Tollefsons Adventures

KARON BEACH, THAILAND 2013

2014-07-16T10:17:00.001-07:00

Karon Beach, Thailand 2013

I finally got Julie over to take in the beauty of magical Thailand! She had a wonderful experience. We started off by flying from Seattle, Washington to Bangkok, via Taipei. We stayed in Bangkok for the first 3 nights, helping our internal clocks change and to rest up for the island life of Phuket. One of our first stops while walking the backstreets of Bangkok, was the John Thompson House/Museum. You can read about the history of this location, as I am pressed for time. What a relaxing place to chill next to the koi pond and have a couple cold ones.

We then flew down to Phuket, staying up on the hillside of Karon Beach. I have a favorite place I like to stay at called the Pacific Club. You'd never find it on a map, so the privacy is wonderful and the views of the beach are outstanding. We did lots of snorkling out near Koh Kai, Coral Island and ofcourse Phi Phi Islands. The fish are always nice visit with :-)

Of all the MANY elephants you come across while scouring Thailand, it is always fun to take one for a ride up on the surrounding hillsides. Such gentle giants they are......Its fun to feed them afterwards and spend some time with them. They LOVE sugar cane and bananas and will eat endlessly if you have the time to keep feeding them.

This picture was on a day we spend out at Phi Phi Islands at "The Beach". We took our motorbike up the hillside above Karon Beach, where you can see the MASSIVE big Buddha. Up there, you visit the monastery and observe the monks living on the grounds and doing their chants. It's really a beautiful site to behold.

I even got Julie to take a parachute ride behind a speed boat. She was the lsat ride of the day, as dusk was approaching. She sure had a wonderful sight as the sun was dropping. Fun times :-)

Well, this was a VERY brief update. We have about 90 more days, and we will be flying back to Thailand again for the 2014 trip. Looks like heading to the area of Krabi this time. Todays update was mainly for me to get my feet wet in doing updates and being able to tweak my blog. It's been a LONG time as I have been busy with lots of changes in my personal life. In fact, it looks as thought I might be taking another overseas work assignment to the middle east, hence LOTS more traveling to see the rest of this great planet. I will try and keep this blog up and current with all the new happenings.

Get out there and travel!

Jeff.

Chiang Mai, Thailand / September 2011

2011-10-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

Finally! Caught a tiger by the tail

So I decided it was high time to travel up to the North end of Thailand. I have never travelled up there, though have read a lot of others experiences, and have always had it on my "bucket list". I finally made the trip in September of 2011 and spent 2 weeks in and around Chiang Mai, Thailand. As you can see by the above picture, they tend to "bend the rules" in Thailand, if you just ask. As I was signing my waiver of responsibility, I asked one of the animal keepers "You have fed them today, haven't you?", adding a nervous laugh - though totally serious. He just smiled and shook his head affirmative. To this day, I truly don't think he had a clue what I was asking......At any rate, it was a very cool experience! I spent about 1/2 hour with this tiger, amongst a total of four. The other three didn't really get to close to me, but me and this fella kind of bonded. I felt so, at least :-) Here was the ONLY instruction I was given before they sent me through the cage door: "No approach tiger from front. Come from back or side, no front. If come at front, maybe not good. Fight. You know?" I just put my sunglasses on and went for it thinking, "Well? Here goes......this might be how it all ends."

One of the very first things I do upon landing in Thailand, is get myself a motorcycle. This gives me the freedom to travel in all different directions, when I want and for how long I want to be gone. Sometimes, I just just ended up staying the night at a countryside room/bungalow knowing that I have travelled too far today and won't have time to make it back "home". This was one of those days.....This little one is a member of the Karen tribe. These people are from Burma and live up in the highlands (jungles) of North Thailand. The fabrics, crafts, goods that you can purchase are ALL handmade by these good people. I had a chance to spend some time talking with some of these women. I can tell you that in all of my traveling experiences around this globe, I have never come across more Sweet, Innocent and Charming human beings than the ones I met today. .

The following pictures are other members who live in this commune and the crafts that they made there.

The Brass rings are solid. This neckpiece weights 10 lbs. Very Solid!

Various chokers, necklaces and bangles.

Silver Belt

These jewelry items are made of silver. They are exquisite. If you are a lover of silver as I am, you could spend all day looking over these items. They are fairly cheap too. I didn't drive a bargain with these people as they the prices they were asking were WAY more than fair. It's the only way they make any money....

A bed runner. 4 days to make one of these. Cost? 5 dollars.

And here is a shot of their village and the local church they have on the hill. It's a very peaceful existence. I did not feel sorry for these people when it's time to leave, I just came to understand them. They are happy through simplicity.

Small village of the Karen tribe. Northern Thailand

Home made bow/arrow.

I shot bow with this lady above. She was eager to show me what a nice piece it was, and that she makes them herself. She had a target set up about 25 ft away. The target was a few mangos attached to a hunk of plywood. She handed me the bow with a smile. This is a cross bow, with trigger. I nailed the mango on the first shot which surprised the both of us! This thing shot hard and straight. Very accurate piece. I was really impressed.

I got a little deeper into the northern territory and found a place called Doi Suthep. It's just a wonderful motorcycle ride uphill, to the mountain tops. The whole road is nice tight "S" turns. It's the ultimate motorcycle road trip. Loved it so much that I did it three days in a row! Up on top of Doi Suthep is a very famous Wat (temple). Along the way, I managed to find some pretty cool waterfalls to hike back into.

