Koh Samui is located south of Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand about 31km east of the Ang Thong National Marine Park. Koh Samui is Thailand’s third largest island and is surrounded by 80 smaller islands. About a dozen flights a day arrive from Bangkok and feed this island with a steady flow of tourist. I wanted to save money so I took the evening train to Surat Thani so I could sleep during the 11 hour trip from Bangkok. Once at the train station you will need to catch a bus for the short ride to the boat pier where you will be able to catch a boat to the Na Thon dock on Koh Samui. There are usually → Continue Reading
Venice, Italy October visit, Day one
My first visit to Italy and my first stop is Venice. We arrived at Marco Polo Airport in the late afternoon and caught an Alilaguna ferry to Piazza San Marco. The Piazza was near our hotel, so I thought, and it was a good landmark to get our bearings. The day was nearing sunset when we left on the vaporetto to San Marcos Plaza.
After a 14 hour flight, the boat ride was relaxing. Venice harbor with a beautiful sunset as a backdrop can mesmerize and excite you at the same time. Boat traffic was light except for a monstrous cruise ship heading out to sea which looked out of place near this old city. The setting sun highlighted the → Continue Reading
Bearpaw Meadows High Sierra Camp
Do you enjoy hiking in the Sequoia Forest? Do you want to see magnificent, pristine mountain scenery? How about having all your meals cooked for you, and not have to clean up afterwards? Well, Bearpaw Meadows High Sierra Camp in the Sequoia National Park is just the place for you. It has all of those things and more.
Bearpaw Meadows Camp is a 11.3-mile hike one-way along the High Sierra Trail heading out of the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park. The trail head starts in Crescent Meadows, which is approximately 10 miles south of Wuksachi Lodge. There is a parking lot there to leave you car while you are hiking into the wilderness. Don’t forget to get a → Continue Reading
Skiing Powder at Mt. Waterman
The snow gods rewarded us with some fantastic powder up on Mount Waterman. The recent storm brought about another foot of fresh powder on top of a 3-4 foot base. It seems not too many people thought to come out and enjoy it because there was no wait at the lift lines…don’t you wish it was like that way all the time? Even later in the day when there were plenty of tracks on the slopes, the snow was so soft and forgiving you could cut right through it and make your own line.
Mount Waterman has the same three, no-frills lifts, and still has the lowest lift ticket prices in Southern California at $45.00 for an all-day pass; half-day → Continue Reading
Went skiing at Mt. Baldy today
I went skiing on Mount Baldy today. The snow was soft, the sun was out, and there was hardly anybody out there enjoying it all. I know most people were at work but the few of us that thought skiing was a better option for today had the place to ourselves. No waiting at the lifts is always a welcome experience, and at times being the only one on a run can actually feel strange and freeing at the same time.
The recent Southern California storm system brought in a couple of feet of fresh snow to the local mountains. The Mt. Baldy ski area now has a 3-5 foot base and it has been staying cool up there to → Continue Reading
Few days in Cuzco, Peru
Cuzco is a beautiful, old city with many stone paved streets in the city center. We stayed at the Amaru Hostal, which is on a narrow, single lane stone road named Cuesta San Blas. It was only 2 blocks NE of the Plaza de Armas. We found the Amaru convenient to everything around the city, yet far away from the Plaza to avoid the noise. The hostal was well maintained and the people their were friendly and very helpful. We paid $25 US for a double (two beds and private shower). The hostal was quick to give us our Mate (coca tea) to help us adapt to the 11,000ft elevation of the city. The tea tasted much like Ginseng or → Continue Reading
Guangzhou, China for a few days
After entering main land China by way of Shenzen, we took the train into Guangzhou, which is the capital of the Guangdong Province. As the train brought us into the city, we could see how large and populated this city is. Guangzhou is a very congested city, and has many of the problems that come along with the urban sprawl. Pollution is prevalent throughout the city. Smog is heavy and thick, creating a layer of haze, and perhaps it was my imagination, but I would swear you could feel the “thick” air entering your lungs. A large part of the smog is generated by the still popular use of coal. Putting trash in a receptacle seems to be an inconvenience → Continue Reading
Granada and the Alhambra.
Granada is a city I could visualize myself living in, though I would find it difficult to be so far away from the beach. Central Granada has the usual combination of old and new buildings. Gran Via de Colon and Calle Reyes Catolicos are main streets that have restaurants and other businesses lined along them. We found the Plaza Nueva area a good place to find a room and keep us nearby to our main interest, the Alhambra. The plaza has many hotels or hostals close by, and in the evening the restaurants in the plaza offer some decent meals while the local musicians come out to add to the atmosphere. One night we were fortunate enough to strike → Continue Reading
Good deals in Thailand
With the political turmoil settling down in Bangkok, there are sure to be some good deals available. The week long shut down of the two main airports is estimated to have cost over 3 billion dollars, and it is estimated about 2 million tourists may cancel their flights to the country. The anti-government demonstrations are said to have had a worse economic impact than the Tsunami that hit the resort areas back in 2004. Fortunately, there were no reported tourist injuries, and violence and vandalism was virtually nonexistent.
Now that the dust has cleared the tourism industry is trying to get their business back on track. The Tourism Authority of Thailand announced a plan for a promotional campaigns to get the ball rolling. Additionally, many hotels are offering free rooms and special fares → Continue Reading
Amazon Jungle Lodge Peru part 2
We stayed at the Explorama Lodge in May, so we avoided the crowds that can arrive during June, July and August. It was just three of us, and our guide Segundo, so we didn’t have to wait for anybody else. Our days included going on hikes through the jungle and jumping on a small boat to cruise around the Amazon River. Everywhere we went we saw some amazing, diverse vegetation, animals and insects.
The mosquitoes were not as bad as I thought they would be. Wearing a long sleeve shirt, long pants and a hat are a good idea, and using clothing made of quick-dry type of materials is an advantage. Our hikes around the jungle were hot and → Continue Reading