Waterfalls and words

I'm from Los Angeles. City of the Angels. I still get a call from an angel now and again.

And when an angel calls, you should pay attention. In my case the call took me from sunny Mexico...

..on a wild ride...

Into the magic kingdom of Russia and Ukraine.

A chance to meet new friends, discuss philosophy over tangerines and herbal tea.

Make plans to conquer the planet and save the world.  Moscow and Kiev faded away, somewhere between the birch trees near the Dnieper...

And the bamboo in the hills above Chiang Mai, Thailand.

An angel inspired me to write, to think and reflect...

Rope bridge trick

On the difference between reality and illusion...

Waterfalls above Chiang Mai

 On different cultures...

Aztec dancers

With Muralishwar and Chintamani in Red Square, December 2014

With Gopa Kishore and Geisha in Saint Petersburg, Samurai Exhibit

Monks near Chiang Mai

And friends from around the world...

I'm not here to present conclusions or dogmatic ideologies. I'm making observations. I'm trying to get beneath the superficial reality and go deeper. I'm writing for self-purification.

Script synopsis rescued from river water

And if I get lost, if I forget myself, or if the words get washed away by the river...

Progress is made. There is no cause for sadness... The river washes everything clean.

The wisdom of poetry vanishes after it has been written, just as the mist of a mountain waterfall dances briefly in the air and disappears into a rainbow.

Goodbye my friends. We'll see you on the other side of tomorrow.

Aurora

As I sip a cool glass of mineral water and look out at the ripples in the river, I see the blue and red parasols reflected in the water. Reflections.

When I reflect on my life, I must confess that I am a lucky man. I've been fortunate in so many ways. I found my greatest treasure in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato. 

This was in 1992. That's 22 years if anyone's counting. It was a chance meeting. I was walking by the Red Cross station near the corner of Gaudiana and Ancha de San Antonio. I'd had a long day teaching primary school. Second grade at the Jose Vasconcelos. Lots of fun. Try it someday. I was on my way to teach evening classes at the local high school, the Pipila.

Aurora

That's when I saw her. I knew she was special. She knew I was a teacher and asked if I could give English lessons. I said, "Let's make a deal. I'll teach you english if you teach me spanish."

I had found my soul-mate. Together we traveled the length and breadth of Mexico.

The love of my life: Aurora

And through it all she's been there for me. From Mexico to the United States, to Thailand and back,  Aurora has been at my side through thick and thin in sickness and in health.

Nothing spells lovin' like something from Aurora's kitchen

Whether it's a hot pancake breakfast...

Ixtapa, Mexico

Relaxing under a palapa on a sunny day in May,

Or a boat ride down the Darien river in Georgia, there's no better person to have at my side than my sweet, loving Aurora.

So I dedicate this song to you. "You're ten thousand miles away, but I miss you more each day, we'll see you soon in sunny Mexico...

Where the church bells ring and the guacamayas sing, but before then I have a long way to go..."

See you soon in sunny Mexico.

Illusions

Sometimes in this zany madcap world  everything seems like an illusion...

You climb out of the depths...

Only to face greater challenges...

Sometimes you ride the wild surf...

Awesome, dude.

And drink the immortal nectar of the gods...

And sometimes you're just dodging the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

You missed.

Whatever your own situation, if a man is going overboard you reach out to help.

 You try to find your balance and move along.

 This world may be only an illusion, but we should show compassion and kindness on the way.

You may find your stairway to heaven....

Or...get stuck between a rock and a hard place...

Whatever your fate...

However topsy-turvy your situation gets....

Meditate a little. Don't give in to negative feelings like  anger. With luck you may become an angel.

Story Ideas

I'm working on different script ideas. I came up with one that might have some potential for dramatic tension. I could turn myself into an Indiana Jones-style character.

As we hiked through the jungle, the others were walking faster than the old professor. I can't keep up.I sat down to catch my breath. But when I got back on the trail, it was  the wrong one. I was lost in the jungle. Miles from nowhere. No communication with the outside world. Surrounded by uncharted forest filled with snakes, pythons, crocodiles, warring army factions, cannibals and head-hunters.

