http://www.arcosanti.org/

Arcosanti Project History

Setting Rebar during Construction of the Vaults : Photo : Cosanti Foundation In 1970, the Cosanti Foundation began building Arcosanti, an experimental town in the high desert of Arizona, 70 miles north of metropolitan Phoenix. When complete, Arcosanti will house 5000 people, demonstrating ways to improve urban conditions and lessen our destructive impact on the earth. Its large, compact structures and large-scale solar greenhouses will occupy only 25 acres of a 4060 acre land preserve, keeping the natural countryside in close proximity to urban dwellers.

Palol Soleri will be 90 years old next month. How will his vision live on?

Arcology is Paolo Soleri's concept of cities which embody the fusion of architecture with ecology. The arcology concept proposes a highly integrated and compact three-dimensional urban form that is the opposite of urban sprawl with its inherently wasteful consumption of land, energy and time, tending to isolate people from each other and the community. The complexification and miniaturization of the city enables radical conservation of land, energy and resources.

An arcology would need about two percent as much land as a typical city of similar population. Today’s typical city devotes more than sixty percent of its land to roads and automobile services. Arcology eliminates the automobile from within the city. The multi-use nature of arcology design would put living, working and public spaces within easy reach of each other and walking would be the main form of transportation within the city.

An arcology’s direct proximity to uninhabited wilderness would provide the city dweller with constant immediate and low-impact access to rural space as well as allowing agriculture to be situated near the city, maximizing the logistical efficiency of food distribution systems. Arcology would use passive solar architectural techniques such as the apse effect, greenhouse architecture and garment architecture to reduce the energy usage of the city, especially in terms of heating, lighting and cooling. Overall, arcology seeks to embody a “Lean Alternative” to hyper consumption and wastefulness through more frugal, efficient and intelligent city design.

Arcology theory holds that this leanness is obtainable only via the miniaturization intrinsic to the Urban Effect, the complex interaction between diverse entities and organisms which mark healthy systems both in the natural world and in every successful and culturally significant city in history.

She rests...

10 weeks, 3 countries, 4 currencies, countless planes, trains, buses, tuk tuks, cyclos, taxi meters, motorbikes and a bicycle.

It's been an amazing, soul searching, heart finding, magical journey. Many blessing to all who I met and to all of the sights that have awed, dazzled and open this girls very wide eyes, I'm humbled & grateful ~*Thank You!

It’s been my intention, as my blogg is titled, to seek; Peace ~ Love & Wide Wings, within myself through this adventure. Traveling for me, was of course about seeing new lands, meeting new people though, more importantly, it was about placing myself outside my norms, stepping away from my daily routines and pushing beyond my comfort zone. I knew there would be great excitement around each corner but, I also knew that there would be challenge. I knew there would be places and events that would cause unease, even frighten me a bit, cause sorrow and leave me wondering and questioning my own reality. It has been with this that I learn more about who I am, what I am capable of, and just as important, what and who I am not.

Peace came with ease, early on. True love was also found, within my soul. And those wide wings, I feel have also take sprout. Time to take them all for a spin in the next chapter in my life.

After a few daz of transition & thought about how to carry the enlightenment into each new day, I look forward to finding a new home in San Francisco, starting school and working on my future business which, ta-da has its' new name; Avalon! A word, a place that has had great meaning to me. I feel it suits my vision.

Thank you so much for following my whereabouts and supporting my enthusiasm. I may continue to add to this blogg as, many life adventures are still to be had.

Thank you,
I love you,
Good luck to You!

Phnom Pen, Cambodia ~ It’s exotic, it’s chaotic, it’s beguiling, it’s distressing, it’s compulsive, it’s repulsive. Every day brings a different experience, some shock the senses, others bring a smile, some confound logic, others wrench the emotions. Many cities are captivating, but Phnom Pen is unique in its capacity to both charm and chill to the bone.

It’s barley been 30 years, much less in true peace time. The senior population still alive, hold heavy sighs, younger, my age were small children, lucky to survive…I have attempted to but, there is no way to know such tragedy; this country has been to hell and back. The glamorous ‘pearl of Asia” in Sihanouk’s 60’s, it was evacuated then eviscerated under the Khmer Rouge, only to rise from the ashes of civil war. Today’s Cambodia, a large village, a city is rising.

The once sleepy streets are developing into a chaotic mess of motorcycles, cars, minibuses, ox carts and remorques battling for space. Poverty is endemic and one not well addressed at all by the country's largely dysfunctional government yet, Phnom Penh is a charming spot.

The kids are just trying to be kids…lugging around heavy books, stories of the tragedy their parents lived through. Running the streets, hoping for just 1 US dollar in a long days’ work, squeezing in moments to laugh and play with friends…who also, pound the same bumpy pavement, begging strangers/tourists who have so many more dollars…who’s happier?

Good luck to you!

Ancient Angkor

The history of Angkor, as they know dates back to the ninth century. The ancient civilization of what I feel was a utopia of higher living, thrived in a heaven like condition of abundance. Without going into the history, I will say; they lived a beautiful, amazing, plentiful life. This 'lost city' still stands for us to come and listen to the love, light and magic that is all very very real.

My experience here is still being processed. This place has moved me like none other. A pilgrimage that will stay with me always is an extremely profound way. I look forward to sharing many stories, thoughts, beliefs of what was, how this relates to now and what we take into our future as humans here and now. The temples of Angkor Wat~ divine inspiration!

