My own Broadway show in NYC

Yeah - a big ass stage, fancy costumes, elaborate equipment and just the right lighting conditions... Sometimes when I am away from home exploring the planet there happens a day that blows away all expectations of anything one may have of the environment one finds themselves in. Today (Jan 4th, 2010) in New York City was such a day.

I had been putting off doing the Staten Island Ferry (which is one of the best freebies anywhere) due to how cold & snowy it has been. So when the day dawned bright and sunny I headed off from my little Greenwich Village sublet studio with all my camera gear and a smile on my face. Part of the charm of Manhattan Island is the ability to walk everywhere. One can wander along Broadway for the entire island and feel the ethnic charms and economic diversity that is what makes NYC so unique. While on my way towards the Battery Park and the south end of the island - I found it impossible not to be drawn back to Ground Zero. This piece of Earth draws you to it. Eyes gaze upwards toward the cranes and down to the enormous hole that is finally being filled with a new lease on life. A few nights prior after touring the Tribute WTC Visitors Center, I noticed upon exiting that there was hardly a dry eye in the place. The WTC holds a power and a presence that transcends race, age and religion.

The ferry outshone everything I had read about the trip - it was fantastic. As I wandered out of the Manhattan Terminal on my return, I was approached by a hawker of scenic helicopter rides. Now since I get the chance to fly in the wonderful machines at least once a month - I initially shunned the cost and even the idea of flying around the NYC area. As I strolled up the East River pathways towards the Brooklyn Bridge I was suddenly struck by the fact that it was a beautiful winter day here in New York City. No wind and a bright sun that was starting to want towards that perfect afternoon glowing light.

Needless to say, I opted out of the big frilly Broadway evening that I had thought about and decided to make my own production n using a Bell 407 as my prop and the skyline of one of the world's greatest cities as my stage. The results can be seen at www.good2gophotography.com under "Latest Adventure".

New York City has been fascinating - I cannot believe the diversity, warmth and friendliness found on this little island called Manhattan. I feel so very blessed to have been to four cities in 2009 that I think are some of the finest urban centres on the planet: Istanbul, Hong Kong, San Francisco and NYC.

As a lover of music in this metropolitan oasis I have had the pleasure to experience the Harlem Gospel Choir at BB Kings, Hip hop/rock and open mike nights throughout the Village, and Latin, gypsy wackiness at Joe's. Outstanding.

I trust your family had a wonderful and safe holiday season. In the year 2010 I truly hope we can move forward with tolerance, understanding and compassion towards each other on this little piece of rock we share called Earth.

Safe journeys.

Iran

Written June 2, 2009

"Out beyond the fields of wrong doing and the fields of right doing there is another field - I'll meet you there."
11th century Persian Poet

My heart skipped a beat as I glanced up from the Turkmenistan Passport Control window through the chain link fence and read in English "Welcome to the Islamic Republic of Iran". It was a beautiful sunny day at the Iranian Bajgiran border station located high on a mountain pass just south of Ashkhabad, the capital of Turkmenistan. I was about to cross into a country that I have viewed with a certain level of trepidation in for most of my life. I remember 1979: the storming of the US Embassy, flags burning, hostages, a menacing demonic looking man calling himself an Ayatollah shouting hate into the TV screen that was so foreign to anything I had ever seen. Bloodcurdling, unnerving and terrifying images beamed out to the world from seemingly another planet.

Thirty years has now passed since those fateful days of the Revolution in Iran. During that time I have had the good fortune to travel abroad into many different ethnic, cultural and religious experiences that have forever changed my perspective of life in "The West". My journeys usually begin with reading and much research into my next adventure - for although I am an enthusiastic "intrepid" traveler - foolhardy decisions I try to avoid. When I saw this trip schedule I knew that this would be the chance of a lifetime to visit a country that has intrigued me for years.

