Amami Oshima
Day 6 Amami Oshima It is grey outside as we sail into the Naze port of the island of Amami Oshima in the South Japanese archipelago. There are dark clouds… Read more »
Author Archives: Varya
Okinawa
Days 5: Okinawa, Japan After the quiet islands of the last few days, approaching the tall and crowded-in buildings near Naha Port on the Japanese island of Okinawa, was a… Read more »
Miyakoshima Japan
Day 3: At Sea A fairly calm ocean as we head toward one of the most Southern Islands of Japan, Miyakoshima. A day to recover and catch up on my… Read more »
Vigan & North Islands
Day 2 Vigan and Salomague Port Donning our black lifejackets, we take motorized zodiac rafts to the Salomague Port in Ilocos Sur Province. Although cruise ships have begun stopping… Read more »
Manila to 100 Islands
Introduction With a few weeks free, I grabbed the opportunity at the last minute to experience a luxury expedition cruise on a new cruise line launched in 2021 and not… Read more »
Mumbai End
From the rural lands of Chettinad we flew to the major industrial and teeming city of Mumbai, formerly known by the British as Bombay. Two opposite ways of life. … Read more »
Chettinad
The community of the Chettiars community in Tamil Nadu South India is unique. But not without some similarity elsewhere: Think of the uber-wealthy of New York in the… Read more »
South India Temples
Traveling through the state of Tamil Nadu in Southern India is a visit to the past in the form of ancient Chola Empire temples while at the same time experiencing… Read more »
Puducherry/Pondicherry
Combining the spices of South India with the more subtle tastes of Europe, Puducherry is unique in India for its French flavor. It still has a good sized population… Read more »
Chennai Past and Present
Madras/Chennai, the same and different. Since I first visited and lived in Madras many years ago It has actually changed less than other parts of India. The sidewalk shops and… Read more »