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Italian road trip 2000

May 31, 2020 by David Herd

Italian road trip

Italian road trip

Italian road trip in march 2000 commenced after a few days in Florence & San Gimignano with my beautiful Italian friend Barbara Manelli, I left with 2 American friends Paul & Dan on a road trip south through Naples, the Amalfi coast & all the way to Reggio at the toe of the boot.

Spanish Steps in Rome

Italian road trip That’s Paul in the middle & Dan aka Scooter Boy on the right. Can’t remember the name of the guy on the left.

Here we are in Naples

Italian road trip The locals are playing a game on the beach.

Naples harbour

Italian road trip Dan & I checking out the boats.

More boats in Naples.

Italian road trip

Getting the boat ready for some fishing.

Next stop Pompeii

Italian road trip

 Pompeii was buried under meters of ash and pumice after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D.

Fairly gruesome

Italian road trip

I guess they never really stood a chance.

Farewell to the streets of Pompeii

Italian trip

One of the most interesting places I have ever visited.

Sorrento

Italian road trip

David, Paul & Dan.

The gorge

Italian road trip The gorge down to Marina Piccola from PiazzaTasso.

Next stop the Isle of Capri

Italian road trip

Took a bus trip around the island, had lunch & checked out the Blue Grotto.

Capri

Italian trip

A narrow Capri street.

Italian road trip Capri was very interesting indeed.

Our guide to the Blue Grotto

Italian road trip

It was nice without blowing your socks off. 🙂

Positano

Italian road trip The jewel in the crown on the Amalfi coast.

Fruit anyone?

Italian road trip

The jewel in the crown on the Amalfi coast. Happy guy with lots of fresh fruit.

Lunch in Positano

Italian road trip A very quaint village clinging onto the side of a mountain, lots of stairs to climb.

Love on the rocks

Italian road trip

Can’t be too comfortable. 🙂

Artist in Positano

Italian road trip My favourite shot from Positano.

Hotel Avagi

Italian road trip 2000 Credit to Sara Tononi Verlengieri  for this delightful photo.

 

Salerno

Italian road trip

A population of around 138,000.

Salerno Boulevarde

Italian road trip

A very nice city, certainly worth a visit.

Salerno by the sea.

salerno panorama

Salerno is a port city southeast of Naples with a population of 138,000 people.

Reggio

Italian road trip

Reggio Calabria is a coastal city in southern Italy, separated from Sicily by the Strait of Messina. 

Thanks for visiting my Italian road trip photo blog.

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Margarita Island Venezuela

October 29, 2019 by David Herd

Margarita Island Venezuela

Margarita Island Venezuela

Margarita Island Venezuela & Caracas in 2001, digital cameras were very ordinary in those days so my apologies for the poor quality of the photos. 2001 was another frantic year for travel, two trips to Thailand & around the world via Spain, Venezuela & Los Angeles.

Caracas

Margarita Island Venezuela I wasn’t too impressed with Caracas, after a couple of days there I headed for Margarita Island. Above is the view from my hotel of the city & the surrounding mountains.

One of the best steaks I have ever eaten.

Margarita Island Venezuela It was Argentinian beef & I went back another night for a repeat. I was travelling with Les Scheffer back when we were good friends, it’s now 2020 & I have been on his blacklist for the last 5 or 6 years. 🙂

I’m sorry to sat Les passed away in March 2020, RIP.

I had arranged to meet a couple of ladies 

Margarita Island VenezuelaThrough an internet dating site, they were very nice & a lot of fun.

Margarita Island

Margarita Island Venezuela Margarita Island is part of Venezuela, & lies in the Caribbean Sea 40 kilometers north of the mainland. It’s a very popular holiday destination.

View from our hotel

Margarita Island Venezuela Porlamar is the favored haunt of holidaying Venezuelans and is full of glitzy shops, huge hotels and beach bars. 

We hired a car to check out the island

Margarita Island Venezuela Most people live, or stay, on the eastern peninsula, home to the cities of Pampatar, Porlamar and La Asuncion.

Hotel Hesperia Isla Margarita

Margarita Island VenezuelaA luxury hotel in the middle of nowhere. 🙂 Use this link for a discounted room rate.

