Bab el Mendeb and the Strait of Hormuz
Most people have no idea why these chokepoints are so important until they see it with their own eyes. Here is what they look like on Google Earth.
The Bab el Mendeb is at the tip of Djibouti, on the left. The Strait of Hormuz is between Iran and the northern tip of Oman, on your right. Qatar is that little thumb of land sticking out in the Persian Gulf.
Saudi Arabian oil and Qatari natural gas are blocked if these two chokepoints are no longer open.
Four years ago, during the last World Cup, we were on the Oceania Nautica and went through the Suez Canal, the Bab el Mandeb, and the Strait of Hormuz. We booked this tour especially to see these geographic chokepoints. We were shocked when there was no lecture on these geographic features, their origins, or their importance as shipping lanes – and there was no announcement when we went through the Bab or the Strait. Imagine!
CrisisGroup.Org
Because I follow – or try to follow – piracy in Somalia, I go down rabbit holes. Some rabbit holes lead you to the most amazing places, including a comprehensive update on an upsurge in Somalian piracy and root causes.
The rabbit holes led me to this fascinating group, Crisisgroup.org. I’m always curious who is behind these organizations – this organization, out of Brussels, seems to keep watch on some far-flung and, to U.S. readers, sometimes obscure potential events, which, when they explode, we wonder why we never heard of these fomenting conflicts.
Alaska 2026: Turnagain, Again
More about what True Love looks like. For fourteen years, I have talked about a blueberry pancake I ate in Homer, and how I wanted to eat there again. I couldn’t find it. AdventureMan didn’t give up, he followed all the clues, and he found it. We packed up and as we were leaving, he suggested we stop at this place, Duncan House, for breakfast.
It was in the right location. It had the right feel. AdventureMan found the exact place, and I was able to order the exact pancake, an order known as Bear 1-1-1 because it has one piece of bacon, one egg and one bear pancake with blueberries or chocolate chips. Again, I chose blueberries.
In the Duncan House lot, a new customer drives up . . .
The four-hour trip to Anchorage was all on roads we’ve traveled before, but it didn’t lessen their impact – Alaska is full of stunning beauty. A new perspective, different weather, we see different things.
We had leftover pizza from last night’s dinner at Fat Olive’s, so we stopped along Turnagain Sound for a small picnic en route to Anchorage.
We arrived a little ahead of schedule, but our room at the Alaska House of Jade, an independent B&B, was ready for us, and our welcome was warm and gracious. It is another beautiful, clean, very quiet, and private place to stay. The hosts, Linda and Greg, keep it spotless and in good repair, and have fresh cookies ready on arrival.
Tonight is a special night. We are invited for dinner at the home of a pair of Alaskan doctors, one of whom I graduated high school with 60 years ago. (How can that be??)
We found their house easily, following their instructions. While my friend poached a fresh salmon, his wife showed us her show-stopper garden, full of a huge variety of edible berries and fruits and beautiful flowers.
with the salmon, we had special coated potatos and a Caesar salad. For dessert, his wife made persimmons in yoghurt with a sprinkle of brown sugar. The dinner was delicious, and the conversation was even better. When the evening ended, we had trouble saying goodbye; there was still too much to learn about one another’s lives. The conversation was as delicious as the dinner.
We left with three jars of Alaskan-made jam, made by our friends; we can’t wait to try them and to share them with our family.
These heroes, Bill and Jane, spent their careers in Bethel, Alaska, running a hospital treating mainly indigenous Alaskans, far from anywhere. These are people who believe in public service and have lived their beliefs, serving others.
This is a perfect photo of Mt. Denali which Bill took during one of the rare days when the mountain was not shrouded in clouds.
Alaska 2026: Hot Times in Seward, Alaska
When we opened our blackout blind (Alaskan summer days are very long, and it stays bright until around midnight. The dark doesn’t last long, and it is light again by 4 am.) we couldnt believe our eyes. It’s our free day – we can do anything! We have nothing scheduled! We slept with the window open last night – it was a hot night, but the open window kept us comfortable.
We walk to another nearby B&B for breakfast; they operate cooperatively under the same management. We met Sarah, our hostess, and once we all started talking, we couldn’t stop. We had so many interests in common! We talked about Athabaskan culture and language, we talked about the importance of friend groups for managing life’s joy and crises, we talked about the love of adventure, and taking calculated risks – we could have gone on and on; it’s wonderful when you connect.
She fixed AdventureMan eggs exactly as he likes them, and thin pork sausage patties. She brought out all the ingredients for home-made meusli, exactly as I make it with oats and nuts and seeds and fruits, so I could watch my blood sugar. She took really good care of us, all the while able to converse non-stop. She was amazing.
