The cab drivers refer to it as the "hot and cold corner". Two explorers look out of the brick layered building of the Royal Geographic Society. The stone figures of Livingston and Shackleton peer across the busy streets and caste their sites into the wilderness of Hyde Park.
We ventured inside the beautiful building to meet our guide into their world. We made our way down the spiral staircase into their Reading Room. For security purposes, our bags were set behind their central desk before we approached the archives displayed on their conference table. After we sat down, the lesson began.
Each time I look at a map, I will think of explorers who had the courage to go into environments unknown to them and document locations. They faced many hardships. A few lost their lives or became very ill.
This tour focused on explorers with ties to the Royal (British) Geographic Society. It would be interesting to hear the tales of other geographical societies around the world. But would their storyteller be as amazing?