I was lucky enough to meet Astrid.

Margarita Island Venezuela

Nice lady with a great personality.

In those days I was smoking.

Margarita Island VenezuelaIt was about 2 years later in 2003 when I finally quit for good.

Two American girls

Margarita Island Venezuela A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. 🙂

Margarita Island Venezuela

Margarita Island VenezuelaI shouted one of the locals a coke. 🙂

Farewell from Venezuela

Margarita Island VenezuelaThanks for visiting my Margarita Island Venezuela photo blog.

Paradise Gone Rack and Ruin

Margarita Island Venezuela Here is an article on Margarita Island Venezuela written on May 5th 2019.

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That’s all folks

1g Duck

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Coober Pedy Opal Mine

April 14, 2017 by David Herd

Incredible landscape

Coober Pedy Opal Mine

Coober Pedy Opal Mine Coober Pedy Opal Mine, nowhere else in the world have I seen colours similar to outback Australia. Red earth, blackened trees and a beautiful blue sky.

I took three Japanese students, Yukako, Megumi & Noriko & travelled from the Gold Coast in Queensland, through Broken Hill  NSW to Cooper Pedy on the first leg of our journey on the way to Uluru aka Ayers Rock.

Excitement

Coober Pedy Opal Mine

 The girls started clapping wildly when they saw the kangaroo sign so you can imagine how excited they were when they saw a live one.

Here we are in Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy Opal Mine

You know when you are near the town when you see all the mounds of dirt & gravel.

OK, what are we waiting for?

Coober Pedy Opal Mine

Let’s go & check out this underground village. 

My trusty Holden Commodore was our transport on our marathon journey all through the Australian Outback we traveled 7,300 kilometers  which was around 82 hours behind the wheel. 

Mini mountains everywhere

Blue Sky Red Earth Coober Pedy Opal Mine

Coober Pedy is a town in northern South Australia, 846 km north of Adelaide. The 2011 census showed its population was 1,695 (953 males, 742 females, including 275 indigenous Australians). The town is sometimes referred to as the “opal capital of the world” due to the quantity of precious opals that are mined there.

 Men at work

Coober Pedy Opal Mine

This was our first indication of work happening around the mines.

Coober Pedy Opal Mine

Coober Pedy Opal Mine

As you can clearly see not all the people live underground.

 Opal capital of the World

Coober Pedy Opal Mine

 There are quite a few opal shops, restaurants and a variety of accommodation ranging from four star to backpackers and caravan/camping areas.

Desert Cave Hotel

Coober Pedy Opal Mine

The hotel has rooms above ground and in underground caves, this relaxed hotel is a 14-minute walk from the Big Winch Lookout. For an excellent discount just book through THIS LINK.

Big Winch Lookout

Coober Pedy Opal Mine

 The famous historic Big Winch Scenic Lookout with 360 degrees view of the town.

Is this Coober Pedy art?

Coober Pedy Opal Mine

To be honest with you I have no idea what it is. 🙂

On the other hand….

Coober Pedy Opal Mine

This may well be the brother of “Tin Man” from The Wizard of Oz. 🙂

 On the subject of movies

Coober Pedy Opal Mine

This monster was apparently part of a movie set that has been abandoned and left here as a talking point.

 We have finished the first stage of our Journey.

Coober Pedy Opal Mine

Next stop is Uluru aka Ayers Rock.

Thanks for visiting my Coober Pedy Opal Mine photo blog.

       

       Life 2015                     Family history                   Life 1982

2835141a-02cf-4cda-a909-2a8408a99f47        6a173a01-9744-404a-a45f-87a975ec90fa          d5436828-abbc-4da1-a638-7f90436c6417

  Adelaide 1972                 Iron Bar Freddy               Sydney 2006

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Thailand 2008                Gold Coast Babes               World trip 2003

Fun in Pattaya-116         92bfa275-a122-4078-9970-1e24188a5917        CopacabanabeachNov2003-124

             Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
                              Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
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 That’s all folks
1g Duck
 
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Australian adventures

  • Melbourne

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Road Trip South Australia

April 13, 2017 by David Herd

Road trip with Japanese students.

