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Pai, Thailand; Recommended with reservations
The first time I came to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, everyone spoke of Pai. “You have to go to Pai” was the mantra uttered by every hippie guy and girl in oversized flowing elephant print pants. They said it in a dreamy way that implied nirvana or at the very least a narcotic experience.…
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The Airport Road
“Airport, airport, you say airport”, was how we were greeted by our driver. I hadn’t wanted to travel by minivan, but when I checked with the receptionist in the morning, I was told that’s how I’d be going. This was the same receptionist who just yesterday told me I’d be traveling by bus. She updated…
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Anyone Can Travel
My mother in law used to say, “if you can read, you can cook”. Well, I feel the same about travel. “If you can walk, you can travel”. It may not get you far, depending on your physical condition or vacation time off, but it can get you somewhere. Take the case of Tom Turcich,…
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Waterproofing your camera with a condom
Our guide shared with us that one of the reasons Lao people are so poor is that they give birth to so many children. In the villages, they marry young, and there is not much to do so sex is a fairly common activity among couples. In an attempt to improve life for the villagers,…
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The slow boat to Laos
I headed to the lobby to book the famous slow boat tour down the Mekong river in Laos. The boat tour is one of two ways to get from the Thai border town of Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang in Laos. The other is the bus, but that didn’t sound nearly as pleasurable as a…
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Thai visa for 50+ year olds
It’s been a long time since I reached an age that entitled me to a special privilege. At 16, I earned the privilege to drive; at 18, I enjoyed the privilege to vote; and at 21, I was entitled to drink alcohol (an opportunity that was squandered since I didn’t start drinking until I was…
