Travel
-
Become a More Sustainable Traveler
Are you a Sustainable Traveler Are you a sustainable traveler is not likely a question you may have asked yourself. It is easy to overlook the impact our actions have on the planet. As the world starts opening up again to travel, it is important to consider if you are a sustainable traveler. The last few years have modified the way most people have interacted with nature. When China went into an almost total lockdown at the start of the COVID crisis, it shut down the country’s massive manufacturing sector. The result was a vast improvement in the air quality. In some areas, there were also improvements in water quality.…
-
Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand
You have not experienced the heritage and culture of Thailand if you have not visited the Grand Palace. Construction started in 1782, when King Rama I moved his capital to Bangkok. Then known as the Kingdom of Siam, which you may know if you are a Rogers and Hammerstein fan, the name is familiar from the musical “King and I”. From that time to about 1925, this was the home to the King of Thailand. The Grand Palace covers 94.5 hectares (234 acres) and has over 100 buildings. Tourists are most familiar with the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, which covers a small portion of…
-
Macau World Heritage Site
Macau World Heritage Site Macau World Heritage Site The Historical Center of Macau has over twenty-five sites and has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. The sites shown here are all within walking distance. Macau (also spelled Macao) is one of those places that you think you may have heard of but not really sure about, but mention its sibling and everyone knows her. So it is with Macau and Hong Kong. Like Hong Kong, Macau is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Also, like Hong Kong, it has a rich background that mixes two very different cultures. While Hong Kong was a…
-
Carnival Cruise Line Revisited
Revisiting Carnival Cruise My last Carnival cruise had been about 20 years ago. Back then the “Fun” of the fun ships seemed to be focused on drinking. Heavy often out-of-control drinking was the norm. I remember contests where couples would compete against each other for who could drink a yard of ale the fastest. Over the years, the Carnival cruise line has moved away from that image and does focus on families as well. Carnival Cruise Line Carnival Horizon I found an outstanding value for an 8-day cruise out of Miami, so I decided to take chance with Carnival Cruise Lines and booked it. At the time, using a third…
-
Chiang Mai Walking Tour Photo-essay
Chiang Mai Walking Tour Photo-essay I did a Chiang Mai Walking Tour Photo-essay for an online magazine about 7 years ago. The photographs were taken in December 2010. I spent about a month in Thailand with 2 friends joining me for the second week and another friend joining me the last week. The third week I went to Chiang Mai in the northern highlands of Thailand. Bangkok to Chiang Mai is about 450 miles by road. A bus will get you there in about 10 hours depending on the time of day it could be 12 hours. Your bus fare would range from $15 to $30 depending on the class…
-
Philippine Eagle Foundation Davao
Philippine Eagle Foundation, Davao While in Davao, Philippines recently, I visited the Philippine Eagle Foundation’s conservation Center. It took an hour by Grab to get to the center, which is on the outskirts of Davao City. The Philippine Eagle, (Scientific Name: Pithecophaga jefferyi) also known as the monkey-eating eagle after its favorite food, has a Critically endangered Status. It is believed that there are less than 400 pairs remaining living in the wild. Eagles found injured are brought to the foundation with the goal of getting them well and returned to the wild. If they can not recover fully and are unable to hunt for themselves, they will stay at…
-
Toilets — When You Got To Go, You Got To Go!
Toilets Imagine you are enjoying a walk around Paris and find yourself needing a restroom. You do not see anywhere nearby and a quick check on your map program shows the nearest fast food place is 2 kilometers or a mile away. The few places serving food and drinks near you look crowded and while there has to be one you do not spot a restroom. You keep walking and soon it becomes a little more important to find something. Across the street you spot a directional sign with “WC” on it. A water closet, okay we are saved. You cross the street and you see a small line of…
-
Trotters Harness Racing Paris Style
Standardbred Racing with a Twist. The evening I spend watching the trotters race at the Vincennes Hippodrome in Paris was great. I mention some of the highlights of the track in the post VINCENNES HIPPODROME OF PARIS. The racing experience was different as well. Yes they were racing standardbreds, but there were many differences in how they raced. Here are some of my observations. Standardbred Racing Paris Trotters In the United States there are more pacers than trotters. In Canada there seems to be more trotters but there is still a good number of pacers. In Europe, they have trotters. When I was living in Germany, I only saw trotters…
-
Vincennes Hippodrome Paris Racetrack
VINCENNES HIPPODROME OF PARIS The Vincennes Hippodrome located near the Vincennes Palace in Paris is one of the most famous racetracks in the world. It is here you will find the World Trotting Championships as well as Harness Racing World Triple Crown. The track dates back to 1863 and is one of the largest in the world. It has a seating capacity of over 60,000 in the clubhouse and grandstands. It also has an infield area for parking and other spectators. The restaurants will seat 1,800 people. Of the three days I was in Paris at the end of October, I was lucky because one evening of those days they…
-
A Wasted Day– At Sea on the Norwegian Epic
A Wasted Day — At Sea on the Norwegian Epic Studio Cabin on the Norwegian Epic I guess I just wasted a vacation day here aboard the Norwegian Epic. Today (Tuesday) was a day at sea. The early morning hours the sea was a little rough and you could feel a little movement that kept me from falling right to sleep. I woke super early, it was just before 9am. I put on the changing mood lights and read for a while. Got up and showered around 9:40, then walked up two decks to the fitness center on deck 14. There I had a body composition analysis done. It analyzes your…