Galleries

At every Viking port, several different excursions with local guides are offered.  We didn’t want to visit another winery or cattle farm.  So we chose a city tour which included a tango performance.  Our local tour guide began by acknowledging that Uruguay is not a tourist “destination”...

This blog presents photos from one of India's most beautiful states, Kerala, home to tea plantations, houseboats, and Kathakali dance.

The inclusion of Lhasa, Tibet, in Viking's Wonders of China cruise was a big incentive for us to book this trip.  Three nights and two full days of tours were only a superficial introduction to this ancient culture.  But this was better than nothing.  I don't think we otherwise would have ever planned a trip to Tibet.  It's simply too isolated, and obtaining the required Chinese visa was expensive.

It’s often said that India is a land of contrasts, which I am happy to confirm and illustrate. India has some of the world’s richest people and many of the poorest. It has luxurious high-rise apartment buildings, surrounded by the huts and hovels in which the servants, maids, drivers, cooks, and workmen live who take care of their richer neighbors.

Welcome to Israel Arriving in Israel less than a week ago for a short visit on the way to the conference in Jordan, their first question was: “What the _______ (insert appropriate word of your choice) is going on in the US?” To which we replied, “What the ______ is going on in Israel?” It’s complicated. I hardly know where to start. But we have to start somewhere, to bring attention to what’s going on in these turbulent times...

Mount Fuji was an impressive site as our ship approached the Shimizu harbor.  Mount Fuji is Japan's highest mountain, an active volcano in a perfect conical form.

Mysore is a city of two million in southern India. Two million is considered a moderate size city in India. The Mysore Palace is the second most visited building in India after the Taj Mahal, and for good reason as these photos will show. The 27th Maharaja of Mysore still occupies half of the palace with his family. The Indian government occupies 20 percent, which it uses for official meetings and as a reception area for honored guests. And the remaining 30 percent is open for public tours, from which the photos below are taken.

This essay was written in March 2008, with reflections on visiting Detroit and living in Reno, Nevada. Some images are included.

Wadi Rum is the landscape used in the hit movie The Martian (starring Matt Damon) and countless other movies.