Stranded!

December 26, 2010 Terminal 2/3 JFK Airport, NY There had been repeated warnings of a big winter storm headed our way but I took this with a veritable mountain of salt, given that the online as well as TV weather forecasters have a penchant for dire forebodings. Forecasts that are delivered with a generous splash … More Stranded!

Among the Tsaatan

Among the Tsaatan I had been to Mongolia twice before, but this time my focus was the extreme north, past the Khovsgol Nur. This is the summer pasture of the reindeer herders of Mongolia – the Tsaatan. I traveled from Ulan Bator to the town of Moron and then began the search for the Tsaatan. … More Among the Tsaatan

Faded Glories

Bagan, Burma Aug 10, 2009 On the banks of the Irrawaddy in Burma, is a vast open area dotted with a multitude of temples and stupas. Built mostly between the ninth and thirteenth centuries, in a Burma that was united under Theravada Buddhism this was once a grand and shining city, reputedly awing Marco Polo … More Faded Glories

The Mekong Delta

Saigon, Vietnam June 21, 2009 I have been trying to see if I could wing it on my own to the much-talked-of Mekong delta and chances are I could possibly make it there but transport back is dicey.  In Vietnam, if you are a tourist, you are firmly put in a box labeled “Tourist”, deemed … More The Mekong Delta