The third and final day of the Bangkok leg of my trip was to be devoted to the massive Chatuchak Market. I had visited it with Mark several years before, and the experience stayed in our heads for years. It was a total shopper’s paradise. The market is absolutely enormous. It is divided into sections (I’m not sure how many;…
For Day 2, the itinerary was lighter: A visit to another temple (Wat Suthat), and then a local park, and then finish the day strolling through Bangkok’s extensive Chinatown. First, I chowed down at the hotel’s excellent buffet. I took a tuk-tuk to Wat Suthat, just north of Chinatown. Wat Suthat is one of the city’s most beautiful and biggest…
I snagged a great seat – a window seat in the emergency row, with lots of legroom – on the flight from Amsterdam to Bangkok. Bangkok has an Airport Rail Link, which is very similar to New York’s Airtrain. And the BTS train system is just like the New York subway. So rather than take a cab, I elected to…
Udi, my Amsterdam buddy for over 20 years, was exceptionally busy, trying to wrap up all of his work assignments and projects before leaving for vacation – a 30-day excursion to Vietnam, Bali, and Malaysia. But he put aside enough time for us to see a hilarious play at the Stadshuistheater (Husbands and Wives, based on the Woody Allen movie…
Life in retirement just gets crazier and crazier. Last October, I participated in a veterinary project in India, called Mission Rabies. I worked with a team of veterinarians and technicians in Goa, to vaccinate thousands of dogs against rabies. Mission Rabies initially started as a project by the Worldwide Veterinary Service, and the two organizations remain closely affiliated. While on…
All good things eventually must come to an end, and that includes this incredible adventure. The vaccinating and caring for the animals goes on all year, but these Mission Rabies volunteer projects are only two weeks long, and the last day had (all too quickly) arrived. We gathered at the reception area in the morning as usual, and rolled out…
There are so many enjoyable aspects of the Mission Rabies Goa vaccination drive (Here’s their Facebook Page; give em a ‘like’). I loved meeting and bonding with my fellow volunteers. Driving through Goa and walking the streets and alleys was fascinating. Sampling Indian breakfast cuisine at the different roadside cafés was great. Meeting and chatting with the residents of Goa…
Yes, I already did a post about the scenery in Goa, but I guess I just can’t help myself. There’s so much to see. Walking up and down the streets and alleys of Goa really made an impression. There were so many quiet leafy paths, and so much interesting architecture. I’d see shacks and sheds that appear to have been…
The Mission Rabies vaccination drive is exhilarating, but it’s physically taxing work. You wake up early and spend nearly the entire day chasing down dogs, in stifling heat and humidity. Fortunately, the Mission Rabies folks provided us with the opportunity to recharge our batteries after the first week, by arranging a relaxing, meditation retreat for the volunteers. On Saturday morning,…
In my previous post, I described Goa as a city of crazy contrasts and contradictions, and that’s true. There is one thing, however, that remains consistent about Goa, and that is its residents: the kindest, friendliest, and most appreciative people I’ve ever had the honor of meeting. Although I knew that the impetus behind Mission Rabies is to reduce the…
The two weeks of this vaccination drive were amazing. Goa had me totally mesmerized. Rather than blog about the trip chronologically, I’m going to highlight some of the most memorable aspects of the entire mission. I thought I’d start with the scenery and natural beauty. Goa is a state on the western coast of India. The Portuguese first landed there…
My intention for this trip was to maintain a daily blog, but those plans quickly fell by the wayside. Practically every moment of the day was filled with an awe-inspiring sight or an important task, and by the time the day’s activities came to a close, I was too exhausted to do much of anything, let alone sit for a…
I woke up refreshed this morning, despite having a difficult time falling asleep last night. I had taken a nap before dinner, and after dinner I just wasn’t tired. Eventually, Satan’s aspirin (i.e. Ambien) did the trick. I lumbered downstairs and headed over to the restaurant for breakfast with my fellow volunteers. The non-Indian fare was pretty nondescript: slices…
I’m sitting in the Mumbai airport. My flight to Goa boards in 45 minutes. Last night, after a smooth landing in Mumbai, I headed to Immigration/Passport Control. I was amazed to find very few passengers, and tons of clerks manning the windows. It’s almost always the other way around. Getting through immigration was a breeze. I headed to the Arrivals…
I am on the airplane now, composing this blog post on my new Chromebook. I’ve never written a blog post (or anything, for that matter) on an airplane. Pretty neat. Yesterday, I purchased a selfie stick. I went for one with a wire, rather than a bluetooth one. One less device I have to charge. Well, last night I thought…