Among My Souvenirs

By Maria Russo Is it feasible to locate enlightenment in a bowl of soup? Who knows, but it is surely worth a test, really do not you consider? Throughout a two-week journey to Thailand, I set out on a quest to prepare my soul for the preliminary stages of enlightenment. I wished to be free from the vicious cycle of human need and rid my thoughts of impurities to in the end locate a meditative state of peace. It was a gargantuan process, but I was prepared to ward off any temptation that came my way. Before embarking on my journey, I researched numerous cultural experiences, hoping to uncover one that would open my eyes to a simpler, additional sustainable way of life major the way to Sot?panna (the very first stage of enlightenment). I came across recommendations like an elephant-back trek as a result of the mountains of Chiang Mai the place vacationers can stop by with community hill tribes, or sharing a meal with monks at one particular of the many wats (temples) in Bangkok. I ev...

In the hardly ever-ending quest to discover the “Phuket of the ’80’s,” could it be that the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc, just off the Cambodian border in the Gulf of Thailand, is the real issue? Years away from overdevelopment, Phu Quock is known for its peaceful white-sand seashores, laid-back ambiance, and as the world’s premier producer of nuoc mam fish sauce, a fish sauce so pungent, “Vietnam Airlines is reputed to have installed exclusive sniffers to avert passengers taking it in their luggage and endangering the purity of the baggage hold,” as the Sydney Morning Herald reviews. And a rapid verify on Kayak today reveals flights in the $870 assortment from New York to Hanoi. Almost nothing more for scentless flights.