Author: colin

After traveling through Patna (a forgettable place) we were off to Kushinagar and Lumbini.  Kushinagar is the site of Buddha’s passing and Lumbini (in Nepal) is the site of Buddha’s birth.  Both were very unforgettable. Kushinagar Stupa commemorating the site of Buddha’s death.  There is actually another stupa directly behind this stupa that is said to… Continue reading Kushinagar, Lumbini, Lucknow & Ronin

After Bodgaya Norman and I kept up a torrid pace through India visiting three other minor Buddhist sites before arriving at Kushinagar.  Along our journey to Ragjir and Nalanda Norman requested that we see one of the many brick manufacturing “plants” along the way.  It turned out to be very educational. Ragjir Stuppa at Ragjir. I believe that Buddha… Continue reading Ragjir, Nalanda, Vaishali & Brick Manufacturing

Perhaps one of the most interesting religious sites I’ve been to in the world, Bodhgaya is Buddhists paradise.  Bodhgaya is acknowledged as the place where Prince Gautam Siddhartha found enlightenment and became a Buddha.  After every tour me and Norman kept saying “this is enlightening” Norman and I had a long car ride from Varanasi to Bodhgaya.  When… Continue reading Bodhgaya

After a long day in Agra, Norman and I caught a night train Varanasi.  I read somewhere that you needed to be patient when you travel in India.  Well the first lesson was taught in the Delhi train station.  Our train was 3 hour delayed.      Our porter carried roughly 30 kilos or a little over… Continue reading Varanasi & Sarnath

One of the main reasons of traveling to India was to see the Taj Mahal. Beyond that India was an enigma to me.  After visting I realized that I had just visited one of the most unusual and unique places on earth.  I determined that India wins in a lot of categories:      Most interesting religious trip         Best… Continue reading India, Norman & The Taj Mahal

The Great Wall of China was, well you guessed it, Great!  One of the other travelers I met, recommended that I hike from Jinshangling to Simatai to see a well perserved and crowd free part of the Great Wall.  Most tourist go to Badaling, but that site is appraently very crowded and you have to go shopping at a jade factory. The Hike was amazing… Continue reading The Great Wall of China

Beijing was a great time.  I had originally planned on staying in San Francisco for 2 weeks to see Kimi.  However, work took her to Beijing so I decided to add a leg to my around the world ticket and stop off to see her.  One of the many benefits of staying with Kimi was… Continue reading Beijing

Shanghai is as modern of a city as you can get. In addition it’s gigantic. I can’t remember all of the facts and figures but I believe Shanghai is much larger than Manhattan. Getting around Shanghai by taxi or public transportation was initially pretty difficult. If you don’t have a map that has both romanized… Continue reading Shanghai

Just a quick Pit stop in San Francisco. I needed to grab a few things and recharge my batteries. The weather was truly spectacular. While jogging one day I noticed that the Dali Lama was in town. Tickets were $50 but I decided that it would be worth while to go and check him out.… Continue reading San Francisco

The Galapagos Islands were AMAZING. It’s a tough call on which was cooler, Machu Picchu or the Galapagos. At this point I’d have to say its a tie. Needless to say it was an experience that I won’t soon forget. Estrella Del Mar. The view from the veranda. The local Fish Market. Every couple of… Continue reading Galapagos Islands: Blue Footed Boobies, Tortugas & Dances with Sea Lions