dispatches from here

Celebrating the Assyrian New Year Kha b'Nisan in Khabur Syria.

I'm not sure what he's guarding. He probably isnt either. But nonetheless he is hard at work in Egypt.

Offerings made to the God and Goddess of fertility in a Balinese Temple.

Taking a 4x4 through the beautiful red desert of Wadi Rum in Jordan was amazing. Overheating in the desert in a 30 year old Land Cruiser was less amazing. We stopped at a camel trough to top off the radiator. Yes. There are camel troughs. And who needs coolant when you can fill the radiator with camel backwash?

They have next to nothing. They live in decrepit apartments. They sleep on inch-thick foam mattresses. They sit on borrowed uncushioned couches and plastic lawn furniture. Their warm hospitality is unaffected. Assyrian (Iraqi Christian) refugees in Jaramanah Refugee camp in Syria. Photoessay at http://www.projecttransient.com

This beautiful sea star on the ocean floor off the coast of Borneo is hanging out and waiting for his next meal.

Its tough to find your way to the base of a mountain 90 minutes away in a poorly signed country. So before I left San Francisco I pre-loaded my iPhone with topographic maps of Bali to use with the onboard GPS. I got on my little scooter (125cc of fury) and used a ball bungee cord (never travel without them!) to strap my iPhone to my scooter handlebars. Voila. Touchscreen GPS navigation in the middle of Indonesia.

Early dawn from Low's Peak on Mt. Kinabalu overlooking the world below. This is the first time I'm seeing the harsh bare rock terrain that I spent the last 4 hours climbing in the dark. Those little dots are people. Borneo

Even in 2007 American cars from the 1950's are still functional and make up the majority of the cars on the road in Cuba.

The Syrian government began a project to widen the main road into Jaramana and in the process relocated many refugees and tore down their homes. That was four years ago and now with the project stalled and only a muddy lot to show for it the refugees have moved back into the partially demolished homes. Assyrian (Iraqi Christian) refugees in Jaramanah Refugee camp in Syria. Photoessay at http://www.projecttransient.com

An inactive volcano oversees this fertile valley in Bali

At the halfway point up Mount Kinabalu in Borneo and settled in at camp. Looking down on the clouds and the rest of the world, from 10k feet.

The famous Souq (market) in Aleppo is huge and has an incredibly wide selection of food and goods. These olives were absolutely delicious!

Balinese men gather and prepare offerings for the Full Moon Festival in Ubud. Bali.

In the refugee camp there is no green. No trees. No grass. No fields. No flowers. Jaramanah is gray and brown. Muddy and dusty. The neighborhood kids play in the moments between passing cars and morning walks take place in alleys. Assyrian (Iraqi Christian) refugees in Jaramanah Refugee camp in Syria. Photoessay at http://www.projecttransient.com

Verdant fields of Ubud in Central Bali that go on for almost forever.

Patients come in to the clinic in the Khalil al-Ibrahim church for basic primary care but also have access to specialists like Dr. Fadel (an ear/nose/throat doctor) who works with the Red Crescent. Assyrian (Iraqi Christian) refugees in Jaramanah Refugee camp in Syria. Photoessay at http://www.projecttransient.com

Red Crescent clinics in Syria see a huge number of patients and provide relatively low cost care to refugees. Assyrian (Iraqi Christian) refugees in Jaramanah Refugee camp in Syria. Photoessay at http://www.projecttransient.com

Sunrise at Chesbro Reservoir in San Jose California. Historically low water levels left an eerie topography behind.

Cuba is a primarily rural country with a majority of Cubans working on farms. The western Cuban climate and magotes are perfect for tobacco and this Cuban cigars are highly regarded throughout the world.