Marco Polo's Journey

Marco Polo's Lies

"Marco Polo often reported hearsay and had a tendency to stretch the truth. He wrote of enormous p'eng birds, or gryphons, from Madagascar, for example, that were large enough to consume elephants as well as men with dog features. Some of his accounts were outright lies. In one section, he relates how the Polos helped the Mongols capture the southern city of Xiangyang from the Southern Song dynasty by introducing the Mongols to catapults. It turns out the Mongols already had catapults and the city fell two years before the Polos arrived in China.

Some historians have suggested that Marco Polo never went to China and that his adventures were based on accounts that he heard while working at his family's trading outposts on the Black Sea and in Constantinople. These historians base their argument on: 1) the fact that Rustichello was a fiction writer who probably embellished the account; 2) that Marco Polo failed to describe the Great Wall of China, chopsticks, tea, calligraphy or the binding of women’s feet; 3) that the things he described—paper money, porcelain—were well known to travelers who came to Constantinople and other trading areas; and 4) that Marco Polo wasn't mentioned at all in the extensive Chinese archives between 1271 and 1295 even though he described himself as a personal emissary of Kublai Khan.

Historians that contend that Marco Polo’s journey probably did take place argue: 1) that tea and chopsticks were so commonplace perhaps Marco Polo failed to mention them because he was so used to them; 2) that foot binding was something practiced mainly by upper class women who rarely left their homes so Marco Polo didn't see them; 3) that the Great Wall as we know it today for the most part was built after Marco Polo's death (in his time it was decaying mud bricks) and walls around towns and cities were as common in Europe as they were in China; and 4) that documents that may have mentioned Marco Polo probably were destroyed (many Mongol documents after the Mongols were ousted from China)."

http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=48&catid=2

Rama preparing for the siege of Lanka

Pilgrimage to Kataragama

We travel for this...

"We travel for this: to settle in to our body and connect with our heart; to savor diversity; to be surprised; to remain flexible. We travel to remind ourselves that compassion must overwhelm narrow–mindedness and fear, and that we are a part of the human community."

Lisa Lindblad
www.lisalindblad.com

A letter to Bill from Udurawana, Sri Lanka

"Dear Mr. Bill Gates,

This letter is from the Udurawana from the Kandy Hilly`s. We have bought a Computer with Microsoft for first time to our home and we have big problems, which I want to be bringing to your notices.

After connect to internet we planned to open e-mail account so we filled the form in Hotmail in the password box but something funny happens only ****** appears (stars), but in the rest whatever we typed the letters and numbers appears nicely, but we face this problem only in
password box.

One friend told that there are bites on his computer but he cant receive them. Can you also include some bites in my computer - I mostly like Cadju and Rata Cadju and Bola Kadala but I like to try anything interesting you also have !

Your esteemed customer,
K.P.G. UDURAWANA. (Kiri Panu Gaya)
The House on the Hilly`s
KingsTown, Kandy"

Sri Lanka: Gateway to Other Worlds?

"Long before modern scientist ever dreamed of the existence of gateways between parallel universes, the ancient world already regarded Lanka or Serendip as being the Antipodes, a topsy-turvy wonderland inhabited by nagas, yakas and various other-worldly spirits. Oral traditions still current in Lanka tell of hidden gateways situated islandwide through which yogis and siddhas, could travel to distant places or even to other lokas or worlds in the blink of an eye.

Lanka’s longstanding reputation as a mysterious gateway to other worlds has been testified to in modern times also by the great pioneer of dream-related psychology, Dr. Carl G. Jung. In Memories, Dreams and Reflections, Jung recorded his own experience of an intensely vivid post-anesthesia dream in which he suddenly found himself floating in space hundreds of miles above the earth’s surface. He especially recalled seeing the island of Ceylon directly beneath him like a vast emerald in the shimmering blue Indian Ocean"

http://www.kataragama.org/research/gateways.htm

"Not only is the universe more complex than we ever thought, it is far more mysterious and magical than we ever believed."

American physicist Dr. Fred Alan Wolf

Tea Horse Road

"An ancient route that spans a not unimpressive 2,350 kilometers, traversing some of the most diverse and mutable terrains in the world. For thousands of years, travelers have been lured across its snow-capped mountains, precipitous canyons and lively streaming rivers to discover some of the most beautiful landscapes in all of China.

