When we visited Shanghai everyone in our group was eager to experience the fast train. It’s a high-speed magnetic levitation train. The train travels the 30 km (18.6 miles) in seven minutes and twenty seconds. All I know is that it was incredibly fast. The scenery...
In around six months we’re off on holiday. This time we’re flying to London and catching a cruise ship from Southampton. Part of the joy of traveling is the research, the deciding where to stay and what to do. We have long discussions about various alternatives, and...
The lotus flower: 1. They grow in humid and warm climates such as Asia. 2. The roots of the plant grow in water, usually a shallow river or pond and the leaves float on the water (as a rule). The flowers grow above the water and have a thick stalk. 3. The petals range...
Visit any Asian country, and you’ll soon see lots of scooters or motorbikes. They’re the favored method of transport and there are lots of them. Trying to cross a road is hair-raising stuff and not for the fainthearted. Hubby and I like to play spot the most riders....
Singapore is a small island country with a big heart and presence. Around 45 km west to east and 25 km from north to south, the population is densely packed. I’ve visited Singapore three times now, usually on the way to another final destination since Singapore is...
Hippos or hippopotamus (river horse) are known as the most dangerous animal in Africa, and they kill many people every year. You wouldn’t think they’d be dangerous, given their appearance. They’re plump with thick bodies and short legs, have a round head with small...
Thailand was one of our stops during our recent cruise. We’ve visited Bangkok before, and this time we elected to do a trip to see Bang Pa-In Palace, in Ayutthaya Province, which is where the Thai royal family always spent the summer. The current king and queen still...
Today I’m turning back the clock and making a return trip to Alaska. I loved Alaska. It reminded me of a frontier town – how I imagine America used to be before it became settled. The scenery is gorgeous, the towns few and far between and the locals are friendly,...
Today, the small township of Russell in the Bay of Islands is a sleepy place. Tourists and summer boaties visit the place, but on the day of our visit, we wandered across the street without worrying about traffic. Not so back in the early nineteenth century. In the...