Road Trip South Australia

Surfers Paradise Road Trip South Australia

Road Trip South Australia reminds me of the last frontier and the road trip I took in 2003. Three Japanese students, Yukako, Megumi & Noriko & I travelled from the Gold Coast in Queensland, through Broken Hill  NSW to Coober Pedy in South Australia, a fascinating opal mining town where most of the population live in underground houses, then on to Ayers Rock and back home to the Gold Coast via Hervey Bay where we went whale watching. On our marathon journey all through the Australian Outback we traveled 7,300 kilometers  which was around 82 hours behind the wheel. 

The above photo is at Tenterfield on the New England Highway.

Peter Allen Motor Inn

a87c5f32-93ed-48a3-9ce7-e1a600c5c54f (1)

This famous Australian singer son writer was born in Tenterfield. For a discounted room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Listen to Peter sing one of his famous songs about the Tenterfield sadler.

The first stage

Surfers Paradise Road Trip South Australia

Across  NSW to South Australia.

Surfers Paradise Road Trip South Australia

Surfers Paradise Road Trip South Australia

Our first day on the road, we will overnight in Broken Hill.

Trades Hall in Broken Hill.

Surfers Paradise Road Trip South Australia

 The Trades Hall is Broken Hill’s most historically important building. 

Broken Hill in outback NSW.

Surfers Paradise Road Trip South Australia

Broken Hill over 1,100 km (680 mi) west of Sydney and  surrounded by semi-desert.

For a very good discount on a Broken Hill hotel just book through THIS LINK.

Typical outback building

Surfers Paradise Road Trip South Australia

 In the 19th and early 20th century Broken Hill was home to a community of Afghans. Afghans worked as camel drivers in parts of outback Australia, and they made a significant contribution to economic growth when transport options were limited. The camel drivers formed the first sizeable Muslim communities in Australia, and in Broken Hill they left their mark in the form of the first mosque in NSW (1891).

Wilmington South Australia

Surfers Paradise Road Trip South Australia

 Wilmington is a farming community, known for sheep, wheat and barley, but more recently for the planting of olive groves.

Road Trip South Australia, the general store

Surfers Paradise Road Trip South Australia

Wilmington is 305 kilometres north of the state capital, Adelaide.

This was at Byron Bay near the start of our journey.

Surfers Paradise Road Trip South Australia

Such lovely young girls,  Noriko Megumi & Yukako. Thanks for visiting my Surfers Paradise Road Trip South Australia photo blog. Next stop is Coober Pedy.

 Lots more posts here;

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Soi Cowboy (25)          Osaka 1st night (17)       Walking St Pattaya is wild & sexy 

                                     

             Chiang Mai                      Pattaya                      Chao Phraya river

Chiang Mai with Tone9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)191de3bb-38fc-45cd-bce7-ef24081c554b

Bangkok Hotels        Pattaya Hotels
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Pattaya live webcam
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That’s all folks

1g Duck

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Santa Monica Rodeo Drive

February 8, 2017 by David Herd

A personal photo collection, not a travel blog.

Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive 

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive Los Angeles were regular stop off points for me between 1998 & 2005 on my way to Rio di Janeiro. My inspiration to pull out these old (poor quality early digital) photos came from watching Billy Bob Thornton in the series Goliath, which of course was shot in Santa Monica.

My great friend Denise McKay

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive

Denise was the main reason to stop in L.A., we met when she was living on the Gold Coast & continued our friendship for a number of years after she moved back to the U.S.A.

Venice Beach

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive

Sadly this mural is not there anymore however the photo remains a favourite of mine.

Denise dressed to blend in with the wall. 🙂

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive

She is one of those ladies who always looks terrific,

Lunch at Fisherman’s wharf Marina Del Ray

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive Los Angeles

We had the restaurant to ourselves. 🙂

At least it will wash of in a week or so.

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive

The only tattoos I like are the ones that wash off. 🙂

 Rodeo Drive

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive

I can’t remember where I parked my car.