As its name suggests, the Chamadao, literally translated as 'Tea Horse Road' or 'Tea Horse Path', was a central trade route for exchanging Tibetan horses and Chinese tea. The corridor came to play a crucial role in the communication and exchange between the cultures of present-day Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet, with the route passing through, among a number of important posts, the volcanic ranges of Tengchong, the colourful culture and dwellings of the Khamba people in Changdu, the breathtaking gorges of Lijiang, through Tibet as far as Burma and India."

http://english.cri.cn/725/2006/02/19/168@52713.htm

Frangipani Tree

Crystallized tears of Buddha

"The interior of this mountain (Adams Peak) produces red rubies, blue sapphires, yellow Oriental topaz, and other gems; they have each and every precious stone. Whenever heavy rain occurs, the water rushes out of the earth and flows down amidst the sand, and the people search in the sand for the stones. There is a saying that the precious stones are the crystallized tears of Buddha"

From The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores by Ma Huan, who accompanied Cheng Ho on three of the later expeditions. They remarked on the curious impression in the country's highest mountain, a giant 'footprint' which Buddhists associate with the Buddha, Moslems with Adam, and Hindus with the god Shiva.

Anoma

"Human insecurities, greed and conflicts blur the boundaries between reason and passion and explode the tensions that exist within all of us. We create and destroy in our search for immortality, never accepting life’s unalterable fact – impermanence."

Anoma Wijewardene

http://www.anomawijewardene.com/home.html

Green light district?

"Prostitution originated in Mesopotamia, but in Thailand some part of the law in the U-thong era 628 years ago mentioned prostitutes. They lived in a market outside of the palace wall and included Chinese.

At the end of the King Rama IV, Rattanakosin Era, some part of the bill for protection from diseases mentioned “there should be a lamp for the symbol in front of the house [brothel],” but it did not specific the color. It is assumed that green was used because it is associated with officers. That was the first law controlling prostitutes to follow the law. After that people called brothels a “green lamp place “ and called the prostitute a “lady of the green lamp.”

The Photography of Alison Wright

An extraordinary woman called Alison Wright. On January 2, 2000 Alison’s life was nearly cut short during a horrific bus accident on a remote jungle road in Laos. Alison’s recent memoir, “Learning to Breathe; One Woman’s Journey of Spirit and Survival,” chronicles this inspirational story of survival and years of rehabilitation, and her ongoing determination to recover and continue traveling the world as an intrepid photojournalist.

Here is a synopsis of the story: http://outside.away.com/outside/features/200502/alison-wright_1.html

www.alisonwright.com

Doorman Kuttan

Doorman Kuttan, at the Galle Face Hotel, is among the longest serving employees in the world. He is at the hotel since 1942. He still remembers (and tells the story with great gestures) the day when - during World War II - a Japanese Zero fighter grounded in front of the hotel on the large green field, called the Galle Face.

He can be found charming as ever saluting guests at the lobby of the Galle Face Hotel.

Its good for you

"Dear Cyril Gardiner; Maybe you have changed my life. After living for years in air-conditioned Singapore, used to enter lift cabins pressing the “shut-the-door”-button before anything else, landing at the Galle Face Hotel was a relief from the hectic day-to-day life of the Lion City.“Why don’t you walk up the stairs?” Cyril asked me. “It’s good for your health!” You have made this a principle of this hotel, and wooden boards still display your philosophy on each floor of the hotel, cleverly placed next to the lift doors"

Andreas Augustin (Still taking the stairs)
http://www.famoushotels.org/hotels/270

Anouska Hempel

"Anouska Hempel, director of the first Sri Lankan Biennale to be held in Colombo in September, is a fine artist, interior designer, and yoga practitioner. A woman who likes to trailblaze new ideas – and always in unique, spiritual spots – she has a natural affinity for the arts and in particular the teaching of yoga; which she does on her spiritual trips known as ‘Journeys to Nirvana’.

Aimed at yoga lovers, these one- and two-week tours take in both known and relatively unknown sacred sites of Sri Lanka. Yoga and meditation are practiced daily at all the spiritual places visited, which include the beautiful Arankale – an ancient Buddhist temple with meditation walk leading to a purification tank; Ritigala – another centuries-old Buddhist monastery set in the jungle and surrounded by ancient ruins; a meditation cave in Sigiriya; Polonnaruwa; Kandy; and the littleknown Nalanda Gedige (20km south of Dambulla), where a small temple, also of great antiquity, marks the very centre of the island.