Meanwhile back at the border - Through the welcome gate we fumbled along clad in our conspicuous tourist version of a hejab - modified scarves passing as veils and "butt covering garb". Within 20 minutes the deafening kerplunk of the stamp plunging onto my passport was complete. I gathered my backpack and started to head towards the exit when a man began speaking in loud Farsi- pointing at me and waving his arms at the baggage x-ray machine. I stopped in my tracks, my heart leaping into my throat. Another man stepped in front of me and demanded "Where are you from?" "Canada," I replied, my eyes wide trying to appear friendly and somewhat meek. "Tourist?" he asked. "Yes." His face then opened up into a broad smile and while placing his right hand on his heart, he bowed slightly as he waved me past the machine and in a loud, very proud voice announced "Welcome to Iran, I hope you enjoy my country."

And so it begins. The following time spent in this bizarre land of contradictions has provided so many accounts of everyday Iranian citizens reaching out to touch, talk and inquire about our small group. Western visitors are still very rare in the former Persian Empire. Between the wars, sanctions, misguided media and certainly misunderstood leadership, Iran has not provided a stellar welcoming committee for Westerners. That trend though appears to be slowly changing. Our group toured through three cities: Mashhad, Esfahan & Tehran - all very different but with a common denominator being the people. A typical encounter whether at a museum, fruit stand, walking down the street or in a cafe unfolds as follows:
1. Eye contact - what an extremely powerful tool when you are running around in a modified bed sheet or "under the hood". The dress restrictions for females are slowly relaxing - many Iranian women when they are not at a holy site have the art of head scarf balancing down to a fine science. To be very frank - it stunk having to wear the Chador - the modified bed sheet (which was required at the Holy Shrine in Mashhad). After that experience the head accessory was not so bad, but there were no tears on the Turkish border when we "retired" our gear.
2. "Hello - where are you from?
3. "How do you like my country?"
And the real zinger...
4. "Do you think we are terrorists?"
The first time I heard number four I almost fell over. The young lady asking was a university student who blurted the question out so earnestly it took me completely by surprise. By the third time I had heard this question asked I started to really feel hollow inside. How did we get here? We all have our own perception and opinion on historical events - I will save the soapbox and only wish that the poetry I quoted at the beginning of this tale perhaps be used in how we shape our future.

This Silk Route journey has been an incredible lesson in history. Not only has the physical distance covered been vast - just over 11,500km; the characters and their legacies encountered along the way are like stepping back to the very time they existed in. The individuals - Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Timur.... The dynasties & empires - Babylon, Chou, Rome, Mongols, and Ottomans -extraordinary each step of the way. It therefore was very appropriate to finish off in the former Persian Empire and to visit many monuments that have managed to be left intact through the ravages of time.

I encourage you to check out my photos online. There are too many stories to share and a picture really does speak a thousand words. The sheer class and elegance of the Persian architecture stands heads and tails above anything else remaining from the ancient world. The only blatant exception to "class" was our visit to Khomeini’s tomb. The three of our group that ventured out past the Tehran city limits on the Metro to see the "shrine" were beyond flabbergasted to see this dreadful mess that has been under construction for almost 20 years - discussions with current and former Iranians lead you to truly wonder what the Revolutions leader's place in history will end up being.

Most chilling experience - no question - was seeing the former US Embassy in Tehran. There is something that takes your breath away when you see a structure still standing like it has been in a time machine. The images from 79 flashback in a moment - the building and grounds appearing exactly the same - right down to where the main fence was finally breached as the angry mobs poured over it and violated the ultimate sanctuary that diplomacy stands to protect at all costs. And high overhead peaking through that very gap in the fence flies the colors of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Ironic that out of all the places that I ventured to on this exotic journey, I would return to Iran in a moment’s notice - it truly has touched my heart in a way I never imagined possible. I have never encountered citizens of any country that are so accommodating, inquisitive and above all else as kind and generous as the Iranians are.
- to the man who has returned since the Revolution to run a teahouse in Tehran
- to the young couple who questioned me for half an hour in a museum ending up with a crowd of people surrounding us, all of them inquiring "How do you like Iran?
- to the young woman on the train trip to Istanbul who was at 25 excited to be visiting a disco for the first time
- to the ski instructor we met on Tochal Ski Hill that desires so much to come and ski in Canada - to the folks that we spent over three days in transit on train and boat from Tehran with. Many of whom we ended up exchanging emails, hugs and even tears with at the final destination of Istanbul
- and even to the young man on the metro that mentioned to Tracey & I that women should not laugh in public because it not accepted in their culture.....

