Travel and Leisure

Bangkok, Thailand: Facts, Travel, and Points of Interest

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand as known by foreigners; however, Thailand natives refer to it as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon. This is the shortened version of the longer name. The more extended version has a remarkable 169 characters and is used as a tongue twister. The complete title is Krungthe Read More

Batalha and the Monastery of the Battle (Moisteiro da Batalha)

Life in Batalha revolves around a single structure of epic proportions, a truly monolithic sight: the Batalha Monastery (Moisteiro da Batalha), or Monastery of the Battle. With intricate stone latticework decorating the exterior, ornately carved stone ceiling that soars overhead, and high Gothic sty Read More

Kathmandu: Nepal's Amazing Gateway to Mount Everest

Nepal has always been synonymous with the Himalayas in my mind. The very thought of Himalayas gives fresh energy to the soul, and I was no exception. Just a few years back, I planned this short four-day trip to Kathmandu; the capital of Nepal and its largest metropolis. Though after this trip, I hav Read More

How Best to Spend One's Time in Yosemite

One-Day Excursions No. 1. If I were so time-poor as to have only one day to spend in Yosemite I should start at daybreak, say at three o'clock in midsummer, with a pocketful of any sort of dry breakfast stuff, for Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, the head of Illilouette Fall, Nevada Fall, the t Read More

Foz do Arelho: The Quiet Wonder of the Silver Coast

With a hypnotic and calm “lagoa” (lagoon) beach, contrasting the seaside tumult and rocky cliffs, Foz do Arelho is the quiet wonder of the Silver coast. Positioned directly west of the friendly city of Caldas da Rainha, Foz, as it is known by the local expats, offers everything one can d Read More

Yellowstone: The Crown of the Continent

In the northwest corner of the Territory of Wyoming, about half way between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean, and in the same latitude as the State of New York, the grand Rocky Mountain system culminates in a knot of peaks and ranges enclosing the most remarkable lake basin in the world. Read More