No horsing around

Camels are easier to handle than horses.

First, be fully dressed. Bikini is forbidden.

Attention Seeking

Come on let’s get happy or angry, we may be able get what we want.

Since the word scot free is of Scandinavia origin, SKOT, meaning tax or payment, it reminded me of an angry child statue in Norway. Of all the statues in the park, created by Gustav Vigeland made Oslo famous in Norway. The artist agreed to donate all originals of previous and future artistic work to the city, as long as it would provide him with a place to live and work.

Quid pro quo.

Light Made it Visible.

To reach the peak of Mt. Sinai to witness the first light of the day, one has to start trekking at zero dark thirty.

“Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways
to kneel and kiss the ground.” ~ Rumi

Dawn of a new day
On top of Mt. Sinai.
Half light, half dark
The light made it visible.

It is a place for everyone.
Muslims, Christians, Buddhist, Atheist.
All is welcome.

Zero dark thirty is a phrased I picked up from Tina.

Travelling in style.

Russian left many vehicles in Cuba and still being used. We used this convertible to get around.

It was a bumpy ride.

Only rusty old men can fix a rusty relic.

Wales or Whales

Hiraeth is often likened to nostalgia in English or saudade in Portuguese, and it shares qualities with the German concept of sehnsucht, but none quite match exactly. It combines elements of homesickness, nostalgia and longing. Interlaced, however, is the subtle acknowledgment of an irretrievable loss – a unique blend of place, time and people that can never be recreated. This unreachable nature adds an element of grief, but somehow it is not entirely unwelcome. – BBC Travel

On the far side, a true story of my travel in Ireland.

“I can see whales” says my traveling buddy.

” Yes, i can see Wales from here. Can we make a trip while it’s just accross the sea?

I’ll always cherish and get a good laugh that day we spent together, walking along Aran Island, looking at tide pools, rocks, whales and Wales.

With Love from London

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It was the year 2017 that London called me to spend Christmas with my niece. She lives in the UK and her family was going for a visit. Off I went for a ride. As it happened that year, London … Continue reading →

Photographs and Memories

The rainy season is here. It hasn’t stopped for a week now, and I longed for a place where the sun shines in other parts of the world, from December to January. My mind wanders to some places where I … Continue reading →

Frozen in time

On top of the mountain plateau in Norway, close to Dyranut Turisthytta, is a place seems to be frozen in time even though it’s summer. The land is covered with snow and ice with a single shack in the middle … Continue reading →

Be Not Afraid

What is it that most people are afraid of dying, death and the dead? There’s really nothing to fear for the celebration of the deceased since death is for the living. When I was in Thailand, volunteering for the AIDS … Continue reading →

Two for the road

Two for the road, we’ll travel through the years, collecting precious memories, selecting souvenirs and living life the way we please” – Henry Mancini Alone but never lonely. Foster two cats, never just one.

Photographs and Memories

Rannie recommends 10 Celtic attractions in Scotland. I’ve only visited one since there is so much to see in this small country: that is the Isle of Staffa, Fingal’s Cave. Staffa means “Pillar Island” from Norse derivation, an understated description … Continue reading →

The nature of Emerald Isle

“It’s the one place on earth heaven had kissed with melody, mirth, and meadow and mist.  ~ Irish Proverb.” Never have I seen so many shades of green in this rolling hills of Dingle Peninsula. According to the song Johnny … Continue reading →

As light goes in, shadow falls

“Newgrange is best known for the illumination of its passage and chamber by the winter solstice sun. Above the entrance to the passage, there is an opening called a roof-box. Its purpose is to allow sunlight to penetrate the chamber … Continue reading →

Photographs and memories

Ireland is a country of Gaelic people and mystical land. I could not understand their thick accent unless I ask them to speak slowly. I don’t know which one has the best accent: Irish or Scottish? There is a Gaelic … Continue reading →

The Great Circle

History reveals that life was a big circle, curves and spirals when we visited Newgrange, Co Meath, Ireland. The place of the prehistoric site built during the Neolithic age 3200 BC.  According to archeology, the mounds are older than the … Continue reading →

