Journals

      Although I'm tempted to respond with an easy and seemingly obvious answer concerning in some way my experience traveling into the heart of the Amazon, to be honest, never once on that life-changing course did I ever fear for my safety, and never once did I feel in danger.  This may shock someone who is now reading (as I am) David Grann's fascinating saga of explorer Percy Fawcett and his final foray into the jungle to find "The Lost City of Z" as he deemed it; a city of course if he did find, he never lived to tell about.  Despite my own heart-thrilling adventures in this ancient and wondrous place of mythical proportions, it never seemed scary, never sent chills through my bones that were born of fright.  Quite to the contrary actually, the only chills I got were due to my sheer amazement at what I was witnessing.        There was a time during my travels in Europe, however, where I did feel  threatened.  It happened while in Paris.  On our last day there we took in as many sights as we could, concluding with a stroll up the most famous street in the world, the Champs-Elysees.  Besides the Eiffel Tower and next to the Louvre, there is the Arc de Triomphe, the linchpin of the historic axis - a monument commissioned by Napoleon to celebrate his soldiers' heroic return to the city.  It is a city that has been well documented throughout the years as home to some of the world's greatest thinkers and artists, an alluring place with just as much myth as, dare I say, the jungles of the Amazon.  While one myth revolves around exploration, discovery, and the mystery of the unknown, the myths surrounding Paris have much to do with what we do know - its revolutions, its culture, its science, its fashion.  History has written it as one of the world's most important centers for all of these and more.  I am not about to argue these points one way of another.  However, I knew before I even set foot in the city what I had to see, what my camera must capture for future scrapbooks to tightly bind.        Having already gotten a beautiful picture of the Eiffel Tower, and some meager shots inside and out of the Louvre, my attention turned to the Arc de Triomphe.  After walking for what seemed like forever to get close enough to gain a good vantage point, there was only one thing left to do.  But I didn't like the picture provided from the sidewalk.  I had to get to the center of the street.  No way was I getting all the way to the circle that surrounds it.  This was my best shot.  The thing was I didn't have much time, we had to be back at the bus parked along the Seine in a half-hour.  There would be no other chance if I failed to get it now.  So, without saying anything to Katie or anyone else we were with, I quietly waited for an opening and darted across the five lanes it took to get in place between congested automobiles.  I wasted no time in clicking away a few shots.  It wasn't perfect but it would do.  What I hadn't realized though was that cars were actually trying to turn both ways, using the tiny strip in the middle where I was standing as the turn lane.  Quite honestly, it was probably a stupid thing for me to do, but when you aspire for great shots through the lens of a camera you make sacrifices.       I'll never really know how close I came to being run over by that car.  But what I can know for certain was the level of intensity in Katie's voice screaming at me, "Stephen! Look out!"  I quickly turned to see someone gesturing at me from their driver's seat.  They looked upset, but I had to thank them.   If they hadn't seen me I would have never seen the pictures I just snapped, or have been able to take my favorite shot of all: the cowboy calmly strolling down the center of the Champs-Elysees, holding his Christian flag high for everyone to see.  Man, what a sight that was.  Take a good look at that picture.  Look at all those cars log-jammed in the background, and picture it just as bad behind where I was standing.  Imagine any single one of the drivers behind the wheel of one of those cars not looking as they turned to cross oncoming traffic.  Looking back on it, I appreciate the shot more now knowing the danger I put myself through to get it.