By David Eckel In 1754, the English essayist Horace Walpole coined the term “serendipity” to refer to “a happy and unexpected discovery.” The source for his new word was a Persian story about three princes from Serendip, an island in the Indian Ocean that was known to...
A post-trip interview with 2016 trip participant, Kip Lilly How long was your trip to China and where did you visit? This trip was two and a half weeks long and went west from Xian following the original Silk/Tea/Jade road (Dunhuang, Turpan, Hotan, Kashgar,...
By Heather Stoeckley If there is one word to describe my experiences in Myanmar, it would be shwe. It means ‘golden’ in the Burmese language, and from the moment of arrival, it epitomizes everything one sees in this enchanting country. This word is frequently used in...
Cambodia… The alarm clock sounds at 5:15am; it is still dark despite the curtains being drawn. I’m not a morning person by nature, but by now – our sixth day on the trip – I am used to our departures at dawn… And, moreover, I understand their importance in our...
Using the latest remote-sensing technology (LIDAR), Dr. Damien Evans, director of the University of Sydney’s archaeological research center in Cambodia, and his team have found the ruins of an ancient city hidden for more than 1,000 years in the dense jungles of...
As the August moon waxes in the Buddhist month of Esala, the most flamboyant of festivals takes over the medieval royal city of Kandy in Sri Lanka. The procession includes fire jugglers swinging flaming torches, lively acrobats, a cacophony of percussionists pounding...
