The oppressive warmth of the late summer rays turned the relatively short stroll into a chore. The occasional sight of drivers sleeping on hammocks hanging in their tuk-tuks made me wish I was also in the middle of a siesta in our Funky Monkey Hostel room — not minding its funky smell. Vientiane, although a…
temples
Thanjavur, India: Brihadisvara Temple (Brihadeeswara Temple)
Under the fiery Tamil sun, hubby and I trampled on Thanjavur’s dusty streets. To which direction, we were quite unsure, yet we rambled on. Minutes ago, we just hopped off a bus that traveled from Tiruchirappalli. As I looked up and down what appeared like a major road, the lack of foreign tourists and absence…
Photo Essay: Golden Temple Of Dambulla, Sri Lanka
Bright skies ahead, despite the heavy downpour in the wee hours. I savored the crisp morning breeze as our tuktuk, driven by a local named Wimala, dashed towards the bus terminal. I was afloat with an insane surge of energy, perhaps because I just showered away the last seventy-two transit hours. Yep, my last bath…
Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka: Ruins Of An Ancient Capital
Not as grandiose as Angkor Wat. Then again it’s not a temple complex, but an ancient Sinhalese capital. So ancient in fact, that it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on the planet. Anuradhapura’s underrated charm does not lure tons of flip-flopping, shindig-seeking gap packers. Instead, it beckons busloads of retirees and a…
Madurai, India: Meenakshi Amman Temple
Temple Of The Tooth
Which came first, the temple or the tooth? Definitely the tooth. You are probably equally perplexed as I was the first time I heard of this Buddhist temple’s name. So how important is this tooth relic to be housed in such grandiose temple sitting on The Royal Palace complex? Well, it’s believed that whoever possessed…
Snapshot Saturday: Javanese Jump Shot
Snapshot Saturday: Bell Church in Baguio
Prambanan Temples
Shervin and I made a stop at Jalan Malioboro and Jalan Sosrowijayan before heading to Prambanan. We asked the travel agents around the area if they sell bus or train tickets for Surabaya, en route to Probolinggo, our next destination the day after. Unfortunately, they could only be bought from the bus or train station….
Borobudur: A Chaperoned Monthsary
As planned, we got there for our monthsary (pardon my mushiness). Our Couchsurfing host Sandi, who didn’t have work then because of a public holiday, drove and accompanied us to the magnificent-but-darn-crowded Borobudur. Boroudur’s stupas. Thank goodness I managed to take a photo of a deserted spot. My desire to visit Borobudur was almost the…