élan-life

Main menu

Home Image Galleries Vantage Point Contact / Bio Sign in
  • slideshow slideshow
  • browse See ALL
  • introduction information
TRAVEL
Return to Galleries
<div class="rtecenter">
	Conversations are at the heart of what it means to be human.<br />
	-Theodore Zeldin
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Throughout history, remarkable philosophers, artists, writers and intellectuals gathered here at Les Deux Magots, including Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Jacques Prévert and Ernest Hemingway.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	The wise beyond his years intense look of the little man on the left, contrasted with the sweet demeanor of the other is a  juxtaposition I love.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	These women lazily lay there, like they were etched in stone, idly watching him as he cleaned the Louvre.
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	Grow old along with me<br />
	The best is yet to be, the last of life,<br />
	for which the first was made.<br />
	Our times are in his hand who saith,<br />
	A whole I planned, youth shows but half;<br />
	Trust God: See all, not be afraid!<br />
	- Robert Browning<br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	<br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Luca and his mom sell their handmade jewelry on the Ipanema Beach boardwalk. Emigrating from Peru, they live a bohemian life.
</div>
<div>
	A good motivation is what is needed: compassion without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their human rights and dignities. That we humans can help each other is one of our unique human capacities.<br />
	- Dalai Lama<br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	While wandering through a tiny village void of tourists, I saw older men enter through a huge archaic door that led into a large stone building. Curious, I followed up several stories of stone steps. At the top was a dimly lit room with a cracked door into a private "mens only" club. They invited me  in to play cards and pool- it was a memorable afternoon.
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	It's no coincidence that man's best friend cannot talk.<br />
	    -Anonymous 
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	A la Mere de Famille, founded in 1761. If making a bouquet edible sounds appealing, the Rosewater Turkish delight tastes like roses.
</div>
<div>
	The jazz coming from the window pierced the stillness of this rainy night- reminding me of Duke Ellington’s words:
	<div class="rtejustify">
		“By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn't want your daughter to associate with.” <br />
		 
	</div>
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	The d'Orsay Museum is a former train station; likely the massive clock was installed to help passengers get to their trains on time. This old world engineering is a magnificent piece of functional art.
</div>
<div>
	<div class="rtejustify">
		A group of artists and writers climbed up a dilapidated, broken ladder to a rooftop overlooking where Jim Morrison passed. We had a party with a 360 degree view of Paris. For a couple seconds, this man came to his window, bestowing to us his silhouette.<br />
		“Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.”<br />
		- Jim Morrison<br />
		 
	</div>
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales. - Albert Einstein
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	What does love look like?  It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.<br />
	- Saint Augustine 
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	I remain just one thing, and one thing only, and that is a clown.<br />
	It places me on a far higher plane than any politician.<br />
	- Charlie Chaplin
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	In the island villages, saleswomen roam on foot, pushing large carts filled with home goods. After the daily afternoon siesta, housewives and ya ya’s (grandmothers) gather and discuss potential purchases.
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	In family life, love is the oil that eases friction,<br />
	the cement that binds closer together, and<br />
	the music that brings harmony.<br />
	– Eva Burrows
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.<br />
	- Socrates
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	There is an atmosphere of spiritual effort here.<br />
	No other city is quite like it. <br />
	- James Joyce
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.<br />
	- Albert Einstein<br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Irresistibly cute- his feet hovered in mid air for the whole conversation with his teacher.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man. <br />
	- Mark Twain<br />
	 
