An Italian group of conservators (ones who had restored Assisi and also Nerfititi's tomb) were busy uncovering the real color removing the black grime that gave it a certain patina. While the vigor of the work still managed to communicate through the black, I was astonished at the brightness of color which showed up in the one area they had cleaned. It was almost circus like in its decoration and the message seemed to be one of happy jubilation.

To me, that’s an indication that the place changed me, and the profundity of the effect a trip can have on an individual.  It is so different from the experience of a tourist where you stay outside the culture and simply look.  

I was woken up this morning by a sound which, through my haze of sleep, I interpreted as a chain saw or a lawn mower. I must have thought I was either in Vermont or in Rockport and it was summertime. But as I woke up a little more, I realized that at 8 am on a Saturday morning in Cairo there would be neither a chain saw nor a lawn mower and maybe I should go see what was this unusual noise. 

If I close my eyes, I can still feel the swelling of the water, and I see the incredible coral descending down to the sandy bottom. I just spent four days near Marsa Alam in Tondoba Bay – a part of the southern Egyptian coast that I have never seen.

On my way to Arizona, I got a pedicure in Cuba and spent the night in Miami, but that was Cuba, Missouri and MYAAMA, Oklahoma. At least that’s how they pronounce Miami “in these parts” explained the person taking my money for the toll on the highway.

Sedona is truly a magical place – these amazing red rock formations sitting like sentinels all around the town are breathtaking. Throughout the day the colors and shapes change with the light.