Report from Bangkok, December 31, 2019/ December 31/2562, year of Buddah

I arrived here one hour late, but everything went well, other than that. I went to the airport as planned, and, upon arrival, just before midnight, I went to the United kiosk and printed out my three boarding passes for the three flights. Just enter passport, answer two questions and out they come. The baggage sticker for my one checked, at nine kilos, did not print. I was told at 3;45 when staff arrived for the day, that baggage tags could not print until staff on site...they must ask..."Do you have any explosives or dangerous items in this luggage". Unbelievable, but true. Security opened at 04:30, then U.S. Customs and Immigration. I was through there in five minutes. I was advised that my luggage would next be seen in Bangkok, and so it was.
I did not need to go thru security again for the remaining flights, was in secure area all the time.
The flight to Newark,...start of takeoff, until wheels touch down...one hour and 12 minutes. A shuttle bus took us from Terminal A to C. The flight from Newark to Tokyo was 13 hours and 23 minutes, while the flight to Bangkok was six hours and fifty minutes. This flight departed one hour late due to late arrival of the aircraft. We got into Bangkok at 12;30 A.M. Customs took about five minutes, then I was in a taxi to the hotel.
At Bangkok airport was met by a hustler for taxis, trying to push rides that were double the authorized rate. I told him where he could go, and just a hint...it was not to the nearest house of worship.  The rate is 400 Baht, about 16 dollars for the 40 kilometer ride...he wanted 1000. I spoke loud enough that all those waiting could hear me. By the time I got to the hotel, it was 01;30, about 36 hours of travel time. The flight from Newark to Tokyo took us over eastern Ontario, up over northern Ontario, and we crossed the Saskatchewan/Manitoba/NWT border area, then onward north near Prudhoe Bay, over eastern Siberia and down to Tokyo. I did not see the ground from Takeoff until over Siberia.
I will meet with some of my Thai family members on New Years day, and we will plan the next month.  Wi-fi is not great here, so not sure when I will again report in. In the meantime, I wish everyone a great and healthy New Year, and all the best for the year. It will be 2563 for my Thai friends.

Some Technical Information December 28, 2019

I did not plan to do another update until I had arrived in Bangkok; I decided, however to provide some flight information for those who may wonder what is involved in a long haul flight.
First, because I will be in Thailand more than 30 days, including arrival and departure days, I had to get a Tourist Visa...no working while there. That is a stamp that takes one page in a passport.
This evening at about ten P.M., I will depart by bus to the Ottawa airport. I must be there at 04;00, so I go out and relax there, rather than doing the taxi trip at thee in the morning. Many have offered to drive me, but I do not like taking that route, and having others get up to do so.
At the airport, it is now a lot of do-it-yourself. I will put my passport in a machine that has been loaded with all passenger information for the next 24 hours. That is for about five different carriers.
I will be asked several questions...how many pieces of luggage to be checked, (one), any liquids, etc.
The machine will then print out three Boarding Passes, and a tag to go on the checked luggage. At 04;00 when the airline counters open, I put my luggage on a belt, and, if all goes well, will see it in Bangkok about 30 hours later. This is how it is supposed to work.
I will then proceed thru Security, and then United States Customs and Immigration. The U.S. have these facilities at ten or twelve major Canadian Airports with heavy cross border traffic. At 06;00, I will depart on United flight UA4032, in seat 23D for Newark,(EWR) and arrive at 07;56, at Terminal A. With my carry on luggage, I get on a shuttle train and go to Terminal C, where I board United flight UA79, seat 38L for Tokyo (Narita..NRT) airport. We are scheduled to depart at 11;00 and to arrive at 15;00, after a 14 hour flight. There will be no Customs, as I am in Transit, but usually one must go thru Security again.
At Tokyo, I arrive and depart from the same terminal. I will depart NRT at 18;35, on United flight 7971, which is actually on an All Nippon Airways aircraft, flight NH 805, seat 42D and arrive Bangkok six hours later, at 23;55. This is how it is supposed to go. Those seat numbers are how many seat rows back on the aircraft I will be. Tokyo is 14 hours ahead of us, and Bangkok is 12 Hours ahead. The International Date Line, where we go into tomorrow is 8 hours behind us. Confused...so was I at one time....but after about 12 of these type trips, it in starting to sink in. Will let you know how it went when I get to BKK

Update , December 25, 2019 from Ottawa.

In just over 72 hours from now, I will be once again starting on that long trek back to Thailand. Considering the current forecast for the weather here, it will be a change of about 45 degrees for me. I do not care for the snow, and at the same time, do enjoy the heat.

