The Forbidden City and the Coveted 4-Star Crapper

The Forbidden City in Beijing is one of those grand-scale displays of history that everyone should experience first-hand. It provides a striking reminder of the exalted opulence in which Imperial family members once lived. However, at the same time it lends insight into the lack of technological creature comforts accessible to even those of the highest station in life. Consider, for example, the … Continue reading →

Excuse Me Sir, but Your Pecker is Showing

Is that a bird’s beak, or are you just happy to see me?

Always Wear A Helmet: Motorcycle Safety in the Third World

If you’ve never been to the developing world, you might be inclined to chastise the dad shown above for reckless endangerment. On the other hand, after spending a little time traveling the world, one might be more likely to give him a “Father of the Year” award. He is, after all, setting a good example by … Continue reading →

Ulan Bator City Center

For a city of only about 1 million, Ulan Bator (alt sp. Ulaanbaatar) seems to be active almost any time day or night. I was there on a brief conference trip of less than three full days in the summer of 2007. As my body never adjusted to the time difference, I had occasion to … Continue reading →

Trabant

There is a saying that “an ass is a horse designed by a committee.” A Trabant is a car designed under central planning. Yet a few are still around. Many in macked-out versions like the one shown here. Contrary to the myth that they were made out of cardboard, their bodies were really made of a material that … Continue reading →

Seven Sages Sitting in a Boat

I took this photo at a shrine entrance somewhere in the Roppongi area of Tokyo. As I recall, it was quite near the Metro exit, but, I don’t really remember or know anything about the sculpture itself. However, it does strike me as a set-up for a funny but needlessly complicated joke. i.e. “Buddha, Lao Tzu, … Continue reading →

Taoist Temple: More Fun Than the DMV

My wife snapped a photo of this sign at a Taoist temple in Xian, China. If the “Department for Implementing 15 Kinds of Violent Death” is not the perfect name for a government bureaucracy, I don’t know what is. Perhaps we should change the name of the Department of Motor Vehicles, but only suicide, starvation, outbreak of … Continue reading →

Tulum: City of the Sun

Lately, it is easy to view the ancient Mayans as just a giant buzz-kill. After all, they are the ones who brought us the news about the imminent demise of civilization as we know it that is scheduled for just over three short years from now. (Ordinarily, I would be writing those words completely ‘tongue-in-cheek’. However, with the global economy … Continue reading →

Ek Balam: Mayan Site

If you are interested in the ancient Mayan civilization and are planning to travel to Chichen Itza, it is definitely worth a side trip to a much quieter site nearby at Ek Balam. Ek Balam is a much less extensive site than Chichen Itza, but the ruins that are located there are just as impressive as those of … Continue reading →

Monastery in Valladolid

Last week my wife and I stayed a couple days in Valladolid (Bai-yah-da-lid) in the northern part of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Like many tourists, our selection of the town was due to its proximity to the impressive Mayan ruins at Ek Balam and Chichen Itza, which can both be easily reached as day-trips from Valladolid. However, the town has its own interesting sites and experiences to offer as … Continue reading →