The Dean of Travel

A day with pink dolphins in the Amazon of Brazil.

I was lucky to have the chance to see pink river dolphins up close and personal while exploring the Amazon rain forest here in Brazil.

 

I love this photo, the dolphin looks so happy to see people.  River dolphins though are almost blind, they navigate the dark and sometimes murky waters of the Amazon with sonar.

This river was the Rio Negro, it meets the Amazon River at Manaus Brazil.

What do you guess the dolphin is saying?

 

 

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Pink River Dolphins in the Amazon River of South America

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Dolphins are mammals, which means they must breath air to live.  Can you find the blow hole on this dolphin? 

 

 I love it when you tickle me here!

 

Oh, you are so cute!

 

 

Pucker up baby, how about a little kiss??

 

 

I recently learned from my friends at INPA, or the Amazon research institute that the pink dolphin is in danger, apparently people are killing them and using them for fish bait...so sad.  They tell me if this practice continues the dolphin could become extinct in 10 years.

Let us hope this changes quickly.

Dean

 

 

 

Omaha Nebraska Zoo Academy animal photos #2

Here's a nice selection of photos for you to check out. Can you ID any of these???

   

 

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Good to be sharing this journey with the zoo academy!

Cheers,

Dean

 

 

 

 

 

 

Essays for Mrs. Whitman's writing class.

Below you will find some wonderful essays written by Mrs Whitman's writing class at the Fremont Middle School in Nebraska.

To view the photos they wrote about, look at the previous posting.

Cheers,

Dean

 

Fremont Middle School 8th grade- Mrs. Whitman's writing class

Mrs. Whitman at the Fremont Middle School is having her students write reflective essays about the following photos.

Check back here to read some of the awesome writing by the students!

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These are random photos that I thought would make for fun writing.  I actually found the exercise interesting for myself.  When Mrs Whitman asked for some photos, it inspired me to start looking for images in a different way.  It is also very rewarding to know some of the images I am capturing are being used to stimulate creative minds! 

I am looking forward to reading what the students create! 

 

Cheers,

Dean

The Young Amazon-Apurimac River of Peru.

I am currently following as much as possible and finding key points of the longest tributary that sources the Amazon River.

Starting at the source of the Amazon in the Andes of southern Peru, I have now arrived in the port city of Pucallpa Peru.  The raging Apurimac River through narrow canyons has now become the flat and fast moving Ucayali River.

This is the Apurimac near Espinar Peru, in the highlands of the Andes. Behind me is a stone Inca bridge. 

 

Where three rivers come together to become the Apurimac in the highlands of the Andes near Espinar. 

 

The Inca bridge at Queshuachaca is rebuilt every June out of grass using traditional Inca techinques.  Below the bridge the Apurimac is a fierce raging river that would offer no merci for a mistake.

It was cold here, the altitude was around 11,000 feet.

I had the whole place to myself, getting here was no easy task. As I walk across the bridge, it swayed with each step, which had my heart beat just a little bit faster. Sometimes you just have to roll the dice.  The place is right out of a Indiana Jones movie!

 

 

The narrow Apurimac widens out, as the river carves its path through the Andes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The river races east and north to make its way to the Amazon rain basin in easteran Peru.

It was to dangerous to raft the Apuramic River near Cusco, the water was too high.  So I apoted for a ride down the Urubamba River!

 Wooohooo!  Love exploring the wilds of South America! 

The rafting trip offered the chance to meet some other travelers and have some fun for moment!

 

Where ever this finds you, I hope it brings you a smile.

 

Cheers,

Dean

 

 

 

 

Nevado Mismi, Peru, South America! The source of the Amazon River.

The Amazon River begins in the Andes of Peru!  

All good journeys have important points along the journey, and experiencing the source of the Amazon is an important mark along the way.

At 5,150 meters, the thin air challenged my determination at times, but the effort was rewarded with a stunning moment of drinking source water as it 

The water of the Amazon starts it long journey by coming out of the cracks of this rock face on the side of Nevado Mismi in southern Peru.

It's humbling to think that a few of these water droplets on the side of Nevado Mismi would travel almost 4,000 miles in the Amazon River to merge with the Atlantic Ocean.  Well, a few didn't get far, because I took a couple of sips as the water poured down the rock face. 

I spent two days here.

The second day, it looked like this!

The weather changes fast at high altitudes! 

One thing you can count on when you travel, fun surprises!

Here's the National Geographic showing the location of Nevado Mismi in southern Peru.

 

 

Cheers,

Dean

 

 

Oil disaster in Ecuador

This article ran in the Fremont Tribune, it's worth a extra look.  Please share with your friends.

 Follow the link to  Fremont Tribune artilce.

Thanks,

Dean

Eating guinea pig in Equador South America

On my way back to the hostal from the bus station I found a food stall serving guinea pig, or what they call cuy.

I decided in celebration of my time in Ecuador to treat myself to a dish of cuy!

 

While I didn't ask for seconds, it was pretty good!

Consider a delicacy in South America, Cuy or what we know as guinea pig is a real treat. Of course it tastes like chicken. The skin tasted like pork rinds. Sometimes you just have to roll the dice!

What's for dinner mom? :)

Good eating!

Cheers,

Dean Jacobs

 

Welcome.....

Welcome dreamers of beauty and kind things,

    welcome those who see color in the world,

        welcome those who wish to sit by the fire and spin tales of adventure,

welcome those who have hope in their heart,

    welcome those who hear the whispers in the wind,

        welcome those whose heart sees wisdom in history,

welcome those whose heart is in awe of nature,

    welcome those who see joy in a child's face,

        welcome all those who know the darkness will pass....

 

For this journey of life is for you, those who know the gift of life, the dance of the divine to the music of the cosmos.  Dance as the colors play, as the wind blows, the sun shines and the rains fall.  It all brings life.

- Dean Jacobs, 12-7-11

Quito Ecuador, South America

 

 

A message from Ecuador to Nebraska.

Something you should be aware of in Ecuador.