Ballyhoo

Starbucks in Bangkok

2012-02-24T18:22:00.003-08:00

If I owned a share of Starbucks stock for every Iced Grande Hazelnut Latte I bought in Bangkok I would be a very rich man. For the nearly five years I lived in Bangkok, Starbucks was a prime destination point. There are 80 plus Starbucks coffee houses in Bangkok and more than 140 in all of Thailand.

To underscore the significance of Starbucks in Bangkok to me personally, my very first date with Kade in early 2000 began at the Siam Center Starbucks. As I settled into life in Bangkok, my typical routine at Starbucks was sipping my iced latte as I read Thailand's two English daily newspapers (The Bangkok Post and The Nation) plus The International Herald Tribune. Later on, if I wanted something more unique, I would go to Playground Starbucks for a certain kind of music indulgence: listening to the latest pop tunes at one of their free iPod stations. And, for some pleasurable "hang out" time with Thai friends and intellectual chats with expat colleagues and friends, Starbucks was a prime spot.

On our visit to Bangkok in 2011 I walked down Soi Thonglor and took images of two Starbucks coffee shops that I frequented very often in 2004-05. The first three images are of one Starbucks. Here, I would meet friends like Kyoko for afternoon chats. The last image is of another Starbucks that I really liked. It was just down the road.

Koh Tao

2012-02-24T16:49:00.001-08:00

These pictures are from a visit Kade and I made to Koh Tao, a picturesque island in Southern Thailand. If you look closely you can find me on the porch of our $10 per night bungalow. Parked out front is a motorbike we used to move about the island. My greatest memories are of snorkeling in pristine waters and dining on some scrumptious seafood. Life was easy!

Tourist's Eye View

2012-02-17T06:29:00.001-08:00

Tourist's Eye (Bangkok) from Thrillpill Films on Vimeo.

Bangkok - City of Angels Chapter#2 - Chao Phraya from Dirk Fischer, toonfish.tv on Vimeo.

Michael & His Condo

2012-02-01T15:59:00.001-08:00

Back in 2005 I took some Thai language classes in Bangkok. Some of my classmates were Japanese. One was Chinese, and one was Swiss. The Swiss guy was Michael. He was living in Milan, Italy, where he worked for an investment house. On holiday he would make extended trips to Thailand. In fact, he liked it so much that he ended up buying a condo in Bangkok.

Michael - standing to my right.

A condo with a great view.

from http://www.skyscrapercity.com/

Look at the tall tower virtually in the center. An inch over to the left - the thick highrise near the busy thoroughfare - is the tower where Michael bought his condo overlooking the Chao Phraya River (River of Kings).

Bangkok, Yesteryear

2012-01-15T13:02:00.000-08:00

Bangkok, around the time I was born and around the time Kade was born. Enjoy!

Expat Life in SE Asia

2011-11-26T10:46:00.001-08:00

Swedish friend Bjorn (on the right, in the last image) built a home outside of Chiang Mai, a mountainous city in Northern Thailand. In fact, his home is very near Chiang Dao. He's promised me that I can stay there whenever I decide to visit.

Here's a recent New York Times video of a chef's tour of Chiang Mai.

Flooding in Thailand

2011-11-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

Thailand has been hit with its worst flooding in a century.

Thai Food Chains

2011-06-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

When visiting Bangkok you may not think of trying chain restaurants. However, you would be truly missing something. These particular three are favorites of mine. I love them!

Riverside Dining in Bangkok

2011-06-14T13:51:00.000-07:00

Rooftop Bar in Bangkok

2011-06-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

When in Bangkok, one of my favorite spots is the Sirocco Bar at the State Tower. It offers arguably the best view of the city. The panorama at sunset is breath-taking. Interestingly enough, in the new movie The Hangover Part II, this rooftop bar and the Lebua Hotel at State Tower play a big role.

My last Bangkok visit I met two of my former students for a fabulous night on the town. Enjoy!

Urban Jungle

2011-05-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

To get a feel for how massive the Thai capital is, click these photos once to enlarge. Bangkok has a population between 12-15 million.

To see the sites where these images of Bangkok are, go to Bangkok From Air and The Bangkok Panoramas.

Shopping: a Thai Sport.

2011-05-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is "sidewalk shopping" near Pinklao Mall and Major Pinklao Cineplex in Bangkok. Kade's home is within a mile or two of here. When I lived in Bangkok this was one of my regular areas. I could count on visiting Starbucks, seeing a movie and buying countless knickknacks and snacks before catching a taxi or bus back to Kade's home. On our visit to Thailand earlier this year Kade bought some clothes while I mainly focused on spotting foods and videoing.

Another area that has now become a big, big place for sidewalk shopping is Siam Square. You would think that Thais would be content with merely shopping in the various trendy stores that make Siam Square a fashion hotspot in Asia. However, when those store doors are closed, more merchants and entrepreneurs take their trades and goods to the people out on the street. It's truly an electric atmosphere when Thais go shopping!

Soi Life

2011-05-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

A 'soi' in Thailand is a narrow street or alley. They can wind through various communities and business districts. They can be shortcuts to and from work or they can be mazes where you can get lost (especially for tourists). Some sois are quiet during the day and dark at night. Most, however, are lively networks teeming with food stalls, wet markets and small shops and houses. Busier sois are "mini carnivals" where all your senses ares stimulated. This video shows you a typical night on the "big soi" that runs by my wife's family's home.

Gin Kao

2011-05-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

Eating is my favorite activity when in Thailand. Some foods I go back to time and time again. Gin Kao in Thai means "dine with us."

Museum & Dinner

2011-04-25T19:24:00.000-07:00

There are a dozen of these amazing wax museums in the world. One is in Bangkok.

Later that night, it was dinnertime with friends.

Getting Around

2011-04-18T20:29:00.000-07:00

One of the most pleasurable aspects of visiting Bangkok is the plethora of options for getting around the city. Here are some of my recent experiences traveling around the "City of Angels."

Down by the River

2011-04-01T22:38:00.000-07:00

This is going to be the start of my Thailand series. I will be going in reverse order so that by the end of my postings, everything will be pretty much in chronological order. On this trip to Bangkok, I spent five days in the Thai capital before embarking on my Sri Lankan trip (see below). Upon returning from Sri Lanka, I had almost another two weeks in Thailand. My goal now is to post some of my best YouTube videos and photos.

This area of Bangkok has always been one of my favorites. Whether it's eating fried miniature soft-shelled crabs or buying unique handicrafts or taking a long-tail boat down the Chao Phraya River, this is the place. In this video, you can follow Kade on her pursuit of stylish clothes and you can watch me release and feed fish.

Sri Lankan Arts & Crafts

2011-03-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

Buying artwork when traveling is a real passion of mine and something I have been doing for more than 15 years. My earliest pieces came from Uzbekistan. One was a painting I got at an outdoor market in Tashkent. The other was a unique piece of art that was given to me as a gift from an Uzbek friend. Later on I might post photos of these two treasures.

On Saturdays and Sundays in Colombo (Sri Lanka), artists from many backgrounds bring their work to Green Path, a street that runs along the southern end of Viharamahadevi Park (originally Victoria Park). They hang their work on the park fence, showcasing their talents to locals and tourists. For those who want to make a purchase, it's a simple negotiating system. The prices are not fixed and haggling is welcomed! Although prices are quite low compared to similar art in the United States, for example, savvy buyers work hard to get an even better bargain. At least I did! On the day Kyoko took Iris and me to Green Path, I bought one item: a modern, abstract oil painting of a Sri Lankan woman. The artist was an art teacher at a local university in Colombo. Once we reached a satisfactory price, he took the painting off of the stretcher board and then rolled it for me to take home. Just recently I got the painting framed.

