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Around the planet
  • John Lee Evans
  • John Lee Evans

Around the planet

Meeting people around the world in 3 months. Weiterlesen
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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    Inash from SyriaThe security guard from GazaAbraham, a Bedouin, at the ruins in Amman. Aka KojackA fun day of shopping at the mall

    In Jordan it’s the people, conversations

    6. September 2025 in Jordanien ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    It’s amazing how many conversations with strangers you can have in 24 hours. I had arranged a home stay at Mo’az’s place (pictured). When I arrived he asked me to pick up a carton of cigarettes at the duty free station. I’ve smoked, but I don’t remember ever buying them. They come with a big warning. Mo’az’s nephew, Zaki, picks me up. His grandparents were refugees from Palestine in 1948. Zaki is a full Jordanian citizen, not an opportunity for the ones in Gaza today. I was surprised to learn that the population of Gaza has a very high educational level with outstanding universities…at least before. Zaki is a pharmacology student and amazingly, for a Jordanian, he does not smoke. “It’s the main risk factor for almost every disease!” he says. Mo’az studied nutrition at the university and is a gym rat at the gym near his house. Also staying at the house was Inash who traveled down to Jordan from Syria to apply for the university. Mo’az told me that all university classes here are taught in English!

    I visited a mosque and the security guard gave me a pamphlet in English and then told me that he came to Jordan from Gaza only because his baby daughter was very ill. He still has family in Gaza. And then there is Abraham, the Bedouin, who was my guide around the ruins. And there we met Rina from Syria who says things are getting better, but it’s going to take a long time. Inash was not so positive. And a few others. And finally a group of American college students at the Roman theater who are studying geopolitics in a study abroad program. Small world, one of them goes to my little college. And all I’ve learned in Arabic so far is thank you.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    Long narrow slot canyonVoilà! Suddenly coming upon an intricate 130 ft high facade990 steps up to the monastery and a lot of steps in betweenAnd now the monastery. 150 feet high!The "newer" Roman AmphitheaterAmerican college students climbing back down: Don't fall!

    Not a history buff, but Petra is OLD

    7. September 2025 in Jordanien ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    I’ve been to old cathedrals and cities in Europe, but Petra, Jordan goes back to 400 BC when it was built by the Nabateans, an advanced society. You walk through a natural passageway, a slot canyon and Voila! Here is the facade of a massive building with intricate detail 130 feet high. See the little people and camels.

    Then on a longer hike through the area you climb the rock mountain (including 990 stairs) and Voila! the monastery—150 feet high! Actually, it was a pre-Cristian temple in the first century and became Christian a few hundred years later after the Nabataeans were gone.

    In Amman there are more “modern” ruins: the Roman amphitheater. A group of American college kids had scampered to the top. As you can hear, they found it a little scarier coming down. They’re studying geopolitics in a study abroad program. Lots to talk about in this time and place.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    Ukrainians traveling the world as refugees

    Three imams or the three stooges

    7. September 2025 in Jordanien ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    I’m touring Petra and I meet up with three young 21 year old guys—Osama, Osama and Abdul. Kinda reminds me of the three stooges with Osama #2 being called the crazy one (Curly Joe?). Anyway it was a very entertaining hike. They say they are already imams, but I can’t imagine anyone taking them seriously at the mosque.

    Then I talked to a young couple from Ukraine. They were on their honeymoon when Russia invaded and they haven’t been back. But in the meantime they have been traveling around the world all this time—over 3 years! And I thought three months was a big deal. And then there are the “paid friends,” like Abraham, the driver who took me up to Mt Nebo where Moses saw the Promised Land. We were looking towards Jerusalem and Jericho. But the Promised Land looked like just more of the desert to me. I guess it’s all in your perspective.

