Introduction to the Amazon Basin - November 6, 2024

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Southampton - May 23, 2025

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Our journey began in Southampton, where our guide Derek and driver Mike provided fascinating insights into the port city's rich maritime heritage. Southampton's docks tell a story of evolution - the Eastern Docks operated from the mid-1800s through the 1920s before reaching capacity, leading to the creation of the Western Docks through land reclamation from the River Test. These newer docks gained eternal fame as the departure point for the RMS Titanic in April 1912. The Western Docks continue to serve as a major import hub  particularly for motor vehicles.  but now with containers, they employ hundreds of workers rather than thousands. Our guide noted the recent decline in Tesla imports, reflecting changing attitudes toward electric vehicles in the current market. Traveling north through Hampshire county, the landscape revealed the geological story of southern England. The area is dominated by chalk downs, formed millions of years ago and carved by rivers during the last ice ...
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