The Glossary
Ao Dai - "The body-hugging traditional garb for Vietnamese women, rather reminiscent to the Chinese cheongsam."
Tucked away in the thick jungles of central Vietnam, the ruins of My Son echo the grandeur of the fallen Champa kingdom during its reign. Constructed from the 4th to 14th century AD, the Hindu temples, faceless statues, and moss-strewn walls have served witness to Vietnam's volatile past. UNESCO has taken notice of My Son's cultural and historical significance, declaring it a World Heritage Site in 1991, citing it as an "exceptional example of cultural interchange, with the introduction the Hindu architecture of the Indian sub-continent into South-East Asia." There may be other ruins more intact than that of My Son's, but none can compare to its vastness and the beauty of its surroundings. My Son is...
My Son Index:
The Disappearing Reindeer People
The Tsaatan, known to the outside world as the Reindeer People, are one the few surviving tribes that continue to live a lifestyle before technology. But as tourists encroach in their settlements and modernity enters the tribe, other members begin to assimilate to the larger culture. How do they join the modern world without losing their identity. HelloWorld looks for the answers.
Monkeys star in various Asian festivals
In Lopburi, Thailand, monkeys live among the locals while in China and India, they are venerated for being devoted to their gods. Love them or hate them, monkeys are central in the lives of the people, be it cultural, literary and religious.
Notes on the Road: Famous Travel Blogs
With few exceptions, travelers are hardly considered as celebrities. But with the rise of the Internet and the personal blog, these travelers who keep a blog have become famous in their own right, creating their own businesses, writing syndicated columns or starring in TV commercials.
"I had sex in a hostel"
Far from home and savoring a freedom they have not previously known, most travelers become sexually adventurous, even having multiple partners during their stay in a new country. Are backpackers the new sex tourists? Steve Meyer doesn’t think so and believes that travelers are just exercising a deep human need.