Waterfall, a secret hike in North Thailand. Can't tell you where it is :-)

Wat Doi Suthep. Yes, it's all real gold.

Buddhist prayer bells

Up and around the temple, there are these "prayer bells". Most every Buddhist temple will have these.

There is so many pictures that I want to add here which I have in my albums, but I just cannot add them all. I do have to include a couple of the Panda Bears that I visited though.......If you have never seen a Panda bear up close, let me assure you that they are as every bit of humorous as you have seen on the television. Once you spend some time near them, you start to understand how precious they are, and I am thankful that the Chinese have taken such a lead role in the protection of these endangered animals. What personality these bears have!!

Okay, I will end this post now. I had a wonderful time in the North of Thailand. There are so many more pictures that I want to add, but I'm running out of time. Ofcourse, I might add some more later as time allows, but wanted to get this updated as soon as I can. I am back in Qatar now working, and planning my next trip. There might be a surprise on my next posting, but I can't say anything about it yet. I won't even disclose where I'm flying off to next. It might ruin the surprise.

Hey! Who's that guy?

Just leaving my mark

G'bye Dubai - September 2011

2011-09-08T23:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Dubai of the United Arab Emirates! Money in fact, DOES grow on trees here, or rather should I say, it is the color BLACK and gets pumped from the ground.

There is so much to see here in Dubai, that four days is the very MINIMUM you will need to see what interests you. The above picture, is the Tallest tower/structure in the world. It is named the "Burj Khalifa". If you are a Discovery show junkie as I am, you will have caught episodes in the past of this monstrosity being built. As pictures go, it just does it no justice. To be there in person, and staring up into the sky at this thing, will truly make you search for words. "How??? did....." etc...it's truly amazing.

The picture below, is where the "Gold Souk" is located. Gold of all shapes and sizes and here for your bartering pleasure, amongst persian rugs, OUD scents, lamps, all Arabian interests.

The day that I was there, the temperature was a comfy 115F. It does sound hot to us "westerners", but it's not as bad as it seems. I guess maybe its because I am somewhat getting acclimated to the climate after 6 months now

I stayed at the hotel called The Arabian Courtyard Spa and Suites. They were kind enough to give me a room with a view! This is it, the view from my room :-) You can click on any of these pictures to enlarge them. This place is called "The Al Fahaidi Fort". It is considered to be the oldest standing structure in the UAE. You can see the original walls and towers. They have turned it into a musuem. As I ran my fingers over the morter joints between the rocks, my mind ran imaginations as to what life was like the day that particular brick was lain?. Who put it into place? This is OLD stuff. The era of this fort and all the following pictures, are from the 3rd Millenium B.C. I really enjoyed going underneath and viewing the different excavated artifacts.

Upon closer inspection, you can see sea shells mixed into the clay/rock, used as structure for the walls.

All, from 3rd Millenium BC - excavated from current site.

The pottery, arrowheads and jewelry were fascinating to view. There were all indiviually tagged, recorded and marked. One can only imagine the hands that made these items all those thousands of years ago.

Okay, so I have many more pictures of the museum. This is but a taste. Now, onto the different Malls. There are some popular Malls in Dubai. For those of you shop-o-holics, they have anything and everything you desire. However, this is also the place (if you have been watching Discovery over the past while) where they have the worlds FIRST indoor Snow Ski mountain. Yeah, no kidding and it's at the mall. I skied it :-) I only took pix from the outside looking in-as I had to check my camera in while I was hitting the bumps. Also, the largest aquarium INSIDE the mall that I have ever seen. In these pictures you will notice to big school of tuna fish - oh yeah, also a BRAND new cooper, SUNK into the bottom of the acquarim for the fish to swim around. Only in Dubai!

Here is the ski slope, looking in from the mall. This is what you would walk by, as your eating your hot dog and heading to the next shop. Indoor ski mountain, COMPLETE with live trees.

And the famous COOPER at the bottom of the aquarium?

I will put up the last picture of the "Fountain" they have at the M.O.E. Mall of Emirates. It is a fastastic display of art. All these steel male statues of divers attached to a wall of cascading water. There are HUNDREDS of them. The display is huge, and my camera only captured a few of them. If you ever get a "layover" in Dubai, the malls are highly worth your visit. Okay then, I'm closing now with the following pix. In two days, I'm off to Chiang Mai, Thailand and then who knows........I'll be in touch.

LIVE FOR TODAY!!! YOU MAY NOT HAVE A TOMMORROW!

Boracay, Philippines Part #2

2011-08-12T02:47:00.000-07:00

Today is August 12, 2011 and my day off. I am going to update my blog as I have managed to squeeze yet another trip in back to Boracay. 2 wks just wasn't enough, so I ventured back again. This time however, I flew my daughter Morgan in from the USA and she was my travel companion throughout. We really had a wonderful time together.... I'm going to skip right over Manila as we only stayed one night the The first couple of days in Boracay were filled with sunshine and hot weather. On day #2, we rented a sailboat/catamaran with hired driver ofcourse, and spent the next 4 hours cruising the crystal waters. We went completely around the whole island. The locals know where the best snorkling spots are, so we took three stops for swimming with the fish. This time, I knew better and brought a couple loaves of bread along. The boat driver and his help mate, threw pieces of bread in around us in the water. This ofcourse, swarmed the fish all around you. Morgans' favorite was to hold bread in her hand and the fish would come and eat right from her. The waters were crystal clear and the fish........wonderful colors! All topical fish, blues, yellows, clown fish, it is just like swimming in a fish tank. It's become my favorite past time. This swimming is very similar to the coasts of Phuket Thailand. It's just an experience you will never forget.

