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Shuck more oysters please

August 28, 2019 by David Herd

Shuck more oysters please

Beachfront restaurant Pattaya Shuck more oysters please they taste wonderful, and did you know that American and Italian researchers found they are rich in amino acids, which  trigger increased levels of sex hormones. Consequently their high zinc content aids the production of testosterone.  This photo blog will feature many of the places in this wonderful world where I have indulged my love of this incredible delicacy. The photo above is from the Surf & Turf restaurant in Pattaya Thailand where I enjoyed lunch on Friday August 24 2019.

Look at these beauties

Shuck more oystersI was in Sendai in Japan in June 2018 at Ostra de Ole restaurant & found that the Monday special offered half price oysters, I thought I was in heaven, sitting in a great little oyster bar drinking ice cold beer, listening to Abba singing Dancing Queen, & waiting on my 10 oysters to arrive. And as I said, tonight they were half price, 300 Baht or $12 AUD, priceless. 

I’m a very happy guy.

Shuck more oystersMy waiter Ryuichiro Yamamoto a nice young university student who was studying Space Engineering, rolled up with a bonus 3 oysters on the house.  Shuck more oysters please Shuck more oysters please Keep them coming buddy, I’ll tell you when to stop. ๐Ÿ™‚

The Oyster Bar at Marina Pier Glenelg South Australia.

Shuck more oysters My old friend Dennis Young from the 70s & I are enjoying Coffin Bay oysters. Coffin Bay is a 700 km drive from Adelaide via Port Augusta or a 50 minute flight from Adelaide to Port Lincoln Airport.

Two dozen oysters = two days food poisoning on Copacabana Beach

Copacabana Rio de Janeiro I was totally out of it for 48 hours after eating these oysters on the beach, this was way back in 2006.

The Evil eye

Copacabana Rio de Janeiro The look on his face should have warned me about eating his oysters. He even had madman printed on his cap. ๐Ÿ™‚

Back in Brazil in 2009

Shuck more oystersAnd back on a beach in Florianopolis pigging out on oysters au naturel. Oysters are good for your heart. They are high in omega โ€“ 3 fatty acids, potassium and magnesium which can help reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke and lower blood pressure. 

Pataya Thailand in 2003

Shuck more oystersI’m at one of the waterfront restaurants in the famous Walking Street.

Gold Coast Australia at Chevron Island seafood.

Shuck more oystersThis is the best seafood shop on the Gold Coast, that’s my old friend Frank who always looks after me.

Shuck more oysters please

Chevron Island Surfers Paradise I have been eating oysters here for 30 years.

El Mercado in Bangkok

Shuck more oystersCurrently the best value oysters in the northern hemisphere. ๐Ÿ™‚

Oysters from Cancle in France

Shuck more oysters A huge selection from the Brittany coast. For prices & information please check out THIS LINK. Renowned for its oyster production, the commune of Cancale is located in Brittany, in the department of Ille-et-Vilaine. Fishing port, it takes place at the western end of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, on the Emerald Coast, about fifteen kilometers from Saint-Malo.  Prices at El Mercado Shuck more oysters please  From as low as B35 or $170 AUD each.

June 2022

https://fivestarvagabond.com/shuck-more-oysters-please/ A huge jump in prices.

Do I enjoy the oysters at El Mercado?

Shuck more oystersYou bet your bloody life I do. ๐Ÿ™‚

Finally we are at Port Macquarie on the west coat of Australia.

Shuck more oysters People either love them or hate them. If you love them, head to the NSW mid-north coast, where a string of oyster farmers have opened up their doors to oyster lovers who know that fresh from the farm is best.

First trip to Tokyo in 2007

Shuck more oysters pleaseThe quality of food in Japan is wonderful.

Dining with Phil & Junko

Shuck more oysters pleaseThis was my first trip to Japan & I was very lucky to have my friends show me the ropes.

Life does not get much better than this.

Great food Waterfront Cape Town Add a stunning view, excellent decor and very efficient staff to the great food and you have all the ingredients for a perfect lunch in Cape Town.

The Kitchen Pattaya

Shuck more oysters please Oysters from France delivered fresh every Thursday & usually sold out by Friday.

$42 AUD per dozen

Shuck more oysters pleaseThey add ++ in Thailand for tax & a service charge, very annoying being forced to tip 10%. Thanks for visiting my Shuck more oysters photo blog. I’m planning to visit Canale in France in 2020 to totally pig out on their wonderful oysters fresh from the sea.

Pattaya seafood market

Shuck more oysters please Thai oysters at B40, or $1.30 USD.

Large Thai oyster

Shuck more oysters please I only tried one & it was better than I expected, even without lemon etc. We will include in our next oyster night.

Oysters at Central Festival Pattaya

Food review Pattaya 2020These oysters were on special, B360 or $11 USD for 9 & they tossed in one for free. ๐Ÿ™‚ Certainly the best value I have found in Thailand.

Tuesday oysters special in Pattaya

Oysters Beach Club PattayaThe Beach Club at the Pullman hotel from 3 pm every Tuesday they serve fabulous oysters from France for B30 a piece. Of course being an upmarket hotel the Pullman adds ++ to the price, 7% VAT & 10% service which brings the price to B35 or $1โ€™60 AUD. About $19 per dozen making it the best value I have found in Thailand.

Great value here…

L'Auberge French Restaurant Pattaya

At L’Auberge in Pattaya  fine de claire from France are on special, B570 per dozen, or $23 AUD.

Belon oysters

Shuck more oysters please   Shuck more oysters please

February 11 2022 & L’Auberge were sold out of fine de claire so I ordered the Belon oysters. Belons are the native oyster of Europe. They are an entirely different genus from the rest of our oysters. They act different, and they taste different. Way different. Love โ€™em or leave โ€™em. 

Menton on the French riviera

Shuck more oysters please Many of the oysters I eat here in Thailand come from France. Here are some I actualy ate in France. ๐Ÿ™‚

Hamish Elton

Hamish Elton Oyster ManHamish eats more oysters than I do simply because he has more money than I do. ๐Ÿ™‚ Consequently I have christened “The Oyster Man”. Check out Hamish Elton “The Oyster Man”.

