Horses, camels, cows/yaks, goats and sheep
By Charlie I had a lunch meeting on Wednesday with Ariunbat, the director of Mongolian National Television and a team of Mongolians that he likes to call his consulting group. Before I proceed to have a little fun with Ariunbat, I should say that he and his consulting group face an impossible task. They need […]
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By Charlie Dalanzadgad is a town of about 16,000 people in the South Gobi. It feels like the edge of the earth. Aside from dust and stray dogs, Dalanzadgad has one of the strongest and most important civic institutions in Mongolia. The voice of the Gobi comes from Dalanzadgad. It is called the Gobi Wave […]
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by Rachel About a month ago we went to the Gobi. We went with the Asia Foundation Rep, Bill, to visit the Gobi Wave radio station and to meet with an environmentalist based there. The Gobi is huge, It covers about a third of Mongolia, but only about 3% is covered with sand. The rest […]
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By Charlie “Charlie, I had a heart attack.” So says the famous Moogii, whom loyal readers may remember as my AK-47 toting former translator. Moogii is in her early 30s and not exactly a high risk heart patient. Moogii called me this morning to ask if I had forgotten about her. “No,” I said. “I’ve […]
Continue ReadingBy Charlie Walk down the street in Phnom Penh and you’ll see the regular collection of characters: Guys with motorcycles who will give you a ride anywhere in the city for a dollar. Several generations of women playing with a baby on a mat. A blind old man playing a traditional fiddle as he is […]
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by Rachel Our tuk tuk driver, Mr. Sopha took us around, waited patiently, made good suggestions and was the only person in Siem Reap who did not try to sell us something extra. I met this friendly frog in the swimming pool at our hotel. We took refuge there during the hottest part of the […]
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By Rachel At Angkor Wat, you are constantly aware that you are not in the United States. Clues include the elephants, the heat, the flowers, the motorcycles, not to mention being surrounded by Asian people. But for me, it was the steps. Angkor Wat is full of steps that were seemingly built for people with […]
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By Charlie We spent Sunday on the loose around the outlaying temples of Angkor Wat. The guide book says that this massive complex requires at least three days, so that’s what we’re doing. I hope that we’ll post more about Angkor Wat in coming days or weeks, but here’s a taste of what we saw […]
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By Charlie Greetings from the sweltering tourist ghetto of Siem Reap, Cambodia. Everybody who visits the amazing Angkor Wat must spend the night here. It is, perhaps, the opposite of the fabulous Luang Prabang, Laos. Yesterday, against the urgings of my soul, we departed Luang Prabang. Three hours later, we were negotiating the heat and […]
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By Charlie This is one of those sublime vacations when we have forgotten what day of the week it is. The only thing we know is that yesterday was wonderful and today seems, perhaps, just slightly better. It is recess at the primary school across the street. There is a cool breeze blowing. We got […]
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