One of the most amazing journeys I have taken was with my American school chum and her family to their countries of origin, Jordan and Israel (the West Bank/Holy Land as they referred to it), back in 1984. The Middle, Near and Far East can be a wonderland for the senses that fills the soul: the sights, the smells, the sounds, the tastes, hands as utensils, flowing fabrics, blend of old and new, the ingenuity, the graciousness and hospitality, the call to prayer. It hurts to know the amount of strife and bloodshed that has gone on there, that my friends have experienced first-hand. When I returned from that trip, my first job was working in a Hof Brau where the owners were a married couple, one from Iran, the other, Iraq. Not a popular union at the time, given the politics. Subsequently, many years later I travelled to India to attend a wedding there. I immediately took to the culture and the people. My favorite places to visit have been these. The  photos by Quintin Lake, here and on his blog, stir up all those emotions for me. Thanks for the visit.

~ Maggie