A palace, a hill temple and a couple of markets; and the photo opps award goes to the market. We actually hit two, one of Mysore’s quaint old markets and its bustling Devaraja Market. They were filled with the usual Indian fair of vegetables, spices and flowers, but this one had something special, vendors who welcomed a camera pointed at their goods.
The Royal Palace is the attraction that brings the tourist though. Personally, I found it a bit hotel like. Perhaps this is due to the British design, intended to mimic Indian style. Magnificent workmanship though made it well worth the tour. A short trip out of town to climb the stairs of sacred Chamundi Hill was well worth the effort too. Continue reading Mysore Market and Palace →
We came down from the cool hill station air of Kodai to tropical Kerala. First stop Fort Kochi (Cochin); the Portuguese, Dutch and British cultural melting pot, where there is a Christian church every few blocks – with a pile of parishioners shoes left outside, distinctly Indian style. The historical trading town still has its Asian Fishing Nets (see the photo below) in use, making for a classic port scene of old meets new. Continue reading Kerala →
Our first stop in India threw us right into the thick of their infamous polluted, congested cities. However, the Tamil people proved to be set on ensuring our stay is pleasant. In the thick of honking horns and swerving motorbikes, trucks and rickshaws, approached people would patiently greet us and offer their best advice, often helpful. One such case resulted in an escorted cross-city bus trip back to our hotel neighborhood, complete with a stop for tea and a guided walk through Triplicane, Chennai’s, Parthasarathy Temple temple. And, believe it or not, unlike my experiences traveling the North ten years before, there wasn’t even a hint of opportunism; the university student refused my insistence on paying the cafe bill. Continue reading Tamil Nadu →
View from Gokyo Ri, Khumbu, Nepal
Me on Gokyo Ri, 2010
I finally came across a relatively fast internet in China and since it’s been raining continuously for the past week I decided to spend a little time at the computer. I don’t feel quite up to typing the whole thing, it’s getting long, but here’s some of the logistics. This should help with identifying some of the pictures you come across on the web site or just let some of you know what I’ve been up to for the last year or so. Continue reading Asia Journal →
I figured I am a bit overdue for an e-mail to some of those people I’ve met along the way and some good friends I’ve neglected for a while. So this is to let you know I’m almost back to the real world, a month or so away anyways, and to thank you for all the good times along the way. It’s been about 17 months now since I left the States for work in Japan. Last February, when I traded in the laptop for the backpack, my travels brought me overland from Singapore through Tibet to India with a side trip in the middle to Australia and New Zealand – all with the idea that it isn’t so much the destination but the getting there that traveling is all about. Continue reading A year and a half in Asia →
Exploits from my time outside the box.