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Read more: Penang, Malaysia January 2019Penang is an island off the coast of Malaysia, adjoining the Malacca Strait. Beginning in the late 1700s, it was a major trans-shipping port under British colonial rule. After WWII, it became part of the Malaysian union. It recently has been dubbed the “Silicon Valley of the East”. Singapore, Taiwan and Korea might think the title should belong to them. Time to head on to Phuket Island, Thailand.
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Read more: Thailand by car, January 2019I’m now traveling around Thailand by car. As my internet connections are often slow in rural Thailand, and I’m busy all day, I’m mostly putting up pictures with a few terse labels. I’m not going to try to make this a Thailand travel guide, but just share the atmosphere. You get a lot for your travel dollar in Thailand, and can easily eat and sleep very well for a fraction of the costs in the USA or Europe. Chiang Rai area, far northern Thailand. Higher altitude, more rain, cooler, lush. I like this area a lot. Next stop: Ayutthaya, the…
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Read more: Maldives November 2018Nearly 20 years ago, Judy and I visited the Maldives, an ellipse of atolls south of India. We came to see it as one of the top 10 snorkeling destinations we had visited anywhere. Maldives trip report This year I returned with a friend to visit Vilamendhoo Island, our favorite in the Maldives. When we first came to Vilamendhoo Island, it was simpler than it is today. Just ½ mile long by a few hundred yards wide, with 141 beachfront cottages, it was a tropical dream. There were shady paths with soft coral sand so you could walk barefoot everywhere,…
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Read more: Grand Canyon rafting May 2018South Kaibab trail, Grand Canyon I stood on the south rim of the Grand Canyon several years ago, and marveled at its size, complexity and beauty. I decided to see it closer by rafting down the whole length of the canyon, 224 miles. The canyon is so popular now that the National Park Service limits the number of rafters allowed so as to preserve the natural beauty. You need to plan a year ahead, and go with one of the commercial outfitters who are authorized to make this trip. I choose one of the best, Canyon Explorations. Their ‘hikers special’…
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Read more: North Island New Zealand March 2018I have neglected the North Island in favor of hiking down on South Island, so now I’m embarking on 3 weeks touring North Island New Zealand by car. Flying in to Auckland from Queenstown I like the Kiwi attitude towards their natural environment. I love this old downtown Auckland park for its gigantic mature trees Donate spare clothing here Auckland is a very lush, green city with lots of parks like this one. Banana plants grow here, which seems a bit odd for a rather cool place, but it doesn’t freeze them out in winter. Lots of very big trees…