To each of these folks and to so many others - I truly hope we can find that "other" field between right and wrong someday. Best wishes to you and your family from the fascinating Islamic Republic of Iran.

Check out photos at: www.good2gophotography.com

China & Central Asia

May 16, 2009
Greetings friends from the heart of Central Asia - the ancient city of Bukhara.
The past two weeks has been a journey along the time worn trails that travelers have passed through for over 2700 years. It is hard to imagine what the days of camel caravans and nomads must have been like, for it is desolate enough in a vehicle/train as we wind along old highways and ribbons of steel.

The northern Chinese city of Turpan was absolutely one of the highlights of the trip so far. The country side so stark and void of life - yet Turpan a cultural and spiritual oasis. I have explored many markets in my travels - yet this one had a level of energy I found nowhere else. People as so friendly - kids running all over - yelling "hello" with big smiles on their faces. Chickens, every known food, clothing, and machines - all of it spread out in a sea of colors and smell unique to Asian Markets everywhere.

Train rides are very much a part of this overland experience and we have spent well over half the nights on the train - the "clickity-clack" is a rather soothing way to sleep. The other half it sometimes seems is spent at border crossings. I will not get into the tragic circumstances that the "STANS" are creating for themselves - but since the fall of the Iron Curtain they are becoming each an inland with a bureaucrat nightmare "protecting" them from each other. It reminds me of many ways of Kenya - there has basically been no infrastructure investment since 1991 - and it is really starting to show. The people put on a brave face - they are each very proud of their history and their "stan" - however once you get to chatting with them it quickly becomes apparent how sad and worried they are about where things are going. It in many ways is the complete reverse of what the EU has created for travelling in Europe - one currency, no or limited boarder controls and a joy to travel around in - to say nothing of the economic benefits. We have not been roughed up by the police - however - I have seen firsthand incidents that certainly make one raise an eyebrow.

Winding along through Almaty, Kazakhstan took me back to the foothills and mountains of Alberta. Then on to the dry farmlands of Uzbekistan - the odd "very ancient" soviet tractor out tilling a field being followed by humans and donkeys. It seems here that most farming practices are all done by hand other than the tilling and even then you still see many donkeys out pulling equipment.

The Aral Sea "Issue" is something I would recommend you Google firsthand. Our local guide in Tashkent very proudly told us that the city traded the Sea for a Subway system.... enough said. If you think NA has potential water issues - this one will blow you away!

The most interesting cultural part has been finally learning firsthand about the religion of Islam. I realized before there would be so much more to it than what our media and governments offer - however standing in a mosque and having the entire prayer, pillars and many fundamental beliefs outlined to you by a sincere Muslim man - really opens up your brain. I can't recommend the experience enough.

The cities of Tashkent (which has the best $3.50 Cnd Opera anywhere on earth), Samarkand and Bukhara - all Uzbek - have offered an abundance of history, great folks and some "interesting" situations at times. Please visit my Picasa site for photos at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=goldenphotographer&target=ALBUM&id=5330616025262167553&authkey=Gv1sRgCK-LpufzopeTDQ&feat=email

Beanie Bags Volcano Villarrica.... - March 12, 2008

.....ahhhhhh - the little dog just can't seem to to sit still these days. And where ever he goes, sun & blue sky seem to follow him.

Recent memories of the howling wind found around Torres del Paine, provided him with some sense of trepidation as he prepared for arrival in El Calafate, Argentina. The notorious weather in this area leads to many trekking and climbing trips spent in tents staring out at the bases of glaciers and granite mountains, holding on for dear life to any solid tree or rock when venturing out for potty breaks.

