Ottawa, October 14, 2023 Part 2

 As most of you know, I usually have at least one flight planned as soon as I return to Canada. For the past three years my travels have all been out of the country. I am now forced to change my plans. I was intending to spend the month of February next year with my little friend, Hussian and his mother in Istanbul. That will not happen.

With the recent renewal of war in the Middle East, travel into any part of that area is not recommended unless for urgent matters. Millions of refugees are looking for safer lands, and accommodation is going to be hard to fine. After chats with Hussians mom, we decided it best not to plan any travel there at this time.

So, for the first time in years, I have no definate  plans for travel at this time. I will be here in Ottawa for all of the holiday season. Take care. 

Ottawa, October 14, 2023

 Hello All;  We returned from our western trip last Saturday, October 7, and I now have the time to do an update. We flew with Porter Airlines both ways, and had great flights. Outbound, we flew to Toronto, and had a change of planes. There was a problem with the aircraft taking us to Edmonton, so we were delayed for an hour and a half. Since we were only away for seven days, we travelled with a back-pack each and had no checked luggage. Upon arrival in Edmonton, we picked up an Enterprise car rental that I had reserved for our time there in the west. The folks at Enterprise gave me an upgrade to a Chev Malibu, and waived the second driver fee. We shared driving and got to Grand Prairie Alberta that evening where I had reserved a hotel. A dinner with a family member was cancelled on route as we were too late for that, so we met for breakfast the following morning instead.

Our next stop was in the town of Beaverlodge where we had a visit with Bev Scott, the mother of our breakfast date. As one enters Beaverlodge, there is a giant beaver , probably 25 feet long beside the road to greet travelers. WE gassed the car in Hythe, just before crossing into B.C. The gas price per liter is over 20 cents cheaper on the Alberta side. 

We visited with family and friends for the remainder of our time there, stopping in Dawson Creek and Ft. St John. I have one sister  and a brother in Dawson, and two brothers in St John. There are also many cousins, nieces , nephews, and and friends in the area. Our western most point west was a short drive from St John to Bear Flats, where a cousin lives. Their farm is near the sight of  the Site C dam on the Peace River. When the Dam bypass tunnels are blasted shut this fall, the water will cover a large portion of their land.

I was able to see all family members except one brother. He resides in a seniors home and they had a version of Covid going around, so we just chatted on the phone. In Edmonton on the return, a cousin drove up from Red Deer for lunch with us, and we visited old friends for dinner at their farm that evening. Saturday morning, we returned the car and had an excellent, on time flight home. 

Ottawa, September 21, 2023

 Hello All; Well I have been home for about two weeks, so its time to travel again. This time, just a short flight out to Edmonton on September 30, and return to Ottawa on October 7. My youngest daughter Lisa, is travelling with me. She has not been back west for a number of years. We are flying Porter Airlines, and upon arrival Edmonton, we pick up a car at the Edmonton airport and drive north west to Grand Prairie, Alberta. WE will visit family there that afternoon and then drive to Dawson Creek the next morning. (Dawson  Creek is the start of the World Famous Alaska Highway). Later, we will drive the fifty miles up to Ft St John and visit family and the old homestead were I started life on the farm and walked two and a half miles to school...and back each day. On the afternoon of October 4, we drive back to Dawson, and return to Edmonton on the 6th. I have one sister and three brothers living  up there, and a number of cousins. When we get to Edmonton, we will be visiting great friends that we have known for about 40 years.

On a totally non traveling subject, I would like to draw to the attention of any Canadian reader to a new law that may be of use to them or someone they know. Just over two years ago, the Canadian Government changed the laws regarding Military Service so that now ANY person who served in one of the Canadian Armed Services, and received an Honorable Discharge, is now considered a Veteran, and is entitled to Veteran services. They must apply to the Department of National Defense, and submit forms which are available online. Just Google...CF Card. The first information states that you can order on line, or by mail. Not so. You download the forms and submit by mail. That is stated on page 2 of the forms. 

This new situation copies a similar law that President Obama passed for American Citizens in 2016. I only became aware of it last week. I was out of Canada when it happened, and it was not widely published...some say...A militarySecret!!!/ Take care

Ottawa, September 3, 2023

 Hello all.   I had a good trip home from Istanbul until I arrived in Montreal. For the third time in recent travels, Air Canada cancelled my flight from Montreal to Ottawa. It took me longer to get this 22 minute trip home than it took to fly from Geneva Switzerland to Montreal....eight hours. My one piece of luggage arrived home almost 24 hours later. Here is how my return trip went.

