Buddha Speaks

Have you ever visited a place that "spoke to you"...a place you'd want to put on a "Must See" list? 

I've been to a few of those places. Unfortunately, I don't have photographs of all of those places. I don't have any photographs of the Souks in Dubai or the dhows in the Persian Gulf. I don't have any pictures of Ruby Falls inside of Carlsbad Caverns. When I visited those areas, I was not into photography - that came much later in my life. If only I had been...

But, either way, those places, as well as those I'll share with you, all spoke to me in one way or another. These are all places I'd put on the "Must See" list if there was one to post for all to see.

Here are some of the photographs I DO have of other places I've visited that I'd like to share with you. And, maybe one day, you'll have an opportunity to visit them and they'll speak to you...

Approach to the Buddha Shrine in Jungle  Gardens at Avery Island, Louisiana

Avery Island,the birthplace of Tabasco hot sauce, is also home to all walks of Louisiana native wildlife, as well as many species of plants. There are 170 beautiful acres to see at Jungle Gardens, But inside of the Gardens is one particular area that would have to be on my "Must See" list, not only for it's beauty, but for it's history.

Located inside of Jungle Garden s, you'll find a beautiful little Zen Garden area complete with an entry "arch" and a small shrine. That whole area gives off such a peaceful feeling, I could have stayed there for hours. BUT, inside of that little shrine was the real "Must See" item - the one thing that you must not miss. Inside, you'll find a 1,000 year old Buddha statue!

Silhouette of the Buddha

The plaques just outside of the shrine, tell you the history of the Buddha

The entry arch to the shrine area

Another place that spoke to me was my beloved Mexico. I was blessed to be able to live there for five short years. I still miss it very much.

I miss the color and the culture...the people and the sites...the mountains and, yes, the shopping. You never knew what you'd see when you left your casa. :)

I was lucky to be able to travel to several areas of Mexico while I lived there. Sometimes, I'd drive and other times I'd take a local bus or book tickets on a tour bus. It was all about the adventure! I think that is what we lack here in the United States  - adventure!

The small village that I lived in, Ajijic, was located just south of Guadalajara, on Lake Chapala. I had a beautiful view of the lake of which I never tired seeing.

My view every morning...

A local fisherman's boat anchored in the waters of Lake Chapala

Located across the lake was an Eco Trail that we would drive on...It was just a dirt or gravel road that led you through the beautiful countryside of that part of Mexico. You really never DID know what you'd see there either!

A young caballero, headed to market with cans of fresh milk

Herding Burros...

I traveled to Guanajuato to the International Cervantes festival. One of my highlights was visiting the mummy museum. Very eerie, but beautiful music played throughout the museum...I think I could hear every voice of each person displayed there.

Museo de Momias - Guanajuato
(click the link to go to their page)

The whole area was beautiful. The stone work was especially beautiful as it had a beautiful greenish blue color which was from the high mineral content in the soil. The stones in this church had those beautiful colored stone but this photograph really does not do it justice.

Beautiful stonework...beautiful churches...

Another favorite place of mine to visit was Patzcuaro. I visited there several times. That is the town in which you'll find one of the biggest celebrations for El Dia de los Muertos - The Day of the Dead. They also have an annual fiesta that is much like our Mardi Gras. 

Right off the coast of Patzcuaro was the Island of Janitzio. Everything, all of their needs, had to  be brought to the island each day by boat since there was no ground to grow anything. The whole island was houses and shops. At the top of the island stood a giant statue that reminded me of our Statue of Liberty and it represented liberty to those people as well.

Shopping on Janitzio

And, what would Mexico be without it's beautiful, colorful Talavera pottery!

Talavera pots, anyone?

Oh, the memories! When I left Mexico, I felt like I'd left a piece of my heart there. One day, I'll go back and retrieve it!

There are so many more places I've been to that have spoken to me. But I'll stop here and save some of those other places for another day...But what about you? Where have you been that has spoken to you? What's your "Must See"????