Pretty Pagoda

This is the Tran Quac Pagoda located in Hanoi.

More Riding On a Motorbike in Vietnam

Fasten your seatbelts! Oh wait, motorbikes/scooters/whatever you call them don't have them. Yeah, so just hold on then. Even little kids can do it...little kids without helmets.

About That Traffic

Wow. It's almost July, and I have totally fallen behind on even getting pictures up from Vietnam.

But in lieu of those pictures (which I swear actually do exist), here is short clip of what it was like to ride on the back of a motorbike in Ho Chi Minh City. During rush hour traffic. In the most populated city in Vietnam.

It's a bit wild. (Notice the guy who makes an appearance on the far right hand side of the screen at about the 00:06 mark; I'll make a comment about him later).

I managed to take almost every mode of transportation possible during my trip (bus, train, plane, automobile, boat and motorbike). This was the most entertaining by far, though it does start to get uncomfortable over long distances. If you're ever in Ho Chi Minh City, you really must try it.

Let It Be Known

I promise never to complain about traffic in Los Angeles again.

I also promise that I'm going to be back soon with lots of pictures from my trip to Vietnam.

Where I Am

Greetings and salutations from Vietnam! I have been busy traveling about this amazing country, and I will definitely be posting pictures and share my adventures once I return.

This morning I went snorkeling off the coast of Nha Trang, where beautiful sea life abounds. The picture above is the view from the boat off of one of the moorings.

Hope you are enjoying your travels, wherever they may take you. I'll be back soon.

Looking Back

A good friend of mine is headed to New York City with her mom in a few months, so I asked my Sis for a few recommendations for them since she lives there. And in doing so, I was reminded of my visit five years ago to see Sis after her move.

I had been to NYC before (for my 10th birthday, actually, and then for a brief weekend trip in 2001), but this was the first time I really explored the city at any length with someone who lived there. It was a whole new experience.

Currently, I take photographs with my SLR camera. But five years ago, I didn't have that camera, so I just shot pictures with my little 3.2 megapixel point-and-shoot.

Until today, I hadn't looked at these pictures in a long time. I'd like to think that I have matured a bit as a "photographer" since then. It's hard for me to think of identifying myself with being an actual photographer; I think I prefer the much less formal "taker of pictures."

At any rate, these photos took me back to a time when I had a lot to learn about photography (I still do, as I don't think you can ever stop learning)...and even more about life.

Upon reflection, I can see that they represent a process, a process that is ever-evolving, where I grow and learn, and then come back to myself a ways down the road and forgive myself for the errors I made and celebrate the achievements.

For example, I love the color in this picture, but as a straight-out-of-camera shot, it leaves a lot to be desired. And such first efforts are not limited just to photography; often such as it is with life. But we make mistakes, take risks, learn from experience and move forward.

I can appreciate the simplicity from which I viewed things, and I try to never forget that, either in my photography or in my life, as it seems that things just get increasingly complex as the years go by. And I think it's important to keep that childlike wonder alive.

I loved these pictures dearly when I took them, and while I still like a few of them, I can see their relative points of merit and demerit, as the case may be, with the experience I have gained over the past few years. I have grown since I took these pictures, and that process of growth reminds me of this poem:

"Comes the Dawn"

After awhile you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't mean security,
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
And presents aren't promises,
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open,
And learn to build all your roads
On today because tomorrow's ground
Is too uncertain for plans, and futures have
A way of falling down in mid-flight.
After awhile you learn that even sunshine
Burns if you get too much.
So you plant your own garden and decorate
Your own soul, instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure...
that you really are strong
And you really do have worth.
And you learn and learn...
With every goodbye you learn.

-Veronica Shoffstall

Remember to be gentle with yourself...and others.

Love,
Little Miss This and That

New to Me

This isn't a sign you'll see on the shores of California. It's really too bad, because I really want to see some little penguins. Maybe not the breeding so much though. I think I can do without that, thankyouverymuch.

* Note: This is another photo from Sis's trip to Australia.

Great Ocean Road; Melbourne, Australia

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful,

we must carry it with us or we find it not."

-Emerson

My sister recently snapped these photos on her trip to Australia. I'm not jealous at all. Not. One. Bit.

It's summertime down under. Oh, how I miss warmth and sunshine.

Though according to Sis, the sun is pretty brutal and can thwart any efforts you put forth trying to keep from getting burned.

