Elizabethan London: High Times in Renaissance England

Europe, History, Travel

What remains today of Tudor London, the city ruled by Elizabeth I from 1558 to 1603? Although two-thirds of the wooden city succumbed to flames during the Great Fire of 1666—which also cleaned out plague-carrying rats—a number of Tudor buildings remain. They include the Clink Jail (now a museum), the Seven Stars Pub, close to Shakespeare’s original London apartment, the Royal Exchange (modeled on the Bourse in Antwerp), and a 1520 riverside pub-restaurant called The Prospect of Whitby where Captain Kidd plotted his piratical schemes and writers like Charles Dickens and Samuel Pepys dropped by for beer.
During Elizabeth’s reign, urban life centered on the Thames River. Three thousand “watermen” offered taxi service to various river stops. Today, boats, including Uber-taxis, leave many of the same docks for destinations like sumptuous Hampton Court. Read More

Saving The Elephants In Northern Thailand’s Sanctuaries

Asia, Asia Pacific, Travel

Long before British colonists arrived in Burma in 1824, the hill tribes of Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand domesticated more than six million elephants, transforming the largest land animal into a beast of burden. They pulled heavy teakwood logs from the forests of the upper Salween River, raised great stones to build ancient cities like Bagan, and led warrior kings into battle against rival Asian powers. Thankfully, elephants don’t have to do that anymore. But history has done irreparable harm to the Asian elephant population. Whereas the wild population was once estimated to have been more than 100,000, it is now less than 50,000 across 13 countries, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Today, about 15,000 are in captivity, with the greatest number of those in northern Thailand. Read More

SAVING PHNOM PENH’S COLONIAL HISTORY

Asia, Culture, History, Travel

Although Phnom Penh dates its origin from the 14th century, it wasn’t until 1863 that the city began to take its modern form. That was when Cambodia became a French protectorate, following King Norodom’s request for assistance in deflecting the armies of Thailand and Vietnam. In 1866, Norodom moved his capital from rural Oudong to the confluence of the Mekong, Tonlé Sap and Bassac rivers. Four years later, he built a Royal Palace in the iconic style of the Khmer Empire. Its spires still soar skyward, its sacred elements reflecting Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Few organized tours in contemporary Phnom Penh consider the colonial architectural heritage. This is a shame. It can easily be explored in a stroll of only about 10 minutes from Wat Phnom, the medieval pagoda that is, in its essence, the center of the city.