Because I had to be at the Istanbul  (IST) airport at four in the morning for my flight to Geneva with Turkish airlines, I went up to the airport at eight in the evening...by Metro train. I was able to check in at that time for the morning flight, and everything went great, until Montreal. I spent the time  at IST Airport chatting with other passengers in the same situation.

Upon arrival at Montreal at two P.M., I cleared customs in ten minutes and went to gate 9 for my flight to Ottawa....it was to depart at four. The Agent took checked my Boarding pass and Passport, then told me that my flight would be 30 minutes late, "due to severe weather in Western Canada". THERE WERE NO SUCH PROBLEMS . I walked about 100 feet on my way to get a coffee...and saw the Departures Board ...My flight was cancelled.....as were the next two to Ottawa. I went back to the counter to see if I could be booked on the seven P.M. flight...and was told..."You must go to another counter down the long hallway, as we only deal with Business Class here, for this issue.

I got to the Ottawa airport at eight, waited an hour for all the luggage to be unloaded, then found that my luggage was still in Montreal, and would come to Ottawa by truck overnight. It arrived at my apartment at two in the afternoon.

This is no joke...or maybe it is...but the name of the Company that delivers luggage for Air Canada is.called.....Wheresmyluggage.com.    I do not let this type of event get to me, but it is apparent to me and many others that Air Canada is trying to lose customers. I believe that before long, we will see AC only doing International and domestic long hauls, such as Montreal to Vancouver. The rest will be done by their partners  Jazz and Rouge which wear Air Canada colors.

All in all, it was a great trip, even when considering the 40 hours to do it. Take care. At this time, I do not have any trips planned, but will be going west to visit family this fall, probably before the end of October, and the snow. 

Istanbul, 29 August 2023

Hello all;  This will be my last posting from Istanbul for this trip. Around eight here this evening, I will take the Metro train to the airport. I must be at the airport by four in the morning, and depart just after seven. I will go out there and read, and relax rather than taking a taxi in the middle of the night. If all goes as scheduled, I will be home to Ottawa around six Wednesday evening.

Yesterday, we had a bit of an adventure, that was unexpected. It was our plan to take the Metro to the station that serves the famous Pierre Loti restaurant and ridge top view point. From the Metro station, one takes a Gondola lift to the top. Here they call it a Teleferek. We use the Metro card for the lift up; this is four gondola cars, two at the top and two at the bottom. Each car holds about eight adults, depending on size. When the two depart the bottom, the top two must also depart as they are fixed to the same cables.

We waited in the line up for about twenty minutes before getting our space to go up. We had a nice ride, with the elevation being about 1500 feet up the ridge, and the ride being about a kilometre. Since the rush was just starting, we had no problem getting a table with a grand view and then having breakfast.

After about an hour and a half at the top, we departed the restaurant.........and to our surprise they had a mechanical problem with the gondola system, and everyone had to walk down. It was a steep descent and took about 30 minutes. It was 34 degrees, so an ice cream was in order at the bottom. 

Upon my return, when time permits, I will do a posting with photos from Pierre Loti. I will have a friend help with that, as it is not something I can easily do myself.

Take care.

Istanbul Turkiye, August 16, 2023

 Hello All. Today, the Turkish Lira is about 19.5 to the Canadian dollar. We all got a surprise on Sunday  morning at the transit stations. The Metro fare went up 50 percent per ride. In addition, Metro system cards over two years old were not rechargeable when the amount on the card dropped below one ride. We had to buy new cards at 50 Lira, and, paper money over 100 Lira would not be accepted by the charge station machines. I had bought my card just over two years ago, so I was in a large group that all had to renew that morning. From my hotel to the mall where I meet my friends is two lines and about 8 stops. 30 Lira versus 18 before.

