Tibetan Thangka paintings at a shop next to the Swa Chapu Ganesh Buddhist Stupa in the Chhetrapati area of Kathmandu, Nepal. These pieces show the mandala associated with the Kalachakra Initiation, which the Dalai Lama gives twice per year in locations all around the world. Artists train for years to produce the delicate Thangkas, which … Read more
Novice monks at the Sakya Tharig Monastery near the UNESCO World Heritage Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal. The youngsters stopped cleaning a courtyard of tumbled bricks and debris long enough to pose for a photo. Their serious expressions changed into broad grins when I showed them the photo on my camera’s display. The Sakya Tharig … Read more
Typical street scene in Kathmandu, Nepal. The overloaded van bus with people riding on the roof is typical of public transportation in Nepal, not only in the city, but also on cross-country trips. As with most Asian countries, traffic is willy-nilly, with cars, buses, truck, motorbikes and bicycles paying little attention to maintaining lanes or … Read more
Four months. Fourteen countries. Fifty different destinations. By the time I reached Sarajevo I was exhausted. I’d accomplished my goal of visiting all seven of the ex-Yugoslavian countries plus Albania, but poor Croatia had been given short shrift earlier in the summer. Rather than battle high-season crowds and a record-breaking heat wave at the seashore, … Read more
The stunning, 820-foot long promenade known as the Riva in Split, Croatia, separates the Old Town from the sea. It is home to dozens of sidewalk cafes, where visitors can relax with a beverage while the sun sets over the harbor. The Riva is used for parades, sporting events, religious processions, festivals, and even political … Read more