The mystical Ramboda Falls, one of the many tour highlights, is within the locale of the Hanuman temple, where rituals – rich with drumming, chanting, and incense – are performed daily to the Shiva Lingam (sacred Hindu phallic stone). The yoga trip finishes at Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada, or Samanala Kanda), where climbers must start at 2 am to ensure that the summit is reached in time for the spectacular sunrise. Anouska Hempel moved with her family from England to Sri Lanka’s Galle Fort seven years ago, where she opened the first Fort art gallery. In December 2004, when Galle was ravaged by the Boxing Day tsunami, the building became headquarters for PG’05, a year-long relief operation which gave help to over 10,000 Sri Lankans in need. Shortly afterward, Anouska moved to Colombo for her children’s education, and combined studying yoga with launching the arts initiative ‘Imagining Peace’, with the aim of creating the very first Sri Lankan Art Biennale (September 10-14).

Anouska says: “It’s not only about showcasing Sri Lankan art; this is a project with a vision.” She feels that CAB’09 ‘Imagining Peace’ will be a groundbreaking event that will not only mark and herald this historic and long-awaited time of peace in Sri Lanka but will inspire, and act as a launch pad for a celebrated, internationally recognized biannual presentation of Sri Lankan expressive creativity."

Published in Serendip Magazine | July 2009

Perahera

The spell of Sri Lanka

My friend Jessica just found an old coffee table photo book in their local thrift shop - serendipitous! - an enormous old tome published in the early 70s of photos by Roloff Beny with epilogue by Arthur C Clark.

He writes " ...if you have read this far you may already be doomed - my conscience will not allow me to close without a warning. I came to Ceylon in 1956, intending to stay for six months to write one book about the exploration of the island's coastal waters. Fourteen years and twenty books later, I am still here, and hope to remain for the rest of my life."

Manampitiya Flag

"The above photograph shows the Manampitiya Banner from the private collection of Mrs. M. G. Fernando, the author of the book ''Sri Lanka Flags - Unique Memorials of Heraldry", 1980. The banner has been faithfully reproduced from the original found in Manampitiya, by a local artist A. Albert Appuhamy."

"The banner shows a mounted Elephant as the principal device with emblems of the Sun, Moon and Stars, the fish, a monstrance, a Pyx and very specially a crucifix. The flag has belonged to members of the Karava caste, long settled in the area Manampitiya, in the District of Tamankaduwa. The families have fled from the maritime provinces of Negombo, to avoid persecution by the Dutch. The flag itself may have originated in Portuguese times or much earlier. On conversion to Christianity the symbol of the cross and the Pyx have been added. Over a century later the families that settled in Manampitiya adopted the Hindu religion."

http://www.defonseka.com/k25.htm

Faces of Buddha by Bill Bevan

Bill Bevan is a photographer, writer and archaeologist.

He specialises in visualising and writing about archaeological and historical sites from around the world. "My aim is to evoke the sense of place and people's engagement with a site as well as its historical importance"

http://billbevan.photium.com/portfolio51655.html

Sihigiri

"Hail! It is certain that those who go to Sihigiri, remembering it, will go there again. Even though other things should be forgotten, wherefore should this not be remembered?"

Early engraving in Sinhala verse.

http://www.srilankainstyle.com/sri_lanka_experience_page.php?expid=17

Peradeniya Botanical Gardens

Originally created in the reign of the Sinhalese King Wickramabahu III during the 14th century, these gardens were improved by his successors and later by the English after their conquest of Kandy.

Marianne North in 1876 during her visit to the island befriended and wrote about the then director, Dr G. H. K. Thwaites, who with his great acquirements and steady devotion to science, gave a world wide reputation to the Gardens during his tenure of office from 1849 to 1880. “He had planted half the trees himself, and had seldom been out of it for forty years, steadily refusing to cut vistas, or make riband-borders and other inventions of the modern gardener”, she remarked with astonishment. The trees were massed together most picturesquely, with creepers growing over them on a natural and enchanting tangle.