So imagine our delight when the first day spent in the area was somewhat overcast, with winds only gusting upwards of 80km per hour when we arrived into town. We elected to do a very 'tourist' thing and ride on a big ass tourist bus to the Perito Moreno Glacier - complete with the boat ride to within 50 or so meters of the base. It is claimed that this is one of only three glaciers in South America that is actually not retreating. The best part about this piece of ice is that it is EXTREMELY active with large and small chunks crashing into the lake on a very regular basis. Luck is mostly involved with capturing these crashes on film..... and we got some good ones!

The main reason for this stop in Patagonia though was a visit to hopefully 'see' two of the worlds most beautiful works of granite. During the prep work, I visited various websites that were full of woeful tales of folks who spent weeks in the area and never once saw the tops of these two wonders. I am referring to Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitz Roy, also located in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These two mountains constitute what many climbers feel is some of the most challenging granite to scale anywhere on the planet. Add to their sheer faces the rotten weather that usually found in the area and very few humans ever get a chance to lay claim to their top. Photographers clamour to the area with hopes of a glimpse through the lens - vying for the perfect moment to grab a shot.

HOWEVER, Beanie must have bribed a park official because the day we arrived the weather (that had been cloudy) broke in the evening and we spent three nights camping around the park, staring up at a completely crystal clear sky. Star gazing abound, flourishing alpenglow, not a breath of wind.... it was just plain silly. Everyone we ran into shook their heads in disbelief at our shared good fortune.

I will not rant about how spectacular these two mountains are. The photos speak a million words and the whole experience in this park rates up in the top three of anywhere I have been on this planet. Simply brilliant.

A somewhat overwhelmed Beanie returned to Calafate with 'Leaving on a Jet Plane' drifting in the air. A quick side - Calafate has no redeeming qualities (other than some nice folks & new airport). Envision a purgatory.... a large Wal-Mart surrounded by howling winds, sand storms and ENDLESS cheap 'made in China' brik-a-brac, complete with 1,527,893 stray, mangy dogs that bark and bark and bark ALL night long. Ok, I do not think I will be getting a job at their chamber of commerce anytime soon - but it really is a scar, in an otherwise amazing area.

Aero Argentina provided the taxi to Bariloche and suddenly lakes and volcanoes replaced glaciers. We have cycled, trekked and rented a car to go do a circuit through the Lakes District into Chile. Highlight number ?? was two mornings ago when we had a 0400 hr start to climb up the very active volcano Villarrica. News stories from its neighbour Llaima where abound in January with its eruptions. No eruptions for us this day. Just that bizarre blue sky thing again.

Beanie can now report that he has officially climbed to the summit of volcanoes on four different continents. Not too bad for a little stuffed dog from Safeway!

Enough of our tales.... we have one more trek in some different mountains and then are homeward bound. I thank you for taking time to read about Beanies latest journey. I am awestruck at what we have seen and experianced on this trip - only enhanced by our good fortune to have been in Patagonia during one of the dryest and sunniest summers on record.

As always, best wishes to you and your family where ever you find yourself on this globe.

Safe journeys,

Cheryl, Wayne and the hippest perros in Patagonia, Beanie

Beanie Goes to the Birds..... - February 28, 2008

Buenas dias - from the beautiful port city of Ushuaia, Argentina.

Yes, the whole family (including Wayne) made it across the border from Chile. We will be travelling on this side of Patagonia for the couple of weeks, and don´t anticipate Wayne being thrown into handcuffs the next time we cross over!

Ushuaia is officially the furthest south city in the world. Very much a working port community with cruise ships, tankers, sail boats and a very active Argentinean Navy presence. It lies in the middle of the Beagle channel (Beanie is simply overwhelmed by all these dog references), with Argentina being on the eastern half of the Tierra del Fuego Island and Chile taking up the rest of the land on both sides of the channel. Our 14 hour bus ride from Puerto Natales to here was long, but went seamlessly - a reminder of how poor our public transport in Canada is..... Upon leaving the land around Puerto Natales and heading south, the landscape turns into a barren, desolate world. Populated only by sheep (hundreds of thousands of them), the odd estancia (ranch), some oil and gas wells and a whole lot of nothing..... kinda like SE Saskatchewan.