Oh! here is is. 🙂

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive

Yellow matches my Mercedes Sports at home. 🙂

Wiltshire Boulevard

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive

Classy neighborhood & classy lady. 🙂

 Back to Santa Monica

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive

Outside the New York Deli which was one of my favourite places to eat, sadly I believe it closed in 2010.

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive Los Angeles featuring the Central Garden at the Getty Center

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive

There were more than 500 varieties of plants used in the landscaping of the Central Garden.

Patrezia from Salerno

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive Los Angeles

We hooked up with this crazy Italian lady from Salerno, she was a lot ot fun. 🙂

Denise & Petrezia

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive

We had a bit to talk about as it was only a year ago when I was in Salerno.

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive

Santa Monica Rodeo Drive

Had a great time with Denise in Santa Monica now it was time to head to Rio di Janeiro for Carnival. Thanks for visiting my Santa Monica Rodeo Drive photo blog.

             

Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposite the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate. 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

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               Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

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Contemplating life beyond 2000

February 6, 2017 by David Herd

A personal photo collection, not a travel blog.

Contemplating life beyond 2000

Contemplating life beyond 2000

Contemplating life beyond 2000 after just completing a huge around the world trip with Tony Murphy & John Martin aka Pothole. The fabulous trip began in November 1999 in Los Angeles then on to Miami, Mexico City, Bolivia, San Paulo, Rio di Janeiro, Salavador, Paris, Bangkok & finishing in  Koh Samui. 

Consequently I really expected 2000 to be a bit of a let down, after all how do you recover after a two month trip like that one?

The photo above was in Sydney for Pothole’s 50th birthday on February 1st. That’s our good mate Paul Slaughter with the glasses & the lovely Kathy who was Pothole’s girlfriend at the time. He was punching way above his weight as you can clearly see. 🙂

Sadly I was as well.

Contemplating life beyond 2000

Punching above my weight also with an Italian princess I met & fell for in Koh Samui.

What a smile

Contemplating life beyond 2000

Her name was Barbara Manelli, however to me she will always be “Gypsy”.

Consequently in March I headed to Florence to see if there was any future pursuing this gorgeous creature. I soon found out that a brief tropical island fling was soon forgotten back in Italy. 🙂

Italy to Australia via Bangkok

Contemplating life beyond 2000

I figured there was only one way to fix a broken heart & that was a week in Bangkok on the way home. 🙂 

Pothole & I with Ian Rich

Contemplating life beyond 2000

We took my boat over to Main Beach to see Ian’s new condo.

View of Paradise waters from Ian’s condo the Grand Mariner.

Contemplating life beyond 2000

My apologies for the low quality photos, I was using my 1st 1.2 mega pixel digital camera. 🙂

Melbas on the Park

Contemplating life beyond 2000

The usual suspects, John Moon, Jim Bell aka “HO HO”, & John “Secrets” Sinclair. 

John Sinclair aka Secrets at Main Beach.

Contemplating life beyond 2000

Here is John with one of the gorgeous Main Beach waitresses.

The dreaded black list.

Contemplating life beyond 2000

Over the years Secrets has always had a black list of people who have been guilty of some indiscretion of which he has not approved of. I have been on & off the list a few times over the years, now in February 2017 I am, with quite a few others, most certainly firmly back on the list. Consequently to commemorate this honour I designed a T shirt & Pothole has arranged to have them printed. 🙂

Melbas was our favourite bar.

Contemplating life beyond 2000

Owned & run by Paul Allen a larger than life Gold Coast character, passed away far to young in 1013.

Celebrated my birthday at the Boardroom in Southport.

Contemplating life beyond 2000

Always a few sexy girls at the Boardroom which was owned & run by Malcolm Pearce.

Always a lot of fun

Contemplating life beyond 2000

As you can clearly see I was being totally dominated here. 🙂

 Skye from Launceston

Contemplating life beyond 2000

What a knockout, here we are having lunch at Melbas.

Let’s go back to Italy

Contemplating life beyond 2000

A flashback to March when my pursuit of the beautiful Gypsy crashed & burned. No that’s not really true, after Samui it never really got off the ground. 🙂

San Gimignano

Contemplating life beyond 2000

We did all the tourist things then I headed south to Rome to hook up with my friend Paul McNeil & Scooter Boy.

