Candomble Ceremony Salvador de Bahia, Brazil June 8, 2008 Salvador is the place that most of the African slaves were brought to and to this day many of their original rituals and practices survive. Candomble is a religion that stems from those days. During the years of slavery it was practiced clandestinely and the ceremonies … More The Old Ways
Otavalo, Ecuador Dec 31, 2005 The small mountain town of Otavalo, in the northern Ecuador has an unhurried pace most days but there is a hum in the air today. The Saturday market that has stems from pre-Inca days when jungle goods were traded for highland goods, is more crowded than usual and the vendors … More A Clean Sweep
Otavalo, Ecuador December 31, 2005 The small town of Otavalo, in the north of Ecuador has an unhurried pace most days but today there is a hum in the air. The stalls at the market are more crowded than usual and the vendors do brisk business. As evening falls, the crowds converge in the plaza … More Out with the Old & In with the New
Bayan Olgii district, Mongolia July 18, 2005 Andrei’s parents have passed away and he has two older sisters who live in Kazakhstan. One of his wives lives in Ulan Bator. And it is the other wife and two daughters who share his ger here, looking after their twenty-four goats. The younger daughter, Cleobik is an … More At a Kazakh Camp
Somewhere near Bayan Olgii, Mongolia July 15, 2005 Bayan Olgii province in the extreme west of Mongolia seems like land that time forgot. It is remarkable even in a country like Mongolia that is already remarkable for its vast stretches of open land in this day and age. With the looming Altai Mountains and rolling … More I Have Two Wives But I Can Marry You
Irkutsk, Russia June 9, 2005 The Trans-Siberian Baikal pulled up into Irkutsk around nine thirty this morning and I bid my cabin-mates goodbye. They were continuing to Ulaan Bator. After being cooped up in the cabin for four days, I have just a tad of cabin fever and couldn’t wait to explore Irkutsk. But the … More Introduction to Siberia
The Baikal, Carriage 10, berth 19 June 5, 2005 Traveling on the Trans-Siberian – the very idea has me grinning like a fool. Half-forgotten photos, movies and stories from books go flying through my mind. And now, I really will be on it. Packed up and eager to get there, I start off with loads … More On Board the Trans-Siberian
Oaxaca, Mexico January 2, 2005 Oaxaca, in Mexico is not off the beaten path like my usual haunts and it is touristy in a low key sort of way. But it had been recommended to me by some and they were right. There is something here that appeals to me. Like most Latin American towns, … More A Taste of Oaxaca
Bhutan August, 2004 “What are you doing in the tree?” I asked. “I am going to stay in the forest” answered the little boy, some 5 meters off the ground, sitting on one of the branches above my tent. “Aren’t you going home?” “No” came the decisive reply. “Why not?” “My mother will beat me” … More Along Druk Path
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 