#livelikeagentleman

Calm, quiet, peaceful, simple, majestic, genuine, spiritual, kindness, unaffected, warmth, respectful, storytellers. These are all words I'd use to describe Bhutan and the Bhutanese. There are a few words missing, I know. Bhutan is called Druk Yul - Land of Thunder Dragon. Because of the violent and large thunderstorms that whip down through the valleys from the Himalayas, Bhutan is known as the Land of Thunder Dragon. The sparkling light of Thunderbolts was believed to be the red fire of a dragon. The Druk is the Thunder Dragon of Bhutanese mythology and a Bhutanese national symbol. It appears on the flag, holding jewels representing wealth. The tiny kingdom of Bhutan is nestled high in the Himalayas between China, Nepal and India. To find it on a map you really must search and fly into Paro the plane's pilot carefully negotiates between mountains taller than you've ever seen. Map Showing Location of Bhutan. I've never been more at peace with everything than when visiting Bhutan. The culture and traditions are genuine; the people warmer than any visitor could ever expect; the landscape towers over life; and the architecture transports you a thousand years back. Nothing is for "show" in Bhutan. What you see is real in every way. There is no pretence and there is no keeping up with anyone else. Our world changes rapidly, yet while Bhutan progresses, it is a country mostly unaffected by modernity. Read the full article

Calm, quiet, peaceful, simple, majestic, genuine, spiritual, kindness, unaffected, warmth, respectful, storytellers. These are all words I'd use to describe Bhutan and the Bhutanese. There are a few words missing, I know. Bhutan is called Druk Yul - Land of Thunder Dragon. Because of the violent and large thunderstorms that whip down through the valleys from the Himalayas, Bhutan is known as the Land of Thunder Dragon. The sparkling light of Thunderbolts was believed to be the red fire of a dragon. The Druk is the Thunder Dragon of Bhutanese mythology and a Bhutanese national symbol. It appears on the flag, holding jewels representing wealth. The tiny kingdom of Bhutan is nestled high in the Himalayas between China, Nepal and India. To find it on a map you really must search and fly into Paro the plane's pilot carefully negotiates between mountains taller than you've ever seen. Map Showing Location of Bhutan. I've never been more at peace with everything than when visiting Bhutan. The culture and traditions are genuine; the people warmer than any visitor could ever expect; the landscape towers over life; and the architecture transports you a thousand years back. Nothing is for "show" in Bhutan. What you see is real in every way. There is no pretence and there is no keeping up with anyone else. Our world changes rapidly, yet while Bhutan progresses, it is a country mostly unaffected by modernity. Read the full article

Having travelled the world so much, I’m all too familiar with tourists and how frustrating they can be.  Sure, most are friendly and upbeat once you have the chance to meet them, but they don’t walk or talk with consideration to the locals, they're finicky and tough to accommodate in restaurants, cause a cringe-worthy scene whenever a celebrity is around, and tend to display a general lack of situational awareness.  And what do they usually all have in common? They haven’t done their homework on local culture, which is the only way to seamlessly blend in with native strangers in unfamiliar territory. Feeling at home in a new city can be simple once you’ve studied up a bit, and it doesn’t take a ton of effort to appear respectful, in-the-know, and completely comfortable in new surroundings.  No matter the destination on your suitcase tag, you can bet that a bit of preparation will make your transition go a lot more smoothly. Study the Local Manners Most people who haven’t ever left the United States would be shocked at how something as simple as a handshake can have all kinds of nuances depending on where in the world you're travelling.  So keep in mind that every country has its own unspoken social rules, manners, and customs.  You can’t take it for granted that even your best manners will be understood or properly interpreted abroad. Read the full article

White Sands in Southern New Mexico is off the beaten path.  You have to know the sand dunes exist and then you must make an effort to get there.  You've seen the sea of white in movies, music videos, and ad campaigns.  You may have even seen Brad Pitt's painful looking photo shoot in GQ Magazine accompanying his redemption article after his split from Angeline Jolie.  If you did see the article, I'm sorry this could have been your introduction to a landscape larger than Brad will ever be. White Sands always fascinated me on the ground.  I often found myself amongst the dunes when I needed to clear my head, understand the world or to simply take a deep breath.  Someone once told me White Sands touches my soul and I believe this to be true.  The landscape is unforgiving and what seems to be endless waves of white sand dunes amongst the brown Chihuahua Desert in the Tularosa Basin.  There is a purity to the white gypsum sand accentuated by the Sacramento Mountain range in the background. If you allow it to be true, White Sands brings balance and understanding to an otherwise nonsensical world.  Everything seems to come together and make sense at White Sands.  We need this today, don't we? As I was preparing for my book, "El Paso 120: Edge of the Southwest," I visualized a variety of unique perspectives to photograph this beautiful southwestern landscape.  I'd also visit the area at various times of the day for different lighting situations. Read the full article