    A very diplomatic tour guide was explaining to his group that they were looking at the West Bank that used to be part of Jordan until the 1967 war. He said all of the countries of the world recognize it as occupied territory, he said, “except for two and I won’t name them.” Abraham, the driver, said in the recent war between Iran and Israel that the missiles headed to Israel flew over Jordan in the night and the people went outside and cheered—like at a fireworks show.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    1He folllowed me all the way down the mountain.Akuna matata. The lion reigns supreme.Just hanging out in the lobby

    The animals in Jordan

    8. September 2025 in Jordanien ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    Driving along the highway we come upon some stray camels. Some people ride donkeys up the mountain, but I walked. I trust my footing on the stairs more than theirs. But on the way down the donkey in the picture followed me down all the way. Even if I stopped he wouldn’t pass me. High above everything on the rock like the lion king the cat reigns. And there are cats everywhere and everyone pets them. The guys here are hanging out in the lobby.Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    The healing powers of Dead Sea mud?
    Floating without any effortAbout 1400 ft below sea level, But how can the Dead SEA be below SEA LEVEL??

    Try things you haven’t done before

    10. September 2025 in Jordanien ⋅ ☀️ 91 °F

    Having a special treatment with the “healing properties” of Dead Sea mud and salt. A strange experience being scrubbed with salt and then wrapped up in it. And then down at the Dead Sea…Look, Mom, no hands! So easy to float. When I tried to stand up I couldn’t get my feet down. But don’t let a drop of it get in your eyes. The salt content is ten times more than the ocean. I found out the hard way.

    A New York reporter felt like her life was going by too fast, so she did an experiment to slow down time. She decided to do only new things for a week. She only ate foods she had not eaten before. She slept in a different bed every night by couch surfing. One night she slept on the roof of her building. She saw a guy skateboarding down the street and she asked him to teach her. She went to the beach to take surf lessons even though she wasn’t a good swimmer. She took a road trip by herself. By the end of the week she felt like she had lived many weeks. I think the same is true of travel if you open yourself up to different experiences. It makes it easy to answer the question, “What have you been doing lately? Hence, this blog.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    The Sioni Cathedral
    Chanting and polyphonic singingBootleg video of sacred massWedding crashedTime to put on a crownWith Matt Smith, Peace Corps staffSaori and Nistreen, Iraqi immigrants to DenmarkStreet booksellers

    Georgia: Church, people, politics

    14. September 2025 in Georgien ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    The Orthodox Church has been the religion of Georgia since the 4th century, but was practically eliminated under the Soviets (Stalin was a native of Georgia), and came back to life under independent Georgia in the 1990s. At one church I happened upon a wedding. They know how to do weddings and masses with pomp and circumstance and dozens of guys in fancy robes. The mass is 2-3 hours of chanting with no pews to sit on. They are also famous for polyphonic singing with the chanting. Very angelic.

    I had dinner with a Peace Corps staffer and at breakfast I met an Iraqi couple who now live in Denmark. His brother was killed by Saddam. I He’s also not positive on the current rulers of Iraq and is amazed that the American people elected Trump. He’s very positive about the social safety net and freedom in Denmark where he raised his kids.

    Georgians love books with many sidewalk sellers of old books. And they love their wine. They say wine is the reason that Georgian culture has survived for millennia.

    Politically the government is pro-Russia, but most people are not. Many parallels with the US, including Russian propaganda in the upcoming elections. Russia occupies about 20% of Georgian territory. Their big oligarch (their Elon Musk?) has strong ties with Russia. The people not so much.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    A Peace Corps Volunteer teacherCommunity broadcasting Volunteer

    Peace Corps Georgia is doing great work

    16. September 2025 in Georgien

    In Georgia I had a chance to meet with the Peace Corps staff, many of whom have served for decades. Also represented on the staff are two Volunteer Leaders. We met with an PCV English teacher Rostam who is a positive influence in the school that goes far beyond his English classes. We also met with PCV Matt who works at a community radio station and at an NGO. Both work with the underserved Azerbaijani population in their community. The students are learning Georgian in addition to their native Azerbaijani language and some are now learning English to become trilingual, a useful skill in the Georgian economy.

    We went to an Azerbaijani tea house for lunch and learned how closely connected the four Peace Corps Volunteers are to their host families. True people to people international diplomacy.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    At the table from Holland, England, Italy, India, Poland, other travelers enjoying Georgian cuisine

    The Fellowship of World Travelers

    18. September 2025 in Georgien ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    Traveling solo I meet a lot of people. And a lot of them are traveling solo, too, both men and women. To me it is amazing their detailed knowledge of the US. They know about Gavin Newsom, Sarah Palin, Charlie Kirk, Boeing, the Rust Belt and Jimmy Kimmel. They are mystified as to how the American voters elected Donald Trump and look to me for answers, though they have good theories of their own.

