On July 12, 2012, The Garrison in Barbados was named an UNESCO World Heritage Site. That’s pretty cool in and of itself, but this World Heritage Site has the added attraction of horse racing. History lessons would have been a lotmore fun if they had taken place at the track. And make no mistake; there is some interesting history here at The Garrison, including the George Washington House, home to the first president of the United States in his only foray outside the US. See George Washington Slept Here But today I have come for the racing. I try to make the Diamonds International Races on Boxing Day every year, but this year I arrived on the island early enough to make the Christmas Season Race Day. The Christmas Season Race Day is a much calmer ... read more

I like traveling, and I like eating. (Um, really? I hardly ever talk about food…) One of my favorite things when I visit a new country is going to grocery stores and markets, and trying new foods. I figure if other people are eating it and not keeling over, it’s probably edible. And if it’s really nasty, I can always spit it out. I’ve only done that once in recent memory, but there are a few things of which I did not take a second bite. My recent trip to Thailand and Singapore brought me a few new culinary experiences. Here are some of them: Funny Fruit: in Thailand I had the chance to eat some tasty and super fresh fruit that is not common in the US. One morning at breakfast I was brought a ... read more

What can I say? Words almost fail me in trying to describe Marina Bay Sands. Let’s start with the building itself. It’s huge, dominating the Marina Bay skyline. Looking like an ocean liner resting atop three columns, it looks like something out of a science fiction movie. (Fans of the BBC television series “Dr. Who” will be reminded of the episode “Voyage of the Damned.” Sorry, I digress.) The hotel, whose 2,561 rooms are located in the three towers, is the biggest hotel in Singapore. The top deck can hold 3,900 people, and boasts an infinity pool that is almost 500 feet long. And then there is the shopping. There is over 800,000 square feet of retail exuberance here. And this is no ordinary mall experience; this is Prada and Gucci and Versace. This is 35 ... read more

About a third of Singaporeans identify themselves as Buddhist. Vesak Day is a big deal on the Buddhist calendar, commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha. (Kind of like Christmas, Epiphany, and Easter all rolled into one.) It happened to fall on May 5th this year, my second day in Singapore. A caveat is in order here. I am not a Buddhist, and any mistakes I make in writing about Buddhist practices or thought come from my faulty research, not from any disregard for another’s beliefs. I try to be as clear as I can within my limits of understanding. Buddhism in Singapore is mainly of the Mahayana school, rather than the Theraveda school practiced in Thailand. The Thai version is heavily influenced by Burmese monks, Singaporean Buddhism is strongly influenced by Chinese immigrants. There ... read more

During my visit to the Cultural Center and Museum in Chiang Mai I learned that there are twelve very important temples in Thailand, and each is associated with a particular birth year of the Chinese zodiac. I was born in the year of the Dragon; Wat Phra Singh, an important temple in the city of Chiang Mai, is the temple associated with the Dragon, and 2012 is the year of the Dragon. Auspicious signs all around so I figure a visit can’t hurt. This place is truly impressive. I was in Viharn Luang, the main hall, in awe of the beautiful art, when half a dozen men (and one woman) in uniform came in and shooed everyone out. The monks were allowed to stay, but everyone else, Thai, foreigner, temple worker had to leave. Something was ... read more