Easter Island is the epitome of an island paradise.  The varying hues of green lands and bright blue ocean waters, punctuated by dirt-red stone (red scoria, used for the moai topknots) make for a visual delight, almost like looking at a perfectly composed painting.  In the village of Hanga Roa, where we’ve made our home since arriving, the few streets are lined with fragrant gardens of tropical plants and bright flowers, easily picked and used as an alluring hair decoration (only for the ladies!).  And, because we are here during the Tapati Festival, the Rapanui musical sounds of ukulele and soothing song constantly resonate in the background as a soundtrack to our journey.

Every day, a new adventure awaits us.  Now adjusted to the more lackadaisical pace of the island, we depart the hotel at a ‘civilized’ hour in search of ever more moai to gaze upon in awe.  Though all stops present endless picturesque photo opportunities, for me Ahu Tongariki is the most stunning.  Located on the southwestern corner of the island with Rano Raraku volcano/quarry looming in the background, it is the largest ahu on the island with fifteen moai statues restored.  Being the only group on site – which has become the norm for us spoiled tourists – only adds to our appreciation of the statues’ grandeur.  Wild horses graze on the plains here and just behind them one can see the moai heads frozen on the slope of Rano Raraku, watching over us and the goings on, as they have done for centuries. Upon our guide’s insistence, I stand in emulation of these rock statues at just the right angle, so I could be immortalized as the sixteen moai at Tongariki.  The best souvenir of the trip!

Back in Hanga Roa, we retreat to our charming rooms at Hotel O’tai for an afternoon respite.  It has become a tradition for our group to take a leisurely stroll down the few blocks to the harbor for a luscious gelato (chocolate for me, of course) and cappuccino at Mi Kafe.  We sit and watch gleeful children playfully swim as gentle tides lap against the sides of the boats anchored at bay.  If we are lucky, we catch a glimpse of the oft-lingering sea turtle who I have affectionately (and arbitrarily) named ‘Fred.’  One could stay in this place forever!

As the August moon waxes in the Buddhist month of Esala, the most flamboyant of festivals takes over the medieval royal city of Kandy in Sri Lanka. The procession includes fire jugglers swinging flaming torches, lively acrobats, a cacophony of percussionists pounding traditional drums, almost 5,000 dancers clanging finger cymbals, musicians, whip crackers, torch bearers, and as many as 100 wildly adorned (think flashing lights and lavish garments!) elephants.

The largest elephant carries the most revered of treasures – a golden casket said to hold a tooth of Buddha. The tooth is thought to have been brought to this island in the 3rd century AD, hidden in the hairdo of a princess.

The tradition dates back to about 300 BC and is considered the most colorful in Asia, the pageant is intended to invoke the blessings of the gods for rain, fertility, successful crops and good health… As shown in the videos below.

Join Far Horizons and travel to Sri Lanka to experience this amazing event in person! Led by Professor Emeritus Michael Coe, the trip dates are August 16 – September 3, 2013 and the itinerary can be viewed on our website.

As soon as my friend Donna Tang and I walked through the airport terminal at Denpasar, Bali, I knew we were in for an adventure. We passed an exquisitely carved Hindu gate in the terminal and then a sign saying that anyone caught bringing illegal drugs into Bali would be punished by death (“That’s a bit harsh,” Dennis, a fellow Far Horizons traveler remarked). Jasmine flower leis were put over our heads (someone joked, “Exactly what we need after sleeping in our clothes!”) as we experienced a rush of fascinating sights, sounds, and smells. And we hadn’t even left the airport yet!

By the next day I had fallen in love with Bali. Our hotel was breathtaking, especially to a weary New Yorker who’d had it with bricks and cement. After a day relaxing, swimming, getting massages, and doing yoga (Eat, Pray, Love, anyone?), we began our education about Bali’s rich and complex culture. Our guide Budi, who, as I would later find out is a local celebrity, is an encyclopedia of all things Balinese. Over the following days we visited spectacular Hindu temples, were invited into private house compounds, saw dance and gamelan demonstrations at which we were the only guests, watched artisans at work in their studios, and otherwise went off the beaten track.

