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Dr. Tuthill embarked on her first safari into the African bush in 2003, honoring the death of her best friend, the astronaut Kalpana Chawla, in the crash of the space shuttle Columbia. She and her husband fell deeply in love with the animals and the people they met in the wilds of southern Africa, and the experience changed their lives. They have traveled back every year and lovingly chronicled each experience in detailed letters to Kalpana's sisters in India. The letters follow the daily routine in remote bush camps, covering the details of camp life along with the excitement and thrill of walking safaris, canoe trips, and game drives. One can almost hear the hippos by night and smell the fresh lavender along the path, as Tuthill describes the nightly "sundowners" enjoyed with her beloved husband, and details the spectacular views and experiences they shared together. In this poignant set of travel essays Tuthill depicts the glories of ecotravel and demonstrates how our vacation dollars can be used to help save the continent of Africa.
