Tag: travel

When I first heard this poem I couldn’t agree with the final line. I thought that maybe you can stop handing on misery to our children, and teach them to do the same. Perhaps this is true, but the mere fact of ‘existence’ is misery whether we want to call it that or suffering, or unsatisfactoriness, or pain… whatever. There is no animal alive including humans who will not suffer. Suffering is Universal but there is no suffering in non-existence.

» Read more

In recent years I am increasing drawn to the principles of Antinatalism, which I might explore in more detail on another day. For now it might be suffice to say that were I in a position to have more children, I would choose not to. 

I find it interesting to note that the Buddha left home shortly after his one and only son, Rahula, was born. Later, Rahula became a monk and as far as we know did not have children. The Buddha did not have grandchildren. There is no pain or suffering in non-existence

» Read more

As the Buddha observed, life is difficult and then you die. I am grateful to be alive with a modicum of ‘good’ health… although it’s probably more accurate and better described as not having too much ‘bad’ health. 

» Read more

The Buddha didn’t suddenly just “awaken” under the Bodhi tree, some of his important insights into the human condition happened even BEFORE he left home “while still young, a black-haired young man endowed with the blessings of youth in the first stage of life.” 

» Read more

As I am waiting patiently, I notice the variety of wandering street vendors selling everything from bottles of water to mops and brooms. There seems to be an army of coffee trolleys on the move. I did notice one woman in the queue ahead of me buy a small coffee from one vendor only to tip it away almost instantly on tasting. Another coffee was purchased from a different vendor which seemed to be much more palatable. I can’t imagine how many mops and brooms get sold by wandering street to street in this way. Life seems very hard sometimes… well, all the time in reality. Unless we strive, we don’t survive. 

» Read more

I walked out of Cartagena Airport to the main road and ordered an Uber ride to the main bus station on the other side of town. Sadly and frustratingly, this was another rip-off as the driver took a much longer route than necessary and nearly doubled the estimated fare. My complaint to Uber went nowhere. Not a good start to arrive in a country and be cheated twice in the first 30-minutes of arrival.

» Read more

This wonderful open air museum is well worth a visit. We walked through the forest on a well defined path visiting the Arachnoid House before continuing to ‘The Tower’. The Tower is of metal construction and climbs above the tree line.  It was quite a hard, hot and sweaty climb for me but very much worth the effort. We then continued along a 1km path back close to the entrance and café. Here we met another two sailing companions visiting MUSA on this fine Sunday afternoon. It was now a little after 4 pm and the site closes at 5 pm. We had look at the Aquarium that contained some very large Amazonian fish. The Aquarium was next to a small pond with giant floating lilly leaves, and also nearby, was the House of Snakes. We returned to the entrance where our sailing buddies were waiting for us to go the the Parque Rio Negro to watch the sun go down.

» Read more

I don’t agree with the Buddha, I quite like sensual pleasures. Particularly new sights, new sounds, new smells, new tastes, new tactile experiences, and some mind wanderimg fantasies.

» Read more

As Human Beings we crave certainty along with security. People like a diagnosis… whether good or bad… a diagnosis enables a sense of certainty.

» Read more

Just like my ‘self’, the Amazon River changes moment by moment. It is in a constant state of flow, changing it’s shape and direction. And just like my ‘self’, the river is impermanent; one day neither of us will exist in any shape or form.

» Read more