Dubai Fountain

It looks to me as if there are some new moves in the Dubai Fountain. These photos hardly do it justice.

DW

Dubai Mall is Heaving

Ivam in Dubai Mall for a while and it is FULL if people. Peak tourist season.

Last time I was here they were half way through building the walkway from the Metro to the Mall ... three months later it's finished and open!

Just eaten at Just Falafel ... apart from serving chips with meals, their food is excellent. Four quid for a good, healthy meal. Dubai Mall Food Court.

DW

Someone's in a bad Mood!

Take a look

DW

Post Box

I think i've never taken a photo of a post box before just because it's there although I might be wrong!

Here's one in the hotel though that caught my eye!

DW

Sheraton Karachi

I arrived here a couple of hours ago. It's only about 8.5 hours flying time to get here but a 7 hour wait in Dubai made a difference.

It's been dark since i arrived in the country so i haven't seen anything yet ... apart from the airport and the hotel.

Here are my first images of Karachi then.

DW

Uplift

No matter who you are or where you are from, if ever you feel the need for a boost, go to youtube and find a Welsh rugby crowd singing the Welsh National Anthem.

Choose an international game with a full crowd. You will not be disappointed!

DW

Eye Op

It had to be done: a bit of retina cryozapping to try to prevent a potential detached retina later on.

It looks horrific but it only took 10 minutes and will take a just a few days to settle down.

If you are squeamish, look away now!

DW

UpGradely!

Last Friday I had to go to the Emirates office in Bangkok as i couldn't change my booking online.

As part of the process i asked if i could upgrade the Dubai to Manchester sector using my airmiles and they said business class is already full. Oh well, I thought!

When i got to the gate, i was upgraded anyway: too many people wanting to travel and i am the grateful beneficiary.

DW

Cold in Flight? Bottle it!

I went to the galley to get a glass of milk on my way from Dubai to Manchester when i saw a stewardess filling her mini water bottle with hot water. She says she uses it when the cabin is really cold!

I asked if I could snap her and she agreed!

DW

Looking up the Chao Phraya River

This photo does not do the view full justice: we weren't ready for it, we only had phone cameras with us, the boat was turning and docking so the view was constantly shifting.

It gives you an idea though! Oh! I'm not sure whether you're going to see the original AND the cropped version of the photo ...


DW

The Night Market

To get to the new night market in Bangkok one can take a trip by boat along the Chao Phraya river ... so we did!

As we arrived at the boat station we were the first to arrive and we were firmly told where to wait. Many people joined the queue.

The boat arrived and we were told to move down to it. For some reason there was a group of six or so people already down in the boarding area near the boat and as we got to them I asked one man whom I had heard speaking English if he was waiting for that boat. Immediately he moved aside and said in a very loud voice, "If you want to go in front of us go right ahead." I thought, what an uncalled for and immature response that was. I declined his offer!

Some people!

Here are some photos of the river and the big wheel at the night market.

As we docked at the night market I looked back up the river and there was the most fantastic view of the Bangkok skyline to behold. For dead battery reasons that photo is not with me just yet!

DW

Hither and Yon!

My final full day in Bangkok for this trip and we went to

Chinatown
Lumpini Park
On a boat on the Chao Phraya River to ...
The Night Market
Sushikini at Big C
The cinema to see Jack Reacher: i enjoyed this film and stayed awake throughout even though it started at 10 pm!

Some photos of the day are below.

DW

Ancient Siam ... Garden of God

The Garden of God at Ancient Siam is a magnificent garden: there's a story behind every knoll and statue. As I have said before, don't go there with a view that this is not the garden of YOUR God ... in my opinion it is!

Go and enjoy the peace and beauty you will find there; and I think that's the point.

DW

Ancient Siam ... near Bangkok

If you go to Bangkok you MUST get yourself down to Ancient Siam for at least half a day: check with the concierge at the hotel for details. It's a fantastic place, as the photos here try to show.

The photos of the seagulls at twilight and the Emirates aeroplane about to land at BKK were snapped from Bangpoo Recreation Centre where you can eat GENUINE Thai food not our TV "Chefs'" sloppy "twists" on Thai food: it's not too far from Ancient Siam.

DW

Go on, Have a Laugh ...

So you've got a Windows 7 laptop and a MacBook Pro. Imagine you're away from home but both computers are sharing a wifi network ... This is your personal, password protected network.

Imagine that you've got a photo on the Mac that you'd like to shoot over to the Windows laptop.