The above picture was taken a couple days later. We rented "dune buggies", and yes Morgan had her very own. I was a little apprehensive because to get to the trail head, our guide had to take us on the main road through town for about 1/2 mile. She is 11 yrs old! And driving her own "car" on the streets of Boracay. She did just fine though, and I knew she would be. She has no problem handling my 400cc quad back home. So, we ended up on the highest point of Boracay. It rained on us pretty hard as the picture shows....we still had a blast.

And then, that evening, absolute disaster struck! You would think that we just got news from NASA that a comet was found hurdling towards our planet, and to expect impact in 2 hours. Well, it wasn't quite that, but back at the resort Morgan found out that her "hair straightening iron" (whatever that is) was broke! Oh my God! What are we going to do?? Dad!!! Oh Dad!! What am I going to do??? As she flopped herself onto the bed.

Guess where we ended up? Yep. A hair salon downtown where she spent the next 3 hours getting some sort of "pre treatment", and then finally they "straightened" out her hair. She found the lady boys funny :-) Gay as a 3 dollar bill. Very very friendly folks though. Morgan made friends very fast with them. She had a fun outing there......

Not sure which day this was, but gong through the main section of town, there was this sushi place. She said "Oh Dad, I want sushi. Can we?" Now, I'm not a big fan of sushi. I never knew she was either. Maybe she's been watching too many movies/tv where it seem to be the chic thing to do. As far as I'm concerned, sushi is for Bears. They eat their fish raw. Man discovered Fire for a reason. So we "ate". Barely. We ended taking most of it back to her friends at the salon. :-) they were very please for the treat.

One of our fav places to eat was called the "Hobbit House". I'm sure you can google and find it, as it's a pretty famous place. Yes, the theme is based J.R.Tolkein books, and ALL of the workers are midgets. I'm not talking just short people, I'm talking the shortest of the short! So short that they had to reach UP to serve you at your table. I tried to help them, but they shooed me away.

I don't need to add to much more to this update, as my last update was much the same, as it was the exact same place. I had a wonderful time swimming, playing, talking with my daughter. Shes' my buddy. I am considering my next trip for September to be China. We'll see where the wind blows me too.....

Qatar is going fine. It seems like I've been gone over a year already! I packed it with such activity I hardly can believe I've only been gone from the States for 5 months. Seems so much longer. The hottest temps of the year are in July and August. Right now we are in the thick of it. On average during the day it can get to 50-54C (up to 130F) Humidity is very high here too at times.......

I should add this picture too. This is pretty much how you get around the island. They are called "trikes". They operate all hours of the day and night. Very cheap to get around. If you find the right guy, you can get them to start racing with another trike. It can get very exciting :-) As you can see, the rain was here again. We still had a blast.
Okay, signing off for now...............I'll update from my next destination. Just need to throw my dart at the wall map and see where it hits :-)

Dont forget, you can click on the pictures and they will enlarge for you if you wish......

Boracay Philippines in June

2011-06-08T02:06:00.000-07:00

Late May 2011, I decided to take a trip to the Philippines to see what that is all about. If you have kept up with me, I have covered much else of SE Asia, but not here yet. Tickets bought, I flew with Emirates Airlines to Dubai, then onto Manila. Total of about 9 hours flight time.

After arriving in Manila, I took a cab to next city over called Makati. I stayed there for two nights, or should I say I wasted two nights there. Here is a tip for you: Manila and Makit (the cities) and sketchy places and I found to be a dark atmosphere. I won't ever go back there for much, as my interest lies out in the islands. Anyways, enjoyed a little bit of a typhoon upon landing and my first evening there which was exciting. Not much else to say, lots of poverty there and the traffic is suicidal. Really, it's much worse than Bangkok or Ho chi Minh city. Manila is a death trap.

I flew out of Manila and on my way to Boracay. This was an adventure in itself. Boarded a Bombardier 300 plane in Manila and took the flight to Caticlan. Upon landing, it was raining pretty hard. I was travelling a more heavy than I like to, having my camera gear bag, my laptop bag, and my full size backpack. Normally a non-issue, but it was pouring outside! I ran across the tarmac, having no idea what else I need to do to reach Boracay. I met a person on the side of the airport and she asked me "Where you go?" I replied "Boracay". She instructed me to go catch "trike" and it will take me to port. Port? Okay.....I paid my fare of 100 pesos and climbed into a rickety motorcycle/side cart (covered) and we drove along dirt, bumpy roads all the while listening to the roosters and birds singing, or laughing at me :-) After about 15 min ride, ended up at the Port. I grabbed my gear and headed to the ticket line. I suppose that was the only logical place to go, which it was. I tell the lady "I'm heading to Boracay". I didn't have to pay, I guess my original 100 pesos covers cost of the boat ride as well. The boat was ready, so headed down the beachfront to board. Ah ha! Then next problem. The ramp was down, which was good as we have to walk up it. Problem was, it was sitting in about 2 feet of water. I looked at that, with my jeans and tennis shoes on. Well? here we go. I just slugged through and got soaked up to my knees. The pic above is the boat I boarded onto. Boat ride was about 20 min long, all the while raining and pretty stormy. As we landed in Boracay, I thought....."Okay, just get me to my room!". Not so lucky. I had to grab another "Trike". He took me the next 15 min to the beachfront area where my first resort was located. Okay. I have arrived!

