Coffee in Singapore? You can have the local brew - a strong cup of Sumatran bought on the street with some sweetened condensed milk. (I can teach you how to say "no milk" in Malay.) Or you can go to one of the city's 15 Starbucks. In case you decide on the latter, here's a list of them along with maps of most of them...
12:08 AM#
Life's a Beach: Phu Quoc, Vietnam
On an island in the Gulf of Thailand some of the most idyllic and undisturbed beaches on the face of the earth lie hidden from the sun worshipers of the world by the backwardness and underdevelopment of rural Vietnam. Phu Quoc, the largest island in Vietnam, floats there in the gulf, 25 miles from coastal town of Ha Tien and 9 miles south of the Cambodian shore. The 30 mile long island in Kien Giang Province is one of 105 islands in a small archipelago. It is a year-round draw for the small number of tourists fortunate enough to learn of its existence.
07:43 AM#
One last place this summer to beat the heat. Not far from Kunming, China's Yunnan Province boasts a second city where you can relax without the sweat of summer and enjoy the scenery and cultures of Asia. Highs this week are projected to be only in the upper 70's and low 80's. And at night it will be about 60F degrees. Dali may be the place for you this August...
07:44 AM#
Making a Difference - in Japan
Looking for a reason to spend time in Japan? Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF) has short term openings there ranging in length from three weeks to three years. You can work as a teacher. There are openings for computer programers. And there are hands on consturction projects the OMF needs people for. A complete list of OMF individual opportunities is available online. It could be a visit to Asia that will change your life.
03:55 PM#
It was 89F degrees Saturday in Amritsar, in India's Punjab state. A brief thunderstorm kept the temperature from climbing further, but with 80% humidity the heat index made it feel like 110F. Tempertaures in the evening hovered around 80F. By comparison, temperatures climbed to 95F on July 26, 2002. The Golden Temple in the city of Amritsar in India's Punjab State is one of the greatest sights India has to offer. And the temple is open to all visitors regardless of community, caste, or previous commitment to the Sikh religion.
11:19 AM#
All shook up in Japan
Northern Japan has been shaken by a series of earthquakes over the past couple of days - the most recent registering 7.1 on the Richter Scale acording to the Associated Press. Fortunately that quake was centered off the western coast of Japan's Hokkaido Island, under the seabead, and did no damage. Three quakes on Saturday though were not so kind. Those three quakes measured between 5.3 and 6.2 in magnitude and left over 400 people injured - though no deaths were reported. The quakes damaged buildings and caused mudslides in rural, rain-soaked Miyagi prefecture. The area was hit with a stronger, more damaging quake just two months ago.
10:51 AM#
Papa Nunzio Gumina couldn't find a decent espresso in Bali. So he opened his own cafe'. You can find him on the north end of Kuta Beach. You can get expresso or cappuccino, cold or hot. Or there's English breakfast, Earl Grey, ginseng and a few other teas. Stop by and see Papa.
05:11 AM#
Life's a Beach: the Maldives
Looking for that perfect beach? You may be looking for the Maldive Islands. This little country off of India's Southwest Coast is comprised entirely of islands and atolls. And tourism is the country's largest industry. You can bake your body in the white, tropical sand at resorts like the Taj Exotica. Maybe oneday I'll make it there...
10:07 AM#
Kunming, Yunnan Province's mile high city, is air conditioned by nature. It just never gets above 80F degrees there, and at night it's usually a comfortable 65F outside. The city is filled with gardens, parks, temples, and history and is surrounded by the cultural mish-mash of the region's Tai and Tibeto-Burman tribes. Marco Polo liked Kunming. You will, too. And it is a great place to Beat the Heat in Asia this summer.
11:22 AM#
Temperature Check Hangzhou, China
Residents of the scenic city of Hangzhou, China, woke up on Sunday to a fine mist in the air. The temperature at 6 a.m. locally was 80F degrees. Temperatures rose to 99F at about 3 p.m. before clouds moved in. Afternoon thurnderstorms brought the temperature back down into the lower 80's. Winds for most of the day were calm. By comparison the high was only 84F on a rainy day a year ago, on July 20, 2002 in Hangzhou. Hangzhou is in Zhejiang Province, just south of the city of Shanghai. This information comes from the Weather Underground...
