Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, known as Doi Suthep for short, is Chiang Mai's most well known temple, set at the top of the mountain and a nausea-inducing songthaew ride from the city. The sacred site is important for many local Thais, but once you've reached the drop off point, you're only just … [Read more...] about Photo Friday: Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai, Thailand
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Photo Friday: Chiang Rai, Thailand
Decapitated heads, arms outstretched in pain and, oddly enough, characters from horror movies are visible throughout Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple. True faith is suffering and pain, says the temple's creator Chalermchai Kositpipat of the modern Buddhist temple. Sammi and I took the … [Read more...] about Photo Friday: Chiang Rai, Thailand
On Penance and the Power of Voice
Four years ago, on my first trip to Thailand, I was naïvely excited about getting up close with an elephant. I visited a camp, rode an elephant and was entertained by the shows and paintings. Saying I didn't know any better would be a cop out. I was so captivated by the creatures that I wasn't … [Read more...] about On Penance and the Power of Voice
The Top End: The Real Australia
If you want to see Australia for what it once was, long before the migration of European convicts and where the Aboriginals may have first arrived themselves, there's only one place left to find it. Australia's Top End is a wealth of protected wildlife and natural forests and each is known for … [Read more...] about The Top End: The Real Australia
Tasting Melbourne’s Coffee Culture
I'm not much of a coffee drinker. In fact, I don't drink it at all. Tea is my chosen beverage, followed shortly by Coca Cola. But by not drinking coffee, I've been missing out on important parts of the places I visit. No espresso in Italy, no drip coffee at New York diners and no flat whites in … [Read more...] about Tasting Melbourne’s Coffee Culture