As the year draws to a close and the planet reverts to a position it took up 365 days ago, we cherish what has been and look forward to what might come during the next trip round the star.
A big trip south from our base coordinates we ventured as far as Peru and the pilgrimage into the Andes to see what must have been - life at 9,000 feet around 500 years ago. Our daughter, the motivating force behind it with a research paper she wrote on the Incas, the adventure was refreshing and revealing but physically tiring.
Then the summer saw us visiting our place of birth (technically the stomping grounds of our youth which we wanted to show our daughter) that took us from the west coast of India all the way east into the mining and manufacturing base that the Tata family established over 100 years ago.
Later that trip I ventured alone seeking a path to discover what was. Another ancient civilization and what made them tick - the Chollas - warriors and rulers of the south of India. Impressive architecture and city planning skills were evident in a time when the only central processing units were those that the king recruited from the kingdom.
Much remains to be achieved for India to be a magnet for tourism as compared to other sites around the globe, what makes it somewhat palatable (literally) is the availability of food (all its diversity and complex flavors and textures and smells) that we were familiar with and crave; now having to live half a planet away where that authentic flavor is simply missing.
Some local (as in North American wilderness) trips made up the remainder of moving the wheels including staring at the majestic redwoods in Sequoia National Park and marveling the earth's ability to maintain a balance between life above ground and the constant thermal disturbances at Lassen Volcanic. A trip into New Mexico showed us more of nature's magic and artistry in carving immense caverns and creating white sand plateaus.
We met some relatives (by blood line) this year that we had not seen in a while, broke bread(s), had chai, read a few good books and watched a few fun films for a good laugh or two or three.
Our health was seen holding course for another year allowing for all the annual antics but there are sure signs of fraying at the edges - perhaps an optical assist device to some chemicals to maintain the blood chemistry and its flow within acceptable limits.
The child soon will be in high school in what might be the last lap of a first part of growing up ... depending on perspective there are many parts to the growing up but it is heartening to see the tone or trend - for that we are fortunate.
As we are for all the above because our existence itself is a mere accident of nature.
A big trip south from our base coordinates we ventured as far as Peru and the pilgrimage into the Andes to see what must have been - life at 9,000 feet around 500 years ago. Our daughter, the motivating force behind it with a research paper she wrote on the Incas, the adventure was refreshing and revealing but physically tiring.
Then the summer saw us visiting our place of birth (technically the stomping grounds of our youth which we wanted to show our daughter) that took us from the west coast of India all the way east into the mining and manufacturing base that the Tata family established over 100 years ago.
Later that trip I ventured alone seeking a path to discover what was. Another ancient civilization and what made them tick - the Chollas - warriors and rulers of the south of India. Impressive architecture and city planning skills were evident in a time when the only central processing units were those that the king recruited from the kingdom.
Much remains to be achieved for India to be a magnet for tourism as compared to other sites around the globe, what makes it somewhat palatable (literally) is the availability of food (all its diversity and complex flavors and textures and smells) that we were familiar with and crave; now having to live half a planet away where that authentic flavor is simply missing.
Some local (as in North American wilderness) trips made up the remainder of moving the wheels including staring at the majestic redwoods in Sequoia National Park and marveling the earth's ability to maintain a balance between life above ground and the constant thermal disturbances at Lassen Volcanic. A trip into New Mexico showed us more of nature's magic and artistry in carving immense caverns and creating white sand plateaus.
We met some relatives (by blood line) this year that we had not seen in a while, broke bread(s), had chai, read a few good books and watched a few fun films for a good laugh or two or three.
Our health was seen holding course for another year allowing for all the annual antics but there are sure signs of fraying at the edges - perhaps an optical assist device to some chemicals to maintain the blood chemistry and its flow within acceptable limits.
The child soon will be in high school in what might be the last lap of a first part of growing up ... depending on perspective there are many parts to the growing up but it is heartening to see the tone or trend - for that we are fortunate.
As we are for all the above because our existence itself is a mere accident of nature.
accidental tourists all, Peru or no Peru..
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