We’ve been to Chiang Mai, Thailand several times and can easily see us joining the many ex-pats who’ve made it their home. The mountain top temple at Duh Suthep is an amazing day trip to enjoy the gorgeous temple as well as the views of the city below.
We LOVE the beach and spend many a weekend enjoying the Pacific coast throughout the year. With my birthday approaching we considered packing up the camper and heading out but with an extremely wet forecast and a Groupon at the Sandy Cove for a mere $94 for two nights, we changed our thoughts and eagerly signed on.
Ronda – the gorgeous town in Spain that bears my name, is an enchanting town with a population of around 35,000. Both Ernest Hemingway and Orson Wells spent many a season in the town and For Whom the Bell Tolls is, supposedly, set partially in this town. Famous for both it’s historic bullfighting ring and the bridges spanning the deep gorge, it’s an excellent spot to spend several lazy afternoons in the town square. The Puente Nuevo (the new bridge) was, ironically, completed in 1793, is not exactly new, but it one of my favorite views in town.
The sand dunes of Namibia are often considered the highest in the world, and border along the great Kalahari desert. Whether or not this claim is valid becomes immaterial once you see them, be assured the dunes at Sossusvlei in the Namib Naukloft park are well worth the effort it takes to get there.
Egypt – an ancient land filled with one awe inspiring site after another. In our time there we covered much of the country and never grew tired of the fascinating two thousand year old culture and carvings.
Laos is one of our favorite countries, having all the attributes of it’s SE Asian neighbors but still retaining a unique charm all it’s own. The Buddhist culture is absolutely fascinating and we marveled over their many amazing temples, all with fantastic, gilded doors. We enjoyed our time there more than most places we’ve ever been. We can’t wait to go back!
Sunset in Fiji – a magical time of day. We would float in the calm, lukewarm sea and watch the sun set each evening and we were calmed by the rhythm of life in the islands.
CHINA – The name alone evokes a myriad of emotions and images; the worlds largest population, communism, take out food, Chairman Mao, tai chi, the Great Wall, and tea. The country is all this and more. The enormity of the country is as intimidating as it’s history and we feel the three weeks we spent there in 2000 barely scratched the surface of this fascinating culture.
Grand China and the Yangtze was our third tour with my company, Grand European Tours, and our first experience traveling to the world of eastern medicine, culture and food. Summing up the overwhelming experience that is China is a difficult challenge. Rich in history and culture, China as a country also faces great challenges of it’s own. The immense population has created some of the worst traffic and pollution we’ve experienced, before or since. Continue reading
Bugs, insects, annoyances. However you like to refer to them, they’re the bane of every travelers’ existence. From the deadly, malaria carrying mosquito to the astonishing strength of the the dung beetle. From the vicious no-see-em’s that strike w/ no warning and whose bites itch unbelievably, to the enormous, beetle-like creature shown below. In a rare move, Foto Friday this week is actually two photos. The first shows a close up of this terrifying bug and the second showing it’s true size compared to a bottle of the worlds best hard cider; Savanna Dry. Be glad you’re not camping in the Namibian bush with him tonight!
We LOVE off season camping. We love open campgrounds, fewer crowds, empty beaches, and the joy of fall in Oregon. During the “discovery” season from late September/ early October until May 1st of each year we never make campground reservations, preferring to simply flip a coin on the way out of town to decide where we’re going..
