tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89517669295771312522024-02-20T23:12:48.134-08:00addaplanAnnette Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12106256715095347050noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8951766929577131252.post-26286448481328926162011-08-23T19:04:00.000-07:002011-08-23T19:37:03.238-07:00Cambodia and Vietnam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvO5N40Jf5j2qAMhC0FUIDJ6PX6dwR0BtefH8PaVScNDIaGcy5U_c8lAyWYaWJC-RfH8sNwaKY-WIT3hjUWA7dEb0omUYj9k3UsG89eULIodeqNevSX7sE67JMdcq2rh1QNls1hwM5MBD/s1600/Taking+off+for+Thailand%252C+Cambodia%252C+Laos%252C+Vietnam+380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvO5N40Jf5j2qAMhC0FUIDJ6PX6dwR0BtefH8PaVScNDIaGcy5U_c8lAyWYaWJC-RfH8sNwaKY-WIT3hjUWA7dEb0omUYj9k3UsG89eULIodeqNevSX7sE67JMdcq2rh1QNls1hwM5MBD/s320/Taking+off+for+Thailand%252C+Cambodia%252C+Laos%252C+Vietnam+380.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZtuCS3rvzPMWaUiaGgETJ7euSWOJV9vh1Nsqxom5pyxN2w3Uv4laN8anED65oZ9w1gA6dcsP7HAtlzI_OAQSdxbOB30e_2WzBaPJGziORm_AsCRg8p7ADy0j_Gzfog9bTIQl2hnId1KJ/s1600/Taking+off+for+Thailand%252C+Cambodia%252C+Laos%252C+Vietnam+720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZtuCS3rvzPMWaUiaGgETJ7euSWOJV9vh1Nsqxom5pyxN2w3Uv4laN8anED65oZ9w1gA6dcsP7HAtlzI_OAQSdxbOB30e_2WzBaPJGziORm_AsCRg8p7ADy0j_Gzfog9bTIQl2hnId1KJ/s320/Taking+off+for+Thailand%252C+Cambodia%252C+Laos%252C+Vietnam+720.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIP8wfSot0ksI_8LYJhcx3stdSzjgzev78MPUp6WhhQF-1E7q0y1k5Rk8i5CQ7Y_iIYJy8RiMUD-1h7gj7CvjffrdhDQwy7puySIXW5T7W6kH2KD8sk1ucOorDdUJPShhyZV-lbTTEupoc/s1600/Taking+off+for+Thailand%252C+Cambodia%252C+Laos%252C+Vietnam+1627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIP8wfSot0ksI_8LYJhcx3stdSzjgzev78MPUp6WhhQF-1E7q0y1k5Rk8i5CQ7Y_iIYJy8RiMUD-1h7gj7CvjffrdhDQwy7puySIXW5T7W6kH2KD8sk1ucOorDdUJPShhyZV-lbTTEupoc/s320/Taking+off+for+Thailand%252C+Cambodia%252C+Laos%252C+Vietnam+1627.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: x-small;">by Annette Dixon </span></span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: xx-small;"></span></span><br />
<div align="left">Friends asked me why would I go to Vietnam? I felt the need to see the country of Vietnam. Surely this war was over more than 35 years ago, but the people do not forget, neither Americans nor Vietnamese. The country was filled with war memorials in many cities and towns. The sights I saw in Cambodia were the Royal Palace, Wat Phnom, the birthplace of the Capital, the elegant National Museum and the Royal Palace with its adjacent Silver Pagoda wherewe viewed the spectacular Emerald Buddha. The Sunway Hotel was near the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia. InCambodia the beginning of sadness entered by first takingan optional journey to the Killing Fields. While I was thereI wanted to see what happened so long ago, but still sadly memorable. I didn’t know that the tour guide was also going to take us to the Museum of Genocide. I took many pictures knowing someday I will be using the them for our Vietnam Veterans.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Phnom Penh does have some modern sights for example, the Central Market, located in a distinctive domed Art Deco building. From Phnom Penh, the bus traveled to Siem Reap which was scenic, not only rice fields but watching the people working in this city, country andtown. The world famous temples of Angkor Wat, are among the “Seven Wonders of the World” and I could see why it would be! The temples are so exquisitely carved, they are considered to be an architectural masterpiece. After sightseeing the temples of Angkor Wat, we went to Angkor Thom and the Southern Gate of Bayon. Of course, we could</div><div align="left">miss the beautiful sunset at the upper terraces of an ancient temple. Cambodia has fertileland and of course there are jungles, mountains, river and lakes, some of the well known names are Mekong River, Tonie Sap Lake, Southeast Asia’s largest lake. This lake runs into the Mekong by way of a river called Tonie Sap, the same name as the lake. Bordering Thailand are the mountains, in the west are Cardamon Mountains, Southwest the Elephant Mountains and the Dankret Mountain Range. The highest mountain in Cambodia is Phnom Aural in the Cardamon Range, with a height of 1813 meters. We did get a boat ride on the Tonie Sap Lake and visited a floating village. </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">After flying into Ho Chi Minh City, (Saigon) and again staying in another luxurious hotel, we were able to journey outside the city to visit none other but war remnants. The Museum was opened in 1995 and I will now quote “At present, it is a member of Vietnamese Museum System, of Museum for the World Peace, and the International Council of Museums. The Museum is specialized in research, collecting, preserving, and exhibiting the remnant proofs ofVietnam War Crimes and their consequences.Then to go to Cu Chi Tunnels and see more of this by their showcasing theiroutright success stories.By now I am taking hundreds of pictures to show people back home. We are not overwith this yet, more to come</div><div align="left">in Hanoi!