  Please check out these fabulous posts
       Gold Coast                              Pattaya                          Cinque Terre
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Rio de Janeiro                  Singapore                    Eastern Europe
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    Bangkok Bars                         Tokyo                      Cape Town Safari
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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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 Thatโ€™s all folks

1g Duck

 

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                          Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.   Check out these great photo blogs. Tokyo fabulous food Upmarket Chinese Food Sydney Food review Pattaya Thailand Good English restaurants Amazing World Food  Fresh seafood Bangkok Steakhouse New York Pattaya live webcam

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Longest Trips Air Sea

July 17, 2018 by David Herd

The Long & Winding Road

Longest Trips Air Sea 

Longest Trips Air Sea

Longest Trips Air Sea Road that I have ever taken over all my years of travelling the world. Starting with a six week cruise way back in the 60s from Sydney to Southampton. I’m boarding the Fairsea with my best friend Glenn Beasley.

The old shipboard romance

Longest Trips Air Sea Leanne Scot was from Adelaide, we spent a lot of time together during the 6 week cruise & later living in London. More photos on THIS LINK.

Longest Trips Air Sea Road

Longest Trips Air Sea RoadWe worked for a few months at the White Lion Hotel in Cobham, about 20 miles south east of London. We lived upstairs & had 1.5 days off each week. The pub closed around 2012.

7th engineer on the La Maria.

Longest Trips Air Sea I did two trips from Europe to Duluth in the Great Lakes in America, whilst not the longest voyage in distance it certainly was in time at sea, around 6 months.

My longest taxi ride, around 300 kilometers.

Longest Trips Air Sea Road We travelled from Natal to Recife around the coast of north east Brazil.

Praia de Pipa

Longest Trips Air Sea On the way we stayed in Pipa for a few days, it became one of my favourite places in Brail.

Porto de Galinhas

Longest Trips Air SeaIs an hour south of Recife, in English it means the port of the chickens.

My lovely travelling companion

Longest Trips Air SeaSimone & I met online 3 or 4 years ago & we always catch up when I’m in Brazil.

A very long road trip.

Longest Trips Air Sea

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 7,000 kilometers  which was around 82 hours behind the wheel. 

It was a wonderful trip

Longest Trips Air SeaThe girls were so excited seeing the Australian outback that it made the trip much more special for me.

It’s way out of focus but you get the picture.

Longest Trips Air SeaAt sunset the rock seems to glow.

Whale watching at Hervey Bay

Longest Trips Air Sea Road This was our last stop after the longest road trip I have ever taken.

Longest Trips Air Sea Road

Longest Trips Air Sea RoadSuch magnificent creatures.

My longest flight was from Rio de Janeiro to Brisbane.

Longest Trips Air SeaThirty five hours with a 8 hour stopover in Buenos Aires. It was the stopover from hell, I flew 3 hours to Buenos Aires from Rio, then an eight hour wait for my flight to Sydney at 2am with a stop in Auckland, then a 3 hour wait in Sydney before arriving on the Gold Coast at 3pm Friday. To say I’ll be stuffed when I get home could be the understatement of the year. Meanwhile I had a bottle of Argentine Malbec and a fillet steak to help pass the time. ๐Ÿ™‚

I was a very tired boy when we arrived in Brisbane.

Longest Trips Air SeaI don’t ever want to attempt such a flight again. ๐Ÿ™‚

My longest residence

Longest Trips Air Sea Road

Twenty one years I lived in the beautiful home I designed & built in Surfers Paradise, from 1990 until 2011.

My private jetty

Longest Trips Air SeaAt the front of my waterfront home.

My yellow canary

Longest Trips Air SeaI drove this wonderful Mercedes for 17 years until 2007.

My longest relationships

Longest Trips Air Sea RoadFirst there was Carol Luciano from Double Bay in Sydney, we were an item for 3 years or so in the 70s.

Karen Smith was also a 3 year term.

Longest Trips Air Sea Karen was from Melbourne & we lived together for 3 years in the 80s. 

Thanks for visiting my Longest Trips Air Sea photo blog, & they say nostalgia is a thing of the past. ๐Ÿ™‚

   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

417091_10150704751043594_62315468_n          Susies home Newport 1 (1)        April24FreewayHotel-33 (1)

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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 Thatโ€™s all folks
Surfers Paradise Party Animals
 
 
9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1) 
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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Happy Trails Volume Two

April 29, 2018 by David Herd

As Satchmo would say, what a wonderful world.

 

Happy Trails Volume Two

Happy Trails Volume Two

Happy Trails Volume Two is a photo records of some wonderful locations I have been fortunate enough to visit. Producing these photos blogs allows me to re-live many great experiences that I have enjoyed during my long happy life.

The first photo in Volume one was taken in New York so as it’s my favourite city I start again with the Big Apple.

North Coast of Brazil

Happy Trails Volume Two

You have probably never heard of Canoa Quebrada, it’s 164 kilometers from Fortaleza. We travelled along the beautiful long beaches and wandered through the amazing coloured sands.

Balneรกrio Camboriรบ 

Been There Done That

  Balneรกrio Camboriรบ is a major beach resort in the Brazilian southern state of Santa Catarina.

Where are those places?

Happy Trails Volume Two

Here is a map to show you where they are. ๐Ÿ™‚

Tiananmen Square Beijing

Been There Done That

Beijing is a fascinating city full of history and wonderful breathtaking palaces, parks and buildings, and the food, well the food, Peking or should I say Beijing duck is to die for. Not to mention all of the other wonderful cuisines available, even though half the time you donโ€™t know what you are eating. Having said that I must admit the best Peking duck I have ever eaten was the previous week in Shanghai, but thatโ€™s another story.

Happy Trails Volume Two include Sofitel Hotel Bangkok

Loved Every Minute

  Lโ€™Appart restaurant at the recently opened Sofitel is a delightful multi-faceted venue occupying the entire 32nd top floor of the hotel tower.

 Nha Trang in Vietnam

Loved Every Minute

All the fishing boats are painted blue, they really look terrific, then again I really like boats. I even found some boat yards where they were repairing and refurbishing some older boats. Constructed from solid timber and designed to handle the rough seas in the monsoon season. 