During my time at Hikkaduwa Beach in Southern Sri Lanka, I had plenty of time to walk into some art galleries. Although I liked several galleries, I eventually settled on a gallery run by a brother and sister team. The brother was the artist and the sister ran the shop. What won me over were all the newspaper clippings and magazine articles showing that a major customer of his art was a gallery in Holland. Kyoko and I spent some time walking around the inside of the gallery and then behind the gallery, where a number of works were displayed outdoors. When I saw the painting of the monk walking up the temple steps, well, I just had to have it. I think I got it for $80, which I feel is a very, very good price. I bought a second painting that I ended up giving to Kyoko. Once she frames it, I intend to post it on my blog too.

Finally, if you are in Sri Lanka, a typical souvenir to buy is a traditional mask. You see many varieties and qualities in shops all over the country. Luckily, on our way to the beach, we were able to stop off at an antique shop run by a Sri Lankan young man whose English was impeccable. At the time I wasn't looking solely for masks. I was considering many things. In the end, though, when it came down to purchasing something that would most remind me of this exotic South Asian island country, I kept coming back to a mask. In fact, I bought two.

Arriving in Colombo, Sri Lanka

2011-03-13T03:47:00.000-07:00

See how quickly you can find Sri Lanka on the map below. Click once to enlarge. The tourist map of Sri Lanka will be helpful in referencing the places I visited: Colombo, Hikkaduwa, Galle, Unawatana, Mirrisa, Sigiriya and Nuwara Eliya.

My welcoming committee consisted of one person: Kyoko. From the moment of my arrival I was treated like a superstar. Check out all the swooning. Hey, and it was just after midnight!

1st Full Day in Colombo

2011-03-12T12:01:00.001-08:00

w/ Rain and Kyoko

The day's highlights: walking four miles through the city, getting lost, enjoying a scrumptious meal at Cafe Japan, playing the CoCoNut game with Rain, taking a tuk-tuk, browsing at Barefoot Gallery and having a marvelous dinner at Beach Wadiya. Here's a map of Colombo.

The Beach

2011-03-11T20:27:00.000-08:00

The Blue Water

I awoke to find a traditional Sri Lankan breakfast waiting for me. I needed something hearty because the day was going to be a long one. We faced a 3-4 hour drive south to some of the country's lovely beaches. The breakfast not only was hearty, but it was very, very tasty. Hot tea with milk and sugar was the perfect way to complete the breakfast, and the caffeine kick put me in a lively mood.

The ride to the beach was not as grueling as I thought it might be. The smartest move of the day was taking Kyoko's suggestion to stop off for coffee at a stunning resort, The Blue Water. After the wonderful break, we continued on to Hikkaduwa Beach, only stopping to look at some antiques.

In Hikkaduwa, that first day, I ate my first rice and curry meal at Refresh Restaurant. The beef and lamb curries were incredible. There were also several vegetable dishes. I loved it all. The meal was followed by a plate of very sweet exotic fruits: mango, papaya, bananas, pineapple, passion fruit, etc. And, as I learned very quickly on this trip, no Sri Lankan meal is complete without tea. The tea is made divine by adding warm milk and sugar.

Hikkaduwa Beach and Galle Fort

2011-03-10T21:57:00.002-08:00

Galle Fort is UNESCO World Heritage Site and a must-see if you visit Sri Lanka. I certainly would recommend a lunch or dinner at the luxury resort, Amangalla. Here's another article.

Dinner and Drinks

2011-03-10T21:11:00.000-08:00

This video is mainly of the Jetwing Lighthouse Galle, a fabulous hotel with stunning views. This is where we had dinner (two times actually) and enjoyed some traditional Sri Lankan dancing.

Enjoying the Beach

2011-03-09T21:18:00.000-08:00

Another resort where we ended up having some tea was The Fortress. As you can see in the video, it's a magnificent place.

Enjoying Brunch at Refresh Restaurant in Hikkaduwa Beach. Again, Refresh Restaurant ranked #1 among my Sri Lankan eating experiences.

Back in Colombo

2011-03-08T09:56:00.001-08:00

Seafood Cove, Mount Lavinia

In this video, you will see more delicious food from Cafe Japan. It was delivered one evening to the home where I was staying. Boy was it good! I think that night I had my best sleep, in big part because dinner was so satisfying.

While I am on the subject of food, I seriously had underestimated the positive impact of Sri Lankan cuisine on my palate. I was half-expecting to enjoy a dish here and a dish there. Honestly, I was thinking it would be a bit too spicy for me. However, over and over, I found myself thinking Sri Lankan food is some of the best I've ever tasted. Refresh Restaurant (mentioned in previous posts) provided one of my favorite dining experiences, but there were numerous ones. Another place that impressed me greatly was Seafood Cove at Mount Lavinia Hotel. It's featured in the video, and you can read about it here.

Kyoko's niece, Rain, presented me with some cute drawings (see below). Rain was also sweet enough to give her younger brother Taiga some credit. At the moment, these masterpieces are on my fridge in Asheville.

Pineapples, Monkeys and Elephants, Oh My!

2011-03-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

Sigiriya

2011-03-06T18:41:00.001-08:00

atop Sigiriya

To learn more about the actual history of the Sigiriya fortress, I would recommend this short video.

Post Sigiriya Lunch

2011-03-05T18:16:00.001-08:00

Heritance Kadalama Hotel

2011-03-04T14:09:00.000-08:00

A view from the hotel. I stayed at the Heritance Kandalama a couple of memorable nights.

En Route 2 Nuwara Eliya

2011-03-03T20:54:00.001-08:00

Central Highlands, Sri Lanka

2011-03-02T20:57:00.000-08:00

I also stayed here. In the video, the welcoming ceremony is in the hotel lobby. I also included a clip from my hotel window.

Victoria

2011-01-02T21:43:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Facebook, I reconnected with one of my former supervisors at AUA in Bangkok, Phil Chappell. Like me, Phil returned to his native country after several years of living in Thailand. Phil is from Melbourne, the capital and largest city in Ausralia's most populous state, Victoria. When not working and studying, Phil likes to relax on Victoria's Great Ocean Road. As you can see, the scenery of Great Ocean Road is indeed spectacular. If you don't like the beach, well, you can play with Koalas!

"This is the beach where I grew up in Melbourne. The wrecked ship is the HMVS Cerberus, which we used to fish off, and the jetty is what we used to dive off. My car is in the foreground - the Ford Focus." Phil Chappell

Thai Down Under

2010-10-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

Thai lady Dararat Sueapaen spent a considerable amount of time in Australia studying English as a Second Language. During her time "Down Under" she made lots of friends, including many Asians who were themselves in the intensive English program. After spotting Dararat in image one, see if you can find her among her pack of friends. In one photo, you can see Dararat and her classmates with their ESL teacher. In another photo, Dararat goes really native by firing a gun at a shooting range.