Yesterday afternoon, we took Hussian for a tooth removal, which was very traumatic for him, but probably more so for his mother. The tooth had to be removed, but he was not told until we arrived at the dental office. The dentist spoke English and all xrays etc were done with no problem, but when he saw the tool to be used he screamed rather loud. It was over before he knew it, and an ice cream cone made the day more memorable. The cost was about 12 Canadian dollars. No wonder patients come here from Canada and the United States by the hundreds to have dental work done. With the air fare and hotels included, the costs are less than at home. Recently, the Canadian Government felt sorry for the Canadian dentists and now refuse to pay for employees or retirees dental work done outside Canada. I still get my work done outside the country.

We are having warm weather...mid thirties here, with lots of humidity.

Each day on the trains, I continue to meet folks from other countries that are either visitors or working here. I had a good visit with a gent from Thailand yesterday, and was able to show him the way to the airport by rail. I have not been to Indonesia yet, but a few days ago, I met a lady from Bali....the first person from Indonesia that I have met. The Philippines and Indonesia are two countries on my list to visit. Today, I met a lady from British Columbia, and a young gentleman from Seattle. I had some fun with him....I pretended not to know where Washington state was. I was born next door....in B.C,

Take care/ enjoy the day 

Istanbul, Sunday 13 August, 2023

 Hello From a warm Istanbul. We are now somewhat cooler in the high 20s with some rain forecast for Monday. We have been doing daily trips exploring this city and making it simple for Hussian to play with other kids. The parks are a gathering place for families in the evenings, and most parks ar e close to malls. Istanbul has an excellent Metro...(Subway) system, so it is easy to get around. The city recently  completed a line to the Istanbul airport, which is around 40 kilometres from the city centre. This is taking a lot of business from the crooked Taxi drivers.  When I arrived here, I did not know about the subway extension. As usual, I took a taxi which was metered. When we got to the hotel, the meter reading was just over 400 Lira, which is normal. The driver said six hundred,  and insisted the meter was not correct. Another rider next to us was having the same problem. We found that the city is investigating this scam.

Yesterday, we went to the city terminal for the new line, to check it out and see where it is. so I will be taking it when I depart here, and for any future trips to this city. Within the city, a ride, no matter how far is about 50 cents Canadian.....on that line. One must tap the card again if you make a connection to the next line or a bus.

We are looking to do a one day tour outside the city if we can book such a trip. The trips are available, but busy with the high tourist season winding down.

Tuesday, 15, we are taking  the Metro to the famous Pierre Loti restaurant atop a high ridge. This place was named for a French sailor who retired there and became a famous Author. After breakfast, we are taking Hussian to have a tooth pulled. He is not aware of that, but during a visit last week to his dentist, it was determined that the tooth must come out. The dentist Tuesday is not at the same place as the other doctor, so it will be a surprise, and we know he will be very upset.

Take care.

Istanbul, Turkey August 5, 2023

 Hello all. This report is later than I had intended because my computer retired the day after I arrived. It has taken several days to find a repair shop.

All three Air Canada flights were late, with the one from Montreal to Geneva being over an hour late to depart. The crew announced a freight problem, however, when a group of seven arrived on board, we immediately departed.

 I arrived last Sunday evening and have had a good time with my friends here. Hussian's mother and I bought him an I Pad for his birthday, and I delivered it from Canada.  

This is high tourist season here, with the popular sights being extremely busy. I do not leave my hotel until after the morning rush at ten. I use the subway (M2)  to get to the mall where we meet. and in doing so, I must change subway lines at the fourth stop. I then get off at the fourth stop on that line,known as the M7. The malls here all have attractions to draw customers....rides for kids, etc.

Take care, and I will check in towards the next weekend, more then. Take care.

Ottawa, July 23, 2023

 Hello all;       In six days, I will be away on another adventure as previously noted. Everything is in place, and the only item remaining for me to pick up is 20 Tim Bit birthday cake donuts. (The donut holes which kids, and adults love).  I will depart my home at noon on Saturday, and arrive Istanbul Sunday at 12 noon Ottawa time....24 hours in Travel status for what could have been a ten hour flight if seats on the direct flight from Montreal were available.

At the present time, I am in a battle with The Canada Revenue Agency regarding my 2022 Income Tax return, which the Agency appears to have lost. For 60 years, I have never had a problem with this group, and always filed my taxes on time....that is by April 30 each year. I always have, and will continue filing hard copy forms.

