http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Stuart/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Stuart en-us Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:02:25 +0000 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:02:25 +0000 On Wednesday 16th of September when I paid my house maid her monthly wage I also gave her the THR Tunjangan Hari Raya as well. This is a one month bonus which is commonly paid to household staff and employees in factories and offices at the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan. When I paid her the bonus I also told her that she didn't need to come again till the 28th of September because I would http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Java/Semarang/blog-441890.html I wrote the words Eclipse of the Sun on the whiteboard.Can anyone tell me what the word 'eclipse' meansSir Sir It's when the Moon eats the SunI'm back in Indonesia teaching English after a brief holiday in China. There were two highlights of my trip to Hangzhou seeing my brother David and witnessing the longest total eclipse of the century. It was night time in the middle of the day http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Hangzhou-/blog-428392.html It was 8.20 am. Music by Philip Glass was being played very loudly through speakers attached to a laptop computer. I was sat in just my boxer shorts in the front room of my new house in Cirebon working on my lesson plans for school.I was disturbed by the sound of loud noises from outside. I turned down the music wondering if the neighbours were objecting to my taste in music. Then I twitc http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Java/Cirebon/blog-359565.html Despite all the far flung places I've visited I had never been to the Czech Republic. So I've finally joined the millions of other Brits who fly over every weekend. During my brief stay I visited Prague Cesk Budejovice and 268esk Krumlov.The tourist centres of Prague and 268esk Krumlov were packed with tourists. I was impressed by the fairytale beauty of the buildings and lands http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Czech-Republic/blog-272520.html A relatively new tourist destination Dubai has gained in popularity in recent years. It is essentially a desert city with superb infrastructure liberal policies by regional standards and excellent tourist amenities. Just 5 hrs from Europe and 3 hrs from most parts of the Middle East the Near East and the subcontinent of India Dubai makes a great short break for shopping partying sunbath http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/United-Arab-Emirates/Dubai/blog-272514.html You are from Britain. You are welcome. You are my brother. This is your second home Abdul also known as Little King Kong. Somaliland Somali Soomaaliland is a de facto independent republic located in the Horn of Africa. The Republic of Somaliland considers itself to be the successor state of the former British Somaliland protectorate which had an area of about 176210 square kilometres 6 http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Somalia/Somaliland/blog-272475.html Djibouti is one of the smallest and most expensive countries in Africa. A small glass of beer in a restaurant cost US7 At that price teetotalism seemed a very attractive prospect I didn't get out of the capital city during my stay as I was concentrating on trying to get Visas. As a result I at least enjoyed the good but expensive cuisine in the restaurants. The good food is a result of t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Djibouti/blog-272447.html Ethiopia is like no where else in Africa or the world. It's unique. Even the food is different. Plates are replaced by Injera a pancake like bread make from Teff flour. Teff flour is an annual grass native to the Ethiopian highlands. Teff is high in fibre and iron and gives the Injera a sour taste. A variety of stews and salads are placed on the Injera. Pieces of Injera are then torn off an http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/blog-271864.html I would sooner live like a Dervish with the Mahdi than go out to dinner every night in LondonGeneral Gordon who was defeated and killed in the Mahdist Siege of Khartoum 1885.Sudan gets a lot of bad press with good reason. But I found the people to be the friendliest and most hospitable I've met anywhere in the world. There were numerous incidents during my time in Sudan when people treate http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Sudan/blog-265264.html I was last in Egypt approximately 10 years ago. I needed to travel through Egypt because it is the best place to get a Visa for the Sudan. Not that it wasn't well worth while visiting Egypt againOn this leg of my travels I'm travelling down the Nile from Cairo to Khartoum.I got my Visa in Cairo because it is the best place to buy a Visa. It's possible to buy one in the UK but it takes 3 mon http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/blog-244540.html ....We landed in the country of the LotusEaters who live on a flowering food.HomerThe Odyssey.Tunisia was a gentle reintroduction to the African continent. It has good tourist infrastructure an efficient public transport system and its people are friendly and helpful. After 6 months back in Britain earning some money I'm traveling again. See my last blog.I had packed an Arabic phrase http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tunisia/Tunis/blog-238341.html What a piece of work is a man how noble in reason how infinite in faculties in form and moving how express and admirable in action how like an angel in apprehension how like a god Shakespeare Hamlet Act 2 scene 2.After just under 6 months back in the UK I'm setting off on my travels again.In the last few months I've been working for a Debt Collection Agency which ha http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Warwickshire/blog-232788.html Listen to the yell of Lopold's ghostBurning in Hell for his handmaimed host.Vachel LindsayAfter 5 months back in Blighty working in a call centre for a Debt Collection agency I decided to take a short trip to Brussels. I've handed in my notice at the company as I'm going to return to Africa in January 2008.I took advantage of a special offer on Eurostar a return journey with a nights acc http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Belgium/Brussels-Capital-Region/Brussels/blog-230462.html The heavens are high the clouds are paleWe watch as the wild geese disappear southwards.If we fail to reach the Great Wall we are not true men.We who have marched more than 20000 li. Mao Zedong Beijing 21271 20140 Northern Capital is the cultural and political capital of the most populous country inthe world. It's also a major tourist http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/blog-188783.html Earth heaped high like a mountain supplies enormous resources. In human beings moralitycultivated to the highest level is the means to spiritual purity and stillness. Attributed to the Yellow Emperor Source Taoist Web Site Shanxi 2366535199 literally means Mountains' West 23665ShanMountain35199Xi West. It shouldn't beconfused with its neighbouring province of Shaan http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shanxi/blog-174567.html Best is the emperor who is barely known.Next the ruler who is loved and honoured.Then the despot who is feared.And finally the tyrant reviled.Govern quietlyAnd the people will realizeThey are responsibleFor their own wellbeing.Lao Zithe Dao De Jing .Xi'an served as the ancient capital for 12 Chinese dynasties from 1000 BC to 1000 AD. Xi'an was already a major world city at the time when Homer http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shaanxi/Xi--an/blog-171343.html You have your thoughts and I have mine. This is the fact and you can't change it even if you kill me. Ba Jin shouted out at the end of a televised public humiliation in the People's Stadium of Shanghai during the Cultural Revolution on the 20th June 1968. Ba Jin who was one of the greatest of China's 20th century writers was born in Chengdu in 1904.Chengdu was the latest stop in my world http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Sichuan/Chengdu/blog-170455.html Life in this society being at best an utter bore and no aspect of society being at all relevant to women there remains to civicminded responsible thrillseeking females only to overthrow the government eliminate the money system institute complete automation and destroy the male sex.It is now technically feasible to reproduce without the aid of males or for that matter females and to p http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Yunnan/blog-166176.html The province of Guangxi was my latest stop in my multi year world trip. Check out my home page here for the over 90 entries of the places I've visited in the last 3 years.The Karst formations around Guilin and Yangshuo are stunningly beautiful. Its maybe the most beautiful landscape under heaven. But along with with that comes the hustle. The area is a very popular tourist destination with bot http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangxi/blog-160719.html Once upon a time in the reign of Zhou Yi five immortals each rode a ram with a wheat ear in its mouth to fly to Guangzhou...and wished people in Guangzhou would never suffer hunger.Quintessential travel in Guangzhou Guangzhou travel and tourism press ISBN 7806536159.I spent longer than I expected in Guangzhou because of the Chinese Golden Week holiday. May Day is the start of a major wee http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangdong/blog-157245.html