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Wednesday, March 8, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Adventure across the globe for a Sisters resident
By Jodi Schneider McNamee
Correspondent
Ever since Sisters resident
Mary Fowler can remember
she has had a fascination with
Africa.
The second largest con-
tinent in the world is teem-
ing with cultural diversity,
abundant wildlife, friendly
people, beautiful sunsets and
sunrises, a stunning coastline,
and sweeping savannas.
“When I was a little girl I
loved looking at my grandfa-
ther’s National Geographic
magazines that he kept on the
bottom of his bookcase for
my little hands to reach. I was
mesmerized with faraway
places and exotic cultures
like Africa,” Fowler told The
Nugget.
Fowler recently returned
from a one-month cruise
that began in Cape Town, a
port city on Africa’s south-
west coast, and concluded in
Singapore, located in south-
ern Malaysia.
This was her second
adventure to Africa. In 2015
she accompanied her sis-
ter Paula and brother-in-law
to the west coast of Africa
from Lisbon to Cape Town,
which she describes as
“life-changing.”
“I was turned upside
down. I couldn’t have fath-
omed that any place could be
so very poor and rich all on
the same street. With music
and industry, construction
and cooking, cars, busses,
bicycles and people brightly
dressed in fantastic colors and
designs, with flowers, ani-
mals and garbage all mixed
together in the most mind-
boggling stew,” Fowler said.
“If I had to give it one
word it would be ‘energy.’
Nothing had prepared me for
the sheer excitement and exu-
berance of this continent.”
Fowler left with Paula and
Rick in January and picked up
the cruise ship Nautica after
flying from Seattle to Cape
Town.
“The African people are
so welcoming. They went
out of their way to make us
feel comfortable. The guides
would come into the city
from a couple of hours away
and drive us around all day,”
Fowler said.
But it could get a little
scary with more than just
vehicles on the roads.
“There were donkeys, kids
and goat carts all making their
way to the street markets,”
she said.
South Africa’s markets sell
everything from traditional
foods to jewelry, sculpture,
and clothing.
“It seemed that everything
is done on the streets. It’s
where their whole world takes
place.”
The tribal aspect of life
and beliefs are still hugely
strong, and the people of
Africa dress beautifully and
quite modestly.
“The African women are
amazing,” said Fowler. “She
is the boss, the workhorse, the
creativity, the muscle; she is
everything,” Fowler reflected.
One of the highlights for
Fowler involved going into
the bush with a guide off the
tropical island of Madagascar.
“It was amazing, and we
saw a variety of lemurs, cha-
meleons and lots of huge
boa constrictors on Nosy Be
(which means “Big Island” in
Malagasy), which is an island
off the northwest coast of
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Madagascar.”
Madagascar is the only
place in the world where you
will find lemurs, evolving in
isolation from other primate
species. There are over 100
species of lemur, and most are
classified as rare, vulnerable,
or endangered.
“We bought solar lights,
Luci inflatable solar lights,
which can be used every-
where after dusk because
there’s no electricity in most
places,” Fowler said. “We
donated them to two clinics
and women and children.”
Another highlight was one
of the fabric shops in historic
Old Town Mombasa, Kenya.
“It was incredible,” Fowler
said. “Mombasa is a fabric
town with beautiful cotton
fabrics, and I brought some
home with me.”
During the long ocean ride
across the Indian Ocean from
Mombasa to Colombo, Sri
Lanka, the passengers pre-
pared for pirates.
“We had many drills,”
Fowler said. “That actual ship
had a pirate attack in the past.”
They docked in Colombo,
Sri Lanka, which is an island
nation south of India in the
Indian Ocean. It has diverse
landscapes and is famed for
its ancient Buddhist temples.
“I was wearing orange
until I found out that it’s the
color worn by the monks,”
Fowler said laughing. “And
you needed to dress very
modest to go along with the
dress code… There were
massive statues of Buddha.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Mary Fowler in Singapore, part of a lengthy trip to the far side of the world.
The Big Buddha Temple in
Amphoe Muang Phuket,
Malaysia was awe-inspiring.”
The whole body is con-
structed with reinforced con-
crete layered with Burmese
white jade marble that shines
in the sun, making it a natural
symbol of hope.
“The fact that when we
arrived in Sri Lanka during
the Chinese New Year made it
even more exciting. Because
it is like their Christmas,
everyone was celebrating
and there were street fairs,”
Fowler said.
The last stop on their
tour was Singapore, a city
of contrasts. The culture of
Singapore is a combination
of Asian and European cul-
tures. It has been Southeast
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Asia’s most modern city for
over a century. It’s a blend of
Malay, Chinese, Arab, Indian
and English cultures and
religions.
“When we docked in
Singapore I thought I was
on another planet. It was
like Disneyland. With a con-
cert hall shaped like a durian
(a fruit) and an ArtScience
Museum shaped like a robotic
hand, it was amazing to look
at,” Fowler recounted.
Fowler, owner of Sisters
Motor Lodge, arrived back
home in Sisters on February
5. Next year Fowler will
go on another adventure
when she visits her daughter
Brighton who teaches at the
Yangon international school
in Yangon, Myanmar.
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