Category Archives: Asia
5 Other Cultural “WOWs”
5. Indian food—the huge variety of vegetarian food and many types of bread (naan) and the presence of all-vegetarian restaurants and hotels 4. Indian women’s colorful clothing and styles 3. Andean women’s colorful clothing and styles 2. Pisco Sours (the official drink of Chile … Continue reading
My Top 11 Place “WOWs” of This Trip
11. Andes mountains regions in Central Ecuador (Nariz del Diablo train ride) and Peru (Machu Picchu/Sacred Valley) 10. Oman’s mountains and valleys 9. Dubai architecture 8. Ranakpur, India—huge, white marble Jain temple 7. Valparaiso, Chile—hill areas with colored houses and street art 6. Mysore Palace … Continue reading
Oman
Oman, the largest of the Gulf countries, is also the most different from the others. It has not pursued the modernization through massive building projects/skyscrapers as the other countries have, but has kept its traditional look and feel. You still … Continue reading
UAE
United Arab Emirates, or UAE, is one country made out of seven small city-states. The capital, Abu Dhabi, is the largest by far, comprising 87% of the country, and has much more oil than the other emirates. Dubai is perhaps … Continue reading
Qatar
Qatar, like the other Gulf countries, is a mix of the traditional and modern–with the modern leading the way. Doha, the capital, has a skyline of architecturally unique, and even award-winning (the “bullet” tower), towers. Along the Corniche (the walkway … Continue reading
Kuwait
Just two decades after the war, Kuwait is rebuilt–and continues to build. You find construction going on everywhere. Skyscrapers and malls alongside souks and mosques. The modern along with the traditional. Kuwait’s most distinctive landmark is likely Kuwait Towers, the … Continue reading
Kumbh Mela
The Kumbh Mela is the largest religious festival and likely largest gathering of people on earth. This year an estimated 70 million people will come to Allahabad, in the north central part of the country, in the 2 months of … Continue reading
Varanasi
Varanasi is the world’s oldest inhabited city. It’s India’s spiritual heart and a magical, surreal, fascinating experience. Hindu pilgrims come here at least once in their lifetime to bathe in the River Ganges to wash away their sins. Older people … Continue reading
Kolkata
Kolkata is India’s second-largest city with 15 million people. It is the former capital of British India and retains much of the colonial architecture–mostly in decay today. The center includes the BBD Bagh area, named for Binoy, Badal, and Dinesh, … Continue reading
Rangamati
Rangamati is the capital, main city, and gateway to the Hill Tracts area of the local tribes. Most of the ethnic tribes in Bangladesh are located in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region. The most populous ones (in order of largest … Continue reading