    When we find ourselves in the same space we have great conversations about the state of the world and more. Sometimes I wish I had photos of everyone. But I would feel silly asking everyone for a photo after I converse with them for an hour. But Wes from Australia will serve as the representative in the picture above. He’s around my age, but most of them are much younger.

    Wes is an adult educator who is traveling around the world in the opposite direction. Then there’s a young French guy who looks like Sting and knows every detail about American life, a Filipino woman who works in Jerusalem, a student from Poland, a group of businesswomen also from Poland, And a Russian on business in Georgia who tells me he is opposed to the war in Ukraine, but cannot say anything back home.

    And a woman from Belarus who left rather than live under the man who has been dictator her entire life and her boyfriend from Turkey. They met in Georgia and live here now. He quotes Americans as having a 60% voter participation (I don’t actually know the number) and finds it incredibly low. They speak to each other in English. It’s clear that English is the lingua franca for the world. I’ve actually only met a few native English speakers.

    And a few Germans, all of whom recognize how history repeats itself, as the world evolves more to fascism, reminiscent of Make Germany Great Again after WW I in the 1930s.

    It actually gives me hope that these young people are very aware of the world as it is. That’s a start.

    And people who travel in this style have a bond…and stories to share.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    My first view of Astana from my aparthotel
    Hey! A solitary lady pushing a strollerMany types of stadiums and arenasLook! One guy on one of the hundreds of empty park benchesNo collisions here between bikers and runners and walkersSomebody is at home, just not on the street

    Culture shock: On another planet

    22. September 2025 in Kasachstan ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    After the crowded, noisy, bustling atmosphere in old Tbilisi, Georgia, I arrive in Astana, Kazakhstan. Wide, orderly boulevards, avant garde architecture and everything looks new, not centuries or millennia old.

    I was prepared for a very modern city (Borat notwithstanding), but not this. Out my 17th floor luxury building window I see a huge park with bike lanes and sidewalks and running paths and very few people. Walking around the park it feels like Disneyland, too perfect and clean and orderly. And no noise.

    Astana was built as the new capital in 1997, much like when the new Brazilian capital was built in Brasilia.

    Culture shock! It’s so elegant. They are supposedly showing off the country’s oil wealth. I think I might be a little isolated here. But I am going to work the next couple of days anyway. The languages are Kazak and Russian. Not as many people speak English, so Google Translate is my companion. . In the other countries I met a lot of local people through the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps is no longer in Kazakhstan.

    It’s clearly an Asian country. The mosque is the most spectacular that I have seen, but the city doesn’t have a Muslim vibe. In fact, it does not have much of any vibe. Where are all the people.? You can see lights on in some of the hundreds of skyscraper apartments, but they are not out on the street.

    And to add to the culture shock my studio apartment has a washing machine. I’m used to washing my clothes every night in the sink, sometimes in a shared bathroom.

    It will be an interesting week…or not.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    Aliya, speaking for One People, a youth activist group
    Aliya and Danish and meA display on Soviet interrogation of Wives of TraitorsA memorial to the gulagA wall of the names of women who lived and died here from 1938-1953Had a great conversation with Bolt driver (Uber) Saken and then he would not take payment for rideAstana's Space Needle: A tribute to democracy in the new capitalPeople line up to touch the handprint of Kazakhstan's first president since independenceThe Modern Energy MuseumNew buildings all over townTomato and fig salad

    Youth activists change their world

    25. September 2025 in Kasachstan ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    At the university I accidentally walked into a youth activist center and met Aliya with whom I could actually communicate in English. Listen to her explanation of what they do. One of the environmental things they do is bust people for dumping trash. Funny, because I haven’t seen a piece of litter in this pristine city. But the work they do on violence and corruption is impressive.