</div>
<div>
	<div class="rtecenter">
		What soberness conceals, drunkenness reveals.
	</div>
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	Be gentle to all, and stern with yourself.<br />
	- St. Teresa of Avila
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	When one has consorted with a beggar, and found that they are ordinary human beings, one cannot help being struck by the curious attitude that society takes towards them... He seldom extracts more than a bare living…and he pays for it over and over in suffering.<br />
	Money has become the grand test of virtue…By this test beggars fail…If one could earn even ten pounds a week at begging, it would become a respectable profession immediately.<br />
	- George Orwell, Down and Out in Paris and London<br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	The thing that impressed me then as now about New York ... was the sharp, and at the same time immense, contrast it showed between the dull and the shrewd, the strong and the weak, the rich and the poor, the wise and the ignorant.<br />
	- Theodore Dreiser
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Café contemplation in the center of intellectual life on the Left Bank. Looking out on the upscale Boulevard Saint-Germain, where influential personalities of the 20th Century frequent, including renown writers politicians, journalists, and artists.
</div>
<div>
	New York is a constant frenetic movement of the masses jostling about in a skyscraper jungle. Each area is like a small village with its own unique flavor and history. <br /><br />
	Amidst intense stimulation and diversity, there’s a freedom to read your own meaning into New York.<br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	<br />
	Good talkers are only found in Paris.<br />
	- Francois Villon<br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	Paris is a mighty schoolmaster,<br />
	a grand enlightener of the provincial intellect.  <br />
	- Mary Elizabeth Braddon
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	Italy, and the spring and first love all together should suffice to make the gloomiest person happy.<br />
	- Bertrand Russell
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	There is something about the outside of a horse<br />
	that is good for the inside of a man.<br />
	- Winston Churchill
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	 I love the Italian way of life.<br />
	I love the food. I love the people. I love the attitudes of Italians.<br />
	- Elton John
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	<br />
	There are only two places in the world where we can live happy:  at home and in Paris.<br />
	- Ernest Hemingway<br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	"Noi non potemo avere perfetta vita senza amici."<br />
	We cannot have a perfect life without friends.<br />
	- Dante<br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	It is important to be chic.<br />
	- Roberto Cavilli
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Casa Batlló, one of Antoni Gaudí’s masterpieces, evokes the dreamlike quality of Gaudí’s works. This outer façade features pillowy curves and graceful, whimsical lines. The stone seems molded in a way to be reminiscent of sinew and bones.<br />
	 <br />
	Famed Barcelonian architecture has a fanciful vibe, a bit funky and hallucinogenic, like Alice in Wonderland.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	A la Mere de Famille, a family run confectionery store, operating for over 200 years.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Chefs creating flambé at the Intercontinental Resort Fiji. The resort offers delicious cuisine at six restaurants on the property, ranging from upscale to casual. Much of the appeal is dining above sparkling ocean views.
</div>
<div>
	A feeling like Van Gogh’s "Cafe Terrace at Night" brought to life.
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	Fashion is only the attempt to realize art in living forms and social intercourse.<br />
	- Francis Bacon, Sr.
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	Bergdorf Goodman Window
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Since childhood, Balinese females learn to balance large items on their head. These beautiful ladies were preparing for a royal cremation ceremony. The next day they would bid farewell to the mother of the royal household of Ubud's traditional community.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Gaudi's work emerges from the ground like stone tree trunks. Though man-made, these structures have a curious, yet organic, feeling. Above is a terraced area that offers a fantastic view of Barcelona.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	An eclectic group was chanting and dancing while the sun was setting on Arpoador beach. Here this colorful character is doing the moonwalk while Michael Jackson is blasting on a boom box.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	This hazy, dreamy horizon is a typical view from a point where huge rocks jut into the water, where Arpoador and Copacabana Beaches meet. Daily pastel skies glow while iridescent water dances in front of Ipanema and Leblon.<br />
	 <br />
	Lovers and friends gather here daily to watch the sunset. As the sun slips behind the mountains, the locals clap and appreciate this splendor.  They are not jaded and still see the beauty of this dazzling city.<br />
	 <br />
	This spectacular aspect is why Rio has the title of "Cidade Maravilhosa",  Marvelous City.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	This part of the world is known for the rounded female derrière. A guy friend asked: "Is that real?!". Yes, this is the actual shape of her backside.<br />
	 <br />
	A friend who has lived around the world and now lives in Rio claims about the famed protruding butts: "It’s true and I don’t understand it. Maybe it is the food."
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.<br />
	- Aristotle
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Above this tanned man is a humongous umbrella made of hanging bikinis, looking much like a tropical maypole. Selling these sexy wares on Rio's beaches is his livelihood.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Although the same height and similarly coiffed, the six maidens are not the same: each face, stance, and hair is unique.
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	At Cristo Redentor my assistant and I met this woman with a face that reveals many stories.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Tavarua is a heart shaped island surrounded by a coral reef.  As a girl, I had a poster in my bedroom of Tavarua, where white sand glistened beneath a bright azure sky. My dream was to visit.<br />
	 <br />
	I was determined to go to Tavarua despite storms and being advised it was risky. After a long and bumpy boat ride, where torrential downpours were so heavy we could barely see, we made it to this point.  I took this image while standing in a topsy-turvy boat being tossed about standing in water.<br /><br />
	This was the day before the world-famous surf competition known as the Volcom Pro, which showcases some of the biggest surf waves the world has ever seen.
</div>
<div>
	While exploring the shoreline, I stumbled across this secluded area that had winding pathways into the dense foliage. Just a few feet away, the Pacific Ocean is lapping up against the shore.
</div>
<div>
	Everything has a natural explanation. The moon is not a god, but a great rock, and the sun a hot rock.<br />
	- Anaxagoras, Greek Philosopher<br />
	 
</div>
<div>
	<div class="rtejustify">
		In this dramatic ceremony, the males moved in unison while the blazing sun sets in the background. 
	</div>

	<div class="rtejustify">
		 
	</div>

	<div class="rtejustify">
		 
	</div>

	<div class="rtejustify">
		The roots of Kecak date back to a trance dance that induced exorcism, called 'sanghyang'. This traditional dance was both graceful and furious, drawing the viewer in visually with ornate attire, dozens of  loud and intense chanting men, and costumed creatures who were both gods and demons. 
	</div>
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	A rich spiritual legacy permeates the fabric of Balinese culture. An ancient religious performance on a cliff at Uluwatu reveals The Hindu Ramayana story. On Rama's epic journey, otherworldly magic unfolds along with adventure, comedy, and moral lessons. This is a cherished story to the Balinese that has been passed down through the ages.
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	Last rays of sun kiss earth,<br />
	Golden light shifts to indigo night<br />
	The golden temptress<br />
	Beckons as she slips away<br />
	 <br />
	Setting ball of fire<br />
	Dims to amber embers<br />
	Waves lap at the feet<br />
	Playing in a fiery sunset.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	This scene was complete with exotic jungle costumes with interesting hoof like stilts. Upon entering, I held a huge python snake- until he lunged at me. The Balinese know how to party! 
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	This is menacing Ravana from the Hindu story of Ramayana. He tricks the heroine Sita and steals her away from her beloved Rama. Each year, many devout pilgrims trace Rama's journey through India, halting at each of the holy sites along the way.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	While exploring a small village on the island of Vitu Levu, I came across a  local marketplace where this endearing little girl was working alongside her mother. Sporting her boyish Spiderman outfit, she was watching me with curiosity.  When I started to take her photo, she lit up and started giggling.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	She was accompanying her mom to sell vegetables at an outdoor market. I was drawn to her tomboy spirit. With her scraped knees and tossled hair, she was incredibly cute. She was watching me for a long time and wanted her picture taken. She was shy at first, and then lit up giggling.
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	A beautiful woman delights the eye;<br />
	a wise woman, the understanding;<br />
	a pure one, the soul.<br />
	- Minna Antrim 
</div>
<div>
	This beautiful girl, as I saw with many of Fijian children, had a pensive way about her. Fijian children generally are playful and love to laugh; yet they are also known to have a introspective side. This soulful nature so young is not as common in the west.
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	Nature is a haunted house-- but Art -- is a house that tries to be haunted.<br />
	- Emily Dickinson
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down​​.​<br />
	- Kurt Vonnegut<br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Deep in the jungle, our guide pointed out this isolated temple, shortly after coming within a few feet of a large python! This picture was taken from the shade of an enormous banyan tree, which is considered holy by Hindus.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	<br />
	We need the tonic of wildness. At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us...<br />
	- Henry David Thoreau<br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	On the big island of Fiji I was driving on a remote road with a couple Fijians. On top of a small hill, this white horse was underneath a willow tree blowing in the breeze. Though a little unkempt, the horse looked majestic beneath this lone tree in the middle of nowhere.<br />
	 <br />
	I was compelled to stop the car. While taking photos of this horse, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and here was this adorable boy sporting a white tank top. He smiled sweetly. We talked for a bit and then I asked him, “Why don't you go say hello to the horse?”<br />
	 <br />
	They look fixedly at each other for a long time; this moment was magical.<br /><br />
	The poetry of the earth is never dead.<br />
	- John Keats<br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	A child has no ego, no past or future. The child has no attachments, and because of this, he is able to express himself fully, without any prejudices or preconceived ideas.<br />
	- Amma
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Breakfast delivered on the grounds of the Oberoi, known for its rustic elegance and old world service. The resort’s natural stone, wood and thatch has aged in a way that looks better with time.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Cold wet towels delivered at the Oberoi poolside. The ingratiating people working here are the heart and soul of this historic beachfront resort. 
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	 Finding Nirvana is like locating silence.<br />
	- Jack Kerouac
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Emaho Sekawa is a luxurious one-villa resort, which overlooks a lush valley. There's a private pool with outdoor shower and daybed, perfect for lazy afternoons. A separate living room with a kitchen is adjacent to the bedroom.<br /><br />
	The staff is all friendly locals. Accommodating and discrete, their relaxed warmth adds to the tranquility of the setting.<br />
	 