We have a map and we want to find the big anchor in front of the Seward Harbormaster’s office; it’s a hike, but we are up to it. As we walk along the lovely smooth waterfront path, I see something I find astounding and wonderful. All along the waterfront are parks – and camping spots. Some areas provide porta-potties, some more permanent restrooms. This is prime waterfront property, and the city has chosen to make it accessible to people who want to visit Seward. Not just a little – a lot of waterfront space devoted to campers.
I also love all the public art in Seward, starting just in front of our B&B with statues honoring original founders and participants of the annual Iditerod race. Seward has several kennels that provide opportunities for vistors to get to know the dogs and their training in pulling sleds across a variety of terrains.
Another thing I love is the sound of seaplanes coming and going. It was a part of my growing up in Alaska, across from a seaplane airport/hanger, and watching the seaplanes taking off and landing from the windows of our home. I haven’t heard the sound for years. and I find it very comforting.
Seward Main Street
Seward’s Pride crosswalk.
The old train station, now a cafe and restaurant with a fabulous view.
Seward also provides a free shuttle, circling to main stops in the community. We want to get to the Alaska Sealife Center, so we hop on the shuttle.
The driver was a man from Utah who was truly impressive as he asked each entering passenger their destination, and once we reached the train depot, also would stop and get out of the bus to load and unload baggage. He had a positive attitude, and was gracious, kind and patient with everyone. Two of the passengers were Native American; they wanted to be let off at the Chamber of Commerce stop which was adjacent the local Safeway. (The Safeway also has a Starbucks.)
The train station was chaos! A hundred people were trying to get their baggage checked for the evening departure. Arriving passengers were seeking their rides to their hotels. Those without pickups got on the bus to be dropped off near their hotels.
Three girls from Mexico got on and sat near us; they were in Seward to catch a Royal Caribbean cruise and wanted to know what to see while in Seward. We told them they were staying in a wonderful area for walking, shopping and to visit the Alaska Sealife Center – where we were getting off!
The shuttle bus let us off at the Alaska Sealife Center, where the 2 Seward girls at the desk gave AdventureMan a double discount for being military and for being a senior, and gave us directions to get us to the Highline for lunch.
We headed upstairs, starting with the outdoor collection of puffins, gulls, and all kinds of seabirds with a rockery and a huge pond, doing what seabirds do. One puffin took a liking to me, coming closer and closer. We later watched them from underneath windows as they dove and swam at amazing speeds through the water.
The next stop was the sea lions, looking like enormous golden sea slugs, but very fast sea slugs, whirling round and round their huge enclosure.
We found a fabulous display of sea terms of measurement, about half of which I knew and several I’d never heard of but was glad to know existed for measuring and accuracy.
We were so impressed with the young people who served as guides to all the dazzling exhibits of sea creatures. They were delightfully nerdy (as a nerd, I use this word with intentional honor) in their knowledge of the most minute details of the creatures they tended, and delighted in sharing their appreciation and wonder for all sea life.
We found another area with sea lions, (or maybe they got to go to this other area for feeding time) and watched for a while as they horsed around (can sea lions horse around? Yes! They can!)
After a thorough tour, we were ready for lunch and walked to the Highline, recommended by both our VRBO host/manager, Sarah, and the local girls at the Sealife Center. There we split a smoked salmon spread with sourdough bread, and a halibut sandwich.
We’d walked several miles by this point, so we walked a little more, back to our beautiful Bear’s Den on the waterfront, and we grabbed a short nap and then headed out to hike to the Exit Glacier, just 8 miles out of Seward.
Exit Glacier has . . . exited. It is in retreat. We walked to the closest viewpoint, but the glacier was too far away, so we walked further and we could see it – divided into two sections now, and continuing to recede. It was a great time to be there, late in the day, all the tour buses loaded and gone. We weren’t alone, but few were on the hiking trails.
One family asked us, as we were returning to our car, if we had seen bear. We told them no, but to keep talking to one another, and if any bear were around, they would wander away.
We had an agenda for dinner. We are heading out on an all day wildlife and fishing expedition tomorrow, and we need snacks and sandwiches. Sarah had recommended Primrose Provisions, a repurposed railway depot, so we stopped there for dinner and to get provisions – but they were sold out of sandwiches.
Did I mention the sun was shining in Seward? It was in the high 70’s F., and people were sporting sunburns? We sat on the porch, drinking good wine, waiting for our dinner to come – an Alaska charcuterie board. It was lovely, with smoked salmon, smoked cod, two spreads, sourdough and strawberries. Beautiful to look at and delicious.
We had only a short walk back to our Front Row B&B, through the small park honoring Iditerod race creators and supporters, celebrating the Seward connection. We need to think about our clothing and day pack for our sea excursion. I needed to make sure I had my fishing license with me!
