Singapore is Lit!

 Singapore is my last stop before a nonstop flight home. There’s a lot that’s big and new here since the last time I visited, and it’s all lit at night, when the city is fully alive.

Paradise in the Maldives

 Another paradise found!  I’m captive on a very small island in the Indian Ocean, and that’s an excellent thing.  The Le Meridien resort where I’m staying is all there is on an island a little over a half-mile long and about 22 acres in total.  Everyone arrives by float plane, a 30-minute hop from the capital city of Male.  That’s the start of the fun.  And once on island, most people walk or golf cart shuttle to different venues, but I’m getting around on a fat tire bike.

My ‘villa’ is a very modern take on an over-the-water hut, with its own private deck and ladder to the water, and even a little swimming pool.  When the sun comes out it’s super-saturated turquoise color everywhere you look, framed against white sand and deep blue sky.  And intermittent clouds and rain have been magical, too. There’s drama this close to the equator.

The SCUBA diving has been some of the best I’ve experienced anywhere in the world.  I couldn’t get enough, so I did four dives in two days.  No need for wet suits, with water temps in the mid 80s.  The fish are gorgeous and plentiful, and we were totally surrounded at times by big schools.  My favorites, called ‘Sweet Lips’, are in a photo here captured by one of my dive guides.  He also got a shot of me, and we found Nemo, too, or at least his cousin.  Lots of beautiful coral as well, including some that is the bright orange color of Cheetos.  The crew and guides were all Maldivians, and my dive mates were a young couple from Russia, and another one from Italy.  I actually haven’t met another American here.  It is, after all, a long way from home.

Buddhists in Bhutan and Muslims here believe in their own versions of paradise.  I think that the ocean is mine.

Happy (Thai) New Year!

 It’s the New Years holiday in Thailand, and how do they celebrate?  With good-natured water fights on the street.  Better not go out if you’re not prepared to get wet.  But in 97 degree heat, it’s welcome relief. There was even fun at the hotel pool between guests and bartenders.

Improbable, Beautiful, Spiritual Bhutan

 The company Backroads always exceeds my expectations.  They did it again, and so did the Kingdom of Bhutan. It now ranks in the top tier of my favorite travel destinations. The beauty and spirituality of the majestic Himalayan Mountains and its people is what attracted me to Bhutan.  And you feel all of that at every turn.

It’s so improbable that a nation of just 800,000 people with territory the size of Switzerland has been able to maintain its independence, heritage and spirit.  And all while sharing borders with India and China, two of the world’s most populous superpowers.  Bhutan’s success, I think, stems from its unwavering commitment to the principles of Buddhism, and to prioritizing happiness.  In eight days here I learned so much more about this loving, peaceful religion.  And I was most happy, too!

The establishment of a constitutional monarchy coincided with the crowning of a then 28-year-old king in 2008.  He is trusted and beloved today, and he guides an enlightened and measured approach to tourism and the harnessing of natural resources.  Foreign visitors are allowed by controlled permit only, and revenue from the export of hydroelectric power has made its economy one of the fastest growing in the world.

The literal high point of our time in Bhutan came fittingly at the end.  Our most strenuous hike of the trip took us over steep trails and stone steps to the iconic Tigers Nest temple complex.  Precariously perched on a stone cliff at 10,000+ feet, it’s a truly awesome sight. And Its existence seems so improbable, too!

Beautiful People

The people of Bhutan have ready smiles, and are happy to have their picture taken.  They’re so beautiful, peaceful and happy.  After all, the government makes happiness a priority, measuring ‘Gross National Happiness’ rather than ‘Gross National Product’.