WORLD TRAVELOGUE

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WORLD TRAVELS :

WARREN RODWELL has written features, submitted pictures for magazines, newspapers, online publications & moderated various internet forums. Warren has lived and travelled in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, & his native country of Australia. In very recent years, he has travelled extensively through south east Asia and China. This log outlines his movements around the world.


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WOCCA 沃伦 - Warren Rodwell
WORLD TRAVELOGUE OUTLINE
http://blogs.bootsnall.com/Wocca/

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An English-native-speaking expatriate based
in the People's Republic of China since 2002

CHINA · Oct 2010 - July 2011
SHANGHAI and beyond

VIETNAM · September 2010
Saigon, Nha Trang,
Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi

CAMBODIA · Aug 2010
Phnom Penh

THAILAND · Aug 2010
Kamala Beach, Phuket

AUSTRALIA · June 2010 - August 2010
New South Wales, Victoria, South
Australia,and Western Australia

FIJI & VANUATU · June 2010
Pacific Islands(side trip)

AUSTRALIA · Oct 09 - June 2010
Queensland,New South Wales,Victoria,
Tasmania, and Northern Territory

CHILE · Aug 09 - Oct 09
Santiago, Elqui Valley,
Puerto Varas, Patagonia

URUGUAY · July 09
Colonia (side trip)

ARGENTINA · June - July 09
Buenos Aires, Mendoza

SOUTH AFRICA · June 2009
Fly Hong Kong - Johannesburg
then onwards to South America


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CHINA · Sept 08 - June 09
WUXI, JIANGSU PROVINCE:

Taught at Jiangnan University (School of Business),
Wuxi, Jiangsu Province; about one hour by fast train
from Shanghai. Copy and paste the following link or
click www.jiangnan.edu.cn for more details.


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AUSTRALIA · Jan-Feb 09
SUMMER DOWN - UNDER
Brisbane, Perth, Rottnest


JAPAN · August 08
Osaka (side trip)

CHINA · August 08

PHILIPPINES · July - Aug 08
Manila, Boracay, Iloilo, Cebu,
Bohol, Dumaguete, Siquijor

THAILAND · July 2008
Koh Chang & Bangkok

CAMBODIA · July 2008
Phnom Penh, Kep, Sihanoukville
Checking out the south coast ...


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CHINA · Sept 05 - July 08
CHENGDU, SICHUAN PROVINCE:

* Hometown of the giant panda. Warren taught postgraduates at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Mr Rodwell also co-produced book "Chengdu Sichuan China". Warren also contributed to & asssisted in a language advisory capacity to "GO WEST" - Western China's pioneering magazine for culture and nature, distributed through five star hotels in Chengdu, Chong Qing, etc.

LOCAL JAUNTS INCLUDE:

Mt Emei & Leshan Giant Buddha
Dead Sea of China, Daying County
Qingyanggong Taoist Temple, Chengdu
Sanxingdui(SHI)Ancient Cultural Ruins
Giant Panda Bear Breeding Research Centre
Linquanshi and Guangdeshi Temples, Suining

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LAOS · July 07 - August 07
Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Pakse, Vientiane, & Four Thousand Islands


MYANMAR (BURMA) · July 07
Assist Buddhist University

CHINA · June 07
KUNMING - Arrange visa

CHINA · May 07
SHANGHAI - Golden Week

CHINA · February 07
PANZHIHUA - Spring Festival

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EUROPE · June 06 - July 06
Germany,Switzerland,Austria,
Czech Republic and Poland

CHINA · Oct 05
CHONG QING:
Golden Week on the banks of the Yangtze River

CHINA · AUG 05
HONG KONG, YANGSHUO & XI'AN:
Flew back to Hong Kong in August 2005 & then holidayed domestically in mainland China (Yangshuo & Xi'an).

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AUSTRALIA · Jul 05 - Aug 05
Warren returned to Australia after three years living in Asia. His family & friends are on both sides of the country.

HONG KONG · Jul 05 - Jul 05
Two month summer vacation and Warren flew in/out of mainland China to Hong Kong a couple of times. A chance to have a look around, taste some local cuisine, and so on.

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CHINA · May 04 - Jun 05
KUNMING & XISHUANGBANNA:
Taught in the Foreign Languages Department, International Finance Department, and the International Business School of Yunnan University of Finance & Economics, a government university in Kunming. Also holidayed for a week in Xishuangbanna, close to the Laos / Myanmar borders.

PHILIPPINES · Jan 05 - Feb 05
MANILA:
Several days in Manila before beaching out for a couple of weeks at Puerto Galera (White Beach & Sabang). Back to Thailand for more quality beach time & the return flight to China.