After walking for hours I discovered a broken down vehicle on the vine-covered path.

Fortunately, the abandoned jungle jalopy had some gas in it.  It wouldn't start at first,The problem turned out to be a frayed battery cable. I had a roll of tape in my back pocket. It was just the thing.

I got her running and sailed down the path. Only thing was, I couldn't find the brakes. It was a hair-raising joy-ride through the jungle.

Where's the brakes? How do you slow this thing down? In the end, it worked out. I'm back on the ranch drinking a cool coconut.

How do you like the story idea? Too exaggerated? Lose the lost professor? Well, maybe...

Lost Professor idea worked for me.

You could be right. Nobody's interested in a lost professor. Not Hollywood enough. But it worked for Harrison Ford.

Friends

Whatever the outcome, this has been the adventure of a lifetime. Between December of 2013 and January 2015, I will have traveled around the world twice with journeys to Germany, Russia, Thailand, Cambodia and back to Mexico. I hope our planned visit to Cambodia works out. I have been reflecting on the importance of affection. Affection and love towards others calms the mind. If we can feel compassion for others, we become free from fear. If we are affectionate towards others, we cannot get angry with them.

With Goswami and Avadhuta Maharaja

Life is short. I'm already on the dark side of 60. Who knows where it ends. So before I go, I'd like to express some affection for my friends. On this trip I have had the good fortune to spend time with two of the greatest men I have ever known: Bhakti Sudhir Goswami and Bhakti Bimal Avadhuta Maharaja. They're both great thinkers with an incredible vision, and together we've co-operated on some amazing projects. I feel blessed to have had the chance to work with them.

Full Dome Team Happy New Year

So here's to friends, old and new. Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.

Reflection on friends.

Cambodia

Here's the plan.

The Swami and I and our Russian film crew will drive from Thailand to Cambodia next Friday.

Interviews with Russian Crew

 This will be a rough and ready reality TV documentary about the search for lost civilization set against the background of the ruined temples of Angkor Wat.

Russian crew With Aurora and elephants in Chiang Mai

The team is experienced in digital video-making and has produced film documentaries about the Himalayas and the Indian Kumbha-mela pilgramage, They've even made a few action movies in Siberia. Young and enthusiastic, they will brave the dangerous trip ahead to create some fascinating footage of the ancient temples.

Chiang Mai, Thailand to Preah Viehar Temple in Cambodia

It's about a 13 hour drive by car through mountainous roads. The temple can be reached by crossing the Cambodia-Thai gateway border from the Ubon Tatchantani Province of Thailand. Even if we start early in the morning, there won't be enough time to shoot anything. So we will set up camp nearby. We'll have to get up early and film in the morning when the light is best.

The temple sits on disputed land. Recently the Hague awarded the site to Cambodia, but Thailand isn't giving up. There are many landmines nearby and we will have to be careful.

Most of the mines near Preah Vihear have been cleared. As you can see, the children are taking their chances. But it's no laughing matter. The mines and the danger is real.

Landmines are a real danger

 If all goes well, we will be in position next Saturday morning. 

The most dramatically situated of all the Angkorian monuments, Preah Vihear is perched high atop an escarpment in the Dangkrek Mountains. The views are breathtaking. This was an important place of pilgrimage during the time of Angkor.

The Preah Vihear temple was an attempt to re-create Mount Meru, a mystical mountain in the Himalayas that was said to be the home of Indra. But curiously, within this temple is an important bas-relief of the lifting of Govardhan Hill.

Krishna lifting Govardhan Moutain

The finding of this bas-relief is curious, since by lifting Govardhan Hill, Krishna refutes the power of Indra. When Indra sent rain to punish the inhabitants of Vrindaban, Krishna used Govardhan Hill as an umbrella, raising it to protect the people of Vrindaban. By demonstrating the importance of the lifting of Govardhan, this bas-relief refutes the importance of Meru Mountain or the power of the rain-god Indra. So here beauty refutes power.

Stay tuned and we will continue to update the blog. See what happens. Will we succeed in discovering the lost secrets of Angkor? Find out next time.