</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Early the next morning we traveled to MekongDelta, the agricultural center of Vietnam. A boat took us along narrow canals, passing rice fields and orchards and giving us a feel for village life. Later that day we took a flight to Danang and then a bus ride to Hoi An a very nice town. Our city guide who lived in Hue, sounds like Hay, met us in Hoi An, a World Heritage Site, showed us the historic part of town and centuries old houses. We went by Trishaw (Cyclo) to see the Japanese Bridge, and the Thu Bon River and other parts of a quaint beautiful place. In the afternoon we had leisure time, so I spent hours walking. For dinner six of us got together and had the best pizza ever.Little Italy founded in 2002, their website is <a href="http://www.littleitalyhue.com/">http://www.littleitalyhue.com/</a>., what a town. Hue has a slogan, think green, go clean, go cyclo. Danang</div><div align="left">was were China Beach is and again the remembrance of our troops being there, for R & R, and don’t forgetin 1969, we had a maximum of 543,000 men in Vietnam. Marble Mountains, consisted of five stone jagged crests that represent the elements of nature. In Danang, we went to the Cham Museum which housed sandstone carvings and sculptures, quite unusual and a must see.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">The trip is now beginning to show the best side of Vietnam, starting with Hoi An. As we were driving through some spectacular scenery and heading for the Hair Van Pass, which was surprising because of the coastline views on route to Hue. Well in Hue, which is the old city and formerly the Imperial Capital of Vietnam, we visited the Citadel, Flag Tower, Ngo Mon Gate and the Forbidden Purple City, home to the Royal Family before 1945. After lunch we visited the revered Thien Mu Pagoda, the most famous monument in Hue and took a boat ride on the Perfume River. On our way back to the hotel we stopped at Dong Ba Market.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">In the morning we flew into Hanoi and the bus picked us up. We drove through lush countryside to Halong, a vast mysterious bay with majestic scenery! Halong Bay excursion was a “5 star event”. We went on a four hour boat trip which included a cave trip lasting at least two hours, a delicious seafood lunch on the boat. Vietnam’s most special natural attraction is the three thousand small jagged limestone islands rising out of the South China Sea.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Lastly, I spent four nights in Hanoi and I have to admit it was stimulating to see the Water Puppets, really</div><div align="left">thrilling, and never before seen. Each day we had a tour guide taking us to various city sights. Hanoi,</div><div align="left">Vietnam’s capital lies on the banks of the Red River and dates back as far as the 3</div><div align="left">conquered by a French expedition and a year later for the then uncolonized North of Vietnamese empire</div><div align="left">to accept the status of a French protectorate. The French administratively divided the country into this colony Co Chin China in the South and protectorates Annam (Central Vietnam and Tonkin North Vietnam) as the St. Joseph Cathedral, in the historic old quarter.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">After staying at the 4 Star Moevenpick Hotel and touring the city with the group and seeing Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, which houses tablets belonging to Confucius, Hoan Kiem Lake, we went to see the infamous former prison “Hanoi Hilton”, which still is intact and we visited Ho Chi Minh’s house on stilts. The group departed after a farewell dinner, but I stayed another day at Indochina Hotel 1 in the French Quarter, close to the Cathedral. I did get to see another war museum. Vietnam Asian American war display in which bombs shot down the American tanks, planes, and helicopters. The only reason I went to this one alone, was because it had a Hanoi became</div><div align="left">the capital of the protectorate Tonkin. The Vietnamese never accepted the French rule. </div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">By 1930 the Vietnamese Nationalist Party staged the first significant armed uprising against the French. They didn’t fare to well so now that left a three way struggle to ensue, which