The Natural History Museum London

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Photos (top to bottom): photos1&2: large marine vertebrate fossils line the walls of one hall, including those collected by the famous amateur paleontologist Mary Anning in the early 19^th century at Lyme Regis; photos3-4, 7: statue of Charles Darwin displayed prominently in the museum’s Great Hall; photo5: hall of gems and minerals; photo6: the interior of the museum is adorned with plant and animal motifs, including this fish; photo8: group of school kids recording notes in an exhibit on human biology; photos9-10: display correlates sensation with areas of the brain; photo11: blue whale exhibit; photo12: specimen from an exhibit on life in the deep sea; photo12: Oxford is a major shopping district in London.

I walked across town again this afternoon, returning to my hotel from a visit to the magnificent Natural History Museum. The route led through Hyde Park, then along Oxford Street, a shopping district in central London. What a strange phenomenon given the context of Senegal and Carmel Valley: consumerism gone crazy. I’d landed on Mars, dropped in a sea of shoppers, the stimulation overwhelming.

I walked through several large department stores, but found it a daunting, destabilizing experience. I’m just not physically equipped to navigate through the bombardment of color and clutter and movement and noise. Hats off to those that can do it, I’m not one of them. I was beat up, left feeling dizzy and wobbly. I half expected someone to approach me and ask, sir, are you alright?

Off to Dorset in the morning for a few days of the quiet countryside, and walks amongst the limestone cliffs of the southwest coast. In the moment it sounds very appealing.