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
Nepal, Chitwan, Rhino I Approached on Foot, 1984 - Gabrielle, Ed and I were in a machan in Chitwan National Park in southern Nepal near the border with India. Chitwan is famed for its large population of Indian One-Horned Rhinocerous. I told Gabrielle and Ed I was going down on the ground to get a close-up of the rhino. When I got to the base of the machan, they called down to me not to go near her, as she had a baby. I thought they were just trying to scare me from going, so I crept closer. When I was within about twenty-five feet of her, I saw the baby rhino. As the camera shutter snapped, the rhino reared her head. As rhinocerous are almost blind but with an acute sense of hearing, she listened to assess the danger. I had two choices: stand still or run barefoot. I chose to run. So did the rhino. She was actually running for the safety of the forest but I thought she was running after me. Fortunately she wasn't. She passed me going off in a slightly different direction. Rhinos run faster than humans. I wrote, "I felt, for the first time in my life, afraid for my life, afraid for my life because of a wild beast."
Slovenia, Zuzemberk Prov, Village
Turkey, Trabzon Prov, Car On Treacherous Road
Azerbaijan, Lankaran (AZ-LAN) Prov, House And Mountains
Thailand, Ranong Prov, Tugboat
Slovenia, Horjul Prov, Church
Thailand, Phichit Prov, Landscape
Ambon, Fish On A Stick, 2007 - This is a typical market scene in Ambon, an island in Maluku, the Spice Islands in the east of Indonesia. In 1999, religious wars saw the Muslims and Christians taking each other's lives for seemingly no other reason than one revenge after another that started by a single attack, allegedly started by agitators from Java. Today, Ambon is relatively peaceful once again. The Ambonese people are friendly, with a casual and playful attitude.
Seram, Butterfly, 2006 - When I went to Seram in September 2006 to find the Little People, I took photographs of everything that I found interesting. In addition to being an avid lover of beauty and nature, I also did so because there are almost no photographs from Seram on the web - I could find almost nothing. This website is probably the best place to see visual information from this interesting island in eastern Indonesia.
Zimbabwe, Unknown Prov, Portrait Of Girl