included the communist party. The French military disaster at Dien Bien Phu in May, 1954 and the conference at Geneva marked the end of the eight year war and French Colonial rule in Indochina. In December of 1961, President of South Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem request assistance from the United States and President Kennedy sent military advisors to South Vietnam. Hanoi has a rich history with French influence such built in wall around the tower which was built in 1885 to protect Hanoi City. It had cannons, turrets, and was very antique. The</div><div align="left">modern building housed all the information on all the wars, which started with China’s Han dynasty. They ruled Vietnam for a thousand years. So with all the invasions, I’m sure the inbred behavior comes from suspicion of the invaders and I guess they have a right to their behavior. If I sound like I am pro-military, I am. I am proud of each and every service person in all of the wars, even in the cold war. Village View Newspapers, Annette Dixon has a memorial brick at the Lansing Memorial and is a Lifetime Member of the Vietnam Veterans and the POW Organizations.</div>Annette Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12106256715095347050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8951766929577131252.post-39388300866495615212011-08-22T23:16:00.000-07:002011-08-22T23:27:22.741-07:00Africa Safari-Kenya and Tanzania Game Reserves<span style="color: #231f20; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;"></span></span></span><br />
<div align="left"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuBlh6gtz7MjYfwyzwve_yF3DR-0zaankkIuEB1pZZ3R-8_sv64ijhF37N-W5kjYGcL59_Ssh9l4nx7VWNkKHtdvW9r0UQ9Or-y9NqmBuf8FBCKJwl_wF5EDOvq0yL_lExWBzPqucBGyE/s1600/africa+or+bust-96.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuBlh6gtz7MjYfwyzwve_yF3DR-0zaankkIuEB1pZZ3R-8_sv64ijhF37N-W5kjYGcL59_Ssh9l4nx7VWNkKHtdvW9r0UQ9Or-y9NqmBuf8FBCKJwl_wF5EDOvq0yL_lExWBzPqucBGyE/s320/africa+or+bust-96.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSXKKNKYCna3VbOCoFhcgVfiQ1xTEEzMsy7Uj_zruvO_ig81gD3vEtpTfQKnLO-paL8bJmHwQcK5B3MiVD2p55t13x-vOEb19IWfvnczQa9PHvO6i_y7fop1qsr8PZMbzhNKzsueehw6B/s1600/africa+or+bust-45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSXKKNKYCna3VbOCoFhcgVfiQ1xTEEzMsy7Uj_zruvO_ig81gD3vEtpTfQKnLO-paL8bJmHwQcK5B3MiVD2p55t13x-vOEb19IWfvnczQa9PHvO6i_y7fop1qsr8PZMbzhNKzsueehw6B/s320/africa+or+bust-45.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>by Annette Dixon</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">The Safari trip to Kenya and Tanzania is very difficult to write because of the amount of animals we saw</div><div align="left">in eight game reserves. It was most fasinating not only seeing the animals in their own habitat, but also</div><div align="left">seeing the different species of birds in Africa. I cannot forget the amount of wild flowers and</div><div align="left">flora in places I would have never guessed for it to grow. I have heard that some people who have visited</div><div align="left">the game preserves have stated that they only saw a few animals, so I considered myself very fortunate.</div><div align="left">Our group of 10 people from SmarTours were happy when we saw our share of the big four. The first of</div><div align="left">many animals started at the home and preserves of Karen Blixen, a coffee farmer and famed author of “Out</div><div align="left">of Africa”. Nearby her farm was the Giraffe Center where we fed the gentle and rare Rotschild’s giraffes.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Not to get to redundant so I will now mention that there are only 34 Black Rhinos in Africa and we saw</div><div align="left">two a black one and a white one on different days. There are only 4 white ones in the Country of Kenya. We</div><div align="left">saw three Cheetahs and the only animal we didn’t see was a leopard. I counted 51 differentspecies of animals and 69</div><div align="left">bird and fowl species and 15 different types of flowers and flora. It’s too difficult to name everything in</div><div align="left">this article, that is why the story becomes so complex and difficult to write. After the game hunt it</div><div align="left">was evident that we spend an extraordinary stay at an excellent lodge. Serena Mountain Lodge was the</div><div align="left">place I enjoyed because I could watch the animals arrive at the water hole which was lit up all night. I could</div><div align="left">either stay in the room and watch or go to the lobby of the Lodge or the open 2nd floor viewing sight.