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The colors, textiles, patterns and mosaic tile designs exceeded any expectation I might have had for what I would see in Uzbekistan last summer. The instagram photos and travel newsletters can’t begin to communicate the wonderful design and architecture in this Central Asia country on...
Yurts fascinate me. I’ve had dinner in one in Colorado years ago and have seen photos of them on Glamping websites (Glamorous Camping) but on the three week trip I took to several countries in Central Asia last June I had a chance to learn more about them. Yurts, round tent like buildings, are...
Uzbekistan appears to me to be coming into its own as a tourist destination. It’s not surprising since this region of the world has been a center for travelers for centuries. From the 12-16th centuries it was a major part of the Silk Road between the East and the West where not only goods...
Miyajima Island is one of those very attractive places that I’m afraid is going to get destroyed by tourism. Originally settled in the ancient times, it is very near Hiroshima and features a historic shrine, the iconic Torii gate, a park, lots of deer and a bustling area of touristy shops. It...
A lot of people know about Kabuki theater in Japan, including me, but who knows about Banraku? Not me, but I loved it. Called Banraku, the puppets I saw on a recent trip to Japan were about four feet tall, took three people to operate and had really lively facial expresses. After a few...
When our tour guide said we’d be going to the “scarecrow village” on the island of Shikoku in an area called Iya Valley, I really had no idea what to expect. Later I learned that travel writers call it one of the most mysterious and best kept secrets in Japan. Lucky me, I got to […]
I visited both Atomic Bomb sites in Japan in 2023 and they really had an impact on me (see blog post Japan Atomic Bomb sites) but probably what touched me most about the experience was the story of Sadako. She was a two year old when the bomb decimated her home town, Hiroshima, but […]
Mongolia Sketch: Ger Life by Kate Dernocoeur, Guest Blogger Outside when nature calls me in the night, the immense moonless bowl overhead is brightly etched with stars. The air’s sharp September bite soon drives me back to my cozy sleeping bag. As I enter and close the door, the interior is as...
One of the most memorable parts of the trip I took to Japan in April (2023) was seeing the Atomic Bomb sites in both Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Talk about emotional. It’s one thing to hear about the mushroom cloud in school or books. It is another to face up first hand what damage the […]
Arts and crafts in Japan is a huge topic. My gosh, one could write books about the topic, the history, the craft, the various kinds. I can’t possibly do that in a blog post and I’m no expert so I’m simply going to record some different experiences I had in Japan April 2023 with […]