Long ago, the ancient Chinese had a curse for those they despised. "May you live in curious times." For the sedentary and uncomplicated, any changes, new ideas, or discoveries were an anathema to the quiet and undisturbed life.
Leaving the quiet of Iowa farming country far behind during the turbulent Vietnam war years wasn't difficult. But emigrating to far off
Spain was. Huge sombreros and streets crowded with donkeys it wasn't. I found myself surrounded by others of a similar romantic ilk... disillusioned ex-pats all vicarial literary sons of Papa (Hemingway) left to wander or count billboard Osborne Toros.
The bulls were a natural recreation. The real estate business on the booming coastas meant a constant roller coaster ride through black depressions to exhilarated heights.
Listening to Spanish wine stories late into the evenings led me to Peru to trace Pizarro's conquest of the Incas; jungle searches in the Amazon for Paititi and El Dorado; then off to Mexico to follow Hernan Cortez exact footsteps from where he landed in Vera Cruz until he put a sword to the Aztec empire.
I have documented my transcendental search. Some of my pictures have appeared in TIME MAGAZINE advertising Spain and some were sold to COSMOPOLITAN, including a cover shot of me on US Treasure Magazine. I am also pleased to self announce that the DISCOVERY CHANNEL is now airing programs that I wrote about more than five years ago.
Almost 40 years later, it is still the unfolding adventure living in Spain and learning to re-examine the world through the eyes of a totally distinctive culture, where passion proves more honourable than reason or righteousness - that has left me still pondering.
Come with me then on a trip and collect a few colourful souvenirs along the way. Marvels of what you might want to do, should have done or have done and forgotten already.
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