Around the World

Day 1: On the Road in Yangon

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After flying for two days, we finally made it to Yangon.  We’ve only been here for a day and we’re already head over heels in love with this country.  As my mom likes to point out  “you like everywhere you go”, which is true, but there is also something special about this place.  At first glance, it reminds me a lot of Thailand, especially the golden pagoda and temples.  “Same same but different,” as they say.  Here at Shwedagon Pagoda, instead of hoards of tourists, you’ll see Burmese people in their colorful longyi.  Visiting the pagoda as a family affair.  Even though it’s a sacred religious place, people bring their food and have a family picnic in the temples after praying.   

Planning Myanmar

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Ruins_of_Bagan,_1999

[photo credit: Wikipedia]

“Why are you going to Myanmar?…  Wait, where is Myanmar?”  I think those might be the two most common questions I’ve gotten each time I’ve told someone we’re going to Myanmar.  Our response is always some combination of: “It’s near Thailand, and well, why not?”  If you’ve ever searched for pictures of Bagan on Google, you’d know right away why we were drawn to Myanmar.  The country looks beautiful, it is in Southeast Asia, there is a rich cultural history to explore, and until a few years ago, it wasn’t even possible to enter the country. All the reasons that would make for a great trip. We’ve been pretty excited for this trip, so much so that I’ve even managed to pull myself away from work for a whole two weeks! Continue reading →

Photo of the Week: Fog

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IMG_4073Blue Lagoon, Iceland

Recently a friend came back from Iceland and it reminded me how much I miss this country .  I missed the savage beauty of the desolate landscape.  I missed the magnificent waterfall. I missed the time we spent at the Blue Lagoon.  We were there when the fog came rolling in over the thermal water creating a nice effect with the sunset.  

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.

No-Frills Flying

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[photo credit: Visit Norway]

Since we reviewed our first class flight with Etihad, I thought it would be fitting to go to the other end of the spectrum and share details of my flight in coach on Norwegian Air.  There are many carriers in Europe offering super cheap no-frills tickets, and it seems that many of the North American carriers are beginning to follow suit. But fear not! Below is a summary of my in-flight experience and a few tips that will hopefully make your bare-bones flying experience better. Continue reading →

Day Trip to Kutná Hora

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Kutná Hora, a  popular daytrip destination from Prague, was once a grand old city.  Thanks to its bountiful silver mine, the city became the financial center of Bohemia and the site of the Royal Mint in the 14th century.  However, when the silver ore ran dry, the city faded into history.  Now it is more known for its architectural jewels like the unique Gothic cathedral and the interesting ‘bone church.

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Photo of the Week: Abandoned

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IMG_7481Red Hook, NY

On a photography excursion to Red Hook, I saw this old abandoned train.  I had to climb in and take a picture of the inside.  There was bright sunlight filtering through the windows creating a nice contrast against the grimy interior. Sometimes old broken things are full of character and beauty.

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.

14 Things to do in Prague

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I am not going to lie, I waited a long time to visit Prague. I had heard so many good things about the city that it was a big disappointment when my first impression did not meet my expectations.  It is true that everything there is as beautiful as the photographs, but something felt off.  The thing was, I didn’t think I was the only one who felt conflicted by the city’s beauty and frustrated by the hoards of tourists that seem to be everywhere.  I was overwhelmed by the vendors trying to make a few bucks off of a gullible visitor.  I remembered being on the phone with Fausto on the first night telling him how let down I felt considering how excited I was about going there. The whole thing just didn’t feel authentic.

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Photo of the Week: Love Story

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IMG_5988Galway, Ireland

We came across this idyllic scene of an abbey nestled in the surrounding greenery that looked like something out of a painting on our drive across Ireland. Kylemore Castle in County Galway is a Benedictine monastery, home to a community of nuns who came here in 1920 after their abbey was destroyed in World War I.  But before it became a monastery, it was the backdrop to an intriguing love story.

The year was 1849, Mitchell Henry and his new bride Margaret visited the wild Connemara on their honeymoon and fell in love with the place.  Mitchell promised his wife that he would build their dream home there. The construction of the castle overlooking the lake took thirteen years to  complete.  The happy couple lived there with their nine children until 1875 when Margaret suddenly passed away from an illness contracted on their holiday in Egypt.  She was only 45 at the time.  Mitchell brought Margaret’s body back to Kylemore and laid her to rest in a mausoleum built on the abbey’s ground, but he was heartbroken and couldn’t bear to stay in their home any longer.  When Mitchell Henry died in 1910, his ashes was brought back to Kylemore to be laid next to his love, in the place where they built their dream home and spent many happy years together.

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.

Prague: Climbing Towers

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Prague is known as “the city of 100 spires” with its iconic skyline.  While visiting, we fell in love with the cityscape and took every chance we could to climb to the top of those towers.  I will admit, we climbed what you might call an excessive number of towers, but the view from each spire was unique and special in its own way.  Below are a look at each one we climbed, and some of the pros and cons of each location.  Also, as a bonus they are quite effective as Stairmasters, especially if you want to digest the giant plate of meat and beer that you have just consumed.

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Photo of the Week: Notre Dame

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IMG_4331Montreal, Quebec

As you know, last week we took a family road trip to Quebec for Thanksgiving.  If you’ve ever been in a car  with 6 people plus countless luggage for an  eight hour drive, you’ll know it’s an effective torture method.  Aside from the  fact that my body was contorted into many weird positions, the trip was a success.  We had a little too much food, but that’s to be expected on a Nguyen get-together.  We also got to visit a few nice churches a long the way.

Notre-Dame is the famous basilica located in the heart of Old Montreal. The interior is filled with intricate wood carvings that would rival any European church.  The altar is back lit with a deep blue light, creating contrast and drama to the elaborate design.  The only drawback is that there is an admission fee of $5 to get in, which makes this feel less like a holy site and more like a tourist stop. 

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.