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">People were always on the 2nd floor waiting for that perfect picture of the rarest seen animal. I purposely</div><div align="left">did not take a camera, but I took my $200 binoculars and didn’t miss any creature, bird, beast or</div><div align="left">flora. It is known that some people love to share their pictures, I did have two throw away cameras with</div><div align="left">me and my cell phone, so therefore I used that for my special shots that no one got and sent them to all.</div><div align="left">It was amazing to see thousands of Pink Flamingoes in Lake Naivasha. I heard that Kenya has over a million</div><div align="left">flamingoes. My adventure started in Nairobi, in Kenya, where we stayed at the Nairobi Safari Hotel, which was a</div><div align="left">resort and casino surrounded by 64 acres of grounds. The lobby staff is there 24 hours which isgood for </div><div align="left">insomniaces! The Swahili greeting of Jambo was throughout our stay in Kenya and Tanzania. There</div><div align="left">were fine restaurants where home made pasta in LaPiazzetta, Chiyo for authentic Japanese food,</div><div align="left">great Sushi and Sashimi Bar. Many other restaurants included the Winners Pavillion and exclusive</div><div align="left">Chinese Restaurant andNyama Choma Ranch, Nairobi’s most exciting African Restauant. On the first night </div><div align="left">we ate crocodile, ostrich, steak, chicken, roasted mutton at the Nyama Choma Ranch with a show of dancers that really</div><div align="left">looked good and danced beautifully.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">The next day we crossed the Equator to approach Mt. Kenya a dormant volcano, then to Samburu National</div><div align="left">Reserve in Kenya’s semi-desert. Set in a region along the Ewaso Ngiro River, Samburu is home to</div><div align="left">some of African’s rarest game species. Plenty of Hippos and Crocodiles attract plenty of wildlife including</div><div align="left">the Grevy’s Zebra, the long necked Gerunuk Antelope, the shy Oryx, Beisa and the Somali Ostrich.</div><div align="left">After leaving Samburu, we came across a dense forest with tumbling waterfalls and our lodge for the night</div><div align="left">was the only Tree Hotel ever built on the slopes of the legendary Mt.Kenya in the middle of the thick forest.</div><div align="left">There we saw all the animals arrive at the water hole and lit up at night. I was so excited when I saw</div><div align="left">my first Hyena in the middle of the night. Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha are next on the</div><div align="left">itinery and we are traveling southwest in a safari van. We stopped at Nyahururu Falls and traveled along the</div><div align="left">magnificent Rift Valley toward Lake Nakuru, known for their pink flamingos.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">After being on Lake Naivasha where the animals were in abundance so was the natural flora and stunning</div><div align="left">scenic beauty. We traveled toward the Masai Mara which is the northern extension of the Tanzania famous</div><div align="left">Serengete Plains. Our lodge was on the banks of the Talek River and surrounded by lush gardens.</div><div align="left">At the Mara Simba Lodge, we saw our second tribal dance, but this one was performed by our waiters</div><div align="left">and they were from the Masai Tribe. We had fun with them. After a restful but fun day at the lodge.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">The next morning we traveled back to Nairobi to drop off two out of 10 tourists who were not going</div><div align="left">onto Tanzania. Eight people wanted the optional tour of four days in Tanzania. I was sure happy I was one</div><div align="left">because Tanzania was so beautiful. People there were friendlier than Kenya. It surprised me because the</div><div align="left">travel commercials always are about Kenya and never Tanzania. After arriving at the Kilimanjaro Airport and</div><div align="left">transferring to Arusha, Tanzania for a safari briefing,we continued to Tarangire National Park and checked into </div><div align="left">Tarangire Sopa Lodge. In the afternoon we went on a game drive in the park and saw beautiful big elephants,</div><div align="left">zebras, giraffes and a Rhino. While driving to Manyara, we saw some game and also many monkeys.</div><div align="left">Everyone thought they were so cute until one of the monkeys stoled a camera from Julie, a girl from New York.</div><div align="left">We were all warned not to leave anything in the van nor to feed the monkeys or carry anything in our pockets</div><div align="left">or in our hands. of course, some people do not listen, a monkey ran off with her camera. While in Lake Manyara</div><div align="left">National Park, in the afternoon we saw our second Rhino, and this time is was the white one. I didn’t mention</div><div align="left">that the Black Rhinos are brown and the White Rhinos are grey. They werecalled Black and White by</div><div align="left">the Safari Guide. My favorite place was Ngorongora Crater, the largest unflooded and unbroken</div><div align="left">caldera in the world.