See the World Differently
The crenellated sandstone walls rising up behind the wide moat were supposed to be impregnable but no one ever dreamed of an assault such as this. The arrow slits and murder holes that once spelled doom for invading soldiers now assist the progress of the advancing scourge. The ornate gates, built to withstand the onslaught […]
Ever heard of a religion formed after somebody spoke to God at a seance? Around 100 years ago, a Vietnamese civil servant received a message from a spirit during a seance. Befriending the spirit, they spoke regularly and he finally concluded his new chum, Duc Cao Dai, was God. He introduced some friends to his […]
A constant stream of worshippers made their way up the stone stairs to the split gate that marked the entrance to the temple. The men wore white headbands. The women sported sashes and carried huge woven baskets on their heads. Everyone had a brightly coloured sarong wrapped around their waist. Even the statues lining the […]
“Hello, Rishikesh?” The cry heralded the arrival of yet another tuk-tuk. This driver, like all the others we encountered in Haridwar, seemed intent on taking us to Rishikesh. It didn’t seem to matter that it was already 10pm. What better time to embark on a lengthy journey into the mountains? We were curious to find […]
At the heart of the Grand Palace in Bangkok lies the most sacred temple in Thai Buddhism. Inside the main hall, Wat Phra Kaew, the translucent green statue known as the Emerald Buddha sits atop a golden pedestal. Each tier of the Buddha’s pedestal is smothered in gold and adorned with glittering statues, silver branches […]
“No! No! Don’t sit!” the driver bellowed at the bewildered woman as she made a move towards the nearest empty seat. “But where can I sit?” she replied, clearly wondering how seat allocation might be managed on this curious mode of transport. “Anywhere” came the gruff but not overly helpful response. This general state of […]
With an explosion of sparks the scaly dragon burst from the water, twisting and writhing across the surface to the rapid rhythm of the drum. The dragon danced and whirled, stirring up the water as a cloud of acrid smoke from the fireworks rolled across the audience. We had guessed that a water puppet show […]
My masseuse pulled my toe and it popped. I winced, particularly averse to cracking joints. “OK?” he queried, noticing my reaction. Responding in a truly British fashion, I lied and told him I was fine. He continued pulling the rest of my toes. Twisting the middle of my foot, there was another almighty crack and […]
As we tramped along the cobbled path, a high pitched squeal caught our attention. The squealing became increasingly frantic and we finally spotted the source. Four young boys were wrestling with a large and very vocal pig. With some effort they managed to hog-tie the pig and manhandle it onto their motorbike. Two boys carefully […]
The impressive iron gates crumpled like paper as the tank rammed its way into the palace grounds. The communist forces of North Vietnam had finally seized the Independence Palace in Saigon, the heart of South Vietnam. This moment marked the end of the Vietnam war and the beginning of Vietnam’s reunification. Following the war, the […]