The Stone Temples of Ajanta and Ellora

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Even in the brief time we have been here, less than two weeks, it has become clear that India is a country of diversity and contrasts. Mumbai itself shows many different faces depending on which way you look (though whichever way you look, it is crowded.) But all of Mumbai is relatively modern— “ Old Bombay” dates basically to the Colonial Era. In the scope of India’s history, that isn’t very long. Our next destination was a giant leap into the past, the ancient and beautiful temples and monasteries of Ellora and Ajanta, near the city of Aurangabad. Carved out … Continue reading →

Maximum City

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We left Canada the afternoon of the last day of 2014 and landed in Mumbai, India, on the second day of the new year, having fast-forwarded through New Years Day on eastward flights. We’re at the beginning of a two-and-a-half-month trip which will take us through much of India, but by no means all of it. India is a vast and diverse country and we have no hope of doing more than scratching the surface. We had the good fortune of meeting an Indian couple just days before we left home, which resulted in us being met at the Mumbai … Continue reading →

Something To Be Thankful For

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I’ve been poked and prodded, sliced and diced; flesh and fluids have been analyzed. The cancer in my body has been categorized and sub-categorized. And finally I’ve been given odds that I can take, if not to the bank, at least to a bookie. My chances look pretty good. The original diagnosis I mentioned in my last post was essentially correct—follicular lymphoma. But what I didn’t know then was whether it had spread from my neck, where I could feel swollen lymph nodes. It hasn’t. It is classified technically Stage 1A—as good as it gets. Follicular lymphoma is one of … Continue reading →

Valar Morghulis

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Game of Thrones fans will know the significance of that title. For those who don’t, it means “All men must die.” On the rare occasions I have thought about dying I’ve fantasized that I’d be in an exotic place with a rare (but not too painful) disease. Or better yet, caught in the crossfire in some senseless regional scuffle. At least something that would make a good story. But it looks like the reality will be much more mundane. I have joined the “C” Club—I have cancer. Actually, I have two kinds of cancer for good measure—melanoma and lymphoma. I … Continue reading →

Queen and Country

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As of yesterday I am a Canadian citizen. I suspect there are some on both sides of the border with mixed feelings about that, but I feel good about it. And I think my Canadian grandmother would be proud. She left eastern Canada in 1904 on a train bound for California with her husband and six kids, including my infant father. For the rest of her long life (93 years) she continued to consider Canada home and wrote long, sappy poems about her longing to return. She never did, but a few years ago I returned there and found a … Continue reading →