it’s an interesting story how I learned the original imperial hotel in Tokyo which was taken down in the 60s was replaced with a giant hotel structure more fitting the economic potential of the area. As some of you know this building was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and that is why it was so cherished and rebuilt at Meiji Mura (Meiji era Village).
Pete Muir and his wife Marjorie we’re close family friends often coming over for bridge and a dinner which gave us kids a chance to have some wine. Pete was the grandson of John Muir who you know as the great advocate of the Yosemite national park and many other things. He and Marge planned to visit Tokyo and I was going to take them around to interesting places I found. They had booked the imperial hotel and we’re surprised when they got there it was not the imperial hotel they remembered maybe from the 1950s or early 1960s. So I checked into the history and found that they were rebuilding the original hotel brick by brick near Nagoya at Meiji Mura. This was the first I heard of this place out in the middle of nowhere but my next post will be about the other buildings in this beautiful park which I highly recommend visiting if you’re interested in Japanese history, culture and the period between 1870 and 1925. if they wanted to again see the imperial hotel they remembered they could visit Meiji Mura which they decided to do.
The surrounding area The front of the hotelThe reception desk Most everything in the hotel was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright all the way down to the platesThe coffee shop. You can see how open but also intimate feeling he imagined for this areaCoffee shop tables and chairs I see a lot of Inca and maybe Aztec influences in some of his designsThe expensive lobby a dining area a volunteer gentleman playing some soothing tune on his single string Chinese violin/banjoFrancis Little House “Northome” , Minnesota. Windows from some other of his creationsThe light be from another angle. You can see how we departmentalize the different areas but at the same time presents an open architecture After visiting I had a very delicious baked eel on rice luncheon (unagi don)
if you travel to Turkey and decide to go to Cappadocia make sure you visit the historical open air Museum including the best preserved and amazing Cappadocia churches.
Explanation of the various churches carved out of rockThe surrounding areaHorse stables for tourist riding adventures in the area You can ride a camel or a horse around a small areaYogurt on top vegetables and beans An explanation of the churches Ancient script probably referring to somebody’s burial and some ancient defacers writing as well People could sit around here A place to cook Another seating area Amazing carve outsPlaces to put bodies Another view from the top Another place for people together and sit and eat Another place for bodies Ancient artwork These crosses look very much like the Maltese crossThese artwork figures representing religious people were defacedThey had many tunnels and levels so you could enter at a lower level and then go up through the tunnels which were very difficult to walk through due to heightProof I was there Another dugout complex
if you visit Vientiane, Laos, there is now a very interesting art museum to visit so don’t forget Exploring Lao art Museum. It’s quite a ways out of the city but it’s well worth the trip, about 40 minutes from the main tourist part of town. Plan to spend a minimum of one hour and as much as three hours looking at all the beautiful works of art most of which were carved from old fallen trees from forests, rivers and other places.
The fellow responsible for this museum has quite an interesting history which you should make sure to read after you go through the main big entrance. The entrance fee was about 220,000 kip for foreign visitors and a little bit less for Lao citizens. There are three major tourist attractions to visit in Vientiane and this makes the fourth. The other three are the Mekong River with the night market, Tat Luang and the victory monument. That monument was finished up with cement intended for an airport funded by the US government. The cement was redirected.
The images carved into the wood are not only Lao but also those from other cultures such as Chinese and Japanese.The long walk across the swamp after paying the entrance fee. You can take a small bus also at an extra feeThe main entrance They lend you an umbrella for free if you’re walking to keep the sun and the rainoff The main entryway. This photo is to prove I was there
“Dear Visitors,
It is with great joy that I welcome you to our museum, a space dedicated to celebrating the beauty and potential of wood. Here, you will discover art crafted from discarded materials that many overlook, transformed into pieces that tell stories of resilience and creativity.
As you explore, I hope you feel the passion that drives our mission —to honor Laos’s rich natural heritage and inspire future generations. Your presence here supports not only the appreciation of art but also our commitment to preserving our environment and culture.
Thank you for joining us on this journey. Enjoy your visit!
Warm regards,
Phisit Sayathith
Founder, Lao Art Museum”
A ghostly image
there are four different environments from which these trees were collected.
