As the title says, Hanoi the capital of Vietnam was established in 1010 under a different name. It had several name changes until 1831, when it was re-named 'Hanoi' by King Minh Mang. We were there in July 2010 when the city was preparing for the 1,000 year anniversary of its founding. In July 2010 while I was still stationed in Bangkok, we had a four day weekend, so we decided to travel to Hanoi, the second largest city in Vietnam after Ho Chi Minh city. We booked with Vietnam Airlines the national flag carrier of the country, through my usual and dependable travel agent. Initially, I had some qualms about flying with this airline as it was a state owned one, and Vietnam is still officially a Communist nation. However, my fears were unfounded. It ... read more

From 2006 to 2011, I worked as a high school teacher in Bangkok, Thailand. During that period I took the opportunity to travel extensively around the region. One of my trips was to Cambodia which is next door to Thailand. It was during my school's summer break in March when my friend and I decided to pay a visit to the famed Angkor Wat in the town of Siem Reap. I had heard so many things about this vast temple complex and both of us were looking forward to seeing this well known tourist attraction. I know many people who have been there might disagree with me when I say that Angkor Wat did not come up to our expectations. I suppose it's partly our fault since we had very high expectations of this popular destination. ... read more

During our stay in Colombo we decided to take a trip to Kandy which is the second largest city in Sri Lanka. Actually we had already planned to travel to Kandy, and when we arrived in Colombo the capital of Sri Lanka, Lily our Sri Lankan friend advised us to reserve the train tickets at least a day in advance. Somehow or other, mainly due to our hectic schedule we failed to book the tickets and went to the Fort railway station early in the morning to catch the morning train. Much to our dismay, we found a long line in front of the ticket office. Actually the line extended to the street outside! Anyway, we decided to wait it out and try our luck. The line moved inch by inch, and when we finally got ... read more

As any kid growing up in Rangoon, (or Yangon as it is called now) going to the zoo was always a treat. At that time my father's cousin was director of the Rangoon Zoo, as it was called then, and we kids would have VIP tours escorted by the zoo's staff. Passing adolescence into adulthood, with work and family commitments, a great number of years passed and visits to the zoo became less and less frequent. In 1978 I left the country to seek my fortunes abroad, but after a period of 9 years overseas, I felt homesick and went back to visit my homeland. Since then, I have returned on regular trips to see old friends and relatives. In 2001, on one of those trips I took my American friend Ken to Yangon. In between ... read more

First of all, this market is officially called "Bogyoke Market" after General Aung San the father of Burma's independence. 'Bogyoke' is the Burmese term for General. However, it is still known as Scott Market even after all these years. The place is supposed to be named after J.G. Scott, an administrator during the British rule of Burma. Known for its colonial era architecture and inner cobblestone streets, the market is one of the major tourist attractions in the city of Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon. It is also a popular shopping center for the local people as it has a number of stores selling medicine, foodstuffs, garments and foreign goods. The market is believed to have been built in 1926 during the British rule of the country when it was known as Burma. Needless to say, ... read more