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">The crater floor supports a large resident population of wildlife up to 25,000 animals. Just to name a few</div><div align="left">more species, there are wildebeest, gazelle, buffalo, eland, kongoni and warthog. The swamps and forest</div><div align="left">are filled with hippo, elephants waterbuck, reedbuck and bushbuck, baboonsand vervet monkeys,</div><div align="left">dikdik, jackals and more. What was nice was that we were able to touch ground and be able to see</div><div align="left">these animal while on land, instead of the safari van. I saw what I may want to think was my first leopard. I</div><div align="left">cannot be sure because the cheetah and leopard look so much alike that it is difficult to decipher which it could</div><div align="left">be. It ran from a wooded area so fast I could see the back and a tail and the paws. That was it. This was the end of</div><div align="left">the trip but I cannot close without telling about the wonderful working farm we had lunch.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">We enjoyed Gibb’s Farm in Tanzania half way between Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. It is 10</div><div align="left">acres of organic fruit and vegetables on a 45 acres farm. Gibbs’s Farm is an 80 year old legacy set among</div><div align="left">lush floral gardens, the farmhouse and 20 ensuite cottages are the heart of the 80 year old working Arican</div><div align="left">Farm. The farm house had 2 living rooms, library reading room, wraparound veranda overlooking the valley.</div><div align="left">It also has a bar and giftshop, dining room, serving farm meal. We had our lunch there and it was</div><div align="left">stated by several members of our group that they felt it was a perfect setting for our final days in Africa.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">What was nice was the hospitality they showed us and the walk through some of the 10 acres of organic</div><div align="left">coffee plantation. If one wanted to stay there they provided Farm rim walking, mountain biking, hippo</div><div align="left">pools, canoeing, Manyara Night driving. We went back to Aruska, then Nairobi where we stopped by a</div><div align="left">Tanzania mining company which sold precious Tanzinite. It was a mini expedition and five of</div><div align="left">us got stuck in an elevator , if felt like hours. There was no air conditioning in this elevator because</div><div align="left">it had stopped in between two floors. The mechanic was notified and of course that took a while.</div><div align="left">After fifteen minutes the joking was over and no one spoke! It appeared as though we would not get</div><div align="left">out in time to catch our flight for home. When we felt it move was when we realized how</div><div align="left">uncomfortable we were, but hiding our fear. We made it on time in Nairobi and everyone</div><div align="left">was safe and happy.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">We had a great time up until the stalled elevator, but once in Nairobi Airport, we had a wait of two hours and</div><div align="left">that was plenty of time to get settled and be able to enjoy our long flight home.</div>Annette Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12106256715095347050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8951766929577131252.post-72505736216265372132011-08-22T20:21:00.000-07:002011-08-22T20:54:48.831-07:00Thailand<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: large;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: x-small;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Papyrus; font-size: x-large;"><div align="left"></div></span></span><b><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span></b> <br />
<div align="left">Amazing Thailand with its colorful</div><div align="left">country</div><br />
<div align="left"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPBRPWp9fPJIpxnG7-WJdoHMX5-oJaBLJu5_0uuFlKDe817WnRNS8hlXs2TNL6WPE8FobF_Ym_PUX3Bo0w63QZcq8_leb1gZYt6RsvU7SUxFjBh9QR4IhAUuuC7bzV2bUuMRE7yothQ39/s1600/Taking+off+for+Thailand%252C+Cambodia%252C+Laos%252C+Vietnam+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPBRPWp9fPJIpxnG7-WJdoHMX5-oJaBLJu5_0uuFlKDe817WnRNS8hlXs2TNL6WPE8FobF_Ym_PUX3Bo0w63QZcq8_leb1gZYt6RsvU7SUxFjBh9QR4IhAUuuC7bzV2bUuMRE7yothQ39/s320/Taking+off+for+Thailand%252C+Cambodia%252C+Laos%252C+Vietnam+012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>by Annette Dixon</div><div align="left">Many years ago a dear friend who was a world traveler mentioned to me about</div><div align="left">the company called SmarTours. She said that the intellectual traveler</div><div align="left">usually uses this company. It very reasonable and the owners know how to</div><div align="left">outsource for quality guides, hotels and food. I have used this travel agency five times and plan</div><div align="left">on using them again in October for a trip to India and Nepal.</div><div align="left"><br />
