Asia
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Vientiane
For my previous posts on this adventure, click http://lynntowin.ca/thailand-and-laos, http://lynntowin.ca/bangkok, http://lynntowin.ca/chiang-mai, http://lynntowin.ca/laos, and http://lynntowin.ca/luang-prabang-laos and http://lynntowin.ca/vang-vieng Wat Sisaket We drove for a couple of hours on a new highway, built by the Chinese of course, to reach the capital, Vientiane. It sits along the Mekong River, and you can see Thailand on the other side. We visited Wat Sisaket, the oldest buddhist temple here. It’s the only temple still standing from a war with Siam, now Thailand, in the 1800’s. The temple and grounds are weathered and beaten, but beautiful. In the gardens are stupas containing the ashes of local devotees of the temple. We travelled by tuk-tuk within the…
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Vang Vieng
For my previous posts on this adventure, click http://lynntowin.ca/thailand-and-laos, http://lynntowin.ca/bangkok, http://lynntowin.ca/chiang-mai, http://lynntowin.ca/laos, and http://lynntowin.ca/luang-prabang-laos Chinese railway From our hotel in Luang Prabang, we went in vans to the new high-speed train to Vang Vieng. (It actually wasn’t that fast, the displayed speed got as high as 150 km/hr, but I’ve been on others in Spain and Japan that go twice as fast.) The railway was finished in 2021, and built by the Chinese. Before the train, the journey was 8 hours by winding roads, and now it’s only one hour. The packed train was not all that comfortable, but I slept the whole time, due to our 5 am alms…
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Luang Prabang, Laos
For my previous posts on this adventure, click http://lynntowin.ca/thailand-and-laos, http://lynntowin.ca/bangkok, http://lynntowin.ca/chiang-mai, and http://lynntowin.ca/laos Luang Prabang We got to our hotel after the Mekong river cruise after a twenty minute drive through the city. It’s famous for its french colonial architecture and many buddhist temples. We walked from our hotel through the night markets to a restaurant for dinner. I tried a local pork dish and disliked it. Thankfully my favorite, pad thai, is on almost every menu in Laos as well as in Thailand. There was a lovely street full of bars just past the night markets. Kuang Si waterfall and bear sanctuary In the morning we set off to…
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Laos
For my previous posts on this adventure, click http://lynntowin.ca/thailand-and-laos, http://lynntowin.ca/bangkok, and http://lynntowin.ca/chiang-mai What’s interesting about Laos? Laos is one of only five communist countries in world today. The others are China, Cuba, Vietnam, and North Korea. Although the US waged a secret war against Laos during its war with Vietnam, with the intent to stop the spread of communism, Laos has been a one-party communist state since 1975. During the war with Vietnam from 1964-1973, the US dropped over 2 million tons of bombs on Laos. 270 million bombs. A third of those bombs did not explode, and continue to take the lives or body parts of locals who come…
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Chiang Mai
For my previous posts on this trip, check http://lynntowin.ca/thailand-and-laos https://lynntowin.ca/bangkok Night train Bangkok to Chiang Mai We boarded the night train for the trip to Chiang Mai. I travelled in Thailand the first time almost 20 years ago, and the night train experience was one I’ll never forget! This time, not so much. On that trip so long ago, the night train had a bar car. My group went there, where we ordered buckets. Buckets are small pails filled with coke and some of the local rye or rum, then each person gets a straw to share the bucket. Our bartender was a flamboyant ladyboy, who led us in singing…
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Bangkok
To see my trip planning, check http://lynntowin.ca/thailand-and-laos The way to Bangkok I got here by the most direct route, Regina to Vancouver to Bangkok. The Vancouver to Bangkok flight is 16 hours 20 minutes. (The longest flight in the world is over 18 hours). I tried to upgrade my seat but there was nothing available. We were packed in like sardines. The flight arrived in Bangkok around 6 am. I knew that I would be shattered after that very long flight and a 13 hour time change, and would just want to have a rest when I got there. So, I booked an airport pickup from the hotel, at a…
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Thailand and Laos
What kind of trip am I going on? This trip is with Intrepid Travel https://www.intrepidtravel.com/ca/laos/thailand-laos-adventure-166921 It’s called an “adventure” so I think it will be fun! How will I get there? My flights take me from Regina to Vancouver, then straight to Bangkok. I paid $177 for my flights, using aeroplan points earned from a TD aeroplan visa infinite credit card welcome bonus. Two nights before the tour in a nice hotel were booked using TD points from a TD platinum travel credit card. Two nights after the tour in a very nice hotel were booked using Marriott Bonvoy points from a Marriott Bonvoy business credit card ($150 annual fee).…
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Maldives
Maldives is a country of almost 1200 islands. Somewhere between 150 and 200 of them have private resorts – one resort per island. Another 80 or so islands are inhabited by locals. The actual number is hard to pin down since the numbers change – resorts appear, islands disappear. Yes, islands have disappeared already. Maldives is the first country that may disappear due to rising sea levels from global warming. Much of the land is only about a meter above sea level. I decided I must visit since I was only a short flight away from the capital, Male, when I ended my Sri Lankan adventure. Why is Maldives so…
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Sri Lanka
Where is Sri Lanka? Sri Lanka, formerly know as Ceylon, is an island in the Indian Ocean off the south coast of India. Brief history of Sri Lanka Urban settlements were first recorded about 3000 years ago, in the 10th century BCE. Sri Lanka was colonized since the 16th century by the Portuguese, Dutch, and British. It gained independence in 1948. Sri Lanka experienced a civil war from 1983 to 2009. In 2004, tens of thousands died in the tsunami, along with destruction of coastal resorts. In 2019, terrorists attacked churches and hotels on Easter Sunday. And then came Covid. So Sri Lankans are very happy to welcome tourists back.…
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United Arab Emirates – Dubai
Why visit Dubai? I finally booked a trip to a destination I had been eyeing for years – Sri Lanka! But it is so far away, on the other side of the world. And then there were terrorist attacks in 2019, followed by the pandemic years. But now Sri Lanka is welcoming visitors. I looked for flights to Sri Lanka, and many of them connected through Dubai. And I thought, why not do a stopover there? It’s a dazzling city, home to a lot of “biggest in the world” structures, and known for its over the top opulence. And then I looked at a map, and saw that Maldives is…