Author Miriam Beard, daughter of the American historians Charles A. and Mary R. Beard said, “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” The longer I travel, the more I realize the truth of this statement. Prior to visiting Paris … Read more
Russia had intrigued me for years, but traveling solo in this vast land where few speak English had always seemed a daunting prospect. My recent trip to Berlin had not helped; a tour guide insisted that Russia was the only place on earth where the life expectancy was lower than it had been 50 years … Read more
I laughed out loud the first time I saw an advertisement for Pooping Palace on the window of one of the hop-on/hop-off pickup trucks that carry passengers around Chiang Mai, Thailand. I understood the problem immediately. The Thai alphabet consists of 44 consonants, 15 vowels that combine into at least 28 vowel forms, and four … Read more
For years I have longed to attend the Thai festival of Yi Peng, but my travel itinerary never cooperated. Finally, this past December the stars aligned and I found myself in Chiang Mai, the epicenter of this celebration best known for launching paper lanterns into the night sky for good luck. Eagerly, I pieced together … Read more
Anyone who has visited Chiang Mai, Thailand, has heard about the 36 temples (wats) within the Old City walls. Similarly, most visitors visit the spectacularly gilded Doi Suthep temple, an important wat that offers stunning views over Chiang Mai from its hillside perch atop Doi Suthep Mountain. Yet the site that may hold the most … Read more