Australia

2010-07-09T18:32:00.001-07:00

Jalal Khasanov is the younger brother of Ulugbek, the Uzbek friend I met at Samford in the early 90s. Dr. Jim Vann (Uncle Jim) and I actually met Jalal, his wife Mahliya and their son Amir for the first time on our visit to Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 1993. Today, Jalal and Mahliya have two more kids: Umar and Amina, ages 11 and 3. "Baby" Amir himself is now a strapping 16 year old! The family resides in Australia, where Jalal and Mahliya both practice medicine. Below are photos of Jalal. In the first, he's in Tasmania. The next several pictures are of his family. The final two are of Jalol having a good time in his adopted homeland: with a team of Paintball "warriors" and then dressed as a Tatar warrior.

Pakistan

2010-07-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

Nilgun's humanitarian work has taken her to many exotic locales. One spot is Pakistan. In fact, it was during her "sabbatical" from work in Pakistan when I met Nilgun in Bangkok. Nilgun was in Pakistan during the aftermath of the tragic earthquake that hit about five years ago. So, on top of being in a tough country, one in which there's ongoing religious and political conflict, she was there during a major crisis. In two images, Nilgun is wearing a hijab. In another image, she's having dinner with her colleagues and friends.

I personally have never visited Pakistan. I did fly to India once, and before getting my ticket, I considered arranging a flight to Lahore, Pakistan, where I would stay a few days before traveling to Delhi. I even visited the Pakistani Embassy in Uzbekistan in order to inquire about a visa. Sadly, through my naivete and my ignorance of the world, I upset the consulate officer at the embassy by asking too many questions about the safety of Pakistan for a solo Western traveler like me. Even then, I was conditioned to think negatively about a "Muslim country." My questions irritated the officer so that he more or less shooed me away. I then opted to fly directly to Delhi. I wish I had visited Lahore.

Dachas and Birthdays

2010-06-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

The first couple of images are of Timour and his girlfriend Marina. They were out at Timour's dacha, where they are surrounded by lovely forests. In those forests are the most wonderful mushrooms.

The rest of the images are of Timour's last birthday bash. The celebration was at his apartment in Moscow. He is surrounded by his dad, an uncle and other family and friends.

Kazakhstan

2010-06-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

When her Moscow university is in session, Dilya spends most of her time working towards her degree. When not studying and working part-time, she happily pursues her true passions: art and photography. Originally from Al Maty, Kazakhstan, Dilya always enjoys returning to Central Asia to visit her family and old friends. Lucky for us, she puts her camera to good use.

Dilya's Passion

2010-06-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

Just recently, in Moscow, some of Dilya's nicest works were on display in a small gallery. Friends, family and art lovers dropped by to take a look and show support.

Kazakh Summer

2010-06-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some images Dilya took on a visit to Kazakhstan last summer (2009). Kids everywhere seem to know how to have fun. May we adults learn from them!
When you think of your summer frolicking, I hope this song comes to mind.

Central Asian Markets

2010-06-13T17:38:00.000-07:00

Asalaam Alaikum

2010-06-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

Khiva is a cultural and historical gem. It's a 2500 year old Uzbek city that is now a World Heritage Site. Khiva is also the hometown of one of my friends, Bekchan. He and his wife are in image one. I would imagine that somewhere on the streets of Khiva I could find my favorite Uzbek dishes: pilaf, shashlik and samsa.

A Return Home

2010-06-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Shahnoza, one of my students in Tashkent waaaaayyy back in 1994, is now married and living in the United States. She and her husband have an adorable young boy. Just this past year, the family got on a plane and flew to Uzbekistan. It was the first time Shahnoza had been home in ages. She got to see her mom, countless other relatives and many, many old friends. When she returned to the U.S., I got an e-mail asking me to review some images she had taken on their trip. 564 images! I was thrilled to look through them, because I knew it would certainly jog my memory of places I'd been and foods I'd eaten. Below, I picked out ten random photos that represent a great idea of what Uzbekistan is like. You can spot Shahnoza, her husband and their baby in image one. Click any image to enlarge. At the very end of this post, I put up a video I made using a wider selection of Shahnoza's pictures. Enjoy!

Fun in the Sun

2010-05-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

The port town Bodrum is a popular spot with travelers who just want to get away from it all. Bodrum lies beside the Mediteranean Sea in the Southwestern part of Turkey. Nilgun, who's been a featured traveler in this blog, loves to get some R&R in Bodrum when she returns to her homeland to visit friends and family. By the looks of her photos, she sure knows how to unwind. To read more about Bodrum's charms and its storied history, click here.

Athens

2010-05-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

One place I would love to visit someday is Athens, Greece. When I think of Athens, I envision ancient ruins, the philosopher Socrates and scrumptious cuisine.

Click the map once to spot Greece.

Keith Nix and his son in Athens.

South Africa

2010-05-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

My brother Miles and two of his kids, Emily and Miles, Jr., are pictured on a safari in South Africa. They also visited Cape Town, easily one of the loveliest cities in the world and a must-do stop when touring South Africa. When you plan your trip to South Africa, you might want to consult the country's official travel and tourism site. Enjoy your trip!

Ethiopia

2010-04-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

Getachew's family: son Joseph, Getachew, daughter Beselot and wife Emebet.

One of the fascinating aspects of living in Bangkok is the possibility of meeting people from all over the world. You could be having coffee next to someone from India. You could be getting a foot massage next to someone from Saudi Arabia. You could have colleagues from Australia and Wales. You could being doing a "visa run" to Cambodia, and share a seat next to someone from Germany. These are a tiny portion of the encounters I personally had in Bangkok. In some cases, it was a brief conversation. In other cases, I established some kind of relationship with those I met. One such person that fits the latter category is Getachew Sebsibe. One evening, Kade and I decided to have dinner at Gulliver's Traveler's Tavern on Sukhumvit Soi Five. I noticed a gentleman sitting by himself at a table, and we struck up a conversation. The next thing you know he was sitting at our table, and we were drinking beers and eating. Getachew is from Ethiopia, and, like Nilgun, works with with an organization that's doing some good around the world. Getachew's been working with Save the Children. Although we have only been e-mailing infrequently the past year or so, I do know that Getachew is still with this organization, and was based in India for a lengthy period of time. He did hint that his family might be relocated to to Bangkok at some point. Take a look at this interesting video of Ethiopia to get a feel for what his home country is like.

The Republic of Burundi

2010-04-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

In June 2008, Nilgun (on the left in image one) set off for the central African nation, Burundi. See if you can spot Burundi on the map. Nilgun traveled there as a representative of GAVI Alliance, an organization that supports vaccines and immunization around the world. She was initiating dialogue about new funding made available to civil society organizations in Burundi. I asked Nilgun for her first impressions of the tiny Central Afican nation, and she remarked, "I had no idea what a beautiful place Burundi was until I was there. It was truly amazing. I'd have to admit, it's such a fertile land."

Enjoy a look at Nilgun's photos. See the faces of the people, young and old. The smiles are priceless and the colorful garments are quite fascinating. Look further for some pretty scenery. I especially like the ones of the sun shining and setting over Lake Tanganyika. The last image is obviously one taken from the plane as Nilgun departed.

Nilgun continues to work with GAVI Alliance in Geneva, Switzerland. To read more of her life and work, click here. And, for those interested in "all things Nilgun," be on the lookout fairly soon for a peek at one of Nilgun's favorite holiday destinations in her homeland, Turkey.