The Spanish Steps in Rome

Contemplating life beyond 2000

I hired a car & the 3 of us had a great road trip through Naples, Sorrento, Positano all the way down to Reggio in Southern Italy, the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria.

 Artist at work in Positano.

Contemplating life beyond 2000

We covered a lot of territory including Isle of Capri, this quickly became my favourite part of Italy until 2010 when I discovered the Cinque Terre. 🙂

Xmas lunch

Contemplating life beyond 2000

Tradition dictated we would gather at Melbas each year for a Xmas lunch, here we have Jim “Ho Ho” Bell, John “Secrets” Sinclair, David Herd & Tony Murphy.

Best ever Melbas barmaid

Contemplating life beyond 2000

Her name is Aurora & we all fell in love with her. 🙂

Family & friends come to visit

Contemplating life beyond 2000

My brother Warren & his wife Kerry with my cute little niece Laura. On the left is Chris Lockwood & his partner in happier times.

My best friend Ziggy

Contemplating life beyond 2000

We had lots of fun together, plus he was an excellent guard dog.

At the end of the day 2000 certainly was another good year.

Contemplating life beyond 2000 Contemplating life beyond 2000

Contemplating life beyond 2000 Contemplating life beyond 2000

From the top left is Malvina from Paris, Rush from Thailand, & Kerry & Simone from Australia.

Thanks for visiting my Contemplating life beyond 2000 photo blog.                     

   Here are some more posts to check out

         Life 2015                     Family history                   Life 1982

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Fun in Pattaya-116         92bfa275-a122-4078-9970-1e24188a5917        CopacabanabeachNov2003-124

             Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
                              Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
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 That’s all folks
Surfers Paradise Party Animals
 
Pattaya live webcam 
 
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A-One hotel on Beach Road

Seven deadly Songkran days

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

 Soi Cowboy (5)           e1274c0c-cf4d-4406-b5dc-d9e8071e382e            8993ef02-ccf3-46a7-8b6d-fc11af9d93ad

 

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World’s 30 tallest Skyscrapers

May 26, 2016 by David Herd

Burj Khalifa 01. World’s 30 tallest Skyscrapers

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 
World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

Shanghai Tower 02. (under construction)

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel 03.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 One World Trade Center 04. World’s 30 tallest Skyscrapers.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 Taipei 101 05. World’s 30 tallest Skyscrapers.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

Shanghai World Financial Center 06. (left one)

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 International Commerce Centre 07.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

Petronas Tower 1 & 2 08.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 Zifeng Tower 09.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

Located in Nanjing, China Height: 450 m 1,476 ft

Willis Tower 10.  (Formerly Sears Tower)

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 Kingkey 100 11.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 Guangzhou International Finance Center 12.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

Trump International Hotel and Tower 13.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 Jin Mao Tower 14. (in front)

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 Princess Tower 15. (the tallest one)

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 Al Hamra Firdous Tower 16.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 2 International Finance Centre 17.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

23 Marina 18.  (tallest one)

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 CITIC Plaza 19.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 Shun Hing Square 20.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 Central Market Project 21. (under construction)

 

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

Empire State Building 22.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 Elite Residence 23.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

Tuntex Sky Tower 24.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 Central Plaza 25.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

Bank of China Tower 26.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 

 Bank of America Tower (NY) 27.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 Almas Tower 28.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

The Pinnacle 29.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

 SEG Plaza 30.

World's 30 tallest Skyscrapers

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Santa Cruz Bolivia

April 8, 2016 by David Herd

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Santa Cruz Bolivia

Santa Cruz Bolivia

Santa Cruz Bolivia South America sits by the Pirai River in the lowlands east of the Andes Mountains. My little adventure took place in 1999 when I flew from Sydney via Las Vegas to Santa Cruz before visiting Iguazu falls. After the fabulous falls I met friends in Sao Paulo before heading for Rio de Janeiro.

It was 1999 and my first digital camera took rather poor photos.

How lucky was I?

Santa Cruz Bolivia

I was met at the airport by Dalia a gorgeous 23 yo Bolivian who I had met in a chat room on the internet. Actually I met her friend who could speak English which Dalia could not. So now you know the reason Santa Cruz was on my itinerary.

