I know there is a "risk/reward ratio" but I am just so glad I didn't die before my opportunity to see and hear the Dalai Lama where he works, prays and teaches. The risk: a trip to Dharamshala (literally "Rest House") required a death defying 7 hour van ride on twisting, steep mountain roads with... Continue Reading →
This city in northern India is home to the beautiful Golden Temple. Amritsar is the Sikhs' religious/holy city. Every Sikh (men wear turbans on their heads, women wear saris) is required to visit the Temple at least once, so thousands of pilgrims are in the complex and city every day. The temple is gilded with... Continue Reading →
The flight from Newark to Delhi was long but I was so grateful that it was direct that I refuse to complain. The transfer taxi was waiting at the airport. I couldn't see much of Delhi because it was night. The next day I commissioned a private car for the day ($22) and explored the... Continue Reading →
We left Chiang Mai to start our road trip back to Bangkok. First, we headed north to the border of Thailand, Myanmar (formerly know as Burma) and Laos. You can cross over to Laos to shop at some stores across the bridge by paying $30 and leaving your passport. This part of the world is... Continue Reading →
The tour plans were for us to spend one night in this city and then to trek (hours) into the jungle to have "homestays" in two local villages for two nights before two more nights in the city. The weather has changed and gone from "freakin" hot to cloudy with rain. It took me a... Continue Reading →
Before we left Bangkok we went to visit Temple Wat Po home to the reclining Buddha. Some things about Buddha: *Buddha is asexual--some with a masculine body, some feminine *Buddha has 72 different poses, each with a meaning such as concentration, meditation, days of the week, etc. *Buddha was born in India over 500 years... Continue Reading →
I love Thailand.....at the passport control in the airport there is a special entry portal for diplomats, pregnant women and senior citizens (70 yrs old). On my first entry and again this time I, of course, took that opportunity to cut long lines and both time the officers questioned my right to be in the... Continue Reading →
Today we flew (having the last good look at the magnificent Mekong River) to the Imperial City of Hue. This city is the intellectual, cultural and spiritual heart of Vietnam. The Citadel, built between 1804 and 1833, is still the highlight of Hue. This massive compound was the epicenter of royal life and a fortress... Continue Reading →
Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, smaller than HCM City with 7 million population. It feels like a western city with modern stores, wider streets, and tall buildings. There are highways with overpasses and hundreds of new office buildings and condos being built--a two bedroom condo costs about $250,000. Still a zillion motorbikes and traffic... Continue Reading →
Our last night in Siem Reap we had dinner and an Apsara Dance show. How they can bend their hands, legs and bodies is truly amazing. When the show was over we were invited up on the stage to pose with the stars........ Luang Prabang is the spiritual capital of Laos. Our last morning we... Continue Reading →
Barb Does The World 