In a Skype conversation last evening,  with the family in Thailand, I do not know where I will be spending most of my time. I have reserved a hotel in the Silom area of Bangkok for seven nights to January 6 checkout. At that time, I will go into northern Thailand for the next four weeks. My friend is currently in the Intensive Care Unit at the Udon Thani hospital. His family, and the family farm, are located at So Phisai, three hours by auto north-east of Udon Thani. Where I go will depend on several factors, including his condition. The week I have booked in Bangkok will give me time to  rest and recover from the long trip there, and, along with family members living in Bangkok, develop a plan of action. I have booked two nights, January 31, and February 1 at the same hotel as when I arrive. This will give me time to prepare for the long flight back home...last minute shopping, haircut, relax, Thai Massage, etc. I have been informed that February 2 is also the date for the Superbowl game, the final football game of the year. Since I am not an American Football fan, I will only have to put up with a few days of the post game hype...not the pregame also!.

I will do an arrival report when back in Bangkok. I do not expect to do any more updates until that time. 

Ottawa, November 27, 2019

After consultations with my Thai family, concerning the information that I posted two weeks ago, I decided that the proper thing for me to do was to go back and spend time with the family during this difficult period for them. I therefore spent considerable time with my Travel Agent looking for suitable flights back to Bangkok. My first priority was to return via Europe, either London or Amsterdam, then on to Asia. It became apparent that a flight via Europe was out of the question for the time frame I needed. To me, the eastbound flights are the better option, because one departs Canada in the evening, and, after a seven hour night flight, you arrive at the start of a new day, and move onto that 14 hour trip to Bangkok in daylight. When you go west, one departs in the morning, and after 12 to 14 hours, arrive in Asia, then a six hour night flight...to me, much harder on the body.

I will thus be departing my home about ten in the evening of December 28, and take city buses (3) to the Ottawa airport. I would sooner do this than pay the 70 dollars for a taxi. I must be at the airport at 04;00 so will just relax there, and get on my flight at 06;00. I will fly with United Airlines  to Newark, which is just across the Hudson River from New York City. After three hours, I will board another United flight to Tokyo, a 14 hour journey, and arrive at Narita airport at three in the afternoon of December 30. After another three hour layover, its on to Bangkok, for another seven hour flight with All Nippon Airlines, using a code share ticket under United flight 7971. I should arrive in Bangkok at midnight, December 30, after about 32 hours in travel status.

For the information of those not well versed in air travel, I will note two general rules; First, the normal time between arrival and departing flights is set at three hours. This allows for Customs  and Immigration clearance and time to get to the departure gate, which is often in another terminal building. For example, when I arrive in Newark, it will be at Terminal A, but then I take a shuttle train to Terminal C for my flight to Tokyo. Upon return, it will be reversed.

Secondly, most airlines are members of Alliances, which makes for easier travel when making connections with the other carriers in that particular Alliance. For example, my flight from Tokyo as I noted, is with All Nippon , which is a member of the Star Alliance, also including United, Air Canada, and about 30 more. The All Nippon flight will have seats for United passengers, etc, and are therefore also Code Share Flights with their partners. I am on All Nippon with flight code UA7971.

I will do an update before departing Canada.

Ottawa, November 13, 2019

This evening as I write this, it is winter here in Ottawa. With the temperature and the wind factor, it was minus 24 at eight this morning. The beginning of a long cold four months or so.

I must inform my readers that my sister passed away while I was last in Thailand. She passed just two weeks after I departed Canada. I did not wish to relay that information until after I was back home.

Today,I received more shocking news, this time from my Thai family that live in So Phisai, up in North-Eastern Thailand. A number of years ago, I assisted this family to get over some rough times, and back on their feet. I have spent a lot of my time in Thailand there, and take the kids to the water parks, and such. Papa Don always has a good time when there.  One member of the family is an underwater welder, and was not able to fine more work at home. After getting matters straightened out, he was offered and accepted a job in Abu Dhabi, working on under-sea pipelines, and at his profession, making a good salary. As with most workers in that part of the world, he was rotated home every six months or so for vacation time. The family farm is about 200 acres, 60 in rice, 200 oil palm trees, and 800 rubber trees. As with most farms, what is paid at the farm gate is peanuts when compared with the price the public pay. I met these people when they delivered a truckload donation of rice to the Orphanage where I sometimes work. Today, I am informed that my friend has been sent home, is in very serious condition with suspected Leukemia!. Three kids...under 15. I did not have the time to go up there last trip, and visit with the kids.

As for me at this time, I am looking at options for the winter and am not sure what I will be doing, but  probably not sitting idle for long.

Ottawa Canada; Friday, October 18, 2019

Hello all; I am back in Ottawa after a very extensive month on the road. I arrived here on Wednesday morning at 00;20. All flights were on time or early at arrival, so no delays that way. As stated earlier, I did have a nine hour layover at the Inchon airport,(outside Seoul) Korea. That layover was known from the time the ticket was booked. I was very fortunate, and thankful for some of the decisions made in the planning for this trip. I had originally intended to go to Asia in November, however, upon being informed that my youngest, (of two) sisters was very ill with cancer, I moved my trip ahead by two months. My sister was living at Dawson Creek in northern British Columbia, so I decided to visit her,and other family members for a week, then continue on to Asia. Upon arrival in Bangkok, I picked up a copy of the Bangkok Post newspaper and found that the National Museum would be presenting a display of the Terracotta warriors from China. A fantastic chance to see that without going to China. Another wise decision, unknown at the time, was to take the flights that my agent found, which returned via Korea instead of the normal stop I do in Tokyo. Japan was devastated by a Typhoon the weekend I departed, and I would have probably been stranded for several days.

