Thank you to National Geographic for posting my article on the Royal Cremation in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia! The article begins: By Lisa Niver Rajna To kick off our year-long trek through Southeast Asia, my husband and I spent two months exploring the Indonesian island of Bali with no set itinerary. While in the town of Ubud, home of the Balinese … Continued
Are you wondering where in the world we are? George and I arrived in Kolkata, India on Friday, November 23, 2012. The best way to follow us is to sign up for our newsletter! It comes out the first and third Tuesday of the month and arrives by email. SIGN UP HERE In the last … Continued
Video: Suprising Surat Thani, Thailand Katun from Katun’s Guest House in Hua Hin suggested we take the train from Hua Hin to Surat Thani. We had a long journey of nearly twelve hours on the bus from Patong to Hua Hin, the week before so the train seemed like a smart choice. The train was … Continued
Jeremy, George and I went on a day trip from Hua Hin to Prachuapkirikhan. We went on a mini bus that you find near the clock tower. Our goal was to get to Ao Manao (Lemon Bay) before it rained. We met James Knight, your First friend in the Thailand Tourist Police. Students from the … Continued
We visited our friend from Los Angeles, the famous Artist, Jeremy Kidd at Ocean Mountain View in Hua Hin, Thailand. He is living in a complex surrounded by pineapple plantations. He has a roof deck with a barbeque and a hot tub and a pool just steps from his living room. Jeremy and George jammed … Continued
During September 2012, George and I were in Hua Hin, Thailand visiting friends. We went to the Hua Hin School and met the children. They loved speaking English with us and showing us their school! The children loved to shake hands and say, “Hello!” Video: Hua Hin School Children This movie is from our month … Continued
As a University of Pennsylvania Quaker, I feel a special kinship for Benjamin Franklin. I am impressed by all he did for our country in so many different realms. He was a true renaissance man. Here is one of my favorite quotes by him: “Hide not your talents, they were made for use. What’s a … Continued
I really loved the ocean temple of Tanalot. We were there on August 30, 2012 with many locals who were enjoying the spirit and sea air. At times, you cannot walk up to the temple due to the sea conditions. It is the first temple I have even been to that had a lifebuoy nearby! … Continued
We left Southern Bali and returned to Kuta for the Balinese festival of Galungan which celebrates the victory of dharma over adharma on August 29, 2012. There were penjor- bamboo poles or towers with ceremonial offerings at the ends and people worshiping on the streets and in the traffic circles. During this time, the … Continued
During our stay in Southern Bali at Bingin Beach, we rented motorbikes to visit the famous cliff temple of Uluwatu. Some of the hills are steep but the road is basically good. The views are incredible and we were there the day before the start of the festival, Galungan. The surfers at Uluwatu Beach were … Continued