THE ADVENTURE OF 2018
Tawang Tibetan Monastery, Arunachal Pradesh, India
2018 is upon us.
You can bet the farm that it’s going to be an adventurous year politically. But what about you personally? None of us is getting younger – the arrow of time only flies in one direction. Often, as we keep saying to ourselves, “Someday, I’m going to…” that someday never comes.
So how about your someday coming next year – making 2018 an adventurous year doing what you’ve dreamed of?
Here are a half-dozen adventures I’m planning for next year. Why don’t you let me know if any of them get your juices flowing? Hopefully, you’ll be able to join me on at least one, or they’ll spark ideas of yours. Let’s all look forward to the Adventure of 2018.
THE SEVEN SISTERS
Late February-Early March
There is an unknown region of India hidden away between Burma, Bangladesh, and Chinese Tibet composed of seven states – the “Seven Sisters” – each with unique tribal and traditional cultures. From Naga headhunters to remote Tibetan monasteries to ancient mysterious monuments, it’s one of the most fascinating places in the world that few outsiders ever see. We’ll be visiting all seven.
PORTUGAL SPRING
Late March
It’s very hard to imagine a more beautiful place than Portugal in Springtime. For those of you who are unable to be at our Fabulously Happy New Year’s Celebration in Portugal (see the link for a ton of photos), this is the time. Perfect for visiting amazing castles in the sky, a plethora of World Heritage Sites, great food and wine, the friendliest people in Europe, and a cruise on the Douro River.
Pena Castle – Sintra
Porto
The Douro River – Northern Portugal
HIDDEN HOLY LAND
Mid-April
In our recent survey, more of you wanted to go to Israel than anywhere else. So here we are. We can’t pass up the incredible site of ancient Petra in Jordan on the way. We’ll visit Masada, Jericho, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee where Jesus preached and performed miracles, of course.
Yet there are so many other places far less known and visited, like the Mount of Temptation (Jesus and Satan, Matthew 4:8-10); Kiryat Luza on Mount Gerizim, the last remaining village of the Samaritans (Jesus and the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:30-37); the latest archaeological discoveries; and natural wonders such as the Rosh Hanikra Grottoes.
You’ll be seeing the Holy Land as few ever have.
Petra
Monastery of Temptation
Masada
Samaritans on Mount Gerizim
Church of Beatitudes – Sea of Galilee
Stone of Anointing – Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Rosh Hanikra Grottoes
HIMALAYA HELICOPTER EXPEDITION V
Early May
You learned about our 4th Himalaya Helicopter Expedition last month in To Everest and Beyond. This is not just beyond Everest, it’s beyond words and description, simply the greatest adventure you can have in one week on Planet Earth today. We’ll operate it again in early May.
The Western Cwm of Mount Everest, photo taken at 23,000 feet
TTPers at Makalu – world’s 5th highest mountain 27,838 ft.
THE THREE MYSTERY ISLANDS OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC
Late May
The world’s most famous mutiny took place on April 28, 1789, led by Fletcher Christian against Captain Bligh on The Bounty. Famous yes, but few have ever been to the island where Christian and his mutineers escaped, and their descendants live to this day – remote Pitcairn Island. In late May, we will.
We start with a visit to Tahiti, sail to Pitcairn to spend several days with the islanders, then fly to Easter Island to learn how the legendary statues were built. We end with a visit to Robinson Crusoe Island where Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk was marooned and whose story was the inspiration for Daniel Defoe’s novel “Robinson Crusoe.”
Tahiti – Matavai Bay
Pitcairn Island – Adamstown
Easter Island
Robinson Crusoe Island – Selkirk’s Lookout
HIDDEN IRELAND
June
We’ll have a full exploration of the Emerald Isle based on our Hidden Ireland itinerary of last June. The famous pubs and historic sites of Dublin, Newgrange, County Mayo and the village of Cong, the Cliffs of Moher, the Hole of Sorrows, the Ring of Kerry, Skellig Michael, the Rock of Cashel – and so much more. Of course we’ll be kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle.
Ireland’s oldest pub – est. 1198
The Rock of Cashel
The Ring of Kerry
Skellig Michael – now home of Luke Skywalker
Blarney Castle – County Cork to kiss the Blarney Stone you must be suspended upside down – no problem
INDIAN TIBET
July
There is a part of geographical and cultural Tibet that India was able to keep the Chinese from seizing. It’s the Upper Indus River Valley that separates the Himalaya and Karakorum mountain ranges. It’s called Ladakh, where you will find the most traditional Tibetan monasteries in the world, where the cluture of Tibet is truly alive and thriving.
Within Ladakh is an even more remote region called Zanskar – with the extraordinary Zanskar River from source to confluence with the Indus over two miles high and flowing straight through the crest of the Himalayas. Running the Zanskar is one of the truly great whitewater experiences in the world.
This coming July we’ll not only visit the most remarkable repositories of true Tibetan culture – the monasteries of Leh, Stok, Hemis, Thikse and Lamayuru – but raft the Zanskar as well. This is Real McCoy High Adventure.
Lamayuru
On the Zanskar
Well, that’s for starters. We’ll get to the rest of the year later. If any of these ring your bell, let me know – or why not let me know what does ring your bell?
Oh, a last-minute notice. If you want to have a Fabulously Happy New Years’ Celebration, we just had a cancellation on our Portugal New Years’ Celebration and Exploration. All the info with a ton of pictures is in the link.
Let me know ASAP if you can celebrate and explore with us at [email protected]. That’s ASAP! Here’s to an Adventurous 2018 with no more “somedays”!