Bryan
Bryan and Miranda Joined: September 11th 2005
Logged in: February 13th 2012
Logged in: February 13th 2012
The Travel Blog of Bryan and Miranda
Miranda and I have kept a travel log since 1985. Our journal has many, many entries. Therefore, we used literary license, editing our Travel Blog down to 60 postings, combining and reworking material. For example, Cuba: we have gone to Cuba several different winters and visited Matanzas, Havana and Varadero on numerous occasions. All these travels have been telescoped into one entry, where we start off in Havana, travel through Matanzas, finally reaching Varadero.
Due to "identity theft" and privacy concerns we have changed some of the names of the people and other aspects of our Travel Blog. Therefore, please do not make comments correcting certain details! If you find your name changed and don't mind having your real name posted, please e-mail us.
Thank you Travel Blog for this great service!
Miranda and Bryan Porter
"The World is a Book, and those who do not Travel read only a Page" - St.Augustine.
"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
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Travel Blog Posts
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ENTRY 60 - Cuba Cuba is a great place to avoid the Canadian winter. The main thing that Canada has in common with Cuba is that we are America's closest neighbors and are two of only a handful of nations who have been able to stand up to this mighty Superpower. For Canada, 1812 was the year we were put to the test. Normally, President Madison would never have dared to declare war on the British Empire. However, because the British were tied up with Napoleon in Europe, the colonies of Upper and Lower Canada were "ripe for the picking". We were in serious trouble. Governor-General Sir George Prevost of Canada wrote to the Admirals in Bermuda calling for help! French, English and Native Canadians put aside their differences and rose to the occasion. Our plan ... read more
Phnom Penh - The Flower Stall.
ENTRY 59 - Siem Reap to China Our taxi to Phnom Penh cost a bit more than we were used to paying, but Miranda had been assured that the vehicle would be brand new. Bags packed, we left the hotel and walked toward the taxi. It was not new. . . indeed dilapidated would be a better word to describe its condition. The driver approached me in a brazen fashion and demanded his money up front. I replied that I would be pleased to pay him - when we arrived in Phnom Penh. After pressing me for a couple of minutes he gave up and went silent . . . not a good sign. Miranda surveyed the beat up, old taxi and told me she had been lied to . . . not a good sign. ... read more
April 21, 2008
Entry 58 - Bangkok, Aranya, Poipet, Siem Reap, to Angkor Wat Angkor Wat is one of the wonders of the world. Yet, to get there from Bangkok is a truly an inglorious ordeal. The worst way to go is to book transport from Khao San Road which will generally leave you stranded or worse (there are many url=http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&num=100&q=+Khao+San+Road+Siem+Reap++Poipet+Scam+OR+scams+OR+%22rip+off%22&btnG=Search&meta=clever scams ). The nefarious Bangkok Airways is very expensive. Probably the safest and least expensive route is to fly to Phnom Penh and then drive back across Cambodia to Siam Reap. . . And then, of course, was the Bryan and Miranda route! Visa We got our visa in Bangkok to avoid having to give a "gift" to corrupt border officials. Taxi We bo... read more
Bryan
Entry 57 - The Ugly American Every tourist feels it -- anti-Americanism! When I am traveling, I always let people know "I am Canadian". Like many of my fellow travelers, I have Canada's flag sewn onto my luggage and let everyone know I am not from the States. It was not always like this. When I was growing up in Canada during the 1960s we loved America. Indeed, we were proud to be associated with the United States. We talked of "us" landing a man on the moon. Canadians knew that JFK and Dr. King were not from Canada ... but we felt we were all American ... eh? Somehow this changed -- that is until I Barack Obama and his Iowa victory. Since then I have watched this man in action. He has touched something ... read more
Bangkok Skyline
ENTRY 55 - Thailand Constitution Living and working in Bangkok, Miranda and I know Thailand to be a beautiful country, with a wonderful people and a wise king. Indeed, the King has saved the nation many times in the past. However, it must also be said that Thailand has been the victim of corrupt, greedy governments that have tried to oppress the people. This has caused Thailand great loss of face. From the "new airport" scandal to former Prime Minister Thaksin's criminal activities, this country has been the scene of one fiasco after another. Thammasat University has a tradition of fighting for liberty and democracy in this country. The name Thammasat comes from "The University of Morality and Political Science". If one spends any time at Thammasat it becomes clear than the young, idealistic students are ... read more
Pub
Entry 56 - Sex, naked ladies and blue diamonds on Soi Cowboy Soi Cowboy, Pattaya and Patpong are the focal points of Thailand's sex tourism. Soi Cowboy is the most notorious red-light district in Bangkok. A short street with some 40 bars, it caters mainly to tourists and expatriates. The area is named after T. G. "Cowboy" Edwards, a retired American airman who opened one of the first bars here in 1977. Topless and nude dancing remain technically illegal. Most of the erotic dancers are also sex workers and will join a customer if he pays a "bar fine" to the bar and a separate fee to the girl. Sexual services usually t... read more
Rangsit Campus
Entry 54 - Bangkok Bombs Miranda and I went out for dinner at about 7:00 pm on New Year's Eve to a small restaurant about five minutes from Wendy House. As we were ordering our meal, a young Thai man asked me if he could take the remote control off my table and change the television station from "New Year's celebrations" to a news program. When I asked why, he said that some bombs had gone off in Bangkok in four different areas and he wanted to follow the story. By the time we had finished supper, six bombs had reportedly exploded. There were varying reports as to the number of people killed and injured. Our Swedish friend, Lisa, informed us about the cancellation of New Year celebrations. As we walked towards Siam Square, the streets ... read more
Miranda
Entry 53 - Thailand Coup Life in Bangkok, exotic, exciting and sometimes nerve wracking when we first arrived, had actually become pretty complacent. We were therefore astounded this morning (September 20th) to get a very unusual wake up call. As Miranda answered the phone, I could hear from her voice that something out of the ordinary was happening. Miss Nuyy, the night receptionist, told Miranda she might as well go back to bed because we didn't have to go to work that day. "There has been a revolution," she reported. "What?" I heard Miranda ask from my place in the shower. "Did you say revolution? Here, in Thailand? What has happened?" When Miranda got off the phone she excitedly informed me that the whole city was shut down due to a military coup that had taken ... read more
Bryan in front of the Chao Praya River
Entry 52 - THE QUAKE While finishing up our travels in India we began to realize that our quest of circumnavigating the globe would be helped by paid employment. I kept my ears open and looked for jobs. Both Miranda and I agreed that we were ready to work overseas once more. While sitting and talking to a nice young couple in Calcutta one day, they chanced to mention they had worked as teachers in Bangkok, Thailand. They asked if we had ever considered teaching. As I considered our educational background and experience working in schools in Lahore and Transkei, the idea made more and more sense. Bangkok became our next stop after leaving Calcutta. Bangkok: a clean, modern city Our first impressions of Thailand -- Bangkok to be exact -- were those of a clean, ... read more
Bryan meeting with President Yasser Arafat
ENTRY 51 - Visa Denied No Work Permit Miranda and I enjoyed our last couple of years in Peachland (Photo), but had decided we wanted to travel again. We were more than a little excited by the fact that -- after going through the interview process -- I had been offered the position of Rector, St. Paul's, Paget (Photo), by the Bishop of Bermuda. After a fantastic farewell from the people of St. Margaret's and the community of Peachland, we drove across Canada to Ontario and Quebec to visit friends before we left. We stopped along the way in various cities and towns. Our first stop was Edmonton, where we visited with friends who had lived in Peachland. They took us to the amazing West Edmonton Mall and we got up the nerve to go on ... read more
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