The temples of Egypt were awe-inspiring for their incredible artwork, intricate carvings, and sheer enormity. It is sad for us to see the news coming out of the country these days, and we are glad we got to experience it as it was, but that civilization has been around for thousands of years and I am confident it will continue for another thousand. Our thoughts are with the people during this terrible struggle for democracy.
We recently spent a long weekend with our friends, Ron & Dario and Dave & Anne. Having camped solo so far this year, it was an excellent reminder of the joy of camping with friends. Shared meal preparation, good food and wine and conversations around the fire made for a relaxing and enjoyable weekend. We’ve known all of these friends for years, shared triumphs and tragedies, and often words were not necessary, the mere presence of longtime friends was enough.
Hue is the former capital of Vietnam, situated nearly in the center of the country. It is an easy city to get a hang of, split down the middle by the Perfume River, boarded by an appealing boardwalk. The weather is infamously bad, with the Truong Son Mountains seeming to bring in frequent drizzle, but it is a relatively pleasant town with inexpensive lodging, good restaurants, and lots of sightseeing opportunities.
Remnants of the war for sale on the boardwalk.
There isn’t a lot left of the ancient Cham ruins at My Son, but from the rubble it’s easy to imagine how impressive the site must have been.
Foto Friday from Oregon. Love my black dogs!
The sun shown brightly overhead as I swayed in my hammock. Fish jumped for flies and the only sound was the whistle-like singing of the birds in the trees. Dappled sunlight reflected off the water as I soaked in the beauty of the lake. And I remembered why I love backpacking.
Of all of the tours that Jim and I have taken with my company, Grand European Tours, one of our favorites was the Enchanting Danube river cruise, operated by our sister company Uniworld River Cruises. This was not our first river cruise, having sailed the Rhine, Mosel, and Yangtze, but it was certainly the most luxurious.
We have been to the mountain temple at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, Thailand many times, always eager to take in the view of the city below and admire the magnificent temple. Although a tram exists, it just feels right to climb the 309 steps to the top, where you find such treasures as this gorgeous doorway.
The temple ruins of the Kingdom of Angkor. A dream destination for historians, photographers, and travelers alike. Shrouded in misty, humid jungles, much of the city still buried in the over-growth, the full scale of the size of the city is impossible to fully comprehend from the ground.
I just can’t get enough of the magic of a sundown. Here, one of my favorites from the Oregon coast.
