Member since:
May 30, 2007

My Photo Album

May 02, 2008 08:51 AM EDT (Updated: May 02, 2008 08:57 AM EDT)

views: 1383 | comments: 75

As I traipsed around in my travels abroad three weeks ago, I took notes and pictures just like any responsible card-carrying tourist.

A lot of my pictures were taken with care, to fulfill promises made to my friends on Gather... to give them a glimpse of the places I visited. Some of these pictures are just plain accidents. Sorry. Keep in mind that I'm not a professional photographer! You'll be able to tell which ones fall into each category.

This first picture is for Liz, Raven Spirit, whose many pictures of the ruins she had visited in her travels gave joy and inspiration to so many Gatherites, including me. I was determined I would visit such sacred places, too.

The Mayan ceremonial altar below is part of the Altun Ha ruins that we saw in Belize.

This next picture is in response to a Gather image I carried in memory--- Madame D.'s breakfast in Hawaii. Hers was a perfect shot worthy of the first page in a calendar of food porn.

My picture, sans swan is not as perfect as hers, but it does carry the requisite tropical ingredients... fried bananas, coconut ice cream and the view from the restaurant. Mine was shot from an open air restaurant, also in Belize.

This huge, lovely tree is for our tree-hugging friend, Tonia. It is growing in the center of the main plaza of the Quiriqua ruins in Santo Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala where the ancient Mayan stone steles still stand.

I will try to post an article solely devoted to the ruins, later.

Signs encountered on my travels reminded me of a lot of our Gatherites.

I found this sign on a sidewalk in New York. We all know who came to my mind as I shot this picture. Duckieone had to be in on the shot... to authenticate the photo for Vicky, she said.

Buildings in New York are worth the crick in the neck one earns for looking up so much. Besides the Empire State Building, one other building was instantly recognizable to this tourist. Macy's!

Gather girls would have the best fun shopping at this New York store, giftcards in hand!

Did I mention shopping? Ina-Melda would love to know New York street vendors sell almost anything, including shoes loaded with bling!

This multi-faceted art work in the New York NBC building reminded me of Minnie's color-studded poetry and paintings. Brilliant just like she is!

To all the writers on Gather especially Dianne J, Sandy K, Flit, Sharon, Stephanie, Wilhelmine, Sy, Elizabeth, Elsie, who should all have the opportunity to personally enjoy the peace and inspiration of scenes like this as they write. Aruba, Lesser Antilles

To the poets on Gather like Dean, Ed, JohnW, John B, Tom, Jan, Faith, Andrea, who would all appreciate the romance behind the tradition of visitors leaving a piece of rock atop another, to mark the secret hopes and wishes they leave behind. Yes, I left one for you. Aruba, Lesser Antilles.

Peking is a grand, venerable, elegant and awe-inspiring ship; with unparalleled stories of grandeur and greatness in her past... just like our own Dame Ruth. This ship we visited is now a living museum docked in New York.

This is for Sonia, who has repeatedly enhanced our education by teaching us through her articles on Gather about the exotic tropical fruits of Hawaii... I hope she will be able to identify this softball-sized fruit growing on a tall tree in the midst of the open market near the port of Semana, Dominican Republic.

For Debbie who loves turtles. This lively one lives in a pond in the Dolphin Academy in Curacao, Netherlands. He said, "Hi!"

( As an aside... close to the same pond lives a Pelican, an ugly-spirited bird who must have thought I was a tasty snack. Mean brute!)

The above Pelican gave me a permanent tattoo while trying to grab a piece of me. You can see the scar left from the wound he inflicted. I now believe Ina has reason to fear birds... but not ducks, ok?

Back to our program...

For our friend from down under, Carolyn, here's something purplish. Couldn't find penguins for her, they must not like vacationing in the tropics!

This Mandevilla vine was growing on the port of Semana, Dominican Republic.

For John W. who left a comment about the photo of the Cadena de Amor that I found on St. Thomas Virgin Islands last October.

I went back to the same place and found the same Cadena de Amor on the same long hedges of bougainvilleas, now in bloom too, making quite a show of two different species intertwined and blooming together in one place. Just like John and the lovely Inmaculada, si?

The Amazing Kate, the digger of histories and ancestries will surely know the value and import of a wall like this. We visited this Wall of Names outside the Immigration Museum in Ellis Island.

Nippy and Madame D. can decide who is deserving of this photo. *giggling* I found the book on the shelf of a gift shop on Bourbon Street in New Orleans

For our talented musical friend, Dannielle, who would probably join in with her guitar had she heard this engaging band on a sidewalk in New Orleans.

This next photo is gratefully offered to John Beck, Amy, Gerry Weiss and several more whose water-themed articles last fall inspired Gatherland to meditate on and compare the power of our actions and thoughts to the movement of water. Photo taken in New Orleans.

A N D...

For all the writers of Gatherland, all those mentioned above, and especially my connections like Dianne J, Stephanie B, Aniko, Sandy K, Wilhelmine, Elizabeth, Flit, Rose, Peg and all the rest... I wish success beyond their dreams --- publication of books that would fill the shelves of bookstores like Borders in New York