Travel is Fatal

 

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."

                        ----Mark Twain

I never knew what this meant until I repatriated to the U.S. my senior year of high school.  I had already had a lifetime of world travel and multi-cultural experiences by this time.  I was the new kid at school.....again, for the hundreth time.  That wasn't new for me, in fact, growing up in other countries and attending international schools made first day's of school exciting.   It was always interesting to see what new kids had moved in and would be coming because inevitably they would be new addition to various friend groups.

My first day at Highland High School in SLC wasn't the same.  I expected people to notice me, or want to meet me.  It was the opposite.  I was weird, different and somehow repelled others.  My clothes were very different, my hair was all wrong and I was immediately an outcast.  I found myself gravitating to the minorities who seemed to readily accept me.

The few mainstreamers that did muster up the courage to engage would then try and figure me out by asking terribly ignorant questions.  "So, your parents are in Brazil..... Did you live in a house on stilts in the Amazon?"  "Did you have running water?"   "Where's Indonesia?"  "Did you see any terrorists in the middle east?"

At first I thought they were kidding, but quickly realized they weren't.  I was so puzzled, I couldn't really understand why they were asking such inane and uninformed questions.  When I did answer them there was no follow up curiosity or desire to learn more about these places, their people and their culture.

I was shocked at the level of ignorance that seemed pervasive across more and more people as time passed and I interacted with more kids.  I remember vividly coming to my own conclusion that being my wishing that everyone could just go spend 3 months anywhere other than the U.S. and to then see if they might come back different.  Maybe we new perspectives, a broader view, empathy for those that were different.  Twain's quote is so true to me.  I felt like Americans didn't completely understand the many comforts, convenience, expansive choices and freedoms that they had at their disposal.  They took so many things for granted and it was such a contrast from my life that it was difficult to wrap my head around.

In my experience, most folks that can travel and be exposed to different cultures with some desire to learn and experience new things cannot possibly ever see the world the same again.  Empathy for others has to deepen.  Appreciation for freedom must be heightened.  It is difficult to ever see oneself above anyone else after such an experience.  

I am reminded of how strongly I felt back then at 17 years old.  How much I wanted to have enough money to send everyone overseas for a while and then see how they changed as a result.  I feel that is needed again today. I wonder how many social ills would dissipate, dissolve or even dissapear if everyone could immerse themselves somewhere else, and then return home with a fresh perspective, expanded ways of thinking, more tolerant, more kind, more empathetic and more charitable?

"To Travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries."

This is so true!  You will find whatever you want to no matter where you go.  If you believe people are rude, that is what you will see.  If you are looking to compare the place you are in with the U.S. you will almost always be dissapointed.  If you travel with your arrows pointed in, you will come up short.  If you have heard that the food is bad, it is highly probable you will find that too.

I lived in some of the dirtiest places in the world.  All my parents saw was beauty everywhere they looked.  My mother was often breathless after experiences such as walking through a croweded hot marketplace, watching a poor artison on the street creating something to sell.  She didn't focus on the smells and odors that could be distracting.  She saw poor people smiling, keeping their dirt floors clean and wondered at how they would wash and bathe their livestock in the rivers scrubbing their hides with eucalyptus leaves leaving a fresh sparkly scent.  She couldn't wait to learn the traditional dances so she could better understand their way of life and what story their dance was telling.  My dad never complained about the chicken infested, over crowded trains he had to take often.  He found the adventure in that space.

Travel far enough, you meet yourself."

In the end, if you are willing to look beyond yourself, beyond the tourist traps, the normal suspect check box places to take a selfie, and you are looking to understand, find out, ask questions and learn, you will most certainly find yourself in that process.  Hopefully you will admire that person too when you do a little more than before you traveled.  Travel can be a journey of self-discovery that allows us all to learn more about ourselves as we explore the world.   I have been literally to a thousand places in my life.  I have so many experiences and memories tucked away in my "cloud journal" but they are to no avail or value if they haven't changed me in the process.  If they haven't refined my sense of appreciation, gratitude and pulled at my heart strings with respect to my interactions and relationships with others, then I have failed.  My travels might as well be summed as having made many stops to get a quick drink and rushing off to see the next "thing" vs drinking deeply from the well of experience, reflecting, and then letting that living water change my heart and mind in more meanintful ways.  