Cairo, Egypt

2010-04-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

Just recently I reconnected with Cathy DeGaytan via Facebook. Cathy and her husband Mark were two of Kade's ESL teachers at the English Language Institute in Tuscaloosa, AL some 6 years ago. We lost touch at some point, and time just flew by. Thanks to a bit of reminiscing and thanks to Facebook's search feature, I keyed in Cathy's name...and viola...there she was! One of my first discoveries during our "catching up" phase was learning that she and Mark spent a considerable amount of time teaching English in Cairo. I just had to get my hand on some photos!

Mark and Cathy Degaytan. The Great Sand Sea (the Sahara Desert).

Click this map of Africa once to enlarge. See how quickly you can locate Egypt.

The Sphinx and the pyramid of Khafre, the second largest pyramid of Giza.

The step pyramid of Saqqara, the oldest stone monument.

A view of Cairo from the highest point of Al-Azhar Park, the only bit of green in the city. The park had been a huge garbage dump before it was transformed into a park.

The Citadel, a fortress with three mosques and several palaces.

Al-Azhar Mosque.

The Khan Al-Khalili, the grand souq (bazaar) with archways dating to the 14th century.

The Khan.

A neighborhood in downtown Cairo. Mark just blends in.

Other Parts of Egypt

2010-04-07T17:47:00.000-07:00

Dahab in the Sinai Peninsula.

“The Bells to Blue Hole” drift dive in Dahab.

Fayoum Oasis.

Valley of the Whales (Wadi El Hitan) is now desert, but 40 million years ago, it was covered by the ancient Mediterranean Sea. About 400 fossilized whale skeletons have been found there. The rock formations are the result of erosion by sand and wind.

In western Egypt near the Libyan border is Siwa Oasis. This picture is taken from the top of the fortress of Shali with Siwa Town below and palm trees and the Sahara Desert in the distance.

The temple of Medinat Habu in Luxor.

The Nile in Aswan.

The Great Temple of Ramses II in Abu Simbel.

Venezuela

2010-03-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

Bottom left in image one is Melida Carolina Alvarez, a lady I tutor through the Asheville Literacy Council. Melida is from Venezuela, but has been living in Asheville with her husband and baby for almost a year now. Melida was a dentist in Venezuela, and is eyeing furthering her studies in North Carolina so that she can continue her professional career here in the United States. Our English sessions are designed to help prepare her for university entrance exams.

Fairly recently, Melida, her husband Diego and their baby Valeria (seen in both images) returned to Venezuela to visit their families. Hopefully you can spot Melida's parents in the photos.

Once Melida made it back to Asheville, I invited her over for an international potluck dinner at our place. She prepared a popular Venezuelan dish. It's the first one you see on the table.

Mayan Ruins

2010-03-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

Anthony and Lisa, in Guatemala
Tikal - the largest of the ancient ruined cities of the Mayan civilization. It's now a part of Guatemala's Tikal National Park http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikal

Lisa spent a considerable amount of time in Guatemala in 2001. You can read about Lisa's experience here.

The Bahamas

2010-03-19T03:47:00.000-07:00

My brother Miles and his daughter Emily recently went on a cruise to The Bahamas. Here's a snapshot of their trip.

Climb Every Mountain

2010-03-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

Cousin Will Woods and his wife Holly recently revisited the Canadian National Park where they got married, Banff. One of the highlights of their return was hiking up Sulphur Mountain. You can see that they spotted a herd of bighorn sheep near the summit. Will took these images with his iPhone and then immediately posted them on his Facebook Wall.

Toronto

2010-03-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

Friend and former student Bekchan Khudayberganov lives in Toronto, Canada nowadays. Click the first image to spot Toronto. The rest of the images show Beckchan, his lovely wife and their precious kids. As a family, they love cookouts and walks in the park. For exercise, Beckchan has taken up biking. The last image is a group of Central Asians who now live and work in Canada. If you click it once to enlarge, Beckchan is on the far left. Finally, to see Beckchan barbecuing, click here.

Eating in le Marais

2010-03-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

My brother Mark is getting ready to order falafel in the le Marais district of Paris. Mark has taken two month-long trips to Paris. Actually, the first Paris trip included a channel train ride to London, where he stayed a few days. According to him, Paris runs circles around London. On his second trip to Paris, I flew from Bangkok and joined him.

This photo is taken from the New York Times series, 36 Hours in Paris. Mark sent this link to me after quickly identifying it as the falafel "booth" above.

Allen and I have waited in this line for a delicious fresh falafel in the Jewish sector of le Marais in Paris. The Marais is the oldest section of Paris with winding, narrow cobblesone streets like the one pictured here. Notice the Jewish woman waiting for her turn to order a falafel. Mark

Croatia

2010-03-10T12:32:00.000-08:00

Dr. George Vadiakas, Dr. Bill Vann, Dr. Jessica Y. Lee

My cousin Bill Vann is a professor at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry. Dr. Vadiakas is a professor of pediatric dentistry at the University of Athens in Greece, and was one of Dr. Vann's students at UNC. Dr. Lee is an associate professor at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Dentistry’s Department of Pediatric Dentistry. The three of them attended a conference a couple of years ago in lovely Croatia. Click here for a map of Croatia. Also, you can scroll down to my last post on Italy and click that map. Both these maps will give you a clear indication of where Croatia is in Southern Europe.

The photo above is of Dubrovnik, a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast. Here's a fabulous collection of photos (several pages worth) of this marvelous city. Incidentally, in Bangkok, Kade and I bumped into a couple of women from Croatia outside Bangkok's swanky Shangri La Hotel. We talked with them briefly and they glowingly talked about how beautiful their home country was.

The Republic of Croatia is located in South-Central Europe. This settlement extends back 1200 plus years. After WWII, Croatia was a part of Yugoslavia. Religious and ethnic wars split Yugoslavia apart in the 90s. Croatia is now an independent state once more.

That's Bill doing his best Rocky pose atop the medieval fortress wall surrounding the village of Ston. Ston is about 60 miles south of Dubrovnik on the Adriatic (the “Damnation Coast” as it’s known to the Croats and their neighbors).

Lo Stivale (The Boot)

2010-03-07T10:58:00.000-08:00

Keith Nix and his family went on a fascinating journey early last year. They toured the Greek Isles, Turkey and Italy. Rome and Florence were two of the highlights of the Italian leg of the adventure. Above are a few images they took in Florence. In one image, Keith and one of his boys are in a prime spot above the city.

Nilgun

2010-03-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

I thought I was a world traveler until I met Nilgun. We met by chance in line at Starbucks at The Emporium in Bangkok. She was on an R&R from her United Nations work in the earthquake-ravaged region of Pakistan. We struck up a conversation in line, and then sat down and had coffee together. A couple of days later, Kade and I met her on Khao San Road and played host and hostess, making sure she had the optimum experience in the Thai capital. After her break in Thailand ended, Nilgun returned to Pakistan to complete her work. After Pakistan, Nilgun took a new post in Geneva, Switzerland. She now works with GAVI Alliance, a funding agency to support immunization. Her role is to manage funds for Eastern European and Central Asia. We have kept in touch ever since that day we met. Facebook has been instrumental in keeping us connected. Plus, like me, she's also a blogger.