    A more sobering day was visiting the Alzhir gulag where Stalin put Wives of Traitors. They have a wall of the names of all the women who lived and died there because their family member was not loyal to Stalin. Looks like the Vietnam Memorial in DC. Children were taken from their mothers at age 3 and put in an orphanage.

    One more English speaker, Saken, the taxi driver, has traveled to many different countries like other taxi drivers. The “uber” is a side gig for them, I guess. But at the end of our conversation Saken wouldn’t let me pay when we arrived.

    Astana has its own space needle and at the top people line up to touch the handprint of Kazakhstan’s first president after independence from the Soviet Union.

    The golden globe was an alternative energy museum, even though Kazakhstan has a lot of oil. Interesting buildings all over in this Disney clean city on the prairie.

    Finally, I haven’t tried the national dish, horse sausage. I will try duck and lamb and other animals, but not horses or dogs. So I’ve gone for some vegetarian dishes.

    Onward to Almaty, the old capital.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    Almaty, the old capital before independence from the Soviet Union
    There's life on the streets!Just another weeknight at 11:00 pmThe old priest and the young altar boy. Great costumes!The biggest wooden cathedral and supposedly built without nails, but some screws and suchJasim, the Muslim taxi driver: USA good, Russia not so muchRecognize my friends? The Fab Four. I guess they were everywhere.The apartment complex where I stayedJust some of the delicious produce across the streetA nice cool walk in the woods

    An American in Almaty, a livelier city

    28. September 2025 in Kasachstan ⋅ 🌙 63 °F

    I find myself woefully ignorant about countries like Kazakhstan, I really knew nothing about it. I don’t stand out as a foreigner like in some places in Asia, Africa and Latin America. I don’t even feel tall here. The adolescents and young adults seem like any kids in the US. It’s the mixture of Asian and Caucasian cultures. About 70% are of Kazakh descent and about 25% are ethnic Russians here for several generations. But there seems to be no separation of the groups. Of course, this is by my observation without being able to speak with very many people. One taxi driver with limited English simply said, “Americans good, Trump bad, Obama good.” That was the depth of our conversation.

    Almaty is a much livelier city after serene and clean Astana. There is a little dirt on the sidewalks, noisy traffic, old buildings along with very new ones and a Latin/Mediterranean vibe with people speaking animatedly. Besides the mosques, there is the Orthodox Church and the adolescent altar boys look like any in the US.

    I rode a cable car to the top to get a view of the city. I ran into four old friends that I did not expect to find here, so I took a picture with them. Almaty is green compared to the dry, hot plains in Astana. Almaty is a cool city in more ways than one. I even made it up in the mountains where it was actually a little cold in the autumn. We’ll see what it’s like in Nepal. Then I will be back to a Peace Corps country.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    1Arab Las Vegas
    Burj Khalifa, world's tallest building, 828 meters.Yes, I paid to ride the elevator to the top to look at the small skyscrapers belowFather and sons enjoying a fútbol matchIt feels a lot hotter than 99F.The worker bees from other countriesAfter a day of work, taking the "school bus" to "home," wherever that is

    NOT a Peace Corps country

    30. September 2025 in den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten ⋅ 🌙 91 °F

    No direct flight from Kazakhstan to Nepal. Instead of a several hour layover, I decided to stay over a couple of days in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

    When you drive into town you see an Arab Las Vegas. A super glitzy metropolis arising in the God forsaken desert. I’ve never been a fan of Vegas. Somehow as a Muslim country, they ignore the alcohol (and food on fasting days) that the international visitors want.

    So I climbed to the top of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building (via elevator). I met an English family that had previously lived in Dubai for 14 years. Two days is enough for me.

    At the restaurant I watched a soccer match between Almaty (remember? in Kazakhstan) and Madrid. A father and son were at the match in their white robes. Because there are so few men wearing them I thought they must be royalty or at least nobility. Turns out this is what all the Emirati men wear. The loose white cloth keeps them cool in the desert. (Not that they ever have to go out of their A/C penthouses.) The reason there are so few men wearing them is because citizens of the Emirates make up only about 10-15% of the population.

    The rest are foreign workers, mostly from across Asia, working in massive ongoing construction projects. I asked a couple of girls working at the hotel who were from Zimbabwe how long they had been here. Two years. Do you like it? NO! It’s too hot! Need the work? Yes.

