Durbar Square is the architectural highlight of the city of Bhaktaur. Its true wealth, however, lies in the rest of the city. It’s Nepal’s best-preserved medieval city and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What I really like about Bhaktapur is that it’s a living city. The citizens still live and play among […]
Photo of the Week: Bhaktapur Durbar Square Read More »
For centuries the dzong has repealed invasions and kept Bhutan a sovereign state. Dzongs are the mighty fortresses of Bhutan. They are an intriguing combination of monastery and government building in one. The Bhutanese Dzongs are impressive, and any trip you take to Bhutan will at include visiting at least two of them. This one,
Introducing: the Bhutanese Dzong Read More »
Most of the time we try to avoid a popular tourist destination on a Sunday morning. Jostling for space to get a glimpse of 17th century daggers and detailed art work depicting scenes of ancient Rajasthani kings is not my idea of a good time. On Sunday morning, Jodhpur’s imposing Mehrangarh Fort was crowded,
Photo of the Week: Rajasthani Family Portrait Read More »
In the old days, before the train and automobile arrived, Camel was the way people traveled in Rajasthan. Today, tourists can experience a similar way of traveling. Camel safaris can be organized in various places throughout Rajasthan, including Jaisalmer, in the northwest of India. We left Jaisalmer at about 3pm, drove about 40 km, saddled
Rajasthan Camel Safari Read More »
There are generations of travelers who have been brought up on tales from the Hippie Trail, that hallucinogenic trip from Istanbul to Kathmandu, later extending to Sydney, Australia. Alas, Imperial war mongering and religious section eights took significant parts of that journey off the map forcing current travelers to negotiate the gaps with a series
Australia East Coast Classic Read More »
An Islamic neighborhood in George Town (Penang) was holding a garage sale a few months back. After a half-hour spent rummaging through broken watches and old leather belts, I left with just one item: a postcard, from the 1960s or ‘70s, of the very hotel we’d checked into the previous day, the Oriental. What’s shocking
Why George Town (Penang) is Probably the Best UNESCO City Read More »
Peruvians know babies. Peruvians LOVE babies. Peruvians make it known that they love babies and know babies. When Peruvians see Amelia, their faces light up. When they find out she was born in Peru, they are thrilled, often thanking me for having her here. Amelia is a lucky baby to be born and raised in
Lake Matheson New Zealand The drive between Franz Josef to Queenstown, New Zealand, offers some of the most spectacular scenery. The entire ride was a series of rolling mountain peaks, deep-blue glacial lakes, a landscape of rain forests and crystal clear waterfalls, and many more interesting and beautiful landscapes. Especially Lake Matheson in the
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Introducing: Baksheesh “Tip! Tip! Tip! Baksheesh!!” the small man cries after leading me up the stairs to my cheap hotel room. He’s like a bellhop, but he’s hasn’t even carried my bags. He demonstrated how the fan, lights, and TV work, and now he demands some “small change”. This is not an uncommon scenario in
Introducing: Baksheesh Read More »
Ginkaku-ji (The Silver Pavilion) I rushed up the long sloping hill towards Ginkaku-ji in the late afternoon. I would be the last person of the day to enter the temple complex. Unfortunately, this meant I had to hurry through the gardens of The Silver Pavilion. On the other hand, it meant that I was nearly
Photo of the Week: Kyoto’s Ginkaku-ji (The Silver Pavilion) Read More »
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