But I don't think anything could deter me from this drive along the Great Ocean Road.

Did I mention that I wasn't jealous? 'Cause that was pretty much a lie.

This last shot is of Southern Beach, which according to Sis, is "P.S. COLD."

*Note: All pictures in this post were taken by cath, who like the lovely that she is, posts comments on a regular basis.

Happy New Year!

"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."
-Mother Teresa

Postcards from Joshua Tree: Sky at Sunset

Postcards from Joshua Tree: Arches

Postcards from Joshua Tree

"If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves."
-Thomas Edison

Stuffies and Clam Cakes

Oh my goodness, I have just returned from a whirlwind tour of Rhode Island with a quick jaunt into New York tacked on at the end. There was a lot of eating involved. A lot. And I want to share all the delicious things I had to eat. So to start off my food tour, I present for you: stuffed quahog (pronounced "COE-hog") clams, also known as "stuffies."

They are made using large quahog clams, chourico (spicy Portuguese sausage), onion, green pepper, lemon juice, Portuguese hot sauce, Portuguese masa (sweet bread), cilantro, parsley, masa de pimenta (red pepper paste) and white bread crumbs.

Oh, and there were clam cakes too. Delicious clam cakes with a spicy sauce for dipping.

I apologize for my absence. I'm back now.

Surprise Postcard from the Road

[Note: This picture actually has nothing to do with the following post, but I didn't want to leave you with a text-only post.]

I am going out of town for a few days next week, but I am going to make every attempt to post from the road. This is going to be something new for me, so please have patience as I have no idea if or when I'm going to have Internet service.

But don't despair, we can still be in touch! By snail mail, that is. See, I love getting postcards in the mail, so I thought I would give you all the chance to appreciate that joy as well. If you would like to receive a surprise postcard from the road, shoot me an email with your name and address by midnight PST on Tuesday, July 21, 2009, and I will send you one.

See how easy that was?

(Mostly) Just Pictures

Two Palms at The Parker in Palm Springs.

Montage in the lobby.

The Lounge: 1.

The Lounge: 2.

Salted almonds from the front desk.

Estate room: 1.

Estate room: 2.

Poolside.

Chess near The Lemonade Stand.

At the pétanque courts.

Seating area: 1.

Seating area: 2.

The fire pit.

A-B-C-D: Arizona, Bisbee, Caves, Douglas

I found myself in a little hillside town by the name of Bisbee. Bisbee is renowned for it's large supply of copper. The hillsides even seem to glint the metal. But maybe that's just because I wasn't wearing sunglasses. It's hard to take pictures and wear sunglasses at the same time. Or maybe I'm just not that cool, which is probably closest to the truth.

Bisbee has number of interesting doorways. This one features, oh yeah, bottle caps. I wonder who drank all that beer, and why wasn't I invited to the party?

Are we feeling the subway vibe? It doesn't smell the same, that's for sure. The faint odor of sweat and urine seem to be absent. Not that that's a bad thing.

Another doorway on Tack Ave. It is reminiscent of a French cafe, at least that's what I think of when I see a guy with a giant menu.

And then it's back to the car and on to Colossal Caves Mountain Park. These caves have a rich history, extending all the way back to 900 A.D. when the Hohokam Indians inhabited them. However, it wasn't until Franklin D. Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps came in May 1934 that the caves were outfitted with trails, handrails and lighting for easier travel.

The wafting aroma of bat guana greets visitors for the first 50 or so yards into the cave, but the smell dissapates as you climb further down. Colossal Cave is considered dry, meaning that water no longer seeps into the walls.

However, there are still some stalactites and stalagmites found in the cave, though many were broken off as souvenirs during the cave's early years as a tourist attraction. If you need a way to remember the difference between stalactites and stalagmites, stalactites grow down from the top of a cave (the "t" in stalactites correlates with the "t" in "top"), and stalagmites grow from the ground up (the "g" in stalagmites refers to the "g" in "ground"). Make sense? Let me know if it doesn't. Really, please do, as I don't want to make it any more confusing than it already is. Got it? Okay then, we're just going to stop by the gift shop on our way out.

I was highly amused by the "Surprise Packages" found in a trunk. I mean, who wouldn't want "Retired Babies," "Tweet-Tweet, Chirp-Chirp,' or "I Like Empty Bottles, Age 15 Over," as a present? I really should have splurged for the "Empty Bottles" package, but maybe next time.

