Asia

Fond Memories From Indonesia, Part One: Java

Plumeria flowers bloom throughout the year in my Southern California neighborhood. The flowering tree native to Central America produces colorful five-peddled flowers that resemble stars with a scent that’s more delectable than a rose. For many people images of tropical beaches and lush mountain retreats arise in the subconscious mind when encountering their magical aroma. I, however, am transported back to a place where the trees, locally known as jepun, are used ceremoniously in every…

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Asia

Nepal: A Glimpse Into a Sacred Land

‘Ageless’ was the first word that came to my mind as the weathered mixed-use complexes, pagodas, and stupas passed by me. Motorists endlessly sounding their horns as the chaos of the morning traffic churned my stomach into knots. My taxi driver, friendly as can be, handled this fluid mess with ease and grace, his dashboard shrine shifting after every hairpin turn. As I arrived at my small family run hostel I stored my bags and…

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Asia

A Glance Into India: Orchha

A calm mist settled over the centuries old temples in front of me as I woke to the sun creeping up over the tree-line across the river. Flocks of colorful birds began circling the crumbling ruins as the sun rose higher. The first sounds of dawn in Orchha weren’t car horns or train whistles but the sounds of the Indian Rollers and junglefowls echoing through the forest. The rolling green hills of the Bundelkhand region…

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Asia

A Glance Into India: Varanasi and Sarnath

 “Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together.” – Mark Twain Varanasi — known as Benares during Mark Twain’s time  — is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, going back perhaps 5000 years. The city attracts people from all over India and the world to enter its holy river, to pray, to search for meaning, to…

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Asia

A Glance Into India: Agra

Situated on the bank of the Yamuna River, the city of Agra stands as one of India’s most glorified ancient capitals and is home to the country’s most iconic landmark — The Taj Mahal. It lies at the southern end of India’s golden triangle — the triangular tourist route between the cities of Agra, Jaipur, and Delhi. Agra has been at the center of the Mughal Empire for much of the 15th and 16th centuries.…

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