The Vegas Voice 3-21

Our Globetrotting Favorite Pet
By: Kathy Manney / Around Our World
My children and I were leaving the
familiar for the unknown. We set out
for Taiwan in 1972, to
join my husband John who had already been
stationed there with the United States Air Force
19-months before our arrival. Fear of the
unknown mixed with the thrill of adventure.
Traveling from Taipei to Taichung, outside
the bus window, besides miles of rice paddies,
I saw for the first time high field of sugar cane
glistening in the afternoon glare, fields that
went on and on, weaving gently back and
forth.
There were villages with small farmhouses
with chickens running freely, and in the heart
of the village, two-story shops where families
lived above their businesses, crowded next
to one another and laundry hanging on bamboo poles strung from
one upper window ledge to another. Narrow alleys ran off the main
thoroughfare.
We soon settled into life in Taichung, which included a puppy for the
children. Our son David found her. In the beginning, John wasn’t too
thrilled.
Gradually, Yuki won all our hearts. If you can call a dog’s personality
“refined” and “ladylike,” Yuki fit the description.
When military orders came for a unit move from Taiwan to the
Philippines, there was no question about
what to do about Yuki. She was going with us.
Removing a dog from Taiwan required
paperwork that included an exit visa and
we then arranged for her commercial air
transportation to Manila. Once we arrived in
the Philippines, no Yuki.
Yuki was missing for two long weeks.
When it was time to come “home,” once
again, there was no hesitation regarding
Yuki, She was coming too.
We dispatched Yuki commercial air to my
parents in Portland, Oregon. In route, Yuki
had a stopover that included an exercise walk
in Honolulu. Yuki then traveled with us to
live in Texas before moving to Nevada.
Without doubt, Yuki our heart stealing, globetrotting dog, forever
remains our family’s all-time favorite pet.
Kathy Manney enjoys visiting interesting places and being an
Adventure Diva. Her “Must See” travel journeys continue - always
with enthusiasm.
40
Secrets of the Amazon
By: Burt & Dianne Davis / Our Vacation
This month the publisher asked columnists
to feature pets. This is as close as we were
able to accommodate the request.
Traipsing through the dense jungle
in the Amazon in December 2018, we
learned about the benefits, challenges, and
surprises of life in this equatorial South
American region. We took several tours into
the tropical jungle during our Viking Cruise
“From the Caribbean to the Amazon.”
One, at night, was a high point of our
adventures.
At Manaus, the largest city on the
Amazon, we opted for the “Jungle Survival
Trek.” A riverboat cruise along the Rio
Negro took us to Guedes Lake for our pretrek
briefing.
We saw termite mounds close to the ground and higher up in trees or
larger bushes. We learned of their medicinal value.
In the dense woods, our guide showed us nutrient-rich fruits and
nuts, plants whose leaves and roots have medicinal properties and
which vegetation to avoid. Our guide and his helpers demonstrated
March 2021
survival skills and showed how to build a shelter using forest materials.
We learned to make a fire, even during wet conditions, and how to
trap animals with materials found in the Amazon jungle.
Lastly we left after dark to search for Caimans, nocturnal reptiles,
in the dense jungle backwaters of the Black
River. Small riverboats transported us to
the docking area where we boarded ten
passenger motorized canoes.
As we journeyed through the dark waters,
our guide silently moved his flashlight
along the water in hopes of spotting these
creatures which are close relatives of the
crocodile. They can weigh up to 2,400
pounds and grow to be 15 feet.
There was just darkness with a little
light from the moon and stars. Luckily, the
caimans we spotted were young and small,
giving us the experience - but with a whole
lot less danger.
We came, we listened, we ventured, we saw, we touched, We also
recommend these excursions without reservation for the adventurous
folks who want to experience the Amazon region.
Thanks to Dianne and Burt Davis who continue to travel the world
and share their adventures with our readers.