When I first moved to Thailand, I felt nervous when taking photos of monks or talking to them because I didn’t know the etiquette, but over the years I have met many fascinating monks and found that they are often approachable, well-traveled, and dedicated men. […]
While visiting the 12th century Khmer ruins in Phimai, Thailand, I happened upon six women dressed in resplendent yellow dresses. “Tam mai suai?” – Why pretty? – I asked. The friendly ladies said that they were headed to a festival with lots of dancing and […]
I stood on a bluff on the outskirts of Dhaka and looked out over a bleak scene – fields of bricks, punctuated by chimneys coughing up black smoke, stretched out to the horizon. I walked down the hill and went into the first brick field – […]
When I arrived at the shipyards in Dhaka, Bangladesh, I thought maybe I’d passed through the gates of hell and ended up in Dante’s first circle. All along the riverfront, massive cargo ships have been hauled onto land where they are undergoing repairs. The scene […]
I grew up in a small, rural town in Oklahoma where all life is lived indoors. Everyone travels by car, all commerce and events happen inside, and there is little interaction with neighbors. My hometown doesn’t really have pedestrians. If you see someone walking they […]
The Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar, is a colossal religious complex that defies human scale. The temple is centered around a golden stupa that reaches 326 feet into the sky. It is estimated that up to 60 tons of gold comprise the spire, the top […]
If you have taken the time to read the other three posts I made about our Thai New Year trip to rural Isaan, then you know that all the people from the village spent four days drinking in a manner usually associated with celebrations after […]
After my recent trip to Hanoi, I ended up deleting about 98% of my photos. It was a photo-editing blood bath. Let me tell you why.
We walked into the once grand Yangon Train Station and stood there with dumb looks on our faces. We were unsure where to buy tickets or what platform to go to. Soon, a friendly security guard appeared and drew a circle in the air with his […]
I have been on a blogging hiatus this summer, mainly because I haven’t had much internet access out here in the wilds of Alaska. During this summer of Trump, that hasn’t been a bad thing. With readily available internet, I’d have spent an unhealthy amount of […]
Planet Bell 