Cafรฉ A Brasileira in Lisbon

Been There Done That

 The A Brasileira was opened by Adriano Telles on 19 November 1905 at No.122 (an old shirt shop), to sell “genuine Brazilian coffee” from the State of Minas Gerais, a product generally unappreciated in homes of Lisboetas of that period.

Now I wonder where this is? ๐Ÿ™‚

Been There Done That

The Tower Bridge is certainly one of the most recognizable structures in the world.

Happy Trails Volume Two includes the girl from Ipanema

Been There Done That

I’m at the Garrota de Ipanema restaurant where the song was written. It was inspired by Heloรญsa Eneida Menezes Paes Pinto (now known as Helรด Pinheiro), a seventeen-year-old girl living on Montenegro Street in Ipanema. Daily, she would stroll past the Veloso bar-cafรฉ, not just to the beach (“each day when she walks to the sea”), but in the everyday course of her life. She would sometimes enter the bar to buy cigarettes for her mother and leave to the sound of wolf-whistles. In the winter of 1962, the composers saw the girl pass by the bar. 

Here she is.

Happy Trails Volume Two

The song became so popular, she  became a celebrity.

Iguazu Falls Brazil

Been There Done That

I’m on the Brazilian side, a walkway along the canyon has an extension to the lower base of Devil’s Throat. 

Big crowd at Harajuku Tokyo

Happy Trails Volume Two

It’s Sunday morning & the crowds are huge, Harajuku is renowned for its colorful street art and fashion scene, with quirky vintage clothing stores and cosplay shops along Takeshita Street,

Many come to see the Harajuku girls.

Happy Trails Volume Two

Harajuku girls the term used to describe Japanese youth culture who cos-play or ‘costume play’ on Sundays in the district of Harajuku. Seen as rebels to conformity, Harajuku is a popular place for them to show off their own creations and usually pose for others. Styles include Gothic, Lolita, anime/manga based or futuristic. 

 Small creek leading to the Mekong River in Vietnam.

Loved Every Minute

You are probably wondering why I don’t wear the rather stylish hat more often, I tend to save it till I’m on Safari. ๐Ÿ™‚

Somewhere in the Simpson desert in Australia.

Loved Every Minute

It can get lonely out here, luckily I was with 3 delightful Japanese girls who I took on an epic road trip.

Istanbul Turkey

Loved Every Minute

Great fish meal beside the mighty Bosphorus river.

Thanks for visiting my Happy Trails Volume Two photo blog. Check out volume one on THIS LINK.

Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte 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

 
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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
 
 Thatโ€™s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Been There Loved Every Minute

April 18, 2018 by David Herd

What a Wonderful World

Loved Every Minute, starting with “The Big Apple”.

Loved Every Minute

Loved Every Minute photo blog simply shows some of the many wonderful places I have been fortunate enough to visit. Most travellers have their own bucket list & I’m pleased to say I have ticked 98% of my long list.

Last time I was there it was freezing.

Loved Every Minute

It was mid February & I had arrived from Rio de Janeiro where the temperature was in the high 30s.

Talking about Rio…..

Loved Every Minute

Here I am on Sugarloaf mountain with Copacabana in the background.

 In case you were wondering about the featured Photo

Loved Every Minute

Well, it’s Madonna di Campiglio 8,500 feet high in The Dolomites in Northern Italy.

 This needs no explanation. ๐Ÿ™‚

Loved Every Minute

The Great Wall of China is an ancient series of walls and fortifications, totaling more than 13000 miles in length, located in northern China. Construction began in the third century B.C. as a means of preventing nomadic barbarians from invading the Chinese Empire. 

Majestic Table Mountain

Loved Every Minute

Cape Town is certainly one of the most stunning location on Earth.

Loved Every Minute of the Italian Riviera

Loved Every Minute

Camogli is a fishing village and tourist resort located on the west side of the peninsula of Portofino.

Loved Every Minute of Budapest on the River Danube

Loved Every Minute

The Hungarian Parliament Building, also known as the Parliament of Budapest a notable landmark of Hungary.

Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Loved Every Minute

What a surprise packet, Mostar is a city in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, straddling the Neretva River. Itโ€™s known for the iconic Stari Most (Old Bridge), a reconstructed medieval arched bridge.

Ankor Wat Cambodia

Loved Every Minute

An amazing experience.

You gotta love the Ginza.

Loved Every Minute

Tokyo, what an incredible city in an amazing country.

Dubrovnik

Loved Every Minute

The best advice I can give you when you visit this amazing city is to go in the quiet season otherwise it will be like an ant’s nest.

On the ferry to Koh Chang.

Loved Every Minute

Thailand’s 2nd largest island after Phuket.

Rice paddies near Ubud

Loved Every Minute

Bali is a wonderful tropical island, just a pity so many out of control Aussie pests travel there.

The Great Ocean Road on the south coast of Australia

Loved Every Minute

Behind me is “London Bridge”, The span closer to the shoreline collapsed unexpectedly on 15 January 1990 leaving two tourists (Kelli Harrison and David Darrington) stranded on the outer span before being rescued by police helicopter.

Trafalgar Square London

Been There Done That

I have lost count of the number of times I have visited this great city.

Ha Long Bay Vietnam

Loved Every Minute

Northeast Vietnam, it’s famous for its emerald waters and thousands of towering limestone islands topped by rain-forests. 

Behind me is the most expensive building in the world.

Been There Done That

US$ 5.7 billion, including the cost of the prime land. Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore is in a class of it’s own, click on THIS LINK for a closer look.

Thanks for visiting my Loved Every Minute photo blog. Here is Volume 2. ๐Ÿ™‚

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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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
 
 Thatโ€™s all folks

1g Duck

 

Check out these great photo blogs.

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Secret cities worth visiting

January 29, 2018 by David Herd

Interesting travel suggestions

Secret cities worth visiting

Secret cities worth visitingSecret cities worth visiting, well actually they are not all cities & not all secret, but they are all worth visiting. These are places mostly off the beaten track, places that many people may not have heard of.