You want to be a better person?  Then I invite you to travel.... anywhere, it doesn't matter.  Go explore and don't look back and see what you are like afterwards.... you might surprise yourself.

Thank you Mom and Dad, for sharing the world with me and showing me how to see everyone and everything in it with new eyes of wonder and awe!  It totally made all the difference in the world to me. 

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: Abu Dhabi

 I will never forget my first week waking up to weird noises in the late night or early morning in Indonesia.  I wrote a story about it called the "Sounds of the Night Vendors" which was my first creative writing piece.  I remember Miss Moore liked it.

In addition to the noise of street vendors, was the constant cry of the electrified prayers emanating from local mosques.  They occurred the same time each day and during special occasions.  You could hear the prayers wafting through the heavy aromatic air no matter which neighborhood you lived.  

They became a bit like second nature after adjusting to them.   It was refreshing to see how many devout Muslims there were in Indonesia.  Anytime any practices their faith I am always impressed.  Some need to be in the religious structures to feel close to their "God". Others don't.  

I remember being in school and sometimes walking by a secluded corner of a building during the day I would come upon a maintenance or school employee doing individual prayer on their mobile prayer mats.  I am sure that locals welcomed them as a reminder of their faith throughout each day.

I was not prepared for the Sheikh Zayed Mosque.  It is in U.A.E. in the city of Abu Dhabi.  It is magnificent.  The level of craftsmanship, beauty and revereance was unbelievable. It was entirely quiet for the whole tour.  There were dress standards and women needed to cover their head.

It was very hot and yet it felt cool in the shade of the mosques many covered hallways and gathering areas.  

The sheer expansive scale of the mosque was staggering.  It had so much intricate tile inlay  The colors were so appropriate and I am sure there was so much meaning in every one but we didn't have a tour guide, so we had to use our imagination.....which was easy to do as there were so many references to nature, life, energy and light.

The open inside court was like 3 football fields long.  The marble was so clean and clear it reflected the images of the spires and domes on its sleek floor like a mirror.  

I really did want to just walk out and wander across but that was forbidden.  Did I think about how incredible it would be to skateboard across this?  Yes, for a moment, but knew at the same time I would never do that in such a place.

The decor inside and the choices that were made for the elaborate chandeliers, stained glass windows and ceiling artwork was exquisite.  There was so much to look at.  It was it's own art masterpiece.  There weren't any pictures to hang as all the art was embedded into the design.  It did not need anything like that which would have made a mess of things really.

The carpets inside went on for miles....  The colored lights hanging from these beautiful chandeliers were amazing.  

I remember imagining thousands of people in white kneeling on here and praying in unison.  The idea of thousands vs hundreds was an easy idea to consider given how much room there was.  It was totally designed to invite as many in as possible.

The architectural elements and design choices were wonderful.  The combination of archways and domes all intersecting made a wonderful display for the eye to follow and explore.

The reflecting pools were a perfect add.  It adds a cooling affect to the ambience.  The water reflects the azure sky.  It serves as psychological refresh factor given the heat of the day is pretty intense.  Most of the acces to and from the actual mosque is air conditioned underground tunnels that have shops and food vendors which made the entire visit so pleasant.  

I remembered fondly back to my youth in Jakarta, thinking as I looked down this perspective and looked up to the tower half expecting an electronic prayer to be uttered while I was there.  It would have completed the entire experience. 

You cannot build a structure like this without strong faith and belief.  It makes it all the more inspirational 

I felt joy and peace.  I love that there are places of reverence around the world in so many diverse cultures and peoples.  I love strict observance because it is never easy to accomplish for whatever religion calls for it.  It is a battle inside ultimately, to subjugate our own will and wisdom to that of a higher power, to one who knows and understands more than we do.  I am grateful for those who uphold their religious values through practice and rituals.  

I wish I could do a little better at that myself....

FLW: Samara

FLW always named his homes.  Often by the owners name but sometimes other names that had meaning through metaphors.  A Samara is a winged seed found in pine cones.  You have seen them but probably never heard of this name.  He used the shape of the Samara throughout the design of this house.  He designed it into the carpet, bedspreads and into the architecture itself.  Pine trees were found on this property.