Here is a great gallery by Alex Meeres: http://www.pbase.com/alexjet/garden

Thai Matchbox Museum

"There's a thin line between passion and obsession. In a dusty shophouse on Wong Sawang Road, picture frames are piled on tables and hung on walls, and miscellaneous items are placed on the floor and poke out from a glass cupboard. Only the sign outside, written in Thai, indicates that this is a matchbox museum.

"I wish others to learn more about matchboxes here," said Chuan Sunthranan, the 81-year-old owner and enthusiastic matchbox collector."

http://www.bangkokpost.com/070608_Outlook/07Jun2008_out001.php

Night Theft

In the News: Australian Woman Arrested for "Night Theft" in Phuket

"Further adding to the exotic reputation of Thailand, A.S, an Australian woman, was arrested for stealing a bar mat and charged with “night theft". There is actually no specific “offense” in Thailand termed as “night theft.” There is, however, aggravated theft, which is a theft case that is considered more serious based on a number of factors, one of which is having the theft occur at night time."

If you intend to steal something do it on a bright shinny day!

http://thailawforum.com/blog/in-the-news-australian-woman-arrested-for-night-theft-in-phuket.html

Sophal Ear

TED Fellow Sophal Ear shares the compelling story of his family's escape from Cambodia under the rule of the Khmer Rouge. He recounts his mother's cunning and determination to save her children.

Scorpion Wine

"Cambodians rarely eat scorpions, but often preserve them in sra sor, or rice wine. Drinking the wine relieves aches and pains. My experience is that, if you drink enough scorpion wine, it can be very effective, at least in the short term. However, the aches and pains often reappear with greater severity the next morning. Maybe you need to actually eat the scorpion after emptying the bottle"

http://becambodia.com/

South East Asia with Nicolas Pascarel

"Nicolas Pascarel was born in Paris in 1966 and worked as a photographic reporter for over twenty years. Since the early 90’s, he has been spending most of his time in Naples and Havana, but now has decided to return to his first passion – South East Asia – with the intention of remaining to work in the region for years to come. Nicolas did numerous photo workshops for the Royal Academy of the Fine Arts School in Phnom Penh, in the city of Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand and Bangkok; as well as Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. He often collaborates with a Cambodian NGO taking care of street children in Phnom Penh. He has exhibited his works in galleries and photo international festival across France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Spain, Cuba, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and China. He also created a documentary about Cambodia called “Durant la Pluie”. Fotoasia is a cultural organization that promotes exchanges between European and Asian photographers. The purpose of Fotoasia is to promote and present exhibitions of young Asian photographers in Europe."

http://www.pascarel.com/workshop.html

Bolaven Plateau

"The Bolaven Plateau in southern Laos is a poor, but fertile agricultural area known for its coffee plantations and spectacular waterfalls. Various coffee growing co-operatives are now established growing the coffee beans for domestic Cafe Lao and export abroad.The main ethnic group living in the Bolaven Plateau are the Laven people - Bolaven literally means the "home of the Laven".The Bolaven Plateau was heavily bombed during the Vietnam War and unexploded ordinance (UXO) is still being found and diffused. The French first introduced coffee to the area when Laos fell under French colonial rule in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.An area of fantastic, natural beauty the Bolaven Plateau is slowly escaping its grinding poverty with the help of fair trade initiatives and a nascent tourist industry."

Laos: Plain of Jarres

Chami Jotisalikorn

http://www.chami-j.com/

Koh Samui Flash Map

Thaiwijit Poengkasemsomboon

"Thaiwijit Poengkasemsomboon is considered Thailand's foremost abstract artists. He creates works in a variety of media, and often works with abstractions that stimulate the viewer's emotions. Thaiwijit perceives himself as an ordinary person and his paintings are a reflection of an ordinary human's life."

http://www.rama9art.org/thaiwijit/index.html

Galare Chiang Mai

http://www.galare.com/

The owner of Galare Guest House, Ajarn Poonsak, is a retired professor from Chiang Mai University. Inspired after spending time in the United States, he decided to turn the family's business motel into Galare Guest House. Cheap and cheerful...

Villa Savanh

The Villa Savanh has opened in Luang Prabang adding another option to the boutique property scene. Located on the main street in downtown, Villa Savanh gives off a true ‘home away from home’ vibe by offering only three duplexes for guests in a converted French villa. Each of the large duplexes features a large sitting room, private bathroom and garden views.

