Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Singapore

Incredibly modern, wealthy (though losing business to the mainland Chinese), clean, safe, beautiful. A shopper's paradise. Especially if you're looking for 'bout the same exact crap you find in any upscale mall in the US. Or any ordinary mall for that matter, right down to the Orange Julius stand. Guess you might say it's a bit boring. I'm sure it has it's highlights. But when it's just a connection point on the way to someplace else I think it lacks a certain charm.

Anyone who'se ever read "King Rat" will have a hard time reconciling Changi prison with Changi Airport.

Oh well, on to Sri Lanka. My plane leaves S'pore in one hour. No good pictures to speak of.

Wigal, out.

Monday, July 18, 2005

Long Day's Journey into Night...

I'm on my way to the airport. I see where Hurrican Emily has made landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula, which of course is where Mick is vacationing. Hope he got evac'ed OK. Should be an interesting tale when he gets back. UPDATE: Mick survived safely. It was an adventure, but he had a great time.

Ciao,

Sunday, July 17, 2005

Orange Barrels, orange barrels, orange barrels...

These things sprout like mushrooms every Summer. Terrorists don't cause me any fear, but don't you DESPISE sitting behind an endless line of cars creeping along a single lane?

On the other hand, I wish I owned stock in the company that makes those Orange Barrels.

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Sri Lanka Here I Come!!

This will probably be my last post for a few days or maybe a couple weeks at least. In two days I head out to Sri Lanka for my friend's daughter's wedding and some exploration time.

You know I've been to some beautiful and amazing places in the last four years: Costa Rica, Japan, Taiwan, Nepal, China, Korea, India, Pakistan, Beirut, Berlin, Singapore and of course, Puerto Rico to name a few. But, for my money Sri Lanka is the most beautiful of all (Costa Rica is right up there with Beirut right on it's tail). Everything you ever heard or saw about the Garden of Eden applies here (Except of course their civil war. But, the Garden of Eden had it's own issues too, so OK.)

Many people think I am going to move there. I tell you it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility. It's that kind of place. I plan to commune with the elephants, meditate and share time with some people who are very dear to me.

(By the way, the picture was taken in 2003. It's the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, Sri Lanka. I will spent some time there too. A wonderful place.)

To those who tell me I am slacking in my posts, I apologize. I've been lacking postable inspiration lately. I need to get more material.

To those who wonder if I might be a Democrat, the answer is Y.E.S.!!! It's we liberals who are holding what's left of what America set out to be together. The sooner our Liberal leaders figure this out, the better for us and the world. Any questions?

Peace, Y'all. Wigal, out.

Friday, July 08, 2005

Mick and Me at Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

The locals were pretty skeptical about being able to see the volcano. Being as how it is the rainy season the top of the volcano is often clouded over for days at a time. Indeed, when we arrived in late afternoon it was pretty cloudy. Our room at the Arenal Observatory was great. All guest rooms faced the mountain through huge picture windows. The beds even faced the heights, so you could keep checking the volcanic activity through the night.

Which is what I did. All night long. At about 3:00 AM the clouds blew away giving a fantastic view of the glowing red-orange lava rocks rolling down the mountainside.

We hiked out onto an old lava field the next morning and posed for this picture.

Look closely. I had a sort of Yassar Arafat beard-thing going, complete with gray stubble.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Back from Costa Rica with a correction

Arrived back in the States last saturday. Other posts with photos to follow.

However, Mick informed me the US not China is the world's largest penal colony. Considering all the people we have incarcerated, on a percentage basis I must concur. My apologies to The People's Republic of China.