neck, and I stopped and I saw this incredible road, heading to the northeast towards what appeared to be Tilcara. How could I be sure? But I had to make camp there just in case in the morning somebody came by. And I could ask them if this road indeed went to Tilcara. How wonderful. It was like a golden road. It was winding and heading straight to the northeast, exactly where I wanted to go. I couldn’t pass it up. I had planned to walk during the night. I had planned to “cover some ground,” “make some progress,” but, it’s a dream, and in a dream, you don’t need to make progress! You do as you need to do. So I made camp, and I filled myself up with hot liquids, and then the wind died down. It was totally calm. I shot a night photograph of the sky, with my tent and my cart. I had no one to answer to. I had no phone calls to make, other than the ones that I really wanted to make, which only involved love. I had no emails to answer. I left all that behind. Tonight was all mine. All mine. I felt like a king, so many times over, I felt like the lord of the earth. I felt like the lord of the sky. Oh, well, you can criticize me for using these words, king, lord, sovereign. This kind of concept is not in vogue, but it’s my dream, and in my dream, I felt like the lord of all the things in the things in the sky and the earth. I felt in touch and communion with everything, at one with everything, in a mutual harmony, in a fine balance that could not be disturbed if my attitude was right, which it was, because I appreciated everything in my dream. I just lay down against one elbow propping my body up, with my head resting on my shoulder, looking out at the sky, feeling unbelievable. I reached out and I touched the stars. I grabbed a whole bunch of them with my hand and pulled them into my tent, and then I opened my hand and I (phew!) blew them towards the hill, and they bounced off the hill and back into the sky. On my walk, I felt I could do anything. I talked earlier about feeling fear of death and feeling no fear of death. And the difference was, when I was completely happy, and completely in touch with my own nirvana, completely satisfied, although I value life and although I cherish every moment, and I want to live forever - and there’s no proof that I won’t! - but death, it seemed no different than life, because I was completely whole.
Vietnam, Vinh Phuc Prov, Station Flag
Vietnam, SocTrang Prov, Offering -
Lithuania, Vilnius, Three Dolls In Window -