Dalia’s friend Coral

Santa Cruz Bolivia

 

Coral was the go-between for meeting Dalia.

Apologies again for the poor quality photos.

Santa Cruz Bolivia

Dinner in Santa Cruz with Coral and Dalia’s son Tony.

Three generations

Santa Cruz Bolivia

Everybody I met in Santa Cruz were such nice friendly people. Here is Dalia’s mother and son Tony.

Looking good

Santa Cruz Bolivia

Dalia looking very good in her orange bikini.

Typical Santa Cruz street

Santa Cruz Bolivia

Some parts of the city are quite modern, this however is not one of those parts.

Santa Cruz church

Santa Cruz Bolivia

Like most South American cities there are plenty of churches.


Going for lunch in Santa Cruz

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From memory I think I actually ate an Armadillo for lunch.

Dinner is served

Santa Cruz Bolivia

It’s certainly not the Ritz but from memory I think the food was OK.

Very friendly people

Santa Cruz Bolivia

Everybody was very friendly, many of the places my friends took me were off the beaten track.

Santa Cruz shops

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Some of the buildings were a little more modern.

Another friend

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Here is Kelly Caballero anther gorgeous girl I had met online before I began my great adventure. I still see her on Facebook now in 2016.

Back to Dalia

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After my little diversion with Kelly Dalia & I made plans to head for Brazil.

Santa Cruz Bolivia South America

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Ok let’s get a passport and a ticket for the death train. The “death train” (so named because of its history in transporting Yellow Fever victims) runs on bumpy tracks from Santa Cruz to Corumbá on the Brazilian side.

 Catching some shut-eye on the Death Train.

Santa Cruz Bolivia

Dalia sleeping peacefully on the way to Quijarro.

 The frontier

Amazing Iguazu Falls Brazil

After leaving the train we walked across the border then took a taxi to the Brazilian immigration office, and that’s where my problems began. I was suspicious when they had my passport and wanted to see a credit card to ensure I had enough money to exist on in Brazil. I knew I was in trouble when they went to another room and came back 5 minutes later to give me my passport and credit card back.

Sure enough a week later my credit card was cancelled as there had been $14,000 spent on it all over Brazil. Everything was sorted out when I returned to Australia and I received a replacement card.

Thanks for visiting my Santa Cruz Bolivia South America photo blog.

Farewell my sweet Bolivian princess.

Amazing Iguazu Falls Brazil

           Checkout some more of my terrific blogs on the links below.         

Istanbul                                 Budapest                        London

Fascinating Istanbul Asia Meets Europe     Hungarian Parliament Building (2)       The Walkie Talkie (5)    

          Mostar                           Dubrobnik                            Split

43638e36-5da5-4162-98e3-635e2c149837        IMG_7425    Split Ancient Croatian Coastal city                     

                 Saigon                            Zagreb                          Vung tau

Ho Chi Minh City South Vietnam       Main Square (3)     Vung Tau statue (6)

Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          b1c99886-3940-4dda-b350-44c5e5c77e41
 
 
Pattaya live webcam
 
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That’s all folks

1g Duck

Check out these great photo blogs.

 

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Travel tips fabulous countries

August 30, 2015 by David Herd

David Herd is the FiveStarVagabond

Travel tips fabulous countries

Travel tips fabulous countries

Travel tips fabulous countries feature some of my favourite places, many people may think I’m a bit of a dinosaur & perhaps I am, however I don’t know any other person who has travelled more than I during the last 30 years. Therefore I hope can provide you with a few ideas on where to go for your next holiday.

I’ll list the 5 countries in alphabetical order rather than by personal preference.

 Australia

Travel tips fabulous countries

The home of my birth and a country that offers a huge diversification of incredible travel destinations. Most people find it difficult to grasp the size of this great country, don’t make the mistake of trying to cover too much in 3 or 4 weeks, better to come back another time.

Sydney is the most spectacular city but don’t forget Perth and Adelaide both wonderful cities also. Then of course there is the Gold Coast in Queensland with it’s wonderful weather and beautiful beaches.