Above is The lovely French village of Breil-sur-Roya which is particularly known for trout fishing. The Roya river runs through town and is open to trout anglers from March to September. Located in the mountains near the Italian border just north of the French Riviera.

Breil-sur-Roya

Secret cities worth visiting French and Italian rail lines run through Breil so it is very easy to travel anywhere. There is a great market every Friday at Ventimiglia on the border 30 minutes drive or 20 minutes by train from Breil.

Talking about Italy

Secret cities worth visiting In the Middle Ages and Renaissance era, San Gimignano was a stopping point for Catholic pilgrims on their way to Rome and the Vatican, as it sits on the medieval Via Francigena.  The cityโ€™s development was also improved by the trade of agricultural products from the fertile neighbouring hills, in particular saffron, used in both cooking and dyeing cloth and Vernaccia wine, said to inspire popes and poets.

Secret cities worth visiting include San Gimignano

Secret cities worth visiting

San Gimignano is famous for its Medieval village architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses, which, with its hilltop setting and encircling walls form โ€œan unforgettable skylineโ€

 Have you ever heard of Florianopolis?

Secret cities worth visitingMost people outside of South America have not heard of this fabulous city which currently has an estimated population of 420,000 people. The Greater Florianopolis Metro area is home to about 1 million people. Florianopolis is a wonderful Brazilian city which should go on the bucket list for anyone intending to visit this wonderful country.

Friendly people who love to party.

Secret cities worth visitingJanuary 11, 2009. Newsweek placed Florianรณpolis in the โ€œTen most dynamic cities of the worldโ€ list in 2006. Veja magazine, a Brazilian publication, named the city as โ€œthe best place to live in Brazil.

 Kagoshima Japan 

290c6fab-610c-4e33-bfce-51e4a16f12cb (1) Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan Sakurajima had been peaceful since 2013 until July 2016, then suddenly plumes of smoke, cracks of lighting and a flow of lava came bellowing out of Japanโ€™s Mount Sakruajima in July 2016. Located in a scenic bay on the southern island of Kyushu, this 1,117 meter high volcano has been a sleeping giant for the past three years prior to this fiery spectacle. The incident took place at 12:02 am on Tuesday at the mountainโ€™s Showa crater, which resulted in a 5,000 meter high column of ash โ€“ but officials say no fatalities have been reported. Credit to STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM  Read about it here.

Fabulous food

37214528876_fe8ca2eb4c_cOne of the many reasons I visit Japan often is the fabulous food. A village near the railway station is called Kagomma Furusato Yataimura. There are about 25 small restaurants that seat only 8 or 10 people.

 Forster Tuncurry east coast Australia

51d2bd0e-6c11-4969-a12f-3da1f7c61000 A population of over 18,000 people it is a holiday destination for many Sydney people who are only a 4 hour drive away.

A great area for fishing & boating.

Secret cities worth visiting

At the Northern tip of the Great Lakes, these twin towns are where Wallis Lake meets the ocean. The twin townships are surrounded by National Parks and feature majestic headlands and long secluded beaches. Boating, fishing, diving, paddling, cruises, whale watching and coastal walks combine with galleries, unique shopping and award-winning restaurants to create an experience rich coastal destination.

Mae Pim Gulf of Thailand

Secret cities worth visiting  Thailand Beach Resort Mae Pim on the gulf of Thailand is only ninety minutes by car east of Pattaya, and 2 hours south of Bangkok. Beautiful white sand and clean water, and so quiet and peaceful.

Secret cities worth visiting

Secret cities worth visitingLots of great Thai food & seafood in Mae Pim.

Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina

43638e36-5da5-4162-98e3-635e2c149837

  Itโ€™s known for the iconic Stari Most (Old Bridge), a reconstructed medieval arched bridge. The nearby alleys are full of shops and market stalls, and the Old Bridge Museum explores the bridgeโ€™s long history. More on THIS LINK.

Cevapcici, the best I have ever had.

IMG_7624

Cevapi, or Cevapcici, are homemade sausages traditional of the Balkans area.

Thanks for checking out my Secret cities worth visiting photo blog, drop me a line if you need any information.

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.               

 Brazil Hotels 

 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
f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4          60e7d26d-1039-4dde-863d-62b66656ccbf          1bea4a99-cb07-4161-83ba-75c0ef2b63cc
    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
 
 Thatโ€™s all folks

1g Duck

 

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Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC

September 1, 2015 by David Herd

Japan

Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC 

Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC

Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC New York starting with Japan, Iโ€™ll list the 5 countries in alphabetical order rather than by personal preference. The photo above is  Shabusen at the Ginza A terrific restaurant for Kobe beef, go at lunch time for special prices. Check out my first post in this series here.

The train system is fantastic, from Tokyo it’s a 40 minute trip to Yokohama or 3  h0urs by bullet train to beautiful Kyoto.

One square meter of land in the Ginza center is worth more than ten million yen (more than 100,000 US dollars), making it one of the most expensive real estate in Japan. It is where you can find the infamous $10 cups of coffee and where virtually every leading brand name in fashion and cosmetics has a presence. To me Tokyo is all about food, food and more food, interestingly the Michelin guide has Tokyo comfortably ahead of Paris (10 three-starred restaurants), New York (7) and London (2), with a total of 350 establishments making it into the guide this time around.

 Kabukicho                        Harajuku girls                                   Tokyo

Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC

     Kabukicho is an entertainment and red-light district in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Kabukicho is the location of many host and hostess clubs, love hotels, shops, restaurants, and nightclubs, and is often called the โ€œSleepless Town.โ€   Make sure you check out my post called “Piss Alley”.

I donโ€™t know any other person who has travelled more than I during the last 20 years. Perhaps I can provide you with a few ideas on where to go for your next holiday.

Thailand

Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC

  I sold my home in Australia October 20th 2011 and have have been living in Thailand since then. My first trip to this great country was in 1980, however it wasn’t until 1997 when I started visiting 2 or 3 times each year. In the early days Koh Samui was a favourite destination, however in my opinion progress has not improved the island, it was far better before all the modern gold shops etc moved in. These days I prefer Koh Chang near the Cambodian border & of course Bangkok is fantastic with so many great bars, restaurants & shopping malls.