I absolutely love looking through Nilgun's on-line photo albums. Whether it's work-related or visiting her home country Turkey or taking trips to exotic lands, she covers the globe. Off the top of my head, I know she's been to Jordan, Rwanda, Vietnam, France, Spain, Sri Lanka, Italy and the USA. This is a mere smidgen of where she's actually been. Lucky for me, I have lots of content to use in future blog posts!

In the photos below, Nilgun is with a friend having dinner in a lovely restaurant beside Lake Leman, which separates Switzerland and France. The farm scenes are of the French countryside. I recall Nilgun saying that folks in Geneva cross the border into France pretty frequently in order to stock up on wines and cheeses. The scenery is stunning.

On a personal note, I truly admire Nilgun. Besides being a friend who genuinely is interested in the lives of those around her, she has a amazing love for life. Looking through her photo albums, you can get a real taste of who she is. She is surrounded by family and friends and her adorable cats. For pleasure, she's enjoying scrumptious meals, boating off islands and wandering around towns and cities. She's really living. It's inspiring. Nilgun is also a fighter. The past few years she's been battling breast cancer. It's nothing she hides. She openly shares her struggles and her triumphs with her family and friends. The fact she faces it head on this way may be the key reason she has the upper hand in this battle. Lastly, I want to say that Nilgun's work is fascinating and wide-reaching. Besides her current with immunizations, she has always been working on maternal and child health programs or projects that focus on women and children in poverty. She's been with the World Bank, the UN and now GAVA Alliance. She has done a lot of good in the world, and she's been "on the ground" in places where most of us would never venture. This world needs more people like Nilgun!

To see another post I did of Nilgun standing in front of a unique landmark, click here. And, if you want to access Nilgun's blog, click here.

Skiing in Italy

2010-02-25T17:31:00.000-08:00

Francesco is another traveler we met on our trip to Russia in 2007. He lives and works in Varese, an Italian city that is 55km north of Milan. Varese borders Switzerland. Francesco's parents, on the other hand, live in the popular Italian seaside city, Genoa.

During the winter, Francesco and his friends love to snow ski in Selva di Cadore, an area just below the Austrian border. In the photos below, Francesco is wearing a red and blue ski jacket. Don't forget to enlarge the map. It will help you find some of the key spots.

Tying the Knot

2010-02-23T10:39:00.000-08:00

Kade and I got married 7 years ago today in the Chang Building in Bangkok. The ceremony, reception and dinner party took place on the 23rd Floor. Chang means Elephant in Thai. Click the images below to enlarge so you can determine for yourselves if the building resembles an elephant. Here's another link with more very good photos. In fact, the two images below came from this link.

Coffee in Milano

2010-02-21T21:46:00.000-08:00

Several years ago I enrolled in a Thai language course near the office where Kade was working in Bangkok. One of my course mates was a guy named Michael. He's wearing the white shirt and standing next to me in the class photo.

Although Michael is from Switzerland, he was working across the border in Italy, in the city of Milan. When it was holiday time(vacation for us Americans), he loved to fly to Thailand.

One time I e-mailed some friends about Starbucks - how I loved Starbucks and how happy I was that Starbucks was in Bangkok. Michael, who was then back in Milan, sent back a REPLY TO ALL, giving us his take on Starbucks. I posted his e-mail below.

Allen,

Here's an obvious success story. Starbucks is a company that's opening two or three stores every DAY, both in the US and overseas. Everything about Starbucks appears great. So, in some way it is the quintessential American company, wouldn't you agree?

But, what about their product? I grew up with good coffee. I am living in a country where good coffee is a "conditio sine qua non" - here in Italy an espresso kicks off the day, and it ends the day after a nice dinner. It has been part of this culture for centuries. Not that there would be much fuss about it. It simply is one of the reliable pleasures of everyday life. You know, when I go downtown here in Milan, I often stop by in a little bar where Verdi and Rossini used to have coffee.

Surprisingly, the coffee culture is the result of a negligence - the Turks left behind supplies of coffee beans in hasty retreat after the siege of Vienna in the 1770s, and that originated a secular trend. Not many years thereafter Carlo Goldoni wrote his masterly comedy "la bottega del caffe", and the coffee house in which its unforgettable scenes take place - the "Florian" in Venice - is open to this very day. Gentlemen, if you get the chance to sip an espresso there once or twice in your lifetime, please do so, and you will be able to look back on moments in an ambiance of unrivalled elegance.

Now Starbucks. Watery, artificially favoured coffee in oversized cardboard cups (how sad - compare to that the feel of a small Italian china espresso cup, heated to the exact right temperature before it was filled with coffee?). There is a sleeve of recycled cardboard that protects your fingers from being burnt. Of course, It all looks so awful. And it somehow accurately reflects the content.

Two details strike me as the height of extravagance:

1) the fancy names. Shall we speculate about the percentage of the American population would be able to locate Java or Eritrea on a globe, or could tell you what language the word "latte" is, and what it means? But that is not an issue here -it is all about flash, about image. The coffee is the cheapest there is on the market anyway, and that is good. Because: Who could tell after all the artificial flavours have been added?

2) The price: Ridiculous. There are humble coffee shops-- "fifty cents a cup, and no charge for refills", and their coffee tastes ways better. The price of $2.50 to $4.00 for flavored coffee with fancy names, once or twice a day is tantamount to burning money pointlessly, to squandering wealth. Very revealing indeed: A generation is throwing away what many generations of their forefathers have saved up.

Add to that the awkward design of their stores. It is that way that someone who has spent the best part of his or her life watching TV shows might guess that an elegant living room could look, or a place where you are supposed to meet the love of your life over a leisurely coffee conversation. Sure, it leaves emotions with me as well: Resignation. And then I feel a bit sorry for them, of course.

Am I too negative about it all? Am I missing the point altogether? Let me know.

Kind regards from Michael.

Life in Spain

2010-02-18T16:13:00.000-08:00

I have mentioned Imma in a couple of my Russia posts. Here's one. Imma's the Spanish gal we met in Moscow. These days, she lives in a small village a short distance from Girona, which is in the Northeastern part of Spain. Girona city (the province is also named Girona) is about 100km from Barcelona. From Barcelona, it would take one hour train to get to Girona. See if you can spot Barcelona and Girona on the map (click once to enlarge). One day I plan to visit Spain, Portugal and Italy. When I do, you can bet I will look up Imma. Right now we stay in touch on Facebook.

Andalucia

2010-02-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

"Good food is the result of non-consensual sex with invading armies." Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations.

Asheville friends of ours, Anthony (another one!) and Lisa, love to travel, whether it's around the USA or overseas. In fact, right now, Anthony is down in New Orleans celebrating Mardi Gras (and the Saints Super Bowl victory!). This duo even met while they were traveling - somewhere out West, I believe. Not only that, but they chose to marry in the Northern Thailand city of Chiang Mai! How 'bout that for adventure?!?

Lisa spent a considerable amount of time in Guatemala in 2001. You can read about Lisa's experience here. To further underscore her interest in all things Latino, Lisa speaks Spanish and is now teaching English to a Mexican immigrant through the Literacy Council in Asheville.

Above, I posted some images from Anthony and Lisa's October 2009 trip to Southern Spain. I do love food (and coffee), so these images especially stood out. I jokingly posted one of Lisa eating part of a cactus, simply because she's a vegetarian and the meat dishes must have been a bigger challenge. To see their collection of Spain pictures - architecture, fun shots, etc - click here.

