Tag Archives: hindu

You are taking a chance in the tropics during the wet season! Bali, that volcanic tropical paradise just eight degrees south of the equator, is in the path of the west monsoon from October to April, with heavy rains typical from December through March. But, there are a lot of reasons to love Bali, any time of year. The window of opportunity for my husband and […]

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In Bali, rice is synonymous with food. The word nasi (rice) also means “meal” in Bahasa Indonesia, the lingua franca of the region.  But, rice is so much more than that: it is an integral part of the Balinese culture. This little Indonesian island has been inhabited by Southeast Asian Austronesian people since at least 2000 BCE. From around the 1st century CE., […]

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Chaos and colour. For me, those words sum up India. The chaos is ubiquitous – as a pedestrian, you need to be aware of all parts of your body as you walk across broken pavements punctuated by piles of rubbish and cow pats, through crowds of burdened porters and grasping beggars, and past whizzing bikes and tuk-tuks and potentially dangerous bulls … […]

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I had something hot and tropical planned for this Week’s Wander – especially after last week’s foray into the cold winds of the southern Andes (Patagonia). But, since the devastating Himalayan earthquake on April 25th, I cannot get Nepal out of my mind. Clearly, judging from my Facebook feed, I am not alone. In true six- (or […]

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They say you are a long time dead and buried – Well, unless you are buried in Switzerland, where your plot is reclaimed after 25 years to recycle available land. Or, unless you are in a traditional Chinese cemetery, where your bones should be taken out and washed annually… In India, honouring the dead can take many varied […]

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