A little temple we found in the park.
Interesting to see Ho Chi Min now venerated as a god.
Walk at Sledmere! Yorkshire countryside – photos
This was the second to las walk we did in the fading Summer. Up on the Yorkshire Wolds. The beauty of the Yorkshire countryside all around us.
Join me for a virtual ten-mile walk. It was an overcast day but perfect for walking.
Vietnam – Saigon (Ho Chi Min City) – the Hindu Temple
Somehow you do not associate a Hindu temple with Saigon – but there it was!
Vietnam – Saigon (Ho Chi Min City) – the wet market! Covid-19?
Walking around in the market in Saigon you can see all manner of animals for sale. These ‘wet’ markets are the type of place where diseases, such as Covid-19, start up. Different species of wild animals are brought together in close proximity. The people like their food fresh (I suppose the heat has something to do with that). The animals are kept aline in cages and bowls. You select which ones you want and they are slaughtered on the spot – hence blood is splattered and cross-contamination occurs.
Vietnam – Ho Chi Min City (Saigon) – the traffic – photos
The first thing you notice about Ho Chi Min City (Saigon) is the traffic. The roads are one mad rush of motorbikes. To cross the road is a nightmare. If you waited for a break in the traffic you’d be there all day. You have to walk across at a steady pace and allow the traffic to flow around you. It’s very nerve-racking the first few times but you get used to it and we didn’t get killed once!
The second thing you notice is crash hats. Sometimes whole families of five are on one motorbike. Little kids and babies clinging on. Often the parents are wearing crash hats but not the kids.
Then there’s the luggage and baggage. It is amazing how much can be transported on a little motorbike.
Sri Lanka – The park and trees
We asked our driver to drop us off in the park miles away from the centre and told him we’d make our own way back. After walking around for hours we set about finding a local bus to take us back. The busses were so full people were hanging off them. They didn’t stop, they just slowed down. You grabbed hold and jumped on. I found myself hanging on, out over the road on the outside as the bus careered through the streets. It was quite a hairy ride.
Fabulous trees.
Sri Lanka – Colombo – Scenes from around Colombo
We hired a Tuk Tuk and headed off to explore. The Royal palace:
Temples
Markets
trees
competition
shops and colourful costumes
chickens
A shoe market
Monuments
stadia
Fun and interesting.
Sri Lanka – Colombo – Inside the Buddhist Sambodhi Chaithya Temple
We went up the windy staircase, across the walkway and into the temple. I’m not sure what we were expecting. It was different. Inside the stupa, there were many paintings of the Buddha, temples and scenes. It was massive.
Sri Lanka – Colombo – Buddhist Sambodhi Chaithya Temple
The Buddhist temple was quite near the docks. It was a big Stupa on stilts. A very interesting structure unlike anything I’d ever seen.
When the sun was setting it stood out on the skyline. Lots of women in white robes were heading off to worship.
Sri Lanka – The Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque
The mosque was an incredible red and white structure. Unfortunately we were only allowed in part of it.
Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque
