So where am I going? Here are your clues.

Today's posting is specifically written for my colleagues at work. As I'm sure you've figured out by now, I have not revealed where I am going on my trip though a handful of you do know. Usually when asked the question "Where are you going?", I would just blurt out the answer but this time around, I thought I would have some fun (and hopefully, you will too) by turning this into a guessing game.

This will be a test of your knowledge of world geography, biology and ancient history or perhaps, more accurately,

...... your ability to surf the web using Google
...... or your skills at bribing the very smart kids you have at home in to giving you the answers :-)

Land of the Golden Pagodas. Myanmar.

Buddhist monks in queue for the meal at the monastery Kha Khat Wain Kyaung in Bago.
(Photo by Hans A. Rosbach.  Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.)

I've wanted to travel to Myanmar, nicknamed *Land of the Golden Pagodas*, for more than 30 years.  It was around 1985  that I met the first person I ever knew from Burma - she was my colleague at the IMF and we stayed in good touch until she retired.  We used to have shared a lot of good times and good laughs.  As well, her husband who is also from the same homeland was the architect on my kitchen extension and renovation project.  Over the years, M introduced to her Burmese friends.

An Unexpected Trip With the Graduate.

The Graduate.

A  couple of days ago, I spoke with my sister.  She was calling me to tell me that her youngest son, whom I often just call *Z*, will be traveling to NYC to visit his older brother who's attending grad school there.  After that, he will come to see me and his grandparents who live nearby me.  I only have two nephews and the welcome mat is always set out for them.  As I was chatting with her, the thought of doing a trip with Z immediately came to mind.  Last summer I had asked if he would be interested in doing a trip to Belgium and France and he was.  Unfortunately, other commitments arose and he couldn't go.  So, I decided to bring up the idea again.  My sister had no objections but she wanted me to run the idea by Z.

So, I did.   And, this time there is nothing standing in his way so as of the very wee morning hours of today (I was too excited to sleep so we chatted), we are going to France and Belgium!!  Such an unexpected but wonderful, surprise trip!

The Caucasus. Armenia, Georgia & Azerbaijan.

Tatev Monastery, Armenia.  (Photo by Alexander Naumov)

Atrip to the Caucasus was something that my Central Asian travel partner, Pat, and I had talked quite a bit about when we were traveling through those countries this past spring.  Like me, she has a love for going to places that are off the beaten tourist path and most certainly, Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan fit that bill to a tee.

Both Pat and I will be busy for the next couple of months but starting mid October, we'll be hunkering down and planning out the details of this trip which is slated to happen early next year, 2016.