A moment ago an elegant Japanese lady and her daughter stopped by the Honolulu zoo aviary and seated themselves on a wooden fence railing. They paused there, enjoying the diversity of bird life. Speaking to each other in rather hushed voices so as not to disturb the inhabitants or the serenity of the environment, they … Continued
Cambodia’s temples captured in time and engulfed by nature Stepping amongst the rubble of the blackened stone structure, choked by creeping vines, it is hard not to sense the magic that clings heavy in the humid air. A secret garden of overgrown trees that hide mystical treasures of carved stone, secret paths and opening canopies. … Continued
Through the Looking Glass We sat under the shadow of a nearby Acacia tree at the corner of the orphanage to hide from the sweltering sun. The little girl beside me shielded her eyes with her dusty hands as the fierce rays intermittently broke through the leaves. We stayed on the red clay earth for … Continued
For three months I lived in Milan, Italy, so broke I couldn’t even take the metro across town, let alone spend the afternoons in museums, soaking up the art and freedom of expression. There wasn’t much about my life in Milan that felt very free, I was feeling as if in some sort of personal … Continued
Samurais in Sacred Forests “The Games of the 32nd Olympiad in 2020 are awarded to the city of … Tokyo.” As the megawatt city of 13 million residents looks to its future along its neon precincts of gadgets, video games and anime, this traveller to Tokyo is hankering for a tree change of the most … Continued
The Bosnian capital of Sarajevo is a testament to the resiliency of human beings. The victim of the longest siege in modern military history, Sarajevo today stands as a glimmering example of the power of forgiveness and the need for remembrance. In the early 1990s, the former nation of Yugoslavia was dissolved. Though unified for … Continued
The most awe-inspiring place I ever visited was the Waitomo Glowworm Cave, which lies beneath the rolling green hills in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. There are 300 known limestone caves in this area, but only three of them are open to the public. To me the Glowworm Cave is … Continued
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a step. As such a popular adage once says that travelling is part of education. This means that education does not necessarily involved teaching and learning in class alone but also covers learning during travelling. As a result, Henry Miller stated that one’s destination is never … Continued
This was my first big trip abroad and everything seemed to be going wrong. Exhausted after an eight hour flight (and a three hour wait at Heathrow earlier that day) by the time I arrived at Vancouver airport I was ready for the day to be over. But it wasn’t, and would not be over … Continued
We’re talking secret passageways here. Sitting in an attic room of a Georgian hostel, all stately dining room and foreign guests downstairs. She’s reading in the light of the sliver of open door from the hallway and from the bathroom, thinking that the bookcases in their bedroom should open up into another world, all made … Continued