What a treat and adventure awaited me. After getting settled in, I decided to go to station #2, where there is know to be some epic beach parties. Just had to see what that was all about. Yes, it's true. I ended up enjoying a 2 man Regge band playing on the beach. Met a number people from all over the world. It was a grand time :-)

Just a random shot of me on Boracay

Here is some pictures of the water and beach scenes. The pictures pretty much speak for themselves, so make sure you click them to enlarge. There isn't much I can add verbally to these. Just enjoy them :-)

This turned out to be my favorite swimming hole, like in the whole world! Pizza on the beach at the Nigi Nigi restaurant. Dropped some dough with this establishment over 10 days :-)

And the sunsets of Boracay? I challenge any place on earth to match the majesty and jaw dropping beauty of these. They are something I wish everybody could witness in their lifetime. I'm glad I could bring some here to share with you all. Here we go! There were NO filters used on these, and no photo tweaking. Straight up shooting with a Nikon D40. God can paint folks!!! I've seen it!!

Changed colors by the min.....

I waded out into the water for about 20 min to my waist and just stood by for these amazing shots. The pictures turned out nice, but to be there and witness it, is just a whole other level of peace. I have never in my life (and i've seen hundreds of nice sunsets) witnessed such brilliant fire in the sky. It left me speechless for a bit.

I have many more of these sunset photos which if you are interested in viewing, check my facebook page. I have a couple albums of photos of Boracay. I need to download a few more pics from my cam. I will download those as time allows. Rest assured, I will be returning to Boracay. Just as soon as I can :-)

Catch you all on my next adventure!! Take care

Goofing off with the guys in the Desert

2011-05-19T07:34:00.000-07:00

Following pictures are a fun wknd playing in the Sun and Sand. Enjoy!

SunLine Dunes - Qatar coastline

2011-05-14T05:15:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun yesterday at Sun Line. There
were four of us in the Toyota Landcruiser. Our hired driver says he has been driving the dunes for 8 yrs. After we let about 1/2 the air out of the tires, we began our safari out through the desert. We ventured out about 70 miles into nothingness, then ended up next the the Gulf for dinner, cold water drinks, swimming and some cool camels to talk to.

Again, it was a very hot day. We are now getting into the hot season here in Qatar. Last few days have been 115F or so. The gulf felt wonderful to run into and swim, until I estimated the water to be at least 90+ degrees. A little warm for my taste.

My buddy snuck up and took an unexpected shot of me kicking back and reading my Kindle. See? I go NOWHERE without it. Still my favorite gadget of all :-)

Now let me introduce you to a new friend of mine. He didn't say much, but I can tell he liked me. Scratched his chin, ears and shoulders for him. Not shy at all. A very well behaved camel. I decided not to ride him as I know thats what hes been doing all day. Time for rest :

As the sun went down, it became much more comfortable. Here is a picture of my buddy Dave. Just relaxing after a hard day of drivin' and ridin'

And ofcourse, as the ambient light goes away, you can always find some refinery flares in the distance.

There are just about any kind of offroad rig you feel like taking out. The quads are the most fun if you ask me, though these are a hoot as well :-)

I was hoping for an awesome sunset to show you this trip, but was rather disappointed. So, here is all I was able to get. The desert added some character to it, so I kind of like how it turned out. Just wait until I get a nice shot of the sunsets they have over here. There simply are no words to describe. Leaves a person quiet for awhile, knowing they are witnessing something very special. They are that intense. I'll find you guys one soon. So, thats all for now. See on the next outing!! Cheers

Vellagio Mall, Doha-Qatar

2011-05-12T06:23:00.000-07:00

Thought some might be interested in seeing some pictures I took while browsing through the Vellagio Mall here in Doha. I have to tell you, it's the most amazing mall that I have ever been in, and I have been in the best that Bangkok has to offer. This place takes buildings to a whole new level!

Here is a picture of the moat which runs through the middle of the mall. They have boats from Venice and have even brought official Venetian boaters to stroll you along the river. I never took a boat ride, but thought it was pretty neat.

Sticker on this Porsche was a cool 240k. Wonder who the lucky owner will be. I've never been close to a Porshe Panamera before. The inside is truly a work of art. I would just love to get behind the wheel.....

As you can see, I had the whole mall to myself. Marble everywhere down this high-end wing. Then soon got hungry for some lunch. I found a restaurant called "The Butchers Shop and Grill". I have eaten there twice now. The steaks are unbelievable good! And the burgers, well, there are just no words. The original restaurant is located in South Africa. As the name implies, they specialize in Beef. And they do it well.

Oh yes, I should add this mall also has indoor cart racetrack, bowling alley, IMAX theater, and an indoor ice skating rink. Almost forgot, they also have a full amusement park inside complete with ferris wheel and roller coaster. You can spend all day in this place.