London

2010-02-11T20:52:00.000-08:00

Last year Curry Woods took a couple of extended work trips to Europe. He was based in Geneva, Paris and London. Luckily, it wasn't all work. Whenever Curry had the chance, he seized the opportunity to do some major-league sightseeing. And, through Facebook, his friends and family back in the U.S. got to live vicariously through him. I sure did! I was always fascinated to see what new photos he'd post every few days. Perhaps most intriguing, Curry traveled completely alone and had to rely on highly skilled tourists to capture these truly amazing photo moments. I bet that took some negotiating!

I asked Curry for his itineray, his mode of travel and his three biggest Wow Moments.

Curry responded:

I went from Atlanta to Geneva, to Bern, to Zurich, to Geneva, to Paris, to Geneva (in Feb/Mar 09)

(second trip) to Geneva, to Amsterdam, to Geneva, to Barcelona, to Geneva, to Berlin, to Geneva, to Interlaken, to Geneva, to London, to Paris, to London (in May/June/July 09).

When I travelled from Paris-London (and vice versa) and within Switzerland, I travelled by train. Otherwise I travelled by plane.

My top three experiences:

1) Far and away, the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.
2) My day trip to Versailles, which was spectacular.
3) Seeing Billy Elliot on the stage in the West End in London.

See if you can spot the cities Curry visited by clicking the map above to enlarge. Then, return to this page and keep scrolling. Bon voyage!

Amsterdam

2010-02-11T14:39:00.000-08:00

Berlin

2010-02-10T20:34:00.000-08:00

Interlaken

2010-02-09T20:25:00.000-08:00

Paris

2010-02-08T20:23:00.000-08:00

Barcelona

2010-02-07T20:20:00.000-08:00

Dreaming of Europe

2010-02-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

My great aunt, Sarah Frances Espy Sidney (later, Sarah Frances Espy Lee), took a trip to Europe in 1954. Here's a postcard she sent my dad.

Seabirds and Monastaries

2010-02-05T21:26:00.000-08:00

Friend Marilyn Lalor traveled to Ireland a couple of years ago with some of her friends. One of their destinations was Skelling Islands, which are off the southwestern coast. At the 2:37 mark you can spot Marilyn. She's second from the left.

Sailing to Europe

2010-02-02T19:51:00.000-08:00

In 1923, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Carroll of Ozark, Alabama went on a 2 1/2 month trip to Europe. Two weeks were spent aboard the SS Conte Rosso from New York City to Naples, Italy and the SS Caronia from Liverpool, England back to New York City. The bulk of their time was spent in at least seven countries and many well-known European cities. The itinerary below and the tour group listing give all the details.

Mr. Oscar Carroll was a great-uncle of mine, the brother of my great-grandmother, Emma Carroll Espy. If you click here, I believe Uncle Oscar is # 9. On his voyage to Europe, Uncle Oscar mailed these postcards to his nephew, J.J. Espy, Jr. (Bud John). Bud John was one of Emma's children. At the time, he was a teenager living in Headland, Alabama. Click here to see some photos of Bud John and his Headland family.

Be sure to click any of the images to enlarge!

SS Conte Rosso (taken from Google Images)

Arriving in St. Pete

2010-02-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

If you don't take the Sapsan to St. Petersburg, you can go the conventional train way. Kade and I did the overnight train, which took over eight hours. The clip below shows the train we took, except we went the opposite direction. After this video, scroll a tad to see some friends (and residents of Russia) who took their own journey to St. Petersburg from Moscow. Renata and Dilya had a wonderful time. All aboard!

Trains and Very Fast Trains

2010-01-27T22:14:00.000-08:00

From Moscow, travelers can head back east on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Sometimes people travel "short" legs of the railway to historic cities like Nizhny Novgorod, which is celebrating its 787th birthday. Another stop might be Ekaterinburg, the city where the last Tsar (Nicholas II) and his family were held and later executed during the Civil War that followed the October 1917 Revolution. Be sure to click the map above - I do indeed love maps! - to spot these destinations. Travelers might tour a few cities like these and return by train to Moscow. For the more adventurous, you can travel all the way to Vladivostok or Beijing. Siberia (and Mongolia, for that matter) has a plethora of outdoor activities and wonders. The warmer seasons might be more ideal. When Kade and stayed in Moscow in 2007, we met a young lady from Spain named Imma. After touring Moscow, Imma jumped on the Trans-Siberian Railway and headed deep inside Siberia. She experienced this. While some like Imma journey East, others leave Moscow and head northwest to majestic St. Petersburg. Recently Russia invested in a "bullet train," more than halving the normal eight hours a regular train takes to traverse this territory.

Victory Park

2010-01-24T22:10:00.000-08:00

My Header photo for this blog is a shot taken at Park Pobedy in Moscow. Park Pobedy means Victory Park. I put roaming these grounds and touring the museum as one of the my top five experiences in all of Moscow. See what you think. First, you must journey by metro to the Park Pobedy Station.

Great Views

2010-01-22T11:24:00.000-08:00

This photo is courtesy of English Russia, one of the most fascinating photo websites on "all things Russia." To see their listing of the Ten Most Popular Roofs of Moscow, click here.

Around Moscow

2010-01-20T20:52:00.000-08:00

If you enjoy this video, go to part two under related videos. Also, for a very cool Slow Motion video of Moscow, see below. Finally, to see just how large the city is, click here for a panorama.

Slow Moscow (ART) from Andrey Stvolinsky on Vimeo.

Moscow's Underground

2010-01-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

If you have any interest in mass transportation, I would recommend you look at Moscow's metro. It's an extensive network that covers huge swaths of the Russian capital, which now has 12 million people. The decor of the metro is also exceptionally beautiful, reminding you of a fascinating museum. The artwork, mosaic tiles, stain glass and statues are absolutely brilliant. The Moscow metro remains one of the cleanest and most efficient underground systems in the world.

For a look at some more stations, this link is very good. Enjoy!

Vladimir and Back

2010-01-14T21:23:00.001-08:00

Ever since Timour's October 2009 visit to Vladimir, I've pleaded with him to be sure to take images of his father the next time he makes a trip there. I wanted to see his dad in front of some of the city's renown architecture.
Timour's dad moved from Tashkent, Uzbekistan to the historical city of Vladimir, Russia sometime last year. I wrote about this move, the historical significance of Vladimir and Timour's '09 visit here. Much to my surprise, just the other day I got an e-mail from Timour and he shared that he had just returned (to Moscow) from his second visit to Vladimir in three months. And, true to his word, Timour captured some images. Above, Timour is standing in front of one of Vladimir's landmarks, the Dormition Cathedral. Below, you can see more images: this time, including Timour's father and step-mom.

On a side note, Timour's late mother - bless her soul - was an inspirational lady that I got to know during my time in Uzbekistan in the 90s. She, along with her mother (Timour's grandmother), treated Uncle Jim and me as royalty when we spent time at their home. I am forever grateful. In fact, I have a video of a very touching toast that she made to me. She was thanking me for befriending her son during his stint as a student at my university.

In the Spring of this year, Timour and his girlfriend Marina are coming for an extended visit to the USA. Two of their stops are going to be Asheville, NC and Headland, AL! I'm cleaning the red carpet, and will be ready to roll it out!

