Where in the World is Angela?
Speaking and writing are inseparable for me, and sharing traveler’s tales a passion.
My adventures have taken me to some of the planet’s most remote places, often overland and sometimes solo. Camera is always at hand.
Some images were taken before jumbo jets flattened the world and thus give glimpses of traditional worlds fast disappearing.
Talks can include perils, pitfalls and hilarious experiences of a woman traveling alone.
Each Presentation is Unique
I consider audiences carefully tailoring the topic to fit. If appropriate, regional music and food are included creating total immersion. (In addition, as a member of the Garden Writers Association of America, I also enjoy discussing anything floral, especially the history of the sensational tulip.
Fasten Your Seatbelts
My goal is to take the audience on a journey with sights and sounds. I try to make history come alive.
I can provide reading lists, something for the audience to take away, which gives an opportunity to do a deeper dive into a destination and explore the region and history.
TOPICS
This is a sample of recent presentations. I have traveled on six continents and visited over 70 countries. Most of these destinations with their unique ambiance can be tailored for presentations.
London to Kathmandu by Bus: a 72-day Overland Journey
The story of a 72 day, bus ride across Asia. The overland trail began outside the Mayfair Hotel London, passed Buckingham Palace and ended 12,000 miles later in Kathmandu, Nepal. Images include Kurdistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Khyber Pass, Pakistan’s Swat Valley, and Kashmir with its serene lakes.
Many of these places are now difficult to visit and others forever changed. Obstacles and events along the way range from hilarious to frightening. The Christian Science Monitor published my story of this journey and syndicated in 110 newspapers across the U.S.
In addition I can add an extension of my travels. After hiking in Nepal I continued my overland journey by bus, train and plane, traveling through through Burma, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau.
New Horizons: How Traveling the Ancient Silk Road Changed My Life
The Ancient Silk Road which I traveled by bus, train, plane and the odd camel maybe be the world’s greatest overland journey. In this presentation I show images from travels along this ancient network of trails which once linked the Imperial Empires of China and Rome. Marco Polo traveled this route as did merchants and explorers braving deserts, glaciers and the world’s highest mountains.
My journey skirted the Gobi desert, stopped at oases and followed the Karakorum Highway close to the Afghan border. I visited the storybook cities of Samarkand and Bukara. It was life-changing journey. Once home I compiled two books including photographs, historical background and reminiscences. The Ancient Silk Road, Part I The Ancient Silk Road, Part II, The Road to Samarkand.
The Flower That Drove Men Mad
The tulip is brilliant, historic and well traveled. It has caused fortunes to be made and lost and is now a multi-billion dollar business.
However this flower has simple origins in Central Asia. In Springtime women gather armfuls of wild red tulips from mountains surrounding Uzbekistan’s Ferghana Valley. They sell them on the roadside with bunches of wild rhubarb.
The Ancient Silk Route passed this way and it is thought merchants, enchanted by the brilliant flowers, carried the bulbs west. By the middle ages tulips had arrived in Persia.
Tulips then took the Ottoman Empire by storm where they were so fashionable in Constantinople the Sultan had to control the price. From Turkey tulips were taken, possibly by diplomatic bag to Vienna.
This presentation traces the history and the journey of the tulip from the Tien Shan mountains to our gardens. Images include tulips growing in Central Asia, Russia and Holland, and follows the considerable influence of the flower on art and decor.
Burma/Myanmar – A Tale of Two Countries
Comparison of Burma in the 1970’s with Myanmar in 2015. My first visit to Burma was in the 70’s when visas were tightly regulated and restricted to 3 or 4 days. Accommodation was limited and the Russian-built hotel was bugged and the bathwater ran orange.
Outside Rangoon, or Yangon as it is today, we stayed at simple government guest houses. Enquiring about travel on the Irrawaddy/Ayawaddy I was told the previous week an Australian girl had been shot on the river. That may have been true, or it may have been said to deter me. It did.
Fast forward to 2014. I sailed up the Irrawaddy with Robert Gordon, former British Ambassador to Burma. He talked of Burma’s political and financial future, Aung San Suu Kyi, nascent democracy, and gossipy tidbits of his posting.
In 2021 there was a coup d’etat by the military. Recent developments and discussion on ethic minorities can be included.
This presentation includes images of golden pagodas, saffron robed Bhuddist monks and the beautiful long winding River Ayawaddy.
Shangri-La Myth or Reality
Is there really a Shangri-La? A utopian Garden of Eden lost in the snowy peaks of the Himalayas?
I had read James Hilton’s book and seen the movie. I wanted to find out for myself if this mythical destination existed. Travel with me on my quest along the borders of Myanmar, Tibet and China in China’s. Yunnan province. My quest took me to some of the most breathtaking scenery on earth. Soaring peaks and jaw-dropping gorges carved as the Mekong, Irrawaddy and Yangtze rivers tumble from the Tibetan plateau.
Against this backdrop, rice-paddies shone golden in the Autumn sun and a flower festival filled the lanes of Lijiang. Yunnan was a favorite of 19th century plant-hunters and roses, dahlias, delphiniums, lilies, cosmos, marigolds and azaleas flourished everywhere.
Did I find Shangri-La on this journey? The answer has a twist to it….
The Palaces of Rajasthan: Behind the Walls
The Maharajahs of Rajasthan, India, lived in lavish palaces and were surrounded buy courtly splendor. They wore massive glittering jewels, rode elephants fitted with silver seats and built vast elaborate palaces where pools were filled with rose water and walls studded with precious stones.
That era is gone, but palaces remain and so do glimpses of the lifestyle. Come behind the marble walls, beyond the turrets and carved doors and into the world of the Maharajahs. Images of incredible jewels worn by both men and women, along with anecdotes and art and history of the era make this a popular topic. The role of women is also discussed.
Flowers of the World
As a member of the Garden Writers Association of America, I also enjoy discussing anything floral.
Images range from English Roses to Mughal Gardens in India and Kashmir, to tulips growing wild in Uzbekistan’s mountains. I often include the influence of flora on art and decor.
Favorite Garden Club topics include The History of Tulips and Shangri-La, travel in Yunnan.
VITAL STATISTICS OF TALKS AND PRESENTATIONS
Radio Broadcasts:
BBC, London: Broadcasts for Women’s Hour, a magazine program;
KDFC, San Francisco: Daily current affairs broadcasts at 9:00 am sponsored by the World Affairs Council, written and recorded weekly;
KALW, San Francisco: Moderated discussion with other women about solo travel.
Live Presentations:
Garden Club of America, New York; Shaw Saville Shipping Line, Transatlantic Voyage, Beauty on the High Seas; World Affairs Council, San Francisco; English Speaking Union, San Francisco; Filoli National Trust Center, Woodside, California; Quarryhill, Sonoma Botanical Garden, Sonoma; Town and Country Club, San Francisco; Metropolitan Club, San Francisco; Town School for Boys, San Francisco, Katherine Delmar Burke School, San Francisco; Sonoma County Book Group; Calvary Presbyterian Seniors, San Francisco, California.
Zoom presentation: Discovering the headwaters of the Amazon given to attending Clubs in Chicago, Seattle, Washington, Philadephia, New York and San Francisco.
Contact Angela
To Contact Me about Speaking to your group or organization, Writing Assignments or Media Interviews please complete the form below:
