Category Archives: Travel
Refuge in Laos
As part of preparing for my recent trip to Laos I read a series of mysteries that take place there in the mid-1970’s, just after the communist Pathet Lao came to power. The main character is the delightful Dr. Siri … Continue reading
Elephants
While in Laos, my friends and I spent the day at an elephant rescue camp. These were elephants who had worked in logging camps, where they are routinely pushed to the point of exhaustion, unable to reproduce. To replenish their … Continue reading
Finding Refuge
Siem Reap, Cambodia, January 19. Tonight I watched a dozen talented artists paint, play music, dance, and do amazing circus routines as they told the story of their country’s descent into genocide and its ongoing recovery from those horrors. These … Continue reading
Sacred Waters
Last week on a meditation retreat I was inspired to swim in Lake Tahoe at dawn under the full moon. Joined by my friend Christy (if she hadn’t said yes to my invitation, I might have slept in instead!), we … Continue reading
Hope
I think Anne Frank said what is in my heart this week: “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, … Continue reading
Healing Art
I listened recently to a veteran describe how doing art helped her heal from decades of PTSD, after being raped and then discounted and humiliated while she was in the service. It brought to mind the wonderful community art projects … Continue reading
Five Daily Recollections
Recently, inspired by the meditation retreat she had just attended, our beloved yoga teacher Angela recited the Five Daily Recollections given to us by the Buddha in one of his sermons. There were two typical types of responses: “wow, that’s … Continue reading
We Get Around
Before I went to Cuba I had an image that most of its vehicles were vintage American cars. Wrong! There were vehicles of all kinds, including generic small Asian sedans. Most of the transportation was local; the “highways” between cities were … Continue reading
Color
With a wet winter and spring, Nevada has turned green, and the wildflowers are bringing bright splashes of color to the hills. It led me to reflect on the importance of color; when the day turned gray yesterday I was … Continue reading
Posted in Travel
2 Comments
Restoration
After their economy collapsed in the early 1990’s when Soviet support disappeared overnight, Cubans have been slowly rebuilding, both figuratively and literally. We saw buildings that were disintegrating and some that were being restored, and everything in between. It’s a … Continue reading