This website illuminates my life and adventures, focusing on five areas, Adventure, Love, Art & Music, Economy and Philosophy. To these five areas, I have purposefully dedicated my life. This notion emanated from my belief that the human experience is driven by five innate momentums: physical, sexual, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. So, I desired to study, experience and understand these subjects, with the objective to understand not only the world around me, but to understand myself as well. Thus, these five areas of study match my innate momentums: adventure-physical, love-sexual , art & music-emotional, economy-intellectual, and philosophy-spiritual. This quest has led me to over 2300 of the world’s 3978 provinces, to every country on earth and to the highest peak on each continent (thank heaven for good weather!). In my travels, I learned to respect the intelligence and ingenuity of people of all races and callings both past and present. Come with me to see the world as I see it, if you will be so kind. Join me in re-examining our world and our selves, to contemplate how we can move to make our world a virtual Garden of Eden.
India, Jammu and Kashmir Province, Lamayuru, 1999 -
I had just come from Tibet, where my Russian friends and I had driven to the highest point ever driven, (near Yangshaoping, Tibet), 5726 meters. Now I was on the road from Sringar to Leh, probably the most hair-raising I’d ever been on. It was made of dirt and had no barriers around turns where the drop off was seemingly interminable.
October 9, 1999 - written in Leh at the end of the day at an altitude of 3524 metres (11,562 ft) - The route took us through mostly barren territory today, from Kargil to Leh. The highlight of the day was seeing Lamayuru. Ashlem had told me it was like a moon land in 1974 when it opened up. Even today, the aspect of the village and the stupa was remarkable. There, an old poor woman collected shit into her basket, tossing the pieces off the ground backwards. There were stupas where very fine green and purple prayer stones were scattered by the thousands. I took an 8x10 image of them with Lamayuru in the background.
When we returned I discovered that the road to the Sia La (in Pakistan, or is it a no-man's land?) was motorable at least as far as Pamimuk in the Nubra Valley. The Sia La is 6200 meters high. I am still unclear on whether George and I (and Sasha and Sergei) really did go higher than anyone else? I enjoyed making love to Novita tonight more than I have ever before. (And again, and again.)
The village of Lamayuru was picturesque. Just outside the village, the road was lined with prayer stones. These stones were carved by devout Buddhists over the centuries. I was always fascinated how such veritable works of art could remain unmolested by hundreds of years of passersby.
Cambodia, Siem Reab Prov, Sleeping Girls in Angkor Wat - Angkor Wat is so amazing. Admittedly, I am inspired by the figures of the Aspareses, the goddess-like women whose stone reliefs adorn the walls of the temples there. An example is seen on the wall left of the opening where two young Cambodian girls take a nap. We should rejoice in beauty.
Russia, Sakha Respublika Prov, Reindeer Urinating, 2009 - On the way out of Ust Nera, I spotted a reindeer standing in a large river.
Slovenia, Slovenske Konjice Prov, Marina
Australia, New South Wales Prov, Kosciusko View
Estonia, Raplamaa Prov, Apartment Building -
Cambodia, Phnom Penh Prov, Fables Of The Exotic East
Slovenia, Zelezniki Prov, Village
Turkey, Bitlis Prov, Sheep Camp Girl
Vietnam, Lao Cai Prov, Sapa Girl, Cha - This young woman's name was Cha. Her beautiful long hair was striking. Her friend was Ha, visible in a photo bearing her name on this site, also from Sapa.