It’s a problem when the tribes I want to visit live in the mountains and the only way I can get there is to climb. Or when the river I have to cross has a tree trunk from one bank to the other, and my knees shake all the way across.

This unfortunate characteristic rules out things like bungee jumping and rock climbing, which I must admit I do not miss. But getting into those mountains is something I really want to do. So, I do it. And I ache and groan. But so far, I’ve made it up and down without major incident. For the tough ones, I usually find a guide who will help me over the rough spots.

But there are things I won’t do. I have walked down river banks and through the river rather than across on a log, when the distance is too high. And if the hike is an end in itself rather than a way to get to see the people at the other end, I have learned how to say no thanks. But I still wake up every morning vowing that I will begin my regimen of exercise and diet that very day so that I won’t even have to think about the difficulty of the physical challenge. It is 2:18 P.M. on my computer clock, so it’s too late to start today. But tomorrow morning I’m going to do it.