lundi 16 novembre 2020

WHAT BROUGHT THE MAGIC OF TRAVEL TO ME ?

En Akaba dejó la huella de su mano en la pared de los abrevaderos.

      En Gdynia se lamentó por haber perdido sus papeles en una riña de taberna, pero no quiso dar su verdadero nombre.

       En Recife ofreció sus servicios al Obispo y terminó robándose una custodia de hojalata con un baño de similor.

       En Abidján curó la lepra tocando a los enfermos con un cetro de utilería y recitando en tagalo una página del memorial de aduanas.

       En Valparaíso desapareció para siempre, pero las mujeres del barrio alto Aseguran que la imagen alivia los cólicos menstruales y preserva a los recién nacidos contra el mal de ojo.


At Akaba he left his handprint on the wall of the troughs.

       In Gdynia he regretted having lost his papers in a tavern brawl, but did not want to give his real name.

        In Recife he offered his services to the Bishop and ended up stealing a tin custody with a similor bath.

        In Abidjan he cured leprosy by touching the sick with a prop scepter and reciting a page from the customs memorial in Tagalog.

        In Valparaíso it disappeared forever, but the women of the upper neighborhood claim that the image relieves menstrual cramps and preserves newborns against the evil eye.


Em Akaba, ele deixou a marca de sua mão na parede das calhas.

       Em Gdynia, ele lamentou ter perdido seus papéis em uma briga de taverna, mas não quis revelar seu nome verdadeiro.

        Em Recife ofereceu seus serviços ao bispo e acabou roubando uma custódia de lata com banho de similor.

        Em Abidjan, ele curou a lepra tocando o doente com um cetro de adereço e recitando uma página do memorial da alfândega em Tagalo.

        Em Valparaíso ela desapareceu para sempre, mas as mulheres da zona alta afirmam que a imagem alivia as cólicas menstruais e preserva os recém-nascidos contra o mau-olhado.


A Akaba, il a laissé l'empreinte de sa main sur le mur des auges.

       A Gdynia, il regrettait d'avoir perdu ses papiers dans une bagarre de taverne, mais ne voulait pas donner son vrai nom.

        À Recife, il offrit ses services à l'évêque et finit par voler une garde en étain avec un bain similaire.

        À Abidjan, il guérit la lèpre en touchant les malades avec un sceptre et en récitant une page du mémorial des douanes en tagalog.

        À Valparaíso, il a disparu à jamais, mais les femmes du quartier supérieur affirment que l'image soulage les crampes menstruelles et préserve les nouveau-nés contre le mauvais œil.


Je suis Maqroll El Gaviero Judio

Dressed like a Musulman from the Eastern part of Ghana, I offered a salaam to the village headman, while trying to smuggle some precious palms not seen in the west for decades.

Trying to cross an International border in the company of some indigenous people who have no regard for such things as borders, he pretended to speak in the ancient language of the Kickapoo in front of the baffled Mexican officials who patted him on his shoulders and offered him a shot of Tequila 

The immigration officer as I entered Togo greeted me warmly only later did I realize that he wanted my hat and in exchange I received an exquisitely hand made local peasant's hat which shielded my face from the fierce sun as I made my way to Benin where I was to meet some descendants of the Viceroy of Ouidah


On the way to Tashkent, in an isolated stretch of land, there was just one shack and it advertised a Photographer who was eager to take my photograph. Once he put away his antique camera of some soviet manufacture, he whispered in my ear, in a language that I could not decipher, you are a Jew are you not, so am I ..


After a nice dinner at Las Closerie des Lilas, where he sat with his newly found companion under an august moon, near the very same tree that Ernest Hemingway seemed to have graced, he offered his hand to the frightened maiden from the interior of the province of Sao Paolo in Brasil to whom he had promised a promenade along the Pont des Amantes


(this restaurant is over 100 years old)

(Pont Neuf where the French movie Les Amants du Pont Neuf was filmed)


The Bar Italiano in Frith Street in Soho

as a student I enjoyed my cappuccino while reading the book at hand

I would like to have a coffee there..


In Palermo in Buenos Aires I always felt at home admiring the Portenos who took time at their dining tables and once I left the restaurant at 3 AM having arrived for dinner at 11 PM..


Travel is Magic


Tuvalu Tokelau Majuro Tarawa Apia Hanga Roa 

Suva Port Vila Tongatapu Levuka Thursday Island Kangaroo Island 

from my part of the world ...


Good Night from Miami 

Happy Anniversary 








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