Unearthed from farmland where trees were removed, these intricate roots were left behind by farmer. Each piece reveals the complex structures of life underground, showcasing nature’s artistry.
Retrieved from the depths of local dams, these weathered logs have spent years submerged in water, gaining unique textures and colors that enhance their aesthetic appeal.
When a storm brings down a large tree, the remnants are often discarded. However, our museum strives to preserve that damaged wood and transform it into beautiful artwork.
Charred wood that tell stories of resilience and rebirth. Source from aftermath of forest fires.
Collected from tree that have experience disease, this wood feature distinctive patterns that highlight the beauty found in imperfection and decay.
A beautiful dark wood carving They almost starving Buddha during the failed attempt to achieve enlightenment The Chinese fairytale of the monkey warrior Apsaray, the dancing girlThe Buddha figures were made from one very large fallen tree. The explanation follows
“On March 9, 2024, the langest Leucaena leucocephala tree in Vientiane succumbed to a storm, resulting in significant damage. In light of its age and the circumstances, the office has decided to proceed with the removal of the tree. The Lao government has designated a portion of the tree for the Lao Art Museum, enabling its preservation and creative transformation into artwork instead of being discarded. Utilizing this wood, the museum has crafted five Buddha sculptures, which are now proudly displayed at this Lao Art Museum. In collaboration with the government, the museum has decided to Identify the healthy remnants of the fallen tree and replant them in a garden near its original location. As of September 30, 2024, this tree has successfully been revitalized and is thriving.”
this would have been sitting in a river for decades
This sculpture, crafted from a log that has been submerged in the Namgnuem River for centuries, has been brought to our museum and transformed into a new art piece. We aimed to preserve its natural beauty, so we chose to sculpt only the head of the Buddha statue, leaving the body of the wood exposed to display the unique marks created by the water.
I found this interesting Beautiful decorations in a hollowed out rotten tree trunkAnother “I was there” photoa friend walking in the entrance The beautiful entrance ceiling
if you have ever visited Bangkok you probably walked around Wat Prah Keow where the emerald Buddha sits. Here is the official and mildly worded official Lao explanation of how this Lao emerald Buddha wound up in Thailand. Just a hint. The Thai military “moved” the emerald Buddha to Thailand.
“Hor Phra Keo, also known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is a renowned Buddhist temple located in Vientiane, Laos. Originally built in the 16th century to house the revered Emerald Buddha statue, it showcases exquisite Lao architecture. The temple features beautifully ornate structures, intricate carvings, and a serene ambiance, making it a significant cultural and religious site. Although the Emerald Buddha was later moved to Bangkok, Hor Phra Keo remains an important symbol of national heritage and spirituality. Today, it serves as a museum, displaying a remarkable collection of religious artifacts and art, attracting both locals and tourists who seek to explore Laos’s rich cultural history.”
I was born on a Friday so this Buddha posture his representative of that day. “ContemplatingBuddha. The Friday Buddha image symbolizes a brief moment following enlightenment when the Lord Buddha remained beneath the Banyan Tree. During this time, he expressed that comprehending and applying the dharma was challenging for ordinary individuals. However, with profound compassion and loving kindness, he recognized that all living beings have unique tendencies, much like the nature of the Lotus flower. Consequently, he chose to utilize the dharma to assist all sentient beings.”
Exploring Topkapi palace is a must when visiting Istanbul. This is the palace of the sultans. You need about three hours at least if you want to just walk through slowly and enjoy the different rooms and details. You need a few hours more to study everything.