Heading out again, the colorful sign of The Gadsen Hotel welcomes me to Douglas. The Gadsen features 130 rooms, all air-conditioned. The room decor is pretty sparse, but it did have a TV and a mini-fridge perched on top of a table, although it lacked a carpet pad. Still, I loved that the room had so much character, even drawing midnight knocks on the door from giggling girls, perhaps people seeking to find one of the resident ghosts. Or maybe the ghosts themselves? Eh, eh?

Robin Brekhus, the Gadsen's manager, told me that Room 333 has had hauntings in it, as have many other places in the hotel. This particular room was also mentioned on the TV show "Sightings," so it is considered by many to be the most haunted room.

The interior of the lobby is absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, yours truly is not a sophisticated enough of a photographer to capture it's beauty, so you should really check out the website for the gorgeous pictures. They just don't make lobbies like this anymore.

And just so you know, Room 333 had 1Samuel 16-17 open upon check-in. I have no idea what that means.

And that's it for this series of "As the Road Turns." I'm heading out of town tomorrow, so I will have more pictures from the road. I promise to post those sooner than I got to these. So come back soon, ya hear?

Onward Bound

Onward bound, or more accurately, southeast bound, to Tombstone we go.

The first stop just outside of Tombstone is Boothill Cemetery. Entrance is free, but for $2, you will receive "A Descriptive List of the more than 250 Graves in Boothill." I, of course, had to satisfy my morbid curiosity and popped for the pamphlet.

In Row 7, there is "Killeen. Shot by Frank Leslie, 1880. Results of a disagreement over Killeen's wife. Leslie married the widow." The West has so many such tales of betrayal and vigilantism and gunfights and stuff. It would have been like living in a soap opera year-round.

It's fairly obvious that the headstones aren't original, but the inscriptions certainly are.

More dead people, but not just any dead people. The McLaurys and Clantons were killed in a gunfight at the O.K. Corral when they faced Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday and Virgil and Morgan Earp on October 26, 1881.

This is probably the most famous tombstone in the cemetery. It is pictured on no less than 100 postcards. Actually, I have no idea about that, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was on more than that.

Supposedly, Moore died in a dispute with a man over a package while he was a Wells Fargo agent in Naco. The other guy died too. I'm not sure I want to know what was in the package.

Vigilantism was alive and well, back in the day. Big Nose Kate's Saloon proclaims it loud and clear, and in stained glass (okay, well, probably painted glass considering the state of the black hat at the bottom).

Nothing says "Old West" like big ol' cattle skull. I really should have gotten one for the grill on the front of my car. Because that would have been awesome.

Yay, mining! (Sorry, creativity fails me at this point). Actually, this mine, like most things in Tombstone, is now a tourist attraction.

But the old high school on the main road through Tombstone is for sale, in case you're feeling entrepreneurial and would like to start a business there.

The Vintage Rose Cottage hangs laundry out on the roof. Actually, I think that laundry has been out there for a quite a while, and probably never comes down, but it does lend a certain amount of charm, don't you think?

The streets of Tombstone are dirt, and there are all sorts of people milling about, including a not-insignificant number in costume. There are some definite characters, including Stephen Keith, who I saw at the bar of the Crystal Palace. You might remember him from this feature on The Colbert Report. For the record, I don't think that clip exaggerates his quirkiness at all.

But not everyone in costume has quite that demeanor. I was rendered speechless when a man walked by me in sheriff's regalia, simultaneously tipping his hat and saying "How do you do, ma'am." I was so taken aback by this polite gesture that I could barely get out the words "Very well, thank you," before he was out of earshot.

And they say that chivalry is dead, but "they" haven't been to Tombstone.

As I mentioned before, the O.K. Corral was the site of a pretty famous gunfight. It's touted as the "World's Most Famous" one by the operation that runs the daily reenactments, but I think that might be debatable. In any case, it's certainly the sight of an important moment in Western History. I didn't have time to stay for one of the reenactments, so I just bought some souvenirs.

The Longhorn Restaurant serves up a mean breakfast. And by mean, I mean with gun slinging and stuff. Nah, just kidding. The chicken fried steak is decent, and the portion is huge. More than enough for two people.

At the end of the day, there's not much more enjoyable than a stroll with friends. But a petticoat and umbrella make it seem so much more fashionable.