My first introduction to gold mining in Colombia was through stories told years ago by a friend of the family. His father had been mining in the country sometime in the 1920s and hit it rich. He brought the gold back with him to the states by ship. But partway into his journey he began to suffer from yellow fever and probably malaria which left him delirious. His findings were stolen from him on the ship, leaving only a few nuggets in his … [Read more...]
Top Three Scams In Thailand And Ways To Avoid Them
Thailand has always been a hotspot for travelers from across the world because of its delicious cuisine, iconic temples, tropical beaches, and more. Millions of people visit Thailand each year and some Thais have started taking an advantage of it. There are several travel scams that take place in every corner of Thailand, so you need to be extra careful while visiting ‘The Land of Smiles’ so that you can take back smiles as well as happy memories … [Read more...]
Indonesia: Hello Mister!
The motion sensor detects my presence and two glass doors slide open to grant me entry into the Woolworth's Supermarket. I grab a trolly (shopping cart) and peruse the isles pausing to examine labels at my will. Although I have been shopping for decades, this time feels a little different. To my right a woman in pink track shorts excuses herself to reach across and grab the peanut butter. A mother wheels by with a small girl strapped in the … [Read more...]
Gridlock & Road Rage in the Desh
Hanging out in Dhaka now outside on a porch overlooking down on the dark restless city listing to the most peaceful soothing relaxing calming sounds of Enigma which are effectively drowning out the incessant noise of the horns below. A cool exotic breeze is flowing and this is as far from "home" as you can get. Got all our tours setup today for the rest of the trip - heading down deep into the mangrove swamps into the largest Unesco heritage site … [Read more...]
Traveling to Cambodia
Despite being called a weirdo and hearing them tell scary travel stories about Cambodia - without packing much, I was soon boarding the second hand budget flight on the way to Cambodia, a world so much different from where I now live! The flight was about three hours from Kuala Lumpur. I felt so bored with my seatmate who was carrying a SONY recording video and talked to herself, as if she was a guide on a travel channel and was going to film … [Read more...]
Angkor Wat, Cambodia – Other Attractions
Angkor Zoo is located off a dirt road (on the way to Angkor its just past the ticket gates) off of Charles De Gaulle Blvd. Approximate time here to see all the animals is about 30 to 40 minutes. Its a fairly small zoo with a great variety of birds and reptiles - over 100 species of animals are represented. The highlight are the bears and the cheetahs. A small dirty swimming pool is available for use - although I only saw children using it. Price … [Read more...]