Because I was going to be in Asia from mid May to 22 June, I filled out my tax return and walked to a Post Office and mailed the package on March 1. Included was a cheque for over 2000 dollars. That cheque was cashed on March 8. To date, I have heard nothing from the Canada Revenue Agency. Here we are, almost five months later. I have sent a very blunt letter, with a copy of the cancelled cheque from my bank statement, to the Agency, and am hopeful for a reply this week.

One of the fallouts from this issue is the fact that since the records indicate that I did not file in time, I did not receive the Climate Action Incentive plan payment on 14 July as most people did. Some other folks are having the same or similar problems with this Agency. Perhaps, they are still on strike???    

I will do an update from Istanbul sometime next week. Take care. 

Ottawa, July 7, 2023

 As I noted in the last posting, I now have my flights to Istanbul, but not what I would have preferred.

My frequent flyer card is with United Airlines, and is good for all Star Alliance members, a group of 26 Air Carriers. Yes, Air Canada is one of them. Most of my travels, when at all possible, are with Star Alliance members. I used up my points about four years ago for a trip to Thailand, so the account has now built up again to just over 75,000 points.

It was my plan to use these for a round trip to Istanbul, a nine hour flight, direct from Montreal with Turkish Airlines. After two hours on the phone with United, I decided to forget any chance of using the miles at this time. The best they could offer was about 40 hours....Ottawa to Washington, on to Atlanta, 12 hours in the airport there, then on to Europe. There were three stops in Europe before getting to Turkiye. They explained that not all flights have seats designated for using Air Miles, and it was high season for travelling here and in Europe...so very few available options at this time.

I then went to my Travel Agency, Bytown Travel, and booked a round trip from Ottawa to Istanbul. I will depart here on July 29 in the afternoon, fly via Montreal to Geneva, then on to Istanbul. I arrive there at seven in the evening of July 30. A trip of about 18 hours, when one considers the seven hour time difference. The only available flights close to the days I required were; Air Canada here to Montreal and then to Geneva, Turkish Airlines from Geneva to Istanbul. The return on August 30 is the same routing, and carriers. I get home on the same day, August 30 at 4;45 in the afternoon, if my flight from Montreal is not cancelled again. Time in travel status for the return is about 20 hours from Hotel to home. I will do an update before departing for this adventure. 

Ottawa, Ontario June 30 2023

 Hello all; I arrived home late on June 22,  with no thanks to Air Canada. Everything went excellent until I arrived at Customs in Montreal. Before I got to the Customs officer, an employee of Air Canada  with a scanner, and she was checking all in-coming passengers.  She informed me that my flight, (due to depart in two and a half hours), was cancelled, and to go to their counter after Customs. There, I was told that it would be at least six hours before a flight to Ottawa was available. She then said, " we have one departing for Quebec in two hours if you would like that." When I asked if they would guarantee that flight would then go on to Ottawa, she said, " it only goes to Quebec city, but that is closer than Montreal!!!." I declined the offer. I got to Ottawa airport at Ten P.M.

All my travels outside of Canada were excellent and on time. That included flights in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Of those countries, all drive on the same side of the road as we do, with the exception of Thailand. It is not safe to walk in the so called, "old", sections of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city, due to motorbikes. They drive and park on sidewalks, so one must be extremely careful to even walk one block.

Asia was hot, more so than usual for this time of year, however, one could not have asked for better treatment from the people. In Vietnam, the Americans have done a lot to build hospitals and establish businesses, which has improved their image. This time, I did not see one person wearing a Canada hat or backpack....which most Americans did at one time to gain, or at least try to get accepted.

I will soon have another update, for my next adventure, a return trip to Istanbul. I expect to be away for most of the month of August. It is my plan to use up some of my Air Miles for that trip, and finding days with flights  with available seats for Air Miles passengers will take some time. Take Care 

 

Pattaya Thailand, Monday June 19,

Hello all; This will be my last report from Thailand for this venture.  I will be departing from here at noon Wednesday our time, and heading to the Bangkok Airport by taxi, for my return flights home. I am scheduled to be departing  BKK at 23;45 Wednesday evening for a ten hour flight to Vienna, Austria. That is noon Wednesday in Ottawa. There will be a five hour stop in Vienna, change planes and off to Montreal and later, on to Ottawa around six P.M. 

