On the streets of Yangon makeshift tea stands spring up on little side streets amid the noise and traffic. Here a woman in the face paint called Thanaka…a distinctive feature of Myanmar culture…waits for a customer.
Poolside at the Shangri-La Hotel
Here I am back in Bangkok. I had not planned to come back to the city again because I felt that I had “been there and done that” but my travel writer friend Barbara Weibel of the blog Hole in the Donut Cultural Travel called and invited me to travel with her on a Viking River Cruise through Myanmar. I had been keen to visit the country, before it changed drastically from the increasing influx of tourist, so I jumped at the chance. Continue Reading…
Praying at Wat Chet Yot, Thailand
Wat Chet Yot is one of the oldest temple complexes in the area and it has many outdoor areas to pray. The original temple was built in 1455 and has a beautiful Indian flavor. The grounds have several old Chedi or the remains of them. Along with some really old Bodhi trees this is a great place to spend a afternoon. The white tree branches leaning against the sacred Bodhi tree have prayers and Buddhist sayings written on them.
Novice monks at the Chiang Mai Gate market
This is my fourth winter coming to Chiang Mia and each year it feels more and more like my second home. I stay at the same apartment hotel “Smith Residence” each time and they always make sure that there is a room waiting for me. I have begun to know the streets, the coffee shops and markets as well as any city in the world. Continue Reading…
At the Chiang Mai Gate market very early in the morning rickshaw driver gather. Their business is to take little old Thai ladies home from the market with their produce. Their only customers are the old ladies who are clinging to a bygone way of life.. to a time when Chiang Mai was quiet and uncluttered by cars and trucks. I admire the drivers and the old ladies who are resolute in the face of progress…peddle on.
Peterhof Palace
On the last day of our stay aboard the Viking Ship Akun we continued with the exploration of St. Petersburg with its palaces, canals and beautiful Baroque architecture. Continue Reading…