Samara was a place I really wanted to visit but wasn't sure if I would.  It is about 2 hours north of Indianapolis.  It is a great hidden property and much like his other designs, it blended into nature so well.

One of the unique aspects of this house is that you can actually sit on the furniture which was a delight because it is the only FLW property that I have been do to allow for that.  It was very cool to sit on the built in couch and look out the windows.  I loved the tiered sunken living room idea with small square tables that could be positioned anywhere for folks who might want to just sit on the stairs but still have a place for drinks.  You can see the Samara shapes repeated on the carpet.  The room felt so comfortable and full of natural light, which all his homes seem to duplicate.

This side view shows how he leveraged built in floating book cases above the seating area all down and then around the corner.  A perfect nook to disappear and read.

The dining room was really well done.  He hung a classic japanese print which he loved to do on the wall.  The high back chairs were his design and you can see how he incorporated the Samara symbol into the cutouts on the backs of the chairs.

They were not supposed to be comfortable and they weren't! 

He invented the mitred glass corner of windows.  It added to the element of inviting the outside in.  

The amazing little chair he designed as well is such a great touch.

The Samara symbols are cutouts that let extra light in above the windows.  This is a signature design element.

This was a great tour, the stories that were told of how it came to be and the interactions the owners had with FLW were so colorful.  

This is probably the 10th FLW home I have toured and I find the excitement never dims for each new one despite some of the similarities.  Every property is different but feels so amazingly like he wants you to feel.  Somehow he knew this as he designed from his studio.  What an amazing vision and aesthetic he possessed.  

The Genius of Van Gogh

 

I never thought that I would actually make a specific trip just to see one painting.  I have now done it several times.

I had no idea how much Van Gogh would actually affect me.  I owe a large part of my acquired fascination with his work to my brother JJ.  I will never forget one day I came home when we were living in Norther VA and he was just home from wrapping up his freshman year of college.  I was just a few days back from my 2 year mission.

My mother had told me how much JJ had gotten into the humanities from a particular course he took at BYU.  Humanities 101.  She said he was "lit up" when he got home.  He would spend afternoons in D.C. at the National Gallery of Art.  He found it difficult to go home as he felt he needed to give more time to certain works of art.  I was astounded.  I couldn't wait to learn more.  When I first asked him about it he really didn't even want to get into it because he couldn't do it casually, and he didn't trust I was ready to absorb the energy that he needed to put into the explanation.  I found out quickly that this was serious business to him.  I could not listen passively.  I braced myself......

He finally conceded and decided to show me his Van Gogh book of art.  As he leafed through each piece he became more and more animated.  He had studied many of them in depth and was excitedly explaining about his technique and how he used light and how that until you see one in real life it was nothing like in books.  His used his hands to describe the patterns of paint and the wavy technique that Van Gogh employed in his paintings.  By the end, I was completely overwhelmed!  I was speechless.  All I know is that I could not stay in a the same emotional place when it came to art ever again.  I almost felt guilty not having been a better student of it.  JJ was able to get so much out of these paintings that I decided then to become a student and to let him teach me, which he did for several years.

I listened, I felt, I learned and I began to appreciate art, architecture and design in new ways.  I never knew if I would experience the emotional depth he did, but I was thankful for what I could learn and it started to get under my skin.

What I wasn't ready for was when I finally, a few years later, was able to visit Amsterdam with my dear friend Ricky who is an artist himself.  We went to the Van Gogh museum.  I will never forget that power of that experience.  The only way to see his art is live, in person with full light.  They literally come to life and leap off the canvas and manhandle you as you peer into them.  For the first time I felt emotion rise in me when I saw certain pieces that were JJ's favorites.  I knew he had only seen a few of them that came stateside like the piece above.  That is in the National Gallery of Art.  But, to see hundreds of his pieces in one place is absolutely amazing.  

Part of me doesn't even want to post these because 2 dimensional views just don't do them justice.  

But one can appreciate the incredible motion and energy he must have painted with.

The colors were so vivid for the day and age.

The trees are completely alive.

He related to the worker.  This brought his view down to the earth, where labor occurred.  Where people used their hands to live and eat.  He saw the savagery of nature and its combative nature juxtaposed with that of manual labor.  The opposition and tension it seemed to create against man. It was a metaphor for his own life's struggle.