For a place that is so popular with tourists, I felt like we were the only foreigners visiting.

As I write now, some months later, my favorite memories are of the once-every-fifty-years festival at Blahbatuh, standing with my feet in the Indian Ocean at Pura Tanah Lot, having lunch on a crater rim with an unforgettable view of Lake Batur, visiting a gamelan foundry, walking through ancient rice terraces at Jatiluwich while listening to the rush of irrigation water that is channeled down from volcanoes, and seeing a double ikat weaver’s workshop in Twnganan. I still chuckle when I think about our visit to Borobodour Temple in Java. Over and over I was asked by groups of children, who were visiting there on school field trips, if they could take my picture. Each time a solitary shy teenager would walk up to me with her camera, as though she wanted a photo of me alone. When I said yes, a group of twelve or more would suddenly materialize out of who knows where, giggling wildly as they ran up and surrounded me to be in the picture!

Travel with Far Horizons to Bali September 27 – October 12, 2013

http://www.farhorizons.com/trips/Asia/Bali/tourtoBali.php

Barbara’s artwork can be seen on her website: http://www.barbararachko.com/

Our approach to the Valley of the Queens takes us past the impressive Colossi of Memnon, the last standing vestiges of Amenhotep III’s great mortuary temple, all but destroyed by the floodplain over time.  We stop for our customary photo op and imagine the grandeur of what once stood here.  At the Valley of the Queens, the path splinters up a small hill and we are waived past the surprisingly simple chained gate up to a thatched seating area where we await the okay to enter.  Other tourists group watch and wonder why we have been able to pass and a small part of me relishes their looks of envy.  Given the tomb’s fragility, only ten of us can enter at a time and we are only allowed to stay for a few precious minutes.  But, oh, what glory we witnessed in those few minutes, what indescribable beauty.  The white walls in this “house of eternity” are covered with the most exquisite paintings and graphics this three-time traveler to Egypt has ever seen.  The colors – green, yellow, blue, red and black – leap out at you, so fresh and vibrant that they seem to have been painted only yesterday.  As we walk through the chambers we see the height of artistic expression depicting Nefertari’s journey after death to the afterlife, guided by various guardian-spirits and deities, including Isis, Hathor, and Osiris.

In ancient Egyptian, the name Nefertari means “the most beautiful,” so I guess it’s no wonder that this tomb far exceeds any other in both beauty and elegance. Now it’s on to Aswan….

Travel with Far Horizons to Egypt in 2013!

View to the inner sanctuary at Vat Phou

By Heather Stoeckley

Today we fly to Laos, leaving behind our thrilling week of explorations – quasi Indiana Jones style – through the various jungle temples at Angkor Wat.  Once arrived, we enjoy a serene meander down the Mekong River and eventually reach the ending point to board our bus for lunch.  Today’s fare is at a truck stop of a restaurant, but most of our group agrees that the beef and vegetable stew we quickly devour is probably the best, most flavorful dish tasted so far…. And certainly the most authentic.

Rice paddies at sunset

The drive to Vat Phou takes us past rice paddies, shimmering with the afternoon sun’s reflection.  We wave at the farmers who take a momentary respite from their work to wave back, happy to share a smile with us, the uncommon tourist.  Colorfully painted pagodas dot the mountainous landscape and despite the bumpy detour through a nearby village, our journey today is one of the most peaceful in our trip thus far.

Frangipani-lined path at Vat Phou

At Vat Phou, we make the trek up to the archaeological site, where ruins of this former Khmer temple complex still stand and where various countries claim restoration projects, perhaps attesting to its historical value.  Those brave and not completely exhausted among us attempt to climb the frangipani-lined stone steps up to the sanctuary, which is now a pilgrimage site for Theravada Buddhists.  Winded by the time I reach the top, I briefly pause to donate/purchase an incense stick and flower offering.  Continuing inside, I pay my respects to the Buddha image resting inside and exit.  I pick a spot at the edge of the cliff and peer down to the ruins below… It is sunset and hardly any people remain on site.  Some subtle chanting begins from the locals who remain and I know that my time on site must come to an end.  So I begin my descent back down the steps, picking up frangipani flowers along the way as my own souvenir of this magical, relaxing place.  Already Laos has far exceeded my expectations….

