NedHopkins' VirtualTourist Home Page

Having lived in Japan and France, and having traveled extensively in Europe, the Caribbean, the Mideast, and Africa, I decided -- after retiring in 1997 -- that I wanted to see more of South America. (I"d been only to Peru and, briefly, to Venezuela.)

Between May 1998 and February 2004 I visited Brazil four times, seeing some of all parts of that country except for the 'Europeanized' southeast.

In December 2004 I spent three weeks in India, perhaps the most fascinating land I've seen. And in January/February 2006 I did a week in Cambodia and three in Vietnam.

Because my wife's travel interests do not match mine, in October 2006 we went together to some of the more oft visited places in Europe: we spent three days in Rome followed by a week on the Sorrentina Peninsula and then four days in Paris and five in London.

I went back to India in October 2007 -- this time to Bhubaneswar (with Puri and Konark), Madurai, Aurangabad (and the Ellora caves), Udaipur (and Ranakpur), and Delhi.

About 2.5 hours from Udaipur, the Jain temple at Ranakpur -- almost 700 years old -- is one of India's many glories. No two of the temple's 1,444 columns are identical.

The massive Sri Meenakshi Temple, with its 12 towers and massive interior, is a relatively recent construction.

The fabulous Lake Palace Hotel, a view from the very fine Jagat Niwas Palace Hotel.