In person, this tree literally leaps off the canvas!

Man working in the fields... I think of Sting's song "Fields of Gold"

The crows add so much to this scene.  The contrast of gold windswept wheat and ominous skies seems to make sense why the crows are in flight, as if escaping a pending doom.

Nothing to say here.... he could be so delicate and tender, so beautiful.

Being there with Ricky to share in the analysis, and our mutual feelings and inspiration was very special.  The one regret I will always carry in my heart is that JJ has not been there.  If there were anyone that would be deserving, it would be him.  I took that cross upon myself and doubled down on spending enough time on each painting that I knew was a favorite and I could feel him with me, experiencing seeing these works of fire and motion alive, breathing and moving under our mutual gaze.

I finally understood at the end.... why JJ couldn't leave the museum... there was always more to see, to understand and to learn.... This was a hard day to end.  It hurt so good!!

JJ, what can I say, thanks for taking the time when you weren't sure if I could handle it.... I almost couldn't.  But, you were patient and it made all the difference.  Art has blessed my life.  I am so much more connected to it because of you.

One day.... maybe you can see him paint for reals......

Casa Mateus

This one was very special to me.  When I was in Portugal back in '84-'86 serving as a missionary for my church I had the good fortune to be able to travel to many places throughout Portugal due to my particular assignment.  One of the places I heard about the entire time I was there was this magical place:  Casa Mateus.  It is one of the best examples of Italian baroque period architecture in the country.  

I love Chateau's and this one felt like a wonderful Portguese version of one.  The buildings are so great but I love the gardens even more.  What made it even more special was that I had harbored this fantasy of coming back to Portugal one day to see this.  I knew it wasn't very realistic, but dreaming is a great hobby of mine and I thought it would be so cool to find a way.  It is hidden away up in the Vila Real municipality which is a bit of the older Portgual.  

Fast forward many years.... I wake up knowing that I am finally going to see this hidden marvel.  I am so excited.  I conjure up all kinds of pictures in my head and feel my emotions brimming with ancitipation.  There is very little signage so you sneak up on it and suddently you are parking in the gravel lot next to the home.

It is simply gorgeous.  Meticulously maintained.  

So many little nooks and special touches

I love libraries.  This one wasn't large but beautiful.  You could smell the leather and old pages of hand bound books and ledgers.

We spent hours walking through the gardens.  There are so many different looks and angles that create amazing new perspectives.  It is very much like walking through history.

The gardens were amazing.  So many mazes, arches and pathways that all told a different story and beckoned you to journey through to see what might be just ahead.

Walking under these vines with ripe grapes was really cool.  The grapes were sweet.  The path was perfect.

..... and so was this one.....

..... and so was this one..

Nature's natural therapy.  I love that people throughout time have had the talent, vision and ability to create beauty that can draw people to places like this.  Thank God for the artists that possess the passion for particulars, details and lasting beauty.  

This bench looked like it had grown into the side of this ancient wall.  I could imagine the gardners of the day stopping to take a break or to eat something in between caretaking tasks.  They probably didn't have too much time for reflection..... I was thankful I did.

Why gardens and shapes like this can draw so much emotion and mystery I will never understand, all I know is that scenes like this can make time stop and can put me in a spell of wonder that makes my heart race and my senses come alive.  This is good medicine.  

Truly inspiring!

At the end, I saw this bowl just sitting next to this pond.  It hadn't been moved in a while.  How did it get there?  What was it's purpose?

Another mystery that I hope I don't find the answers too.... The wonder is what lingers.

So, did it fulfill the decades long thirst I had from just a small picture someone showed me so long ago?

Yes... and then some.  It was one of the best "saudades to matar" ever.  The fact that the desire to see it again one day was so strong makes me smile..... I know you have your own.  Man, I hope you experience them soon!

The Mountain Top Wedding

The phone rang... "Hi McKenna, what's up?" we began...."Mom, Dad, what are you doing Tuesday night around 6pm?" she said excitedly.  "Looks like we are free, why?".  "Ok, you need to just go to the Provo airport and find this building and wait for us."  