Travel with Far Horizons to Cambodia & Laos in 2013 or 2014!

Have you wondered about that image of the little guy with the TV in his stomach that is the Far Horizons logo?

Let me tell you the story…

The Mimbres people lived a thousand years ago in several hundred small villages of no more than 200 inhabitants each in what is now southern New Mexico. Contemporary with the Pueblo people to the north in Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon, this culture would be of little interest were it not for their production of an exquisite kind of painted pottery. The artists created deep bowls as a surface on which to paint dynamic imagery, many of highly stylized animals and human figures most likely relating to the Mimbres life and religion, placed within framed picture spaces.

The discovery of Mimbres pottery in the early part of the 1900s led to research and digs, but not all of them were scientific. A growing market for these lovely ceramic vessels led to a flood of skilled looters who used bulldozers to strip-mine sites in search of pots that could be sold to collectors. Virtually all these village sites are now destroyed.

When I started Far Horizons thirty years ago, I wanted a logo that would depict human culture, history and archaeology. After many months of search for the idea image, I chose a Mimbres vessel. The little ‘TV’ that’s in the figure’s stomach is called a ‘kill hole’. The Mimbres buried their dead with these pots. Before being placed in the burial pit, however, a pointed tool was used to symbolically ‘kill’ a bowl by punching a hole through its base. It is postulated that this might have been to release the soul of the deceased.
The expertise of the Mimbres potters is considered superior to that of any other Native American potters.

The Far Horizons Logo

For a traveler in Cambodia, Laos, or Thailand, there is no more satisfying experience than to step out of the noise and commotion of the city into the quiet space of a Buddhist temple. Monks in saffron robes move lightly through the courtyards, men and women make offerings or sit quietly in meditation, and in the background sits the graceful image of the Buddha. After all the anxieties of travel – of buses, travel guides, plane schedules, hawkers, and crowds – the effect is almost otherworldly. It feels as if the whole space of the temple were teaching the basic lessons of Buddhism: quiet, simplicity, detachment, and a sense of stillness in the midst of everyday experience. With this simple lesson comes a series of fundamental questions: How does this sense of stillness relate to the complexity of Southeast Asian society, to the rise and fall of empires, to the way people marry, raise families, accumulate wealth, and cope with adversity? How does this stillness relate to the undercurrent of violence that has torn so many Southeast Asian societies apart? And how does it relate to all the challenges of the modern world, from the rise of the global economy to the arrival of the cell phone?

There is no better way to explore these questions than to dive into the complex and vibrant cultures of Cambodia and Laos. After emerging from the catastrophe of the Khmer Rouge and the aftermath of the Vietnam War, both countries have seen a resurgence of their Buddhist traditions and have rediscovered the incredible riches of their past. Recent archaeological discoveries in Cambodia and Laos have helped us appreciate the achievement of one of the most impressive urban civilizations in human history. From Angkor Wat to the lesser-known splendors of Sambor Prei Kuk and Banteay Srei, it is possible not only to experience archaeological sites of extraordinary beauty, but to think through the complex currents of Southeast Asian civilization. Hindu traditions involving the worship of Shiva and Vishnu combine with the different crosscurrents of Indian Buddhism to produce a culture of astonishing vitality and diversity. There are images of gods and goddesses, sages, dancers, monks, and kings, to say nothing of snakes, elephants, monkeys, and myriads of fantastic animals and birds. And this imagery is only the beginning of the experience. All of these iconographic elements serve a unified vision in which the king and the deity sit at the center of a sacred cosmos, mapped by the structure of a sacred city. It is hard to walk through the gates of these sacred sites and not feel the power of that vision.

