Sailing to the Pacific

August 21st, 2023 I woke up the other night to a symphony.  Frogs, I imagine hundreds of them, making stereotyped sounds a la Karlheinz Stockhausen (like Model 1).  Not a cacophony, there were patterns, a cadence, allegros and adagios. I understand this music is part of their courtship and mating rituals. Still, quite annoying at 03:30 in the morning.  And … Continue reading Bangkok:  frogs; past trips; routines; Zubin Mehta and the Helicon Opera; Woland and cattle;  children around the world; BEHEMOTH and Starlink.

June 16 Natalia, Sofia, Woland and I drove to Hua Hin on Monday and came back yesterday.  This Sunday morning I’m traveling to Morocco via Paris and, at night, Sofia goes back to DC via Doha.  Natalia travels to Latvia next Wednesday and Woland stays behind with a dog sitter.   In Hua Hin we rented a house … Continue reading Hua Hin:  Woland and the soi dogs; 9 years; managing the fridge; news from BEHEMOTH 

July 8, 2023 It's been raining all day today and Sofia is a sick, a respiratory infection.  A couple hours ago she saw hotel/resort's nurse who gave her some medication and I think she is doing better. We arrived to Rayavadee on Monday and the first five days were beautiful. Sofia was enjoying herself. She gets … Continue reading Krabi:  a bad book; Nemo the fish; a good book;  

June 24 The United Airlines flight was late by two hours or more; I lost track. We boarded on time but then the technicians discovered a faulty communications device that had to be replaced. It was located in the main cabin and all passengers had to disembark.  It must have been 2am when we departed and … Continue reading Paris:  Warhool and Basquiat; another David; l’Histoire de Manon; impact investment

June 17th I landed here last Sunday June the 11th.  Purpose of the trip: attending Marina’s graduation and Sofia’s 13thbirthday.    Not sure how, but I managed to reserve a room, dark like a prison cell, in one of the worst hotels I’ve ever been to.  I booked the room through a third party, paying in advance, so … Continue reading Washington DC: a graduation and a birthday

June 10 (this post, along with three more that will follow, are old posts that couldn’t be posted) Marina, Woland and I were in Kho Phangan from May 17 to June 4th. Marina was on vacation, I wasn’t, but managed to spend time at the beach and enjoy different culinary experiences at night.   The house we rented … Continue reading Tangiers: memories from Kho Pangan; a Rembrandt; G strait; taken apart

May 21, 2023 Martin Amis died today.  Esophagus cancer, like his friend Hitchens, another writer who lived life intensely. Not sure what is worse, cancer or dementia.  I would want to have the choice to let go before cancer consumes my body or I lose my mind.   But it was not this loss for the literary world … Continue reading Work and travels; not an alcoholic; graduation; BEHEMOTH’s saga

February 12, 2023 It has taken me a while to post this. In-and-out refers not to my short visit of Cartagena in early January but to BEHEMOTH’s short stint on the water.  Juan David and l landed in Colombia mid-morning on Saturday January 7th.  We stayed for three nights at Casa Don Sancho, a small boutique hotel … Continue reading Cartagena:  in and out; BEHEMOTH’s surgery; perseverance. 

December 30, 2022. Natalia just served me a Bloody Mary. I prepare Martinis and Negronis but BMs are her specialty. I no longer know the recipe though I can tell this time she was quite generous with the vodka.  We only have them in the morning, before lunch, and not very often.  It’s been only in … Continue reading Casa Blanca – Same:  Woland’s extraction; books and diaries; BEHEMOTH new looks

December 6, 2022 I landed in Doha at 04:30 local time after a 7h flight from Bangkok where I slept most of the time.  I hope Woland did the same down below in his crate.  He was relaxed when I dropped him at the oversized baggage area.  His travel wouldn’t have been possible without Christine and Detlef, a … Continue reading Doha: dogs travel; the last few days in Bangkok; reserves of ethanol replenished; DC, Quito and Cartagena