Page 4 of Tbird Travel Blog Posts


Asia » Thailand April 16th 2016

Geo: 13.7612, 100.496So today we decided to go our separate ways. I really wanted to see Wat Pho (pronounced Wat Po in case you're trying to get a taxi) Jo was not so keen to face the massive crowds again. So I decided to skip Thai chi in the morning in the interest of getting to the temple early. I later learned that this had worried our new exercise buddies. As soon as Jo got there she was greeted with "Where's your friend? where's your friend?"The temple opens at 8.30 and I wanted to be there at eight to be first in line. I got there just after eight to discover it was already open. And crowds, what crowds? For the fist half hour or so I pretty much had the whole complex to myself. Well ... read more
Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho)
Temple of the Dawn (Wat Arun)
Temple of the Dawn (Wat Arun)

Asia » Thailand April 15th 2016

Geo: 13.7409, 100.541So today we had an early start, get up and down to the park for Thai Chi. The instructors were more helpful today, obviously pleased to entice DAT's into their midst. The only issue was when they were shouting out the count we remained silent and the poor lady next to us didn't realise we weren't going to shout out a number so she kept loosing count. One of the instructors swapped place with her to keep the flow. We went for our walk around the park afterwards and spied not one but three Monitor lizards. The first one was meandering down the walking path and thank god Jo pointed him out to me. I would not have seen him until I was right on top of him and that may not have been ... read more
Jo the fashionista
Grrrr
Grand Palace

Asia » Thailand April 14th 2016

Geo: 13.7409, 100.541One of our lofty ambitions on this trip was to do yoga everyday. Yesterday we were still finding our feet so that didn't happen yesterday. A bit of research revealed there are free Thai Chi lessons in Lumpini Park which is just down the road. So we were up early and toddled off to find the park. The first park we came across had a very official looking guard at the gate who would not let us in. Turns out that was the American Embassy. A couple more blocks down we found a park with low fences and unguarded gates and we figured we were in the right place. We started along the walking path and it was not long before we found a troop of people doing Thai Chi. We asked if we ... read more
Lumphini Park
Another big bloody wheel
Fish therapy

Asia » Thailand April 13th 2016

Geo: 13.741, 100.541So today was the true start to our Thai adventure. We started with a hearty breakfast, compliments of our swish hotel, so we ate heartily because well....we've already paid for it. We decided today we would head into the main part of town and look for the Songkran festival. Today is the Thai new year and they celebrate with a water festival...basically a big water fight across the city. We worked out we could walk to the a canal down the road and catch a boat to the river. Except when we got to the canal, there were no boats. Because new years is a holiday! So we continued walking down the road in search of a train station. Jo was keen to attempt the buses but I wasn't really feelin it. They looked ... read more
Lucky Buddha
Waterfront property Thai style
Siam Square

Europe » France November 5th 2014

Geo: 43.6955, 7.2764Go to the south of France, they saiidIt will still be warm, they saidYou can lie on the beach, they saidIts beach is full of rocks and its bloody raining! And I do mean rain, god has picked up the Mediterranean and dumped on Nice. Damn you France, why are you so mean to me! On a lighter side if the rain is the worst thing that happens to me in my third (and final) journey into france, I can live with that. Rain does not break bones or loose luggage. Onto the actual travel. Most of Monday was spent on the train. First I caught a train to Valence in France, then a connecting train to Nice. I can now say I am glad I am travelling solo. On the first train I ... read more
Nice; around town
Nice; around town
Marina Bais des Anges

Europe » Spain » Catalonia » Barcelona November 2nd 2014

Geo: 41.3826, 2.18451The plan this morning was to do a walking tour of the gothic quarter. I thought the tour started at 11 so I slept in, had a leisurely breakfast then made my way to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St Eulalia. On the way I re-checked the pamphlet I had for this tour only to find the SPANISH walking tour starts at 11. The english tour started at 9.30. I was only an hour late. Seriously, this is Spain, nothing starts before 10am. And on a Sunday, what are they thinking! So I did my own walking tour which was nice but not nearly as informative. I made the time to go into the cathedral (whats one more church) the cathedral was built in between the 13th and the 15th century. It ... read more
Santa Eulalia Cathedral
Santa Eulalia Cathedral
Sardanes; dancing in the street

Europe » Spain » Valencian Community » Valencia October 29th 2014

Geo: 39.4716, -0.375017Today I was determined to get onto that walking tour and now I knew exactly where to go. So at 10.30 I was standing in Plaza de la Virgen, ticket in hand, ready to walk. The tour was good, although many of the places we went I had already seen before....only now I know what they are. The first place we saw was the Basilica, located at the back of the cathedral. I had noticed it yesterday, it's a very nice building, but apart from the bridge between the cathedral and the basilica, I had not thought it was a religious building. Well I might have if I had bothered to read the plaques. Strangely enough the basilica is not as big as the Cathedral. We went inside for a quick look, but they ... read more
Iglesia de San Juan del Hospital
Museo Nacional de Ceramica
La Llotja de Mercaders

Europe » Spain » Valencian Community » Valencia October 28th 2014

Geo: 39.4748, -0.375508The plan today was to walk to a place called Plaza de la Virgen and join a walking tour. The tour started at 10.30, by which time I was hopelessly lost at the other end of the city. Apparently I was supposed to turn right when leaving my hotel instead of left. I found myself near the bullring so I figured this was a good place to start the day. First I had some breakfast, unlike my hotel in Madrid, my current hotel dies offer breakfast but its €12, outrageous I say. So I had a coffee, croissant and juice fr €2.50. Then I made my way over to the bullring. Now firstly, for any animal rights activists out there, I did not attend a bull fight. Although in their museum they do have ... read more
Bullfighting Museum (Museo Taurino)
Cathedral (Seu)
St Vincents arm

Europe » Spain » Valencian Community » Valencia October 27th 2014

Geo: 39.4716, -0.374981Not much to report today. I was up, packed and at the station to get my train to Valencia by 10am. Spain is another one of those places they don't tell you where the train will be until 15 minutes until the departure. The station is a little like an airport. Instead of checking our tickets on board, I had to get my ticket scanned as I made my way to the platform. I had to put my bags through an x-ray and everything. The trains were cool though. No wifi, but clean and comfortable and fast. 356km's in 1 hour 40 minutes. The countryside is different here again. Much more dry and arid but plenty of farmland. Parts of of it appeared flat but I could see hills off in the distance. Other ... read more
Another arch
Puente Del Mar
Palau de la Musica....on the river

Europe » Spain October 26th 2014

Geo: 40.3856, -3.67767So day two in madrid was something of a write off. Good times and good wines with my new friends meant I didn't get to sleep until after midnight. I did make it home without getting lost so that was a win. But when I woke up all was not sunshine and roses. It was lunch time by the time I emerged, ravenously hungry, from my hotel. I stopped at one of the cafes around the corner for some brunch, which was quite nice, but did not really help me. If ever there was a time for a greasy bacon and eggs brekky, this was it. And I couldn't see any advertised anywhere.....nearby. After my "breakfast" I meandered about for a while but I still felt tired and seedy. At 3 o'clock I went ... read more
Monumento Alfonso XII
Retiro Park (Parque del Retiro)
Fuente de Neptuno




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