A short time before departing Canada, a friend asked me how many flights and hours had I logged. He was aware that I have recorded every flight, type of aircraft, airline, make of plane, etc since my first flight many years ago. To date, I have logged 1176 flights, and been airborne for 2384.47 hours. Someplace between Vienna and Montreal, I will pass the 2400 hour mark....100 days in the air. My shortest flight was 8 minutes. We lost an engine on take off from Calgary Alberta on a flight to Lethbridge. It was a twin engine Twin Otter aircraft. I record when the takeoff run begins, and note when the rubber hits the pavement at the end of the flight.

My two best days here away from the beach was first, last Friday when we visited the Pattaya Orphanage where I have worked in past visits here. We spent about an hour there with friends , and agreed to allow our photos being used on their website....(Pattaya Orphanage). Before departing, I gave them a 50 USD donation for an Ice Cream Day. That will be some day soon when they call the ice cream truck and it will come by and each child will get the ice cream of their choice..

Yesterday, with a friend and Thai family member, we drove out to Khao Chi Chan where an image of Buddah is laser etched in the mountain side.....massive.

Take care all, and I will report in after my return at the end of this week. I will  then have some details of my next outing. 

Pattaya, Thailand Sunday, June 11, 2023

 Hello all; Here we are in Thailand, having arrived on Friday evening at about nine after a one hour and ten minute flight from Saigon. We took a taxi from Bangkok airport and everything is still going great. Everything that is over which we had control. 

After each stay at a hotel, Booking.com with whom I book all hotels, asks for a report on the hotel from which I departed the previous day. For my report on the Hanoi hotel, I indicated that in my opinion, the hotel was greatly over rated, and it did not have many of the features advertised. I was asked for additional follow up information, which I supplied, and that is where the situation stands. In my view, the hotel is no more than a three- four star....not five plus as advertised.

The second issue arose on the taxi ride from Saigon airport to my hotel. Long story made short, the driver showed a phoney taxi license, and over charged me by about three times the normal rate. There is a toll gate upon exiting the airport grounds. The driver asked for 100,000 Viet Nam Dong...about ten dollars. He gave it to the person at the gate, with no change back. I found out later that the toll is ten thousand VND, about a dollar. The driver and gate operator are in my view operating a scam. Upon arrival at my hotel, the driver charged us 450,000 VND. I asked for a receipt...the driver went thru the motions, stamp and all....then sped off. The rate is on average, about 150,000 VND. The paper was blank, except for a stamp that is only a blob. I will take this scam racket up with the Vietnam embassy when I return to Ottawa.

Traffic is rather unusual by North American standards in VietNam. They, along with Laos and Cambodia drive as we do in Canada...right hand side. Thailand is left side. There are about nine million people in Saigon and six million motor bikes. Sidewalks are used for bike parking, and walking is a danger at all times. We spent the last day in Saigon at the zoo....one of the oldest in the world. Very nice, plenty of vegetation, and a huge Botanical garden. One could not ask for friendlier people than you find in Vietnam.  

Saigon...(Ho Chi Minh City) June 3, 2023

 We checked out of the Hanoi hotel and took a taxi to the airport just after breakfast. Everything went as planned, and after a flight of an hour and 45 minutes, we arrived here in the south of Vietnam. At one time, this area was known as South Vietnam, but after the war, it became one country. To me, there is a great difference  between  these two major cities. Saigon, as most people refer to it here, has always been a modern city, wide streets and sidewalks and many modern buildings. Hanoi , old quarter is crowded, narrow streets and much older structures. Much credit has been given to the different government styles of the past.

Today, we toured the War Remnants Museum near to our hotel. This historical place contains , as the name suggests, the left overs from two major wars...first with the French, then later, the Americans. There is everything from "Tiger Cages", to a guillotine, and many aeroplanes. As harsh as this place depicts history, it is all facts that did transpire.

They have had a lot of rain here in the last week, mostly showers, but often. The forecast for the next seven days is no better, with 80 to 90 percent probability....each day. The weather will determine how much we get to do, as it is not something we can ignore....no open top bus tours for example. I will have more on this in my next update in a few days.

Hanoi, Vietnam, May 31, 2023

 Hello Again from Hanoi.  In my last update, I mentioned a "must See" here in Vietnam, and yesterday, Tuesday here, we did the trip to Ha Long Bay. The adult fare for an all day tour from Hanoi is about 75 Canadian dollars. We were picked up at the hotel at 08;45 and began the two and a half hour journey to the tour boat. The bus is air conditioned, and we stopped two times for restroom breaks. Upon arrival, at 12;00 noon, we went immediately to the cruise ship. Lunch was served as soon as we departed the port. Enroute, on the  bus,  the guide passed around a list for our names and food preferences. The vegetarians, (5) were seated at one table, and the rest of us were seated in groups of six to a table.