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Up at 4am, 6 hour standing only train ride from Bangkok to the boarder of Thailand, tuk tuk to immigration, visa office, touts that 'seem' to offer help, another bus to a 2 hour taxi into Siem Reap, Cambodia... phrewww, so glad my guest house guide help me through most of that! It's a 1000 degrees...

This is the most raw place I have been so far. They literally just finished paving the Hwy on Sunday. Most roads in this bustling, net savvy city are still rocky, bumpy, dirt dirt dirt. This country is still crippled by a short term outlook that encourages people to lives for today rather than thinking about tomorrow, because a short while ago there was no tomorrow.

The people are warm, friendly, great sense of humor. We're all just trying to get along in this world, yes!

I've not yet been here 24hrs...

(Off to the Angkor Wat temples for the next 3 days)

Laos

Via the ”slow boat” to Luang Prabang is the ancient capital city of the Lan Xang Kingdom. This is an eponymous capital, one of the most atmospheric and popular destinations in Laos.

The long trek into to Laos began with a 6 hour van ride from Chiang Mai, up through Northern Thailand, close to the “Golden Triangle;” where the borders of Burma, Thailand and Laos all meet. We stop for an overnight stay in the Wild-Wild-Asia/*Steam Punk* port town of Pak Beng. The border of Laos gleams with early morning color from where I’ve slept, across the Mekong River. We first ferry across the river arrive at the beginning of Laos Immigration. Officially entering this country is a head dizzying experience. Fill this out, give your passport to this official and then that one and then another. A game of guess where to go and who has my passport, went on for a good 2-3 hours. At one point, I was stopped with little explanation. While reviewing my written form, the officer closed my passports and slammed it down on his wood desk, “You stay!” I stand, I wait, my legs are numb. (sorry no pictures of that wonderful moment ;) Eventually, another informs me that I have overstayed my 30-day visa (phrewww) by 6 days, 3,000 Baht, oo-ouch!

By now I have a great new group of friends; Charley (Charlene) & Arthur from London and Olivia & Mark from Switzerland. We form a great group, each decoding different areas of confusion and extra eyes to catch all the blurry information being thrown at us and loads of laughs to take the edge off. This head sweltering heat maze only seems to make sense in that, it is one way to employ the entire town in the immigration process. It’s now noon, we finally board the long wood boat with 100+ others fellow back packers. Funny, no where mentions the difficulty we just went through. The next two days down the Mekong must wipe all that from memory, it does.

The Mekong River is one of the world's 10th rivers in its river length. The source of the Mekong River is in Tibet mountains and is called Dza Chu River (River of Rock). There can be few more enchanting places on earth than the ancient Lao capital of Luang Prabang, sitting at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, surrounded by glittering temples , a profusion of tropical palms. Its charms are as soothing as the temple bells that echo along its narrow lanes at dawn.

Our group stays together through our stay in Luang Prabang. Our stumblings into local life are likely to be some of my favorite moments on this whole adventure; sitting and watching a guy climb and pick coconuts, then buying one and meeting his sister. She spent 19 years in Tennessee. Lao/Southern accent, built for laughs. Then just blocks down, we are invited to join in on a celebration that has meeting the family and stumbling into a welcome home celebration where, three of the guys had just come back to Lao after living in San Diego for the past 29 years. That’s a story I’ll have to tell off the record. The emblem attached is there old flag.

One super dizzy bus ride from Luang Prabang to the bustling capital of Laos, Vientian. I skipped tubing in Vang Vieng to get back over the boarder (much easier) to Thailand to meet DyAnn in Bangkok. Actaully, I'm sitting in our fancy (airport) hotel room feeling a bit at odds after living a third-world lifestyle for the past 7 weeks. First thing I did was jump in the pool, whoo-hoo! but, wait until she sees my laudry hanging all over our bathroom, Hehee, can't take the girl out... Sothern Thailand, here we come! Phuket to Krabi to Koi Somui ~ beaches, pristine oceans, fantasy islands!

Northern Thailand ~

Hot, sweaty, dirty, muddy, muggy, brush fires, afternoon rain ahhhhhh…lush Amazonian forests/jungle, banana trees, banana pancakes, orchids ~ delicious food, outdoor markets, in a bag, fruit wines, morning glory salads, happy, peaceful, beautiful people with smiles, wild animals; crawling, flying, biting, screeching buggies, ge-ckos, birds, frogs, dogs (oh, the dogs!), petite kitties, huge cows & the elephants, Oh My! backpackers, ex-pats, new friends, guests houses, bamboo huts, Tree House, metrics, baht, bargaining, maps ~ crazy driving, trying to cross streets, motorbikes, Tuk tuks, and mini truck buses, bouncy old busses, winding curves, on the left and 7-11’s! ~ Hill tribes, water falls, hot springs, caves, dazzling Wats on every block, Monks, Shamen & a spa at the woman’s prison ~ flip flops, hand washing my laundry ~ coconut shakes, massages, tattoo, swimming in shorts & t, tp/napkin "same-same" ~ thinking, reading, writing, hiking, relaxing, massage, meditation, "what day is today?" ~ Bankok, Mae Taeng, Pai, Mae Hong Son, Chiang Dao & back to Chiang Mai for Songkran “Happy New Year” (aka. Water Festival) & many blessings to you! Wide wings ~T~