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Dallas Smith's Blog

Our Quick Trip to Nepal

Meeting two old friends and making a new friend

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Four days after arriving in India, we took a quick three-day trip to Nepal.  The purpose was to meet two Nepali friends.  While there we made a new friend, someone I perceived to be a brother that I was meeting for the first time.

Iceland: Land of Fire and Ice

November, 2017

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Whenever I travel to “old Europe,” that is, the continent of Europe, I’m reminded that Europeans are much more aware of history than Americans are.  They see the old cathedrals, the castles, the city walls, the statues, the artwork…all products of their long history. . .

The HHS-Canada Music Therapy Connection

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Twenty-four years ago Susan and I began our healthcare careers with the goal of bringing music into hospitals to create healing environments. This led to the development of the C.A.R.E. Channel, a 24-hour channel that provides peaceful music and beautiful nature images. 

Italy

May, 2022

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This blog will offer photos from four Italian cities: Sorrento, Ostia, Pisa, and Lucca.

Entering Israel from Jordan

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The difference between the Israeli and Jordanian sides of the Jordan Valley is striking.  The Jordan side has relatively poor villages surrounded by fields of vegetables, fruits, and olive trees.  The Israeli side looks more like California’s central valley…large lush fields not showing any lack of irrigation resources.  The residences visible from the road were more “middle class” in quality compared with the simple Jordanian residences. . .

Kyoto Zen Buddhist Temples

Visiting Shinto and Buddhist Temples

10/26/2023By Dallas Smith0: Seven Japanese Cities Visited on the Viking Cruise
 This gallery has a blog post attached
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Zen Buddhism came to Japan from India in the 13th century.  There was no direct conflict with Shintoism, so many temples honor both religions.  The Kyoto Zen Buddhist complex was financed by the Shogun, the richest and most powerful man in Kyoto at that time.

Attempting to Understand Balkan History

October, 2015

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In this post, based on what I learned during our Viking River Cruise from Bucharest to Budapest, I will attempt something very difficult: to explain the history of the Balkan countries in a short essay. This journey up the Danube River has been an amazing history lesson. I’ve learned that the Balkan situation is even more complicated than the Middle East, because the Middle East crisis escalated mostly in the last century, whereas the Balkan region has been at war for more than a millennium. . .

Touring Five Countries in Six Days

November, 2015

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Our recent Viking River Cruise was a quick visit to five countries in six days, including Bulgaria, Serbia, and Croatia, as well as the embarkation and disembarkation cities, Bucharest, Romania, and Budapest, Hungary. In each port, we would load onto buses and be shown the city or the countryside. Such a compressed trip can turn into a blur when trying to remember the details. This blog will be an attempt to summarize my most vivid memories. . .

Jordan: Wadi Rum & Handicraft Photos

World Cruise, April 2022

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Wadi Rum is the landscape used in the hit movie The Martian (starring Matt Damon) and countless other movies.

REFLECTIONS ON MUMBAI, INDIA

SPENDING SIX WEEKS IN MUMBAI, INDIA

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As Susan and I conclude our sixth and final week in Mumbai, India, I will attempt to relate the cultural impressions rather than just recounting the events.  Readers of my previous blogs will know I’ve been visiting India for many years, playing music in various settings.