PHOTO: Climbing to the Top of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet – What Doesn’t Kill Us Makes Us Stronger

From a nearby overlook, I got my frst glimmer of the stamina that climbing to the top of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, would require

I’d seen it in pictures, of course. The magnificent Potala Palace, rising vertically from its perch atop Red Mountain in the Tibetan capital city of Lhasa. This number one destination on my travel wish list had long eluded me. Until now. After years of waiting, I had finally made it to the exotic kingdom that … Read more

VIDEO: Nepalis Celebrate New Year in Pokhara, Nepal

People flock to Fewa Lake in Pokhara to celebrate New Year in Nepal

I celebrated Nepali New Year in Nepal, this past April. My second home of Pokhara sponsored three solid days of performances in the park, including band performances, traditional dancing, and singing. But for me the most interesting part was just roaming the streets and watching the families that had traveled from afar, shopping, meeting with … Read more

PHOTO: Thailand’s Traditional King Ka-La Dance

Traditional King Ka-La Dance is performed during the Umbrella Festival in Bo Sang Village in northern Thailand

Decked out in spectacular fan-shaped costumes, a troupe of Thai dancers at the Bo Sang Umbrella Festival performed the traditional King Ka-La folk dance. Their mincing steps and fluttering arms so perfectly mimicked the movements of birds that I seriously thought they might take flight. Traditional dance is an important cultural art form in Thailand, … Read more