Bo Klua

Making this remote part of Nan Province more accessible for visitors is Bo Klua View, nestled in the foothills of Doi Phu Kha. Overlooking the Mang River and the ancient salt well village of Bo Luang.

http://www.bokluaview.com/

Doi Suthep

Baan Kingkaew

"Happy faces comes from loving careat Baan Kingkaew Wiboolsanti Orphanage. Since “Baan Kingkaew” opened in 1966, the home has worked continuously to improve and develop living conditions and the quality of care it provides for poor and otherwise homeless orphans.

Today, Baan Kingkaew provides a home for 50 children aged between 3 months to 6 years old. In their important early childhood years, we strive to ensure them a good quality of life in a loving, caring environment. Qualified and experienced carers including nannies, kindergarten teachers and a healthcare team drawn from relevant medical & health science faculties of Chiang Mai University, ensure the children are looked after around the clock."

http://www.baan-kingkaew-orphanage.org/

Dao Anh Khanh

"Located to the east of Hanoi, close to the Red River, is the home of artist Dao Anh Khanh. Comprising of a charming traditional stilt house filled with paintings and surrounded by landscaped gardens, decorated with various sculptures and installations, this home / studio has become known in Vietnam as a centre for installation and performance art. Anh Khanh has traveled the world extensively, primarily in the US, exhibiting his artwork and giving live, eclectic performances to pleasing crowds."

http://www.daoanhkhanh.com/

Artist Mai Kien’s

"Located in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, Artist Mai Kien’s studio and gallery is tucked away in a tiny alley next to a sewing shop. The first impression from the outside may not be very appealing but once inside, the beauty of her painting takes you to ‘a world of arts’. The studio opened in May 1990 and Mai Kien has been creating her distinctive contemporary lacquer ware artworks. She is one of the first Vietnamese artists to use lacquer in contemporary art. A visit to her gallery is not just about buying her paintings, as she is very happy to take you on a tour of the gallery and show the painstaking process of her labour of love."

http://buimaihienart.com/default.asp

Commuters in Hanoi

Commuters in Hanoi II

Mount Fasipan

Fansipan or Fan Si Pan (Phan Xi Păng in Vietnamese pronunciation (help·info)) is a mountain in Vietnam, the highest in Indochina, at 3 143 m. It is located in the Lào Cai province in Northwest Vietnam, 9 km southwest of Sa Pa Township in the Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range. Fansipan is dubbed "the Roof of Indochina"

Art Vietnam Gallery

"The story of Art Vietnam Gallery and its Director, Suzanne Lecht, is as dramatic and transformative as the recent history of Vietnam itself.When Art Vietnam opened its first gallery in a traditional Vietnamese "tube house" in Hanoi's ancient quarter of "36 Streets," it blended the old with the new and quickly established an international reputation as the authoritative source for contemporary art in Vietnam.

With a track record of identifying and developing exceptional new talent, Art Vietnam became a destination for art tours of the world's leading cultural institutions, private collectors and diplomatic visits.Having outgrown the original gallery, Art Vietnam recently moved from its "tube house" on Hang Than to just around the corner at 7 Nguyen Khac Nhu. Visitors to the new space will find that the evolution of Art Vietnam's style mirrors the breathtaking pace of change of Vietnam itself-- a country steeped in tradition which stands poised on the leading edge of the international art world.

Now housed in a large contemporary space, Art Vietnam Gallery has three floors of video, photography, painting and sculpture, a piano bar and a large outdoor terrace. With international tours and invitations, Art Vietnam Gallery is recognized both in Vietnam and abroad as an avant-garde voice of Vietnam today."

http://www.artvietnamgallery.com/

54 Traditions

"54 Traditions Gallery is the only gallery in Vietnam focusing on the antiques, artifacts and art of Vietnam's 53 minority groups and the Kinh majority people. We have over 1000 objects on display and objects from our collection have been exhibited in museums in Hanoi. We focus on the cultures of Viet Nam’s 53 minority peoples-the things they make and the things they use.What we offer can be called antiques, art, or material culture.

We have a room dedicated to each of the following categories: The Central Highlands, Tribal Textiles, The Shamanic Tradition, Functional Objects and Water Puppets, Older Things.Our approach is “anthropological”- we believe that the value and appreciation of an object is increased when we know what it is , when and why it was made and who made it, who used it, why it looks the way it does.