My friend also told me she enjoyed the most beautiful country in the world,</div><div align="left">Vietnam and I had to differ with her. I thought Thailand was much better in many</div><div align="left">ways. I had back to back trips and was traveling for 33 days, first to Thailand,</div><div align="left">then Cambodia and Vietnam.</div><div align="left"><br />
The country of Thailand is where the people were so friendly. There wasn’t a</div><div align="left">time no matter who they were or what part of Thailand they were from, they</div><div align="left">had the most beautiful smiles and oh so friendly. I do not recall beggars as in</div><div align="left">Vietnam, begging for money. Surely, there were Thai people hounding us</div><div align="left">with their sovigneers, but that was to be expected on the streets, especially near</div><div align="left">the day markets. I cannot speak harshly about anything or anyone in Thailand,</div><div align="left">for in that country I felt safe, happy, very healthy, and the desire to</div><div align="left">return to this country. Yes there was poverty, much poorer than the slums of</div><div align="left">Chicago and New York, but it’s a third world country. Americans are aware that</div><div align="left">poverty exists, for the average wage earner earns $200 per month, but a tourist</div><div align="left">can eat for $2.00 per day at a market or at street vendor, where the native</div><div align="left">spends $0.25 per day on food. Thailand, no doubt, is a country I would want</div><div align="left">to visit again.</div><div align="left"><br />
The most outrageous cost for entertainment was at the Chiang Mai Zoo and</div><div align="left">Aquarium in Northern Thailand. For the American, we</div><div align="left">wouldn’t think paying $18 dollar for admission was too steep, but natives from</div><div align="left">throughout Thailand couldn’t afford to spend this amount. So when they</div><div align="left">wanted to visit the zoo and aquarium, about 6 to 8 people would come from the</div><div align="left">country in a truck, and each person would give money to the one person who</div><div align="left">would be entering the complex. that person would spend the</div><div align="left">whole day in the Aquarium and Zoo, also entertainment in the</div><div align="left">the zoo, take pictures and return to the family and report on</div><div align="left">what was in this zoo and show pictures.</div><div align="left"><br />
On the better side of this trip, I did get to stay at five star hotels</div><div align="left">and yes there is the economic divide of rich and poor. I guess their working on developing</div><div align="left">a strong middle class in the years to come for Thailand. According to our guide, Chai</div><div align="left">said that “Thai people never throw anything out when they</div><div align="left">cook, they use the skin, seeds, roots, etc. and every thing that</div><div align="left">grows. They use the heads, eyes, organs, etc from animals fowl, sea food.”</div><div align="left">Many times I didn’t know what I was eating unless our</div><div align="left">guide was with us. And yes, I did try something which I didn’t</div><div align="left">try in China, jumping shrimp. I didn’t try a deep fried grasshopper</div><div align="left">because I tried that in China, to crunchy.</div><div align="left"><br />
A good thing was in this country , we could be on excursions by ourselves and walk</div><div align="left">among crowds of people without worrying about our safety. Of course, we were warned</div><div align="left">about theft , yes it happens in Bangkok, but injury to the victim doesn’t take place. Now for</div><div align="left">the tour. In Bangkok, we were on the Chao Phraya River after a long</div><div align="left">days of visiting temples. It was this river where we visited water</div><div align="left">market and the market where the train goes through. If you</div><div align="left">look on UTube for Thailand Market you will know what I saw. The temples where unique</div><div align="left">and elaborate with ornate and colorful designs, precious gems</div><div align="left">such as diamonds, emeralds, opals, sapphires and rubies. Wat Trimitr has the 5 ton solid</div><div align="left">gold statue of Buddha and Wat Po has the colossal 150 foot</div><div align="left">long Reclining Buddha. It was fun to see this along with the</div><div align="left">white marble temple representing Thai architecture.</div><div align="left"><br />