The rooms are extremely ornate and some of them like this one employed European styles The robes were extremely ornateOne of the main greeting rooms Using mostly eastern designs I think this is a French designed room The colors even on the chair upholstery is amazing One of the sultans A waiting room A Lighter coordinated design arrangement The ceilings remind me of conglomerations of starsFrench designed thrown. You will see a light blue used in the emblem which was also used in France for the royal family Arabic calligraphy is kind of mind blowing A place for Royals to washA very eastern designed throne. It doesn’t really look very comfortable though. I hope they used some pillows. Shoes of the sultan and other items A letter supposedly written by MuhammadThis is supposed to be the footprint of Mohammed. He must’ve had extremely gigantic feet. It reminds me of the footprint moldings of the Buddha. Jewish relicsMohammed’s walking stick The ornateness of everything was incredible The Palace library. You will notice there is very good lighting hereA consultant’s bedroom I love the decorations and designs It would take a lot of time to go through the palace and look at the detail of the artwork
if you visit make sure you take in all of the Beautiful Cappadocia surroundings. I went when there was snow on the ground and it was pretty cold which gives it a very different atmosphere from the summertime and the peak tourist season. You can visit anytime and I recommend going when you like the kind of weather and scenery you will find there. Most people will not visit in the winter time but you can get some amazing scenery and photos that few people have.
4000s of years people have been repurposing the hills and the hillsides for different kinds of living styles in the early morning driving was a little challenging in the deep snowI normally don’t eat much for breakfast and the place I stayed provided an amazing variety for the morning Most people are now living in the valleysan amazing way to live This is kind of a hybrid Italian and Turkish style pizza which was very niceThis is the famous Turkish beer which is very nice and you will see a foil covering on the top to keep it clean which I found to be an interesting way to protect the contents and the canRenting out horses Religious entryways I had to go visit this Korean restaurant which had very edible food but if you know a lot about Korean food you might want to try some other restaurant
when I was in school somewhere I heard about the Hittites and so while I was learning about The Hittites they didn’t really come into focus until I visited this ancient city and castle in Turkey. The long history of this area is very interesting and I recommend stopping by for a couple hours, hiring one of the guides here, and learning about the people who occupied Hattusa thousands of years ago.
A great view of the areaExplanation of the castle Learning about the head tights from the castle, the highest point in the city A very extensive stone built complexSome ancient writing on the wall An interesting place for a solar farm Explanation of some features One entranceway to the cityKingsgate explanation You could see some remnants of ancient buildings which have yet to be completely excavated Below is Lionsgate because it has lions at the entranceSome of the artwork has been restored What it looked like originally Foundations waiting for further excavation An underground entranceway This huge stone looks very much like jadeite. It was used for ceremonies of some kindThis was a doorway foundation and you can still see the scratch markings where the door impacted the foundation as it opened and closedSome temple explanations Excavation progress Part of the city wall has been rebuiltThe temple entranceway artwork The temple entrance explanation This place is very remote Beautiful Mountain View
By inspecting Topkapi you are looking into the whims and interests of the sultanates of the Ottoman Empire. Save about three hours to walk around this palace and the areas and look very closely at design details. There is a beauty here which is an amalgamation from many different cultures which can’t give you some insight into the thinking of past generations. After I visited I remembered there was a movie “Topkapi” so I went back to see that and it was about a heist in this palace and it’s a kind of an interesting movie. You can see where a famous mission impossible movie scene was copied. I won’t spill the beans. You will just need to watch the movie and enjoy the limited view of the palace until you get a chance to visit.
After you enter the palace and if you start on the left side you will first enter the harem which is an extremely important and beautiful part of the palace. Make sure you understand the meaning of the word “harem” because it is incorrectly construed most of the time. Beautiful door This is where the sultan and the ladies of the harem would sit aroundBeautiful round decoration on the ceiling with Arabic in the middle Very decorative window The eunuchs from Africa
The palace was named ‘Topkapi’ in the 1800s, meaning ‘cannon gate. ‘ Before that, it was simply known as the New Palace. It was commissioned by Mehmed the Conqueror in 1459, soon after he took over Constantinople.
Bath area This was one of the very simple breakfast offerings which you can see has very distinct and separate elements such as olives, tomatoes, cucumber, cold cuts, pastry and bread
when you visit underground Cappadocia the first thing you might think is the people were very short, not taller than 3 feet. They built these catacombs by digging in the rock for so many years is probably difficult to determine how many. They made the passages short so any people raiding the area would have to crouch down to get through the passage and that means it would be extremely difficult for them to fight. Try walking through the many levels of carved tunnels and you will come to understand why people left these rock dwellers alone. It’s one of the most interesting living arrangements made by humans.