With the whole ceiling/roof curved the way it is, then painted to be a pleasant blue/cloud day, you do get the feeling of being outdoors. They just did a nice job designing this thing. Well, thats about all I can say about a shopping mall! Been there, done that....

More Vietnam stuff

2011-04-15T04:38:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here in my hotel room. I have my shoulders and chest soaked in aloe vera gel. I have been in the sun too much and too long. I need the shade for now on I think. Today, I took a gondola ride up the top of a mountain. The view was fantastic. When I arrived on top, another plus was that I was totally alone up there. I guess it's most popular during the night as people like all the light displays up there and overlooking the city

Once you arrive on top, they will drive you around to see all their displays. I chose to just walk and take my time. Another mistake. That was a LOT of walking and getting roasted in the sun. So, the following pictures are some of what I did today.

Waterfall on top of mountain

I liked this bridge for some reason.

After walking some, I came to the waterfall which was the only sound you could hear on top of the mountain, and it was the background music for the rest of my time up there. The have am Impressive sized Buddha statue at top. You can see this for miles and miles away. Moving along, I saw a sign that said "Wild Boar" with an arrow pointing to a path. After thinking about this later, I was like "a blind, winding path with a sign that says Wild Boar, might not be the safest or smartest thing to do" Anyways, I went and was pleasantly surprised to meet some new friends.

Big Bird

Funny thing about the ostrich bird. You just cannot tell if they like you, or are getting ready to head butt you. There were about 30 of these prehistoric creatures. I got to looking at them pretty closely as it isn't every day you come eye to eye with such a freak of nature. Have you ever seen the "Feet" of an ostrich? They are talons made for warfare. If one of these birds got on you with their feet, they look like they could just rip you in 1/2 fairly easily.

Feet were longer than mine.

view of Vung tau from top of Mt.

They did have some wild boars as well, but I didn't feel they were picture worthy. I said my "Hellos" to them all, and then went about my way. I also soon came upon 3 monkeys in a large cage which again I didn't take pictures of. So, it was nice relaxing day. Got some sun, got some pictures, got some pizza, and came back to my room. When I started writing tonight, I turned around and noticed that Vietnam was putting on a sunset show, so I took a shot of the evening sky. Thats it for today - See at the next stop :-)

Vietnam sky from my room.

Up Coast from Vung Tau

2011-04-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

I got up this morning at the ripe time of 12:30pm. Still a little off kilter from the jet lag I suppose. Well, it was high time that I got up and showered. Had another motorbike ride to take today. It wasn't too far into my ride when I stumbled on my future home. It was just like I have envisioned it. This is where you can find me a number of years from now, or maybe sooner than that :-) What a cool place to have. This looked to be about 1/4 mile from the shore. Yep, I'll take it. Also, if you don't know, you can click on the pictures and enlarge if you wish. Okay, lets roll......

The mission for today, was to drive North and head up the coast to where the "Monkey Temple" is. A local guy was telling me about it, so ofcourse I had to go check out the monkeys. Seems that where Thailand has elephants, Vietnam has the monkeys. I have seen though, many monkeys in Thailand too, but Vietnam doesn't have the elephants. This turned in to about a 2.5 hr pleasant ride, then a little bit of offroad. A person would just never find this place unless you are a local. This is why, the best thing you can do when you travel abroad is hook up with a friend. They are proud to show you all the cool stuff which are NOT in the "guide books". Plus, you wont be playing w/ the tourist crowd. I like the back 40 stuff myself. So, quickly after we arrived, I knew this was going to be a special place. Very quiet......all you could hear was monkeys up in the trees, and these wonderful metal wind chimes on the temple. The surrounding rocks speak for themselves. Here you see a Bhuddist alter of some sort. This would be a good time to mention what I noticed as somewhat of a surprise. I have actually seen more Christian and Catholic chapels than I have seen any other religion, though Bhuddism is still a quite popular belief for many.

The trail on search of monkeys

I know you have peanuts, hand em over.

Soon, I found my monkey friends. It is a complete different experience throwing peanuts to wild monkeys, vs. ones behind bars at the zoo. You have to really watch these rascals. I was told they have taken peoples cameras, purses, and food. I never felt threatened by any of them probably because the ones I saw were very small. But still, they do have teeth. We didn't come across any monkeys at the temple as is usual, so we began to hike up the hillside on this ancient trail.

Soon, you could hear them thrashing throughout the trees. They seem to know that maybe some treats were coming. You should have seen these creatures FLY through the trees! What amazing acrobats!! I could have watched the for hours on end. They would go high up into the trees, then launch like 30 feet out and down, and land in some bushes or another tree. They can also catch. You can throw a nut to them over 10 ft away, and they will catch it. Funny things, monkeys :-)

Buddist Monk cleaning floor of temple

And, I'll add a few more pics of this place w/ captions. Very glad I was able to visit this place. I will remember it forever.

Inside of the temple. Notice size of door.

Along the route back, came upon this little fishing district right on the coast of the South China Sea. These were just different families doing this work. On this particular street, there were probably 20 different outfits working sided by side. This is drying fish in the sun. Yeah, didn't smell that great. But this is the real McCoy here. When next you are in an Asian store and you see the vaccuumed packed dried fish, here is where it is made.