By travelling when I did,it was the rainy season in Thailand, and therefor very few tourists. As a result prices were good, and no long lineups at major events. I was able also, to get all my dental work done, over two days, and also new glasses, the savings which much more that covered my airfare there and back. In fact, my ticket from Canada to Asia and back, with the one week stop in Edmonton, was only 180.00 dollars more than my daughter's airfare, who came with me to Edmonton, and returned home to Ottawa the same day I flew west to Asia.

As usual, I have a few comments about the service with Air Canada, both on the ground and in the air. When I checked in at Bangkok airport for the return flight, my carrier to Korea was Asiana Airlines, an AC partner. They made the point of telling me that I would not see my two pieces of checked luggage until I arrived at Ottawa. This was great for me, but was not true in the end. As we approached Toronto on an AC flight, all were advised that we must pick up out luggage from a conveyer and go thru Customs and Immigration, then those transferring to other flights would put their own luggage on another conveyer and go to their gate for the next flight. Upon arrival Toronto, I checked with a Senior Air Canada staff member, who informed me that I would not be getting my luggage in Toronto, that the in flight information was wrong. Unsure who to believe, I checked with a Customs Officer and was advised that yes, I must get my luggage and do the recheck routine. If I did not, my luggage would be kept in Toronto. I did as he said, and everything worked fine.

I will not get going on the topic of food on board the Air Canada flight,and the fact that,one and a half hours from Toronto at 4 P.M. in the afternoon, we were served a breakfast with the choice of fish soup...or scrambled eggs...called an Omelet....from the same caterer, and same menu as we had been served 22 hours before on Asiana. I gifted it back to Air Canada.  Also...at the beginning of each Air Canada flight, during the welcoming spiel, they state..."Welcome aboard Air Canada flight so and so, voted the best carrier in North America". During this trip, I asked six AC staff who did the voting and no one could tell me!!!. I suspect it was dreamed up over a coffee in the Board Room.!!!

Bangkok, Wednesday, October 9, 2019

I will correct my last posting. The trip to Bangkok from Pattaya ended up being on a bus. The train, while very cheap...around 50 cents for the four hour ride, would have been nice, it was to be full of kids enjoying a school break. The ticket office only opens 30 minutes before train time, and the kids were already unruly, so I went to the bus station, and took a bus back in just over two hours.
I have had a relaxing time here, going out from time to time between the heavy downpours, but it is actually refreshing.

Today, I went to the Bangkok National Museum and viewed the small exhibit on the Terracotta Warriors from Xi'an China. Thai citizens got in for about a dollar, while all others were charged nine dollars...a fact I have no problem with. I also had no problem with the fact that seniors got in free....but only Thai seniors. I could not pass the test.....no Thai I.D. card. After we got in, they informed us that no cameras were allowed. They had a counter where you checked in the cameras, and picked them up on exit. We were allowed in by groups of 40. They had a tent cover, due to the frequent rains, and every 10 minutes, another group were allowed in. I was just in time, made the number 40th, so walked right in...it was lunch time, maybe that helped. When I came out, about 30 minutes later, there were hordes of people waiting, dozens of buses had arrived, and it was getting to be a mad house outside.

I was fortunate....I got my camera, then asked if I could go into an anti-room, the second from the exit and take some photos....the lady said yes, but go quick and no flash....so I got most of what I wanted.

I have a quiet schedule for the rest of my time here. I will do my usual walking between storms, and on Monday, will pick up my second pair of glasses. I had ordered the first pair before going to Pattaya, and picked them up the day I got back. Using my old frames, which came from here several years ago, I have been extremely happy with these new lens. I see everything in a new light!!!.

Also, on Monday about nine in the evening, I will take a taxi to the airport to begin that long day travelling home. My flight leaves at one in the morning, October 16, I cross the International Date line, and continue travelling with an arrival around ten in the evening, Ottawa time, same date, but 30 hours later. Unless there is something exciting in the meantime, for which I will do an update from the Inchon Airport, (near Seoul, South Korea), I will next update upon arriving home.