10:37 AM#
Making a Difference - in the Middle East
Are you a teacher? Interserve has been working in Christian missions for over 150 years now, and they are looking for individuals with teaching experience to work in the Middle East. Opportunities range from primary school teachers to software and computer instructors. A number of opportunities exist for English teachers. A complete listing of Interserve's job opportunities is available online. It could be a visit to Asia that changes your life.
12:09 AM#
Looking for that perfect cup of green tea? Walk across the zig-zag bridge that leads to Shanghai's Yu Yuan Garden. You can watch the carp swim around in the ponds under the tea house while you sip your tea. And the tea house has feng shui! 10:30 PM#
Temperature Check Tashkent
Clear conditions today meant that it was a hot one in the Central Asian city of Tashkent on July 17. The city awoke to a low of 75F degrees. The high was just over 100F at 3pm. The city benefitted from a light breeze of between 5 mph and 10 mph over the course of the day. Humidity was low. It could have been worse; the high was 106 a year ago on July 17, 2002. Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan. This information comes from the Weather Underground...
11:50 AM#
If pictures of Tioman Island remind you of French Polynesia, there's a reason for that: the island was used in the filming of the movie "South Pacific." The Malaysian island of Tioman, in the South China Sea, is Bali Hai. The island boasts some of the most fabulous beaches in the world. And the waters are filled with coral and marine life.
06:33 PM#
Besides being among Asia's most fascinating destinations, Lhasa is perhaps Asia's most temperate city. During Lhasa's summer months, the thermometer hovers in the mid-70's F during the day and sometimes drops into the 40's at night. You can visit the mausoleums for past Dalai Lamas, walk through the art-filled halls of the Potala Palace, visit a Buddhist monastery, or drop in at the Tibetan School of the Performing Arts. Whatever you do there, Lhasa is a great place to Beat the Heat in Asia this summer.
11:33 AM#
The Mountains of Lebanon, Lake Tiberias, Haifa, the Sinai -- from Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast to Beirut, the Middle East is enthralling from above. Here's almost two dozen thumbnailed images of the region, courtesy of the Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center.
09:53 AM#
Making a Difference - in India
Youth With a Mission (YWAM) in South India is looking for individuals with training in health care fields to help them provide primary health care in that region. Included in their ongoing work is a ministry to India's AIDS victims, work with street children, leprosy work, and disaster relief. YWAM South India is operating 28 different ministries in 42 locations within the Indian states and territories of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Lakshadweep Islands. Short term opportunities exist. It could be a visit to Asia you'd never forget.
01:32 PM#
Temperature Check Bangkok
A light rain in the early morning hours meant a moderately cool but humid day in Bangkok on July 13. The city woke up to a low of 79F degrees. The high was about 88F at noon before showers returned and cooled things down again to the lower 80's. By comparison, the high was 93 and the low was 82 on July 13, 2002. This according to the Weather Underground...
12:57 PM#
Loosening up your tie in Singapore
Singapore has a reputation as one of the most uptight places on earth. And the reputation is not undeserved. I mean, where else can the mosquito patrol knock on your door at 3am and fine you fifty bucks for having standing water in your flower pots? Singapore made international news back the early 1990's when it banned chewing gum because of an incident where a wad of gum was used to lodge a subway door open; then a few weeks later they searched the entourage of then-President George H.B. Bush as he visited Singapore and took away everyone's gum. But hey, they're trying to relax a little. And toward that end Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong has launched the "Remake Singapore" program to overcome the city-state's dull and stodgy image. Among the changes: you can now legally dance on the bar in establishments that stay open 24 hours; explicit language will be allowed in the city's theaters; and bungee jumping is permitted for the first time in the city's history. Still illegal: jaywalking - which can land you up to in jail for up to three months and get you a fined $571 (S) for the first offense...
10:57 AM#
Mongolia's Naadam Festival
The Mongolian capital, Ulan Bator, is in a festive mood at the moment. The Naadam Festival started there today. The festival will last three days and include parades, horse racing, monks, archery, soldiers in medieval gear, and wrestling. And hats. Lots of hats.
01:03 PM#
Bihar, India's growth industry
Kidnapping. That's right, kidnapping has become a leading industry in the Indian state of Bihar. It has gotten so bad that the state's political establishment seems to be profiting from it. Time Magazine has a feature story on the problem in their Asia edition. While the problem is confined largely to important local people being kidnapped, it could still probably happen to you if you spend much time in the state.