The ancient capital of Thailand is Ayutthaya, I didn’t know this but I surely became</div><div align="left">interested because of our guide. In Ayutthaya we saw a huge bronze statue of Wat</div><div align="left">Mongkol Borpith and three ancient pagodas at Wat Phra Sri. We then continued to</div><div align="left">Lopburi to visit the stone carvings which were awesome. I wasn’t too thrilled with the</div><div align="left">Monkey Temple not knowing what the monkeys were up to, but I went along with the tour.</div><div align="left">Traveling north to Phitsanulok, which is the gateway to Northern Thailand, we</div><div align="left">visited the Bronze Case Factory and viewed more Buddha Images. Sukhothal/Lampang</div><div align="left">are the two towns we visited. Sukhothal is where the famous ruins of the 13 century’s</div><div align="left">famous capital of Siam. We couldn’t avoid seeing a textile</div><div align="left">Museum and unique private collect. I do know several</div><div align="left">quilters who would die for this adventure. After visiting an ancient</div><div align="left">ceramic kiln which was at least 500 AD, we traveled to Lampang for the overnight</div><div align="left">stay at Wiang Lakorn Hotel. Continuing North into the Golden Triangle which includes</div><div align="left">the Mekong River and the meeting point of Thailand,</div><div align="left">Myanmar (Burma), and Laos. We visited Laos by boat for</div><div align="left">those that wanted the experience of being there. Thailand’’s most northern</div><div align="left">point is Mae Sai and there we visited the local market and</div><div align="left">shopped for handicrafts. By evening we stayed in the</div><div align="left">charming town of Chiang Rai. Oh my, what came next</div><div align="left">was unbelievable. People, namely immigrants from Burma settled near the Mae</div><div align="left">Kok River mostly on high ground and these people were</div><div align="left">called the hilltribe. Their village, which was mountainous brought tourist paying to see</div><div align="left">their culture. handywork, costumes and how they live and survived in their surroundings.</div><div align="left">We even saw the long neck tribe, different the the Hilltribe’ I was quite surprised to see</div><div align="left">their village and how gorgeous the young girls were. When a girl is born, the parents</div><div align="left">place a coil, brass , copper or gold, depending on the wealth of the family, around her</div><div align="left">neck, as she grows and gets older, the coil is sized for her. We were sitting and talking</div><div align="left">with a 16 year old and her neck was very long. The longer the neck, the more beautiful she is</div><div align="left">considered to be. She let us try this on, I really like it until I realized you have to keep it on</div><div align="left">day and night. It’s only removed for hygienic purposes. It stays on until she is married.</div><div align="left">After this exciting day, we traveled to Chaing Mai the Rose of the North. Here was where</div><div align="left">the elephant camp was and of course the history of the use of the elephants for this area.</div><div align="left">Besides the fascinating temple in the mountains, we did get to see the Chaing Mai</div><div align="left">Zoo. This was quite a trip.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div>Annette Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12106256715095347050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8951766929577131252.post-83788875016783162302011-08-18T01:04:00.000-07:002011-08-18T01:04:44.431-07:00World History Classes, but what we may have forgotten<br />
is that this temple was transplanted from the submerged island of Philae.<br />
Before I forget I also wanted to mention I did get into King Tut’s Tomb and<br />
saw his remains.The cave like tomb is about a 3ft by 5ft. x 6 ft. high and he was unwrapped. Also in Cairo was a famous museum with artifacts of King Tut. Once in Aswan, we boarded a plane for a short<br />
flight to Abu Simbel to view the Nubian Monuments which consisted of<br />
twin temples carved into the mountainside. We took a felucca ride back to the riverboat for dinner.<br />
<br />
In Cairo we had a guided excursion to the famous sites in Egypt including the place where Joseph and Mary brought baby Jesus, when Herod was killing all babies in Bethlehem. The Great Pyramids of Giza, which stood for 46<br />
