Category: Travel
-
Georgetown, Penang Malaysia: An Artist’s Haven
Photo Essay Due to its well-preserved heritage buildings, Penang’s capital, Georgetown, has been accorded a listing as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. In my opinion, Penang is one of the most photogenic cities I’ve ever visited. There was never a bad shot, and the beauty and mood of the city translate from the real…
-
Ahjumma goes to a Tibetan Wedding
I went to tell my landlady that my bulb had burned out. It was 7:00am and she was in the kitchen cooking, while one of the Indian domestic helpers—a teenage girl—stirred several large pots on a roiling boil. My landlady, Da, is petite and wears her dark hair parted in the center and clasped in…
-
Temple Scenes: Tsuglagkang Temple
I was fortunate to be in McLeodganj to witness and participate in several special celebrations—including teachings by the Dalai Lama himself. The Dalai Lama’s temple, Tsuglagkang Temple, is a busy hub of activity. Daily there are devotees spinning prayer wheels, chanting, and performing full-body prostrations. Monks debate and foreigners watch. Domestic Indian tourists throng the…
-
Dogs of McLeodganj, India
Photo essay Cutest police on earth! This dog is sunning himself in a parking space dedicated for police on duty! Napping on a meditation cushion at the Dalai Lama’s Temple. Women perform full-body prostrations while this dog naps at the Dalai Lama’s Temple. “Three amigos” hanging out in front of a Tibetan home. These guys…
-
Temple Town in the Himalayas: McLeodganj, India
McLeodganj is a Himalayan Hill Station which the British used as an escape from oppressive summer heat waves. McLeodganj is now mainly known for being the home of the Dalai Lama’s temple—Tsuglagkang Temple—and the exiled Tibetan Parliament. It is also home to many NGO’S and charitable organizations. I am here to volunteer with Lha Charitable Trust as…
-
Arunachala: Notes from a Devotee
Full Moon Giri Pradakshana My phone lit up at 4:00am with a message: I’m here. I hustled down the cement stairs of the two-story guest house run by a loving and protective Indian couple. The husband was already awake and waiting by the front gate. Using a heavy silver key, he unlocked the massive chain…
-
The Holy Hill: Arunachala
Photo essay from Tiruvannamalai For years, I had heard about Arunachala, the spiritual heart (some say of the world) at Ramana Ashram. I had heard about the spiritual communities that had sprouted amidst the local village, necessitating more markets, stores, restaurants, chai stalls, dwellings and yoga shalas. I saw photos of foreign spiritual seekers dressed…
-
How to Ensure Getting Checked by Customs
An Acupuncture Volunteer in Guatemala I had been instructed to mark “Tourist” on my customs form, and to say that everything in my suitcase was for “personal use.” “Don’t worry,” I was told, “we’ve never had problems getting our supplies through customs.” Another friend’s mother echoed that by saying she never had her bags checked…
-
Mae Sot Thailand
Photo essay Ban Thai Guesthouse is gorgeous, with traditional style architecture that suits my aesthetics perfectly. Elegant rooms with shutter windows and silky mosquito nets created a luxurious sanctuary—and my home for the duration of my volunteer service at Mae Tao clinic. Bird of paradise arrangements mirror the natural beauty that surround the guesthouse. Elegant…
-
Acupuncture with Dirt on my Face
Volunteering on the Burmese Border Mae Sot, Thailand The other day I nearly made the head of parliament faint while giving him acupuncture. He had arrived—with his entourage in tow—at the urging of a patient I had treated earlier in the week who had been suffering for years with a disc problem at L4, mild…