Hello From Pattaya, Thailand; 04/10/2562 (Year of The Buddha ) Oct. 04/2019

I have been here in Pattaya since Tuesday morning, and will be returning to Bangkok early afternoon tomorrow by train. That will cost me about .50 cents, Canadian. I came down on a but, which cost much more...five dollars!!!. Ground transportation is not expensive...unless one uses a taxi, and is not aware of the set rates. On the way from my apartment to the bus station, a taxi cost me five dollars, and it took an hour....most of it stuck in traffic at rush hour.
The smog hit Bangkok Tuesday morning, lasting for two days...well above the health safety level. It was my choice to come here, rather than going to the site of the famous Bridge on The River Kuai..different ways of spelling this. It was forecast for rain there...more so than here at Pattaya.
Both are about the same distance out, one north-west, the other, south of Bangkok.
Since this is known as the rainy season here, there are not many tourists. Until today, I think there were only about three rooms at this hotel that were occupied....and probably over 40 units in all.
As I walked the beach and visited the new malls...two new malls....huge in size, both built in the last two years, it became immediately clear that there were few tourists...mostly locals.
This is a week of celebration for China...starting yesterday, 70th anniversary, so about one hundred thousand Chinese are expected in the next few days. In addition, the government has created a scheme to help the poorer people of the country see their areas, so ten million will see a payment made to their bank, to encourage them to travel during this slow time, and on for the following two months.
I walked the beach yesterday and today, some boating activity with parasailing, but no wind for sailing. Some of the activity on the water is staff training, and...playing during their quiet season.

I do not have much planned for the one week plus a couple days before going home, but will attempt to get to the National Museum to see the Terracotta Warriors display. Last week, they decided to shut down on Mondays and Tuesdays....not much warning for tour groups.
It is so slow here, that on three occasions when I walked into McDonald's for a coffee, I was the only customer...and one of those times was at noon!!!
I will do a report prior to my departing for Canada on October 14, at nine P.M., when I take a taxi to the airport. My first flight departs here on the 15th at 01;10 A.M....and I get home 27 hours later...same date....at ten P.M.   

Bangkok, September 29, 2019;

To buy an aspirin here can give one a headache!!. True. I went into four drug stores to purchase ASA 81 MG aspirin, and could not do so. Two huge Pharmacy chains here are Boot's, which we used to have in Canada, and Watson's. At each, I explained that I was from Canada, and wished to purchase 81 MG ASA, as I had done this on previous trips, and as long as I was from out of Thailand, could do so. Thai's needed a prescription. This time, I was informed that Pharmacies must have a license to dispense or sell these drugs, so most can not do so. After two hours attempting various shops, I was informed of one location where I could buy what I wanted, but it was a good walk; I completed the walk and got what I wanted. Here, 60 cost about a dollar!!!.

With thunderstorms forecast for the next five days, I have decided to take the two hour bus trip down to the beach at Pattaya for three nights. The beach is a good place to be if it is wet. There is no risk of lightning at the coast as the salty air works against lightning. I have been told by folks from the west coast of Canada, California and elsewhere that they have never seen a lightning storm on the coast....inland, a different story.

I did some shopping last evening at a place called Asiatique...(different spellings), where over a thousand shops sell everything Asian...a massive place with every imaginable type of shop. It would take several days to visit every one. It is mainly a night market....newly constructed over an old dock site along the Chao Phraya river which runs through Bangkok. To get there, I took an elevated rail line part way, then transferred to a water taxi...free service for the market for two kilometers down the river. There was as much boat traffic as there were cars on the distant road. I had dinner there after getting the items I went looking for. Here, on like myself has to be careful what you order...I like seafood, and do enjoy most of it, but refuse to touch squid or octopus, whatever it is called. My rule is simple...if it has more arms than I do, I do my bit for the environment and leave it alone. If the menu states seafood...or seafood sauce, or any like words, I take a pass. I enjoyed the chicken Pad Thai.

I sometime stage an old adage...what happens in Rome stays in Rome...or...as for here, Thailand, stays in Thailand. There are many stories that could be told, but many never will be, however, I will share one that will give you an idea of some of the things I am capable of doing.
When I was here for the first time, in May 2012, I brought an eye glass prescription and got new lenses installed at an outlet known as Top Charoen, which has many outlets in Thailand. I had to wait a couple of days for the new glasses. The place had a staff of seven, and I was asked if I would stop in for tea any afternoon when I was in the area....I was to be at a nearby hotel for two weeks. The staff wanted to practice English; said that many came for glasses, but did not have time to stop and chat. I took them up on the offer, and dropped in most days......it just happened to fit my schedule. I learned, the last week that one of the ladies was having a birthday the following day. I decided that for my visit the next day, I would buy a large cake, and deliver it to her at "tea time". I had told one or two others, so paper plates and forks were discretely delivered. When I walked to her desk, she broke out in tears and headed off to compose herself. When she returned, she said that she had been married for ten years and her husband had never bought her a cake or gift. I think I was in his bad book for a while, although we never met. I walked by there last week, and the place is gone to another mall somewhere.   That's Bangkok for now!!!

Bangkok, Thursday, September 27, 2019

Today is bright and sunny, the first such day since my arrival. A lot of rain each day, this is that time of year, and last evening was no exception.
I am now finished with thee dental appointments, about an hour and a half total time, all three were un -interrupted from the time I sat down until the doctor was finished. There is none of the five chairs under going treatment at one time as is the situation in Canada. Total cost...68.00 Canadian.