THAILAND · Jan 05 - Feb 05
BANGKOK, KANCHANBURI & KOH CHANG:
Two months winter holidays. In Bangkok catching up with local friends, and organising flights to The Phils. On return to Thailand ... taking it easy at Kanchanaburi (River Kwai) inland, then over on beautiful Koh Chang in the Gulf of Thailand, close to the Cambodian border. Afterwards, I flew back to continue working & living in south west China

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CHINA · Oct 04 - Oct 04
DALI, LIJIANG & SHANGRI-LA;
The first day of October each year is National Day in China. A week-long holiday called "Golden Week" is observed. With a group of nine friends, I went on a domestic Chinese package tour of the north of Yunnan Province.

Sleeper train from Kunming to Dali. Erhai Lake by boat. Butterfly Well Park. Old Dali Town & Foreign Street. Bus from Dali to Lijiang Old Town and Square Market. Then on by minibus, past the first bend of the Yangtze River, to "Shangri-La" in the Tibetan Prefecture of Yunnan.The actual town is Zhongdian. Close by is Songzanlin Lamasery as well as Napa & Shudu Lakes. Yak rides are available.

Upon returning to Lijiang, there was Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Spruce Meadow and White Water River.All meals and hotels were included in the tour cost. We returned to Dali by bus then back to Kunming by overnight sleeper train. Sleeping berths can only be booked through travel agents.

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THAILAND · Jun 04 - Jun 04
CHIANG MAI & PAI;
A visa run to northern Thailand for a week. A quick visit to the Chinese consulate in Chiang Mai, then up in the hills to peaceful Pai. A great place to hire a motorcycle and ride around the mountains.

MYANMAR · Apr 04 - Apr 04
MANDALAY & BAGAN:
A 28 day tourist visa for Myanmar (Burma) was arranged through the Myanmar consulate in the Camellia Hotel, Kunming in Yunnan Province, southern China.
It only took 1.5 hours to fly from Kunming to Mandalay, Myanmar. There's nothing exciting at all about Mandalay, unless you relish the thought of watching a wooden marionette (puppet) show.

After arranging a re-entry visa to China through the Chinese consulate in Mandalay, I took the express boat (11 hours) down the Ayeryarwaddy River to the world heritage site of Bagan (aka Pagan). When Marco Polo travelled through this part of the world, he was amazed by all the golden Buddhist stupa's. You can hire a bicycle to ride around the different parts of this town.There were quite a few retired European tourists in Myanmar.From Bagan, I flew back to Mandalay before returning to China.

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CHINA · Mar 04 - Mar 04
TIBET:
An overland four wheel drive tour from Kathmandu, Nepal to Lhasa, Tibet.

NEPAL · Feb 04 - Feb 04
LUMBINI:
A five hour local bus trip from Pokhara to the town of Bhairahawa, close to the Indian border. From Bhairahawa, another 45 minute local bus trip to the village of Lumbini; the exact birthplace of Lord Buddha in 623BC. A dusty village however the nearby Ashok and temples constructed by the various Buddhist countries, are really quite beautiful.

My Buddha Air flight from Bhairahawa to Kathmandu was diverted via Pokhara. This flight was above the clouds that hung below the peaks of Annapurna Ranges and the Himalayan Mountains.Mount Everest could also be seen.

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NEPAL · Feb 04 - Feb 04
POKHARA:
Kathmandu seems nice and funky enough until you get away from it. Then you can appreciate, the clean mountain air in the countryside, especially at Pokhara in the Himalayan Mountains.

Pokhara is a beautiful lakeside town. The bus up from Kathmandu takes about eight hours to cover the 210km journey. There are plenty of guest -houses to choose from in Pokhara.The highlights of Pokhara include the Mountain Museum, and tandem paragliding from 1,000 metres. Well worth the effort if floating in the clouds appeals to you.

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NEPAL · Jan 04 - Feb 04
KATHMANDU:
Nepal is heaven compared to India. Every thing is quite simple,friendly & relatively laid-back.You can purchase a 60 day tourist visa ($US30) on arrival at Kathmandu airport. There's usually a courtesy bus from one of the many guesthouses, waiting to meet planes. No need to organise anything in advance.It's possible to also purchase 5 month tourist visa's if you want stay much longer. I think they cost about $US80. Something worth noting is that foreigners cannot stay in Nepal more than 5 months in any one calendar year.

I stayed at the old, established Kathmandu Guesthouse in the heart of the Thamel tourist district. The rooms were a bit more expensive than other guesthouses however they were very comfortable. The Kathmandu Guesthouse is more like a hotel than a guesthouse. A big advantage is they accept major credit cards. There's not actually much to see in Kathmandu itself, but it is a good base to plan tours & just chill out on the rooftop restaurants.

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INDIA · Oct 03 - Feb 04
KOTTAYAM, BANGALORE, MYSORE & GOA:
At Kottayam (Kerala) & Bangalore (Karnataka) in the south of India, I taught (IELTS) English to post-graduate nurses. Most were Catholic and preparing to work in the USA & the UK.Whilst in India, I also visited Mysore, the "City of Palaces" near Bangalore. Mysore is really quite charming.