This was our route for today – the big red dot is the Alaska Sea Life Museum.
Alaska 2026: Talkeetna and the Drive to Denali
After a couple hours, tired of sitting and driving, we decided we needed movement and took a short side trek (14 miles) to Talkeetna, a colorful little town on the Talkeetna River where trains stop, and tourists come to shop, eat, and check out the scenery. Talkeetna is known for being a staging area for people hiking Mt. Denali, and a great community. They have so many visitors that they bring in people from many countries to run the food wagons, the stores, to prepare meals, and clean and run the businesses and hotels.
At one of the crafts exhibits in Talkeetna, AdventureMan met a man who was selling truly gorgeous knives. This is a limitation to carry-ons – you can’t carry knives on board with you, even in a carry-on. This man and his son work through the winter – about nine months – making knives. In the three-month tourist season in Talkeetna, he sells out everything. He makes enough to get them through the winter, making more knives for the next year.
It was a lot of fun, good crafts vendors, good truck stop food (we had really good salmon burgers) and fun photo shoot opportunities. We got to do lots of walking, and were ready to finish our drive to Denali.
The trees lining the highway slowly gave way to impressive mountains, Chugach mountains on the right, and Denali on the left. Although we had showers early in the day, the day had brightened and the clouds had lifted. They had not lifted enough to see the tip of Denali, but the mountains showed off for us and we were suitably impressed and delighted.
Delicious salmon burgers:
Road Hazards leaving Talkeetna:
The entire day, we kept meeting interesting people from all over, coming to visit Denali. One woman we met at the North face oversight, said “this really is a special place, isn’t it?” and I agreed. There was a grandeur and a silence that reinforded the grandeur. It didn’t make you feel small; it made you feel you were experiencing something immense.
Denali is behind us, shrouded in clouds.
You’ll notice we are all dressed warmly. The temperatures are in the 40’s F. We were never cold; we were just happy it wasn’t raining. Even in the clouds and cold, the mountains were spectacular.
Robert Reich: Freedom Summer 2026
Robert Reich shares an idea for hope in a shocking season of gerrymandering. Win anyway, by registering voters. Michelle Obama would say “we go high”:
Friends,
Yesterday I spoke with Tennessee state representative Justin Jones, one of the nation’s young Black leaders who’s been a rising star in Tennessee politics, about the Supreme Court’s shameful April 29 decision in Louisiana v. Callais, gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
Jones told me that, at Trump’s urging, Tennessee Republicans had prepared a redistricting map even before the Court announced its decision. Then, despite pleas from Black voters and voting rights advocates, the white Republican legislators moved their meeting to another room without allowing the public in to watch, passed the new map out of committee, and enacted it within 24 hours.
The new map has eliminated Tennessee’s one remaining Democratic district around Memphis, a city of about 610,000 people, about two-thirds of whom are Black — by cracking it into three majority-white district, one stretching hundreds of miles. The map has also divided Nashville, another city with a Black majority, into five white-majority districts.
Jones described Tennessee house speaker Cameron Sexton as the “grand wizard in chief,” explaining that “that’s what they want to do. They want to create a process that is unfair and unequal.”
Other Southern states have joined Tennessee’s rush to redistrict.
Louisiana’s governor has ordered that the state’s ongoing congressional election be set aside while state lawmakers redraw maps to eliminate a Democratic-majority – that is, a Black-majority – seat covering Baton Rouge.
At Trump’s request, Alabama Republicans have approved legislation directing the governor to schedule new primary elections this year under a GOP-friendly map that would end districts represented by Black lawmakers, if courts lift an injunction on its redistricting.
The Mississippi legislature will soon convene in a Confederate-era capitol building that it hasn’t used in 100 years, presumably to eliminate the Democratic majority in the one Mississippi district held by a Black representative.
South Carolina’s Republican majority in the statehouse voted Wednesday to extend its legislative calendar, allowing time to consider whether they should eliminate the state’s sole Democratic-majority, Black-majority district, held by long-serving representative James Clyburn.
Florida was already in a special redistricting session when the Supreme Court announced its decision, enacting a congressional map for its 28 districts that packs Black and brown voters into four districts on the south Florida coast and Orlando, eliminating every other Democratic majority.
“We’re going backwards at warp speed,” Jones told me. “In just over a week, we’ve gone from the 1965 Voting Rights Act back to the era of Jim Crow.”
I asked him what he and other Black political leaders in the South were planning to do.
“There’ll be a lot of litigation,” he said, “but we can’t be optimistic with this Supreme Court.”
“So, what’s the strategy?”
“We need the biggest voter turnout in history this fall. Every Black person, every Brown person, every Democrat, everyone who cares about the moral soul of this nation has to vote for equal voting rights. Take over Congress. Increase our power in state legislatures. This is the only way to respond.”
