Asia
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Not Just Yet The morning begins with the revile of roosters. Their throaty exhortations seem to command that I open my eyes and roll out of bed, literally, for our mattresses are threadbare quilts on rough, bamboo planks…..Read more >> |
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Looking for Black Gibbons I try to curb my hope for seeing the endangered black gibbons of Bokeo Forest Reserve. But I do expect to eye a few birds or a snake. For an hour and a half, I duck strangler vines, bend bamboo, and sidestep fig roots…Read more >> |
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Travel Somewhere It must be just about lunchtime; the cicadas are screaming again. Little time-keepers, they are. Every spring, they crawl from the ground, rising from the silence of winter, to signal the change of the season here in northern Vietnam. Read more >> |
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Mojitos in Tokyo My skirt is too short. |
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Krang Yaw A sharp right hand turn off the paved main road, and we find ourselves trudging through muddy, unpaved back roads dozens of miles towards Krang Yaw, Cambodia. Bustling city activity and buildings are quickly replaced with seas of lush green rice fields. Read more >> |
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Trekking in Laos I was hoping to meet some like-minded tourists on my foray into the Laos countryside, but I am the only one who has signed up for the trek. My guide is Leng, a student, who swiftly admits that the only reason he does this job is to practice English with foreigners. Read more >> |
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Another Tet Offensive Vi usually worked the afternoon and evening shifts at the cafe. A Catholic born and raised in the south-central coastal city of Nha Trang, she was quieter than her coworkers and more conscientious, too. Because seven-day work weeks are standard for many Vietnamese employed in the travel industry, I saw her each day. Read more >> |
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James Bond Island “If Eden had an ocean, it would look like this.” The Lonely Planet description of Phang-Nga Bay seduced me on the spot. I was on the Andaman coast of Thailand, trying to find my solo traveler groove. It was the beginning of high season and I was caught off balance by the hordes of backpackers and package tourists. Read more >> |
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Trafficking Innocence I choked on my chicken curry when Boupha told me she was 12. She looked six. Unlike Western countries where average twelve year olds may look sixteen, the reverse was the norm in Cambodia. Read more >> |
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Tibetan Truths The weather-beaten woman took a contemplative step, raised her arms high above her head, clasped her hands together, and swept them forward like a diver entering the sea. The full expanse of her small frame embraced the dusty pavement, from her head and shoulders to her toes. Read more >> |
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Confrontation at Xegar Checkpoint “Nimende huzhao!” demanded the Chinese guard at Xegar Checkpoint, a small army outpost. It was the last one before leaving Tibet. He peered menacingly at the driver of our weather-beaten minibus. “He wants your passports,” translated Lapa, our Tibetan guide. Mentally, we jumped to attention and, with misgivings, handed over the documents. Read more >> |
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Behind the Scene in Bali Some ironies are sweeter than others: When the pemangku blows into my face—a transfer of his protection and a long, slow, steady release of air as though he is deflating—his breath must carry the cold virus to which I succumb by the end of the week. Read more >> |
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Meditating in Southern Thailand Every night the elderly security guard sweeps carefully and at length around my Singapore apartment building, curiously absorbed in a humble task that no one requires of him. I think of this man now as I brush leaves from the path leading to the women’s dormitory. Read more >> |
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All Bound Up It’s another summer in Japan. The weatherman says temperatures are in the 30s, which, to the Fahrenheit-friendly Americans, will translate as “dripping, miserable puddle of your former self.” Time for the free plastic fans in the subway station instead of tissues, cold drinks in the vending machines, and loads of colorful festivals. Read more >> |
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Lingering Garden Suzhou, China is known throughout the world for their exquisite private gardens and one of the most famous is the Liuyaun or Lingering Garden. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and China’s fourth most famous garden, the Lingering Garden was first built during the Ming Dynasty around 1593 AD. Read more >> |
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10 Things You Ought to Try in Kuching, Sarawak From tasting local noodles, to visiting national parks and the Sarawak Cultural Village. Read more >> |
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Beep Beep! in Vietnam Beep-Beep Beep-Beep! I let off these four short bursts of the horn as I approach the blind corner of the narrow Hanoian alley I must drive down as I exit my house. It is Tuesday morning and I am about to head down to “Saigon”.? Read more… |
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The Ride Home from Phan Thiet Watch out for the motor scooters. Everyone uses their horns. A herd of brown cows slowly crosses the road followed by three small women swatting them from behind. A mother and child bicycle home from work and school. A barefoot toddler walks alone from shop to shop along the street. Read more… |
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