Last year I trekked into the Moroccan Sahara desert on a very trusty camel named Aszu. In the evening, my guide, Jusef, a sixth grade educated Berber nomad, surprisingly fluent in six languages, fixed me a tantalizing chicken tangine. All that it lacked was a glass of wine, unfortunately verboten for Muslims just days before Ramadan. At night we slept under the incredible desert night skies. Never before had I seen so many stars, stretching from one horizon to the other – the stars so bright and numerous, it was difficult to make out the constellations. That was Morocco, a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, smells, and experiences. From Morocco I traveled on through much of Europe, Russia, Mongolia, China, and finally concluding my trip in Japan. This year's trip will take me to Romania, Ukraine, Georgia, Central Asia, India, Nepal, Southwest China, and Indochina. At times I hope to report back on my experiences and observations, perhaps posting a few pictures and videos that may be of interest. I've posted below a few pictures and videos from some past trips. For my blog on my travels through East Europe check out my blog at http://tallinntovarna.blogspot.com.

I’ve been asking myself lately, is there a theme to all this? Maybe not, but one thing I can say that piques my interest, is the dangerous nexus between religion and politics that engulfs the world today. In Morocco, where the King is both the head of Mosque and State, a Muslim, during Ramadan, can end up in jail for doing nothing more than drinking a glass of water under the scorching daytime heat – his crime, the thirsty Muslim broke the fast. Imams in Morocco claim that such an abhorrent act defies the teachings of God, infringes on the religious liberties of practicing Muslims, and is deserving of serious sanction. Of course, such a violation of an individual’s personal freedom could never happen in America. Or could it? As I write this, the U.S. Catholic Bishops are ferociously attacking President Obama’s Affordable Care Act for requiring institutions to provide birth control under their insurance policies. Like the Imams, the Bishops consider it not just an affront, but an existential threat, to their religious liberties. A poor woman, without the means to support a family, let alone a brutally raped woman, should not expect any sympathy from these Catholic institutions, as they, like their Muslim brothers, are scripturally bound to impose their beliefs on others. Does it matter that no one is telling Muslims that they cannot fast or Catholics that they cannot abstain from sex?

Now that I think of it, I’d like to dedicate this blog to Americans United, a terrific nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to preserving the principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom. Before I move on though, I’d like to share with you this political satire piece I wrote a few months ago when Senator Rick Santorum had a chance of being the Republican nominee. It pretty much sums up my take on what a large segment of the American population would like to see should their wildest dreams come true. Finally, I begin this blog with three postings from last year’s trip just to give you an idea of who I am and what you may or may not come to expect as I embark on this year's trip. If you have something nice to say, I'd love to hear from you.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Ganges River


Shaam Aarti
My guide, Anup: “It’s a nice evening. We will go to the shaam aarti (the Hindu evening ceremony) on the Ganges river,” “Is that where the faithful bathe in the river?” “Yes, but not during the evening ceremony; that’s tomorrow morning at sunrise.” Since we arrive early, Anup uses the time to describe the river and its importance to Hindus. “Everyone wants to die in Varanasi. It is central to our faith. When you die here, your body is dipped eleven times in the river, you’re then cremated, and your ashes sprinkled over the river. This breaks the process of rebirth and allows your soul to rest in peace. As Hindus, we strive to do good in this life so that we will reincarnate into a better life once we die. Seven times this happens, but we never know which life we are in. Having our body cleansed in the Ganges ends the cycle and we can rest in peace.” I muse: “The river looks dirty to me.” “It’s not! If you take a bottle of water from the Ganges and a bottle of mineral water and let them sit for a couple weeks, the mineral water will turn green, but the water from the Ganges will be clear.” “I don’t believe that,” I say. “Not only does the river look muddy. There is so much filth everywhere in this city, it can’t possibly be clean.” “No, it really is clean! The water is holy.” “Okay, prove it. I want to see you drink some.” “Okay, I will, but not now, tomorrow morning when we come back to the river.”
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