Monthly Archives: July 2011

After the Romance Goes

Posted on July 31, 2011 by mlgray

I’m sitting on floor cushions at a table decorated by jasmine flowers, candle light, and a deep red tablecloth with a royal purple table runner. A man plays traditional music on a multi-stringed lap instrument behind me, and a table … Continue reading →

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Will You Share This With Me?

Posted on July 29, 2011 by mlgray

Upon leaving a quiet reflection time at the temple where Cambodian Buddhism began, the monk sitting ‘guard’ at the door stopped us and made some general conversation.  He soon asked us what we were carrying in our bag and as … Continue reading →

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Do I Write This?

Posted on July 28, 2011 by mlgray

As a self-proclaimed travel writer, I find myself often faced with a rather unanswerable dilemma: what do I spend my time writing about?  Many of my “postcards” reveal the romance of travel . . . and surely this is fun … Continue reading →

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American Independence: Archipelago Finale — #7

Posted on July 27, 2011 by mlgray

I’m watching a rain storm flood in while sitting in an internet cafe in Phnom Penh as I finish this blog.  It seems like a world away now, the Philippines, and that is the palimpsest beauty of travel. In the … Continue reading →

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Waiting For the Bus: Leaving Saigon

Posted on July 25, 2011 by mlgray

Is this a scene from The Heart of Darkness rewritten as Apocalypse Now rewritten as Matt and Lindsay Leave Saigon? This question can’t help but pop into my mind as we’re handed our seat numbers on a scrap of paper … Continue reading →

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From this Street Corner: A Moment in Saigon

Posted on July 23, 2011 by mlgray

For Lindsay and I, like Ed Abbey’s love of landscape textures in his Desert Solitaire, architectural surfaces in cities satisfy our wandering curiosities. Since earlier journeys in Europe to this most recent Mekong Meander, walking the gritty streets is our thing.  Sure, we’ll … Continue reading →

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A Miscellany: Archipelago – Part VI

Posted on July 23, 2011 by mlgray

A Self Conscious Explanation We landed in Saigon late last night and my nostalgia for the Philippines just set in as I began reading notes I made during our trek in the non-Asian Asian country.  Though we board a bus … Continue reading →

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Jeepneys: Archipelago – Part V

Posted on July 20, 2011 by mlgray

At 5 pm we’re on a Jeepney bound for Baguio City when four men jump aboard.  One sits rather close to me, almost in my lap.  He’s smiling and laughing with his friends and turns to me to begin making … Continue reading →

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Cockroach Relativity: Archipelago – Part 4

Posted on July 19, 2011 by mlgray

I want to thank the late Jerry McCampbell, my high school physics teacher, who taught me about the theory of relativity during my junior year.  I always feel somewhat bad, because I love to bastardize the concept of relativity, applying … Continue reading →

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ENCA Farm: Archipelago – Part 3

Posted on July 19, 2011 by mlgray

There are places we dream of though we’re not sure they exist: candle lit homes, well taken care of land, indigenous organic farming that supports local food movements, consciousness about earth and water and air, quiet conversations under full moons … Continue reading →

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