</div>
<div>
	He who plants a coconut tree... Plants food and drink, vessels and clothing, a habitation for herself and a heritage for her children.<br />
	- South Sea Proverb
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture, let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy philosophies.... It would be a sad situation if the wrapper were better than the meat wrapped inside it.<br />
	 - Albert Einstein
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	A laugh is a smile that bursts.<br />
	- Mary H. Waldrip
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Fijians are deeply connected to nature and their land. As was explained to me by locals, land is not viewed as a commodity, like westerners look at real estate. Instead, Fijians look at their land as a part of their soul -  it is not something to be bought and sold. <br />
	It is a core part of their heritage and something to be shared. It is their means of survival and a source of pride.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books. <br />
	- John Lubbock
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	The Canada Lynx is a secretive and mostly nocturnal animal, living in dense forests. Largely solitary, they hunt usually by ambush, feeding predominantly on snowshoe hares and birds. 
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	God made the cat in order that humankind might have the pleasure of caressing the tiger.<br />
	- Fernand Mery
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	Tiger got to hunt, bird got to fly;<br />
	Man got to sit and wonder 'why, why, why?'<br />
	Tiger got to sleep, bird got to land;<br />
	Man got to tell himself he understand.<br />
	- Kurt Vonnegut
</div>
<div>
	<div class="rtecenter">
		On the Fijian presidents boat at Port Denarau.
	</div>
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.<br />
	- John Muir  
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Fiji’s flavorful foods are an interesting combination of South Pacific and Indian – with spices, mini peppers (seen here) roots, fish – food is nearly always purchased at open air markets instead of in grocery stores and is often manned by children.
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	A kind heart is a fountain of gladness,
</div>

<div class="rtecenter">
	making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles.<br />
	- Washington Irving
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	This fisherman is twirling worry beads, a relaxing, customary pastime of men. The beads are also considered an amulet to guard against bad luck.
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	Paradise was made for tender hearts;<br />
	hell, for loveless hearts.<br />
	- Voltaire
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Amidst lush mountains, Emaho Sekawa rests atop a hill that overlooks a sparkling ocean, and a river valley with mangrove swamps. The rich craftsmanship and open air floor plan is both simple and elegant, and  give a sense of relaxation and balance.<br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Life is short and we have not too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark way with us....Make haste to be kind.<br />
	- Henri-Frederic Amiel
</div>
<div>
	In the hills overlooking the azure sea, tiny corridors weave a maze throughout the villages.
</div>
<div>
	It is said the bright white and cobalt blue colors predominant in the Cyclades, came about during the dictatorial rule of Metaxas in a quest for order and uniformity. The homes used to be ochre yellow and red earth tones.
</div>
<div>
	<div class="rtejustify">
		I met this beautiful girl while wandering through small pathways in a village. Her extended family invited me for dinners and shared about their lives, faith, and cultural heritage. Her mother is famous throughout the Cyclades for teaching historical dance.
	</div>

