LifePart2AndBeyond.com Travel Blog
Photo: Young Monks Study at Jakar Dzong in Bhutan
Jakar Dzong (Temple) in central Bhutan, is situated high on a ridge above Jakar village in the Chamkhar valley in the Bumthang District. Built in the mid-16th Century it still very much a working Dzong. Normally you aren't allowed to photograph inside the sacred...
Hotel Review: The Okura Prestige Hotel in Bangkok
While I have been traveling on my retirement adventures in Asia my nights’ accommodations have varied from hard seats on overnight trains and buses, straw mats in shared rooms, to other places that I would call distinctly middle range. Many have been quite nice and I...
Wat Arun Temple in Bangkok
Photos of Wat Arun Temple in Bangkok Wat Arun Temple the "Temple of Dawn" in Bangkok is one of Thailand's most famous Buddhist temples. Located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River Wat Arun is probably best known to visitors of Thailand because it is featured on...
Heaven and Hell
I don’t know why but one July day in Houston, Texas in 2002 I got it in my mind that I wanted to run a marathon. I had never been a serious runner; I wasn’t in particularly good shape at the time and I wasn’t looking to take my fitness to some lofty “next level”. I...
Photo: Scene From a Bhutanese Village
I love making these shots. Sarah and I were traveling with our guides on our adventure through a village in central Bhutan and we stopped for some water and a little respite from the constantly winding mountain roads. I was getting a bit fidgety because it was only...
Photo: The Train Station Flower Market of Aungpan, Myanmar
Train Station Flower Market in Burma Near the start of our 50-mile trekking adventure from Kalaw, Myanmar to Inle Lake we came upon the train station in the village of Aungpan, Myanmar. It was a cute little town and we stopped for a bowl of Shan noodles at one of the...
Images of a Myanmar Fishing Village
I am always fascinated by people lives in various countries around the world. Before I made the photo essay of the seaweed farmers of Lembongan Island, Indonesia I had an opportunity travel to the small Myanmar fishing village of Jate Taw on the Bay of Bengal near...
Tashichho Dzong (Thimpu Temple)
Tashichho Dzong (Thimpu Temple) on the western bank of the Wang Chu River in Thimpu, Bhutan has been the seat of Bhutan’s civil government since the country united with the creation of a monarchy in 1907. The original Dzong (or temple) was constructed in 1216 with...
Photo: The Elder of Wat Bo in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Wat Bo in Siem Reap, Cambodia is one of my favorite places to photograph. Upon entering the grounds there is just a sense of decompression and peace. The main temple is usually locked but the guy sitting here, the pagoda elder, has always been happy to unlock it and...
The Fishermen of Inle Lake, Myanmar
When you see a photograph or a travel story about Inle Lake, Myanmar it usually is, or includes, a photo like this one – a basket fisherman setting his fish traps in the setting (or rising) sun. Just the image of a hardworking, solitary man, tirelessly working to...
Takin – The National Animal of Bhutan
Legend has it that during the 15th century, the divine madman took the goats head, placed it on the carcass of the cow and commanded the animal to come to life.
Photo: Himalayan Rice Terraces
It was late winter in the Himalayan Mountains when we visited Bhutan. Unlike Bali, high altitude and a cold winter necessitate letting the fields go fallow over the winter. Although quite brown in late February, the fields were alive with women singing as they planted...
Photo: A Horse at Sunset on Ngapali Beach, Myanmar
This horse on the beach sunset scene was on of the reasons we didn’t want to leave Ngapali but the adventure must continue!
Retirement Adventure Minimalist Style
[pullquote]"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone." - Henry David Thoreau[/pullquote] There are all kinds of minimalism and minimalist philosophies. Some people believe that in order to be a minimalist you must not own...
Photo: Cambodian Basket Weaver | SE Asia
It takes this woman, from a village on the shores of the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia, a full day to construct just one of these fine baskets.
Photo: Vishnu at Angkor Wat, Cambodia
The impressive 5 meter tall statue of Vishnu is carved from a single piece sandstone and eight centuries later still considered important to celebrants at Angkor Wat.
Photo: Social Media at Angkor Wat
It seems that social media has taken over the world. I am not really sure if we have created a “global village” or just a bunch of disconnected people that miss the beauty in the world around them.
Best Hamburger in Chiang Mai, Thailand
I consider myself a bit of a burger connoisseur and with handmade New Zealand Beef paddies with just the right fat content to make it juicy, a right sized soft bun with sesame seeds and a generous slice of cheddar cheese makes Archer’s Cheeseburger a winner.
Photo: Flower Seller in Old Hanoi Vietnam | SE Asia
One morning in Hanoi, Vietnam I couldn’t sleep so I decided to leave my hotel early and go on a mini-Adventure through Old Town. Even at 6AM the place was a hive of activity with shopkeepers sweeping up their store fronts, street food vendors preparing aromatic noodle dishes and fruit sellers with carts pushing through the streets. One thing that surprised me were the number of flower sellers arranging their bouquets for the day. I was tired but entranced by the scene.
Photo: Breakfast With Monks in Cambodia | SE Asia
Located in the heart of Siem Reap, 16th Century Wat Bo is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Cambodia. I love going to these places just to get watch and get a glimpse of this very different style of life. Very much an active temple, Wat Bo is expanding and undergoing some renovation. I made this photograph during breakfast in the new dining hall. This dog seemed as at home as the monks that cared for him.
Jon & Sarah
It seemed almost inevitable that we, Jonathan and Sarah, would one day meet: two independent travellers from different corners of the globe, we shared a bond that many travellers experience, a mutual love of adventure and a belief that the planet is a better place when people leave their comfort zones and discover new lands and cultures. So, when our paths finally