Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is the largest of all the temple complexes around Cambodia. In fact, at over 400 acres, it is the largest in the world! It was originally dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu but later transformed to Buddhism. Today it is the symbol of Cambodia and graces their national flag.

The temple is visited by many buddhist monks and all visitors must dress modestly

The statues that once filled the halls of Angkor Wat are mostly gone but the walls are still decorated with enchanting apsaras, heavenly dancers whose role was to seduce the gods and men.

Ta Prohm & The Bayan

Ta Prohm

Unlike other temples around Siem Reap, Ta Prohm has been kept in a suspended state of ruin, appearing much as it was when first discovered. It was used for scenes in the Tomb Raider movie and with trees growing through and around the old walls it has the aura of a lost civilization returning to nature.

The Bayon

The Bayon was the state temple for the city of Angkor Thom and is known for its smiling Buddha faces. They are monumental in scale: can you spot the human in the lower right corner?

Built in the 12th and 13th centuries, it has many bas-relief galleries carved on its walls depicting wars, legends and even the daily life of the people who once lived here.

Banteay Srei (Citadel of Women)

Banteay Srei is a small, exquisite Hindu temple created not by a king but rather by a high-ranking Brahmin in 967 CE. The reference to women is a modern addition, the original name being lost in the mists of time.

This temple, about an hour's drive out of Siem Reap, was my first choice to visit because it's considered the finest example of Khmer temple decoration. Every inch of sandstone is deeply etched with intricate hand carving. It's a wonder that after all this time the artwork is still in such a good state of preservation!

Hue

Three models strike a pose by the Citadel wall

Before leaving Vietnam, we spent a few hours visiting the city of Hue, considered the cultural and spiritual heart of the country.

Pagoda of the Celestial Lady

Golden Buddha very happy!

Hue was the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty, which had 13 emperors in 143 years from 1802 to 1945. Why such short reigns? Mostly because when they tried to oppose the French occupation they were exiled and replaced with a more compliant relative.

The Imperial Enclosure inside the Citadel was turned to rubble by war but is now being restored

Vietnamese Village Bike Tour

We explored small villages in the countryside around Hoi An by bicycle today. We booked it with Heaven & Earth Tours (nice name!) and couldn't have been happier with our guides, the bikes and the relaxed pace of the day.

from R to L: Mark with his cousin Ruth Hall and her husband Terry

Weaving straw bed mats with a hand loom

Paul takes a spin in a basket boat with help from the boat maker's wife

Happy travellers with the boat maker's wife and our guide

Hoi An

The streets of Hoi An are quiet until visitors arrive each morning from around the world

After the frenetic pace of Hanoi, it was a relief to walk the streets of the Ancient Quarter of Hoi An, where only pedestrian and bicycle traffic is allowed.

The Japanese Bridge first constructed in 1590 is the emblem of Hoi An

This little town was once a busy port and trading centre with merchants from Japan, China and Europe establishing wharehouses here until the river silted up and the traders moved up the coast to Danang.

Selling bananas along the waterfront

Inside the historic home of a Chinese trading family

Hanoi: Parting Shots

Temple of Literature 

The name was intriguing!  The site of a university, established almost a thousand years ago, was definitely worth the $5 admission fee. Here, all through Vietnam's long history, the best and brightest students came to study, write poetry and take exams on their way to becoming mandarins.

Gates to the Temple of Literature

Dinh Hoang 

We visited the art studio of an award-winning Vietnamese painter, Dinh Hoang, on our last day in Hanoi. He works in a variety of media but I was particular captivated by the way he blended figurative and abstract styles in his work. In honour of our visit, Dinh gave each of us an original painting of a rooster to take home!

Mark admires Dinh's work as his daughter, Khanh Linh, looks on

Traffic in the Old Quarter

A 20 second clip of the scooters on the streets of the Old Quarter. See if you can spot the family of four on the same motorbike!

Halong Bay

Halong means "dragon descending" in Vietnamese

Halong Bay, with about 3000 karst islands in the Gulf of Tonkin, was recently named one of the "Seven Natural Wonders of the World". It's also a UNESCO World Heritage site and, as we discovered, the #1 tourist destination in Vietnam.

View from the top deck of our cruise boat

Enjoying the view with my fellow voyageurs Mark, Chuck and Paul

A dramatic sky as the sun descended

So long Halong!

Weekend in Hanoi

Serene Hoan Kiem Lake near the Old Quarter

Hanoi, described in the Lonely Planet as the "grand old dame of the Orient" is an ancient city for sure. But you get the sense of a place on the move; a city with a graceful colonial past and a dynamic, industrious future.

A city of 7 million people on 6 millions motorbikes

The old quarter of Hanoi, where we are staying, is a maze of narrow streets crowded with small shops, food vendors and far too many motorbikes. There are so many mopeds parked on the sidewalks that everyone walks on the road, mingling seamlessly with the traffic. It's a little unnerving at first but you get used to it soon enough!

Hong Kong

The first stop on my 5 week journey through SE Asia is Hong Kong, a world-class city of some 7 million people.

My first impression was of its modernity: a huge new airport; sleek towers of glass and steel, wrapped in neon lights at night; fast, efficient public transit; a bustling place where almost everyone walks around glued to their smart phones (our taxi driver had 5 set up on his dashboard!).

But there is another Hong Kong, a city of smaller, older apartment buildings and local markets: a market for flowers; another for jade; one for cheap electronics; and even one for song birds (rather sad to see).

Three days isn't enough to fully appreciate the complexity of such a vast metropolis, but my friends and I have much more to see and do in the coming weeks. Next stop: Hanoi, Vietnam!

Four amigos on the road: Mark Goldberg, Chuck Baran, Simon Bell and Paul Zago.

FON Bowling Party

To celebrate the end of another successful workshop season, Focus on Nature held its first bowling party as a way of saying THANK YOU to our many volunteers.

In 2016, our volunteer instructors and assistants conducted 88 full-day workshops in schools and community centres, reaching over 2200 children - a new milestone for Focus on Nature!

Our volunteers bring their wisdom, experience and love of the outdoors to classrooms, giving all children the opportunity see the world with new eyes.

It has been a wonderful experience working with such a dedicated group of people who are making real difference in the lives of young people in their community.

Horseshoe Lake & Gull River

I spent a week in the Haliburton Highlands this September at a cottage on peaceful Horseshoe Lake.

Each morning I got up early to watch the spectacular sunrises over the misty lake.

 The evening moonrise over the lake was not as glorious but very serene.

Sometimes little "nature interventions"  happened unexpectedly, like these mating  dragonflies that landed on my hand one afternoon.

When I went exploring the Gull river, which flows out of Horseshoe Lake, I saw a beautiful Great Blue Heron, in full mating plumage, lurking in the shadows.  I had never seen such 'blue' coloration on a GBH before.

Normally wary of humans, this fellow let me approach quite close until a dog arrived and then he was gone.

The Gull River is also the site of a world-famous white water racing course and I was fortunate enough to see an actual race in progress while I was there. 

The skill and strength of the kayakers was very impressive and fun to watch!