The Second Leg

August 1999 - February 2000

South Asia is loosely defined as tropical Asia, and includes both Southeast Asia and the Indian sub-continent.  Our plan was to start in Indonesia, zigzag through Southeast Asia and end up in India, where we would meet Pippa's parents and brother for a Millennium bash in Rajasthan.  It was an ambitious half-year itinerary.

We were delighted with many of the standard tourist stops in the region:  hill-tribe trekking in Thailand, the awe-inspiring temples at Angkor, and the holy city of Varanasi  impressed us especially.  But the greatest highlights for us came from unexpected places:  getting way off the beaten track in Indonesian Borneo; meeting the friendly people of Luang Prabang in Laos; and witnessing the religious fervor at Burma's Golden Rock.  And, not least of all, a New Year's Eve for the ages in Jodhpur.