Now I will do some special shopping for items that are not readily available in Canada. I will also be doing a day visitation to the National Museum here in Bangkok. I  found out on Monday that there is a special exhibit of the Terra Cotta Warriors from China, here until December 5. For those who do not know of these warriors, I suggest you go to Google for the full and fascinating story of their creation, and discovery not too many years ago. It cost over ten million dollars to bring them here...only a few, plus other relics from the site. The move required special temperature and humidity conditions.

Depending on the weather and forecasts, I hope to visit either the site of the Bridge on the River Kwai, or go down to Pattaya with the beach and ocean, for three days. The beach is more suited to rain...when it is 34 degrees.

Other than that, It will be a quiet time here in Bangkok. Since this is the wet season, it is not overrun with tourists.
I  have secured an apartment for the rest of my time here starting Monday, so will make my next plans after that move from this hotel.

Report from Bangkok, Monday, September 23, 2019

Hello All; I arrived here at ten last evening after about 30 hours in travel status. All flights were early, and very smooth despite lots of lightning off in the distances. For the most part, we were cruising at 32 thousand feet, and the outside temperature ranged from minus 56 up to minus 42 at altitude. The flight from Vancouver to Hong Kong was 12 and a half hours...north to Betel Alaska, then over the Kamchatka peninsula, down over Kobe Japan and over the Island of Taiwan to Hong Kong. I had about two hours in Hong Kong, then on to here. I rate the Hong Kong airport Terminal as one of the best I have been in. There are frequent locations with tables where travelers can use computers free...they are there for the using....talk about trusting; water stations with stacks of cups, and also refill locations for those with water bottles...a nice touch. Most other airports have shops where you pay dearly for a bottle of water.
The heavy traffic at BKK was over for the day, so...after the long walk from the gate to customs I was cleared through passport control/immigration and on my way into the city by taxi in 15 minutes. Since I know the set rate, 400 Thai Baht, I told the driver where I was going, said I am here often and gave him the money before he could ask for more. Since I have stayed at this small hotel before, the night staff remembered me...not sure why, but you know...what happens in Siam stays in Siam.

I did my dawn patrol, went to Foodland Supermarket which has a 24 hour restaurant, and had breakfast. The rest of the day will be for relaxing.

Hello From Vancouver Airport gate D-52

Here I am in Vancouver at 0900 Pacific Daylight time, awaiting my noon time flight to Hong Kong and then off to Bangkok. I flew with my eldest daughter to Edmonton on September 14, one week ago. We then drove to Dawson Creek, and were with various family members for the rest of the week. I returned to Edmonton on Friday morning, and met with family in the afternoon...a cousin and friend who drove up from Red Deer. In total, I put 1470 kilometers on the car.
The colors in northern British Columbia are at their fall best...various shades of yellow, as the Aspens and Poplars change.from a nice green..we saw many places where the leaves had already fallen. My daughter took hundreds of photos which will become available at a later date at another site. I will let you know when they are up.
While in the Dawson Creek, Ft St. John area, we visited the area where I and my sisters and brothers were brought up...on a farm. I got out as soon as I could, the rest stayed in the area. We had family get togethers, over dinner...11 at St John and 21 in Dawson...for the most part, different folks at each.
I saw many deer along and crossing the hiways, also one medium size bear. Many animals were in the trees by the road...when driving after dark, I saw many pairs of eyes, but no idea what animal they were on.
I am due out of here about 12;30, and we have a scheduled 13 and a half hour flight into Hong Kong. I have about three hours there, then a three hour flight into Bangkok. If all flights are on time, it will midnight Sunday , Bangkok time, when I get to my hotel. Thailand is 11 hours ahead of Ottawa and Eastern Daylight time now. So, it will be about noon Sunday at home in Ottawa when I get to Bangkok. I have a dental appointment for 11;00 on Tuesday...probably the first of several.
Once I get my dental appointments /work finished, I expect to do a two day trip up north west of Bangkok to the city of Kanchanaburi...this is the location of the actual bridge that was bombed in world war 2, and filmed in Ceylon..now known as Sri Lanka....in the movie.."Bridge On The River Kwai. Sometimes, the spelling is different. It is a two hour van/car ride from Bangkok....great jungle setting.
I will next report from my second home...Bangkok Thailand!. 

