http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/nomad1979/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from nomad1979 en-us Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:20:31 BST Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:20:31 BST To play the video above first... sorry but you'll have to turn down the poor audio.Coming from Cambodia into ThailandThe Thai immigration offers a 30 day nonvisa entry but you must be careful because it's really only for 29 days and then they'll fine you 15 per day for overstaying.From the border I took a minibus to Trat Thailand. A four dollar room in Trat is really basic with a shared http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/East/blog-271826.html Photo Above Ochheuteal BeachPhnom PenhOne thing you notice here is the traffic chaos. Motor Bikes come at you from all directions. It doesn't matter if it's a oneway street if it's a double lane expressway or even if it's a sidewalk. A visitor here is more likely to suffer from a traffic accident than a mugging although Phnom Penh has a reputation for that as well especially after they cut http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/South/Phnom-Penh/blog-265681.html It's getting that time I have to do another visa run. I had planned it so that I would not be in Chiang Mai for Songkran The Water Festival. as it is euphemistically known. Actually its a freeforall water fight from morning to night led by young drunken backpackers. And they don't hesitate using the filthy water from the moat of the city.This is the ThAI New Year. They celebrate the POPULAR Ne http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/North/Battambang/blog-249940.html Living in Chiang Mai ramblingsposted March 10 2008Minimum daily wage in Thailand is 144 Baht 5 per day about 4320 Baht 150 per month. Some families only have one wage earner. In India 40 per cent of the population earn about 1 a day. In Burma urban professionals earn about 1 per day. BKK Post Feb 2708 Of course meals and accommodations are priced proportionally. If a foreigner http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North/Chiang-Mai/blog-239910.html Kuala LumpurI took the ferry from Georgetown to Butterworth. At the dock is the railway station and the bus station. It's not really a bus station just a conglomeration of kiosks with buses alongside. I jumped on one of the constantly leaving buses to Kuala Lumpur K.L..K.L. exhibits modern architecture although each unit looks like it was selected and gathered up to suit the developers taste w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Selangor/Kuala-Lumpur/blog-238931.html Train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok to Hat Yai then bus to Penang MalaysiaThe train ride from Chiang Mai is a nice change from the overnight bus trip to Bangkok. At about 8 pm a steward comes around to make your bed with clean white sheets and tells you to get in. In the morning he wakes you up about 6 am and tells you to get out. The sleeping coach had lots of foreigners. Arriving in Bangkok I http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Penang/blog-236116.html Still Here...and Rambling about nothing posted Jan 16 2008.It's surprisingly cool here in the evening during the winter months and definitely long pants and a sweater are desirable.Bangkok Post side article Two people witnessed a 37 year old worker at a South African zoo entered the lions cage to feed them when nine lions attacked and ate him. All that http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North/Chiang-Mai/blog-231859.html Chiang Mai posted Jan 4 2008This is a more familiar and homey atmosphere than Bangkok for myself. It's the second largest city in Thailand located 700 km noth of Bangkok. Also unlike Bangkok in the evening it cools off here.The overnight bus arrived on the outskirts of Chiang Mai at sunrise and from there we were transported by pickup to a guest house in the city. I walked to another nearby G http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North/Chiang-Mai/blog-229248.html Bangkok Arriving from the airport at about 1 or 2 am Bangkok time I checked into The Central which is one of the original Banglamphoo guest houses and hasn't yet been knocked down to make way for more contemporary hotels with swimming pools for the modern young backpackers. It's complete with a resident farang ie foreigner who constantly talks to imaginary people. It doesn't take long to ge http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central/Bangkok/blog-226349.html Haliburton County The summer back home in Canada was to allow me time to do some paperwork. Last year it was mild until January so I took my time but one day I woke up to snow.This year November had weather of which any February would be proud.Winter is great in Canada except for the driving. You even have to drive if you want to see Santa Clause.Taking the dog for a walk is pleasant enough in g http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/Ontario/Haliburton/blog-223609.html My yahoo address is gone with all my email contacts For people I've lost contact with please contact me throughthis site. See send a private message below. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/Ontario/Toronto/blog-208589.html I flew back to Miami from Bogota and spent a week there while I looked for a flight to Toronto. SEE BLOG 1.Only difference was I had a Scottish lass and a Dutch in my dorm room this time.Monday August 13th I flew to Toronto. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/Miami-Beach/blog-192575.html Its strange but all the blog entries except the first one on MIAMI were lost due to a crash at travelblog. Tomorrow I'm flying back to Miami from Bogot so that would be my next blog. Now I can just redirect to the first one.Some of my photos from the boat trip along the Amazon River from Iquitos Peru to Leticia Colombia are at the kodakgallery.com website click Amazon RiverSome photos bel http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Bogota/blog-188862.html River TripFrom Puerta Masusa a port near Iquitos river boats leave each evening down the Amazon River.I got a motortaxi to take me to Puerto Masusa . Half way there the taxisputtered its last drop of gas but as if the driver had planned it the taxi coasted into the one and only gas station between town and port. He got 30 cents worth. My fare was 65 cents. I was the only gringo in sight and http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Leticia/blog-185825.html I bought a flight from Lima to Iquitos on the Amazon River for a little less than 100 then took a bus to the Lima airport. In every town and city the locals bus drivers tourists tourist offices tell you not to take a bus because its too dangerous. Because of this Im sure that the crooks arent looking for foreigners on buses . Ive not had any problems but I could be pushing my luck. A fri http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Loreto/Iquitos/Amazon-Rainforest/blog-181578.html First Back to Arica Chile On Easter Island I changed my mind about crossing to Buenas Aires and going north. Too cold. I tried to get a flight to Arica the northern most town of Chile as soon as I reached Santiago and although it cost only 100 only if you booked 7 days in advance the next day price was 350 a little much for an hour flight. The alternative was a 30 hour bus ride which isnt http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Lima/blog-179685.html Easter Island Imagine a town of 4000 people situated where Winnipeg is and its closest neighbours were in St John's Newfoundland and Victoria BC. That's about the way it is in Hanga Roa the town of Easter Island. Imagine ... a town more remote than Winnipeg ... just a joke. The Islands nearest neighbours are mainland Chile and Tahiti each a 5 hour flight away. The island is directly south o http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Easter-Island/blog-177985.html ChileIn the last two years Ive crossed about two dozen borders but this is the first new country Ive visited in that time. Same time zone as Toronto and New York even though its on South America's west coast. Not Chillie but Cheelay unless you want people down here to put that puzzled look on their face that means Whats this gringo trying to say Crossing the border is an ordeal. Lots http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Arica-and-Parinacota/Arica/blog-166443.html La Paz South America Bolivia La Paz By nomad1979May 31st 2007La PazLa Paz is the highest capital city in the world and is home to the world's highest golf course. The air is so thin that a wellhit shot will travel several meters farther than at sea level. Its always amazing in poorer countries of the world how you can have a allyoucaneat vegetarian buffet for a little over a dollar but f http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-164089.html Nexxxt...BolivianbspSouth America raquonbspBolivia raquonbspLa Paz By nomad1979May 23rd 2007J D Watson La Paz Bolivia is the second poorest country in Latin America. Its the highest capital city in the world at 3650 metres even though Sucre is the legal capital. Bolivia lost its coastline to Chile around 1880 and so is landlocked. Waitresses and cleaners make half what they do in P http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-161874.html