Typical Vietnamese lady (old school) working on her fish. Everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY has seomthing to do here.

more fish...........

...and more and more and MORE FISH!!!

Okay then, that is all I have time for tonight. Am having fun. Riding the motorbike through heavy traffic and round abouts, feels like being inside an arcade game. It is a total trip. I called it "Organized Chaos". Somehow, it works. It's less driving, and more avoiding impact. Fun as can be! Okay, I will update later as things move along. Tomorrow I think I'm just staying here by pool and get a full day of reading in. R&R day tomorrow. I also had to respond to a few critical emails to my work in Qatar, so it's not "ALL" fun and games. This is more of a "working vacation" :-)

Vung Tau, Vietnam

2011-04-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I found a shop selling Nikon equipment. Surprise surprise......In Vietnam, or ANY where in SE Asia, if you're looking for something, it's ALWAYS just the next shop away. I love it. So now, I can download a few pix. The first pic here, is of a bowl of
Pho. If you have never had it, make sure you do. Again, I would recommend the Pho 99 behind Wendys in Sehome Village. Same Same.

I left Saigon today, catching a hydrofoil through and down the Saigon river to a coastal town called Vung Tau. I immediately rented a motorbike from my hotel, and all of a sudden - - there appears a guy who asks me what I needed? I said "Nothing, I'm all good. Just heading out for a drive". He asked if he could go with me and show me some sights, so I said "Sure, lets grab something cold first". As we pulled up to the first market, which was near the pier, here comes a guy and actually wanted to CLEAN my tennis shoes. I just bought them 2 wks ago and they were perfect. However, I'm a sucker. I told him "If you really want to do this, then here you go." He did a nice job!

I watched them earlier, polishing leathers for some people, but this was the first for me! Okay, clean away if you wish. I paid him and he was happy. A lot of SE Asia is like this. Everybody has to make some coin any which way they can think of, so I try to entertain them all. What strikes me most, is how happy they truly are.....We westerners have missed something right in front of our noses....

I had to add a picture of the lunch I had in Saigon earlier today. Yeah, it was that good :-)

Guy was thirsty, obviously :-)

Here is a really neat statue of the Mother Mary, holding Jesus. This statue is immense. If you click on any of the pictures, they will enlarge - though it will still do no justice. Just a real neat piece of work.

Then I found myself at some tunnels the Americans dug into the hillside. I wasn't too comfy being here. That war caused a lot of destruction, and I'm just not really into that sort of pain for people. I'll leave it there. There are lots of "tours" which will take you around and you can crawl through man-holes the Vietnamese dug in the ground. You can even get your picture! Not interested, its just me. I still see the devastation from that war today. It's sad to me.....Enough of that.....

Went through this garden today, and there were wonderful examples of bonsai trees. I took lots of pictures, but here is just a sample. While taking these photos, what struck me was how completely quiet it was. I noticed that.........I couldn't hear anything, 'cept maybe a bird way off in the distance. I sat for about 20 min and just enjoyed.......

I will add more pictures later, just wanted to add something as I finally found a data cable. As I said, I am in a coastal city of Vung Tau. I will be here for the next 6 days. So, take care all you folk. I cannot access my FB account here from Vietnam. The country, for some reason, has it blocked. I've tried going on private proxies and anonymizers, but no luck so far. I'll be back soon. Ciou! XOXO

Ho Chi Minh City (Old Saigon)

2011-04-09T04:07:00.000-07:00

Uggggggg!!!!!! I cannot Believe this!!!!!!! I have taken a number of pictures and went to download them for this blog. I realized I brought my charger for my Kindle, my Itouch, and nothing else! I have no Nikon patch cord to download my pics. Totally bummed. Well? What is one to do........it is what it is. I will have to download them when back in Qatar in a couple wks and resume this blog.

Another surprise was to find out that Vietnam has blocked access to Facebook. Whats up with that? So, I have a friend leaving a message on FB reporting this to explain my absence.

I had a wonderful bowl of Pho soup today. Wanted to see how to compare with the local fare at home. I can tell you this: If you like Pho, or you would like to try, I recommend going to Pho 99 in Bellingham near Sehome village (behind the Wendys) , as it was exactly the same. Just a wonderful bowl of beef shank, broth, onions, chili peppers, basil, noodles and more! Killer soup after a late night :-)

I am in a nice place here in Saigon. I only booked 3 nights. Then, I venture Northbound to more rural settings. I will rent a motorbike and go explore some history! Per capita, Vietnam has the highest number of scooters in the world. You wouldn't believe the traffic. I thought I'd seen it all in Bangkok, but the traffic here in hcmc is WAY crazier. You just hold on and go with the flow. I was in a "rick shaw" today, the man peddling his bike while i'm in this little cart, and there just isn't any rhyme or reason how the traffic works here. You honestly think you are about to die! After a while, I just began to smile and laugh at the closeness of it all and began taking pictures. Never saw one wreck, which is a miracle. Okay folks, I'll add photos when I can. Sorry for that goof up :-(

It's hot here........just out of the pool so that was nice. I haven't seen a drop of rain since I left on March 3. I wouldn't mind seeing a little right now. Okay people, on to new adventures...............update soon

Jeffrey

Hola from Doha!

