VIDEO: "Christmas Crisis for Willow Deer", by Christina Dodwell

Christina Dodwell,  FRGS (Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society -- even though she's not a "fellow" LOL) is an English explorer, travel writer, and lecturer. She is Chairman of the Dodwell Trust and was awarded the Mungo Park Medal in 1989. 

Like Walt, Ms Dodwell travelled in the country formerly known as Rhodesia. Unlike Walt, she has also journeyed through west Africa, Papua New Guinea, Turkey, China, Afghanistan, Madagascar, Siberia, and Kurdistan, by horse, canoe, elephant, camel and microlight. She has published books and articles about many of her travels.

Now happily retired from her explorations, she is settled in a lovely country home where she passes the time farming and, inter alia, creating stories for children about willow-work reindeer characters, crafted by herself!   

Christina has sent along her latest video, released a few days ago. It's a Christmas special, which she says is definitely her best to date. She writes: I made one final willow deer this year who was rejected by my older deer. However she refused to give up. The story is packed with action, drama and emotion. As for the villainous Mrs Alice Malice – so wicked. My friend who portrayed her is massively proud of her performance!

The 6th film in the Willow Deer series introduces "Star". Will she be accepted as part of the team. She is stronger than she looks and determined to show what she can do. Share this with your children and anyone who may enjoy. With best wishes from Christina Dodwell.

VIDEO: "Madagascar Crash Landing" - A reindeer tale

It's only a week until Christmas Eve! What better time for a nice fairy tale about flying reindeer, to show your kids? Here's a ten-minute tale by an old friend of one of Walt's agents (who admires her greatly!) -- English traveller and writer Christina Dodwell. Watch her pets fly into an adventure in the exotic land of Madagascar!

   

If you like this, be sure to watch previous episodes: "Teaching Reindeer to Fly", "Kidnapped - Reindeer on the Run", "Battle for the Manor" and "Splash and Dash". You'll find links on the YouTube page.

Christina Dodwell is an old friend of one of Walt's agents, who admires her greatly! She was born and raised in west Africa, and became known as an explorer after her three-year (1975-8) journey through Africa, often on her own, by horse and dugout canoe. This was followed by two years travelling through Papua New Guinea living with remote tribes, and many other journeys over the course of 20 years.

The reindeer tales are part of Ms Dodwell's efforts to publicize the work of The Dodwell Trust, a British registered charity, which she founded in 1995 to help the people of Madagascar, one of the poorest countries on earth. Follow the link to learn more.

Book review: In the Empire of Genghis Khan

What is it about Britain that makes its people such tireless travellers and explorers? Perhaps it's that Britain is so small and -- let's face it -- dreary. Want to climb mountains? The highest is Mount Snowdon, nice enough but merely a pimple on the face of America or China. Want to go to the end of the world? In Cornwall you will find Land's End, which on an excitement scale of 1 to 10 rates -1. But I digress...

Britain has produced far more than her share of great travellers and travel writers. My list of great American travel writers would include Mark Twain, Paul Theroux (his novels suck, though) and Bill Bryson, who has taken up residence in Old Blighty so is only half-American.

My list of British travel writers worth reading is much longer: Graham Greene, Redmond O'Hanlon, Christina Dodwell, Jan Morris, Dervla Murphy, Bruce Chatwin, Cash Peters (see "Book Review: Gullible's Travels"), Tony Horwitz (see "Book Review: Baghdad Without a Map"), and others whose names I'll remember as soon as I post this.

Now let me add Stanley Stewart, author of In the Empire of Genghis Khan: A Journey Among Nomads (Flamingo 2001). Having often been called "a perfect little Mongol" by his mother, Stewart developed a fascination with the Mongols, the Golden Horde and Genghis Khan, which led him to attempt a ride (on horseback) across the homeland of the Mongol Horde's descendants.

His journey took him a thousand miles across Mongolia, from Olgii to Dadal, near which Genghis Khan is rumoured to have been buried. No-one knows for sure, as every last one of those involved in preparing his final resting place and conveying him thither was slaughtered.

In the Empire of Genghis Khan is roughly one-third history (see preceding paragraph), one-third descriptive geography (lots of pretty word pictures and a handful of photos), and one-third ethnography. It is full of bizarre encounters and colourful characters. The chapter entitled "The Wedding Battle" is not to be missed. Here's a summary: "A wedding receiption where you got to give your new in-laws a good thumping was the kind of thing that people in the West could only dream about."

Stewart's book is, as the cover blurb promises "a thrilling tale of adventure and an evocative portrait of a medieval land marooned in a modern world". If, like Walt, you are a fan of the travel adventure genre, you're sure to like it.