Zhujiang Wharf – tourist boat terminal Today we headed down to the tourist boat terminal, such a plethora of boats, for a trip down the Li River and scenic views of the limestone peaks of the Karst mountains. We have been so lucky with the weather and today looks fine again, mist still shrouding the nearby hills. […]
Boat Trip – Limestone Peaks – Li River – Guilin to Yangshuo China
January 22, 2014 by
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Dragon’s Backbone Terraced Rice Fields – Ping’an Village Longsheng
January 10, 2014 by
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Farming the terraced rice fields The Dragon’s Backbone Rice Terrace supports about 180 families who live and work in the area. They make their living farming the surrounding terraced rice fields and growing vegetable crops. Traditionally they live in wooden homes with three floors like the houses we passed by the river’, and in the village. Ground floor […]
Journey to Longsheng Rice Terrace
January 2, 2014 by
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Longsheng Rice Terrace In the past I have seen so many beautiful pictures of the Rice Terraces in many countries. Today I was really looking forward to seeing them for myself in China, such a fascinating part of the world. Our tour group journeyed by bus from Guilin to see the Longsheng Rice Terrace at Ping’an, […]
Delicious Khmer food – Asian food with a difference
December 27, 2013 by
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About Khmer Food Khmer or Cambodian cuisine is one of the world’s oldest living cuisines, passed down through generations. Despite the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970’s Cambodian Cuisine has made a remarkable recovery. Cambodian cuisine renowned for its simplicity, freshness and use of seasonal ingredients. Unlike the hot and spicy Asian […]
Garment Factory Workers in the Rain | Phnom Penh
December 20, 2013 by
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After two great days visiting the sights in and around Sihanoukville, shrines at Pich Nil Pass, the lush green pine forest of Kirirom National Park, then dabbling our feet in a clear running stream at the waterfalls, our tour bus headed back to Phnom Penh city. Rain and more rain It was the shortest distance […]
Kompong Speu – Waterfall area – Kirirom National Park
December 13, 2013 by
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Waterfalls at Kirirom National Park Following our visit to Kirirom National Park to see the remnants of King Sihanouk’s Villa, the bus went off the main road, down a pot-holed dusty road pulling up on top of a hill. Here we are greeted by half-dozen delightful young girls with brightly colored flower garlands. Who […]
Verdant Green Pine Forest – Kirirom National Park
November 1, 2013 by
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Kirirom National Park,Forest,Lakes and waterfalls Kirirom National Park lies 120 km west of Phnom Penh in the Kampong Speu province. From Sihanoukville about a 2 hour drive. The Kirirom National Park covers an area of 35.000 hectares (350 km²). The Kirirom National Park is a mountain plateau, elevation 800 m above sea level, known for its green pine […]
Fast and furious ride on a Bamboo Train – Cambodia
October 24, 2013 by
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Bamboo Train or Norry An off-side adventure, a ride on a bamboo train locally called a ‘Norry’. An interesting piece of engineering with iron wheels on two sets of axles, independent of a bamboo platform that sits on top of the axles; driven by a small engine, probably from a motorbike or tractor. The Norry, […]
Sanjusangen-do Temple 1001 Golden Statues Kyoto
October 18, 2013 by
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700 year old Temple Something more serious and austere. Sanjusangen-do Temple. An impressive long temple hall, 390 feet in length, built-in the Wayo (Japanese) style of architecture from the Heian period (794 to 1185 A.D). The meaning of Sanjusangen-do is a hall with thirty-three spaces between columns, this is a traditional method of measuring the size […]
Kyoto Heian Shrine – heavenly weeping cherry blossom trees
October 3, 2013 by
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Heian Shrine Kyoto – Buddhist Shinto Shrine The Heian Shrine, a Shinto shrine, is different in architecture to many other shrines and palaces we visited in Japan on our tour. The buildings are very colorful with an attractive mix of vivid vermilion,white, and jade colors; offset by dark green cypress pines and pink cherry blossom trees. […]