Bodie State Historic Park

"Goodbye God, I'm going to Bodie" - apparently that's a quote from a diary of a little girl whose family moved from San Francisco to Bodie during California Gold Rush.

By 1880 Bodie was a booming town, inhabited by some 10'000 miners, shop-owners, prostitutes, and gun-fighters.

It still amazes me that it was only 130 years ago (!), yet it feels like ancient history. California has come a long way since then.

Bison

Mighty Bison at Yellowstone National Park.

Pearls Before Swine?

Maasai Kids

When our car broke down on Massai land at the footsteps of Kilimanjaro in Kenya, we stopped at the nearest village and–using our best non-verbal communication skills–we asked the village chief for permission to spend the night outside his village.

The permission was granted and what followed was a memorable evening of cultural exchange between the "Westerners" and the Massais. They were as interested in our way of life, as we were interested in them.

Ground Squirrel at Fish River Canyon

Dolphins

Synchronized swimming near Channel Islands National Park in California.

Desert Horn Lizard

Spotted sunbathing in Joshua Tree National Park.

The Town of Two

Mesquite Dunes in Death Valley

Dust in the wind.

Pinnacle Balanced Rock

It almost seems that the subtlest gust of wind should tip this rock over, yet it persists to stand tall dominating over its environment.

Pinnacle Balanced Rock in Chiricahua Wilderness in New Mexico.

Moulin Rouge

Yes, we can-can!

Noppharat Thara Beach in Thailand

Don't you just love sunsets over the water?

Railay Beach

Beautiful Thai coastline.

At Angkor Wat the Devil is in the Detail

Beautiful detail on the walls of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Potsdamer Platz

After the fall of the Berlin Wall Potsdamer Platz became the major development site in Europe.

The Pitcher

Juan Marichal pitching in front of Giants' Stadium in San Francisco.

Baby and Mama Monkey

Spotted at Tadoba Andhari Reserve in India.

Mt. Rose Wilderness

Perfect Camouflage

Can you see me?

Machu Picchu in Morning Glory

Our reward at the end of four-day trek along Inca Trek was this spectacular view of Machu Picchu in early morning hours of New Year AD 2011.

Double Arch

Double Arch in Arches National Park stands 104 feet (32 m) tall and the larger of its two openings has a span of 148 feet (45 m)!

High-heels Yoga

San Francisco is getting weirder by the minute.

Today in my yoga class there was a girl in high-heel shoes, parading–click, clack, click, clack–in high-heel shoes. I heard about hiking in high heels, but yoga?

Anyhow, a good reminder that we shouldn't let the behavior of others destroy our inner peace.

Summer in Grand Teton

Summer in full bloom at Grand Teton National Park.

Crazy Deer

In Capitol Reef National Parks visitors are welcome to pick ripe fruits from the park's orchards, an opportunity we couldn't have passed up.

While picking apples, we got surrounded by a group of deer demanding–sometimes aggressively–their "share" of the pick. That's wild deer for you!

Winter Sky over New Mexico

Sunset over Great Sand Dunes

Aztec Ruins

On a sunny and windless winter day, Aztec Ruins in New Mexico–a UNESCO World Heritage Site, look almost ready to be inhabited again. The name of the ruins is a misnomer, as they were built in 11th century by the Anasazi, not the Aztecs.

Middle McCloud Falls

Cannon Balls

These unusual rock formations are jointly named "Cannon Balls." They can be found in Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. The park was named after Theodore Roosevelt in recognition of his conservation efforts in rapidly developing America of the early 20th century.

We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage a people ever received, and each one must do his part if we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune. (T. Roosevelt)

Hoover Wilderness

A lesser known neighbor of Yosemite National Park: Hoover Wilderness.