Travel lessons: low expectations, the unexpected, the flow

On my SE Asian adventure, I traveled from place to place alone. But for the India and Nepal portion, I traveled with a group. Why the difference, and the contrast between the two experiences, I will discuss in another blog. The group leader on the India/Nepal trip would remind us every morning, and sometimes more […]

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What I learned in SE Asia, India, and Nepal

A trip to developing Asian countries is an opportunity to have gratitude for the privilege of being born in a developed country, and for reflection on what modernity has pushed aside. Modernity, with its focus on progress, and all things new, has pushed aside tradition, ancient ways of living, non-secular ritual, and the primacy of […]

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WOMAN OF ASIA: VIDEO MONTAGE

Some of the beautiful Asian women that crossed the path of my camera during recent trip to SE Asia, India, and Nepal.

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Flickr Picture Albums from Recent Trip to ASEAN, India, and Nepal

Flickr picture links: Favs from Asia 2018 (smaller collection than Best of Asia) Best of Asia 2018 Portrait of ASEAN food 2018   Nepal 2018 India 2018 Thailand 2018 Laos 2018 Cambodia 2018 Vietnam 2018 Myanmar 2018   Inle Lake 2018 (Myanmar) Mandalay 2018 (Myanmar) Bagan 2018 (Myanmar) Yangon 2018 (Myanmar) Hoi An 2018 (Vietnam) […]

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Myanmar – the fine line between tolerance and embrace

When you visit Myanmar, the elephant in the room is whether or not you should be there. Should you be spending your money in a country that is reportedly committing genocide? The Chinese of course don’t care, Myanmar is possibly on its way to being a Chinese economic colony, owing debt it may not be […]

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Inle Lake – Fire, Rain, and the Mobile Internet

Perhaps no area of Myanmar touched me more than Inle Lake. The fishing village I visited on the lake, is neither pre-modern or post-modern, it is somewhere in between: all the trash from modern life, but few of the conveniences. In a mostly pre-modern world, much of life revolves around fire and rain: the wood-burning […]

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Mandalay – Capital of the Last King

At the conclusion of the third Anglo-Burmese war, the then ruler of Burma, King Thinbaw Min, and his wife, were exiled to India, never to return. While the execution of the annexation was done on schedule, by some accounts to assist a domestic election campaign in Britain, the aftermath did not go so well, with […]

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Bagan – The Ancient Capital

For those not yet worn down by “yet another temple”, Bagan is one of the best places to go. First, it was a pleasant country retreat from the bustle of Yangon, but the history on display and in spoken recounting is fascinating. While there is a large pagoda, what makes Bagan unique is the 3,000+ […]

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One more sleep before I take to the air

‘Twas the night before I be traveling, When all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, Not even a spouse. I start to think of distance that would be far, But before I finish packing, I read on my phone, With iron rods they have been whacking, Yangon women they had already been sacking, […]

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TS#10 – Arizona and Utah: You have to know who you are partnered with

[Travel snippets – TS – a series of reflections on past travels and adventures] Arizona and Utah is one of my favorite trips from the time before Margaret and I had children. We were newly married, in love, and had the freedom to just jump in a car, or on a plane, and do whatever. […]

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