Standing on the valley rim, we peer into a rugged coulee of badland formations. Between the eroded slopes, native prairie covers the undulating treeless landscape where wildflower blossoms vie for space among the needle-and-thread grass, sagebrush and junipers. What really grabs our attention is the sea of scattered curling rock-shaped boulders, most a dazzling reddish-orange. […] Read more
Robin And Arlene Karpan
Stories by Robin And Arlene Karpan
Athabasca Sand Dunes breathtaking
The east bank of the William River is clothed in dark green jack pine forest typical of the north. But the west side seems like a totally different world, with massive banks of golden sand rising 30 metres straight out of the water. We pull our canoe into shore and struggle up the steep slopes […] Read more
Eastend Coulee Country exotic mix of scenery
When it comes to scenic drives on the Prairies, the Eastend area in southwestern Saskatchewan is at the top of our list. While dinosaurs are the town’s main claim to fame, with the T. Rex Discovery Centre telling the story of many important fossil finds, what we notice first is Eastend’s picturesque setting, nestled in […] Read more
Northern excursion gets seal of approval
Clouds of snow swirl around us like a blizzard as the five helicopters rev up their engines. We lift off into the clear sky, rising above the red cliffs of Quebec’s Magdalen Islands before heading out to sea. We soon lose sight of land as we fly above the icy Gulf of St. Lawrence. Below […] Read more
Iguazu Falls affords stunning views from trail, boat and walkway
We’re surrounded by a fairy-tale landscape of multi-layered cataracts, interspersed with basalt cliff faces and deep green, jungle-like rainforest. Iguazu Falls is so expansive that every time we round a corner on the network of paths, we’re faced with yet another stunning scene. Iguazu boasts a string of superlatives from UNESCO World Heritage Site to […] Read more
Dazzling colours, unusual vegetation in Namibian desert
Sprawling across southwestern Africa, Namibia has only two million people and one of the world’s lowest population densities. Most Namibians live in the north, but we’re travelling in the south where communities are even fewer and farther between. On some roads, we drive more than an hour without meeting another car. Much of the south […] Read more
Guatemalan Highlands alive with culture, colour
We’re overwhelmed with a riot of sights, smells and sounds. The market at Chichicastenango is considered the most colourful in the Americas, attracting buyers and sellers from around Guatemala, trading in everything from food and livestock to finely woven textiles and cheap tourist knick-knacks. On Sunday, commercialism in this mountain town melds with religion. The […] Read more
Wake up with the rhinos, dine with the zebras
The two-ton monster stares at us through the front door of our tiny tent, its long curved horn pointing like a dagger. If that’s not enough to stir us from slumber, four of its buddies have us surrounded. Without warning, a scuffle breaks out, sending bits of gravel flying against our tent. Never again will […] Read more
Mysteries abound on Easter Island
If you like to get away from it all, Easter Island is as away as it gets. It is the most remote permanently inhabited place on Earth, 3,600 kilometres west of South America and more than 2,000 kilometres from the nearest inhabited island. Yet this tiny spec in the middle of the Pacific can be […] Read more
Wildlife views abundant in Jasper
The imposing bull elk runs to the top of the ridge, where it looks over a small herd of females grazing near the riverbank. With a magnificent set of multi-point antlers stretching a metre above its head, the bull is clearly showing off to the gals. It’s the annual fall rut, or breeding season, and […] Read more
