Tag Archives: buddha Sri Lanka is said to be the oldest continually Buddhist country in the world. When Buddhism first spread beyond India, the two countries that embraced the teachings were Gandhara (lands that are now in northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan) and Ceylon (called Sri Lanka since 1972). Buddhist scholars believe that the Buddha visited the island […]  When ever I think of Sri Lanka, I think of water: lotus and lily ponds, flooded rice paddies, dams and reservoirs, and rain. Lots of rain. I was travelling solo on a trip that had been originally planned for two, and although it was November, the south-western monsoon clearly didn’t realise it was meant to […]  Bangkok is one of those incredible places where – no matter how much time you have spent there – there is something wild and unexpected around the corner. After years of living in this amazing city, and more years of visiting, I feel pretty comfortable in my own little corner, but I haven’t really even […]  The Marble Mountains: I kept calling them “Magic Mountains” by mistake. But they are a bit magical! Near Non Nuoc Beach, nine kilometres south of Danang in Central Vietnam, five marble and limestone outcrops rise up dramatically from the flat plains around them. According to legend, a dragon climbed out of the East Vietnam Sea onto the beach and laid […]  Bago is a golden city, originally build during the Mon dynasty. Destroyed by the Burman in 1757 and partially restored in the early 19th century, the city lost prominence when the Bago River changed its course and cut the city off from the sea. It must have really been something during its heyday, for even […] |
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