• View of Beira Lake from Seema Malaka
    Asia,  Blog,  Sri Lanka,  Travelogue

    Contemplate at Seema Malaka

    You can ignore the quality of the water. What you can’t ignore is the serenity that surrounds you, however brief your stay may be. On the calm waters of Beira Lake is an oasis that offers you some respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. A quiet place to retreat, rest and reflect – Seema Malaka. Statue of the Buddha with two of his disciples at Seema Malaka Immediately after you have finished touring Gangaramaya Temple, make your way a short distance away to this oasis. While it is part of the temple complex, it’s worth every moment of your time. You can also read more on things…

  • Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum with a guard of honour
    Asia,  Blog,  Travelogue,  Vietnam

    Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex

    Ho Chi Minh is revered in Vietnam. He was both prime minister and president of North Vietnam and played a key role in the early stages of the Vietnam War. And what better way to honour a beloved leader than to embalm his body and have it on permanent display at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Ba Dinh Square with Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum in the background However, that is not what Uncle Ho, as he was popularly known as, wanted. Just before his death in 1969, he had left strict instructions that his ashes should be buried in the hills throughout both North and South Vietnam. However, his colleagues…

  • Main entrance to the Imperial City.
    Asia,  Blog,  Travelogue,  Vietnam

    The Imperial City

    The Imperial City is, by far, the most prominent feature of the city of Hue. It sits on the Huong river, or the Perfume river as it popularly known as. It’s minutes away from the South China sea. And should be your first stop on a visit to Hue. The Vietnamese flag flutters atop the Citadel It’s exactly these features that caught the attention of Emperor Gia Long, the first ruler of the Nguyen Dynasty. Its proximity to the surrounding mountains also made it an ideal location. He went about setting a new capital in 1802, making Hue the administrative and military center of Vietnam. However, when the monarchy came…

  • Exterior view Independence Palace Saigon Vietnam
    Asia,  Blog,  Travelogue,  Vietnam

    Independence Palace

    On the 30th of April 1975, at approximately 10:45am, Tank 390 from the North Vietnamese army crashed through the wrought-iron gates of Independence Palace. The first tank to break through the palace gates And with that, the Vietnam War came to an end, literally at its gates. Waiting for the North Vietnam soldiers in the reception chamber was General Minh and his cabinet. It was only 43 hours before that he had become head of the South Vietnam state. For those visiting Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as it is popularly known as, Independence Palace is a must-see. Especially if you are interested in history and have a fair…

  • Traditional welcome dance native to Huron-Wendat Nation
    Blog,  Canada,  Travelogue

    Kwe!

    A short drive from Québec City into Wendake and you reach Onhoüa Chetek8e, a reconstruction of a Huron-Wendat Nation village. The welcome center at Onhoüa Chetek8e Onhoüa Chetek8e literally means ‘from yesterday to today’. And just in case you are wondering what a digit is doing in its name, it is pronounced as ‘oua’, like in ‘wh’ in ‘what’. This village model was built to raise awareness and show the ways of their ancestors, who moved into, and have lived on these lands since 1697. Today, there are little over 3,000 people who call Huron-Wendat Nation home. Roughly around half of them live in Wendake. They have their own school…