              Chiang Mai                           Pattaya                            Chao Phraya river

Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC

Chiang Mai tiger warning, the sign could not have been clearer. It was placed a metre from the cage which was at the rear of the zoo away from the other tiger enclosures. It simply said โ€œdanger, donโ€™t go past this signโ€. Looking back I have done many stupid things in my life and this certainly ranks highly in the โ€œstupidity stakes.โ€

Naturally I ignored the warning and moved past the sign and put my camera lens through the wire to get a clear shot of the magnificent beast sitting quietly in the pond two meters from my lens. Within one second of taking the photo there seemed to be an explosion in front of me and suddenly I jumped backwards totally soaked with water.

I could barely hear my brotherโ€™s raucous laughter from several meters away due to the rapid beating of my heart. The 240 kilo beast had lept from the pond and hit the wire full force with all his four giant paws. My luck held as did the wire, which without exaggeration saved me from being torn to pieces.

Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC

I e-mailed the tiger zoo and inquired about this particular tiger. They told me his name was Tone, he weighed 240 kilo and was far too dangerous to allow the public to get close, he was just used for breeding.

United Kingdom part of my Travel tips five great countries photo blog.

Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC

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 Tokyo Bangkok HCMC  

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

United States of America

Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC

Another huge country offering everything from snow capped mountains to desert, beaches & exciting cities. New York of course is everyone’s favourite however hotel costs are so expensive. I really enjoy Miami with the wonderful Cuban influence, but I must say the last time I was in San Francisco I was quite disappointed by the high numbers of beggars on the city streets.

Miami                                San Francisco                           New York

Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC

Car hire and internal flights are reasonably inexpensive. In Los Angeles I always stay in Santa Monica where I enjoy the restaurants and Venus beach.

Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC Vietnam

Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC

 Ho Chi Minh City is Honda heaven, it is quite a shock when you see the number of motorbikes on the streets, crossing the road seems like a game of Russian roulette. My main memories of this wonderful country are the beautiful ladies and the terrific food. My first visit was twice in 2003 then 12 years later in January 2015. Halong Bay is a magical experience, make sure you stay overnight on one of the many boats, it’s an experience you will never forget. Vung Tau and Nha Trang are two of my favourites places in this great country.

Hoi An                             Chill Sky Bar                      HCMC 2015

Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC

Warning, when catching a taxi in Saigon stick with Vinasun or Mai Linh for clean honest low priced taxis. Many other companies are rip off merchants who will try to rob you.

Donโ€™t under any circumstances use the company below.

Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC New York

Thanks for visiting my Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC photo blog.

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

Pattaya Hilton

Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC

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

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

 Travel Tokyo Bangkok HCMC           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
f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4          60e7d26d-1039-4dde-863d-62b66656ccbf          1bea4a99-cb07-4161-83ba-75c0ef2b63cc
    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
 
 Thatโ€™s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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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 the โ€œStreet Carnivalโ€ 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 downtownโ€™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 Undergroundโ€™s Piccadilly Line provides the most cost-effective rail route between Heathrow Airport and the capital, so look for accommodation around Earlโ€™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 โ€œMidnight in Parisโ€. When the Chรขteau 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, itโ€™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
f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4          60e7d26d-1039-4dde-863d-62b66656ccbf          1bea4a99-cb07-4161-83ba-75c0ef2b63cc
    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
 
 Thatโ€™s all folks

1g Duck

 

 

Check out these great photo blogs.

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

April 23, 2015 by David Herd

Around the World again.

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

 

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok was a fantastic trip in 2003. Add to this two visits to Vietnam, 3 times to Thailand, Singapore and a 13,000 km road trip through Australia’s outback. Overall one of my most frantic years for travel and fun was certainly 2003.

The photo above is Copacabana Beach with Sugarloaf mountain in the distance.

 This it not part of my travel blog, just part of my personal photo & travel history from 2003. Mainly revolving around the many people who helped make it another fantastic year of travel.

My friends in Copacabana

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

 

These were very happy Times in Copacabana in 2003, from the left is Doug Rourke, (RIP) Marcelli, Dave Wylie, Dave Sommer (RIP) Tatiane and I forget the last guys name. ๐Ÿ™‚

Carla at Copacabana

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

 

The most magnificent colour skin I have ever seen.

CopacabanabeachNov2003-124      CopacabanabeachNov2003-128

CopacabanabeachNov2003-121      CopacabanabeachNov2003-123

 

I often wonder where she is now.

Lunch with Jackie at Mea Pataca

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

 

A regular spot opposite the beach.

Mea Pataca restaurant in Copacabana

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

 

This seafood soup was fantastic.

Angra dos Reis

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

 Today, because of its beautiful beaches and nearby regions, the municipality has become a focal point for tourism โ€“ not only state wide but on a national scale also. Within the municipality are over three hundred islands, many of them owned by national and international celebrities. Distance from Rio de Janeiro: 168 km; Sรฃo Paulo: 411 km.

Angra dos Reis

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

 

An interesting place to get away for a quiet weekend.

 Buzios

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

Two hours north of Rio de Janeiro is Buzios.  In the early 1900s  Bรบzios was popular with the Cariocaโ€™s high society, who wanted to escape from the chaotic city life of Rio de Janeiro and enjoy over 23 beaches that the peninsula offers.

Beautiful Brigitte

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

 

It wasn’t until 1964, when the famous French Actress Brigitte Bardot visited Bรบzios, that it grew to be a popular tourist destination.

Buzios

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

 Bรบzios is located at 105 miles NE from the city of Rio de Janeiro, about a 2 hour drive from that city. You come to a fork in the road, straight ahead for Cabo Frio and left for Buzios.

Tin man at Copacabana

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

 

One of the great Copacabana characters. 

Copacabana Palace

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The most famous hotel in Rio.

Dinner at the Palace

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

I took these cute Scandinavian girls to dinner at the Palace, cost me a bloody fortune. ๐Ÿ™‚

Does my bum look big in this?

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

Definitely not. ๐Ÿ™‚

The last of the Rio shots before checking out Santiago.