Renata's Hobby

2010-01-12T13:14:00.000-08:00

Moscow is "running over" with fashionable women and men. Walk down Tverskaya Street in the Russian capital and it's apparent that there are a lot of beautiful people in the city. Moscow is fastly approaching Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong, Milan, London and Paris when it comes to high-end fashion.

Above, you can see photos of a friend, Renata. She is actually one of Timour's relatives. Kade and I met her for the first time in 2007. Correction: I actually met Renata when she was a little girl. She was dancing and singing at Timour's family home in Tashkent. Renata was a mere six years old then! These days, she's studying law in Moscow. And, she just recently got married. On top of all that, she was a model during Volvo Fashion Week in Moscow. See if you can spot her walking down the catwalk. To see Renata in more a more casual mode, go to "Russia Trip 2007" in categories.

Beijing to Moscow by Train

2010-01-09T06:35:00.000-08:00

When a traveler finishes exploring Beijing, they can always jump on the Trans-Mongolian Railway. After several days and nights, they would eventually be in Moscow.

We have all heard of the Trans-Siberian Railway, the longest train journey in the world. It runs from Moscow to Vladivostok, Russia, and takes 7 days. The Trans-Mongolian, on the other hand, runs from Moscow to Beijing via Mongolia, and takes about 5 1/2 days. Click the map above to enlarge to get a perspective. The Trans-Mongolian does link with the Trans-Siberian line, so that's why you sometimes hear the Moscow-Beijing route referred to as the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Some people take the Trans-Mongolian Railway, starting in Moscow. Here is a great video by an Italian tourist who did take the train in Moscow. Others, who start out traveling in Asia first, perhaps jump on the train in Beijing and take it to Moscow. The 5 1/2 days would be the total if you did the entire trip without getting off the train. However, travelers who desire to explore Mongolia and Siberia, usually do a stopover in Ulaanbaatar - the capital of Mongolia - to see Genghis Khan's homeland and stay in a yurt with a Mongolian family. They also get off near Lake Baikal for a camping experience, and then hit a couple of larger cities, like Novosibirsk or perhaps Yekaterinburg, the city where the Romanovs were murdered. Of course, if it's winter, your itinerary and activities would likely be very different. I would prefer the warmer months, but some people say that a winter train ride through Siberia is amazing.

Here's a Smithsonian article about the train experience across Siberia. Also, here's a link to Monkey Shrine, a business that specializes in helping travelers plan their Trans-Mongolian/Trans-Siberian experience. And, if you want to read up on another post writeup I did on the Trans-Siberian Railway, click here. Finally, if you like movies, check out this thriller.

Beijing

2010-01-07T17:12:00.000-08:00

Before returning to South Africa for Christmas, Neil and Liz Biggs decided to visit the capital of China, Beijing. As you can see on the map, there's quite a distance between Shanghai, where they had been living, and Beijing. Some people fly between the cities and some take trains or even just drive.

In Beijing, Neil and Liz covered the main landmarks: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace and, of course, the Great Wall. I posted a couple of videos along with images they took on their trip. The first video shows magnificent aerials of Beijing. The second video (posted at the bottom) is one Liz made.

Sunday afternoon in the Temple of Heaven gardens, in Beijing. People gather in groups and sing, dance, play games and gamble.

Shanghai, China

2010-01-05T16:29:00.000-08:00

Here are some sights Liz took in when she went out for some sightseeing in China's most populated city. Her trusted photographer was more than likely her husband Neil. For another unique perspective of the city, click here.

Liz's Shanghai

2010-01-04T16:23:00.000-08:00

Liz had a nice view of the city skyline from her apartment. In her neighborhood, she could find wet markets and bazaars, where she could purchase fresh produce and goods for the house. And, if eating at home wasn't desired, Liz could simply walk around the corner to find cool restaurants and inexpensive "street food."

Shanghai is home to 20+ million people. There's also quite a demand for English teachers. If you have an interest, do like Liz, go live and work in Shanghai for a year.

Just Another Day

2010-01-03T16:16:00.000-08:00

Not everything in bustling Shanghai is glitz and glamour. The average person is working very hard during the week and then coming home to do their menial household chores and duties. In a real sense, they are just like people all over the globe. When there is time to unwind - perhaps late afternoons or on weekends - Chinese enjoy a walk to the park for a game of chess or some outdoor ballroom dancing. These simple pleasures are quite the treat. For those that like to step it up a bit, Shanghai neighborhoods have a myriad of places where you can have a leisurely stroll, meet up with friends, get a bite to eat, shop for goods, have some coffee, and much more. The video and images are provided by Liz. You can catch more of her travels under China.

Bangkok Brings in New Year

2010-01-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

American expat Ashira took this image of Moscow's Red Square. You can discover more jewels from Ashira on her blogs, Nomad
and Reasons I Love Europe. Ashira is a native of Philadelphia and is a Russophile at heart. She's just started teaching English in Moscow.

This is one of the holiday scenes in the amazing city, St. Petersburg. If you are in Russia, look up Nord Hostel in St. Petersburg. They have standard budget accommodations in an ideal locale. And, for those who want to upgrade and have a bit more privacy, they offer an apartment with all the amenities. Kade and I chose the latter, and our time in St. Pete was spectacular. Marsha, who runs Nord Hostel, posted many more Russian Orthodox Christmas and New Year images on her Facebook wall. Look her up at Spb Nord.

In Bangkok, where secular Christmas (and virtually any world holiday) has become in vogue, Thais love to party. Bua, bottom center, and some of her friends donned Santa headgear and gathered to exchange gifts and well wishes. Looks like they had some fun!

Liz took time out in Shanghai to pose with some Christmas decorations. In fact, Liz took an even longer holiday timeout. She traveled back to her native South Africa to spend the end of the year with her family and close friends.

Stacy posted this image of celebrations last night in Seoul, South Korea. Stacy, from North Carolina, is currently teaching English in Korea. Pretty soon she hopes to take her winter break/R&R in Bali, Indonesia. To follow Stacy's adventures, go to Blonde in Bundang.

Back in 2010

2009-12-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

Kade and I are leaving tomorrow for another Headland, Alabama visit. We will be attending three Christmas parties/gatherings. In addition, I intend to visit (and revisit, in one case) old Headland classmates and a couple of my blog fans. Finally, I won't be able to leave the Wiregrass without doing a bit of family research. I'm asking a few people to open up the archives!

Oh, lest I forget, these two establishments are high on the list this visit: this place, and this place. Yippee! Not to be outdone, Kade will more than likely, just like last time, have to accompany someone in the family to this Dothan hotspot.

NOTICE: Ballyhoo will be down until January 2010. Promising blog content and super duper photos will be "on the menu" next year. See you then!

Life of an Expat

2009-12-05T19:26:00.000-08:00

Richard is a British expat who has been in Thailand 11 years. I worked with him during my time at AUA Rajdamri in Bangkok. Richard lives on the 23rd floor of a condo in the Sathorn district, and is now working for one of the city's major hospitals (see below). Richard does quite a bit of traveling around Thailand, and naturally also finds time to return to England to visit friends and family. I plan to feature some of Richard's travel experiences from time-to-time.

Nurses Need English Too

2009-12-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

Richard has been teaching English in a Bangkok hospital for over 6 years. The bottom two photos are of a ceremony conducted on a national holiday in honor of the country's teachers.