    The immigrant men are the worker bees in construction. Many more tall buildings going up. Amazing what oil will do for a desert kingdom. They were working on a building next to my hotel in the oppressive heat. And at the end of the day a bus full of workers headed home, certainly not to the palatial buildings around town. Just like Vegas.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    I'm the only one smiling. Not a practice for photos here, I guess.
    A rare moment without cars or motorcyclesNeighbors across the way at a family gathering for the holidayFamily posing for pictures at the temple with their "tika" blessing on the foreheadThe proverbial sacred cow in real life. Okay to eat pigs and other animals, just not cows.Another Hindu temple in BhaktapurBoudhanath Buddhist stupa, important sacred siteBuddhist monks circling the stupaThe crowds circle the stupa clockwise for hours with chants and prayers.Ladies giving offerings at Hindu siteOut celebrating the holidayFather asking his girls to pose for a special pictureTraditional Nepali meal-thali with lentils, rice, vegetables, greens, yogurt, sometimes meatGreeters at the Monkey TempleNit picking is actually a good thing!

    Welcome to Nepal, an enchanting country

    3. Oktober 2025 in Nepal ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    I stepped into Kathmandu, Nepal in the middle of the biggest Hindu festival, Dashain, celebrating the victory of good over evil by the goddess Durga. We could still use her help. It is a big family holiday in the month of October, sort of like Thanksgiving and Christmas together over a period of a few weeks. Families get together for the celebration, many businesses close and families go to the Hindu temples and take pictures in their fancy attire. You can see the red paste, tika, that is put on their foreheads by their elders as a blessing. I saw an old woman without it. I guess she no longer has elders. Most people are Hindu, but some are Buddhist. At some of their temples they also include shrines from the other religion.

    Even though I was boycotting the news on my trip, a couple of weeks before I came Nepal I heard some information about protests and riots. It was a revolution started by a supposedly leaderless Gen Z. It turns out over half of the population is Gen Z or younger. Classic case of haves and have nots. A huge percentage of young men must emigrate just to get a job to send home money to their family (like construction in Dubai). The government had placed a ban on some social media platforms and Gen Z rebelled. There were also upset about the “nepo kids”—the children of corrupt politicians who live lavish lifestyles while others suffer. There was a peaceful protest in front of the Parliament and the police began shooting. That led to violence across the city. More than 70 people died. The prime minister resigned and a Supreme Court justice—a trusted 70 year old woman—was named acting prime minister. Elections in March. At least that’s the story I am able to put together talking to people here. Who knows what’s next? Within a couple of days everything had calmed down and young people went on social media encouraging tourists to come. The economy relies heavily on tourism. At the guest house where I stayed almost all of their reservations had been canceled. I’m glad I came.

    Like most Americans I knew little about Nepal. All of this information I have gleaned in my first 3 days here. We have a lot to learn.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    Volunteer at home with host mother
    Volunteer coming home after a few days awayTea time with familyWith host father. In Nepal I'm tall again.Close bond with host mother. Her children are grown and are far away.The local school serving preschool (2.5 years old) through high schoolThe small computer lab, mostly old computers.Well loved in the community. Just hanging out.Video of the road backBack in capital. Helmets required for driver, not passengers, sometimes family of 4. See little girl

    Visiting a Peace Corps Vounteer at home

    7. Oktober 2025 in Nepal ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    I left the Nepali capital to visit a Peace Corps Volunteer in a smaller community. She works in digital literacy with her counterparts at a local school. They have just a few computers and an Internet connection (usually). She’s integrated with the faculty and is making a real contribution to digital literacy

    I witnessed the close connection she has with her host family, with the teachers at the school and with the local community. They all love her and she is extending her stay.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    The high peak of Everest just above the clouds

    I made it to the top of Mt Everest…

    8. Oktober 2025 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 45 °F

    A few years ago I talked my kids into hiking to the top of Mt Whitney, the tallest peak in the US except Alaska. It got a little hard to breathe and climb at over 14,000 feet. Mt Everest is over TWICE as high as Whitney, so this time…I took a plane. Pretty impressive flying past so many mountains in the Himalayas.Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    First we have to row across the lakeGuarij, my guide across the lakeSee the temple at the top of mountain by little cloudStairs upAnd more stairs around every curveLooking down on PokharaGlimpses of the Himalayas peek out from the cloudsGuarij waited for me after dark!