67cc44ee-2108-4fe2-9718-9b19df48b996               09e95742-0570-412a-8dfd-3220e0970e7c (1)

909b5d98-1cc4-4514-bd87-ffdb71aee57d               4aaaa571-3806-4033-9324-0cdb27b2f88f

 Valparaiso on the coast of Chili

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

I was not too impressed with Santiago, I really preferred Valparaiso.

Valparaiso

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

Valparaiso central Chile about 100 kilometers from Santiago. I bet this fantastic house has been photographed millions of times, perched on the edge of a sheer drop you would not want to be a sleep walker. This is one of the escalators (Ascensores) connecting the harbour area to the hills, and the building is the restaurant Las Brujas.

Statue from Easter island in Vina del Mar

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

Vina del Mar is just to the north of Valparaiso.

Downtown Santiago.

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

I only spent two nights in Santiago and must admit I was not too impressed. I found it a fairly dull city overall, unlike Valparaiso and Vina del Mar which are more to my liking. However when it comes to drinking wine Chile has some wonderful examples. Although I live in Thailand most of the wine I drink here comes from Chile.

Barcelona

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

 Old Customs building beside the harbour.

La Rambla

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

 La Rambla is a street  popular with tourists and locals alike. A tree-lined pedestrian mall, it stretches for 1.2 kilometres connecting Plaรงa de Catalunya in the centre with the Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vell.

Casa Mil

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

Casa Milร , better known as La Pedrera, is one of Gaudรญโ€™s main residential buildings and one of the most imaginative houses in the history of architecture.  This building is more a sculpture than a building.  The faรงade is a varied and harmonious mass of undulating stone that, along with its forged iron balconies, explores the irregularities of the natural world.  UNESCO recognized this building as World Heritage in 1984.

Final stop Thailand

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

Koh Chang is the 2nd largest island in Thailand and is located near the border of Cambodia.

My friend from Beijing

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

 

In September 2002 I met Mable in Beijing and we enjoyed a nice time together. Consequently I sent her a ticket to meet me in Thailand and we spent time in Pattaya, Koh Chang and Bangkok.

Mable at the Sabai Lodge

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

It is now 2015 and from my balcony in Pattaya I look down on the pool at the Sabai Lodge in Soi 2, a very good low price hotel.

Chinese ladies don’t like direct sun. ๐Ÿ™‚

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

                               Thanks for visiting my Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok photo blog.
                   
                   Here are some more posts to check out 

 

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               Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
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1g Duck

 

Atlantic bar Pattaya

Santiago Brazil Barcelona Bangkok

 

Ah! Thankfully some things never change in Thailand. ๐Ÿ™‚

 

Jump ahead to 2005  Rio Carnival

Thatโ€™s all folks

Beckington Trowbridge

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Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure 2006

April 16, 2015 by David Herd

Another magic world trip

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure 

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure 2006

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure 2006, once again my journey began with a flight from the Gold Coast to Sydney in October 2006,  before arriving in Rio de Janeiro.

I flew to Teresina to meet a friend and her family then continued on to Forteleza and Belem. After Brazil I flew to Italy hired a car and headed for Portofino, San Gimignano, Vinci and Florence.

A friend in Sydney hosted a dinner at his hotel with several friends, great food and 2 very sexy waitresses.

This it not part of my travel blog, just part of my personal photo & travel history from 2006. Mainly revolving around the many people who helped make it another memorable year.

Freeway Hotel Crayfish

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

Crayfish? I can’t see any Crayfish. ๐Ÿ™‚

Peter plays it cool

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

The following day I missed my Qantas flight to Rio through a mix up with the airline. I had to purchase another ticket, luckily a couple of months later Qantas reimbursed my original ticket.

A terrific night

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

 

GREAT FOOD, GOOD WINE & HOT BABES, WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?

 Copacabana Beach Rio de Janeiro, say no more.

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

 

These two look like they mean business.

Alan Austin and his wife Renata

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure 2006

Alan & I met in Rio and became very good friends, unfortunately the following year he ran into some problems with the English authorities and I now visit him every year in various English prisons.

Shenanigans Ipanema

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

Monday nights here there are lots of specials and the place gets really crowded. The guy in the red shirt is Alan’s Las Vegas friend Jay.


The girl from Copacabana

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

  I was relaxing on the beach when this vision appeared in front of me. I have never been one to let a golden opportunity pass so I brushed up on my social skills and introduced myself. Her name was Mel and she came from neighbouring Niteroi. Lo & behold within an hour we were in my apartment making mad passionate love. This certainly was one on the best days of my trip. ๐Ÿ™‚  

Mel from Niteroi

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure   

Mel is around 6′ tall with amazing green eyes, a total knock out. It is 2015 and I still have her photo on a shelf in my condo. ๐Ÿ™‚  

John, an Aussie guy who owned “The Office” restaurant.

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

John was an Aussie guy from Sydney and we swapped many stories about people we knew and knew of, mainly well known Sydney gangsters. ๐Ÿ™‚   The following year John in fact was abducted by Brazilian gangsters who forced him to go to his home in Angra Dos Rios and pen his safe which they cleaned out.  

Cabo Frio

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

Here is my friend Renilda, she lives at Cabo Frio near Buzios with her son and lots of pet dogs. We met in 1999 on Copacabana beach and have had a lot of fun together. I have not seen her since I took this photo in 2006 but I hope we meet again one day.

Sueli and Silmarinha Oliveira

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

I actually met Sueli online so on my way to Fortaleza I decided to stop at Teresina to meet her and her lovely family.

The whole family in Terisina

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure 2006  

Here is the lovely family.

Fortaleza on the north Coast

  Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

Fortaleza is in the state capital of Cearรก, located in Northeastern Brazil. With a population close to 2.3 million (metropolitan region over 3.4 million), Fortaleza is the 5th largest city in Brazil.  Fortaleza is one of the three leading cities in the Northeast region together with Recife and Salvador. The city will be one of the host cities of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, for which Brazil is the host nation.  

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

164 kilometers from Fortaleza is Canoa Quebrada.

