Is YOUR group’s photo here?!
Here are 67 photos of groups of previous travelers from the past twenty years, all the best digital shots we could find so far. See if your group is here! Not in chronological order. Let me know if I have any incorrect dates. I feel very lucky to have known all these wonderful people!
GHANA 2020: Susan just bought an exquisite kente cloth from a renowned weaver on this textile tour, and Barou Samake considers a green kente strip cloth.
MOROCCO 2019: Textile tour group shares a laugh with Bouchra who has come to the hotel to show us how to make plaited trims; Fes.
BHUTAN 2020: Hardy hikers who ascended to the famous Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Paro; other people decided to relax at the hotel for the day! Complete group below.
BHUTAN 2020: In the Bumthang hotel kitchen, we made buckwheat noodles and garlic potatoes for dinner. BTSA team’s guide Sonam at center and driver Tej on far right.
URUGUAY 2018 Happy knitters with bags of yarn from the Malabrigo mill. Montevideo.
INDIA 2018: Salvi family of master silk ikat weavers explains their complex techniques.
MOROCCO 2018: We’re headed to a cooking class in the blue city of Chefchaouen. Great driver Abdul at right.
Turkey 2005: On the steps of ancient amphitheatre in Selcuk. Some of these loyal previous travelers have gone on many trips with us since this long-ago adventure!
THAILAND, LAOS, CAMBODIA 2018: At our beautiful Siem Reap hotel, ready to head out in tuk-tuks for fabulous Angkor Wat temples, another UNESCO World Heritage site.
INDIA 2018: Happy day at the salty lakes of northern Gujarat state; we had just seen a herd of wild asses!
TURKEY 2013: Hiking trip on the woodsy Mediterranean coast with our wonderful guide Zeynep in purple and trekking guide Ozgur at left..
PERU 2018: Textile Tour group with Nilda Callañaupa, heading out for a great natural dye workshop in Nilda’s hometown. Cuzco.
GHANA 2018: Barou and BTSA group, ready to start a bead-making workshop with Cedi, the glass artist. Odumase-Krobo.
INDIA 2018: We just made the most beautiful tie-dyed scarves, with Master Bandhini artist and his sons; Bhuj.
MOROCCO 2016: Argan tree with goats (above Ali’s head) who eat the nuts. The rest are made into argan oil.
GHANA 2018: Peter shows the textile tour group how they make ink they will use for their Adinkra printing workshop; Ntonso. With tour leader Barou Samake.
PERU 2009: We’ve climbed to the top of Machu Picchu! The views and the Inca stonework are amazing!
PERU 2007 Previous travelers with Cynthia’s 2-year old god-daughter Anita. Her parents let the group participate in her first hair-cutting ceremony, and little Anita let a bunch of strangers snip at her hair! Urus Islands, Lake Titicaca.
TURKEY 2012: BTSA textile/culture tour group among the columns of the Athena Temple, Assos-Behramkale.
NORTHEAST INDIA 2016: At Tawang Nunnery with drivers Daniel, Manoj and Nomo. Littlest nun on my lap; not visible are the dark red UGG-style boots I brought for her. Miraculously they fit her cold little feet!
MEXICO 2010: Final dinner of textile and festival tour in Oaxaca; with Chloe Sayer in blue/black huipil.
INDIA 2009: To enter a New Delhi mosque, we donned colorful but very modest bag dresses!
BOLIVIA 2017 Carnival and textiles tour group. With Liz Rojas at Candelaria Hacienda outside of Tarabuco.
MEXICO 2010: One of the UREP research groups from the past, headed to the Assumption Festival. Oaxaca.
PERU 2015: We visited the little-known Museo del Andres Castillo, with its good collection of ancient artifacts.
TURKEY 2007: Knitters hit the huge Yarn Market near the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.
MEXICO 2013: Visiting the municipal art museum near Oaxaca city, with Chloe Sayer, far right.
MALI 2011: Our Tuareg friend Halis showed us around his Sahara Desert town of Timbuktu; yes, it’s real!
GUATEMALA 2014: Ready for the ride across Lake Atitlan to Santiago Atitlan, to see embroidered huipiles.