We also offer select objects from the Viets (the Kinh), the majority culture of Viet Nam, including objects from the recent past and also from the distant past"

http://www.54traditions.com.vn/

The PURE essence of travel..

"Travel in 2009 and beyond is no longer about simply going away, indulging in "bling" holidays and coming home relaxed. It is now about participating in life enriching experiences and returning home transformed. It is about fulfilling the next and very final level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, self-actualistion. Self actualisation is characterised not by a willingness to consume prestige goods or services for the sake of upgrading oneself socially but, by a quest to find one's own true happiness through connections with loved ones or with the world. This is the PURE essence of the true travel experience."

Serge Dive, PURE Life Experiences.

Old Bangkok

Connections Vietnam

Travellers are constantly seeking a genuine cultural experience, but are often thwarted by the next bus load of tourists. Connections Vietnam aim to bring the real flavor of Saigon through meeting, eating, cooking, and learning activities. Through Cook, Dine, Learn and Meet, you can get a real perspective on the city, something that for most visitors would be totally out of reach.

http://www.connectionsvietnam.com/

Mekong: Milton Osborne

A popular account of some of the historical highlights of exploration and development along the Mekong, Milton Osborne's offering is as much travelogue as history. For the more recent material he draws on forty years personal involvement with Southeast Asia, focusing on development issues; for the earlier period he is most fascinated by the history of European exploration. The result is episodic and personal, but also readable and informative.

http://www.amazon.com/Mekong-Turbulent-Past-Uncertain-Future/dp/0802138020

The morning stroll around Luang Prabang

Why I love the Tea Country

The tea country is wonderful. This is the area of Sri Lanka I know best. I love waking up early in the morning and going on a long 5 or 6 hour walk through an endless maze of trails surrounded by lush fields of tea. I love to cross rivers, climb mountains, reach villages, talk to a planters I meet along the way and then return to the bungalow for a well-earned lunch, a swim in the pool, a massage or a herbal bath. And at the end of the day, I love to sit around the fire in the evening with friends and fellow travelers, playing games, playing the guitar and telling travel stories.


The Norwood Estate, Hatton, Sri Lanka, 2003

The wheather in Thailand

Lao Air Connections

Sri Lanka's Barefoot Act

The government is considering a proposal to usher in a new ‘barefoot revolution’ in Sri Lanka as part of its philosophy to revive ancient Sinhala traditions.

This will see the systematic phasing out of footwear use in all government offices, and other places where politicians and officials are present. The practice will be first introduced in Parliament, as well as offices of the President and Prime Minister, and later extended to cover all government offices.

“Wearing shoes and slippers is a recent habit introduced to our people by western colonialists,” says Emeritus Professor Amaradasa Gunasekera, originator of the idea. “The ancient Sinhalese knew that we living in a tropical country do not need to cover our feet. In our current quest to revitalise indigenous knowledge and traditional Sinhala Buddhist culture, we want to restore this excellent practice.”

Professor Gunasekera, who is Presidential Advisor (No 223) for reviving ancient traditions, has drafted a policy paper on transforming Sri Lanka’s public sector into a ‘barefoot zone’. When introduced, this will require visitors to all public places in local, provincial and central governments to remove their footwear and leave them in a secure place at the entrance.

“We don’t anticipate a problem in public cooperation,” says Professor Gunasekera. “After all, we all do it willingly when entering temples and kovils. So why not extend this good practice to our ‘temples of public service’?”

He was emphatic that this should not be seen as a ban. “Bans are another decadent concept of the crumbling west. We in the east do everything voluntarily through enlightened public consensus. Barefoot Nation will be introduced on this basis.”

Asked whether public officials themselves will be allowed to move around inside their offices with footwear, he said the matter was still under discussion. “We have to tread carefully on this one,” he said, intending no pun. “We don’t want any retrogressive public official petitioning Supreme Court on his fundamental rights being violated.”

Creating barefoot public offices is to be the first step in transforming Sri Lanka into a fully-fledged barefoot nation under the prevailing chinthana. The Health Ministry is to send a top level delegation of officials to study China’s barefoot doctors programme, with a view to emulating it here.

Meanwhile, a defence ministry source denied that this new national policy had anything to do with fears of disgruntled members of the public throwing shoes, sandals or slippers at politicians or senior officials.