centuries are considered one of the Wonders of the World. Also looking close up at the Sphinz, a feline character with the body of a lion and face of Khufu, Cheops in Greek, carvedfrom one stone and lies before the Pyramids made this trip perfect. To conclude this exciting trip was the Camel ride on the other side of the Pyramids which was so much fun. I forgot to put this one on my facebook.Annette Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12106256715095347050noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8951766929577131252.post-26457194370334778612011-08-17T23:49:00.001-07:002011-08-18T00:31:35.581-07:00Traveling in Egypt was an exciting adventure especially riding a camel at the Pyramids by Annette Dixon On October 22, 2009, the departure took place in Kennedy Airport, New York to Cairo then Cairo<br />
to Hurghada. It was a short connection to this prosperous resort<br />
town on the shores of the Red Sea. Little did Iknow that Fort Arabesque<br />
Resort Hotel was an all inclusive resort on one of the most beautiful stretches of the Abu Mahang Bay. It was the most elegant three nights, I have ever spent on any vacation. Many people go toEgypt, not necessarily to<br />
the seaside of Hurghada. It is for this reason I travelwith SmarTours, so that I can go to the unusual places and stay at 5 Star hotels.On October 26, our group met with our tour director who is not only a Civil Engineer, but an Egyptologist. We traveled by bus to Luxor where we boarded a riverboat to explore the Nile River Valley. There we toured the Temples of Karnak and Luxor, the great cities of ancient Egypt. We walked the Avenue of Sphinxes and among the pillars of the colossal Temple of<br />
Amon Ra. The next morning we visited The Valley of the Kings/Valley of the<br />
Queens/Temples of Esna/Edfu. Here generations of Pharaohs and royalties<br />
were buried in tombs cut into sheer rock. The cruise down the<br />
Nile River brings us to many ancient and exciting cities to visit. For example we were at Deir El Bahari Mortuary rock temple of Queen Hatshepsut, an architectural masterpiece built against the backdrop<br />
of looming cliff face and the Colossi of Memnon, two huge seated statues of<br />
Amenhopep III guarding the valleys. On the cruise boat downthe Nile we could see camels, water buffaloes and the striking desert with tall palm<br />
trees in the horizon. The enjoyment of the relaxation of the cruise and the excursions along the way makes for a pleasant trip. We took a short stop to visit more temples, the Temples of Esna and continued sailing to Edfu. We disembarked in Edfu and enjoyed a guided tour to The Temple of Edfu, this one was a Greek-built temple and preserved monument to Horus, the falconheaded son of Osiris. It took 200 years to complete and has helped fill in many gaps of knowledge about the Pharaonic architecture that<br />
it was inspired by. <br />
<br />
We docked at Kom Ombo where in ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the river bank. A short walk brought us up to the temple dedicated to the falcon and crocodile gods. World History Classes, but what we may have forgotten is that this temple was transplanted from the submerged island of Philae. Before I forget I also<br />
wanted to mention I did get into King Tut’s Tomb and saw his remains.The cavelike tomb is about a 3ft by 5ft. x 6 ft. high and he was<br />
unwrapped. Also in Cairo was a famous museum with artifacts of King Tut.<br />
Once in Aswan, we boarded a plane for a short flight to Abu Simbel to<br />
view the Nubian Monuments which consisted of twin temples carved into<br />
the mountainside. We took a felucca ride back to the riverboat for dinner.<br />
In Cairo we had a guided excursion to the famous sites in Egypt including the place where Joseph and Mary brought baby Jesus, when Herod was killing all babies in Bethlehem. The Great Pyramids of Giza, which stood for 46<br />
centuries are considered one of the Wonders of the World. Also looking close up at the Sphinz, a feline character with the body of a lion and face of Khufu, Cheops in Greek, carved from one stone and lies before the Pyramids made this trip perfect. To conclude this exciting trip was the Camel ride on the other side of the Pyramids which was so much fun. I forgot to put this one on my facebook. Back to the sailing on the Nile River, we were able to go and see the Aswan<br />
Dam. <br />
<br />
Aswan Dam was very important to see, which controls the Nile River and<br />
gives the major source of hydoelectric power inEgypt. Later we boarded a<br />
motor boat and visited an island of Agilika and there was the Temple of Isis, now this one we remember from<br />
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Annette Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12106256715095347050noreply@blogger.com1