Our  first stop was at a landing where those brave enough to do so could explore a series of caves that extended for about two Kilometres with both Stalagmites and stalactites. Bedier does not do caves at any time, so I cannot give you any information here.

Ha Long Bay is unique in that the mountains come right up in the water and are so deep that we motor within meters of them. We had chosen a great day weather wise, and had no wind.....smooth sailing. We stopped at another landing where those that were interested could either rent a Kayak, or pay for a boat oared by a very healthy man...standing at the rear. All those that selected to do so got to go into a cave, and through to a large lagoon beyond. (The same cave rule applied here).

Six hours after going aboard, we disembarked and returned to Hanoi on our bus, arriving at nine P.M. It was a day to remember for all.

Hanoi, Vietnam, Sunday May 28, 2023

Hello all. On Thursday morning, we were driven by family to the Thailand end of the Thai/Lao International bridge. After clearing Customs and Immigration, we took a taxi to the Bloom Boutique hotel for one night. I had to get a Lao Visa for the one day stay, (40 U.S.)  while my Thai friends did not. The next afternoon, we flew with Vietnam Airlines here to Hanoi, getting to the hotel about eleven at night. I also had to get a Visa for the stay in Vietnam, it was about 60 dollars Canadian.

 To day is very hot here in this part of Asia. I am visiting this country for the third time, and thoroughly enjoy the scenery, people and the food. Yesterday, just a few city blocks from my hotel, we enjoyed lunch at a little place called Don Duck Restaurant. On the name sign was a statue of The Duck himself. I point this out for all those relatives and friends that have called me Donald Duck.....we are important. This afternoon, if the weather cooperates, we will visit the Ho Chi Minh park area, and the One Pillar Pagoda. We are in the old sector of Hanoi, so all the historic sites are nearby.

We are still having a time understanding and using the money here....too many zeros. Ten Canadian dollars is about 100 thousand VND....(Vietnamese Dong). A bottle of water is 15 thousand Dong. The smallest currency I have seen is a one thousand note. I have yet to see any coins.

One of the nearby places that I consider a "must see", is the Ha long Bay area, one hour drive east on the coast. If we get a forecast for a sunny , non windy day, we will take a one day bus tour there. The mountains rise from the sea, and the park is over one hundred square miles. We had a heavy rainstorm during the night, and more is forecast for today.....time will tell.

Take care;

S0 Phisai Thailand...Part two May 24, 2023

Hello again from this northern Thai community. I did not mention in my report of yesterday that the airport time in the screening process is now about 30 to 45 minutes longer than before the changes. This time is of course based on the number of passengers in the screening at any given time. When I passed thru, it was 30 minutes longer than before. Most of this time is waiting to be called to observe the luggage check. The check itself is just a few minutes. There was one irate passenger in the queue when I came through, and he was speaking his mind about a double screening. The agent was calm and cool, and just told him it was the new rules.

Tomorrow, 25 May, we will depart here at noon and be driven by a family member to the south shore of the Mekong river. There, we will clear  Immigration by Laos staff, and take a taxi into the nearby city of Vientiane. We cross over on a high level bridge, known as the International Freedom Bridge. It was constructed by the governments of Laos, Thailand and Australia. We spend one night in Vientiane, and at eight in the evening of 26 May, fly over to Hanoi with VietNam Airlines.

I will report in from Hanoi.

SoPhisai, Northern Thailand, May 23, 2023

 Hello All. This update is late because the internet here is totally unreliable. I have tried from my hotel and differe nt locations with the same results. Today, I found a place for coffee, called The Amazon Cafe, and all is fine with an hour limit.

A friend drove me to the Ottawa airport on the morning of May 16, and the procedure was quick as I had downloaded my Boarding Passes and thus checked in the night before. Security was another issue, however. Now, at least in Ottawa, and I was told for all airports in  Canada, one big change. After putting computers etc in a separate tray and along with you going thru the scanners, all luggage is taken onto another slide. The computer tray is set on a large table where all computers and anything with them awaits the owner. You must await until an agent brings your carry on luggage to a counter behind a glass shield. You go there and watch as the agent opens the luggage and goes through everything using a wand. if no problems, they give you the luggage, and you hope your computer, and wallets, etc are still on that table where you can now go and retrieve it. 