Ethnic Minority Music of Southern Laos

This is a collection of landmark recordings by Laurent Jeanneau documenting music created by the Harak and various Brao ethnic groups in Southern Laos. Here you can hear the true historic roots of Molam music (now a venerable popular music style in Laos and Thailand) played on the Khaen along with vocal styles from this region. Also featured here are Gong ensembles, various stringed instruments, cymbals, drums, and sung poetry all captured live on location with the ambient sounds of the surrounding villages. These recordings were made in Xekong, Champasak and Attapeu provinces and because much of this music is unknown, this is probably the first time recordings have ever been released of indigenous music from these remote areas of Southern Laos.


http://www.sublimefrequencies.com/item.asp?Item_id=39&t=Ethnic-Minority-Music-of-Southern-Laos

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES is a collective of explorers dedicated to acquiring and exposing obscure sights and sounds from modern and traditional urban and rural frontiers via film and video, field recordings, radio and short wave transmissions, international folk and pop music, sound anomalies, and other forms of human and natural expression not documented sufficiently through all channels of academic research, the modern recording industry, media, or corporate foundations. SUBLIME FREQUENCIES is focused on an aesthetic of extra-geography and soulful experience inspired by music and culture, world travel, research, and pioneering recording labels.

Need a shoe? Check out Chatuchak

Chatuchak market in Bangkok, also known as JJ, is widely regarded as the world's biggest, with more than 15,000 stalls set amid 14 hectares of narrow, windy lanes. Officially open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays, it's also open on Fridays to wholesalers, although individuals won't be turned away. More than 200,000 people shop at the market each day, buying everything from clothes to watches - imitation, brand new and second-hand - leather goods, silk, food and livestock.

Heritage of Phuket Town

Famed as beach resort, Phuket in Thailand also has an old town on the other side of the island. The old quarter of Phuket city, formerly called ‘Tongkah’, is the home of the Baba community, a cultural community of mixed Thai-Chinese heritage.

The townscape of old Phuket is unique in Thailand, and rather resembles that found in the former British Straits Settlements, particularly Penang. Since the 1990s, the people of Phuket have spearheaded several initiatives to showcase their cultural built heritage.

http://www.lestariheritage.net/phuket/index.html

Phnom Pen, 1971

Big Brother Mouse

Photo courtesy of the author.

http://www.bigbrothermouse.com/

An organization dedicated to bringing books to the people of Laos, and in particular to the children in small, remote villages. An organization that employs enthusiastic young Laotians as writers and artists, and publishes colourful books that make it fun and easy for Lao people to learn to read.

Angkor Wat BBC Documentary

Impressions of Angkor

Photographer: John McDermott
http://www.asiaphotos.net/gallery/Angkor/

Photographer: Martin Reeves

http://www.thehiddenrealms.com/

“There is a touch of surrealism, details that blend together in a dream-like brightness, architecture that would better lend itself to a Tolkien novel than to the rigours of scientific documentation. Martin coaxes something as solid as stone into an ethereal world, as weightless as it is intriguing. These images relate the photographer’s most intimate sensations surrounding the complexities of Eastern culture”.

Lionel Wendt

Lionel Wendt was born in Colombo, Ceylon on December 3, 1900. Educated in Colombo and Cambridge (he studied Law). He also studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. On returning in 1924 he practiced law for a short time , but then devoted himself to his enormous talents as a musician till 1935 when he turned to what became his true and obsessive métier, photography. He had a one-man show in London in 1938 . He died in Colombo on December 19, 1944.

A fellow photographer destroyed all his negatives some time after he had died, on the ground that this was an accepted practice in photographic circles ('the negative is the score; the print the performance', -Ansel Adams-).

"All photographs in stock are vintage (toned) silver prints from the period 1934 – 1944. Very few of his prints are signed but all are stamped with a Certificate of Authenticity by Gallery Ton Peek." http://www.tonpeek.com/wendtintro.html

Lionel Wendt´s Ceylon, London, 1950

Jack in Sri Lanka

Great Blog! - http://www.jackinsrilanka.blogspot.com/

"Having lived in Sri Lanka for almost 11 years I am finally keeping a diary. I thought I would make it available to anyone who wants to read it for two simple reasons. 1 - stories that we have shared during the last few years have opened some eyes about life in the tropics. The stories, that are all true and recounted from personal experience have caused a mixed reaction - shock; laughter; sadness; bewilderment; concern or all of the above and as such I thought might have the same effect on a wider audience...and 2 sometimes I do not believe something happended and so I have to share it for my own sanity."

