Nobody today is a William Moorcroft. After establishing a “hospital for horses” in London, the first veterinary college, and acquiring four patents for making horseshoes, Moorcroft became a veterinary surgeon of the British East Indian Company. In India, Moorcroft traveled to Tibet and then, with George Tredback, traveled and lived in Ladakh for two years …
83. His Holiness the Gyalwang Drupka My Crazy Tale
I I’m browsing the Leh (India) Tibetan guesthouse bookshelf. I don’t know why, but I count the number of books. There are twenty-two books including Robert Pirsiig’s classic counter-cultural text Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Jane Austin’s Victorian novel Mansfield Park, and Enid Blyton’s Hardy-boys inspired childrens' book The Five Go …
Continue reading 83. His Holiness the Gyalwang Drupka My Crazy Tale
82. Rosary Beads and Prayer Wheels
I pay my 500 rupees at the kiosk for permission to continue. As I continue down the side street from the north, I suddenly see Boudhanath Stupa. The experience is like walking amongst downtown Atlanta’s skyscrapers, turning a corner and suddenly seeing Mercedes Benz Stadium. Or, like walking in downtown London, turning the corner, …
81. Street Art, Notices, and Signs
While meandering along side streets between Kathmandu’s Thamel and Durbar Square, I came across some street art. Underneath many of the paintings was X College in conjunction with Kathmandu’s Heritage Walk. Rather than the work of a solitary artist such as a Banksy, this work appears to have been planned to celebrate Kathmandu. The subject …
80. “Do You Like My Flute?”
I carry a camera over my shoulder. I look to the right to see if there is a photo op; I look to the left to see if anything catches my eye. I don’t want to miss anything. I’m obviously a traveler, worse yet, a tourist. Thus, I’m a target for touts, for individuals who …
79. Faces of Kathmandu
While traveling, I enjoy finding a temporary home. I then have time to savor the individuals and their rhythm in their more permanent home. Kathmandu is no different. Here are some of the people and places. As a religious studies scholar, I can spend hours taking photos of monks and nuns. I imagine …
78. Freak Street
Einar was one of my college roommates in 1971. Like many of us whose parents had money, Einar spent months in a study abroad program in Varanasi India and “studied” at Bananas University. When he returned, he wore sandals and a shawl during Indiana winters. He, of course, had a photo of Gandhi and the …
77. Documents and a Stumble
If you have travelled at all, you have had something like the following airport experience and the following experience while walking. Upon arrival, our jet seems unusually far from the terminal gate. In fact, as I look out the window, I don’t see the sleek, glass and steel, airport terminals found in Shanghai or …
76. My Legs Are Faster than My Mind
I’m an overweight, dumpy older fellow who can barely run a ten-yard spring. I collapsed a month ago when my right knee gave away. After the orthopedic surgeon diagnosed a torn meniscus in that knee, and after several weeks of physical therapy, he still said: “Don’t do anything dumb in the next couple of months …
73. Wondering about Justice while Walking the Camino
My sabbatical is about moral responsibility. While walking the Camino, I think about numerous traits related to the morally responsible person, simplicity, perseverance, hospitality all connect to being responsible. Yet, I find that it is somewhat difficult, but not impossible, to thinking about justice and a just person while on the Camino. One experience relevant …
Continue reading 73. Wondering about Justice while Walking the Camino
Journeys: Explorations in Body, Mind, and Spirit 