What Buddha Never Taught Me

The year 2019 sounds so futuristic remembering a 1996 visit of Thailand. I feel nostalgic tonight. Photography then was archaic when we have to use a real camera, a film and the negatives processed. I could never tell whether the photos … Continue reading →

The Journey and the Dream still continues…

Twenty years ago, I made the first journey to Assisi on my own. I was young, healthy and carefree imitating the life of St. Francis, poor in spirit. Alone I was, I met a lot of strangers along the road. … Continue reading →

Following The Way

Somewhere between Burgos and Leon, they have a long way to go. Their journey started on July 9 starting from France walking destination Santiago de Compostela. Through rain, snow, and heat they marched on meeting walkers from Iran, Germany, Americans … Continue reading →

Photograph and Memories

I love this shot of the children squatting in the garden. It reminds me of gardening. Different seeds sprouted and they grew into a beautiful living being with its own personality. These are the little buddhas I took care of … Continue reading →

Out of Solitude

As she looked at her own face in the mirror, she suddenly recalled the sorrowful widow. It was at that moment that she wrote the opening lines of “Solitude“.

Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone;
For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth,
But has trouble enough of its own. ~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

In giving shape my view of the world having a solitary person in the foreground suggests that it is okay to be alone but not lonely.

All work and no rest makes a man boring. Rest he did in his three-wheeler taxi cab. Who needs money when one is too tired to enjoy life. When he wakes up from his solitude, life becomes bearable again.

And what on earth is he doing down there alone? Fishing! Men prefer to reel a fish similar to playing golf, alone. So why do men enjoy fishing alone?  Because the fish are bigger and the stories are better with no witnesses!

In a crowd of a million tourist, he just have to sit down with a non-verbal companion. Maybe he had enough listening, blah-blah-blah. Or maybe he is just like me observing how silly tourist really are. Or maybe he left his wife in a store shopping. Or maybe…

Ah, solitude, such sweet surrender.

Which way is Ireland?

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Two Canadian girls on a trip not knowing a single word of Gaelic. Reading these street names, we don’t even know whether it means North, South, East or West. We kept on walking on the island that is thick with … Continue reading →

Traveling in 2017? Start with Canada

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Yes, Canada! Come and visit us this year. According to New York Times 52 places to visit in 2017, we are No. 1 on the list. Three good reasons: Canada celebrates 150 years as a nation, a year-long event.  Free admission to … Continue reading →

At the end of the day, I just want to be a cat

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Oh, there were resolutions to keep a low profile to pace myself to take it easy, because nothing is so important anyway but yesterday there was an inertia that got out of hand like a rolling thunder and good people … Continue reading →

Relax by relaxing and be relaxed.

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Does this sentence make sense? It does not matter, relax. Focus on these photos that will provide you many forms of relaxation. First, think like an animal. It’s so natural for them to remain calm, cool and collected. These are … Continue reading →

Believe it or not!

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Have you seen Dr. Strange movie yet? Well, it’s full of magic. 3D and all. Very entertaining and worth watching. Filled with magic. Speaking of magic, I must say the chamber maids in Cuba can work magic. Being on a … Continue reading →

Mother and Earth: What do they have in common?

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The Earth is always pregnant, giving birth to new life. This is the reason we call it Mother Earth. Think about this. It is the very source of life itself. It’s alive.  One doesn’t have to be Neil Armstrong, go … Continue reading →

I live in my dreams.

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“I live in my dreams. Other people live in dreams too … just not their own.” — Hermann Hesse Dreams not fantasy. Start small. Series of small dreams. Put them all together. Together, the series of small dreams become big. Dreams are … Continue reading →

With Open Arms

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A simple invitation I sent out to different organizations offering my services as a volunteer. To my surprise, Aids Baby Centre (ABC) accepted my invitation. On May 8, I arrived at Chiangmai from Vancouver, BC, Canada. I received a warm … Continue reading →