Hoi An by day

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Ginger

Hoi An, Vietnam is a centuries-old trading port dating back to the Champa empire of the 15th to the 19th centuries. With the defeat of the Cham people and their relocation farther south in Vietnam in the early nineteenth century, Hoi An became less important politically and commercially, and has survived nearly intact until now. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The old city is physically delightful, its narrow streets framed by houses and shops that range from decades- to centuries-old, and no more than two or perhaps three stories high, with lots of trees and colorful lanterns adding to its charm.

One of the main points of interest is the Japanese bridge. Inside the bridge, there is a “guardian statue at either end: a monkey and a dog. Here’s the dog.

You can see that there are lots of tourists in these pictures, indeed, in the entire old city. Many, if not most, of the businesses in the old city cater to them.

You may have also noticed that there are a lot of lanterns. But more about that in another post.

In the Ginza

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Ginger

Tokyo subways are wonderrful. We took them everywhere. With few exceptions <cough, cough, Shibuya>, the signs are clear, the stations well marked, and even which exits lead where are clearly indicated. And it’s always surprising, when you leave the station at a new destination, what it’s going to look like. It could be the rather daunting so-called “pedestrian scramble” at Shibuya, for example.

Or it could be the sophisticaed shopping district of Ginza.

On the main street of Ginza, name brands and high-end developers can afford to build eye-catching buildings.

In the narrower side streets, interesting shops, must make their presence known with banners and vertical signs.

inside one shop, we found this intriguing glass ceiling.

But what’s inside another store must wait for another post!

Munnar actually has a town

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Ginger

Munnar actually has a town, and it’s actually cute and kind of fun. This came as a bit of a surprise, since tourists don’t generally go to Munnar to visit the town. They go to Munnar to visit the resorts and spas, healthfully and ecologically sensitively set in the mountainous countryside, such as the delightful Blackberry Hills Retreat and Spa where we stayed. They go to see the stunning scenery, to enjoy the fresh mountain air, and to learn about tea.

I don’t think that going to town even ranks in the top 34 things to do in Munnar in tripadvisor.

Well, true, the town is kind of small, but we enjoyed visiting it all the same.

There were, for example, craftsmen hard at work at their craft. This man is, I believe, doing something involving fire. And gold. And jewelry.

Shopkeepers had wide selections of soaps and herbs and spices.

There was a fruit and vegetable market–which Dan and I always find interesting.

And maybe best of all, shops piled on shops in a jumbled pattern that for me was sheer delight.

Shops in Varanasi

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Ginger

It’s hard to know how to unravel the complex city of Varanasi. There is so much energy here. But here’s what I’m going to try: Having discussed a single merchant–the seller of silk shawls–I’ll move to shops, and from there to streets, doorways and decorations, then the Nepali temple, buildings, and finally larger land views. Somewhere in there, if I don’t start getting too anxious to move on, there’s a nice little digression on animals.

So then, picture yourself on a narrow street. Two of you can walk side by side, but only if you’re pretty friendly. It is a pedestrian street, which is generally a nice feature, but in Varanasi, pedestrian also includes bicycles, motor bikes, and motor cycles, whose drivers are not going to let a mere few hundred walkers get in their way. There are also carts and occasionally animals. And so there is a chaos of sound, mostly horns blaring Watch out!, but also conversations, bells, and other unidentifiable noises. People too are pushing to get by. Or stopping so that you have to push to get by. It is intense. Your heart is pumping adrenalin; you don’t want to lose your group. Or–never mind the group–you are in constant fear of getting run over.

And here, on every side, are the most interesting tiny shops. What are these people doing? What are they selling? Often you can’t figure it out in just the second and a half you have before you will be surrounded by swarms of strangers and lost forever.

I hope these men are not preparing food, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

Okay, this is definitely food.

And so is this.

Here’s a bakery.

I’m pretty sure this is food–the man on the right is selling some kind of leaves wrapped around some kind of filling. I think.

More food!

Here’s the tea-wallah operating from a conveniently vacant doorstep.

I would have liked to stop and watch this metal-worker if I could have.

Metal products.

Near to my heart–a bookstore!

Barber shop and possibly also the local word-of-mouth news center.

Only in India! A storefront shop full of wedding parapharnalia. (Stacks of turbans in the foreground)

Not a motorcycle shop, but only a place where people have temporarily stored their deadly weapons.

Fes – shops

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Ginger

Of course a person could hardly stay out of the shops in the medina if she tried. (I say “she” here because Mr. I-Hate-Shopping, a.k.a. Dan, did not seem to share this problem.) Everything was interesting, desirable, and infinitely photogenic. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Herbs and essences

Spices and herbs

Olives and pickles

Chickens and eggs. (So *that’s* where all the crowing was coming from!)

Camel’s head and other meats

Hand-loomed fabrics

The loom in the back of the shop, where some of the fabrics were made

Musical instruments

Antiques and odd objects. Cat not for sale.

Yes, of course, rugs. Beautiful rugs in a beautiful space. What’s a medina without rug stores?

Akumal, Mexico

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Ginger

The only thing there is in Akumal is the beach. And a fine beach it is.

The curve of Turtle Bay

Beach with condos

Beach with boats

Oh yes, and there’s also the humidity. Dan and I get into the habit of going out for a run into town at around dawn, and even so, there is no place in the air for the sweat to evaporate. But the breeze is pleasant, and the ocean sounds good.

View from our patio looking east into the ocean sunrise

Sunrise along the road into town

Beach shortly after sunrise

We say “Good morning!” to the Americans who like us are out running or walking and “Hola!” or “Buenas dias!” to the Mexicans on their way to work. It is a mile and a quarter, more or less, from our condo into town, the same on the return. There is only one road, and it is a dead end. On the road we see houses and condos, a few shops, a restaurant or two. Very little traffic.

Condo complex on the road into town

Cute pink house with cute red cars and red bougainvillea

Front wall of a private house

La Buena Vida restaurant, not far from our condo

Roadside shops

La Lunita, the restaurant at (well, near) the end of the road, our favorite

I like being near the ocean but not going into it. There are mosquitos or other biting insects in the sand. I get bitten whenever I venture near the beach. Walking up and down the road is my main (only) form of physical activity. We walk or run into town maybe two or three times a day. Walking is a pleasure, although did I say it was hot and humid in Akumal?

Did I say “town”? That may have been a bit of an exaggeration. A few gift shops and restaurants catering to American tourists, a grocery store, a couple of realtors, and a dive shop cluster for about a block along the single road, just off the highway. It’s not a busy place. Everyone speaks English. There is a very nice beach and nothing much else to do. They roll up the sidewalks by about 9pm. What few sidewalks there are.

archway over the road at the entrance to town from the highway (yes, that's the main--the only--road into town)

Shops in town

Town residents, living across from the dive shop

I rewrite about half a novel in one week in Akumal, listening to the wind pounding the ocean surf against our beach. It’s not a bad way to live.

Our condo building--"La Bahia"--as seen from the street

View from the patio of our condo

G. S. Kenney Author

Thousands of words, millions of words' worth of pictures

Tag Archives: shops

Hoi An by day

In the Ginza

Munnar actually has a town

Shops in Varanasi

Fes – shops

Akumal, Mexico

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