Juba Letter 1, First Impressions
April 1, 2012 Juba, South Sudan Dear Friends. At the bar Saturday night (anti-malarial gin and tonics or Stony Ginger Beer) an American raised as a missionary son now working for a USAID funded fish farming project building ponds along both the Nile and Congo said, “Welcome to Africa. Kenya and Uganda are just ‘Africa lite.’ This is the ‘real’ Africa. You’re not in Nairobi anymore.” I’m staying at the Jebel Lodge, a fenced compound of metal pre-fab buildings. I have my own cabin near the fence on the far side of the compound from Rock City, which is a … Continue reading Juba Letter 1, First Impressions
South Sudan
When it comes to media in South Sudan — radio is king. Radio plays to the country’s oral tradition. Further, there is limited electric power distribution. The country is poor and TVs are expensive. Finally TV coverage has not reached much of the country. Radio is perfet for a country like this. Radio sets don’t require much infrastructure. Radios can be powered by batteries, solar cells or hand cranks. South Sudan had just become the world’s newest nation after decades of civil war with the North. The infrastructure was ruined and radio is playing a central role in nation building, … Continue reading South Sudan
Sitka’s Holiday Market, 2013.
The holiday season has come to Sitka. The city’s decorations went up just before Thanksgiving (allowing the electrical crews to have some time off on Friday). I did the Good Day Radio Show on Thanksgiving Morning and enjoyed seeing the … Continue reading Sitka’s Holiday Market, 2013.
Christmas 2013
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Undersea gardens at Sharm el-Sheikh
In Sharm el-Sheikh the talk was of sharks. A few weeks earlier four tourists were attacked and the beaches and reefs closed. They were reopened and a German woman was killed in 2 feet of water off the Hyatt hotel, very close to where we were staying. A satirical website is Serbia reported that a cannonballing fat Serbian tourist landed on, and killed, the shark. Croat and Russian papers picked it up and published it as fact, much to the delight of Serbs. When I got back to Belgrade a staffer asked me if I had met the Serbian “Hero … Continue reading Undersea gardens at Sharm el-Sheikh
Egyptian “Boardwalk” Towns, Sharm and Dahab.
It was not the boardwalk at Keansburg or Wildwood. On the boardwalks in those Jersey Shore towns you won’t see a sign in the window of a hole in the wall shop that says “special, buy two bottles of Viagra, get one free. Genuine — illegally imported from the States.” Of course it’s called the corniche, and not boardwalk, on Naama Bay at Sharm el Sheikh. It’s a bit more upscale than the boardwalk at Wildwood or Keansburg, but it has its share of shore dinners, pizza, postcards, and sunglasses. Along the streets leading to the corniche you can find … Continue reading Egyptian “Boardwalk” Towns, Sharm and Dahab.
Albanian Flag Day, 1993.
This is Albania’s National Holiday, Flag Day. On this date in 1912, 101 ago today, the Albanian Flag was raised in Vlora, Albania, marking the nation’s independence from the Ottoman Empire. Albania is one of the countries I can call … Continue reading Albanian Flag Day, 1993.
Albania Flag Day, Letter from 1995
November 28 is Albania’s Flag Day, marking its declaration of independence in 1912. The Albanian Community in the US is celebrating Flag Day on November 27 so it does not conflict with Thanksgiving. This is from a letter I wrote … Continue reading Albania Flag Day, Letter from 1995
Barcelona Nouveau and Gaudi
I became interested in Art Nouveau living in Bratislava and within an hour of Vienna where Nouveau and Secession buildings captured my fancy. Having seen them I needed to see some of the buildings of Antoni Gaudí . The first 8 pics here are Gaudi buildings, including the Holy Family Cathedral, Sagrada Família, a must see in Barcelona and Casa Batilo and Casa Mila. I took these pictures in 1999 on a very early digital camera that had limited storage capacity. I find it hard to imagine that I can shoot thousands of pictures now on one card. Early digital cameras … Continue reading Barcelona Nouveau and Gaudi
Riga Nouveau
We arrived in Riga Monday night and walked through a snowy city. By Tuesday it had warmed up, morning fog hid the steeple tops and we walked through slush. The embassy district of Riga has one of the best collections of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe, built for the German merchants who ran the economic life of Riga around 1900. Michael Eisenstein, father of the Soviet filmmaker, was the architect of many of them. In Riga it’s easy to see Art Nouveau as the bridge between the empire style and art deco. The district centers around Alberta St. The district … Continue reading Riga Nouveau
St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Metz
Modernist Marc Chagall, cubist Jacques Villon, and tachist Roger Bissière are all there, mixed with art from the Gothic, Renaissance and Romantic periods. It’s the play of light on the works that I find so fascinating. They are the stained glass windows in St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Metz. Gothic does away with the need for structural walls, allowing artists to work in walls of glass. The cathedral soars with light coming through colored glass, creating shadows and shafts. Outside the light plays against the exposed structural members, the flying buttresses. At night the outside is floodlit to stunning effect. Pictures from … Continue reading St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Metz
Manitou and Pike’s Peak Cog Railway
This train is the highest altitude railroad in North America, by far. It runs from Manitou Springs, Colorado to the top of Pike’s Peak. We rode it in October 2012. Continue reading Manitou and Pike’s Peak Cog Railway
Jersey City, My original home town.