There are obvious reasons to Love London - the ones the tourists flock to the city to find.  Big Ben, The London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Chinatown and the list goes on and on. Are there more meaningful reasons to adore London?  In the video above I explore 24 reasons to love London.  My reasons aren't superficial, but ones you can't really see or capture with a camera.  Do you get a feeling when you are in London? My List of 24 Meaningful Reasons To Love London ::  It's a city of infinite possibilities. ::  You don't have to travel far to see a famous landmark. ::  London gives you the freedom to be who you are and be what you want to be. ::  London IS the universe and you're in the middle of it. ::  The remarkable feeling of walking over the Thames River at night. ::  The contrast between old and new; what came before and the future. ::  The buzz and the endless energy of London. ::  There are stories and history at every turn you take in London. ::  Sometimes being in London is like walking around in a movie. ::  There are endless creative opportunities in London. ::  The Royal Family (i'm not convinced of this one). ::  No matter how long you've been in London, there is always a new place to discover. ::  There are monuments to everything that ever happened in London. ::  Culturally, London is a mecca.  You're blessed with culture no matter where you go. ::  London is as international as it is British. :: Read the full article

The Meaning of Travel Travel has a different meaning for everyone.  We all seek something different when we get away from our daily routine.  For me, travel began many years ago merely being a tourist running around seeing all of the sights the guidebooks told me I simply should not miss.  "Hello Eiffel Tower"; take the obligatory photo.  "Here I am riding a vaporetto on the Grand Canal"; take the obligatory photo.  This is a thrill for many and this is ok.  I remember hosting a couple in London not too long ago.  One of the visitors barely lifted her nose away from her guidebook.  I couldn't help but say, "Look up!  Look up!  You're missing London." I am a gentleman traveller and a curious one at that.  I seek experiences and moments that have meaning.  I want to know the people of the place where I am visiting.  What do they think?  What are their customs and will they share them with me?   What can they teach me about life?  What can they teach me about my home country? And, I'm always curious about people's level of happiness.  I don't know why.  It's simply a curious pursuit of mine. Perhaps at this point in my life peeling away the superficial bits that separate cultures are what I find more appealing.  Quite frankly, I think deep down we are all the same.  The father and leader of the nomadic Berber tribe worry how his children will fare in the changing world.  The twenty-three-year-old kid in Bali wonders what truly interests him and what he will do with his life. Read the full article

Trafalgar Square fountains and traffic in a bokeh video.  Can you find the double-decker buses?   Trafalgar Square transformed over the years into what it is today.   Originally, there were no fountains in Trafalgar Square, nor were there lions.   Can you imagine?  The lions are a huge attraction as today so many people use them as props in their photos or selfies.  The fountains were added in 1845 to reduce the space for public gatherings.  The lions arrived 25 years after The Monument to Lord Nelson was erected. My earliest memories of Trafalgar Square:  one, the road went right around the square.  Cars and taxis could pass right in front of The National Gallery.  And Second, hordes and flocks of hungry pigeons populated Trafalgar Square until they were removed in the early 2000's.  Little did the pigeons know they were a tourist attraction.  All the dirty birds wanted was the bird seed or bread tourists would give them for the perfect photo op.  I'm guilty of feeding the pigeons as you can see in the photo below (circa 1986).  I must say, however, thank goodness the pigeons were banished from the square.  What do you think?  Do you miss the dirty birds? If you have a walk around the square, you'll find the world's smallest police phone box, now used as a storage room for the cleaners.  In case you've missed the police box, I've included a photo of it below.  You'll also find a plaque commemorating the very centre of London. Read the full article

“No matter where you go, there you are.” – Buckaroo Banzi “While armchair travellers dream of going places, travelling armchairs dream of staying put.” – Anne Tyler “We should come home from adventures, and perils, and discoveries every day with new experience and character” – Henry David Thoreau “People don’t take trips . . . trips take people.” – John Steinbeck “The more I travelled the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends.” – Shirley MacLaine “Take only memories, leave only footprints.” – Chief Seattle “People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering.” – St. Augustine “There is one voyage, the first, the last, the only one.” – Thomas Wolfe “NOT I – NOT ANYONE else, can travel that road for you, You must travel it for yourself.” – Walt Whitman “You don’t choose the day you enter the world and you don’t choose the day you leave.  It’s what you do in between that makes all the difference.” – Anita Septimus “Once you have travelled, the voyage never ends… The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” – Helen Keller “For my part, I travel not to go anywhere but to go.  I travel for travel’s sake.  The great affair is to move.” Read the full article