Fun fact#385
Chai is a shared word
From Turkish cay to Hindi chai and Russian chai, most of Asia uses a version of the same word, carried overland from China.
Quote#923
A book is a garden
A book is a garden carried in the pocket.
Asia: 215 stories, quotes and facts, part 3
5 stories, 7 fun facts, 3 quotes on this page. It covers Asia, Syria, Indian Ocean, Turkey, Southeast Asia, Mekong River and 1 other places. Page 3 of 3.
Page 3 of 3
5 stories, 7 fun facts, 3 quotes on this page. It covers Asia, Syria, Indian Ocean, Turkey, Southeast Asia, Mekong River and 1 other places. Page 3 of 3.
Entries on this page
Story#577
Souk directions
We asked for a shop and were escorted personally for ten minutes through covered alleys by a man who then refused to be thanked and disappeared.
Fun fact#387
Monsoon means season
The word monsoon comes from the Arabic mausim, meaning season, used by sailors who timed voyages to the reversing winds.
Story#580
Sunrise over Cappadocia
A hundred and fifty balloons launched in twenty minutes. From the ground it was chaos. From above it was completely still and you could hear other baskets' burners.
Fun fact#389
Bamboo can grow a metre a day
Some bamboo species grow up to 90 centimetres in 24 hours, which is why it is used for scaffolding across Asia.
Quote#928
Trust in God
Trust in God, but tie up your camel.
Fun fact#391
The Mekong feeds four countries' fisheries
The Mekong supports one of the world's largest inland fisheries, and Cambodia's Tonle Sap reverses direction every year.
Story#584
The ferry that crosses continents
Twenty minutes, a glass of tea, seagulls following the boat for bread, and you have changed continents on a commuter ticket.
Fun fact#393
Tea ceremony is a form of meditation
The Japanese tea ceremony can take four hours and is judged less on the tea than on attention, hosting and restraint.
Story#587
Turkish breakfast arithmetic
We ordered breakfast for two and eleven small plates arrived. Then bread. Then eggs. We did not eat again until nine that night.
Fun fact#395
Asia has the most megacities
More than half of the world's cities over ten million people are in Asia, led by Tokyo, Delhi and Shanghai.
Quote#939
The best time to plant a tree
The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.
Story#591
Hammam scrub
The attendant showed me the grey rolls coming off my arm with visible pride, as though we had achieved something together, which I suppose we had.
Fun fact#987
The world's oldest hotel is Japanese
Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan has been run by the same family since the year 705, making it the oldest continuously operating hotel on record.
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Your turn
Propose your travel story
The missed ferry. The stranger who handed over a key. The meal that ran until midnight. If something happened to you on the road and you still think about it, send it - a few sentences is plenty, and we do the tidying up.