We met a local in the nearby village and had an hour tour of the surroundings. It is nice to be able to talk to the locals in English - this is not always something you can do around the world. The village is very spread out and home to about 500 people. The homes are traditional, mostly stone and mud with thatched roofs collected from wild grasses and reeds that grow nearby. The village is overseen by a chief - he is elected for a lifetime. … [Read more...]
Changes in the Village
I've been coming to our village in Eastern Thailand every at least once a year for the past 10 years (we own property next to the village). Things change so fast here. In the last 4 years we now have land line service and a 10mb Internet connection (that's 4x as fast as we have at our place in California). Oh and we have 24/7 running water. Prior to this we had to walk 5 minutes to the local pond, turn on the pump for water and then walk back … [Read more...]
Village Updates
Our niece Puk Boong shows up promptly every afternoon around 4pm dressed in her school uniform. She is attending a private school where English is taught at a younger age than a public school. The scope of her English so far is in song - she can vaguely sing the words to a number of songs - and has perfect tone. Today, the 29th of December apparently was Christmas Day at her school. She had to wear the "Christmas" uniform and happily performed a … [Read more...]
Bangkok Day Tripping
We are always going into Bangkok for something. This time for yellow fever vaccinations - I had mine last year for Cote d'Ivoire (good for 5 years) - this time around for Syy for our January trip to Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique. Its not easy getting Yellow Fever vaccs in Bangkok - only available on the weekdays - hospitals don't offer it so we ended up going to the Red Cross Clinic at the Snake Farm. This time of year Bangkok is … [Read more...]
Village Life, Eastern Thailand
Back in the village in Eastern Thailand - 90 minutes from Poipet on the Cambodia border - nice to have some pleasant weather - two days ago hot with fans needed at night - now blankets needed! Village is only 2 homes (used to be about 6 homes) but population swelled dramatically the past few days when friends moved in along with all their tents! Enjoying home made coconut ice cream along with lots of fried insets we are catching with the blue … [Read more...]
Guidelines for a Paella Valenciana
The paella is arguably the Spanish national dish to many foreigners. The original paella, however, originates from Valencia. Staying in Valencia apartments you will definitely find the authentic paella valenciana, but unfortunately, in the touristic zones of any Spanish city the restaurants will sell you anything as the most authentic paella. The best solution to this problem is of course being hands on trying to cook a paella yourself, but being … [Read more...]
Europe Trip Highlights
The following are some highlights from our latest trip to Europe: Partying late late in Belgrade Serbia - awesome party town, night clubs on old boats in the river. This was going to be museum-less trip, but we made exception for Nikola Tesla museum in Belgrade - we visited the museum and were duly impressed with the exhibits in action and hearing about his life on the guided tour Budapest - Buda Thai restaurant, one of best Thai … [Read more...]
Squaw Valley USA’s Renaissance
Squaw Valley USA announces details for a $50 million capital plan New base lodge, expanded restaurants and two new high-speed chairlifts planned [Squaw Valley USA] July 27, 2011 - Squaw Valley USA announces the details of a five-year, that will add dramatic improvements to the on-mountain and base village guest experience. Plans include everything from new food and hospitality offerings to new beginner and advanced high-speed chairlifts, … [Read more...]
Pass the Prosciutto Please!
Having loaded up on fresh prosciutto this morning we were set for the rest of the day. Its not Italy so the prosciutto is not served with melon. Wanting to duplicate our love for the Italian prosciutto experience, we bought a melon from one of the numerous vendors in the fruit/vegetable market for the equivalent of a dollar. Thinly sliced, fresh - makes all the difference in the world. Like most niche foods - go to the source for the authentic … [Read more...]
A Local’s Guide to Vancouver’s Top Ten Free Attractions
I grew up in Toronto, Canada. While Toronto is a tremendous city - boasting eclectic neighbourhoods, lush city parks and a vibrant cultural scene - it's also a place people get really practiced at leaving. Every Friday night in summer, the 400-series highways leading out of town are jammed with cars crawling towards the promise of fresher air and a lakeside cottage up north. I've left Hogtown for good and for the past six years have called … [Read more...]
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