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Insane Itinerary - Bob Carlsen

I was born in Bangkok, Thailand, and lived in Thailand 9 years, Vietnam for 7 years, Malaysia for 2 years, Germany for 7 years, and Belgium for 11 years, and in the process have circumnavigated our planet 10 times. I am now retired in Colorado, which gives me more time to travel. My wife, Linda, and then my three children, Tamara, Rosanna, and Will (all three of whom were born in Belgium), joined me for many of these years overseas, and then on road trips that took us to all 50 states. My wife grew tired of my insane itineraries, but my kids remain addicted to travel. They all want to join me on The Amazing Race. I hope to be able to share some of our trips with you!

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Joined on: March 26th 2009
Last Login: December 10th 2009

Blog Entries: 26
Photos: 251

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Blogs & Travel Journals

by Insane Itinerary, order by Date newest first.

By Insane Itinerary
June 13th 2009

Return home from Dalat via Bangkok Asia » Thailand » Central Thailand » Bangkok

11 June (Thursday) - We departed Dalat at 7:15 AM for a 8:45 AM flight to Saigon. As I walked across the tarmac to the plane I recalled to another passenger that the last time I made the same walk was in 1964. Our flight was only a half hour, so we had from 9:15 AM to 5:55 PM to spend in Saigon. We checked our baggage, and said farewell to Ruth who had a noon flight to Phnom Penh. Then Barb, Will and I caught a taxi into town for some last minute souvenir shopping...I bought some more lacquerware as [View Full Entry]

By Insane Itinerary
June 10th 2009

In and around Dalat Asia » Vietnam » Central Highlands » Da Lat

Dalat night market

10 June (Wednesday) - We started the day with an American breakfast at the restaurant where we ate the evening before. By 10 AM we were ready to explore areas around Dalat. Our first stop was "the peaks" or Langbian Mountain which we had climbed as elementary school kids. I remembering racing to see who could get to the top first. Fortunately, today they have built a road to the top where there is a restaurant and tourist stuff...the ubiquitous horse rides and vendors selling knitted bags. We had to pay to ride a Russian built jeep the fifteen minute ride [View Full Entry]

Little girl at restaurant - mommy's little helper

Russian jeep...our mode of transportation to the top of the peaks

By Insane Itinerary
June 9th 2009

Visit to Dalat School campus in Vietnam Asia » Vietnam » Central Highlands » Da Lat

Ruth, Johnny, Bob, and Barb arrive at the Dalat School campus climbing the long hill

9 June (Tuesday) - The purpose of the trip to Vietnam was to visit our old school campus where Barb attended from 1954 to 1965, Ruth attended from 1957 to 1965, John attended from 1956 to 1965 and I attended from 1956 to 1964. This was the boarding school for missionaries kids from the Southeast Asian area. All four of us came from Thailand, and three of us graduated in 1968 when the school was located in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia (now it is in Penang). The last time I had visited the school was in 1973, when I worked [View Full Entry]

Our hosts pose for pictures with our group in the reception room next to the dining hall in the main building

Hosts pose with group on front steps of the main building (Villa Alliance)

Barb, Bob, Ruth and Johnny in former dining room, now a training room

By Insane Itinerary
June 8th 2009

Journey from Saigon to Dalat Asia » Vietnam » Central Highlands » Da Lat

Barb, John, Ruth and Bob at old "mile" marker

8 June (Monday) - We departed Saigon about 8:30 for the 300 km drive to Dalat. At 100 km/hr that should have taken 3 hours. However, with the heavy traffic getting out of Saigon, the poor road conditions enroute, and stops along the way to take pictures of things we had remembered from our last drive up this road in 1960, the trip took until 5:30 PM. Out first stop was to take pictures of the rubber tree plantations and the harvesting of the white rubber sap. Then it was th large boulders near the half way point. Then it was [View Full Entry]

