I arrived at the shiny new Imam Khomeini airport at the uncivilized hour of 2 am, and zipped through immigration and customs in a few minutes. The drive to Tehran was just as fast - a good highway and empty streets - I wished it was like that during the day. We went on a side trip to Mashhad (literally the place of martyrdom) and visited the shrine of Imam Reza. But no pictures - attendants with dusters will not let them into the mosque. The wiki says that the rich go to Mecca but the poor journey to Mashhad: I [View Full Entry]

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Fiji is a faster pace than Tonga, and they have better curry! Tonga, well they have kava and go through lots of piglets [View Full Entry]

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Welcome to Beijing and then stand in those lineups looking for swine flu! After that, things changed for the better - Beijing is a surprisingly clean city - you could eat off of the floor of the airport parking garage. Visited Ri Tan park where they fly kites (with LEDs in the evenings) where sacrifices to the sun gods used to be - unverified rumour. I went for a walk down to the Forbidden City via shady tree lined streats. The Forbidden City is impressive - quiet courtyards, huge squares, scrolls, and it seems like each museum attendant was talking on [View Full Entry]

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At 4 am we were racing above a sleeping Bangkok on the elevated highways to catch the early bus to Aran from the Mawchit 11 bus station. We got a visa at the border, walked across into Poipet with the gamblers, the carts, and others on the way to Siem Reap. Wiki travel describes Poipet thus 'Other than gambling, whoring and lowering one's opinion of humanity, there are no sights or activities in Poipet. It is a miserable huddle of touts, beggars, thieves and dodgy casinos for daytripping Thais.' With a billing like that, I just had to check it out. [View Full Entry]

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We don't look much like backpackers or locals with our little roll behind suitcases, but they let us on to the International Bus which goes from Ubon bus station to Pakse via Chong Mek. The trip was a lot simpler than what my 10 year old guide book had said it would be. This trip was for my 50 th birthday, and I was thinking about what to do for my mid life crisis - I considered a pony tail and earing, but then realized my mid life crisis should have been 10 years ago. Maybe a motorcycle when I get [View Full Entry]

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Underused but stately buildings, older soviet era apartment blocks, Ladas with shiny 'racing' tire rims, cafes that don't serve beer - Ashgabat is different! [View Full Entry]

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Joseph Conrad said "I take it that what all men are really after is some form or perhaps only some formula of peace" This is obtained by simply holding the latest in beer bottle technology - finger grips on the bottle! And then turn it over and there is another feature - indented in the bottom is a beer bottle opener! Ussuriysk may be Russia, but there are not many Ladas, mostly Japanese cars with the steering wheel on the wrong side. Out in the bush, the GAZ 66 and the UAZ 469 still rule. Another surprise - the food is [View Full Entry]

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Incheon - out to the coast for a huge meal of shellfish. The ladies at the restaurant took pity on us male foreigners and came over to help cook the dinner. At the other end of the spectrum is downtown Seoul, in the Myeong-dong district. Shopping and eating until late into the night. And how to decide where to go for coffee when there are dozens around. I especially love the white carpet they put down in the construction area. Only a few feet away is the peaceful Deoksugung Palace and gardens. Bright faces, bright eyes and bright smiles. [View Full Entry]

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Zouk karaoke and dinners by the marina - Welcome to Guadeloupe. Bob Marley sounds even better down here. [View Full Entry]

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Brekkie is a word. Brekkie is a word - I saw it on a McDonalds sign - they are open for Brekkie at 5 am! They even have an upscale menu at the McCafe. Other signs that this is paradise are the Krispy Kreme donuts, Gloria Jeans coffee ($3.55 yikes), Rum and coke on tap at the local pub and Drive through beer stores. Beer is a whole different world - here a pot of gold is, a 285ml glass of 3.5% xxxx beer. And if you get that in a stubby, you can use your refreezable jel filled stubby cooler. [View Full Entry]

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