Painting of Buddhist hell, Daihonzan Naritasan Temple, Kurume, Japan. The things you learn when you travel. I had no idea there was a Buddhist hell. I first caught a whiff of it this week in Unzenonsen, Kyushu, Japan. Hydrogen sulphide, boiling water bubbling out the ground, steam. It was Buddhist monks, back in 701 AD, who…… Continue reading Animatronic Hell
Category: In This Together
It Takes a Village
Yesterday I was in such an intense conversation with Iris, thirtyish, from Switzerland, we almost missed the only bus from the trailhead that day. I get to meet fine people when hiking. These are people who put some effort into their travels. They discover and research trails, they put one foot in front of another…… Continue reading It Takes a Village
It Takes a Village
Posted It Takes a Village (and the miracle of the lady with the beer).
Wise Words from an Airline Service Agent
Overheard an airline customer service agent in the hotel bar. Her colleagues call the Jerry Springer Show “church.”
Next: Naples, FL
Saturday, I drop Dwight off at MIA for his flight to MSP. I’ll spend the weekend with friends in their Naples condo.
Wacky Water Games
Wacky water games at the kids pool.
Geckos and Manatees
We searched for geckos, then manatees.
Nephews at Sea
Ripped, untimely, from their Minnesota beds this morning, our nephews burned off energy in the Gulf at Key Largo.
Why I Like SCUBA Diving
I don’t do water activities. I’ll dangle my feet over the edge of the shallow end of a hotel swimming pool while sipping something with a little cocktail umbrella poking out. Preferably a beer. But that is as far as I go. My partner, Dwight, does do water activities, including SCUBA. I’ll never do that,…… Continue reading Why I Like SCUBA Diving
The Other
Woolworth’s lunch counter (Smithsonian) I tried to build a coherent picture of my seatmate as I rode Amtrak from Cleveland to New York. The obvious stuff: 40-ish, black, heavyset, financially on the edge. I got the financial bit as he talked on the phone about his imminent move to a smaller apartment. He clicked away at…… Continue reading The Other