The sharper edge to traveling in Asia

Archive for the 'Historical Buildings & Temples' Category

WoWasis book review ‘Burmese Light’ photo essay by Hans Kemp & Tom Vater

Here at WoWasis, we’re always interested in books on photography focusing on Asian countries, but have gotten to the point where large format coffee table sized books are creating a storage problem in our library. Because of that, they never get read beyond the first opening. We welcomed, therefore, photographer Hans Kemp and writer Tom […]

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Drenched with Color in Cartagena, Colombia

Here are WoWasis, we often recognize that some cities just “bleed” color, where every corner, wall, stall, and business just seems to be oozing a plethora of hues that make every step an adventure. One such place we found recently was Colonia Sacramento, Uruguay. In te country of Colombia, it’s hard to beat Cartagena’s old […]

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WoWasis visits Ecuador’s largest medical museum, in the city of Cuenca

Veteran WoWasis readers know we love medical museums (read our review of Bangkok’s grisly Siriraj Medical Museum). In South America, we stumbled on a terrific one in the colonial city of Cuenca, Ecuador. After Quito and the Galapagos, Cuenca is the most visited spot in Ecuador, but if you’re looking to enjoy a medical museum […]

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WoWasis book review: 22 Fascinating Walks in Bangkok by Kenneth Barrett

Bangkok is one of the world’s most fascinating cities, particularly when you can get into her inner essence. It’s tough to do, though. The Skytrain floats above it, traffic is usually a mess, and then there’s the heat. We here at WoWasis have always found walking to be a pleasure in Bangkok, especially if you […]

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WoWasis art review: street murals in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is notable for its wall graffiti and subway art, but unless you’re in the San Telmo neighborhood or taking the subte, you may miss the best examples. Not so the street murals, which grace much of the city, in particular the Microcentro area in the heart of the city. These murals are lovingly […]

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WoWasis art review: Ceramic murals in Buenos Aires’ subte subway stations

Buenos Aires is notable for its street murals and wall graffiti art, but some of the finest ceramic art can be found in her subway, or subte (for subterráneo) stations. Begun in 1913, the system comprises 6 lines and 83 stations, and rides cost five pesos (62 cents USD). While nearly all stations have art, […]

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Fall colors and sharp sun angles thrill photographers in the old city of Colonia de Sacramento, Uruguay

The small city of Colonia Sacramento, 170 km northwest of Montevideo on the Rio de La Plata, is deservedly known for its Colonial architecture, and is on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. We here at WoWasis found it to be laid back, easily walkable, and a hidden gem. Come autumn, especially during the week when it’s […]

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WoWasis tours Unknown Bangkok and the Thonburi Klongs

If you’re like us, you just get those days where you want to see a half day of great stuff, get on the water a bit, then spend the rest of the afternoon having a beer and beating the heat. We just finished taking a tour in Bangkok that gave us just that. The Unknown […]

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Tourist complaints increase in Japan as Nikko’s historic sites are renovated

Japan is undergoing renovations of major historical buildings all over the country, but in the eyes of many visitors, it’s most apparent and frustrating in the city of Nikko, two hours north of Tokyo. Shrines and Temples of Nikko is a UNESCO World Heritage site consisting of two Shinto shrines and one Buddhist temple (Futarasan […]

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WoWasis visits Sho-ren-in temple in Kyoto, Japan

Blink, and you’ll miss it. But you shouldn’t. On the famed “temple walk” through the southern Higashiyama district in Kyoto, you’ll pass by and see a lot of temples and shrines. If you’re like us here at WoWasis, you’ll yearn for a few minutes of peace and quiet away from the crowds, and Sho-ren-in Temple […]

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