Off the coast of northern Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin, lies the hauntingly beautiful Halong Bay. It features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes that jut upward from the sea. The core of this area has a high density of about 775 islets and the limestone in the bay…
Continue reading →Asians seem to be more mindful of meditation and tranquility to enrich the mind and body, whether in the quiet calm of their temples and pagodas, the purposeful serenity of their gardens, or the common public morning practice of the ancient art of Tai Chi.
Continue reading →I looked forward to Vietnam with curiosity and admittedly, some apprehension. I came of age during the Vietnam War and clearly remember watching TV on July 1, 1970 as numbers were drawn for those born in 1951, to see if my brother would be called to the draft. After my visit to the country, I…
Continue reading →There is a lot of geography I’m learning about, like something called the Bight of Bangkok, also known as the Bay of Bangkok. Never heard of it before. It is the northernmost part of the Gulf of Thailand into which the three major rivers of central Thailand empty their waters; the Bang Pa Kong, the…
Continue reading →Compared to the rest of ancient and historic Cambodia, Sihanoukville is a brand new town. Named after Norodam Sihanouk, under whose leadership Cambodia became an independent kingdom in 1953, this is a modest-sized city on the west coast of the country, halfway between Thailand and Vietnam. Our brief visit took us to the local market…
Continue reading →The tsunami tragedy is still fresh in the minds and hearts of the people of Thailand, where the popular resort island of Phuket was practically obliterated because of it. Nestled in the protection of the Gulf of Thailand, the sleepy island of Koh Samui survived unscathed. It is the second largest island of Thailand after…
Continue reading →Cruise ships always seem to have an emphasis on food and as the ships are provisioned at ports around the world, local cuisine can be featured with all the natural and fresh ingredients available. In Asia, where their spices were once the currency that inspired world exploration, the resources are vast and exotic. Recently I…
Continue reading →Singapore has been described as “Asia for beginners” because it is too safe, too clean, too air-conditioned. Having never been to Asia, I will take that at it’s word. It is all that and more. The people are polite and cordial, English is commonly spoken, the economy is strong (translate that to mean “expensive”), and…
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