Ottawa, September 11, 2019

I will update this blog today while I have some quiet time. With luggage already packed, and just one appointment to attend before departing for a month. I will have my annual eye examination tomorrow, then the countdown begins.
Since I must be at the Ottawa airport at 04;00 in the morning of September 14, I will take a local transit bus out there about eleven P.M., and do some reading and puzzles. For me, that is better than getting up in the wee hours and taking a taxi at much greater cost. At this time, one bus will do the route. With major changes expected after I leave, it will take three buses to come home from the airport on October 15, late at night.
My oldest daughter is making the trip with me to Edmonton, and up to Dawson Creek/Ft St John. She will return home to Ottawa the same date, (21 September), that I fly on to Vancouver, Hong Kong and Bangkok....where I will arrive about 30 hours after departing Edmonton.
Allowing for a day to rest and recover from the long flight, I have my first dental appointment at 11;00 on 24 September. Of the many things I like about Thai dentists, is the fact they are with you from the time you sit in that big chair until they are finished. They do not run around to four or five other patients while working on you....as is done in the States and here in Canada. The facilities are rated about number six in the world....as is the entire Thai medical system.
I have a hotel booked that is close to the Bangkok Smile Dental office, where I will stay for the first week. I am working with an apartment rental firm to book an apartment for the remainder of my time in Thailand.
 If the weather permits, and after the dental work is finished...(I expect at least two appointments), I expect to book a two day trip and travel to the city of Kanchanaburi, which is about three hours north west of Bangkok by van/bus. This is the site of the famous "Bridge on The River Kwai." I was there in 2012, on May 18 to be exact, and wish to do it all again, with the added feature of staying over one night if it can be arranged. How do I remember, you ask...because I still have the rail ticket from that first time there!. 
That is about all for now. I will report in from northern B.C., before heading off to Vancouver and Asia...on 21 September.

Ottawa, Sunday, August 18, 2019

It has been some time since my last report; in part due to a busy summer. I had family from the Dawson Creek and Ft St John area of British Columbia come down for ten days, which included taking them to Niagara Falls. One, my brother had never been far from home,so it was all new to him. We just returned from the falls on Wednesday of last week, and they flew home yesterday.

I had a call from my youngest,(of two), sisters several weeks ago. She informed me that she had been diagnosed with lung cancer.

It had been my intention to return to Thailand in November for major dental work, and other personal matters such as getting new glasses. You may recall that I have done these things several times because the cost is less than here in Canada...about 95 percent less expensive. The airfare and living expenses are far less that the dental costs here, and I get a nice vacation included.

So, my plan had to be revised, considerably. I will now depart Ottawa on September 14, fly to Edmonton, and drive to Dawson Creek area. I will return to Edmonton on September 20, and fly to Bangkok going via Vancouver and Hong Kong on September 21. I will arrive in Bangkok at ten in the evening on the 22nd. I am watching the Hong Kong situation, and if problems develop again at the airport there, my flight will go elsewhere, then connect to a Bangkok flight.

In the meantime, I am taking a holiday here for one week and going to a cottage on the Ottawa river about 40 kilometers from home.

I will do an update before departing.

Ottawa, June 2, 2019

Here we are into June already. 20 days to the longest of the year.
We arrived home as scheduled on Thursday, May 30th at 1030 in the evening, after  a long day of travel from Budapest. Our flight out of Budapest was about an hour late due to heavy air traffic volume, and that meant that our time in Amsterdam would be well under an hour. During that flight, the crew announced that passengers on board, connecting to five other KLM flights would be missing their flights and action was underway at Amsterdam to make new connections for them. Our flight was not mentioned, but they named flights to Atlanta, Seattle ,Tokyo as some other locations that were affected. When we got to the terminal, we had about 25 minutes to make our flight to Montreal!. We arrived at gate A6, and had to get to gate E19...about half a kilometer across the Amsterdam Terminal Building.
Enroute to that gate, we had to clear Passport control...about 200 people ahead of us. When we entered Amsterdam from Canada, I had noticed the process for quick clearance, so we did that, and were placed at a place where we were the first in line to get to the Passport officer. That took about one minute. As we approached gate E19, we heard our names being called for the flight, with the final words...the gate is now closing!. I waved to the staff,  showed her our Boarding Pass, and we were taken to the aircraft door...where we were greeted by a smiling Captain, Co-pilot and all cabin crew. They were surprised that we had made the connection. We took our seats, were glared at by some other passengers, and we settled in. The Captain then came on the speaker and announced...Sorry Ladies and Gentlemen, but Air Traffic Control have told us we cannot start engines for 35 minutes due to traffic. He explained that all day, two runways were used for departures, one for landing. Since in was now late afternoon, they were now using one runway for departures, and two for landing, due to heavy inbound flights.
This was one of my best vacations, and we did a lot of interesting things...among them A luncheon cruise on the Danube River and a visit to the Budapest zoo, which is located in a very nice forested area. Time did not allow for a visit to the Botanical Gardens.
Several times, we had lunch or just a coffee at a cafe beside the Danube, one of the great rivers of Europe, and very heavily traveled by  River Cruise ships. The accident there on May 29 was the first where people were injured in 41 years.

