Siem Reap and the Angkor Temples
Siem Reap literally means “Siam Defeated,” Siam being Thailand. These days, however, the closest thing to fighting in this small city of about a 1/2 million is the tuk-tuk drivers angling … Read More
Buddhism
Life in the Mekong Delta
Before this trip, the Mekong Delta in Vietnam conjured up images of Navy swift boats and hovercrafts fighting Viet Cong guerrillas. Or maybe scenes from the (fairly bizarre) war movie, … Read More
K-k-k-k-k-k-Kathmandu
Nepal is a land-locked country the size of Iowa, with a population of 28 million. 2.5 million live in the capital, Kathmandu. Kathmandu gained notoriety in the 1960s when its Freak … Read More
Tiger’s Nest: The Cultural Icon of Bhutan
As the grand finale to our trip in Bhutan, we climbed to Tiger’s Nest monastery (Taktshang) near Paro. Tiger’s Nest is by far the most photographed site in Bhutan. It … Read More
A Royal Encounter, Hiking with the Queen Mother of Bhutan
So, you’re just going to have to trust us on this one because we have no photographic proof, but we did, indeed, hike and share a small lunch with the … Read More
Kuzu zangpo la – Greetings from Bhutan
The Kingdom in the Clouds. The Happiest Country in the World. The Last Shangri-la. Mystical. Magical. What a fascinating country. Bhutan is a (virtually completely) mountainous country roughly equal in … Read More
A Morning Visit to Miyajima Island
We arrived in Hiroshima after a long day of train travel, and checked into the Sheraton Hotel. Even though it’s right at the train station, the hotel is first-class. We … Read More
Making Sense of Shinto and Buddhism in Japan is Confucing
According to one source, 90% of the Japanese say they practice Shinto, 90% say they practice Buddhism, and 90% say they aren’t religious. Other sources dispute this, attributing statistics like … Read More