“I’m with you,” I said, “but I really wonder whether that’s possible.”
“How about a new Freedom Summer?” Jones responded, with a smile. “A multi-racial force of young people fanning out across the South, registering voters, getting them to the polls, just like they did in 1964.”
“I remember. I lost a dear friend in Mississippi Freedom Summer.”
“I have no direct memory, of course,” Jones said. “I was born in 1995, thirty-one years after Freedom Summer. But the South is almost back to where it was then. So, yes, it’s possible. It’s got to be possible.”
I told him I’d share his idea with you, and ask you for your responses.
April 9, 2025 in the Strait of Hormuz
You, too, can see the vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz at Marine Traffic:
Strait of Hormuz Monitor states the following, and shows 3 ships transiting the Strait:
Regimes with a concern for their own legitimacy often make extreme efforts to hide their decisions and their decision-making process. They corrupt the language, so it is hard to determine what a victory, for example, looks like. Many of these regimes are characterized by failure to document, failure to release documentation, and destruction of documentation which might be incriminating or disturbing to the populace.
Today in the Strait of Hormuz
When you treat your friends badly and no one comes to help you when you screw up:
British Isles: We Transfer to the Viking Jupiter
Morning came too early, the bag handlers must have started with our room! Promptly at six, the bell rang and AdventureMan had to struggle out of bed to let them in. Fortunately we were able to get back to sleep, and slept until our alarm went off. We headed down to breakfast – no room for us! We had to wait for a table, about twenty minutes, and we had not factored that in. By the time we finished, we barely had time to rush back to our room, gather our carry-ons, and head down to the hotel lobby where we were just in time. As AdventureMan checked out, our group was called. I was one of the first to board the bus and headed to a seat halfway back where we like to sit for the unimpeded view. Just behind me another couple, who as they sat behind us said a little sourly “you got our favorite seat.” Oooh kay. AdventureMan found me, and we had an hour long ride to Tilbury, not Greenwich, where the fun began.
First, we have great admiration for and understanding of the logistics involved in last minute changes, so the awkwardness of the explanations and arrangements were not surprising, but the London Cruise Port was not ready to board a few hundred people. Our buses were stacked up, and after the one hour drive, we sat another hour on the bus. Some of the passengers got testy and argumentative, and finally they let a lucky few off to find the toilets, with the understanding that they must come right back.
Our group was called, not to line up but to sit in the terminal. Maybe fifteen minutes later (we learned there was another couple from Pensacola on board) our area was called to process in – or embark, as they call it. That process was quick, with one surprise, we had to surrender our passports, which we never do, for British immigration and customs.
And then we boarded another bus which took us to a dismal part of the port, surrounded by piles of stones and dirt and cranes and bulldozers and roll on roll off containers and thousands of Hyundai cars awaiting delivery to dealerships.
We were disappointed. We had made plans for Greenwich. We unpacked, put everything away – it’s easy on Viking, we ask for the same stateroom every trip and we know where everything goes already, so unpacking is quick. We decided to go to the pool grill, where a better me would have ordered the seared ahi tuna, but the spoiled baby disappointed me ordered comfort food, the Viking hamburger. With fries!
To further soothe ourselves, when we got back to our room we went down to the gorgeous Viking spa, the only people there, and let the hot bubbling wave pool soothe our disappointment, then we napped.
We have old friends on board! We met up for dinner; these are the kind of friends that, even though we haven’t seen one another for three years, the conversation picks right up where we left off and just keeps going. We ate in the World Cafe, picking and choosing from a fabulous welcome buffet, lots of seafood, crab and shrimp and mussels! There was also a sweet potato soup with ginger that was out of this world, and of course, a choice of ten different ice creams. It’s one of the most popular places on the ship, casual with a luxury of choices.
Bernie, who, with Augustina, below, took good care of us and were a joy to know on the Viking Jupiter.
After dinner, the ship repositions to the main terminal, grand entertainment as we turned in tight quarters, then slid through a tiny canal to the locks leading to the River Thames. It took a couple of hours to complete the process. Out on our balconies, we met our neighbors on both sides, Will and Kate on one side. We dock with our cabin facing the terminal, an old-timey building with a clock tower on top.
Look how close the ship is to the canal edge!
Here is the truth. We were disappointed. We had been told we would be docked in Greenwich; Tillbury is a ways down the road from Greenwich, and more distant from London. We were prepared for Greenwich. We were both a little disgruntled, and aware of how very spoiled we are. Another truth is, until I re-read the journal I kept, and saw the photos, I had forgotten about this altogether, it was such a small disappointment in proportion to the great adventures we had in London and the greater adventures to come. We forgot about it!
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