Funny, eh? You thought it would be a breeze didn't you? You know, both computers are switched on, they have already been linked ... nope! The MacBook cannot be found by the Windows laptop ... yes it can, no it can't ... Is that a MacBook i see before me, a dagger in its hand!??

And vice versa.

The solution? Get the USB memory stick out!

Bell enders these computr people. We need a revolutoon.

By the way, don't only blame Gates ... Bluetooth on Apple products can be impossible.

DW

Admirable Ants!

I admire ants: their evolution, their unity of purpose and their life skills.

However, I was a bit vexed when part of a colony of ants invaded an open packet of salted peanuts I had left on a bench overnight

Years of living in different parts of the world had taught me not to worry about this situation and NOT to do anything drastic. So I ate the nuts and if the odd ant was ingested, sorry for that ... no time for vegetarian obsessions!

We transferred the nuts to a bowl and put them in direct sunlight: trying to cook the little things! That didn't work but at least we were able to pick off a few of them.

This morning arrived, 24 hours later. Ant corpses littered the peanuts. Why? Osmosis ... it was the salt that got them I think.

Message to ants: go for the peanuts but NOT the salted ones ... see evidence below 😳

DW

One Likes Travelling but ...

It is clear that I enjoy moving around the planet but I even surprise myself at what I'll do/agree to.

Friday evening I was in Kuala Lumpur and suffered an eight hour delay as we waited for the plane to take off. Then about 14 flying hours later I arrived at Manchester and got home around 1:30 pm on Saturday

Bed and sleep around 7 pm and woke up at 1:00 am 😖

Chat chat this morning and then, about 9 am, a request ... could I go to Bangkok? Today? Please?

I looked into it and found no flights, no flights, no flights ... three airlines, including Emirates.

I then gave Emirates a call and within 15 minutes or so I was calling the taxi company to arrange my transport to Manchester airport for a 1:30 pm take off.

I am currently in transit in Dubai ... madness or what?

DW

Happy New Year

Of course, i have no artistic ability at all so just admire the spirit and the science behind this video!!

DW

How did that Happen? Bieber on my Phone

I saw a Justin Bieber song in my playlist. I was surprised to see it there but I played it ... for 30 seconds. That was more than enough.

Playing the Welsh National Anthem now ... recorded before a Rugby match in Wales. That HAD to be one of life's mist significant sounds.

I followed the WNA with Calon Lan, also in Welsh. It appeals to me for some reason.
DW

Emirates Falling Apart

Almost every time i fly with Emirates at the moment there is a problem. I've been delayed a bit, delayed a lot, been offloaded and been diverted ... all in the space of three months.

It seems to be a symptom of growing too quickly and if they are not careful they will overstretch themselves so much that even people like me will desert them and that would be a pity.

So here i am on a bus waiting to go to a hotel because my Emirates flight has been delayed by about eight hours.

I don't like going backwards and watch this space!

DW

Homeward Bound

After the very best part of two months on the road i am starting my journey home.

I am in a taxi heading for the airport: we are about one quarter of the way there. 45 minutes to go!

It's been a very rewarding trip that has taken in

Riyadh
Dublin
Halifax
Dubai
Doha
London
Geneva
Kuala Lumpur
Bangkok
Sang Kha (Isan Province)
Bangkok
Kuala Lumpur

A lot of hard work and travelling. A lot of interesting people and experiences too. Near the start of the trip I celebrated my birthday!

DW

Royal Beetle

Final report from Thailand for now.

On my last night there we went for a walk around the outside of the Siam Paragon centre and suddenly the security guards and police just in front of us got agitated and started shouting orders. People moved out of the way and then we came to a halt.

Then a small convoy of vehicles approached and then passed us. As a car with the Thai Royal crest on the door passed us my companion bowed her head.

Good to see that they manage Royal convoys with respect there although i have no idea which member of the family passed us by.

Here's an interesting thing though, the car carrying the family member was a modern VW Beetle! That's interesting because i had veen spotting old and new Beetles around Thailand throughout my two week trip!

UPDATE This is a bit spooky ... as the taxi arrived at the airport, there was an old style VW Beetle parked there!!


DW

Xmas Dinner

Just had my Xmas dinner. It was good and this year there were potatoes!!

And mince pies ... see below.

DW

Christmas Eve 2012: some snaps

I finished my work early this evening and then went in search of food and the perfect photo. I found the food!

Then again, I was very pleased with a couple of photos and content with others ...

So, merry Christmas everyone!

DW