Nace

Hi, I'm Nace.

I've just started college and I'm majoring in geography.

That's always been my favorite subject.

You know, something like 90% of us Americans don't actually have a passport. I guess we think there's enough to see here in the ol' US of A to last a lifetime.

But that's not gonna be me. As soon as I've finished college, I'm gonna be off to see the world.

I quite fancy myself as an explorer.

Columbus, Vasco de Gama, Livingstone, Stanley...

Pushing on through the thick tropical jungle with only a few hard, handsome, muscular, guys to help you slash your way through the thick undergrowth... And then there'd be the inevitable encounters with those lean, tanned, smooth native boys you'd come across just when you most needed them...

But, guys, I digress!

Of course, nowadays there's really not much of the world left that hasn't already been explored. But that isn't gonna stop me.

And, funnily enough, that was the thought that came to me when I was thinking about what sort of photographs to take for you.

Geography? Exploration?

Hmm... It might work, at that!

Let's see...

We'll, as any proper explorer knows, if you're looking for new territory the first thing you've gota do is clear the ground ahead of you.

You certainly won't find the treasure, or the lost city or whatever it is you're looking for if it's all covered up in undergrowth...

So let's get rid of it!

No, let's get rid of it completely!

And there at last, stretching before us, we encounter our route's first recognisable geographical feature - a range of small hills...

Something tells me that we'll be coming back to explore them in more depth later!

Now, looking back on what I've written so far, i realise that I've been very selective.

Ater all, some of the best known explorers and geographers the world has ever seen have never slashed their way through a tropical jungle in their lives.

They prefered to work in far colder climates.

Scott of the Antarctic, Shackleton, Amundsen...

All incredibly brave guys with only one objective on their minds.

Finding the pole!

Yes, exploration of the pole has been a very significant geographical challenge.

But it's a little known fact that the polar region can actually get quite hot at times too.

In fact, here's even the occasional eruption of volcanic proportions. The lava flows can be quite dramatic...

But let's return to my favorite area of expertise - the jungle.

The undergrowth there, particularly in especially hot regions, can be really very dense - almost impenetrable, in fact.

But the lure of exploring hidden caves - and maybe even a long-neglected mine - is in the forefront of every real explorer's mind as he pushes on ever deeper.

Of course, things were much more difficult in the past.

Then an explorer had only his bare hands to force his way through.

But now, thanks to the latest technological devices, there are easier ways to achieve an entry to even the most inaccessable spot.

Of course, there's one very important thing I've forgotten to mention so far.

Before setting out on any expedition, the intrepid adventurer has to make sure that he's properly prepared for all eventualities.

Like, if you're on a trek through the Sahara it's not always easy to get food.

Even the proverbial goat's testicles may be unavailable, forcing you perhaps - though, of course, only in the most desperate circumstances - to try to find some sustenance from the human variety.

But, when all else fails, the wise explorer can, of course, always call on his own personal stock of emergency food rations!