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Private Notes
Rudy discovers temples straight out of Disneyland. A street astrologer tells him that he will live a long life, but his hotel room number is not an auspicious one.
Rudy explores the royal rooms behind the sandstone walls of the Mehrangarh Fort, perched high above the city, and discovers an entire furniture industry in the back streets of Jodhpur. Here entrepreneurs collect and refurbish heirloom furniture, which then makes its way to stores around the world.
A tour of Istanbul landmarks includes the Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofia, Grand Bazaar, Blue Mosque, and downtown Spice Market.
Boarding a gulet, the traditional wooden Turkish boat, Rudy sets out from the popular seaside town of Bodrum for a cruise along the coast with stops at several historic ruins.
Rudy visits Bangkok's legendary food carts, the Emerald Buddha, and flower and fish markets and takes a boat cruise along the Chao Phraya River.
Rudy visits a village where members of the Akha hill tribe are trying to maintain their traditions in the face of tourism. He also goes to an elephant orphanage, takes mahout lessons, and meets a Buddhist monk who helps steer young men away from the temptations of drugs.
Rudy paddles through hidden entrances of small islands to find mangroves few people ever see. In a nearby seaside village devastated by the 2006 tsunami, residents struggle to rebuild by offering sustainable tourism and home stays to visitors.
After touring the countryside of Estonia, Rudy ventures to the large island of Saaremaa and the much smaller island of Muhu, where he finds windmills, thatch-roofed farmhouses, and quiet waters. He also sits down for a candid interview with Mart Laar, the prime minister who took over following the withdrawal of Soviet troops and turned Estonia into one of Europe's most dynamic countries.
The treasures of the Hermitage, the splendors of Peterhof, and the quiet grace of canals in St. Petersburg, a former capital built by a czar that has reclaimed its position as one of the world's great destinations.
The style and verve of one of South America's most beautiful capitals is the focus as Rudy highlights Argentina's national dance, the tango, as well as the energy that its diverse population brings to Buenos Aires' urban landscape.
Rudy drives into the thin air of the Andes, visiting a graveyard full of people who died trying to summit Aconcagua. After a visit with some winemakers, a lunch of grilled meats prepared by gauchos in the middle of a vineyard is a reminder that the cowboy life is very much alive in this stunning region.
An urban marriage of high tech and age-old customs makes Tokyo a fascinating destination. The people you encounter range from teenagers playing "cos," or costume games, to adults taking dinner at a tiny yakatori restaurant where the kitchen consists of a small grill dedicated to cooking skewers of meat.
The spiritual heart of Japan, Kyoto offers a glimpse of Japanese life as it used to be, primarily because it was never bombed during World War II. Tiny streets with wooden homes, impressive temples, and a dedication to ancient Japanese traditions make Kyoto one of Japan's most visited cities.
