Curator’s statement
Go travel with your kids. When one of my daughters was in a wedding in Kathmandu, I did just that and had the trip of a lifetime. Of course, we made sure it was socially acceptable to go, wedding and all, and it was. So my other daughter and I planned a trip around the world. A stop in Singapore, a few days for the wedding in Kathmandu, a stopover in Istanbul, meeting my wife for Christmas in Malta, a stopover in Frankfurt, and then back to D.C. It was the trip of a lifetime.
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Singapore feels like utopia. Everything is clean, the population moves with efficiency, and the city mixes the ultra-modern with pockets of traditional culture. Go see Chinatown, make sure you hit at least a few of the hawker centers, and walk the Marina Bay area.
Kathmandu has been on my list for years—the gateway to the Himalayas and big mountain expeditions. We didn’t do much trekking because I’m an old man, but we did make the rounds of all the major temples, which was better than lugging a backpack up a mountain. The pervasiveness of idols in everyday life is fascinating, and this city never sits still. We also did a Mount Everest flight tour, but someone mentioned not looking at the flight statistics before you fly.
We were in Istanbul for just a day and a night, and this was hardly enough time. We did a quick walk through the Grand Bazaar, but you could easily get lost for a few hours here. We also strolled through the streets around the Blue Mosque, but, in hindsight, we should have seen the Basilica Cistern. Istanbul, I’ll be back.
Malta was beautiful for Christmas, and if another European cathedral bores you, go to Valletta. Valletta is easily one of the most stunningly beautiful cities in Europe. Take a boat tour around the capital and go to Mdina for the day. Marsaxlokk and the Dingli Cliffs are both beautiful. The Intercontinental Malta was all done up for the holidays, hosted great Christmas meals, and had a pastry chef that made ornamental-sized desserts that filled a showroom.
New Year’s Eve in Frankfurt was a nice meal, watching the fireworks from our room, and bedtime. Back to D.C. the next day. IAD-SFO-SIN-KTM-IST-MLA-FRA-IAD—what a trip. I’m grateful to be able to see the world.
Need to know
You can use tap to pay on the subway in Singapore. Consider downloading the Grab app in advance for ridesharing, ordering food, and digital payments. There are so many people and cars and motorcycles in Kathmandu, you do not want to drive. Pay attention to the locals when you walk. The mass of people is stunning. Driving in Malta is easy, comparatively. Driving is the reverse of the U.S.—you will drive on the left in a right-hand-drive vehicle.
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