Bhutan | Expect the Unexpected

“Let the trip take us where it will” was the unofficial motto of our time in Bhutan and the advice our guides gave us on our first day. Our travel from Gangtey to Bumthang was a case in point. Not every visitor to Bhutan makes the trek to Bumthang and for good reason: the highway is not for the faint of heart. Early and heavy rains meant that we encountered two major landslides and the five-hour drive from Gangtey to Bumthang (under 200 km) took almost 12. Continue reading “Bhutan | Expect the Unexpected”

travel magnoliaSeptember 8, 2018February 8, 20199 Comments

Asia, Travel

Bhutan | The Road to Phobjika Valley

Phobjika_Road2Gangtey — Driving over Pelela Pass

Maybe the Beatles had Bhutan in mind when they composed “The Long and Winding Road.” Certainly, the East West highway (and I use that term advisedly) lives up to that description. We spent many hours on serpentine roads with steep inclines and precipitous drop-offs as we traveled up and over the Pelela Pass (11,200 feet) on our way from Punakha to the Phobjika Valley. Continue reading “Bhutan | The Road to Phobjika Valley”

travel magnoliaJune 29, 2018June 29, 20188 Comments

Asia, Travel

Bhutan | Picture Perfect Punakha

The three-hour drive from Paro to Punakha crosses over Dochula Pass at 3100 meters – site of the Druk Wangyal Chortens. The 108 chortens (stupas) commemorate Bhutanese soldiers who died in the 2003 war against insurgents from India. The vast majority of photos I had seen prior to visiting Bhutan were of monasteries and mountains. The incredibly fertile valleys and lush landscapes were a total surprise. Punakha is located at 1200 meters which makes it an ideal first stop for flat landers (those who reside near or at sea level). There are two major rivers: the Mo (mother) and Pho (father) that provide ample water for irrigation. Continue reading “Bhutan | Picture Perfect Punakha”

travel magnoliaJune 18, 2018June 19, 201819 Comments

Asia, Travel

Bhutan | Preview of Coming Attractions

The Kingdom of Bhutan has been on my must see list for 25 years. When I first heard about this jewel of a country nestled in the Himalayas between India and China, it had only recently opened to tourism. While it took me much longer than expected to finally make the trip, it was well worth the wait! Continue reading “Bhutan | Preview of Coming Attractions”

travel magnoliaJune 16, 2018June 18, 20186 Comments

Asia, Travel

Must See | Tokyo | Meiji Shrine

Timing is everything, or at least a lot. When we made plans to visit the Meiji Shrine, we had no idea that the day would be spectacular and that many families would be celebrating Shichi Go San (7-5-3), a celebratory right of passage that dates back to the Heian period. On this occasion, boys who are aged three or five and girls who are aged three or seven are dressed … Continue reading Must See | Tokyo | Meiji Shrine

travel magnoliaOctober 15, 2015October 15, 201513 Comments

Art, Asia, Travel

Naoshima Part III | Wrap Up

Perhaps what makes the Naoshima experience so memorable is the combination of sublime contemporary art and architecture with the traditional fishing villages and shrines. We were struck by the sensitivity to and respect for the environment that pervades these islands and is manifested throughout. Hiroshi Sugimoto restored an Edo Period shrine and added a new superstructure in his 2002 work “Appropriate Proportion.” The optical glass staircase he designed links the … Continue reading Naoshima Part III | Wrap Up

travel magnoliaOctober 13, 2015December 9, 20155 Comments

Art, Asia, Travel

Now for Naoshima | Chichu Art Museum

Up the road from the Benesse House complex, visitors approach the Chichu Art Museum via a Giverny-inspired garden. This homage to Monet is the perfect introduction to a museum centered on five of the artist’s spectacular Water Lily paintings. Those works are housed in an exquisite gallery of white marble with soft filtered natural light. Photos are forbidden, although you can see some on the museum’s … Continue reading Now for Naoshima | Chichu Art Museum

travel magnoliaOctober 9, 2015December 9, 20152 Comments

George Rickey Three Squares Vertical Diagonal 1972-82

Art, Asia, Japan

Now for Naoshima | Art in Japan’s Inland Sea Part I

There are must see places and there are must see again places. Naoshima is both. Once is good, twice is better. This is only appropriate, since Naoshima encompasses several museums, public art installations and spreads over several islands located in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan. Getting there is a process and actually enhances the experience: bullet train to bus to ferry to bicycle or … Continue reading Now for Naoshima | Art in Japan’s Inland Sea Part I

travel magnoliaOctober 8, 2015December 9, 20159 Comments

Asia, Food, Japan

Foodie Friday | Japan

Wading through two weeks’ worth of mouthwatering images from sublime meals in Japan, I decided to let the pictures do the talking for this post! More to come next week, with a feature on Naoshima. In the meantime, I may rent Jiro Dreams of Sushi and order takeout from my local Japanese restaurant to sate the cravings this post created. For more on Japan, see Tokyo … Continue reading Foodie Friday | Japan

travel magnoliaSeptember 18, 2015September 18, 201514 Comments

Asia, Japan, Travel

Tokyo Intro

Tokyo never ceases to amaze me. A modern megalopolis that is one of the most densely populated in the world, it retains its old-fashioned Edo era charms even as it embraces the 21st century. My first trips to Tokyo were in the mid to late eighties, when the yen was 240 to the dollar and skyscrapers were just beginning to encroach on the skyline. Then, as … Continue reading Tokyo Intro

travel magnoliaSeptember 18, 2015January 23, 20162 Comments