Kuala Lumpur, capital of the Southeast Asian country of Malaysia, has always been a “pass-through” destination for me. Either I never made it out of the airport during long layovers, or my time was limited to an overnight stay. I’d made the obligatory trek to see famous twin Petronas Towers, once the tallest skyscrapers in … Read more
It wasn’t easy to be a vegetarian when I began traveling the world in 1997. At best it was difficult to find food without meat; at times it was downright impossible. Thankfully, the vegetarian/vegan trend has taken off over the past few years. Rarely do I have problems finding my kind of food these days, … Read more
The full moon’s reflection splintered into bronze ripples on the surface of the Mae Ping River. On the shore, worshipers lit tea candles and launched them into the river on handmade boats known as krathong. Like thousands of glittering sparks cast off from the moon itself, they floated down the gently undulating river. On this … Read more
Before there was a Thailand, there was the Mon-speaking Dvaravati culture, which migrated from what is today Myanmar. The Dvaravati occupied present-day central and northern Thailand, and their seat of power was the central city of of Nakhon Pathom. One of the earliest cultures to reside in Southeast Asia, it lasted from around the 6th … Read more
In mid-April each year, Thailand celebrates the Songkran Festival, Thai New Year. While festivities occur all over the country, the most lavish celebrations occur in the northern city of Chiang Mai. Held over a four or five day period, Songkran begins with a monk blessing and alms-giving ceremony, followed by the presentation of Songkran queens … Read more
