As you head east from India’s Kashmir Valley, across the mountains to Zanskar, the Muslim influence gives way to a Buddist world. There are lots of monasteries. Most have elaborate paintings and tapestries. Sometimes we were allowed to quietly sit and photograph even during prayers; sometimes we couldn’t photograph anything at all. The monasteries often seem like a combination church, old-folks home, and orphanage, as well as art museum and (run-down) palace.
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On The Road Again with Ricochet A few days back, I found myself on a short bus tour through Indiana and Michigan with my friends in the country band, Ricochet. (Prior stories about them are here, here, and here). My high school buddies Greg Cook (pictured just below, More...Guatemalan Graveyards Guatemalan graveyards seem a lot more festive than ours. The graveyards in Guatemala were distinctive. Colorful and conspicuous, they were full of above-ground mausoleums decorated with pastel and bright-colored plastic, crepe paper, and plastic flowers. Obviously it's part of their More... →Amen Corner: Angels on the Santa Fe Plaza Saturday afternoon on the Santa Fe Plaza isn't all turquoise and silver. Each corner had a duo dressed like this. A little creepy, for sure. Those angelic, silver-faced kids did not seem very happy to be out there in the More... →Mardis Gras Bands 2012 As I mention in my main Mardis Gras post, some of the best parts of Mardis Gras parades are the New Orleans area high school bands. The best ones are often from the mostly-black high schools. I started trying More... →Flores, Guatemala The northern Guatemala town of Flores sits on a tiny island in the middle of lake Peten Itza. The buildings today are mostly a Spanish colonial style, but underneath the "modern" buildings and streets -- somewhere -- are the More... →