After crossing the Strait of Magellan via ferry one has left the final solid land of the Americas and is now on Tierra del Fuego - an expansive island that is shared between Chile and Argentina. Travelling through the city of Rio Grande brought memories of the infamous Falklands' War of the 1980´s. The city served as the main military outpost for the Argentinean´s in their 'scrimmage' with Great Britain and is strewn with old relics. Not too sure what the government was thinking.... but the one thing that Argentina most certainly has is a colourful political history!

It is not until the final 150km heading south that one starts to see things like trees and hills again. Cows take over from sheep and the ranches are huge and much more modern looking than their Chilean counterparts. Suddenly the southern Andes besiege you. In many ways it seems that you are in the Alps with the towering mountains and valley lakes.

We camped for a couple of days in the National Park for Tierra del Fuego. Pristine and free campsites were shared the first day by a large part of the Ushuaia population. The Sunday afternoon saw hundreds of families having BBQ´s (they sure love their beef) and the unusually warm weather had us even sun tanning the afternoon away at our campsite. All shared with the rabbits of the park..... thousands and thousands of rabbits. Man - in our infinite wisdom imported rabbits and beavers to this land in the 1900s. Needless to say, neither have any natural predators, so now there are rabbits and beavers ALL OVER the place.

Beanie had to go pose by the channel for Mae´s benefit and for photos to be sent to Beagle Paws Rescue group back in Newfoundland. We learned yesterday that the 'HMS Beagle' in which Fitz Roy journeyed through these parts with Charles Darwin in the 1830´s, was truly named for the Beagle dog. Goes to show why Beagle´s can´t stay at home!

Day hikes, outstanding weather and a stunning trek up to a mountain top along the channel allowed for views of the land to the south. Even down to Cape Horn - very cool!

****HUGE TRIP HIGHLIGHT****
Best of all - little critters dressed in formal black and white outfits. Beanie was beside himself yesterday when we went to the 20,000 acre Harberton Ranch, got into an inflatable boat and went to Marillo Island to spend some time hanging out with - you guessed it - PENGUINS!!!!! Ok - so I may have taken a couple of photos..... maybe even a couple of memory cards worth - but oh my - they are SO CUTE! Wayne was not quite as taken with them as Beanie & I (it seemed to be a female thing cause most of the lady human chicks and Beanie were all pretty excited). I won´t ramble about them (did I mention how cute they are?!?) but to be part of a group of only 14 people and to get on the shore and walk around with these little creatures was pretty special! Due to the island being owned by the ranch, only their tours (limited to 14 people at one time, twice per day) can land and go ashore - certainly worth the price of admission.

So there is what our journey to the end of the earth (tourist lingo) in Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego has been like. We grab an airplane later today and head north, to El Calafate, back into the mountains and to the home of two granite wonders called Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre - two of the most challlenging climbs on the planet. I just hope this weather holds and we get to see them!

Safe journeys to you in your part of the planet,

Cheryl, Wayne & the Beanie

Voyage of the Beanie - Febraury 21, 2008

Not to be confused with Darwin`s Voyage of the Beagle......

Hola from Patagonia - Chile. The land of wild mountains, strange animals and most of all - WIND. It is unbelievable how it can blow here. The good news is that when we did the Circuit route around Torres del Paine the wind was at our backs most of the time over the high areas. It can blow so strong that people were knocked off their feet and skidded around on the ground! Entertainment abound!

Our real high adventures actually began on this trip with the drive in Calgary. My beloved PT Cruiser had a major meltdown while we were at MEC picking up last minute supplies. When oil is running out the bottom of your car faster than you can pour it in.... it is not a good thing. Thank goodness we were only a few minutes from Renfrew and they took Pearl right in. The good news.... I found out last night via email that there was a crack in the lower engine block and the entire issue has been covered under warranty. Guess Beanie can keep on travelling!

