INDIA | Thursday, 17 Apr 2014 | Views [1913]
AS THE TEMPERATURE CLIMBS TO 100 AND THE HUMIDITY is close behind, our thoughts turn fondly to shivery mornings in Bhutan. But this is India. Again! We are on the Bay of Bengal, a few hour's drive east of Chennai. I believe we ... Read more >
INDIA | Sunday, 13 Apr 2014 | Photo Gallery
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BHUTAN | Sunday, 13 Apr 2014 | Views [538]
THE EAGLES COULD HAVE BEEN SINGING ABOUT BHUTAN. The quiet Buddhist vibe is a welcome change from the chaos of India. The air is cleaner, the rivers clearer, the forests greener, the people are more gracious and birdsong, not hooting car ... Read more >
BHUTAN | Saturday, 12 Apr 2014 | Views [600]
THERE IS LITTLE THAT CAN COMPARE WITH A WALK in the woods, birdsong and pine scent filling the air. When the destination is Taktsang Lhakhang, the famous Tiger’s Nest monastery, even the two-hour climb becomes only a minor obstacle.... Read more >
BHUTAN | Friday, 11 Apr 2014 | Views [690]
“SHE IS THE QUEEN,' THE POLICE OFFICER TOLD ME, referring to the elegant woman leaving the Paro Rinpung Dzong. Actually, she was the Queen Mother, the former Queen. Amazingly she stopped to talk to Connie and me, asking where we were ... Read more >
BHUTAN | Thursday, 10 Apr 2014 | Views [1118]
TALO TSECHO, THE TALO FESTIVAL, BEGAN TENTATIVELY as if the performers were sizing up the audience. Clashing cymbals and hooting horns announced the first act, a trio in red masks who clowned and cavorted as the audience settled in. Today ... Read more >
BHUTAN | Monday, 7 Apr 2014 | Views [570]
EVEN A PACKAGED TOUR HAS ROOM FOR IMPROVISATION. We were scheduled to visit he Talo Festival in Punakha that began today but Penjur got a tip that it would be better to visit tomorrow when the full complement of dancers would be there. So ... Read more >
BHUTAN | Sunday, 6 Apr 2014 | Views [632]
FOLLOWING THE ITINERARY SHOULD BE EASY, driving on Bhutan’s roads more of a challenge. I don’t think we have seen a straight section of more than a few hundred meters. Bhutan is a land of hills, mountains, valleys, gorges and ... Read more >
BHUTAN | Saturday, 5 Apr 2014 | Views [558]
I CONFESS. BECAUSE WE ARE VISITING BHUTAN on a package tour I did no research. None. This is the way most Americans approach a trip – pay the money, show up and listen to the guide. But what could we possibly need to know ... Read more >
BHUTAN | Saturday, 5 Apr 2014 | Photo Gallery
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NEPAL | Friday, 4 Apr 2014 | Views [1283]
POKHARA IS NEPAL'S ANSWER TO QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand. It is the paragliding capital of the world and a starting point for many treks in the Anapurna range. It is also a great place to recharge oneself, do laundry, stock up on groceries and ... Read more >
NEPAL | Monday, 31 Mar 2014 | Views [577]
NEVER TAKE CANDY FROM STRANGERS. AND NEVER, NEVER heed the advice of an agent hanging around the airport. We should paste this reminder in our passports.
The Greenline bus from Kathmandu to Chitwan National Park was a pleasant surprise ... Read more >
NEPAL | Friday, 28 Mar 2014 | Views [580]
KATHMANDU SEEMS CHAOTICALLY FAMILIAR – dusty, crowded, noisy and polluted. But there are no tuk-tuks. And few Indians. “Nepal,” read a sign at the airport, “has the world’s tallest mountain and the world’... Read more >
NEPAL | Thursday, 27 Mar 2014 | Photo Gallery
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INDIA | Wednesday, 26 Mar 2014 | Views [707]
NOT MANY WESTERN TOURISTS VISIT DARJEELING high in the Bengal Hills, possibly deterred by the 3-hour ride from the nearest airport. Best known for tea, and the famous(ly disappointing) "Toy Railroad," Darjeeling is just a few kilometers from the ... Read more >
INDIA | Saturday, 22 Mar 2014 | Views [2309]
MUSA JUNGLE RETREAT IS ONLY A 5-MINUTE WALK from Bansbari Lodge but it is really a world away. We noticed this new lodge after yesterday’s elephant travail and were interested. When I returned to check it out, John and Sarah from the ... Read more >
INDIA | Saturday, 22 Mar 2014 | Photo Gallery
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INDIA | Wednesday, 19 Mar 2014 | Views [1605]
OUR ESCAPE FROM BODHGAYA’S HOLI FESTIVAL went smoothly and we spent a peaceful night near the Kolkata airport at Viceroy Boutique Hotel. It is only six months old and the perfect location for a quick “in-and-out” from Kolkata.... Read more >
INDIA | Sunday, 16 Mar 2014 | Views [1614]
CHANTING FILLED THE AIR AS PURPLE ROBED PILGRIMS surrounded the massive Mahabodhi Temple which was festooned with garlands, fruit-laden altars, prayer flags and flowers. Bodh Gaya is Buddha-land. Twenty-six centuries ago under a bodhi tree ... Read more >
INDIA | Friday, 14 Mar 2014 | Views [2058]
VARANASI AND THE HOLY GANGES are on every visitor’s short list. At its best, Varanasi is a photographer’s dream; there is something (or someone) colorful and interesting around every corner. At its worst, the city is loud, dirty ... Read more >
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