    All in the name of world peace

    9. Oktober 2025 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    I arrived in Pokhara, Nepal’s second city, set on a lake, much calmer than chaotic Kathmandu. I decided to take a boat ride with a guide,Guarij. I’m not sure if that is how you spell his name, because he did not go to any school. He learned to speak English working with tourists. He says he earns enough to feed his family, but not save any money. Many young men his age are working in other countries and send money home. His dream is that his daughters will get an education and be able to work in another country.

    We went to a little island in the lake with a little temple. No big deal. It was getting late, but I asked if we could cross the lake, so I could climb the mountain to the more impressive Peace Pagoda. He said I would have to climb fast to make it back before dark, No problem. I started up the stairs and more stairs. I stopped counting after 1,000 stairs, huffing and puffing. Anyway, I finally made it to the Buddhist stupa that is known as the Peace Pagoda, which was a gift from Japanese monks. I hurried up, all for world peace! But on the way down I took a wrong turn (I didn’t remember crossing a creek!), and came back late, but fortunately Guarij waited for me and we went across the lake in the dark.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    With PC Volunteer's host family after tika ceremony
    Welcome to our school--khata (scarf), tika (red paste) blessing and flower bouquetPreschool teacher with her studentsThe boys posing serious at schoolThe girls on the other side of the classroom look happierAnd here they are at recess asking the Californian for his autographPeace Corps Volunteer Sarita with her studentsAnother welcoming ceremony, tika, mala (lei) and a school coffee mug.NamastePeace Corps Volunteer and his co-teacherThe second host family with a 3 month old baby. Nepalis now typically have two or maybe 3 kidsAll the gifts and blessings at the end of the day. Three tika ceremonies is a lot of red.

    Being initiated into Nepali culture

    10. Oktober 2025 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    Nepalis are kind and uber respectful with their ceremonies. In the course of one day I visited two schools and one host family and had three welcoming ceremonies. Three times I received tika (red powder mixed with yogurt and rice) used for religious ceremonies and welcoming guests. That’s why my face is covered. Also, I received a mala (a lei) “reserved for guests, deities, teachers and elders.” Three out of four is not bad. You figure which three. And a khata (scarf) for a guest.And a bouquet and a school mug. What did I do to deserve all of this? I think it was because of the great respect and appreciation they have for the volunteers.

    I flew to another part of the country on my own to meet two Peace Corps Volunteers (an all day bus ride or a 20 minute plane flight). With all of the mountains Nepal is difficult to traverse. I went to their two communities outside Pokhara, Nepal’s second city. They are both well integrated into their schools and have great relationships with the other teachers and students. Sarita’s host mother is also a teacher at her school. Both schools were so pleased to have the Peace Corps Volunteers. As always, the host family was welcoming and served a delicious meal. And the volunteers are doing great at mastering the Nepali language, which has many variations from village to village.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    Approaching Mount Vernon Tea Plantstion
    Miles and miles of tea fieldsLaborers gathering the tea leavesThe iconic hill country train ride with amazing waterfallsThe 9 Arches BridgeBut this is what I saw through the train window. Rainy and foggy the whole way.But this was the waterfall by where I stayed after the rainClimbing yet another mountain. They said easy to moderate hike. But I say moderate to strenuous.Finally. On top of the worldOh wait. Are THEY higher than us? Must be an optical illusion.

    Am I in beautiful Sri Lanka—or Virginia?

    16. Oktober 2025 in Sri Lanka ⋅ 🌧 73 °F

    It’s Mount Vernon, Sri Lanka, not Virginia. One of many tea plantations all over the hill country of Sri Lanka, The colonial origins of these plantations reminds me of the cotton plantations in the South. Workers were brought in from the Tamil region in India to harvest the crop.

    I got on a train to the hill country for the “world’s most beautiful train ride.” Green hills, amazing waterfalls and canyons and mountains. But it rained the whole way and the train conductor laughingly pointed out where all the sights were that we couldn’t see.