The stairways to other levels are narrow and curve around so enemies could never see what’s in the distance. I really wonder how they would have lighted these tunnels without creating a deadly breathing environment. But maybe the breathing environment was deadly.There are larger areas where they lived and stayed for longer periods of time and which branch off to different tunnels and levels You can see how difficult it is to get through this place quickly which was probably the purpose of the structure. If you visit you will find yourself getting extremely tired bending down and walking at the same time. These people must’ve been very sturdyThere are holes in the passage ways which the guide explained were used for storing things but also for providing traps for enemies coming through. But can you imagine rotting bodies in those holes? Maybe they had a removal crew.now there are grates over the holes but they are good traps once the grates are removedThis cross-section shows six or more levels carved inside the limestone rock but they were probably moreDriving back to the hotel in the snow. Yes it snows heavily in Turkey and I hit a lot of of it But you can see that the snow adds beauty to the countrysideThe Turkish beer is very tasty and very good after a long day of driving and walking through tunnels and avoiding the large Chinese tour groups
Istanbul interesting stuff is all over the place. Make sure you walk slowly and pay attention to very small things wherever you go. One thing to note is you will enjoy looking at all the different restaurants with food from all over the world. Don’t hesitate to try them out. I found the quality of food and turkey to be extremely good.
a temple in the old bazaar areaa hookah used at a local Turkish coffee shop. It can get pretty noisy with all the bubbling sounds The national Republic Memorial atTaksimInteresting decoration at this time of year, February a somewhat secluded church dedicated to Saint Anthony of Paudaan alleyway of bars near Pera palace Hotel. Be a little bit careful here. The bartender put a bowl of peanuts on the table with the beer and no comment. Later he tried to charge me quite a bit of money for the peanuts which I refused to pay.These are the peanuts for which I was unwittingly charged an interesting meat stew with bread and tea which is normally free but they tried to charge the tourists for teaPeople enjoying the evening on the small bar street This was one of my favorites which I always hoped they provided with the light green colored spicy pepper picklesYou can see from the pictures above that they are trying to say the Ottoman ice cream is served in flat layersI didn’t know there was such a thing as pink tea leaves This was down at a fish restaurant at the fishing port which was fairly expensive and not much seafood. I didn’t think it was worth it at the port with all the fish being sold in the open this fellow is in heaven This is a model of the old Hill cable cara church celebrating Santa MariaI didn’t know until I came here that Dubai made chocolate and it is so famous but I was not interested in trying itYou will see this is sort of the typical arrangement with some meat or main vegetable dish and then raw vegetables and stuff just put on the sidea view of Istanbul from my favorite coffee shop. They also serve delicious ice cream I wonder where they keep the arrival weapons at the airport
for the slow traveler I highly recommend traveling south along the Adriatic/mediterranean coastline and visiting all the different little towns and some bigger towns along the turkey coast. There seems to be quite a bit of seafood and interest in scuba diving but I haven’t investigated that very much. But I haven’t really had any bad food in my six weeks travel and I don’t know how the scuba diving is. Try them out and see if they are to your liking.
Campers come from all over to enjoy the Adriatic coast and sunsetsSome of the islands along the coast are within a 15 minute boat ride and you will need your passport because they are in GreeceThe evenings are very nice with a lot of Oceanside walkways and lightsThis is very typical of a lunch or dinner plate in Turkey. You have the meat with some kind of other vegetable or something, in this case meatballs with eggplant. Then they put raw onion and tomato and maybe a long green pepperA simple backstreet market for people to sell whatever they have collected, quite a bit of it was secondhandI just liked the color of this car. I think it was a Renault Of course once in a while ….I love these very sour pickles which seem to be available in many different places including bars and pubs A beautiful sunset along the AdriaticThis cat just kept insisting on getting up on me. I put him down on the ground and he came right back up againI made friends in many places. These guys were very welcoming Just some street food with some vegetable and meat inside. Actually this was quite a big lunch for me. I bought this jar of pickled green peppers. They are very sour, vinegar and spicy, just my taste Tantuni’s create these very delicious wrapsThe temple to Apollo which was closed due to renovations The story behind sponge hunting Around Bodrum
