Tony and I enjoyed Amritsar so much last fall that we decided to share it with our guests. The four of us took the train on April 1 for six hours to the state of Punjab. At the Amritsar train station, a young taxi driver approached us. Sunny gave us a ride to our hotel, … Continue reading Amritsar on the half shell
Tony’s sister Liz arrived March 30 and hit the ground running! No time for jetlag… Although Old Delhi is a must-see attraction, it can be pretty intimidating. A bicycle rickshaw tour is marginally safer and less scary, so that’s how we kicked off Liz’s India tour. Theresa, Tony, Liz and I climbed aboard two rickshaws, … Continue reading Everything old is new again … Old Delhi through the eyes of visitors
When we first moved to New Delhi, someone mentioned a biodiversity park near our house. Tony and I wandered over to the park entrance to check it out, but the seedy-looking men hanging around the gate deterred us. Picturing a big open area with scrubby bushes and sleeping vagrants, we figured we weren’t missing much. … Continue reading Aravalli Biodiversity Park – a diamond in the rough
Last week, the whole third grade visited two historical sites – Humayun’s Tomb and Purana Qila – just a short drive from the American Embassy School. My group visited Humayun’s Tomb first, clipboards in hand to record notes in their “See-Think-Wonder” booklets. I was thrilled to meet Gayetri, a third-grader’s mom and a New Delhi … Continue reading Field-tripping through historic Delhi
(Note: It’s been brought to my attention that not everybody realizes the brown text in my posts are LINKS, so click them, people! Also, for some reason, this blog theme won’t let me do italics. It kills me that I can’t italicize foreign words or book titles, but I can’t be bothered with changing my … Continue reading a very very very very very very very busy day
Delhi is the symbol of old India and new … even the stones here whisper to our ears of the ages of long ago and the air we breathe is full of the dust and fragrances of the past, as also of the fresh and piercing winds of the present. – Jawaharial Nehru, India’s first … Continue reading Devouring Delhi
Today we wrapped up our first week at the American Embassy School in New Delhi, India. Although we’re inundated with information about our new school, students, apartment, neighborhood, city and country, we also feel an overwhelming sense of belonging. On August 1, the new and returning teachers finally met each other for the first time. … Continue reading One week down, 37 to go
When your whole life feels like a dog-and-pony show, there’s nothing to do but go to the circus! According to my trusty Lonely Planet, the Russian Circus was established in the 1980s during a time of strong Soviet influence in Laos. The circus stages performances just a few times each year, so when my friend … Continue reading Hong Kanyasin – the Russian Circus of Laos
As a travel planner, I have really slacked off this year. Usually I start thinking about potential trips way ahead of time, track down the cheapest flights, read scads of hotel reviews, act on tips from friends, and otherwise ensure a most awesome adventure for Tony and me. Since moving to Vientiane, I have felt … Continue reading Bali Folly
Welcome to The Guide Hog’s new “Wat ‘o’ the Week” spotlight on Buddhist temples in Vientiane! I’ll try to visit a different temple each week with the goal of finding a unique angle or tidbit of information. All wats comprise a “sim,” the actual temple building where people pray and make offerings, as well as … Continue reading Wat ‘o’ the Week: Wat Hai Sok