Encounters 
Iceland: Hotpooling with heroes(1)
Although the north west region of Iceland was only permanently settled by Norwegians in the mid 19th century, a natural hot pool located about 18 km north of the town of Saudhakrokur was already mentioned as being enjoyed by the great outlaw hero Grettir, protagonist of Grettis Saga, one of the famous Icelandic sagas from [...]
Thailand: Spending a day with tigers
Poachers had killed the female tiger but left the new-born cub to fend for itself. Passing villagers found it whimpering in the bush and decided to take it to the newly established temple near Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Little did the Buddhist monks realize that they were embarking on a unique venture in 1994 with that very [...]
South Africa: Tenikwa Center for “Lesser Cats”
Do you, like most people who speak Spanish, think that “caracal” is a misspelling for “caracol” (snail)? Well, it isn’t. A caracal is one of the endangered wild cats of South Africa, about the size of a cocker spaniel dog, with beautiful face markings and big, dark ears, very shy and, unfortunately, fast becoming rarer [...]
China: Life in Beijing
One of the great megalopolis of this world, Beijing never ceases to surprise me. Even though the number of skyscrapers has easily quadrupled since the first time I visited in 1995, you can still find quiet corners where it seems as if time has stood still. But believe me, it hasn’t. Not here. If anything, [...]