Old San Juan and A Mess of Memories

Here's the thing about travel.  It ends so quickly.  You get back to where you came from and you try to recollect all those once-in-a-lifetime scenarios and it's hard...next to impossible.  The attempt at memory breaks ya down to a mere moment in time - thinking/searching/remembering WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?

At least that's what happens to me.  I'm trying to look back on my first pit stop from my latest jaunt - Puerto Rico - and what do I have.  A few late-night drinks with a couple of nutcases; witnessing a great restaurant in the making; some crazy Chinese food while it poured warm rain; beer for breakfast; fearless attempts at Spanish; a moon so big it took my breath away; those gorgeous, free-thinking Dominican's; a chirpy Moroccan chef wanting to cook a feast for me; a thousand beautiful smiles; a will to move and move quickly.

In these moments there is intense beauty.  In the aftermath, they're even richer because I will never get them back.  Once - that's how often they happen.  Just like life.  My thought of the day?  Don't fret the madness of life - you'll be gone soon enough.

 

 

 

 

 

The Coast of Senegal--Come Early Morning

I've been in Africa for over 2 weeks now and still have a spell to go.  There is so much to pack into a little blog space, I just don't even know where to start.  First of all, let me just start by saying that the coast is lovely--as are most coasts from the air.  Flying in from Chicago, you refuel in Dakar, Senegal early in the AM and then head back up into the sky for another 8 hour stretch to Jo'burg...it's a long ass haul to South Africa.  But, so damn exotic.  I've read so many incredible  adventure books about all the tall ships full of sailors, spices, animals and gold that crashed into these exact coastlines back in the day when explorers still existed and there was infinite discovery around every corner.  No more, though...actually, I don't believe that...I know there is still more out there that is totally untouched.  I just read about a new waterfall, Gocta, that was discovered deep in the mountains of  Peru--it's being called the 3rd largest in the world.  Imagine stumbling across that one?  More to come on Africa and violet sunsets.