Jack Eden, Galle Sri Lanka

Ámantee

http://www.amantee.com/

Ámantee is a new venue for art lovers and connoisseursin suburban Bangkok.

Ámantee (which means 'peaceful space') is an exquisite complex of traditional Thai-style houses in an artfullylandscaped tropical garden. Ámantee is a place enhancing personal serenity.

Ámantee is a repository of Oriental and Tibetan antiques & arts, where favourable prices equitably benefit sources and buyers alike.

Noel Rodrigo - Sri Lankan Leopard Safaris

http://www.leopardsafaris.com/home.html - Sri Lanka

An interview with Noel:

http://www.srilankainstyle.com/the-magic-of-travel-series-Noel-Rodrigo.php

"Having extensive knowledge of the island’s national parks, jungles and wildlife, Noel Rodrigo has created a unique camping safari adventure which brings not only his expertise but also his passion for leopards and everything in the wild. With enthusiasm, he doesn’t only show guests where the animals are, but he trains them to guess where they could be; watching for tracks, listening out for wildlife calls and patiently waiting for that most elusive of creatures – the leopard – to emerge. His method is successful for his record in just one safari has been a staggering 14 leopards. At night, over a delicious BBQ beside the camp fire guests are treated to exciting tales of close shaves, animal conflicts and exciting adventures in Yala, Uda Walawe and the Knuckles mountains before a final walk of the secure campsite to look out for anything that moves. Guests sleep in the luxury of spacious African safari tents with hygienic chemical toilets and hot water showers under the stars. There is little more romantic than this."

Cambodia Weaves

http://weavescambodia.com/

"WEAVES OF CAMBODIA: Blending in perfectly with the stylish, big-ticket items on the shelves of Barneys New York, Weaves of Cambodia silk scarves swaddle the buyer in sumptuousness while opening a world of possibilities to the land-mine survivors of Tbeng Meanchey, a former Khmer Rouge stronghold eight hours' drive along a bumpy dirt road from Phnom Penh. Carol Cassidy, the innovative American weaver behind Vientiane-based Lao Textiles took over the town's craft studio from Vietnam Veterans International in 2003, training, employing and providing health care to over 40 disabled but gifted artisans whom she says "possess natural abilities to weave high-quality silk in spite of their disabilities." - C. Rosenfeld for TIME

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1642444_1659467_1648061,00.html

FCC Angkor

The Continental Saigon

"1964-1975: Philippe, Mathieu Franchini's son, who had run the hotel until 1964, left Vietnam like his father before him. Then came the time when "Newsmen covering the Vietnam War measured the ups and downs of its course by the fortunes of the hotel, "according to Martin Meade, Joseph Fitchett and Anthony Lawrence in their book "Great oriented Hotels". Or as William Tuohy, Newsweek magazine''s Saigon bureau chief, wrote in his book "Dangerous Company": "After writing our stories, we would gather around the Continental Hotel for dinner and drinks. Many drinks.".

Mystic Travel Art

The Thai Beverage Delivery

See it with Thai Eyes...

By Thai-Eyes März 6, 2009
While in the most western countries service is a foreign word, in Thailand You still get good service with a smile. If You´re ordering a certain amount of beverages, the beverage delivery service brings the goods to Your house,without any charge, but with friendlyness and a smile.

http://www.thai-eyes.com/

The Jayavarman

From the well known to the rarely visited ports of call include:

Saigon

Multifaceted city, traditional and modern has retained the joie de vivre that makes it so charming and attractive.

Can Tho

See the most impressive floating market in whole Indochina

Chau Doc

Deep in the Mekong delta, experience Vietnam's fish farmings capital by boat and cyclo.

Phnom Penh

Explore the "Pearl of Asia" famous for its charm, historical treasures & striking Royal Khmer and French Colonial architecture

Kampong Cham

Rarely visited provincial capital, encounter monks in saffron robes, pagodas & stunning hilltop temples

Siem Reap

Home of the World's largest city in the 13th century and its greatest Temple - Angkor Wat, our final destinations

http://www.heritage-line.com/departuresnrates.php