We were filled with questions but could sense the twinkle in her eye through the phone. We hung up, looked at each other and wondered out loud...."What in the world is up?"  We knew it was something very different and something very big!  We couldn't wait.

Fast foward, we arrive and McKenna shows up in her wedding dress and Aaron is in his military dress blues.  His parents show up as well!  Then a thin smartly dressed man in a suit comes out of the building and beckons us in and out onto the tarmac.  He opens the large hangar door and wheels out a 7 passenger helocoper.  We start whooping and hollering.... !  What the heck.....??  He tells us to get in and we put on our headphones.  He asks McKenna to put on her favorite playlist on her iPhone.  The first song is "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel.  My favorite song.....  He talks quickly and quietly through the headphones to ground control, starts the engine and then lifts off.....!  Yes, completely crazy.  

We haven't even finished pinching ourselves before he starts exploring Y mountain and Mt. Timpanogas.  

He played along the mountain ridges and then dove down into the snow capped bowls and then stopped still hovering and then opened the side door!  I was petrified.... I looked over and felt things clench deep down!  It was incredibly scary and exciting at the same time.  

He took enormous pleasure in helping feel a few extra G forces!  This was not your normal 30 min tourist heli ride.  This was a man on a mission to create an amazing experience and part one he nailed!

Can you believe it?  I still don't.

 

After about 20 minutes he found this little outcropping and landed his beautiful machine.  

We got out and looked around at the incredible view of Provo, BYU and Utah Lake.  The sun was setting and it was golden.  The weather was perfect.  

He found a little place and then performed the marriage ceremony.  They said yes and kissed. 

And yes... we cried and were so happy for them.  What a setting!

Is there anything that can compare to this?  We could have spend a lot of money on something else that wouldn't have even come close to this.  All they really wanted was to tie the knot at the county clerk due the big trip they would be making to the middle east for a special project.  They needed to be married first, temple came later.... as planned.

The view was unreal.  We stayed for a few more minutes basking in nature, in beauty, in the splendor of this wonderful union.  Our little girl just got married!  

Was the helicopter ride amazing!  Yes!  Did it still the show...?  Almost! :  )  McKenna and Aaron did win the day.  We felt all the emotions we would have felt in a church or anywhere else. The extra twist of flavor of this experience just makes it incredibly memorable and so fantastic.  

Who was this mysterious pilot?  Can't say, he asked to remain anonymous.  But he is something special and he told us he felt something different and spiritual about McKenna and Aaron to feel so inspired to take time out of his busy schedule, his own expense and resource to provide the most exquisite memory for this beautiful couple.  We will not forget his kindness and the reverance and spirit of the mountains.

We salute you soldiers, we thank you for your servie and for this beautiful union.

Temples

 

10,000 people walked through the temple the day we were there. It was open house season. We were visiting dear friends who wanted to see it.  There is something special about this temple as it is where I took out my endowments so many years ago.  I was 19.  Just before my mission to Portugal.  It looks unreal in person and in picture.  

The feelings run deep. I have tried to share temples with my friends who are not of the same faith, even some of no faith.  They have been open and generous to me in letting me share something so sacred and personal with them.  To be there and not feel inspired is difficult. 

When I learned that there was a temple announced for Brasilia, Brazil my heart lept for joy.  It took about 5 years to build.  In September 2023 I was able to finally share Brazil with Chelta.  She had never been.  We spent a couple of days in Rio first (Seen Rio Post) but then I got to show her Brasilia!  (Another post)  I loved that the architecture matched so much of the unique brutalist architecture of Brasilia.

The main reasons for the trip was to see the temple and to share that with a dear high school friend who was interested in coming and walking through and learning a bit more about my faith.  It is a totally different structure compared to Washington D.C.  but no less special.  In some ways, even more.  Having lived there for 4 years and being part of the local congregations and being active in the missionary work meant we had some skin in the game.  So, having a temple anywhere means that there has been enough growth to support the local members with the ordinances and work that is done there to bind families together forever.  

 A special spirit resides around and in temples.  I have been to several open houses and dedications.  They are unforgettable.  The work done inside is not of this world.

A little of Brazil will always run through my veins....

Dolomites

 

When is the best time to travel to Italy?  During high Covid season.  Wow!  That was the best decision ever.  I had seen videos of this particular place and knew I had to experience it for myself. Seceda - we hiked most of the way up.  It was otherwordly because there were literally only about 9 people on the entire mountain.  

