Category Archives: Culture

The Cave Temples at Ajanta and Ellora

Following a recommendation from our good friend Steve from Austin, we persuaded my dad and Anne that it was worth making the trek from northern India down to Aurangabad in the Mumbai region for a visit to the Ajanta and … Continue reading

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Sunrise at the Taj Mahal

We rolled out of bed at 5am, threw on our clothes, and headed to the hotel lobby to meet up with my dad, my sister Anne, and our guide for a sunrise tour of the Taj Mahal.  We waited in … Continue reading

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New Delhi

To begin our tour of India’s capital city, Shelley, Anne, John (the 1st) and I took a bicycle rickshaw ride through the streets of “Old Delhi,” an area within the city that was once the capital of the Mughal Dynasty, … Continue reading

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Lazy Days in Luang Prabang

We spent five great days in Luang Prabang, Laos’s second city and definitely one of the most beautiful city stops on our trip.  The whole place has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so buildings both new and old … Continue reading

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The Money Trail – Vietnam

The local currency of Vietnam is the dong.  The visage of Ho Chi Minh is prominently displayed on each bill.    1 USD ~= 20,000 Vietnamese Dong

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Scooter Dodging in Hanoi

After our slowdown in Hoi An, we were a little taken aback when we arrived in Hanoi.  Hanoi was like the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City taken to the next level.  I would say turned up to … Continue reading

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The Money Trail – Cambodia

The official currency of Cambodia is the riel.  However, it might as well be the US dollar.  Every ATM that we used in Cambodia dispensed US dollars and everyone seemed to prefer transacting in US currency.  The only time we … Continue reading

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Taking Siem Reap by Storm: Indiana John and the Temple of the Chinese Tourists

I know, the title is terrible, but it’s fitting… From Kampot, John and I headed north to Siem Reap, which is the jumping off point for tours of Angkor, the ancient Khmer capital and the home of Angkor Wat.  We … Continue reading

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The Money Trail – Singapore

Singapore is so neat and clean, even their money is white!  Seriously, they must take the soiled money out of circulation.  I didn’t see any. Singapore is the first country we’ve visited where the US dollar is worth less than … Continue reading

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The Money Trail – Indonesia

Landing at the Bali airport and withdrawing a cool million (Indonesian rupiah) from the ATM there was an interesting experience.  Definitely made us feel like high rollers! 1 USD ~= 9000 Rupiah

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