BOLIVIA 2005: My super students from University of CA Davis Summer School Abroad ‘World Textiles’ class; Tiwanaku archaeological site near LaPaz. One of my favorite groups from the past!
TURKEY 2008: Learning how rugs are knotted and woven – and how to judge quality – in a little carpet shop in Cappadocia.
PERU and BOLIVIA 2006: Private tour ladies relaxing with our knitting at lakeside Titicaca hotel.
LAOS 2006: University Research Expedition Program: Weaving group at dinner break by the Mekong River.
TURKEY 2014: Amidst the columns of Athena Temple at Assos; guide Zeynep bottom right. (Steve Chun photo)
PERU 2010: After a morning of seeing ancient textiles in Lima museums, we had lunch at El Bolivariano.
GUATEMALA Private tour with friends at Tikal National Park, Maya site.
TURKEY 2014: At the UNESCO World Heritage site of Divrigi, beautiful and historical hospital-mosque.
TURKEY: Exploring Cappadocia’s eroded sandstone formations and visiting the painted cave churches.
MEXICO: Waiting for the embroiderer to come back so we can see his work! Juchitan. Chloe Sayer, far left.
MEXICO 2010: Lunch in Teotitlan del Valle, famous rug weaving town, outside of Oaxaca.
TURKEY: The Muchachas group on a Textile Tour, at the famous and exquisite Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
LAOS 2009: We donated school supplies and met the teachers and girls at a rural elementary school.
TURKEY: We have just spent the night in a village homestay; super guide Fatih and best driver Ahmet at left!
TURKEY 2012: Showing off our hand block-printed scarves in Tokat. Many friends from Alaska on this trip.
INDIA 2013: Happy with our hand-dyed and tied silk scarves made with the help of a Master Dyer! Bhuj town.
ARGENTINA 2016: Knitters gather at the Estancia; fabulous cooks Rebecca and Maria on either side of Cynthia.
PERU 2006: UC Davis Summer School Abroad camps out in Paucartambo for the Virgin of Carmen Festival.
MALI 2011 Headed out to the mudcloth (bogolan fini) village, to meet the artists, and try mud painting, with Barou Samake, right.
INDIA 2017 We’re proud of the scarves we stamped with hand-carved blocks at friend Deepak’s studio.
MALI 2012 Nighttime celebration at Papou’s wedding festival in Barou’s hometown of Segou.
BOLIVIA 2006 At the Benito Cruz mask-maker studio before heading to Oruro for Carnival; La Paz
GUATEMALA 2016: Dear friend Tomasa with us at a restaurant outside of Patzun. She embroidered my huipil.
ARGENTINA 2016: Taking a break on our Street Art Tour in Buenos Aires. It’s everywhere and all legal!
BOLIVIA 2017: We’re here to tour the SUCRE Hat Factory, not to stage a hold-up! Masks ostensibly will protect us from flying fleece.
GUATEMALA 2014: Leaving the hotel for the airport, to fly to the Tikal Mayan ruins in the jungle.
MOROCCO 2008: Travelers at Volubilis Roman ruins; 32-day private tour. Mali and Ghana were next….
MOROCCO 2017 Camel riding group! We rode and climbed the golden-pink Sahara dunes to see the sun set.
N.E. INDIA 2015 Ladies play dress-up in Saris at the Good-bye Party on the Brahmaputra River beach!
INDIA 2017 Checking out the organic cotton fields. The guide sews his own exquisite handspun cotton clothes!
CAMBODIA 2015 Angkor Thom – Ancient Khmer temple with strangler fig roots, and our driver, Sai.
GHANA 2011: At Jamestown fishing port with school director Mark, who showed us the boat building processes.
ARGENTINA 2015 Happy Knitters’ group with Joji Locatelli and Alejandra Pont, and other great knitters!
BOLIVIA 2018: We just toured the Sucre Hat Factory.
PERU 2011 Visiting friends on the totora reed Urus Islands, floating in Lake Titicaca.
INDIA 2011: New Delhi visit to the tall brick minaret, Qu’tub Minar, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with great guide Manish.
PERU 2008: Knitters and two of my wonderful cousins. BTSA knitting and weaving tour group, in Cuzco hotel courtyard.
INDIA 2011: Showing off our hand-tied and dyed silk scarves with the master bandhini artist; Bhuj.