Hi Everybody! We got up very early today for a 6:10 flight. When we got to the airport, we found out that the airlines made the ticket for the wrong day. We were suppose to fly tomorrow. We have been trying to resolve the problem for 4 hours. Finally, they decided to put up on a 12:00 flight to Bangkok and a late afternoon flight to Siem Reap. That will cut our time short in Cambodia, but we will just have to deal with it. I don't know if I have mentioned or not that we have to pay airline taxes [View Full Entry]

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Hi Everybody! We flew to Vientiane yesterday on a propeller type airplane that held about 60 passengers. While we were waiting for our flight, we met a nice couple from Germany that were natives of Prague. He had a PhD in zoology with a specialty in fresh water dolphins. He was coming to Laos for a conference. We are staying in a nice hotel for $20 a night and that includes breakfast. It has white marble floors, a huge bath, and nice furniture. They provide free transportation to and from the airport. We didn't realize that when we hired a taxi. [View Full Entry]

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Hi Everybody! We spent yesterday in the River Kwai region. we stopped first in Kanchanaburi, a town about 2 hours west of Bangkok. It was here that we viewed the Death Railway and the Bridge over the River Kwai. Both were built by the Japanese during WWII. They used Allied prisoners of war to do the labor. 25,000 workers died from exhaustion, malnutrition, and maleria while slaving away for the brutal Japanese. While the movie, "Bridge Over the River Kwai" is not completely historically accurate, it reflects the horror and suffering that the POW's and slave laborers endured. We also s [View Full Entry]

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Hi Everybody! If you decide to visit Asia, I would highly recommend Bangkok. It has great food, interesting sights, nice people, and plenty of people who speak English. This morning, we took a city tour to the flower market, Chinatown, a gem factory/workshop, and visited many temples/wats. Each temple in Bangkok is unique with its own architecture and spiritual importance. We visited the temple with the Reclining Buddha and another with the Golden Buddha, a 10 foot tall statue that weighs 5 tons. I thought it was interesting that in 1957 this statue was completely covered in plaster and [View Full Entry]

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Hi Everybody! If I ever take a trip like this again, I am not going to arrive or depart an airport after dark. It is frightening to go into an unknown place and especially at night. On our flight, there was one Caucasian lady. We approached her when the plane landed and asked her a couple of questions. She worked for the Asia Foundation, a human rights organization. We were thankful for her help and advice. We were able to locate a kiosk run by our hotel, the Colombo Hilton. They got us a taxi and we felt safe leaving in [View Full Entry]

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Hi Everybody! Singapore is very hot and humid! Heat doesn't normally bother me unless it is hot and dry like Bahrain, but this is like good old Alabama heat in July after a rainfall. This city is probably more modern than the U.S. It is spotless and people are fined big bucks if they litter. The streets are wide and are lined with old majestic trees. The sidewalks are easily 3-4 times wider than in the U.S. Everything here is terribly expensive. We went to the Raffles Hotel where the Singapore Sling drink was invented. We ordered 2 and paid a [View Full Entry]

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Hi Everybody! We just arrived in Singapore late this afternoon! We are staying at the Orchard Hotel in the middle of a shopper's paradise. I am looking forward to checking it out tomorrow. I have heard that everything here is terribly expensive. The city is very modern and almost everyone speaks fluent English. The airport was very modern with a theater, gym, and well organized ground transportation. I have a feeling that this city will be more like Atlanta than the other Asian cities that we have visited. I haven't seen any Americans yet but have seen many Swedes and Australians. [View Full Entry]

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Hi Everybody! One thing that gets your attention in Vietnam is the traffic. There are probably 10 scooters for every car, bus, and bicycle. They all constantly blow their horns instead of hitting the brakes. At first, I was a little scared to cross the streets. Occasionally, a native girl would grab my arm and pull me across with her. We would walk in between the scooters. I got to where I could do it on my own. The city also has a force of tourist officers that are very helpful. This is the first city that Walt has allowed me [View Full Entry]

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Hi Everybody! We are so happy to be in Vietnam. We arrived early last evening and saw rain for the first time since our trip started. It didn't last long but made everything steamy. It is in the 90's during the day and feels just like Alabama in the summer. The people here are wonderful. They are so friendly and helpful and always have a smile on their faces. One thing that I like about being here is that they love the U.S. dollar. They had rather have that than their Vietnamese dong. It sure makes life easier for me [View Full Entry]

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Hi Everybody! Both India and Kathmandu are having festivals this week. This is India's largest festival, Diwali, the festival of life. They clean their homes well, give gifts to each other, shoot fireworks, close shops, hang garlands of marigolds, and party. I don't remember the name of Nepal's festival. They celebrate 366 festivals a year. We went to Nepal because Walt has always wanted to go. It is a very small country north of India that is famous for trekking. American tourism has dropped 90% in the last few years. The most exciting thing that we did in Nepal was take [View Full Entry]

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