August 1977. High in the mountains above the source of the April River, a tributary of the Sepik in Papua New Guinea, I had a First Contact with an undiscovered tribe calling themselves the Wali-ali-fo. They ate “man long pig,” cooked human meat and lived in thatch dwelling built up in trees. Here I am in one with my Sepik guide Peter who got me here.

Peter translated a description of their practice: “When a man dies, we take a pig to his wife and exchange it for the body of the man. We take the body out into the forest and…cook ‘im eat ‘im. We do this so the man will continue to live in the bodies of his friends.”

Not something we’ll do but something we can understand, yes? These are people we could laugh and joke with, tell stories with, enjoy being with. A very different culture, but human all the same. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #148 Photo ©Jack Wheeler)

The Wodaabe are cattle-herding nomads in Niger, West Africa. Their Gerewol festival features Yaake dances by the men to impress marriageable ladies with how ideally handsome they are. Those ideals include being tall and athletic, having white eyes and white teeth, decorating themselves colorfully, and having a winning smile.

The Wodaabe are a fun-loving, friendly, and hospitable people. You’ll meet them on our Trans-Sahara Expedition when we’re next able to operate one. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #57 Photo ©Jack Wheeler)

This is the interior of “Gur Emir,” the tomb of Tamerlane (1336-1405) in Samarkand, the great Silk Road city now in Uzbekistan. Tamerlane was the last of the nomadic conquerors of Eurasia, a Turkic-Mongol whose conquests extended from New Delhi to eastern Turkey.

Gur Emir is only one of a multitude of extraordinary sights in legendary Samarkand that make being here a life-memorable experience. We’ll be here during our exploration of Central Asia this May. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #59 photo ©Jack Wheeler)

This is one of the magical places we experience on our Himalaya Helicopter Expeditions. An independent kingdom for 650 years in the remote Mustang region of Nepal, it is one of the last places of traditional Tibetan culture on earth, unchanged for centuries. There are sky-caves here – apartment complexes carved out of vertical cliffs 2,000 years ago – Drok-pa nomads in the high pastures, spectacular sacred ceremonies, all in a mysteriously beautiful setting where the Himalayas meet the Tibetan Plateau. We’ll be here again next April. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #86 Photo ©Jack Wheeler)

Happy Valentine’s Day! You’ve seen this photo of mine in a previous Glimpse entitled “Hawaii in Europe.” It’s an example of the astounding beauty of the Azores in the European Atlantic. As Hawaii is a part of the US, the Azores are a part of Portugal – since the 1430s first discovered uninhabited.

And so is another Atlantic Paradise, Madeira. Together they are a pair of Atlantic Paradises that, if you do it right, make for an ultimate romantic getaway for a Valentine couple – or for anyone in search of a haven of peaceful serenity, or wants to enjoy a plethora of adventurous sports and activities. After all, a paradise is supposed to offer something fabulous for most everyone, right?

The good news is you can experience all of this by joining Rebel and me on our exploration of the Atlantic Paradises of Madeira and the Azores this June. All the info is here: Atlantic Paradises Details and Photos 2020 Jun 24-Jul 2. The photos will blow you away.

You get there quickly on a non-stop from Boston, like flying from Boston to Denver. We are going to have a paradisical time together. Luxury at very reasonable cost. This is paradise that’s irresistible. (Glimpses of Our Breathtaking World #189 photo ©Jack Wheeler)