Budapest, Hungary; May 29, 2019

We are all packed and ready to head for home tomorrow morning. We have a ride to the airport booked for nine A.M. Our flight to Amsterdam will depart about 11;20, for a two hour trip. We will have two hours there, then on to Montreal, and finally, Ottawa by bus. I did the online check ins today, so we have the Boarding Passes all ready to go.
On Sunday, we walked to the Budapest zoo, about a 45 minute stroll from our condo...although we took about an hour and a half and looked into a few shops on the way. We were about five hours at the zoo, one of the best I have seen. The zoo is in a park/forest setting, so lots of trees and shade for the animals. We walked home after the zoo visit, on one of the best weather days we have had.
Monday, the highlight of the day, and a big one for this trip was a tour with buffet lunch on the great Danube river. The trip was of an hour and a half duration. While we have spent most of our time on the Pest side of the Danube, today was dedicated to the Buda side...with the Budapest Castle, and the hills. Here, the Danube flows south and east. Going downriver, Buda is on the left, Pest on the right.
I will do an update a few days after our return to Ottawa. This fantastic trip is fast coming to a close.

Budapest, Hungary, Thursday May 23, 2019

We arrived here this afternoon at 1630 local time. That would be 10;30 in the morning, Ottawa time. As with European trains, one can set their watch by the train...most of the time. We had changed our Prague hotel booking for May 22, before going to Teplice, and rebooked a hotel across the street from
the main Prague train station, from which we departed this morning. The original hotel was located almost two miles away from the station.
The train was numbered 277, and our tickets were for seats 73 and 75..side by side, in first class, car number 372. All seats in that car were reserved. The only free item served in the first class was a bottle of water each, and wider seats. For the six and a half hour ride, the cost was about 150 dollars Canadian, each.
On the way here, we passed through Brno and Bratislavia, along with about six other small cities.
I will report again on the weekend, after we have had time to do some exploring.

Teplice, Czeck Republic, May 21, 2019

Our three days here are coming to a close. We will Czech out in the morning, and take the 10.51 train back to Prague. It will be about an hour and a half trip. I will comment more on the local train system when we get to Budapest. Teplice is a very pretty, hilly city with many parks and fountains. The city is quiet, very clean, and everyone is willing to help out if you have a question, even when they cannot understand. The food is plentiful, and we have done our share to uphold local customs. We have tried the goulash, borstch soup, and not a little desserts. To keep from putting on weight, we do lots of walking.
We have one night back in Prague, then on to Budapest Thursday Morning. We have a condo for our stay in Budapest. This is co-located with a hotel and apartments. One of the must dos in Budapest will be a cruise on the Danube River.
We are having a great time, and, everything has gone as planned. I will report from Budapest in due course, probably on the upcoming week-end.

Prague, Czech Republic, May 18, 2019

In my last posting, I should have stated that the Palace we visited on our last day in Warsaw was the Wilanow Palace.
In the morning, we will Czech out of our hotel here and take a train to the small....(50,000 population), city of Teplice. Originally, we had considered taking a van or bus, both are on frequent
trips to Teplice, about every hour. However, they want about 20 Euros, or 30 dollars Canadian each, and for each way. We found the train to be the best alternative. It will cost us each about 3-4 Euros, or six dollars total round trip!.
We have found the weather in Europe to be very cool for this time of year, similar to back home in Ottawa...six to eight at night, sometimes lower, and around 12-15 in the day time. Today, we had 22, and mostly sunny...the first such temperature for this trip to date.
We have walked a large portion of old Prague, including some time at the famous Charles Bridge, and enjoyed a good amount of European Cuisine...including some Big Macs. Lots of walking, and most streets are cobblestone. We have had no rain to speak of. We will report in from Teplice.

Prague, Czech Republic, May 13, 2019

We arrived here in Prague this morning after three very interesting  full days in Warsaw. My Polish friend was pleased to show us areas that we did not have time to see when I was here alone seven years ago. The highlight of Warsaw, after a day in the Old Town was the afternoon of yesterday that we spent touring the grounds of a Palace. The grounds were wonderful to see, and large, so we all did some walking. The day and, our visit came to a close when we visited the oldest chocolate factory in Poland...Wadell Chocolate. There we had  items, including hot chocolate...the thickest and smoothest I have ever had. We then said our good-byes.
This morning, after breakfast in the hotel, we departed for the airport, then here....arriving on time at 12;30. Next Sunday, we will travel by bus or van, depending on the need, for the small (40,000 population city) of Teplice, about 100 kilometers from here, near the border with Germany.
We have not had great weather, cool...today about 8 degrees, and a few more tomorrow with rain...that will be the first since we left home.
I will find time to do an update towards the end of this week, before we go to the Spas at Teplice.

Warsaw, Poland, Friday, May 10, 2019

Hello from Warsaw. We arrived here on Thursday, as scheduled at noon, after a great trip. Everything went as planned. The bus to Montreal departed exactly at three, and we departed on KLM as scheduled. The only flaw in the trip was on the aircraft from Montreal to Amsterdam, and, I will deal with that when I return to Canada. We were assigned seats in row 18, H and J. these are window and one other, only two beside the aisle. There is then four seats, aisle and two more.
I selected these for the simple reason that those seats are forward of the engines, and very quiet.
BECAUSE on check in, you must deal with a machine, and not a person, we were given seats in row 47...three rows from the back, and VERY noisy. I could not change once issued, so will have something to say later. The service was otherwise excellent.
We did a walk of the local area, had dinner early and got a good night sleep. The internet was down, so am updating this morning.

