I will be traveling to El Paso, Texas to visit my lone surviving Uncle and Aunt sometime later in the year. This will be a very momentous trip for me, as I am returning to a place that I last visited as a young boy of about 10 years old in the early 1960s. Although I have fond memories of chasing fleet footed lizards on the vast expanse of desert located just outside my relative’s backyard, I will not be shocked to see my desert playground replaced by housing tracts, condominium complexes, shopping centers and other manifestations of urban sprawl. As we all know that over a period of time, every place changes; and those wilderness areas that are in close proximity to our urban centers will for the most part degrade and eventually reach the point of no return as mankind spreads. Such is life…

I know that I will not like the changes to the El Paso of my boyhood, in particular the disappearance of the desert but for somebody visiting El Paso for the first time, they will probably have a totally different perception. These newcomers might love the colonial flavor and the hot and dry desert climate the present-day El Paso, not knowing what it was like 40-50 years ago. Then again, just outside of the urban sprawl known as El Paso, there are still pockets of desert wilderness.

This is just another example of the phenomenon known as the Kathmandu Syndrome of which I discussed in an earlier post.

I pride myself as being a veteran world explorer, having traveled extensively throughout Thailand and Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica and Central America and having journeyed to parts of West Africa and South America. However, after reviewing the recently proclaimed ’ New 7 Wonders of the World” - Chichén Itzá (Mexico), Christ The Redeemer (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) The Great Wall of China, Machu Picchu (Peru), Petra (Jordan), The Roman Coliseum (Italy) and The Taj Mahal in India - I realize how truly impoverished I am in the travel department.

I admit to having visited only one of these legendary historical sites. In January 1974, while traveling through Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, I took a day tour from Merida to the nearby Mayan archaeological site of Chichen Itza. This huge spiritual-metropolis complex was the heart of the Mayan empire during its postclassical era in the 9th century. While 1974 seems like another lifetime, I remember my day at Chichen Itza as if it was yesterday. As part of a mixed Gringo-Mexican tour group (mostly tourists from Mexico City), we were led around the site by a tour guide who gave us his canned narration of the history of the site and of the Mayan empire. The guide gave the whole spiel in Spanish; fortunately one of the gals from Mexico City gave me the translation in English. We walked the length of the famous ball court and climbed up the steep stairs to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun where we had a birdseye view of this massive complex which towered high above the rainforest. I imagined myself being one of the human sacrifices to the Sun God, my heart being torn out by the one of the Mayan Shamans. By the way, did you see Apocalypto, Mel Gibson’s film?

Needless to say, I was quite impressed with the grandeur and history of this ancient city-temple complex. One thing that I was quite disturbed about was the number of large tour buses in the parking lot. Hey, if Chichen Itza was a tourist trap in 1974, I can only imagine in the ensuing 33 years, how its popularity has truly gone off the charts. If there were 20 tour buses in the parking lot in 1974, I can easily imagine 60-100 tour buses sitting there in 2007. The old Mayan Gods would literally be salivating at the chops if they saw their old spiritual stomping grounds being overrun by gringo tourists. More sacrificial lambs to choose from. Talking about the Kathmandu Syndrome, this is an excellent example how tourism has spoiled and desecrated a place of magnificent grandeur. Oh well……

In my humble opinion, Angkor Wat, the massive Hindu-Buddhist archaeological complex located in the jungles of Northwestern Cambodia, was even more impressive than Chichen Itza. The city of Angkor was built in the 12th century and was the capital of the powerful Khmer Empire in Southeast Asia. There are over 100 temples in a 10-20 mile radius - that number is literally astounding. The Khmers were the mother culture of this region and have significantly influenced all the civilizations that followed in its wake. Angkor Wat was nominated as one of the finalists for the 7 new wonders of the world but for some reason it failed to make the top seven. While visiting Angkor Wat in November 2005, I was literally awestruck by its magnificence and grandeur.

OK, I have visited two of the seven wonders - that leaves me five more to visit before I leave this planet for good. The good news - I am going to Peru and Ecuador in late August, and of course this intrepid traveler will explore both the legendary Incan capital of Machu Picchu located high in the Peruvian Andes as well as the Galapagos Islands. Stay Tuned…

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I read a very interesting article in the travel section of the SF Chronicle recently. Entitled “Ok we get it - No place is as good as it used to be”, the article is about the Kathmandu Syndrome, a phrase coined by the writer, John Flinn.

Basically, the Kathmandu Syndrome refers to how people remember a place they have visited. We all know, that nothing remains the same - people and destinations change over a period of time. Upon visiting a destination for the first time while on vacation, many people fall in love with the place - whether it be the small resort town of Puerto Vallarta of the late 1960’s, Cabo San Lucas (Mexico) of the early 1970s, the popular rasta - hippie enclave of Negril, Jamaica of the late 1970’ s (and early 1980s) or the mystical Kathmandu of the early 1970s. After repeated visits, many people observe ‘the idyllic place” they fell in love with has been transformed into something very undesirable due to its increasing popularity as a tourist spot or vacation destination.

In the article, the author describes how he fell in love with Kathmandu after visiting this legendary cultural mecca located high in the Himalayas for the first time in the mid 1980’s. Over the years, he describes how Kathmandu’s increasing popularity with the international tourist crowd, has led to many undesirable changes - the city streets, once so quiet and peaceful are now choked with automobile traffic and how the Himalayan air keeps on getting more and more polluted; he also notes that the elephants which used to lumber down the streets have disappeared and of the increasing aggressiveness of the many vendors and beggars. After his last visit, Mr. Flinn decided Kathmandu had lost its magic. However, for people visiting Kathmandu for the first time, most of them still become enchanted with the place - they have no prior knowledge of how the place used to be. This is the phenomenon known as the Kathmandu Syndrome.

My associate, Fatcheek, lives in Bangkok. She is a professional lady who works in the middle of Bangkok’s busy financial district. To escape from the stress and ‘the wear and tear” of work, she often finds comfort by visiting one of Bangkok’s largest plant and flower markets. Here is her story…

I felt that it was about time that I get a little relief from the stress of my job, so I took’2 hour leave of absence” on an early Wednesday morning. I really would have liked to go for a little jaunt into the countryside, but that was just wishful thinking due to my tight work schedule. So I did the next best thing - I went to ‘some special place” in the middle of Bangkok where I could ramble amidst many beautiful flowers and plants. This always has a relaxing effect on my mind - a real stress release. Since I am an early bird, I left home at 06.15 a.m. taking the MRT subway from Sukhumvit Station to ‘Kampaengpet Station”. Yes, this is the site of the famous Chatuchak Weekend Market but every Wednesdays and Thursdays, this is a plant market for wholesalers and plant-lovers like me.

Umm… the weather is so nice after some light showers before dawn. Mr. Sun does not smile strongly and the wind blows, carrying some sweet scent of flowers.

I feel so relaxed here in the middle of all these flowers and plants. Oh, look at the many colors of the Cattleyas - what a lovely orchid! And over there is a garland made from orchid’s petals. How exquisitely beautiful! Just strolling down the road where both sides are lined with plants alleviates my stress. Look - there is a small little coffee kiosk-café on the corner. Aha, I should stop here for a cup of coffee with toast. Wanna join me?