-
Read more: Thimphu, Bhutan Tshechu festivalThe Kingdom of Bhutan is a small Buddhist country located northeast from India and north of Bangladesh. It is slightly smaller than Switzerland. Its population is about 780,000. Bhutan ranges from the lowlands bordering India at 342 foot elevation, to 24,840 foot elevation at its highest mountain. Much of the northern part is very mountainous. That is the area where I will trek, in the Jigme Dorji National Park. Bhutan is trying to keep its Buddhist culture intact, and as part of that is limiting tourism and development. You are required to engage an official tour guide for your whole…
-
Read more: Delhi, IndiaI have arrived in Delhi, India, laying over for 3 days before I fly to Bhutan. I’m staying in an apartment at Hauz Khas Village, looking out at the buildings of Hauz-Khas built beginning in the year 1296 A.D. I am not going to try to explain India, but rather just provide a series of photo collages and let you see the complex reality here. This, of course, is just a very small part of Delhi, but it is a slice of life in India today in many areas. [vc_row][vc_column][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1475903905751-0f067af3-39c0-3″ include=”3176,3188,3187,3184,3192,3196,3194,3191,3175,3179,3180,3174,3172,3171,3178,3181,3185,3182,3189,3195,3193,3197,3173″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
-
Read more: Moscow, RussiaWhen time came to fly from Vilnius, Lithuania, to Moscow, the competitive leader was Aeroflot Russian airlines. I got a lot of kidding about how awful this would be. The reality was rather different. I flew on a new, Russian-made jet, quite comfortable, with an attentive, efficient crew, and even a sandwich and drink on the 1 ½ hour flight. The flight and landing were impeccable. We should not let our ideas lead us to have unrealistic views of other countries. Russia certainly has problems (who does not!) but it also is a strong, capable country not to be underestimated.…
-
Read more: Vilnius, LithuaniaI have come to Vilnius, Lithuania because my grandmother Anna Skinder was born here. I had not known of the long history of this prominent city of the Baltic area. One interesting thing I discovered: Vilnius has one of the fastest internet speeds available to the general public in the world. I asked a local official why. He said “so we can be competitive”. Something the USA should have been investing in instead of wars in the Middle East? A gigabit internet interstate ‘highway’ system? We are, sadly, far from #1 in this area. My ancestors went to considerable effort…
-
Read more: Bergamo, ItalyMy hosts in Bergamo insisted that I must visit the ‘high city’, the old section of Bergamo up on the hill surrounded by the city wall. It is one of the largest well-preserved city areas dating from the middle ages that I have seen. In this picture, you can see it in the middle distance. [vc_row][vc_column][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1474561346042-8af89dd9-9dda-8″ include=”2728,2706,2704,2705,2703,2702,2701,2700,2699″][/vc_column][/vc_row]