RHK's 2010 Thailand and Vietnam trip
Dec 5th, 2010 | 06:58 AM
#401
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,242
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Great pics Bob- keep them coming. I'm in San Francisco now- we flew in on Thursday night and will be heading home on Monday. Visiting family and seeing the city- wonderful to be here. We have had Thai and Malaysian food- all great.
Dec 5th, 2010 | 09:35 AM
#402
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 455
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I'll be looking at your pics later today and look forward to it. Hope you will announce when your updated dining list is ready - It's only 30 days until we leave and will be at the same places as you just returned from.
As for the question why do you keep going back? It needs no explanation for me, I've been bitten by the same bug and can only ask, what's not to like?
Sue
As for the question why do you keep going back? It needs no explanation for me, I've been bitten by the same bug and can only ask, what's not to like?
Sue
Dec 6th, 2010 | 05:54 AM
#403
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
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i hope to work on the rest. list in a day or two... i will post the link here...
bare... BC has answered part of the question and HI has answered another part, but let me see if i can add more:
asia is different... it's unique... when we began it was extremely affordable... it is trully exotic... the people are second to none...the lux hotels are very very affordable... the reg hotels are nice as well... asians have maintained "standards" which othere civilizations have allowed to slip... did i mention affordability??... shopping is outrageous... custom made clothing is 1/2 the price of off the rack elsewhere... K loves sapphires... gold items, until recently, were very affordable... in bkk and some other parts of thailand (largely the main tourist centers) the international food venues are fantastic... we have made some friends in thailand...the heat and humidity sucks and the ride to get there sucks even more, but the end product is well worth the suffering... i could go on and on...
and yes we continue to visit tons of other places: st petersburg, argentina, south africa, northern europe, england, france, usa, and many other places...
this winter we will go to the floria panhandle for 2 weeks, have a week each in the malaga area of spain, marraketch, morrocco, and tuscany, umbria and rome... in the fall we hope to go to UAE, kathmandu and a return to northern india for 4-6 weeks...
and the question now is when can we return to thailand?? got to escape that # 13...
bare... BC has answered part of the question and HI has answered another part, but let me see if i can add more:
asia is different... it's unique... when we began it was extremely affordable... it is trully exotic... the people are second to none...the lux hotels are very very affordable... the reg hotels are nice as well... asians have maintained "standards" which othere civilizations have allowed to slip... did i mention affordability??... shopping is outrageous... custom made clothing is 1/2 the price of off the rack elsewhere... K loves sapphires... gold items, until recently, were very affordable... in bkk and some other parts of thailand (largely the main tourist centers) the international food venues are fantastic... we have made some friends in thailand...the heat and humidity sucks and the ride to get there sucks even more, but the end product is well worth the suffering... i could go on and on...
and yes we continue to visit tons of other places: st petersburg, argentina, south africa, northern europe, england, france, usa, and many other places...
this winter we will go to the floria panhandle for 2 weeks, have a week each in the malaga area of spain, marraketch, morrocco, and tuscany, umbria and rome... in the fall we hope to go to UAE, kathmandu and a return to northern india for 4-6 weeks...
and the question now is when can we return to thailand?? got to escape that # 13...
Dec 6th, 2010 | 07:52 AM
#404
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,559
Likes: 79
Thanks Bob for clarifying why you keep going back. Everything you said makes perfect sense. I especially loved that we could stay in such luxurious places as a reasonable cost. My travel philosophy right now is not to repeat a place since although I've been to 64 countries (who's counting!) there are still many more I want to visit. But, I have a feeling we'll get back to Bangkok...especially since my shopping there was seriously curtailed by the red shirts! And, I'd like to see Chiang Mai and another island. Hope you get a 14th trip in too! It looks like your travel schedule is very full....you're lucky to be able to travel that much.
Dec 6th, 2010 | 09:39 AM
#405
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,648
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Just made it through the photos and I wasn't bored at all. Particularly enjoyed the city scenery of Hanoi, the view from your room in Bangkok, and loved the last photo where the guards? police? must have been watching you take their photo! They didn't look amused.
Dec 7th, 2010 | 09:00 AM
#408
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,614
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Okay, either photo #641 is upside down, or I need to start drinking!
I especially love the Vinh Hung Resort!
Bob, seeing you in a place with an "escape door" and a heliopad made me wonder if you miss the trappings of your career as a banker.
In all seriousness (or as serious as I will get, anyway), it was especially nice to see you and Karen at the palace. And I always enjoy the market photos you take. I'm always so impressed with the care and artistry taken in other countries in the presentation of so many things---I noted that slices of carrot are "carved" like flowers, and of course several of the other foods you photographed were so lovely, I'd have been afraid to "interrupt" the artistry by consuming them! (A couple of pieces of actual art, however, made me wonder if Picasso had ever gone to Asia.)
BC
I especially love the Vinh Hung Resort!
Bob, seeing you in a place with an "escape door" and a heliopad made me wonder if you miss the trappings of your career as a banker.
In all seriousness (or as serious as I will get, anyway), it was especially nice to see you and Karen at the palace. And I always enjoy the market photos you take. I'm always so impressed with the care and artistry taken in other countries in the presentation of so many things---I noted that slices of carrot are "carved" like flowers, and of course several of the other foods you photographed were so lovely, I'd have been afraid to "interrupt" the artistry by consuming them! (A couple of pieces of actual art, however, made me wonder if Picasso had ever gone to Asia.)
BC
Dec 9th, 2010 | 04:58 AM
#419
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
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no trips till jan 24--florida
march 1: spain, morocco and italy
yes we are back....5 weeks in SEA was fantastic as always and no nearly 4* hotels, cum 1*....
we are unsure about any drugging of the big tigers... they were mighty tame and lazed around all the time, but they had just finished a large lunch (cooked chicken and dry meal like you would give a dog).... i would not want to challenge anyone of them however, drugs or no....
march 1: spain, morocco and italy
yes we are back....5 weeks in SEA was fantastic as always and no nearly 4* hotels, cum 1*....
we are unsure about any drugging of the big tigers... they were mighty tame and lazed around all the time, but they had just finished a large lunch (cooked chicken and dry meal like you would give a dog).... i would not want to challenge anyone of them however, drugs or no....
