Around the World

Getting to Know Bagan

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The ancient city of Bagan,  located on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River,  is home to over 4,000  Buddhist temples, pagodas, and stupas. It is one of the world’s greatest archaeological sites, rivaling that of Angkor Wat, with ruins dating back to as far as the 11th and 12th centuries. Over half of the original temples have managed to survive the years.  The stunning images of temples peaking through the canopy of trees is THE reason why I wanted to come to Myanmar.   The reality was every part as amazing as I imagined. Continue reading →

Photo of the Week: Japanese Garden

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IMG_4432 New York City, USA

This weekend is Sakura Matsuri, the 35th annual cherry blossom festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  It’s the peak time to see all the beautiful spring flowers in bloom. This picture was taken on a stroll of the Japanese garden, a little piece of calmness in the center of chaos.  It was a beautiful Saturday and thousands of people made the trip to Prospect Park not just to enjoy the flowers but to take in the colorful cosplay and and performances at the festival.  

Every Monday of each 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.

Mandalay: Day Trip

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When you’re tired of Mandalay with all of its heat, smog, and traffic – consider visiting the surrounding towns on the outskirts of the city on a day trip.  Since these places are not too far away, you can either hire a taxi or rent a motorbike to take you around.  To hire a car, you don’t really need an advance booking, just walk to a hotel where taxis are usually parked and haggle with the driver on the price and itinerary.  We went with Mr. Po, our personal cabby, who took us to the villages for 45,000 Kyatt ($38 USD). Here is a breakdown of the places we visited, organized by location: Continue reading →

Mandalay: U Bein Bridge

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There are many attractions in and around Mandalay, but one of my favorites has to be the U Bein Bridge, located in Amarapura, a small town on the outskirts of the city.  The aging structure spans Taungthaman Lake, stretching 1.2km (0.75 mi), making it the longest teakwood bridge in the world. Known for its beautiful sunrise and sunset, this place is easily one of Myanmar’s most photographed sites.

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Photo of the Week: Gibraltar

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IMG_0763Gibraltar, Europe

Gibraltar is a small British Territory (just under three square miles), located at the tip of the Iberian Peninsula and easily accessible from both Spain and Morocco.  One of the main attractions here are the towering limestone ridges that rise to almost 1,400 feet, known as the Pillars of Hercules.  The low hanging cloud creates a mystical effect in the picture taken on our hike up the Rock of Gibraltar.

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.

8 Things to do in Mandalay

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Temples and monasteries are an integral part of life in Myanmar, and so we spent the good part of our visit in Mandalay temple-hopping.  There are so many to visit, and each one is unique in its own way. Most of the pagodas we visited are within walking distance to each other located at the foot of the Mandalay Hill.  Some of the religious sites charge a small entrance fee for foreigners, but you can buy a Mandalay archeological zone ticket that allows you to see all the places within the city and surrounding town for 10,000 Kyatt per person, valid for 5 days.  On our first day we found a taxi driver, Mr. Po, who shared his expert knowledge of the area and helped us navigate the city.  He would drive us to each destination and waited until we were done.  It was especially helpful when we wanted to go to Amarapura and other nearby towns. 

One of the best things for me to do after each trip is to go through my notes and photos as I start to write about my trip.  It allows me to relive my trip and recall memorable experiences.  Here are some of the places we visited in Mandalay:

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Photo of the Week: Taft Point

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IMG_1807Yosemite National Park, USA

Taft point is one of the lookout points at Yosemite National Park with an uninterrupted view of the valley below.  If you are brave, you can walk all the way to the edge and look over the precipice.  That little dot in the middle, sitting on the overhang is Fausto. Did I mention that there are no railings? Since this place is less crowded than Glacier point, we found a quiet place to sit and admire the breathtaking vista. 

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 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 →