The connection between Khmer civilization and the vision of a sacred landscape is even more visible when we cross into southern Laos and visit the pilgrimage site of Wat Phu, situated under a mountain peak that bears an uncanny resemblance to the sacred symbol of Shiva. Buddhist practice in modern Laos revolves around the morning offering of food to monks. A Buddhist monk is literally a “beggar” (bhikkhu), and this act of begging ties a monk not only to the life-story of the Buddha but also to the lay supporters who make up the structure of a Buddhist society. At the end of our journey, in Luang Prabang, we will get a first-hand glimpse of the relationship of lay people, monks, and kings, and we will be able to rise at dawn to make our own offering to the monks. If we are lucky, that gesture will carry with it a lasting impression not only of the Buddha’s stillness, but of the complexity and vibrancy of its expression in the culture of modern Southeast Asia.

Author Biography:

Malcolm David Eckel studied Sanskrit at Oxford and received his Ph.D from Harvard University in comparative religion with special emphasis on the Buddhist traditions of India, Tibet, and Southeast Asia. He is the Dean of the Core Curriculum and Associate Professor of Religion at Boston University where he has taught courses on Buddhism, comparative religion, and the religions of Asia. Professor Eckel has been a recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship and the Metcalf Award for Teaching Excellence, Boston University’s highest award for teaching. Professor Eckel is a popular lecturer on The Teaching Company’s lecture series. He is a scholar of Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Pali (the language of the earliest extant Buddhist canon). In addition to many articles, he has published two books on Buddhism: To See the Buddha: A Philosopher’s Quest for the Meaning of Emptiness and Buddhism: Origins, Beliefs, Practices, Holy Texts, Sacred Places. He is currently working on a book on the traditional classifications of Buddhist philosophy in India and Tibet.

Far Horizons has meticulously chosen a route that by-passes most big cities and instead concentrates on remote archaeological and historical sites (sometimes well-known, sometimes not), and the wonderful small pubs and inns that dot the lovely countryside of Scotland and England. Yes, we see Edinburgh Castle, York Minster, and Stonehenge. Ahh, but there is so much more. What about the royal palace of Linlithgow, where Mary Queen of Scots was born? Or Creswell Crags, occupied by hunters over 10,000 years ago? And then there is Flag Fen, where residents in 1350 BC fortified their meadows by constructing a long defensive wall using hundreds of thousands of timbers…

With only a few other and your knowledgeable study leader, Dr. James Bruhn, literally at the helm, you will learn about the history of this lively region. Enjoy meals and overnights in carefully chosen traditional and unspoiled pubs and inns, where you will be able to touch pint mugs with the local people while you savor delicious regional delicacies, washed down with the region’s best representatives of the British brewer’s art. A perfect end to the day’s explorations!

Travel with Far Horizons on our Archaeological Pub Crawl of Great Britain, September 16 – 28, 2012

Magnificent Hosap Castle was constructed by a Kurdish warlord in 1643. Van, the former Urartian capital of Tuşpa, where the mud fortress built in the 8thcentury B.C. still dominates the city. Akdamar Island’s breathtaking 10th-century church is resplendent with exquisite friezes depicting stories from the Old Testament. Urfa, or Şanlıurfa, with origins rooted in the Bronze Age and a famous religious and intellectual center during the Byzantine period. And on top of Mt. Nemrud, Antiochus built one of the world’s most amazing tombs. See all of this…but there’s more!

Far Horizons has specially arranged private tours of two of the most recent and exciting excavations. Ziyaret Tepe, continuously occupied for 2,400 years beginning in the Early Bronze Age, is one of the few sites in Turkey where cuneiform tablets have been found. And Göbekli Tepe, a site that has been causing quite a stir in the international news recently, may be the world’s oldest temple predating Stonehenge by 6,000 years.

Experience this fascinating world on Far Horizons’ trip with Professor John France to Eastern Turkey September 8 – 23, 2012.