12:40 PM#
When you walk the streets of Kashgar this time of year you quickly develop a real need for a frappuccino. (Okay, so it's not hot. So what? It's still coffee.) Where do you get one? Try the Caravan Cafe at 120 Seman Road in Kashgar. Yes, believe it or not, frappuccinos are available even at the far ends of the Earth. And nothing washes the dust of this Silk Road city off your palate quite so well.
09:28 PM#
If you visit Dona Paula Beach in Goa on a moonlit night, you may see a ghost. The ghost of Dona Paula de Menezes is reported by locals to haunt the beach. She sometimes walks on the beach in the moonlight wearing nothing but her string of pearls. At least according to the local legend.
06:46 PM#
Lake Baikal: it is one of the least noticed natural wonderlands in the tourist world today. And it graces the steppes of Siberian Russia. The city of Ulan-Ude, on the shores of the lake, provides a great base camp from which to explore the nearby mountains or to go out on the lake itself. The climate is warm, but never sweltering: highs just over 80F and lows at night around 65F in July and August. Lake Baikal is the deepest lake on earth and holds over 20% of the world's fresh water; it holds more water than all five of North America's Great Lakes. And it is filled with some of the world's most unique species of fish. It is a great place to Beat the Heat in Asia this summer.
03:15 PM#
The mess and chaos of Bangkok looks different from a distance. Here's a baker's dozen of the best images of Thailand available from space. Shots include the Bangkok area, Pak, Chonburi, and more.
09:43 AM#
Sip of the Hot Stuff: Istanbul
Am I in Europe or am I in Asia? Technically, I suppose, I am on the wrong side of the Bosporus. The Cafe' Marmara is in the Taksim District, on the European side of Istanbul. But since Turkish culture extends all the way back to Western China, who really cares? This time of year I can sit street side and watch the people move through Taksin Sqaure while I filter Turkish coffee through my teeth and nibble on a pastry. Is this a good morning to see the Church of Holy Wisdom?
09:12 PM#
Tired of life in the city? If you're looking for a good place to lay around a do nothing while the palm trees sway in the sun and someone periodically offers to refill you mai tai, Boracay is probably for you. About 4.5 miles long and in places only half a mile wide, the 32 powdery white beaches on this island draw thousands of visitors each year.
06:51 PM#
Looking for a place to go to get away from the muggy air of Saigon? Da Lat, just a few hours, has a lot to offer the average site seer. The city has temples and pagodas (some still actively used as monasteries), villas and palaces, plenty of shopping, sidewalk cafes, and ethnic experiences. And while July in Saigon means temperatures at night that drop only to about 80F, it's only 78F or so at mid-afternoon in Da Lat in mid-summer. Find a seat at a small cafe in this highland city and you can lunch on escargot and baguettes, sip coffee and Beat the Heat of summer in Asia this year.
05:42 AM#
Coffee in Singapore? You can have the local brew - a strong cup of Sumatran bought on the street with some sweetened condensed milk. (I can teach you how to say "no milk" in Malay.) Or you can go to one of the city's 15 Starbucks. In case you decide on the latter, here's a 
One last place this summer to beat the heat. Not far from Kunming, China's Yunnan Province boasts a second city where you can relax without the sweat of summer and enjoy the scenery and cultures of Asia. Highs this week are projected to be only in the upper 70's and low 80's. And at night it will be about 60F degrees. 
It was 89F degrees Saturday in 
Papa Nunzio Gumina couldn't find a decent espresso in Bali. So he opened his own cafe'. You can 
Residents of the scenic city of 
Looking for that perfect cup of green tea? Walk across the 
If pictures of Tioman Island remind you of French Polynesia, there's a reason for that: the island was used in the filming of the movie "South Pacific." The Malaysian island of Tioman, in the South China Sea, is Bali Hai. The island boasts some of the most fabulous beaches in the world. And the waters are filled with coral and marine life.
Besides being among Asia's most fascinating destinations, 
The Mountains of Lebanon, Lake Tiberias, Haifa, the Sinai -- from Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast to Beirut, the Middle East is enthralling from above. Here's almost two dozen 
A light rain in the early morning hours meant a moderately cool but humid day in 
When you walk the streets of 
The mess and chaos of Bangkok looks different from a distance. Here's a baker's dozen of the 
Am I in Europe or am I in Asia? Technically, I suppose, I am on the wrong side of the Bosporus. The 
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