Canoa Quebrada

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

 

We rode in a beach buggy  along the beautiful long beaches and wandered through the amazing coloured sands of  Canoa Quebrada.  

Belem at the mouth of the mighty Amazon

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure 2006

Such a beautiful face, (of course I mean the girl) these two were dancers on a cruise I took on the Amazon.  

The catch of the day

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

Belem is at the mouth of the Amazon river which represents more than half the planetโ€™s remaining rainforests and comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest in the world. Founded in 1616 by the Kingdom of Portugal, Belรฉm was the first European colony on the Amazon but did not become part of Brazil until 1775. The newer part of the city has modern buildings and skyscrapers. The colonial portion retains the charm of tree-filled squares, churches and traditional blue tiles. The city has a rich history and architecture from colonial times. Recently it witnessed a skyscraper boom.  

Old man of the sea

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

 

By now his skin must be like leather.

2.30 am flight Belem to Rio

 Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

Ah! Copacabana I have missed you so much. ๐Ÿ™‚  

Lets not forget Ipanema.

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

 

Ipanema is even more beautiful than Copacabana.

Lets have one last look at Mel

  Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

This is the photo I still have in my room today in 2016.  

Transit at Madrid

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

 

Changing planes in Madrid on my my to Italy.

Francesca in Florence

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

  Here is my friend Francesca, I was lucky enough to be able to crash on her couch for a few days.  

The Old Bridge Florence

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

  Certainly one of the most famous landmarks in this great city.  

Great Pizza in Florence

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure 2006

People queue every night to get into this tiny restaurant in Florence, the chef is from Naples and only has 3 choices on the menu, all magnificent.

Ines from Rio de Janeiro

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

Ines is the daughter of my friend Reni from Cabo Frio, she was in Florence at the same time as I was. Francesca cooked dinner while we chatted about old times in Rio.

 Beautiful San Gimignano

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

San Gimignano is famous for its Medieval village architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses, which, with its hilltop setting and encircling walls form โ€œan unforgettable skylineโ€

 San Gimignano

  Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

What a wonderful Italian village.

Lunch in Portofino

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

  When you visit Portofino make sure you have your credit card, seafood soup 26 Euros.  Maybe they charged me extra because I was dressed so upmarket. ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚

Fabulous cheeky Portofino

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

    If you own a nice boat the babes will come. ๐Ÿ™‚

Club Med yacht.

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

Club Med 2 is a five-masted computer-controlled sailing ship owned and operated by Club Med and operated as a cruise ship. It combines the power of seven computer-operated sails with more traditional diesel-electric power, having four diesel generators that power two electric motors.  

 Arriving in Bangkok

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure 2006

  My gorgeous friend Cleo who I catch up with every time I am in Bangkok.  

The boys at Honey pot in Pattaya

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

  Let the games begin, I’m back in Pattaya. ๐Ÿ™‚  

Brazil Italy Thailand

Brazil Italy Thailand Adventure

Thanks for visiting my Brazil Italy Thailand post, it really was another incredible around the world trip.

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             Chiang Mai                      Pattaya                      Chao Phraya river

Chiang Mai with Tone        9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)   191de3bb-38fc-45cd-bce7-ef24081c554b

 
9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)

Thatโ€™s all folks

1g Duck

 

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California Miami Rio Carnival

April 15, 2015 by David Herd

It all started in Sydney

California Miami Rio Carnival

California Miami Rio Carnival Paris Bangkok

California Miami Rio Carnival Paris Bangkok, it all started in Sydney in January 2005. Next stop was San Francisco, on to Miami before flying down to Rio de Janeiro. Make no mistake Rio Carnival is the greatest show on Earth. I then met my friend Simone in Natal in North East Brazil, we travelled 300 kms by taxi to Recife stopping at Praia da Pippa for a few days on the way.

I said au revoir to Brazil where it was 35 degrees and flew to Paris to be greeted by a temperature of 3 degrees,

My Sydney friends

California Miami Rio Carnival Paris Bangkok

Lunch with friends at Wildfire restaurant at Sydney’s Circular Quay.

Aquarium of the Bay.

California Miami Rio Carnival

Aquarium of the Bay is a public aquarium located at Embarcadero and Beach Street, at the edge of Pier 39 in San Francisco, California. The Aquarium is focused on local aquatic animals from the San Francisco Bay and neighbouring waters.

David Herd at Fishermanโ€™s wharf

California Miami Rio Carnival

Lunch at Fisherman’s wharf is a “must do” in SFC. 

How many movies has this Miami deli been in?

California Miami Rio Carnival

The Architectural District (also known as Old Miami Beach Historic District, and the more popular term, Miami Art Deco District) is a U.S. historic district (designated as such on May 14, 1979) located in the South Beach neighbourhood of Miami Beach, Florida. The district is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Sixth Street to the south, Alton Road to the west, the Collins Canal and Dade Boulevard to the north. It contains 960 historic buildings. In 1989, it was listed in A Guide to Floridaโ€™s Historic Architecture, published by the University of Florida Press.

South Beach Miami

California Miami Rio Carnival

The fabulous art deco towers are unique examples of this form of architecture, they along the eight and a half mile stretch of  Beach. All told there are twenty five towers guarding those who use the beach. At once functional and decorative, they contribute beautifully to the overall aesthetic of this Floridian resort city. A great example of Art Deco South Beach Miami.  

Welcome to Rio David

California Miami Rio Carnival We have been waiting for you all year, where have you been. ๐Ÿ™‚ The beautiful on the left is Samantha, her blonde girlfriend was around 6′ tall.

David Herd with the bird.

California Miami Rio CarnivalIโ€™m at a big warehouse where they store many of the Carnival characters and floats.  

The Sambadrome

California Miami Rio Carnival

The Sambadrome Marquรชs de Sapucaรญ is centre stage of Rio Carnival, the host venue of the annual parade of Samba Schools. It is important to note that Rio Carnival, popularized around the world as the greatest party on the planet,is about much more than drinking and partying. At its heart, Carnival is an exhilarating combination of competition and camaraderie as organizations called Samba Schools battle for the title of Rio Carnival Samba Parade Champions. For Cariocas, the local residents of Rio de Janeiro, is a time to show the world the product of a yearโ€™s worth of hard work and dedication. All the magic ofRio Carnival โ€” the beats, songs, dances, floats and costumes โ€” are the product of well-orchestrated machines called Samba Schools.

