Bangkok, Thailand
Noon
Wednesday 17 March
Dear Friends,
To beat the mid-day crush of office workers on the streets, I left my apartment at about 11:00 and walked towards my local barber.
I needed to cross Sukhumvit Road, the main thoroughfare in my neighborhood. But along with all the traffic, I was stuck. The office girls were still working, but the Red Shirts were on parade.
Nara
(pop 369,000)
Kansai
Japan
The Daibutsu beckons the pilgrim to Nara.
Daibutsu or Great Buddha sits quietly in the Todai-ji Temple, his right hand raised in the position of protection, reassurance and blessing,
The Buddha is surrounded by respectful throngs of travelers, tour groups and children who converge on Nara – a large city about thirty minutes by train from Kyoto.
Lijiang
Yunnan Province
People’s Republic of China
Elevation 2400m 7900 ft.
June 2, 2014
Dear Friends and Fellow Travelers,
I can never resist a market. Can you? Always lively, colorful and surprising, the market is a core element of daily life. What is more essential than food, clothing and household goods? And what is more fun?
So after our early morning stroll through the Old Town of Lijiang that included an invitation to a tea ceremony, my guide Illian and I head over to the main market. I took about “a thousand” photos, and finally stocked up on a half kilo of fresh, sweet green plums for the ride ahead.
Salaspils
Latvia
August 25, 2014
Dear Family and Friends
“Is it a mitzvah to recite the Kaddish?”
Here’s why I ask:
Twenty kilometers southeast of Riga, off the main highway, at the end of a narrow road, I park my car in an empty lot.
A dense forest of tall silent trees lines both sides of a broad gravel walkway. Except for an elderly couple off in the woods gathering mushrooms, I am alone as I make my way down the long path to the distant monument.
An enormous recumbent slab of grey stone marks the dramatic entrance. It appears to have fallen on its side to an angular position. The black inscription reads, “AIZ SIEM VARTIEM VAID ZEME.” I walk under the slab and enter the site.
Ventspils
Latvia
August 29, 2014
Dear Friends,
Leonardo serves me a breakfast that could feed a small army.
A pitcher of both orange juice and tomato juice, eggs, chicken, smoked fish, assorted cheeses, salad, fresh fruit, bread, butter, jam, pastry and Bodum French Press coffee.
My “apartment” is twice the size and much more elegant than my flat in Bangkok. The kitchen and bathroom have every gadget needed for a lengthy stay.
The grounds of the Villa are seductive.
Why leave?
Kuldiga
Latvia
August 30, 2014
In this quiet, charming town in western Latvia, the sounds of children’s laughter emanate from the bright yellow building that serves as a library and community center here
But in the recent past, on a fall day that is fast approaching, a date on the Jewish lunar calendar, the First Day of the month of Tishrei, the sounds of the shofar would have been heard in this building, echoing through the streets and into the homes and into the hearts of the residents of the neighborhood.
The Rabbi or Cantor of the synagogue blasts the traditional, mesmerizing cadences from the shofar, the ram’s horn. The cry of the horn heralds the start Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The congregation stands quietly and listens attentively to the familiar and plaintive tones. The men and women pray for peace and for good health for themselves and for their children in the coming year.
Now, here in Kuldiga, (pop 13,500), the call of the shofar is heard no more.