After a cluster**** (you fill in the blank) of issues with Air Canada and our flight to Toronto, we ended up with the pleasure of staying in seedy Mississauga hotel for an evening due to missing our connection by 20 minutes..... God (or someone) please bless Air Canada.

Then..... Wayne was almost not allowed to come into Chile due to the fact he had washed his passport..... an issue that still may come to haunt us when we try to leave the country for Argentina on Saturday.

Beanie and I both were almost at the end of our sense of humour supply by this time.

However, everything started to roll into high gear and the trip has been a delight. Highlights so far include an amazing journey on the Navimag ferry from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales. Weather, seas and people on this voyage could not have been better. Traveling for three days on a small boat allowed for us to meet like minded travelers of all ages from the globe. The worst part was trying to remember my limited Spanish (listening), while talking in my limited French (to the French folks on board) and listening back in some form of English.... never at a loss for words though, I manage to butcher all the languages and come up with some Spani-Frenchi-Engli statment that even I no longer understand!

The coastline we travelled is so much like BC only no lights, no people and very few boats. We did see three other sailing boats, one of which radioed the bridge (which we had open access to throughout the trip) and asked for weather. It is a mighty big chunk of water that we traveled through with volcanoes thrusting up from the land and enormous glaciers from the Patagonia Icecap spilling into the water. More onboard entertainment was provided by those unlucky souls who didn`t like the four to six meter sea swells too much. Lets just say that there was about 12 hours on board where half the people sat in a comatose position, eyes blank, no food daring to enter their system and a very whitewashed pallor to their skin.

I mentioned the wind already - however, the weather in general is quite variable here. Perhaps a better word would be neurotic. Photo ops for Beanie are limited to moments when you can hear the next gust en-route and have at least 5 seconds to place him and catch the photo. Rain, sleet and snow followed by at least twenty minutes of hot sun seem to be the hourly cycle. Every hour.... on the hour..... makes for damp nights in the tent, but one sure does sleep well at night after days filled of 20 km hikes with fully loaded packs.

Off to Argentina and the end of the earth on Saturday. Best to each of you in your place on this planet. No photos right now - will be posting them upon return to my website, which is currently down due to it.

Safe journeys,

Cheryl, Wayne & Beanie

Stop. Observe. Instead of rushing everywhere, slow down and look deep inside the neighborhood that encompasses you. Behold the season, colors, dirt, light, sun, sky, rocks, flowers and birds. From the almost undetectable shadows to the vast panoramic mountain vistas, nature has provided a wonderment called life that we need to appreciate, admire, understand and protect. As a photographer, I simply try to capture and share it through the lens of my camera.

I was inflicted with wanderlust and the photography bug as a young child. Good fortune allowed my family to travel extensively in a single engine airplane throughout Canada and the United States. By the time I was a teenager, I had toured throughout a great deal of Western Canada and to over 30 states. Seeing so much of the continent from the air and ground sparked my desire to capture and share the journeys from this unique perspective.

The photography from my family's adventures became evenings filled with friends and family. Crowded around the living room, watching as slide after slide chronicled our latest trip, I did not at the time realize the impact that these journeys and evenings would have on me until many years later.
It was as an adult that I too, began to use the camera as a tool of trying to capture and share my journeys. Today, like a painter with a blank canvas, I use the viewfinder to seize the subtle differences a subject has. In the blink of an eye I can realign and refocus on the same subject, but come away with an entirely different end product.

Whether it is a day hike up a mountain valley or a visit to an exotic Asian city, I find capturing the journey's surroundings the highlight of the excursion. As simple mortal human beings, we are visitors to this wilderness called Earth. I believe that we are not placed here to impact and change it, but to observe, learn and exist.

Photographs really do speak a thousand words. I hope that the collage of photographs you see in my collection help you to listen and appreciate your surroundings, while understanding the unique fragility and beauty that exists within them.

Safe journeys,
Cheryl A. Goodwin