Ruth, Johnny, Bob, and Barb at rubber plantation

By Insane Itinerary
June 7th 2009

Sunday in Saigon Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City

Bob shopping for a Van Gogh

7 June (Sunday) - We had an early breakfast as we were to go to a Vietnamese Tinh Lanh church near our hotel. Our tour guide for our time in Vietnam escorted us there in time for the 8:30 AM service. The place was packed out. We ended up on the second row where there were earphones for simultaneous translation. Unfortunately, mine didn'r work, but after the service Barb provided me a summary. The order of service was right from forty years ago, with hymns and not 7-11 choruses. They had the words in both languages so we sang English while [View Full Entry]

By Insane Itinerary
June 6th 2009

Departure from Railay Asia » Thailand » South-West Thailand » Railay

Departing Railay on long tail boat

Breakfast was at 9 AM and we said farewell to our friends from Manchester, England who were headed to Phi Phi and then on to Malaysia and Indonesia on their honeymoon. We caught our longtail at 9:30 AM whicch met a taxi at Ao Nang to take us to the airport. The 12:05 PM flight was uneventful, and on time, which got us to Bangkok at 2:15 PM. We picked up ouir baggage and then checked it in immediately for the 3:55 PM flight to Saigon. We had just enough time for lunch...spagetti and mangoes and sticky rice, what a combination. [View Full Entry]

Looking back at Railay East and our resort

The captain of our boat with Railay East receeding in the distance

By Insane Itinerary
June 5th 2009

Last day at Railay Asia » Thailand » South-West Thailand » Railay

Pranang Beach

5 June (Friday) - The weather wasbetter today so I headed to Pranang Beach to get some better pictures of a sunny beach. Will had suffered sunburn from our day of snorkeling at Phi Phi, so spent most of the day in our room. I spent most of the morning there and then headed back for a dip in the pool before lunch. Perhaps this is a good time to talk about some of the people I met. The more interesting we those with kids, and still weren't constrained in their desire or ability to travel. One Danish couple had been [View Full Entry]

My German friends from Karlsruhe on Pranang Beach

By Insane Itinerary
June 4th 2009

Travel to and time at Railay Beach Asia » Thailand » South-West Thailand » Railay

Will using his computer at Bangkok Airport Starbucks

2 June (Tuesday) - My spreadsheet showed a 10:20 AM departure from Bangkok to Krabi, so right after breakfast we took a taxi to the airport. When we approached the ticket counter I was informed that we were too early to check in for the 1:45 PM flight; to which I responded that I was booked on the 10:20 AM flight. Apparently, my original intention was to take the earlier flight, but by the time I finally booked the tickets the earlier flight was now much more expensive, so I booked the later flight without changing my spreadsheet schedule. I quickly [View Full Entry]

Approaching Railay West Beach in longtail boat

By Insane Itinerary
June 1st 2009

Personal Business Day in Bangkok Asia » Thailand » Central Thailand » Bangkok

Bob getting Thai massage

1 June (Monday) - I got up early to sort through our laundry and set it outside the room to have it washed. Then I had breakfast while Will slept in, and who should show up but my cousin Larry who had taken the night train from Chiang Mai where he and his wife Nancy live. She is also a Facebook friend, and had casually mentioned to him as he got on the train that we might be here. So we had a great day talking to him about his projects. He recently completed his PhD with a disseration on Thai [View Full Entry]

Bob on steps of the Thai style home he and Linda lived in from Mar 73 to Feb 74

Bob in former bedroom of his former home

By Insane Itinerary
May 31st 2009

Arrival and first full day in Bangkok Asia » Thailand » Central Thailand » Bangkok

Will next to a Ferrari at the Bangkok Paragon Mall

30 May (Saturday) My last blog was written from Hong Kong on May 31 en route to Bangkok. We arrived in Bangkok a half hour early...about 3:30 PM, and cleared immigration and customs, and headed for the taxi stand, then remembered that we were supposed to meet Will, who had flown separately via Singapore, at baggage claim. We soon discovered that there are three separate baggage claim areas, A, B, and C. We arrived at C, and the arrival board showed that his flight had arrived a half hour late at 4:37 PM at area B. So we were just in [View Full Entry]

Lambourghini at the Bangkok Paragon Mall

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