Category Archives: Travel My predominant memory of Florida is of miles of asphalt and concrete, overlooked by garish neon signs for noisy bars, and gaudy billboards promoting guns and gambling, escort clubs, the bible and ‘pro life’; a landscape punctuated with plastic theme parks and lined with strip malls, drive-throughs, and featureless clumps of condominiums gathered around kitsch […]  “The desert never leaves you.” My driver, who had declared his love of the desert as we were driving into it, said this with awe in his voice. I agree with him. I too, love the desert: there is something mystical about the way seas of sand drape and fold into the distance. The shimmering […]  Dancing on the wind, dispersing prayers, mantras, and general good will across the landscape, strings of prayer flags hang to the four corners of Boudhanath Stupa. Somewhere, amongst them, were mine! Prayer flags are said to date back to the battle flags used by the Gautama Buddha in the fight against the asuras – malevolent divine beings considered by Indian mythology […]  It is hot, and arid, and a long way from anywhere. The harsh environment is at least part of the reason why the 16+ ethnic groups who live in the far reaches of Ethiopia’s Omo Valley, near the border with South Sudan, have been left alone to maintain their traditional lifestyles and cultural practices. One […]  I just love the photogenic faces of India! So much of Indian life happens in the streets and public spaces. As a foreigner, wandering around – either alone, or in the company of a guide or group – I have always found that my cameras and I are welcomed into that street life. I meet […] |
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