2011-03-22T08:26:00.000-07:00

So, I went for it. I went after it, and was offered a job helping to commission Shells' largest refinery in the world. The thing is, it's in Qatar.?. For those of you who don't know where Qatar is, you're not alone. Not many people do. It's a small country attached to the East coast of Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf. I have been here for over 2 wks now, and slowly my body is acclimating to the climate. It is going to get MUCH hotter here as the days move on towards April. Today was in the 90s and still considered "cool". Yeah, cool.

Luckily for me, every 35 or so days I get to fly out for a couple wks and R&R it wherever my dart lands on the map. This time, it landed on Goa, India. April 8 I will be there, so will update from there as well. I couldn't update this blog last time I tried, but it's working tonight - so I'm trying to spit out a quick update. The facility here is HUGE at 20Km by 10Km. Just enormous. Currently 46,000 people working here, down from a peak of 63,000. 69 countries represented/working here so a very cultural place for sure. I'm used to it, so I enjoy it.....

Then there is the city of Doha just up the road an hour. This amazing city is being built right in front of my eyes. All the building you see here, and it's just a fraction, have built w/i the last 4 yrs!! Amazing.

Only in Dubai and Doha will you find indoor "Snow Ski runs" and ice rinks in the mall. Yes, they have everything in Doha. The money is flowing in. Before I lose this connection, I'm going to try and load this update. I expect less troubles when I can find a wifi in India or Thailand. Qatar is sketchy with it's internet connections. All is well, cya all in India!

Qatar travel update

2011-03-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

Hello to all!
Jeff is unable to access his blog in Qatar, but as soon as he is able to, will update everyone and add some great pictures of his adventures so far..

Thanks! ( :

2010-02-27T19:29:00.000-08:00

THE BEACH!

This is probably one of the most popular attractions in southern Thailand is out in the Andaman Sea. It is known locally as Phi-Phi island (pee-pee). There are two islands, phi phi don and phi phi ley. This is the location of the where the movie "The Beach" was filmed starring Leonardo DeCaprio. The only practical way to head out there from Phuket is by speed boat and will still take up most of your day.

The guides will stop at a half dozen places and let you jump overboard to do some snorkling, and usually stopping at an inlet for a provided lunch. Personally, I have been out here about 4 times and don't need to go anymore. I prefer different modes of transportation and different areas. If you ever find yourself in Thailand though, you just cannot pass this one up. It's one of those "must see" places on the globe.

As you can see (or not), I am standing on the actual beach taking these pictures. Somewhere around here I have pictures of the beach. They have nice short dirt trails you can walk down, and there you will find a couple bamboo huts where you can purchase "refreshments", and enjoy your stay! It truly is one of those places where you just never want to leave. How soon it ends, and it's time to move on...

2010-02-21T22:45:00.000-08:00

We took a vacation to visit the Domican Republic. The DR shares the same rock as Haiti. One island, about cut in 1/2. The above picture, I took at random from the beach at our resort. This was my first time staying at one of those "all inclusive" jobs that I've heard so much about over the years. So, at the outset here, I'd have to give it a thumbs down overall, for me. I had the sense of being "stuck" in one area, and not being able to really leave and go explore around. For one thing, it's very dangerous. It is NOT a good idea to leave the resort grounds period. They have quite the security trying to keep the needy from entering. They even had armed guards down at the end of the property line on the beach.

The weather was HOT. I think this is the hottest outside temperatures that I have ever felt. Intense for sure. You either had to have the shade of a palm, or be in the water. The water itself is about 85 deg F, or has to be near, so it's very easy to spend too much time out in it and burn like a lobster, which I did. We hired a catamaran for the whole day, and cruised out to a few different islands for swimming and fun. They have a different approach to "refreshments" upon these boats. There motto is :"Save the water, drink the rum", and they mean it as they pass the bottles around. Morgan sure loved riding the water while laying out on the net.

As far as beaches go, the weather, the resort staff, it is worth a trip. We have done it, but have no plans on returning back. Where I find my most enjoyment in travelling, is mixing it up with the locals. I like to get into their culture and feel absolutely safe while doing it. This is why I keep returning to Thailand. Just feels like home away from home anymore..........maybe one day it will be :-)

After flying into the Dominican Republic, we landed at Santo Domingo. From there, we took a 2+hour bus ride along the countryside to our resort and destination. I found the countryside to be alarming. I had the feeling of destitution and hopelessness, looking around at the lives these locals find themselves living in. And these folks have it good compared with their neighbors to the West, Haiti. However, then you drive down the private drive to the resort. These are way away from the local fare, people and community. Like I said before, you wouldn't to venture out anyways. We had a couple two weeks, had a blast and left our mark. So many places, so little time...............

The Gentle Giants

2010-02-19T23:44:00.000-08:00

The Beloved Thai Elephant. You can find them anywhere in Thailand, and the more you leave the city you run into more and more as the miles pass away. However, don't be surprised to see a number of elephants each day and night right downtown Bangkok - crossing traffic etc. The owners make a living with these family members, but selling bananas to idiots like me who buy them, and feed them back to his elephant. What a sucker! But, I cannot refuse the look of an elephant as they approach you from behind and bump you gently with their trunk. They are immediately friendly with you, and want you to fish out some money, and FEED ME SOME BANANAS!

