When Doug Madison聽(Econ鈥�76) visits a聽foreign city, he wanders聽the streets with his聽camera in hand. He聽always tries a local beer.聽It鈥檚 not uncommon for him to spend聽eight hours alone in a museum.聽
鈥淚鈥檓 a bit of a culture vulture,鈥� said聽Madison, who is retired from a career聽in foreign currency聽exchange.聽
Usually the Boulder resident travels solo,聽but that has started to change.聽
In fall 2010, Madison saw a tour to聽Africa offered by the Roaming Buffs,聽an Alumni Association travel program,聽and decided to give group travel one try.聽He went to Tanzania and Kenya, where a聽group of 17 went on safari with a personal聽guide. He was mesmerized by the animals,聽especially the lions, cheetahs and leopards.聽He swapped his camera for binoculars.聽
Madison was hooked. He visited聽Africa again with the Roaming Buffs in聽2012, and has now been on four other聽tours with the 聽program. This June聽he鈥檒l go聽to Paris with CU.聽
鈥淚 took a shot at the safari and really had聽a good time on that,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ow I keep聽going because they are all so interesting.鈥澛�
Madison鈥檚 job took him around the聽world. He has visited about 40 countries聽and has lived in London, Brazil and Hong聽Kong. Now, at 62, he is interested in seeing聽museums, art and learning a city鈥檚 history.聽
On his travels with the Roaming Buffs, he聽has hiked the Great Wall, strolled the streets聽of Myanmar and visited the Black Sea.聽
One Roaming Buffs moment stands聽out in particular. In June 2013, he 聽and a聽few others were in Istanbul and happened聽to witness thousands of young Turks protesting聽their government at Gezi Park.
聽鈥淲hen traveling one often finds oneself聽standing on the site of historic events聽both ancient and modern,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n聽this case we felt as if we were witnessing a聽bit 聽of history in the making.鈥�
For more information about the Roaming Buffs travel program, email聽lisa.munro@colorado.edu, call 303-492-5640 or 800-492-7743 or visit Colorado.edu/alumni.
Photos courtesy聽Doug Madison聽