Most of the time we were completely alone.  It made for a very interesting vibe.  Being so small on the immensity of this mountain and the wide expanse of the panorama was humbling..... and super deluxe!

This particular precipice was very special.    It took my breath away wandering around and going up to the top to look over into the deep valley below.

The grass was in full green, and thousands of yellow flowers lay over the mountain side like a colorful blanket. We literally saw it and started running fast to get to it. Looking down from it to the value took my breath away. Small shallow cabin dwellings dotted the landscape.  They were designed to not stand out and disrupt the natural landscape.  We spent hours up there and slowly realized we needed to head back down before night fall.

We ran into some wonderful people that just happened to be staying at one of these cabins and they were so nice.  They gave us water and then offered us some of their own "stilled" alcoholic beverage.  If I ever were going to smidge and take a sip it would have been there and then, but I chickened out and passed.  I probably would have gagged myself silly otherwise.

It was the one of the most beautiful places I have been from a mountain scape point of view.  I will never forget the solace, the peace, the greeness and the view.

I remember thinking that it would be actually not be that surprising if we had run into some hobbits walking down the path.  It had so many of the romance and mystical characteristics of a wonderful fantasy story.

Imagine skiing down these slopes in the winter....!!

I wont forget how spiritual it was and the many miles of mind wandering and wondering there were. 

I couldn't walk the next day, but it was worth it!

Lake Powell

Ahh! Lake Powell....It's our kids favorite place on the planet.  There are no bad photos of Lake Powell.  It is a truly remarkable place.  A thousand pictures still couldn't truly describe the majesty and magnitude it represents.   So, I thought I would post a recent memory from this past Summer.

We have been going there for 18 years.  We have a time share on a houseboat which is so much fun by itself, but our most favorite moments are depicted in this picture here.  Being on and in the water is the best!   We boat all day long.  There is no better water to ski or surf to.  LP is famous for having "glass" which is totally flat water.  There is something trasncendent about surfing behind the right boat, with the right music blaring, on glass, with no other boats in sight and doing it until you can't surf any more or you run out of gas!  The contrast of blue water against red rock canyons and the azure sky is incredible.  The exhilaration of surfing on a persistent wave without a rope following the wake of the boat no matter where it goes is very exciting.  

Yep, so many moments, so many memories that will last for a lifetime.  Thank you Lake Powell.   You are truly special.

Balandro Bay Baja

 

There is a place called Balandro Bay.  It is off the beaten path and I bet most of the many visitors to Cabo never come here.  Takes a minute to get there, which entails a very early morning drive in order to be at the front of the line.  They limit visitors each day.

 What is so cool is that the entire bay is so shallow you can walk across without swimming at all.  It is a totally unique place where you can find a lot of isolation.  It was so cool to walk almost an hour out into the water not really knowing if suddenly there would be some deep spots to surprise and swallow me up.  It was warm and a good workout too!  It was very much like exploring a new kind of unknown.  Never had I waded through that much water so shallow.   I walked all the way to another completely isolated pure white sandy beach and sat in the sand and just took in the view.  I listened to the wind, it was blowing and made interesting ripples on the water. The sun would come out of cloud cover without warning and cast amazing light over the bay uncovering its magical color.  There were no birds, no animal sounds.  Just a very quiet space pierced by wind drifts.   I remember thinking how the Creator must love variety, diversity and all towards the end of being just beauty.  

Beauty is it's own excuse for being... Thanks Dad, I see more clearly now what that means.

My instinct to explore made me wonder what else was out there, past the normal view.  I walked around some rocky outcrops walked across another beach and found myself looking at this amazing balancing rock.  I got up close, but loved this pic better, to see it in a larger context, to give it scale and to honestly honor it from a distance vs super close up.  I love that it feels a bit "out of reach".  The notion that it might be some kind of guardian of this whole bay came to me.  A little lone sentinel looking out for this special place.   I loved this place as it was a different kind of cool. A simple but lasting memory.

If you like a quiet type of beach day, where walking doesn't compete with the anticipation of a surf, and walking in the water instead of just the beach interests you, I highly recommend it.