Meanwhile out on the street

California Miami Rio Carnival

  The whole city goes crazy for Carnival, this was my 2nd experience, I returned in 2008 for my 3rd Carnival.  

Copacabana beach

  California Miami Rio CarnivalThere are many reasons to love Copacabana, this is one of them. ๐Ÿ™‚  

 Dave Sommer RIP

California Miami Rio Carnival Paris BangkokTwo of my friends from 2005 are not with us anymore,  Dave Sommer  lived & worked in Sao Paulo,  Sadly he was brutally murdered on January 11 2015. I remember the great day we spent together visiting the Samba school with his girlfriend, they were both preparing to participate in the parade.

Doug Roarke also passed away

California Miami Rio CarnivalDoug Roarke was a lovely guy who lived life to the max, after battling a long illness he passed away around 2007. Danielle was his gorgeous long time girlfriend in Rio. I remember sitting in a bar in Rio Di Janeiro with Dave Wylie & Doug Roarke, (RIP) and when I asked what was their favourite place in Brazil, Doug briefly considered the question before saying โ€œPraia de Pipaโ€. Until that moment I had never heard of the place, but on Dougโ€™s recommendation I planned my trip. Pipa Beach quickly became one of my favourite places in the world.

 Praia de Pipa

  California Miami Rio Carnival Paris BangkokThis will always be one of my favourite photos at one of my favourite places.  

Fresh for dinner tonight

  California Miami Rio Carnival Paris BangkokFresh fish, what fresh fish? I don’t see any fresh fish. ๐Ÿ™‚  

Ah! here is the fish straight out of the ocean

California Miami Rio Carnival Paris Bangkok

Fresh fish and lots of chips.

Simone Cristina Oliveira

  California Miami Rio Carnival  My lovely travelling companion Simone Cristina Oliveira was living in Uberlรขndia in Minas Gerais at the time, she now works at a bank in Sao Paulo, after all these years we still keep in touch on Facebook.  

The coast around Pipa.

California Miami Rio Carnival Paris Bangkok

Towns built on sandy soil.

Low tide at Pipa

California Miami Rio Carnival Paris Bangkok

Low tide and the children play.

Happy hour? In Pipa it’s always happy hour.
California Miami Rio Carnival

Local Pipa bar.

 Morro do Careca (Bald Hill) Ponta Negra.

  California Miami Rio Carnival Ponta Negra is close to Natal about 80 kilometres from Pipa.    

The beautiful city of Olinda.

California Miami Rio Carnival Paris Bangkok Olinda is a city in the north-eastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco. It hosts one of Brazilโ€™s most famous carnivals and is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO due to its XVI and XVII-century buildings. Many bars, restaurants, artist and craftspeople studios add charm to the old-town setting. Olinda is just across the river from Recife.

My friend Simone & her cousin Pedro

California Miami Rio Carnival Paris Bangkok

Sightseeing in Olinda.

California Miami Rio Carnival Recife

California Miami Rio CarnivalA big modern city in the north east corner of Brazil, Recife is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the country with 3,743,854 inhabitants.

California Miami Rio Carnival Porto de Galinhas

California Miami Rio Carnival Paris BangkokThe origin of the name is well known. Porto de Galinhas means โ€œPort of Chickensโ€ in Portuguese. In the second half of the 19th century, the Brazilian government imposed restrictions to the commerce of slaves, which were widely used as manpower in the sugarcane farms around Recife to circumvent the prohibition, the โ€œblack shipsโ€ (which transported slaves from Africa to Brazil) looked for other places to harbor, far from Recife.One such place was in the bays around Suape and Ipojuca, about 60 km to the South ofRecife. When a ship arrived in town, as it was prohibited to mention slavery, the word spread as โ€œthere are new chickens in the portโ€; hence, the place gained its name Porto de Galinhas.

Porto de Galinhas

California Miami Rio Carnival

This city was a real surprise packet.

California Miami Rio Carnival Paris

California Miami Rio Carnival Paris Bangkok Farewell Brazil, hello Paris, as I said earlier  Brazil  was 35 degrees and I flew to Paris to be greeted by a temperature of 3 degrees. Here is my friend Malvina who I originally met in 1999 in Mexico City.

Dinner with Australian friends

California Miami Rio CarnivalI met up with Gavin & Cheryl Kernot in Paris and we spent a few days wining and dining. Cheryl was a very well known Australian politician who enjoyed red wine from Bordeaux  almost as much as I. ๐Ÿ™‚

Did I mention how bloody cold it was in Paris? ๐Ÿ™‚
California Miami Rio Carnival

What a shock 3 degrees after enjoying 35 degrees in Brazil.

Get me to Thailand in a hurry please.

  California Miami Rio Carnival Paris BangkokAt last I’m back in Bangkok, you can now call me the spy who came in from the cold. ๐Ÿ™‚   

I feel right at home

California Miami Rio Carnival Paris Bangkok

Nana Paza Bangkok, let the games begin.

Sade - Smooth Operator 1984

Next stop Pattaya

California Miami Rio Carnival Hi David, where have you been? Your car is waiting.  

Greg Clee at Heaven Above in Walking St

California Miami Rio Carnival Greg is an Aussie who is the major shareholder in Heaven Above go go bar, always has a good venue for young go go dancers. Coincidentally when I moved to Thailand in 2011 we lived in adjacent apartments at Markland Condo in Beach Rd.  

Walking Street Pattaya.
California Miami Rio Carnival
Thanks for visiting my California Miami Rio Carnival Paris Bangkok photo blog.
 
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             Chiang Mai                      Pattaya                      Chao Phraya river Chiang Mai with Tone        9a1fec74-4461-46cd-8663-97f5893c8f6e (1)   191de3bb-38fc-45cd-bce7-ef24081c554b
 
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Thatโ€™s all folks

1g Duck

Counter only started June 16 2020.

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