Bon Voyage!

I have travelled to more distant places in the last twelve months than ever before. I have come back from every trip with a greater appreciation and understanding of people and places, even those I thought I already knew about. There is no substitute to being there in person, strolling the streets, breathing the air, eating the food, and watching the people go about their daily lives. There is so much in common in this world and yet so much variety!

Mark Twain wrote a long time ago: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.Explore. Dream. Discover."

Here is a roundup of my posts from the last twelve months from cities around the world that I visited for the first time during this period.

Singapore: Our days in Singapore were very busy; in fact, we crammed more site-seeing trips in this time than we ought to have done. more...

Kuala Lumpur: Thick, lush green vegetation everywhere! As the road wound through the mountainside, we could see the faint outline of a building at the very top through the misty clouds that shrouded the tops. more...

Beijing: This was also the first time I tasted the famous Peking Duck. Dessert consisted of a sweet dumpling filled with a dark brown gooey concoction that seemed to be made of sesame. more...

Ho Chi Minh City: I was feeling so rich when I exchanged money here! US$100, and you are a millionare (in Dong, the currency here which is approx 16,100 dongs per US dollar). more...

Bali: Both magical and mythical, this land of volcanic lakes, spectacular rice terraces, stunning tropical beaches, ancient temples and palaces is an exotic melting pot of cultures and peoples. more...

Tokyo: Seafood in Tokyo are amongst the freshest I have ever eaten. And I have even begun to like Miso Soup and Rice, now that I know how to mix the sauces for just that right taste! more...

I leave you with a quote from author James A. Michener: If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.