For a good budget hotel in Sydney just book through this link. Broadbeach is the best place to stay on the Gold Coast, here is a very good value apartment block in a perfect location.

Three suggestions

Sydney                           Great Ocean Rd                            Outback

Travel tips fabulous countries

I drove from Adelaide to Melbourne along the Great Ocean  road Australia in October 2014, I had driven this road once before in  1988.

Brazil Travel tips one of the five fabulous countries

Travel tips fabulous countries

Bigger and more diverse than Australia I have enjoyed 8 visits to the wonderful country. Rio de Janeiro is fabulous however there is so much more to see. Apart from Rio my favourite places are Praia de Pipa, Paraty, Iguazu Falls & Florianoplis.

Check out these Brazilian posts

Camboriu                                 Rio’s beaches                         Fortaleza           

Travel tips fabulous countries

Since 2004, the blocos have exploded and now there are now nearly 300 blocos with over 40 new ones appearing for the 2007 Carnaval.  The first blocos started only a little over ten years ago. This is the heart of theStreet Carnival” which includes the greater likelihood of locals playing percussion instruments with their friends at their favorite hangout as well as  the Bandstands and the many Parades of downtown’s Rio Branco Avenue. These events are inclusive and practice for the musicians begins months before the Carnaval and the parades do not end until Sunday of the following weekend.

Croatia is a must for travellers  here are Travel tips fabulous countries

Travel tips fabulous countries

It was March 2005 before I finally made it to this fascinating country, the photo above is the coastal city of Split. I travelled by bus between the major cities to see more of the actual country. I had a terrific 2 bedroom apartment in a great location for only $50 per night, book through this link.

Next door is Bosnia so make sure you also visit the wonderful city of Mostar.

Split                               Dubrovnik                              Zagreb

Travel tips fabulous countries

In Zagreb I stayed at the excellent hotel Dubrovnik overlooking the Main Square you see above, it was a perfect location with good wifi. Marc van Bloemen owner of Karmen apartments in Dubrovnik was the perfect host, he  a friendly Englishman who will point you in the right direction for restaurants, tours & places of interests, he also has a great knowledge of Dubrovniks history.

United Kingdom

Travel tips fabulous countries

So many places to see & so much history. I travel there most years making London my base, then visit cities & towns all over the country either by train or car. Apart from London some of my favourite places are Brighton, Bath, Glasgow & Bradford on Avon. The photo above is Gold Hill is a steep cobbled street in the town of Shaftesbury in the English county of Dorset.

London pubs                          Lands End                            Hyde Park

Travel tips fabulous countries

Travel tips. Great Britain has an excellent rail service, save up to 80% by booking your ticket before you arrive, just click here. London Underground’s Piccadilly Line provides the most cost-effective rail route between Heathrow Airport and the capital, so look for accommodation around Earl’s CourtGloucester Rd or Knightsbridge. For more information click here.

France

Travel tips fabulous countries

 Where do you start Paris or Monte Carlo, the choices are endless in this wonderful country. One of my favourite holidays was based in Breil Sur Roya a small village in the mountains near the Italian border just north of Menton. From here I was able to explore many medieval French & Italian villages as well as the fabulous French Riviera. The Roya river runs through town and is open to trout anglers from March to September. Part of the trout run is reserved for fly-fishing. Trout anglers share the river with white water rafters, another popular local sport.

Saorge                                  St Tropez                              Versailles

Travel tips fabulous countries

Chateau de Versailles Paris is a  fabulous destination which made my bucket list as soon as I saw the Woody Allen movie “Midnight in Paris”. When the Château was built, Versailles was a country village; today, however, it is a wealthy suburb of Paris, some 20 kilometres southwest of the French capital.

Italy

Travel tips fabulous countries

My favourite European Country by a long shot. The food, the wine, the crazy drivers who park anywhere, there is so much to see & do it’s hard to know where to start. Rome, Florence, Venice there are so many great cities, however if I had to pick two favourites they would be Sam Gimignano and the Cinque Terre.