All flights were pretty well on schedule, however the Swiss Air from Montreal was almost two hours late in departing, which caused a lot of passengers to miss their flights from Zurich. I spent ten hours at the Zurich airport in the transfer lounge. That way, I did not need to go through Security and Customs again.

It is in the high 30s here in Thailand, with some rain forecast in the next few days. The rubber and rice season is in full swing here, so all are busy at that. 

I am getting internet interuptions so will close and write from Hanoi in about four days time.

One Week Before Departure. Ottawa, May 9, 2023

 Hello All;  It has been a busy time with all the minute details that needed to be completed for this trip, and tending to other work, like helping friends move, setting up new furniture, and so on. I will be doing some driving on my Thai family's farm, so I was required to get my International Driving License. My Ontario License was up for renewal, and it took five weeks to get that returned to me...yesterday. I went and got the International immediately. 

I did not state in my last posting, but I had an interesting experience when I booked my hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam. Since my first trip around the world in 2012, I have used a hotel booking firm called...Booking.com. One advantage here is that one can make changes without problems up to about 24 hours before arrival in most instances. This is great when we have to book far in advance, and always subject to flight changes, etc. On that first trip of 124 days, I stayed in units booked with this company for 120 nights. With my extensive travel, I now have around 700 nights booked with this company. Not long after, my first trip all the way around, they advised me that I was now a "Genius level 1, with 5 percent discounts at most hotels". When I was looking for seven nights in Hanoi, my screen lit up, announcing a deal for me, "our Genius level 3". They offered me the Hanoi Siva Luxury Hotel...five plus stars, for just over 300 Canadian dollars.....reduced for me by 2700 Dollars. Loyalty Pays. There will be a limo waiting for us at the Hanoi airport.

As I have noted before , my Thai friends have a large farm not far from the Mekong river, and close to Vientiane Laos. I will be driving the farm truck, and doing some driver instructions while at the farm for five days. 

We have decided that after returning to Thailand on June 9, we will spend the rest of my time with my friends down at Pattaya, a two hour drive south of Bangkok. This is where the Orphanage I sometimes work at is located. I will visit, but not work there as I did not get a Work Visa. Too much red tape, and over 60 U.S. dollars...to do volunteer work!. This is because of many neighboring country visitors come and work, taking jobs away from the locals.

I plan on doing regular updates while away, and the first should be from Udon Thani where I will end up after arriving at Bangkok, then flying another hour north on 18 May.

Take care   

Ottawa, April 21, 2023

 Hello all; It has taken a lot of time and work, however we now have a travel plan and all components are in place. I required Visas to visit both Thailand and Vietnam, a process that took a month in each instance. I just received the Vietnamese Visa last week. Until I had these documents, I could not make any reservations for hotels or flights in the region. That is now completed.

I will have a few hours at the Bangkok airport upon arrival on May 28, then fly north to the city of Udon Thani, which is near to where my friends, (Thai Family ) reside and have a huge farm. They have around 30 acres of rice, 200 Oil Palm trees and 800 Rubber trees. I will be there until the 25 of May, and attend the graduation of their son from University. I have helped some to make this possible, and it will be exciting to attend this event. On May 25, I and a family member will be driven across the Mekong river to Vientiane, the capital of Laos where we will stay one night and fly over to Hanoi the next evening. We will be in the Hanoi area for seven days during which we will take a hop over to Ha Long Bay and area.

After seven days in Hanoi, we will fly over to Ho Chi Minh, (Saigon), and tour for another seven days. We return to Bangkok on June 9. I picked up my Vietnamese currency (known as the Dong),on Tuesday of this week...for 500 dollars Canadian, I got five million Dong....one hundred thousand is equal to ten Canadian dollars, so I got large bills, fifty thousands and up. For this trip, I will be carrying Canadian and U.S. dollars, Euros, Thai Baht, and the Dong. For easier travelling, I send some funds to my Thai friend's bank account by Western Union, and get it when there.

We are still working on plans for my last 11 days in Thailand before returning home.