Trekking with them through the jungle is quite an interesting ride. They have the own un-ending cadence when they walk. It never changes, their natural rhythm. This can get actually quite uncomfortable if your trek is longer than an hour, and you sway back and forth, up and down, forward and back. It's not as comfy as it looks, but who cares right? Its fun and the elephants are treated well, the owner is making a living with this creature, and he is taken care of with pride. It is a mark of wealth to have access to your own elephant, or even own it outright yourself. It's quite an honor in Thailand.

2010-02-19T23:05:00.000-08:00

I took this picture during a nighttime swim, downtown Bangkok. I wish I would have found this spot long ago, as it is very moderatley inexpensive, and the perfect area of Bkk to stay. It's relation to Suhumvit and Pratunam areas are mere miniutes away by foot, and even quicker on a tuk tuk, or taxi.

The service is impeccable and you feel spoiled soon after arriving. But then again, this is Thailand. You tend to feel this way the whole time you spend there.The pool was open all hours of the night, so those of us on our initial "jetlag" find ourselves easily taking a swim at 3:25 am. Your body soon adjusts to the local time in a couple - few days. There is no problem with this, and no hurry to acclimate.

What you appreciate most of this culture, is the locals that you get to interact with throughout your day. Conversations don't happen here in America like they do there. It does take an adjustment to this new way of interacting with people. But quickly you realize that this is the way you prefer. Slow down, focus on the conversation, listen and learn. And always smile! It goes a very long ways........

2010-02-19T19:43:00.000-08:00

If you ever find yourself in Bangkok, you just must visit the floating market amongst other landmarks. Usually have to take a taxi/bus from your hotel in Bkk for about 1.5 hours, as you travel to a launch point on the river. When you arrive at the "terminal" (basically a beach with nice trees, some tables and chairs, complementary coffee/tea, and soup if you wish) you then board your Longtail boat, and head up river to the "floating market".

There, they throttle the engine way down, let me back up for a min. Don't hesitate to ask for your OWN boat. It's worth the upgrade, you basically hire a boat and driver for as long as you want. He will take you anywhere you wish to go as he doesn't have a tour crowd to deal with. My wife and daughter and myself, had our own boat.

If you show the slightest interest in how you look at the store wares! Soon you will catch on to how crafty these folks are. They "notice" your briefest glance, and will pull the boat over to the stall and you can dicker with the store front owner. Good luck with that! They are intense sellers, whom could sell an ice maker in Antartica. These funny people will take your money and you will come home with so much crap, all you can do is laugh. You see, the people so nice and friendly that you have to give in and buy something from them. Its a fun game, but can get out of line. Fun place to go for sure.....

paradise in Karon Beach

2010-02-19T18:56:00.000-08:00

My new digs in Karon Beach. After visiting this area 7 different times, I finally found my seclusion up on the hilltops about 1/4 mile from the beach. I shouldn't tell you this, but this particular resort took me for $29.00 per night. I know, gouged me right? ha

As you can see, we had the pool all to ourselves! If the clouds were not in this picture, way off in the distance on top of a mountain, a Buddha statue can be seen from any vantage point on the island. It is 200 feet tall and looks to be made of marble, though most likely limestone. I haven't visited there yet, but you can run your motorbikes up to that spot. I hear it is spectacular.

2010-02-18T22:48:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite areas to play around is Phuket, Thailand. When you get off the beaten path, you quickly find the treasures of the island (s). Once you find a hotspot for the longtail boats, as pictured above, you can very cheaply get taxied all day long to the favorite local snorkling spots. By going this way, you can get off the major tourist hubs and be all alone if you wish. Just you and the fish! I truly is like diving into a fish tank. The fish are everywhere! All different sizes and colors, and they are NOT shy. It can be a little daunting at first, but you get quickly used to their company, and soon you will crave it. I will have to say, one of the highlights of my life has been the hours spend in complete solitude and quietness with the fish of the Andaman Sea. I can't wait to return..........

Thailand 2009 with Family

2010-02-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

My daughter Morgan finally had the itch to go see the land of smiles. She had heard all the stories of mine and finally decided that she was coming along no matter what! So, off to Bangkok we went - all three of us. My wife was heading back to Thailand for her second time and couldn't wait to arrive. We arrived in Bangkok and stayed three days before flying to Phuket. Morgan had her concept of the world changed in very short order, as she finally took a ride on a Tuk-Tuk - which is a three wheeled contraption, 2 stroke wild machine in which the drivers weave in and out of traffic as though the end of the world is approaching. It is great fun! Then the shopping. and more shopping! I tended to stay poolside as Jill and Morgan ventured to the Pratunam district to do the street shopping, which frankly is in describeable. If you have never experienced it, then put this on your "to do " list. Well, I will end my first posting for now..........just wanted to get my feet wet with the operation of this blog, so I will publish more as time allows. Now get out there and enjoy this big rock of ours called EARTH!

2010-02-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

I have decided to write and keep a blog. This mainly will be a place that I can journal about my previous and upcoming travels around the planet, my experiences with the people and the different cultures, and hopefully upload some pictures if I can figure that out. It is an amazing world out there! We have travelled from the Dominican Republic/Haiti, to Cambodia and Thailand. I am considering a jaunt to South America soon. YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO ENLARGE TO FULL SIZE!