Travel Tidbits

On a tour of South Africa arranged by Graham Maskell of Africa 2000, my husband and I stopped near Lambert’s Bay to investigate plantations of rooibos tea. This area provides the correct climate and proper sandy soil for the shrubs to produce the fine needle-like leaves, which are harvested, mulched, dampened and fermented before being cleaned, sorted and packaged for sale. The no-caffeine product is a pleasant “pick-me-upper” and makes a good, lightweight souvenir. — JACKIE BLACK, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada

During a cruise in Antarctica, we spent the afternoon at Petermann Island. We climbed some large gray rocks to get onto the island, then waded through the snow up a long hill to a rookery of gentoo and Adélie penguins and some nesting cormorants. A bit smaller than gentoos, Adélies have completely black heads and a light ring around each eye. I found a large rock outcropping and just sat in the sun enjoying the birds and the fantastic scenery. If I saw it in a painting, I would think the artist had imagined it. — PATRICIA OVE, Rio Rancho, NM