	<div class="rtejustify">
		 
	</div>

	<div class="rtejustify">
		Pictured here, is the girl in centuries-old dance attire. Underneath her traditional skirt are modern breakdance pants, a dance which is also her passion.
	</div>

	<div class="rtejustify">
		 
	</div>

	<div class="rtejustify">
		Each inhabited Cyclades island has its own unique dance and costume.
	</div>
</div>
<div>
	Lovers at Christ the Redeemer Statue, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	The soul never thinks without a picture.<br />
	- Aristotle
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel the more truth we can comprehend. To understand the things that are at our door is the best preparation for understanding those that lie beyond.<br />
	- Hypatia, Greek Philosopher
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Windmills are enduring emblems of Greece. Built hundreds of years ago, they were originally used for grinding grain for agricultural products. All are circular, painted white, and remain an important aspect of historical heritage.
</div>
<div>
	A rural view from a high point on one of the islands, with the glistening waters of the Agean below.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Rural areas are a mix of traditional and modern ways. Many women assume traditional roles, doing housework and devoting their life to the home and family, while men often are the primary breadwinners outside of the home.
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	I found Rome brick, I left it marble.<br />
	- Augustus Caesar
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	A steep serpentine road of many small steps littered with donkey poo led to an old port below. At the base were salty seamen and dozens of donkeys.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	One rainy day at an all men's cafe. Here men smoke, drink retsina and ouzo, joke, debate and play tavli.
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	 Time is the wisest counselor of all.
</div>

<div class="rtecenter">
	- Pericles
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	In 1956 a devastating earthquake collapsed many Santorini buildings,  leading to a mass exodus.<br />
	 <br />
	This is in front of an abandoned home in ruins from the earthquake. The ceiling fell onto three young children and killed them, while the parents survived in the next room. The parents fled the island never to return.<br /><br />
	Convinced the place was haunted, the villagers claimed they could hear eerie screams and voices at times on the property.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege.<br />
	- Charles Kuralt
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	The Creator made Italy from designs by Michaelangelo.<br />
	-Mark Twain
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.<br />
	- Sophia Loren
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Sporting red lips, pert hat and cigarette while brunching in the Athens Plaka.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Ancient cave houses are nestled in the cliffs throughout the islands, and visually blend into the rock. This was strategic to not be discernable to pirates.<br /><br />
	While exploring a remote village early one morning, I met this 83 year-old man who invited me into his cave house. He shared interesting pieces of his life. This included his baby crib from over 80 years ago, and intricate miniature wooden ships he crafted that lit up with tiny cars inside.<br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened.<br />
	-Anatole France
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Like a character from a Wes Anderson movie, this woman and her environment is adorable. She sells açai and treats at her small store in a Favella. Açai is an antioxidant fruit from Brazil that is everywhere in Rio, typically enjoyed in a delicious frozen dessert.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Venice is a Los Angeles cultural hub known for its eccentricities- it's a hangout for creatives and free spirits. Millions of world travelers flock here a year, coming with the fanciful vision of the "California Dream."
</div>

<div class="rtejustify">
	 
</div>

<div class="rtejustify">
	Igor (from Russia) is in this portrait. He is on the Ocean Front boardwalk, a a circus-like, long pedestrian promenade that features performers, mystics, artists and vendors. Countless movies, television shows and video games have shot in Venice.
</div>
<div>
	<div class="rtejustify">
		Recoleta is a strollable, affluent area known for Paris-style townhouses, lavish former palaces and posh boutiques. Here lies Recoleta Cemetery, where national icons like Eva Perón rest in extravagant tombs. One of the most awe inspiring places!
	</div>

	<div>
		 
	</div>
</div>
<div>
	<div>
		Buenos Aires oldest barrio, San Telmo,  is a hot spot of sultry tango dancing, colonial architecture and lively street markets. It’s also considered the birthplace of tango.
	</div>

	<div>
		 
	</div>

	<div>
		Buenos Aires is the home of Tango- the dance  came bubbling up from the poor southern barrios in the 1870s. First known as the music of the lower classes in Buenos Aires, but then became a global phenomenon.
	</div>

