Wendy Geise

I visited in late April. It was a great time to go because there was still snow, springlike weather and no crowds!

Seeing this photo album on fair trade tea plantations in India makes me want to go even more. Chicago Conscious Choice also has a feature on fair trade tea from India this month.

My interest in Tuscany came from reading Under the Tuscan Sun, a few years before the movie came out. Wine is not the main attraction for me. I live near Napa Valley in CA, and do really enjoy the beauty and climate of the wine country. I think one of those walking vacations around Tuscany and Umbria would be fun, touring the Etruscan ruins in the Archaeological Park of Baratti and Populonia, staying in an old villa, enjoying the good food etc.

I think Iguazu looks much more spectacular than Niagara Falls. Plus, going to Iguazu provides a great reason to see Buenos Aires too!

Aside from the fact that it is the worlds highest waterfall, I love the fact that it is so remote. What a great reason to take a helicopter ride!

My interest in going to Ladakh came from seeing the documentary film Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh. It shows about how this traditional Buddhist culture changed in a very short time once the the military roads were opened for public use and tourists began coming to the area. If you can’t see the film, I highly recommend the book for anyone interested on how traditional sustainable cultures are impacted by modern development and global society.

I love tea!

I saw the one in Sweden on TV and was interested in going there, but Canada is much closer to home. Going to Canada will be less expensive.

This should be on anyone’s list who has an interest in nature and ecological biodiversity.

Easter Island is one of the civilizations Jared Diamond writes about in the Book Collapse : How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. This is a great read if you are interested in how and why some civilizations have been lost, and understanding what factors are similar to our current path of unsustainability today.