Base Camp Duffel Redux

Still traveling with that duffel (See Duffel Bag). Here, thrown in the back of a worn, but noble moto-taxi at the port in Hkamti, Sagaing Region, Myanmar. Boat broke down twice on the 8 hour ride getting here, and I was glad to have my bag on another form of transportation.

Harley-Davidson XG750

Since July I have been commuting to work on two wheels. After 22 years without a motorcycle in my life (kids, career, life, and stuff), I made one of my dreams come true and bought a Harley-Davidson. Its an XG 750 and going to work has gotten a lot more fun. Performs well in rush-hour traffic, gets 55 miles per gallon, and you can park it anywhere (shown above outside my office). Really nice bike.

[NOTE: It seems I may have started blogging again on this site. Maybe related somehow to the book or the bike? We'll see how this goes...]

Psst.

Hi. I have started to occasionally post to my Twitter account. And to upload a few pictures to Instagram now and then. Just so you know.

Goodbye

Woke up this morning and sat two periods of zazen at EHZC. On the way to work, the thought arose that 1,860 posts and over seven years was probably a sufficient investment in blogging. Use the time for other stuff, e.g. books, and community forestry, and more zazen. Bows of gratitude to everyone who visited these pages over the past years. Later. [NOTE: Image above shows me anticipating the last post of "thus i have seen" years ago at Angkor Wat]. 

Housecleaning at Ananda Temple

Worker cleans and polishes one of the numerous statues of Buddha lining the corridors of Ananda Temple in Bagan.  This impressive temple, frequently referred to as the "Westminister Abbey of Burma",  is named after the Venerable Ananda, the Buddha's first cousin and personal assistant (see Ananda). 

Structure No. 1410

There are so many stupas and temples at Bagan. Many don't have names, only numbers from the Ministry of Culture, Department of Archaeology. Of the 3,000 or so structures that cover the plain of Bagan, most people visit only three or four of the most well-known temples. But with bikes, you can find structures that no one is visiting. And you can walk inside, by yourself, and explore and see a beautiful Buddha statue.

And find a stairway covered in bat guano that clearly no one has climbed up in a while. Or, maybe you are not supposed to climb up this passage. But how can you resist?  Bagan is an amazing place.

[NOTE: I am struck that Structure 1410 looks a little bit like the Alamo].

Monkeys at Mt. Popa

Hoards of hungry temple monkeys jump, howl, and grab all around the Mt. Popa pagoda. Feisty little critters.

Sunset at Bagan

Luke and I made it to Bagan. And saw the sun go down from Shwesandaw Pagoda. One of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring sights I've ever seen. Really. [NOTE: Yes, there were busloads of tourists on the pagoda with us. Didn't change what I saw]. 

Peik Chin Myaung

Gorgeous waterfall outside of Pyin Oo Lwin. There were a lot of monks here appreciating the grandeur; some taking photos with an iPad. [NOTE: Patiently posted from a painfully slow internet connection in Mandalay].

Crosscut Saws

There is a small museum of old – some really old – tools at the Villa Carolotta Botanical Garden in Tremezzo on Lake Como (see Palms and Plane-trees). Love the display of the two crosscut saws. Leaving for Myanmar, thinking of Italy. The post-modern condition? Hope the election on Sunday goes well.