	<div>
		 
	</div>
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Pop-up art galleries, late-night bars and street murals lend old San Telmo a bohemian vibe. Some of the areas in San Telmo are reminscient of Europe, like this classic bar &amp; cafe.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Favelas are Brazilian ghettos that make American slums look tame. Most are dangerous and ruled by drug lords- going into these alone could be risking your life. Anything considered an offense is dealt with swiftly within a shady self-policing structure.<br />
	 <br />
	A photojournalist told me of a time when he was invited to a big favela party. A frenetic energy filled the air as crowds gyrated to pounding music. On a stage, cartel kings danced with their arms up holding gold plated guns. These idolized leaders have the power and the goods. What is admired originates from corruption.<br />
	 <br />
	During my time in Rio, I became friends with someone who lives in a Favela. I went to explore this culture and was deeply moved by the people I met.<br />
	 <br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	The rich and the poor live side-by-side in Rio.  On one block there may be a Ferrari, and next to it on a hill could be a favela. These slums rarely have proper sanitation, electricity, and enough water. There is scant opportunity to be upwardly mobile and move out of these impoverished conditions.<br />
	 <br />
	With approximately two millon people living in Rio favelas with drug trafficking, underdevelopment, and lack of education, it is understandable why crime abounds.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	I met up with Val and Polina on a Medieval stone arch bridge. They are reality show celebrities for MTV Russia ("Holidays in Mexico").<br />
	We had a lot of fun exploring Florence together. The Piazzale Michelangelo is where we landed up, where we ate and drank with a panoramic view of this magnificent city.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	For us to go to Italy and to penetrate into Italy is like a most fascinating act of self-discovery - back, back down the old ways of time.<br />
	Strange and wonderful chords awake in us, and vibrate again after many hundreds of years of complete forgetfulness.<br />
	- D.H. Lawrence
</div>
<div>
	<div class="rtejustify">
		This is my friend Yina, an adventuresome and strong young woman. She knows four languages, goes to school, and works hard. She moved to Rio because she thought there would be good work opportunities. An affordable place for her to live was a favela- a shanty town typically run by drug lords. This is shot from a favela overlooking the most expensive area of Brazil.
	</div>

	<div class="rtejustify">
		 
	</div>

	<div class="rtejustify">
		Only in Rio for a year and a half, she has already been held up twice,harassed and stolen from. One was at gunpoint and a second time she was cornered with broken glass bottles.  The system in Rio is oppressive, making it challenging to get ahead and make a stable life. Despite this, she has a positive and upbeat demeanor.
	</div>

	<div class="rtejustify">
		 
	</div>
</div>
<div>
	<div>
		In Italy, the concept of the family is very important.<br />
		- Monica Bellucci
	</div>

	<div class="rtecenter">
		 
	</div>
</div>
<div>
	<div>
		<div>
			Bois de Boulogne is a forest that is filled with transsexual prostitutes. It is a dangerous area. Prostitutes and pimps carry weapons for protection. Many are hurt physically in these clandestine meetings; all arguably are hurt and abused psychologically.
		</div>

		<div>
			<br />
			Many prostitutes are foreign, undocumented, threatened by organized crime networks. Often they flee their countries that have social and political volatility and then have no ability to work legally. They are weakened due to economic vulnerability, poverty, home problems, racism and more.
		</div>

		<div>
			 
		</div>

		<div>
			Prostitution has long-term traumatic consequences- including living with dissociation, a psychological anaesthesia to survive this kind of life. Being there was very moving, especially witnessing the evident unease, fear and pain etched on their faces.
		</div>
	</div>
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	Despite many living in poverty and with the threat of violence that permeates the air, the people were kind and open. They are a people of fortitude who are down to earth and live in the moment.
</div>
<div class="rtejustify">
	<br />
	In a gathering place for eccentrics and homeless, I was moved by this solitary woman with swollen ankles covered in sores, and a pained yet beautiful face.<br />
	 
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	The air was soft, the stars so fine, <br />
	the promise of every cobbled alley so great,<br />
	that I thought I was in a dream.<br />
	-Jack Kerouac
</div>
<div class="rtecenter">
	A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of life.<br />
	- Thomas Jefferson
</div>
  • Image Galleries
  • My Journey
  • FRIENDS
  • Contact
  • <don't move>logo
Back to top