A feast for the eyes – sweet, vibrant, irresistible, varied, compelling, everywhere you look – Kandy is endless eye candy. The Sacred City of Candy is the heart of Sri Lanka, and the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic has been the heart of Kandy for 2000 years. There are gorgeous images at every turn. I was delighted to find moonstones, each with special significance … Continue reading Kandy is Eye Candy
Trincomalee had a special pull for me: I lived on Mayne Island looking up the Trincomali Channel every night at unparalleled Canadian sunsets. So in Sri Lanka, Trincomalee on the east coast drew me, although I didn’t know what to expect. I knew it had lots of history, still in evidence today. Trincomalee is a strategic and historically important deepwater port for SL and the … Continue reading Driving East Coast Sri Lanka – Trincomalee and Batticolao
It’s called the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka, and the three points are 1. Dambulla, north of Kandy, 2. Sigiriya and Polonnawara to the north east, and 3. Anuradhapura and Mihitale to the north west – three historical sites with ancient temples and royal cities that have become World Heritage Sites. This area is the home of the ancient moon stones of Sri Lanka. We … Continue reading Home of the Ancient Moon Stones of Sri Lanka
Because that is where the airport is, any travel to Sri Lanka begins and ends in Negombo. And that is such a splendid thing because Negombo is so interesting and welcoming and quintessentially Sri Lankan. It is a timeless fishing town full of tourists who appreciate this exotic land of spices and gems, beer and beaches, coconut and curry. Your world can be completely transformed … Continue reading Negombo Where Sri Lanka Begins and Ends
Sri Lanka is sensational – vibrantly green and lush countryside, intriguing villages and cities, endlessly appealing food and fabrics, kind and welcoming people. I need some Sri Lanka time each year. It’s been a dream since my first trip to Sri Lanka – to circumnavigate the island nation. Not by boat – that would be someone else’s dream. I am driving, and my dear friend … Continue reading Circumnavigating Sri Lanka
I expected Chongqing to be pretty dramatic – after all, it is a city where the metro goes right through a building high on a hillside, where buildings like the Hongya Cave complex cascading down the steep incline have lifts that open at ground level floor 1 on one side and ground level floor 17 on the other, where the local super-spicy hot pot … Continue reading Chongqing – City of Contrasts
Planning for Kunming, I made sure to include “the usual” – the things I try to do in every city: a day trip outside the city to the stone forest, a walking tour of Green Lake and Yuantong Temple inside the city, and a foodie experience. But in Kunming, there was a BONUS – unusual experiences that were surprising, stunning and shocking – in a good way! Even more… I found … Continue reading Doing The Usual and Unusual in Kunming
When I think of Kunming, the first thing that comes to my mind is the food! Yes, the fall weather is glorious in Kunming – brilliant blue skies, golden aspen trees, piles of pumpkins, fresh mountain air. Yes, the people of Kunming are special – more open, calm and welcoming than in many parts of China. I really enjoyed both the usual and unusual experiences … Continue reading Incredible Edibles in Kunming
If you’ve read any books by Pearl Buck or Han Suyin – my two favorite authors writing about China – you have imagined what old village life was like in China, but you can also experience it for yourself. Throughout China, I find “ancient villages” or “old river towns” – often preserved or enhanced for tourist and heritage purposes, although people still live in most of … Continue reading 10 “Best” Ancient Towns in China 2018
