October 23th, 2021 We have been in prison for almost seven days now. They let us go out for one hour in the morning but otherwise we are confined to our cell. They bring us mediocre food three times a day with water or a sugary juice of intense colors. Ethanol is not allowed. … Continue reading Bangkok: prisoner; no alcoholic.
October 11, 2021 We came back to Beirut exactly two weeks ago. We haven’t done much. Work, some cooking at night after weeks of eating out. I started teaching in a classroom (students who are fully vaccinated can attend the class), but not for long. We’re moving to Bangkok next Saturday. The movers come on … Continue reading Beirut: the last days….
September 25, 2021 We’ve changed cities. First time here for Natalia and I; a place I have always wanted to visit. In fact, we had airplane tickets and hotel reservations in March last year that we had to cancel when the virus started spreading and creating havoc. Paris is a beautiful city; Lisbon, I would … Continue reading Lisbone: rivers, rooftops, and streets; wines, single malts and installations; a BD
September 19, 2021 Natalia and I have been in Paris since last Sunday. We rented a small, very small, apartment close to Place de la République. It has a square hallway, a mini kitchen with everything you need to cook and an expresso machine, a living room, a dining room, and a bedroom with a … Continue reading Paris: graves, Iphigénie, art and decadence
September 5, 2021 It wasn’t planned this way but here I am, back in Beirut. The situation has continued to deteriorate, there have been talks about evacuation, and Natalia would have had to deal with it alone. So, on Saturday August 28 Marina, her friend, and I traveled to Washington DC. I stayed over the … Continue reading Beirut: not for long
August 9, Last was an eventful week. On August 05 we celebrated Marina’s 16th birthday. Friends came over at night for a BBQ and stayed until the early morning. Despite the dancing, we probably consumed too many calories and too much ethanol (in the form of wine). Still, the next day Natalia was able to … Continue reading Same – Casa-Blanca: Another BD, another departure, ethanol, back to ANTARES
July 1st I'm drinking coffee outside while I write this. There are a couple of cows across the river eating grass for breakfast under the sun. The sun hasn’t reached this place yet and it’s cold, so I had to wear a jacket. This is not Casa Blanca, I am no longer by the beach … Continue reading Tumbaco – Ecuador: Anthropocene; a BD; a departure; Drunk
July 25, 2021 It must have been raining continuously over the past few days. The path down to the river on the north side of the finca was all mud and we walked with difficulty. Ramon Cotera, the manager of the finca and guide, lead the way using his machete as he went to get … Continue reading Casa Blanca – Ecuador: hike at the finca, Le Carré’s first and last, less is more.
July 12, 2021 I was supposed to be writing this post in Grenada. Alas, the sailing trip had to be postponed for family reasons. As planned, Natalia and I left Beirut on June 28 bound to Washington DC and the girls joined from France a couple of days later. But on July 2nd, instead of … Continue reading Casa Blanca – Ecuador: Sailing aborted, anniversary, Return to the Sea, sinking
June 13, 2021 As part of one of her school projects and thanks to our friend Solfrid, Marina was able to go to a Syrian refugee camp in the Bekaa valley. She reports that living conditions are marginal; they are in tents, with limited access to water, electricity, and sanitation. More dramatic is the situation … Continue reading Beirut: helping Syrian children, boat gear, cruising plans in Grenada.