Ming and His Sister

2009-12-02T20:45:00.000-08:00

I was very happy to receive updated photos of Ming Tsun. He's in the first two images. He's grown into a cute young boy. Scroll down a couple of posts to see what he looked like as a baby in 2002. These days, Ming Tsun has a baby sister. You can see her in this post. Isn't she precious? I know Wai and Dorothy are proud.

Hong Kong 2002, Part One

2009-12-01T13:17:00.000-08:00

After being awed by Hong Kong on a backpacking stopover in 2000, I was determined to take Kade there one day. We flew from Bangkok with one of my colleagues and his wife. We stayed a few days in Hong Kong and took a side trip to Macau (scroll to read more). Our friends then went back to Bangkok, and we stayed in Hong Kong to do a little more. It was important for me to reconnect with my Chinese friend, Wai. I had first met him and his wife in Northern Japan in 2000 and then got a wonderful tour of one of the Hong Kong islands and an outstanding dim sum meal (including a chopstick lesson) when I moved on to Hong Kong after Japan. You can see more of that initial visit here. Anyway, Kade and I met up with Wai this trip. We saw his wife and met their baby, Ming Tsun. See Ming in the next post. Enjoy the photos!

Hong Kong 2002, Part Two

2009-12-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

Here we are with Wai and Ming Tsun.

Macau, China

2009-11-22T19:58:00.000-08:00

Macau is the gambling mecca of Asia. To get there, you can take one of the hydrofoils from Hong Kong. That's what we did back in 2002 with some friends of ours: Steve and Dik. Macau was once a Portuguese colony. It's not as interesting as Hong Kong, but the colonial architecture gives a certain ambiance to what would otherwise be a pretty grimy place. Street vendors and local markets also create a vibrant, stimulating atmosphere. We managed to do one walk-through of a smokey casino, and I happened to lock eyes with a young, sultry Chinese prostitute. Being the smart guy I am, I kept on moving.

The past several years China and private investors have pumped lots of money into revamping Macau's infrastructure and marketing gambling to the entire world, not just Asians. One of the titans of Las Vegas big casino and resort development has actually made Macau the place for a lavish masterpiece: the Wynn Macau. Just to give another example of the mega-bucks floating around Macau, a 36 yr. old Chinese businessman representing one of the city's casino resorts, successfully made a $350,000 bid for a rare Michael Jackson glove. This glove might even lure me back to Macau.

Liz Flies to Tibet

2009-11-18T22:13:00.000-08:00

Times are good for Liz Biggs (seen in photo five). She has been living in Shanghai, China, where she teaches English. Liz and I crossed paths in Bangkok back in 2003. She's from Cape Town, South Africa, and she was living the expat life in Bangkok. We were colleagues at the same language school. Although we lost touch for a few years, through Facebook, we have since reconnected. Thank goodness for technology! What's amazing to me is that Liz, when she's not working, is traveling extensively around China, visiting locales that I have only dreamt of seeing. For now, I am living vicariously through Liz! Over the next few weeks I plan to highlight some of her most interesting adventures. It really helps that she and her husband are excellent photographers, and are generous enough to let me use their photos!

We have all heard of Tibet and the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is in exile, of course, but Tibet is very open for business. Liz flew from Shanghai to the capital city Lhasa and began her holiday (vacation for us Americans!). Click any of the images to enlarge.

Lhasa literally means "place of the gods" (Wikipedia). It lies at the foot of Mount Gephel. Notice the flat roofs.
This is the beautiful Potala Palace. At the back, there is a very, very long drop.
This is Lhasa from Jokang Temple. The Potala Palace is seen in the distance.
Liz and her guide, Jack, in the Jokhang Temple, the holiest center in Tibet.
This is Yangbajin Basin. There are lots of yaks in the vicinity! Take note of the farmers tending their fields.

Kunming

2009-11-17T19:44:00.000-08:00

After touring Tibet, Liz flew to the capital of Yunnan Province, Kunming. To help orient yourself (pun intended!), first refer back to the map of China, above. You surely can spot Tibet. Now find neighboring Yunnan Province. Once you do that, come back to the detailed map below. This map of Yunnan will serve as your guide as you read more of the incredible journey Neil and Liz made. Each map and every image you see, can be clicked once to enlarge. All images came from Liz's actual photo collection.

Kunming is a large, scenic metropolis with a temperate climate. In fact, because the weather is generally nice throughout the year, Kunming's nickname is "Spring City." Kunming has 5 million people: the majority are Han Chinese. Minority people such as the Yi (seen below) make Kunming one of the most diverse cities in China. To read more about Kunming's significance to Southwestern China, read here.

Kunming is known for its tea. If you in Yunnan, make sure to observe a tea pouring ceremony and perhaps even tour a tea factory. Here is some info about Kunming tea. Another cultural highlight in Kunming is witnessing "fan dancing." Be sure to see Liz's video of this cultural gem. Lastly, one of the most intriguing sights near Kunming (actually, three hours away!) is the Stone Forest. The forest was once the bottom of the ocean!

On to Dali

2009-11-16T20:02:00.000-08:00

The next stop was Dali, a picturesque city surrounded by mountains on the east, west and south. Dali also overlooks one of China's largest freshwater lakes: Erhai. Lake Erhai can be seen in photo one.

Rich in culture, topography and history, Dali does indeed impress. You can just ask Liz! In fact, you can ask Liz and her husband Neil! He actually joined her on this leg of the Southwest China tour. They stayed at the very ornate Zhang family home. You can see just how lovely it is.

More Dali

2009-11-15T19:50:00.000-08:00

The Bai people make up the bulk of the population in the Dali prefecture. They first settled this region centuries ago. They are known for their singing and dancing, and the arts in general. One of their greatest contributions was the construction of the Chongsheng Temple, one of the largest Buddhist centers in Asia. On the temple grounds, visitors will be amazed by the Three Pagodas, which were built during the Tang Dynasty more than 1000 years ago.

Chongsheng Temple and the Three Pagodas are shown below. The view of the city is shown from the vantage point of the temple.

Lijiang

2009-11-14T20:14:00.000-08:00

The next stop for Liz and Neil was the city Lijiang. Lijiang is a remote Yunnan city with a history that spans 2400 years. The old town section of Lijiang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The predominant ethnic group that settled this area is the Naxi, which is one of 55 minority ethnicities living in China. Naxi traditions, architecture and culture are well-preserved in Lijiang, making the town one of the top tourist destinations. The landscape surrounding Lijiang is captivating, and there's a definite respect for nature among the locals. Below you can see photos of the old town, plus a vista of the entire city itself. Perhaps you can even spot Liz in one of the images! To view some images of the Naxi people, click here.

Naxi Traditions

2009-11-14T20:04:00.000-08:00

The golden images are Naxi protectors of nature. They are goddesses, which may explain why Naxi women themselves are very prominent within their culture, especially in comparison to the patriarchy you typically see in Asia. Naxi women are not only the pillars of Naxi family life, they benefit from customs and laws that traditionally elevate them to a higher status than their male counterparts.

From Pierre Evald's website:

Religious belief of the Naxi is polytheism with a sublime mixture of different religious practices, each serving a particular need. Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism, or Bön to be precise, were useful in connection with the funerals and prayers for the dead. Taoism satisfied mystic and aesthetic needs, and ancestor worship, Confucianism, was necessary to keep up the contact with the departed. Animism provided a method for dealing with the unseen powers in nature, and shamanism was crucial for the protection of the living and dead from the evil spirits.