I was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. On my 67th birthday I want to pay tribute to my first home town. I came into the world in the Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital, part of the Jersey City Medical Center. … Continue reading Jersey City, My original home town.
Petra, Take Two
The waiters at the MovenPik Hotel in Petra dragged chairs and tables together for the men to be able to sit as a group. They gave no help for the women, no offers of chairs for those standing. When Suzi … Continue reading Petra, Take Two
Petra, Jordan
I didn’t have enough time to take a bus to Petra on my weekend break from working at Jordan’s community radio station, plus I was on crutches with a sprained ankle, so I hired a cab. One of my goals, … Continue reading Petra, Jordan
King Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco
The only way to get into the King Hassan II Mosque, if you are not a Moslem, is on a guided tour. It’s worth it. The mosque is more than two football fields long and one wide. I think St. Peters in Rome could easily fit inside if the roof were retracted for the dome. It has a carved wooden roof of cyprus that is retractable so in good weather you can pray outside. There is a glass floor under part of the mosque, which is built on and, in parts, over the Atlantic. The floor gives us a glimpse … Continue reading King Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco
Malta
At first I thought it was a mistake to rent a car in Malta. It was almost midnight; I was tired and had to drive on the left with a stick shift. I usually drive a stick but I am … Continue reading Malta
Sitka Sea Walk
On Thursday we had 1.7 inches of rain, it was dark and wet. I had the feeling that the season had changed. We were finally going to get payback for our beautiful summer and fall. On Friday I woke up to blue skies and sunrise alpenglow on Mt. Edgecumbe. This morning (Saturday) I woke up to — snow. Friday was a good day for walking. I took my usual turn through the National Park and then walked Sitka’s new Sea Walk. The Sea Walk opened on Alaska Day. I have never driven by without seeing people enjoying the walk and … Continue reading Sitka Sea Walk
The Alaska Marine Highway System is 50
These are pictures I have taken over the years of our Ferry System. I am amazed that several of the ships have been serving for 50 years and still run well, having been modified over the years. Three were stretched, … Continue reading The Alaska Marine Highway System is 50
Bibliotheca Alexandrina, The Great Library at Alexandria redux
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, or “New Library of Alexandria,” is an attempt to recreate the tradition of the first “Great Library of Alexandria” built by Ptolemy in the third century BC. It is either a stunning triumph of modern architecture or “The Rotten Oyster” depending on your point of view. It is a stunning building, designed by a Norwegian firm incorporating types of natural wood never seen in Egypt. Some Egyptians wonder “why a Norwegian, why Norwegian wood?” I like it. The outer wall has carvings of letters from most of the world’s alphabets reflected in a blue moat that surrounds … Continue reading Bibliotheca Alexandrina, The Great Library at Alexandria redux
Mt. Nebo, Jordan
When Moses got to Mt. Nebo he could see the Promised Land, but he could not enter. The mountain has a commanding view down into the Jordan Valley and across. It is more than 2.600 feet above sea level and the Dead Sea at the foot of the Jordan Valley is more than 1,400 feet below sea level. That’s quite a drop and quite a view. You can just see the gold glint of dome from the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. You can also see Jericho, the Dead Sea and practically all of modern Palestine and Israel. I … Continue reading Mt. Nebo, Jordan
Salt Pope, Krakow, Poland
I’m not sure of the theological meaning, but Pope John Paul II has been turned into a pillar of salt. In Genesis it was Lot’s wife who became a saline pillar. Her sin was looking back at Sodom, the home from which she was being evacuated by angels before its destruction. The Wieliczka mines in Krakow Poland are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We took a bus to the salt mines and went on the tour. We went down about 438 feet, although the mines go down much further than that, and walked for about three kilometers underground. The wondrous … Continue reading Salt Pope, Krakow, Poland
Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs
We visited the Garden of the Gods, in Colorado Springs, about a year ago. It’s a great place to wander, with views of Pike’s Peak in the background. Continue reading Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs
St. Catherine’s Monastery, Mt. Sinai and the Original Burning Bush.
The text to accompany these pictures is in the previous post. “Sinai Desert.” I like the last picture, the imprint of the Burning Bush on the rock. Continue reading St. Catherine’s Monastery, Mt. Sinai and the Original Burning Bush.