We will be treated to lunch today, and tomorrow by a lady lawyer friend of mine, and then do some sight seeing. It is now raining here.

I will do an update when we get to Prague on Monday afternoon;

Ottawa, April 29, 2019

I wish to give a short update of events over the past few weeks, to inform people of the travel needs for such a trip as I have outlined. After all travel and hotel details have been confirmed, one must look at what money will be required. While the three countries that we will visit, are all within the European Union, and therefore make use of the Standard Euro Currency, all three  also have their own currency that has been in use since before the European Union was established. Generally speaking, the local currency is in use by smaller, small scale outlets. For the trip that we will start on May 8, we decided to take a supply of Euros, to cover major expenses, and a supply of the three local currencies for the other items like coffee, meals and admissions to art galleries, etc.
To give you an example of the different currencies, here is what happened. We decided to take fifty dollars Canadian, (CAD), each in Polish, Czech and Hungarian money along with the Euros. Here is what we got on April 1, 2019. For $49.86 CAD, we got 130 PLN, or Polish Zloty, at rate of 0.3835.
For $51.13 CAD, we got 800 CZK, , or Czech Crona,(Crowns) at 0.06391.
For $51.90 CAD, we got 10,000 HUF, or Hungarian Florint, at a rate of 0.00519.
On that date, the Euro was selling for CAD 1.5312. ($612.48 CAD gave us 400 Euros.) Two days later, the Euro was selling for two cents more; and the rates are changing daily, sometimes by the hour.
We have spent some time getting used to the various currencies, all of which are of different sizes and colors. While we will pass thru the Air Terminal at Amsterdam, The Netherlands, (Holland), both going and on return home, they only use the Euro.

My next report will be issued from Warsaw Poland; Thank you   

Ottawa, March 24, 2019....Upcoming Trip Plans

I have now completed plans for my next adventure. I will depart Ottawa on May 8, and travel to Montreal by a KLM Airlines bus, and fly from there to Warsaw, Poland via Amsterdam, where there will be a three hour stop. In Warsaw for three days, then fly with LOT Polish airlines to Prague Czech Republic for about a week. There will be a side trip to the Czech town of Teplice for a few days, then back to Prague. Teplice is about 100 miles North-West of Prague, near the German border, and just east of the city of Dresden. Then, its a train trip to Budapest, where the visit will be about eight days, then home via Amsterdam, on May 30, again with KLM airlines, and the bus back to Ottawa. During this vacation, I will have a friend travelling with me. When we are in Warsaw, we will be guided around that city by a friend I met there when going around the world in 2012. My travelling companion has never been to Europe, so this will be a very exciting experience for both of us. As with all my travels, "The Rules of Rome," will apply.....what happens in Rome stays in Rome. I will be doing updates as we progress on this adventure, and photos will follow in due course.

Ottawa, January 9, 2019

Today, I will give you a web site where all my photos from my 2012 trip around the world are now available. To recap, I completed a 124 day trip around the world in 2012, visiting 14 countries, and doing some volunteer work along the way. I departed Ottawa on March 31, and flew to Vancouver with a stopover of 22 hours. Then, flew to Auckland, New Zealand, drove the north Island, and flew from Wellington, to Sydney, Australia. From there, I traveled by bus to Canberra, flew to Melbourne, then flew to Adelaide, to Alice Springs and back, (visited Ayers Rock by bus), Train to Perth, a two day ride. From Perth, I flew to Singapore, bus to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, flew to Bangkok, bus to Siem Reap, Cambodia and back, flew via Amman Jordan to Istanbul, Turkey, flew to Budapest Hungary, and used Eurorail trains to Prague, Czec Republic, Krakow and Warsaw, Poland, Berlin, and on to Frankfurt, spending a week at each European city. From Frankfurt, I flew home via Iceland.
Prior to Europe, I spent from three days to weeks in the other countries. I had a sailing friend, Robert Beriault with me for the travels as far as Thailand, from where he returned home. I was on my original plan alone for the remainder of the travels.

The photos are on the web now, but we are working on the captions, which will appear as time allows. When this trip is completed, we will do other trips I have made, mostly to Asia, now having made about five trips around the world, but not as long as the first one, in time or distance.

By law, all these photos have copy-write protection, and are for private enjoyment only. I have provided, with full authority to use for commercial use, copies of these photos to Turkish Premiere Travel, based in Istanbul, and TVP, the Polish Television Company, based in Warsaw.
The site is;https;//marinastkitts.smugmug.com/Don-Bediers-Travel-Photos/n-czcQ8X 

I hope you enjoy these photos. Many friendships were established during this trip, and they remain.

Other trip photos will appear as time permits. I will note here when they are available. I do not expect to go back to Asia in 2019, but do have plans to travel elsewhere. Enjoy