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Library hosts world travelers

By Erin O'Connor

Staff Writer



WEST SPRINGFIELD Barbara and Ted Herbert, owners of Teddy Bear Pools and Spas, recently shared with members of the community, Nov. 1, about their February trip to Peru during a free presentation sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

The presentation entitled, "Peru-The Amazon and Machu Picchu" entertained a full house for over two hours.

"People are able to travel to very exotic places," Ted said to the Reminder. "This was our fifth one [presentation] in West Springfield," he added.

Ted and his wife, Barbara have traveled to all of the continents, seen over 70 countries since 2001 and visited places such as the Phillipines, Cambodia, India, Israel and Antarctica.

Barbara puts together Power Point shows for the couple's presentations while Ted, a motivational speaker, provides a large part of the lecture.

"We are a very frugal with our money," Ted said. "We have gone on these trips many times for what people are spending on their family trips."

On their recent trip to Peru they spoke to the audience about the Sacred Valley, the ruins of Machu Picchu, Lima, Cusco, and the Amazon.

"Fourty-five percent of the population is Native Indian," Ted said. "The Peruvian people are very kind, very gentle, wonderful people. "Happiness is really a state of mind. You have family and friends, you have a piece of mind."

Ted explained that most of the knowledge they gain during their travels comes from the locals.

The couple flew from the Bradley Airport in Connecticut, to Miami and then to Lima, Peru. The trip was about 13 hours in length.

Ted spoke about the couple going by guide to Machu Picchu, the last Inca City, built of stone that sits on top of a mountain.

Machu Picchu was rediscovered by a Yale archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911 who received a tip from a local farmer. Bingham thought it to be the original lost Inca City but was later proven wrong.

"What is truly amazing is that a society of people can live on top of a steep mountain and live in these conditions and survive to be left in its natural form," Ted said. "This is the real thing. This is the history of a culture."

The couple also visited Lima, the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco and the Amazon River.

"Amazon means 'warrior'," Ted said. "When the Spanish came over to conquer large warrior women living along the river used to kill six Spanish soldiers for every Inca they lost."

The couple traveled the Amazon on a riverboat with a total of 27 people. Twelve of their shipmates were of the Massachusetts Audubon Society.

"There is no moonlight and you can see the constellations of the stars," Ted said.

"The evening sky in the Amazon is so clear that you can see both North and South Constellations," Barbara said.

In the Amazon there are 14 species of piranha with four that are actually dangerous. Along the Amazon the couple were able to fish for piranha.

The Peru trip was organized by the couple a few weeks prior to their departure. They were originally to go to the North Pole but Ted said he found this trip while searching on the internet. They traveled to the North Pole that following summer.

"Our priorities are seeing the world while we have our health and while we can enjoy it," Ted said. "We love traveling."

The couple works with Rotary International in which Ted is an assistant district governor. The organization among other things assists families in hosting visitors at home, from all over the world.

"We hosted two study exchange groups over a two year period," Ted said. The couple hosted a team from the Phillipiness last year that spent a week at their home and during that time Ted brought them to a hockey game.

"The advantage of going to Southeast Asia and South America is that the American dollar still has value," Ted said. "In Europe the Euro is worth more than the American dollar."

The couple gives about two presentations a month and do not charge. They ask that if people would like to give money then they donate to a charity.

They recently gave a presentation to a group of eighth graders at St. Thomas School about Antarctica. Contact Catherine Doyle, Cultural Events Chair at 572-5233 for more information or Ted at 594-2666 x 121.