    But when I arrived there was a gushing waterfall viewed from my balcony after the rain.

    And more mountains to climb.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    The students are eager to talk.Another welcoming ceremonyEdershan, my student guideWelcome the guestVolunteer Gannon and facultyTransportation to the next schoolPeace Corps Volunteer Aiden and his studentsUdit, the tech geekAiden between his Buddhist monk principal and his co-teacher.Aiden and teachers in sarong

    Two neighboring schools, two languages

    16. Oktober 2025 in Sri Lanka ⋅ 🌧 72 °F

    The majority language in Sri Lanka is Sinhalese and the minority speak Tamil. I visited two schools just across the hill from each other and one was a Tamil school and the other Sinhalese. There is a Peace Corps Volunteer at each school. One learned Sinhalese and the other Tamil.

    There was a 28 year civil war waged by Tamil separatists who ultimately lost, but the split remains. Sinhalese is
    the dominant language. Among the Peace Corps host country staff the Tamil speakers also speak Sinhalese, but the Sinhalese do not speak Tamil. And all schools teach English, so in some cases that becomes the common language.

    At the first school Edarshan was my student guide. He introduced each grade and could cite how many students were in each class. His English is fluent and he wants to be a doctor. One teacher said, sadly, after studying medicine many new doctors immigrate to other countries where they can earn more.

    The second school was just a tuk tuk ride away. The principal of the school is actually a Buddhist monk and holds a place of reverence in the community. One student, Udit, at the second school, is a self described tech geek and wants to be a software engineer. He immediately identified my iPhone 16 and told me I should have waited, because the iPhone 17 just came out and the prices went down on the 16.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    A penny for your thoughts
    Just hanging out when no one else is aroundWaiting for more breakfast leftoversBrothers messing aroundLots of dogs relaxing, sometimes right on the roadThe two dogs who go to school everyday, but they have no desk, so they listen in the hall

    A penny for your thoughts…and dogs’ life

    17. Oktober 2025 in Sri Lanka ⋅ 🌧 72 °F

    After eating breakfast in Sri Lanka the monkeys jumped on the table to eat my leftovers, but the house host chased them away before I could take a picture. But they came back and were still checking out the situation.

    And dogs are relaxing everywhere. They’ll even lie on the road and let the cars go around them.

    At one school there were two “dog students.” They follow the students to school every morning and go to classes all day. And make a stop by the principal’s office for treats.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender

    The new Peace Corps

    22. Oktober 2025 in Indonesien ⋅ 🌧 82 °F

    Here’s a new group of Peace Corps Volunteers early in their three month training. Many older Americans ask if the Peace Corps still exists and younger people ask, “What’s the Peace Corps?” But this group signed up and came here. Some heard about it through family or friends, others at the university and others just found it on their own. Volunteers are more diverse than before.

    All of these trainees are excited to be here and will work in education. Indonesia is a little different in that the host country government is more involved in the process. They are all interviewed by the Indonesian Embassy in the US prior to coming.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    With the student representatives at the ceremony
    The eloquent masters of ceremonyAn Indonesian traditional dancerAnother speech by the prinicipalFaculty and students who participated in the ceremonyMiddle school boysPeace Corps Volunteer second to my leftA late career Peace Corps Volunteer with her studentsBoisterous crowd of students coming out of prayerWith the faculty at the Muslim public schoolPeace Corps Volunteer at homeWe want to say hi.1Talking with the students learning EnglishThank you! (How is this going to fit into my backpack?)Thank you! (Guess I'll donate to PC office)Students at a rally for student council elections

    Indonesia, surprises at school

    22. Oktober 2025 in Indonesien ⋅ 🌧 82 °F

    We had a welcoming ceremony worthy of royalty at the first Indonesian school where a Peace Corps Volunteer works. I’m sure their welcoming us was due to their appreciation and love for her. The ceremony included students, teachers, the principal, the Ministry of Education and others. Speeches, dances, prayers. So I had to come up with a spontaneous speech about international understanding and cooperation.

    What I wasn’t prepared for was how boisterous the students were at the student election rally and even as I just passed by the classrooms to say hi. I thought American students were the rowdy ones.

