The Travel Year

Cambodian Birds:

Wild jungle noise near Angkor Wat.

Balinese Gamalan Music:

Music plays from a children's performance in Ubud, Bali. Read other stories about Ubud.

Balinese Kecak Dance 1:

A clip from the Kecak (sounds like kechak) dance in Ubud, Bali.

Balinese Kecak Dance 2:

[Clip 2]

Indian Bus:

Horn honking rattle-trap at 5 a.m. on the way to Jaisalmer. It is missing the typical shrieking Hindi music that normally accompanies such trips.

Dingle Music Festival 1:

Traditional Irish music complete with background pub noise. Recorded at the Dingle Music Festival in the Dingle Peninsula.

Dingle Music Festival 2:

[Another clip from the Dingle Music Festival.]

Dingle Music Festival 3:

[Another clip from the Dingle Music Festival.]

Kathmandu Monkey Temple:

Buddhist / Hindu chanting at one of Nepal's most famous temples, the Monkey Temple.

Kathmandu Monks Chanting:

Young monks chant with elders at a monastery and school near Bodhnath (near Kathmandu).

Panama Beach Frogs:

Evening sounds in the garden of the wonderful Togo Bed and Breakfast in Playa Blanca, Panama.

Samoan Sing-along 1:

The friendly family at Tanu's Beach Fales in Manase does a song and dance for their guests.

Samoan Sing-along 2:

[Another clip from Tanu's.]

Samoan Sing-along 3:

[Another clip from Tanu's.]

Samoan Trio 1:

A unique trio sings and plays guitar on Si'Ufaga Beach. You be the judge of their talent.

Samoan Trio 2:

[Another clip from Si'Ufaga.]

Samoan Trio 3:

[Another clip from Si'Ufaga.]

Spanish Busker:

A Barcelona street entertainer plays guitar and sings for change.

Basque / Spanish Soccer Fans:

Hordes of soccer fans sing "Ole ole ole ole" and chant Basque separatist slogans on their way to San Sebastian's opening soccer match with Bilbao.

Thai River Boat:

A river boat docks along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok.

Thai Train:

An overnight train to southern Thailand.

Thai Tuk-Tuk:

The ubiquitous sounds of the tuk-tuk in Bangkok.

Turkish Call to Prayer:

The evening Muslim call to prayer is broadcast over the miniret loudspeaker in the small lakeside town of Egirdir.

Turkish Mosque:

The mezzin from the call to prayer invited me into the mosque to watch the actual service. I watched, not sure what to do, but honored that I could experience it.

Vietnamese Hilltribe Music 1:

The haunting sounds of music played by the hilltribes of Sapa, near the border of China in northern Vietnam.

Vietnamese Hilltribe Music 2:

[Another clip from Sapa.]

Vietnamese Market:

Vendors preach their low prices and good deals in the town of Dalat in Vietnam's central highlands.