Photography

Eating in Mandalay

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Since Burma was quite insulated until recently, Burmese food has not had a chance to spread to other parts of the world.  Like most people, we had not tried Burmese food before setting foot in Myanmar.  In fact, we’re still hard pressed to find an authentic Burmese restaurant in New York, our melting pot city.  Our journey around the country was also a culinary learning experience.  While there are some similarities and influences derived from other Asian cuisines, some dishes we tried were quite unique and like nothing we have had before.   Similar to what we found in Yangon, food in Mandalay is both delicious and inexpensive, two of my favorite things. In fact, this is where we had some of the best and most memorable food of the trip. Continue reading →

Photo of the Week: Machu Picchu

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IMG_3919Machu Picchu, Peru

Sometimes the journey teaches us about the destination, and in this case, it couldn’t be more true.  Walking the same path that was used by the ancient Inca in their pilgrimage to the top of Machu Picchu was surreal.  I learned to pause along the way and admire the quiet beauty of nature.  The days it took to reach Machu Picchu  were hard, pushed me to my limits, and made me appreciate this magnificent sight that much more.  On the fourth day, we woke up early to make it to the Sun Gate in time for sunrise.  Looking down at this sacred city with the sun light breaking through the clouds is an image I’ll never forget.

Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the Follow button.

Inle Lake: Boat Tour

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The beauty of Myanmar’s Inle Lake is not limited to nature, but also draws from the relationship between the Intha people who derive their livelihood from this lake.  The village grows out of the water while the fish from within provide sustenance.  And now, the beautiful scenery is providing another source of income in the form of visiting tourists.  Surrounded by mountains on all sides , the lake in the middle is so clear and reflective like a big mirror. Continue reading →

Photo of the Week: Concrete Forest

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IMG_9355Barcelona, Spain

La Sagrada Familia is the crown jewel of Barcelona and one of Gaudi’s most famous works; yet it’s been under construction on and off since 1882 and still not complete.  The towering pillars rising up to the vaulted ceiling reflect the colorful lights from the stained glass windows and reminds me of the mottled effect of sunlight pouring through thick branches. Gaudi is well known for his organic style of architecture, drawing inspiration from nature, so it’s not far-fetched to enter the cathedral and imagine yourself walking amongst a concrete forest. This is one of my all time favorite cathedrals. 

Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the Follow button.

Eating in Yangon

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Every time we travel out of the country, we get the same warning from our doctor: do not partake in street food.  Each and every single time, we chose to ignore that advice because to me, eating street food is half the fun of travel.  It’s where you get to try the most authentic local cuisine that also just happens to be super affordable.  That’s exactly what we did in Yangon.  Our motto was: forget the pizza and hamburgers (not that there are a lot McDonalds there),  jump in and try something that you won’t be able to get at home. Continue reading →

Photo of the Week: Accomplishment

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IMG_6786Kauai, Hawaii

Kauai is beautiful – from the vast Waimea canyon to the breathtaking Na Pali coastline. The most memorable part of the trip  for me, however, was at the top of the Wai’ale’ale lookout.  This picture was taken on our trip to Hawaii after my many surgeries.  I was still recovering, so any kind of physical activity was difficult and tiring.  My short ‘hike’ from the car to the lookout point was quite an accomplishment, and I remembered feeling like I was on top of the world.

Every week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home.  Most of my photos have little or no post processing.  If you would like to see more, please click the Follow button.

15 Things to Know Before Traveling to Myanmar

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Myanmar (pronounced me-ann-mar) has become a traveler’s hot spot in recent years, and will get even more popular now that they’ve held democratic elections.  Their new found political freedom shined the spotlight, and brought a surge of people into the once isolated country. Hotel and infrastructure are being built to support the rapid growth as the country moves towards becoming the next must-visit Asian destination. Things are changing fast and information on the web gets quickly outdated. Here are a list of  things we learned from our trip (taken at the end of Nov, 2015) that will hopefully make your planning easier: Continue reading →