Florence                              Lake Como                              Portofino

Travel tips fabulous countries

Travel tip, take a wonderful one hour walk from Santa Margherita. The homes are truly magnificent,  prepare yourself for a great experience when you arrive at the beautiful waterfront village of Portofino. The buildings, the boats, the restaurants, it’s all there. Just make sure you have your credit card and a wallet full of Euros. For the budget minded like myself it makes more sense to stay at Santa Margherita and visit Portofino on foot or by ferry. The Lido Palace is on the beach if you want to go upmarket, my hotel was one block back and reasonable priced, with free car parkingThe Mediterraneo.

Thanks for visiting my Travel tips fabulous countries photo blog.

  Please check out these fabulous posts  
Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposite the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate. 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

 Soi Cowboy (5)           e1274c0c-cf4d-4406-b5dc-d9e8071e382e            8993ef02-ccf3-46a7-8b6d-fc11af9d93ad

 
  Please check out these fabulous posts
       Gold Coast                              Pattaya                          Cinque Terre
bd96516a-84df-4ca0-86e6-c757cc9053d1          01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f          e18b6c87-5adc-4a80-92cf-6c643ad130c1
 
Rio de Janeiro                  Singapore                    Eastern Europe
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    Bangkok Bars                         Tokyo                      Cape Town Safari
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          f5e9441a-4154-44e0-a362-18b662d40b48          2a2b79ea-bc5f-46e3-8448-2e71658eff14 
               Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
Free Cancellation. 
Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037          b1c99886-3940-4dda-b350-44c5e5c77e41
 
 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

Check out these great photo blogs.

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Magic Marble Mountain Vietnam

July 24, 2015 by David Herd

Marble Mountain Vietnam

Marble Mountain Vietnam

 Marble Mountain Vietnam where the statues are hand carved by certified and regulated stone mason artists. These artist begin a lifelong apprenticeship from a very young age and spend their life learning the trade.

 Huge statue

Marble Mountain Vietnam

 Mined from the famous Marble Mountain, in Vietnam, the premium marble offers quality and colours that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Plus the skill of the Vietnamese ensures a wonderful product.


 

Many beautiful statues

Marble Mountain Vietnam

I had to stop myself from sending a whole container home. TripAdvisor rate Marble Mountain 2nd out of 97 things to do in Danang.

Marble Mountain Vietnam

Marble Mountain Vietnam

 The stone carving village of Dong Hai, located next to the Marble Mountains in Vietnam is famous for traditional stone engraving and stone-cutting craft.

 

A Vietnamese Venus de Milo

Marble Mountain Vietnam

The statues here are rather extraordinary, all shapes and sizes. 

Bangkok to Danang

Marble Mountain Vietnam

There are about seven low cost flights per week from Bangkok to Danang, it only takes around 90 minutes.

Tiger on the prowl

Marble Mountain Vietnam

This guy is a rather mean looking beast. It reminds me of a funny story of my brush with a tiger in Chiang Mai, check out THIS LINK for the full story.

David Herd at Marble Mountain

Marble Mountain Vietnam

Thanks for visiting my Marble Mountain Vietnam post, please have a look at some more posts if you have the time. For great hotel rates simply use this link.    

         Hoi An, midway between Hanoi & HCMC, fly into Danang take a taxi south, on the way make sure you visit Marble mountain.

 

               

                      Here are some more posts to check out 

         Sydney                               Paris                                   Bangkok           
 497d0b6e-c0bd-4ba2-86be-c02100f050a8        65470622-d17a-4b90-bf97-2574df4c412d        1a2160c1-41f7-465a-954c-631e083eb229
          Tokyo                        Rio De Janeiro                        Budapest
f59e958e-8eaf-48b4-8e96-c291a0c13d1a        f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4        a6a948cd-f30a-49ea-a905-82be4d202cc9
           London                            Beijing                            Capetown
2246c6cf-5fa6-4fbe-ac30-b569253ad2a6        f65d714b-f44c-4b2e-9505-3511ebecbb80        4e82052a-24d0-41e1-ab84-10e8f27634d1
 
            Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you            
 book through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
                                                                 Plus free cancellation .
                                               Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
                                            d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037            01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f
 

Slide show here.

Pattaya live webcam
 
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That’s all folks

1g Duck


  • Lyme Regis Jurassic coast

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