The beach at Goa on the west coast of India, facing the Arabian Sea, was my favourite place. The first time, I stayed at Calangute Beach for 5 days. The next was for 10 days. I really did not want to leave Goa. It was fantastic. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested.Multiple-entry six (6) month tourist visa's are available for India, irrespective of how long you want to stay. The cost of the visa varies according to your nationality.

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THAILAND · Sep 03 - Oct 03
BANGKOK:
In order to improve my foreign language teaching skills and options, I did six (6) weeks' private TEFL (Teach English Foreign Language) training in the Thai capital of Bangkok.
During this period, I rented a small apartment in suburban Bangkok and made some lovely Thai friends. I even took weekly lessons in learning the Thai language. Thai's think it is polite to be late or not turn up at all for appointments or dates.

It was a nice change not to be involved in any tourist activities, as this was my fourth time in Thailand. Tourism is very well established in Thailand. Any new to Bangkok can just head straight to the Khao San Road backpacker area, and organise whatever flights or tours they like.

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CHINA · Dec 02 - Sep 03
NORTHERN CHINA:
I travelled by soft-sleeper train ($US100) from Hanoi, Vietnam to Beijing in December 2002. Winter is bitterly cold in northern China. The wind cuts like a knife. No matter how much wrapping you have on, it still gets through. The sights in & around Beijing included Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, The Great Wall & the Beijing Acrobatics.

I left Beijing & went by bus (8 hours) to windy, dusty, non-descript, Dongying in Shandong Province near the BoHai Sea. This city's claim-to-fame is its oilfield. I taught English as a foreign language to over one thousand Chinese high school students from December 2002 to September 2003. I was the only foreigner there.The immediate area (Bafenchang) was established by chain gang prisoners in the 1930's. Being in a fairly isolated provincial area, local folk thought at first that I must be Russian.

I also visited Lai Zhou, Linzi, Zibo & Qingdao in Shandong. Qingdao is a beautiful seaside place during summer.Winter is bitterly cold.

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CAMBODIA · Nov 02 - Dec 02
POIPET, BATTAMBANG, SIEM REAP, PNOM PENH, SIHANOUKVILLE:

VIETNAM · Nov 02 - Dec 02
SAIGON, HUE, HANOI, HALONG BAY & SAPA:

LAOS · Oct 02 - Nov 02
VIENTIANE, VENG VIENG & LUANG PRABANG:

THAILAND · Sep 02 - Oct 02
ISLANDS & BEACHES:

SINGAPORE · Aug 02 - Oct 02
SINGAPORE:

MALAYSIA · Aug 02 - Sep 02
MAINLAND EAST & WEST COASTS, AND SARAWAK :

INDONESIA · Jan 02 - May 02
LOMBOK, BALI, JAVA & SUMATRA:

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AUSTRALIA · Sep 91 - Dec 01
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Born in Sydney and grew up on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. I developed a love of the beach at a very young age. Have travelled around most parts of mainland Australia. The cities that I know best are Brisbane, Perth & Sydney.

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MALAYSIA · Oct 99 - Oct 99
PENANG:
Beach resort area. Great breakfasts, parasailing and night street market. Very conservative, soft-core Asia. Wonderful for families.

THAILAND · Jun 97 - Jun 97
BANGKOK, CHIANG RAI & CHIANG MAI

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NEW ZEALAND · Sep 91 - Sep 91
ENROUTE NEW ZEALAND - AUSTRALIA

USA · Sep 91 - Sep 91
ENROUTE LONDON - LOS ANGELES - AUCKLAND

ENGLAND · Dec 90 - Sep 91
EAST SUSSEX / KENT:

FRANCE · Aug 91 - Aug 91
ENROUTE ENGLAND TO SPAIN:

SPAIN · Aug 91 - Aug 91
BARCELONA & COSTA DEL SOL:

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NETHERLANDS · Feb 91 - Feb 91
DELFT, HOLLAND:

WALES · Jan 91 - Jan 91
NORTHERN WALES:

ITALY · Dec 90 - Dec 90
ROME:

ISRAEL · Oct 90 - Dec 90
TEL AVIV:

EGYPT · Nov 90 - Nov 90
CAIRO & THE SINAI:

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ENGLAND · Sep 90 - Oct 90
LONDON:

MALAYSIA · Sep 90 - Sep 90
ENROUTE AUSTRALIA - ENGLAND

TURKEY · Sep 90 - Sep 90
ENROUTE AUSTRALIA - ENGLAND:

SCOTLAND · Sep 90 - Sep 90
GLASGOW:

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AUSTRALIA · Jun 89 - Sep 90
WESTERN AUSTRALIA:

INDONESIA · Jun 89 - Jun 89
BALI:

AUSTRALIA ·
NEW SOUTH WALES / QUEENSLAND

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LINKS FOR CROSS-REFERENCE:
http://www.trekearth.com/trip.php?tid=1113&display=full
http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/16890/WORLD-TRAVEL-Travelogue-travel-blogs-and-reviews-19

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