I just returned from visiting my 32nd country on a trip to East Africa. But on occasion I find myself going places that were not on my travel list. For instance, recently I was asked to go on a work trip to North Korea. How could I say no? North Korea! I know about 5 … Continue reading Of cabbage and kimchi – North Korea
Yes, Laos used to be a French colony, and still has some of the beautiful charm of France. But Laos is still all its own. There are temples everywhere, and their Buddhist faith permeates life here, whether you are devout or not. One of my favorite things is the lively use of color everywhere. Bright … Continue reading Le tour de Vientiane
Through no fault of my own, I've managed to squeeze in two trips to Hanoi in the short time I've been over here. In November I was supposed to help run a communications training, but it was cancelled as the remnant of Typhoon Haiyan hit Vietnam just as we arrived. Instead, I ended up staying … Continue reading I heart Hanoi
In the fall of 2012, we caught the prelude races to the America’s Cup, this past September was the real deal. My last hurrah before heading overseas was a long weekend in San Francisco with my fabulous sister. I’m not sure why I love SF so much, but I do. I wanted to live in … Continue reading Sailing into San Francisco
I love detail photography. The color and textures that you often walk right by. I get to spend a lot of time with my niece and nephews and they notice everything. They aren't in a hurry to get to the next thing, they are just in the now. It helps me to stop and be … Continue reading Laos – In the details
Today I'm out of words, but I really want to share some photos. So captions will have to do today.
The next morning, my taxi driver Aung Sann picked me up at 5:30am to go watch the sunrise on Shwesandaw Paya. It seemed like the entire village was out along the main road exercising! Walking, running, doing calisthenics. I guess when the oppressive heats hits around 7:30am, you get up at the crack to get … Continue reading Bagan – Sunrise, sunset
Sometimes I'm amazed how my head works. While in Bangkok last year, I saw a photo in a newspaper of a place I'd never heard of called Bagan and decided that I should go. Who does that? I prepped and read everything I could about Myanmar. I secured a wad of crisp, new USD $50 … Continue reading Bagan – The four hour tour
As much as I edit photos at work, you'd think this would be easy for me. I've whittled down 500+ photos taken in Bagan to 36, but I can't post 36 photos. I don't want this to become like shades of a vacation slide projector show on the living room wall. I want you to … Continue reading Bagan – A hint
Shwedagon is the place to see and be seen. It reminded me of the Italian passeggiata - an evening stroll by residents through town. The same happens at this very holy site. There was such an amazing mix of people there - local families, devout Buddhists making offerings, tourists, young people hanging out, monks. It … Continue reading Shwedagon Paya – Yangon
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