    And then there were the gifts. The first school gave me a beautifully handcrafted batik. How am I going to squeeze one more thing into my backpack? (But I did). The second school gave a a crate of mangoes that will definitely not fit into my backpack, so I donated it to the Peace Corps office.    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    Vendors of fish and other cooked foods set up on the beach every afternoon/evening
    The local Catholic ChurchStudents lining streets to welcome prime minister back from international conferenceGrandfather raising several grandkids shown with Peace Corps VolunteerHost country staff at Peace Corps Timor-LestePeace Corps Volunteer with principal and staff at his schoolAnother welcoming ceremonyWelcome to our schoolThree young Volunteers returning to the US in a few monthsHalloween at Peace Corps officeVolunteer explaining bamboo productionVolunteer at home across the street from schoolWe both have Timor-Leste hatsTall volunteer with host family

    Where In the world is Timor Leste?

    26. Oktober 2025 in Osttimor ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    Most Americans have never heard of Timor-Leste, a small part-of-an-island nation, whose population is equal to that of the city of San Diego. It’s next to Indonesia. In the Indonesian language Timor means east and in Portuguese Leste means east. Colonized by the Portuguese and occupied by Indonesia, it’s now an independent country, one of the world’s newest nations.

    After visiting Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim countries, it was surprising that Asian Timor-Leste is a staunchly Christian (Roman Catholic) nation. Pope Francis visited here in his last year.

    The prime minister is a beloved figure from the fight for independence. Schoolchildren lined the streets for miles to welcome him back from the conference of ASEAN, a group of Asian nations to which Timor Leste was just admitted. The President of the US was there, so the people feel like Timor-Leste has emerged on the world stage.

    Timor-Leste is an undiscovered tropical paradise, but economically has a long way to go. I visited a father who has about six children working in other countries and so he and his wife are raising about a dozen of the grandchildren at their house.

    The Timorese are kind and welcoming. I had “tais” (scarf) welcoming ceremonies at two schools. More to squeeze into my backpack.

    The volunteers of the first cohort since the pandemic are approaching the two year mark. They are a dedicated group of young Americans working in the public and Catholic schools of Timor-Leste. An international late career businessman quit his corporate job and joined the Peace Corps to “do something more meaningful.” He works with his counterpart at the Bamboo Institute, a government supported business. He brought his business expertise and gradually became an expert in bamboo. They have environmentally sustainable production. Nothing goes to waste. He has helped the organization obtain grants to produce more products. He jokingly calls his much younger host “mom.”

    One young Volunteer is 6’5”. I thought he would stand out but his twin host brothers are also 6’5”. What are the chances of that in Timor-Leste?    Weiterlesen

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  • John Lee EvansAround the planetReisender
    Mid-air diplomacy
    The harbor, site of WW II attack

    Major breakthrough in US/China relations

    30. Oktober 2025, Timor Sea ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    Somewhere in the air between Timor-Leste and Australia I met Song, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctor from Shanghai. We had a layover together for several hours in quiet Darwin, Australia. We have both traveled the world and have visited each other’s country. We are both able to travel the world freely and have the money to do it.

    He travels to learn about traditional medicine in different cultures, including Native American culture. And I travel the world to…understand it?

    We were both convinced that US/China brinksmanship benefits no one. We discussed Taiwan. Taiwanese are free to visit China and even have businesses there. But the Chinese are not able to go to Taiwan. And now Chinese students are not able to come to UCSD. We’d all benefit from more openness. More people-to-people interaction is a key factor in avoiding war.

    By the way, Song actually knew about the Peace Corps and the history of Kennedy starting it. I wish the average American knew as much. The Peace Corps was in China for several years, but not recently. Russia too.

    Walking around Darwin we saw memorials to the destruction in World War II by the Japanese. My dad was in the Navy in the South Pacific in World War II and I know he stopped in Australia. Maybe I’m retracing his steps. I did not have to fight in a war nor my sons. But others less privileged did. As Jimmy Carter said in his Nobel Peace Prize speech, “War is evil, sometimes necessary, but always evil.”    Weiterlesen

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