I expect to do an update before departing on this adventure....May 16.  

Ottawa, March 9, 2023

 Hello All;  This update is much later than I had planned, but for several reasons. I had just returned from Turkiye for about two weeks when that series of earthquakes hit the south of Turkiye, and Syria. Because of that, all travel plans were put on hold until we had time to digest what options would work for all. It had been my plan to return to Istanbul in June, and some of my friends from Thailand would meet me there. Along with my friends living in Turkiye, we were going to do a trip into the south for two weeks or so. All planning for that was put on hold, and finally cancelled.

A new plan has been almost finalized. I will now be going to Thailand in May travelling via Europe, and spending about six weeks between Thailand and Vietnam. My friends in Thailand live in the north of the country, in a village called So Phisai, which is not far from Udon Thani and Vientiane, Laos.

Departing on May 16, my routing will be from Ottawa to Montreal with Air Canada, then to Zurich Switzerland and on to Bangkok with  Swiss Air. I arrive in Bangkok on May 18 in the morning. I will have about ten hours stopover in Zurich. On the return, June 21, at midnight, I will fly from Bangkok to Vienna, Austria, and on to Montreal with Austrian Airlines, and home to Ottawa with Air Canada. I arrive home on June 22 at five in the afternoon.

We plan to spend about half the time in Thailand, then the remainder in Vietnam. I have been to Vietnam but my Thai friends have not, so I am the tour guide. We will fly over to Hanoi, spend some time there, then take the train south to Danang, a few days there..(it is a great city for walking), then the train on to Saigon, also called Ho Chi Minh City. We will fly from there to Bangkok.

I am presently working on Visas for both countries. More later when our plans are finalized. 

Ottawa, Ontario January 18, 2023

 Hello From Canada. I arrived home on Monday morning at ten after a two hour train trip from Montreal.

My time in Turkiye was one of the best vacations that I have had. The people were great, and very welcoming. An example of this occurred on Tuesday evening January 10. I had gone into a restaurant for a light dinner , intending to have my favorite soup, Lentil. The waitress delivered the soup, and she was followed by another waiter with a full steak dinner. I told him that it was not my order, must be for someone else. The waiter pointed to a nearby table where three young men were sitting and laughing. I spoke to them and they replied in perfect English.....stating..."Welcome to Turkiye". I found out that they had never been out of the country, but were doing what is a custom to people who are not natives to the land.   

The time since my last posting continued with exploring the city and sitting in a coffee shop beside the Bosphorus and watching the ships travel between The Black Sea and the Mediterranean. My friends met me at my hotel for breakfast on Sunday morning, then I took a taxi at noon to start my trip home. What a ride that was. It is usually about a 40 minute ride at off peak traffic times. My trip was 20 minutes. We travelled at 140 and up all the way, the driver on his cell phone most of the time. We passes police cars several times....no problem.

The flight from Istanbul to Montreal would take 10 hours and 11 minutes, so the captain said, as we taxied out to takeoff. Two hours into the flight, there was a medical emergency when a young man passed out after calling for help from crew. He was put on oxygen and monitored then taken to the front where he could lie down. He returned to his seat several hours before we landed. Because of the possible need to land, we diverted from a track that would have been over London and direct to Montreal. Instead, we went up over Oslo Norway, over to Iceland and across to Greenland and into Canada. We were over places with hospitals if needed. We landed ten hours and 12 minutes after departure.   Since I had been able to sleep on the flight, I sat up at the airport and  returned to Ottawa on the first  morning VIA train here. 

I will post some observations about Turkiye in about a weeks time. Take care.

Istanbul, Turkiye 14 January 2023

 Hello All; This will be my last posting from  here this trip , as I return to Canada tomorrow afternoon. I have had some problems with my Chromebook computer, so this will be short, and a complete report will issue after I get settled back in Ottawa.

My friend from Poland was here for a few days, and we did a lot of exploring, as one of the ladies here has a car, and a drive to show the area. We have seen Taksim square, a famous shopping area that had some security problems a few months ago. One sunny day, we went to the only real forest in Turkiye, Belgrad, and walked trails there and had lunch. Several hundred years ago, thousands of folks from Belgrade, then in Yugoslavia were deported here. A small village shares the same name. I will report more upon my return.

Stay safe, and enjoy this New Year.