As I sit here in the main lobby of the St. Andrews Hotel in Newara Eliya, I decided to reflect on my recent life and times out here in Sri Lanka. I suppose I will start with the most recent of development. I am in a very rural town called Newara Eliya which is in the heart of tea country. There are literally tea plantations for as far as the eye can see. I could take a short stroll and pick my own tea leaves. It is really quite amazing. The thing about these plantations that I didn’t expe...
On Sunday I found my way to church for the first Sunday here in Sri Lanka. The International Coordinator facilitated the outing and he also brought along another consultant from a different part of our project. She is a lovely woman who is more than willing to share her many adventures here in Sri Lanka and provide me with plenty of tips. Anyway, church was very nice. The service was in English and they had an LCD they used to facilitate the Mass. I couldn't help but think to myself that we thi...
Welcome to the Blog! So here is how the joke begins...A Sri Lankan, a Philappino, and a Norteño walk into a bar...I am not sure what the punchline is going to be yet but I am sure that I will find out in time! This was my actual life just two nights ago on Poya Day when I went with my mentor (Sri Lankan) and the international coordinator of the company who hired me (Philappino) to the Cinnamon Grand in Colombo. This was my first time in the city and boy was it a sight to see. ...
Person Overboard! Sailing Rescue Techniques Most one man-overboard drills usually consist of throwing over a cushion and returningto pick it up by the strap. A good sized fireplace log is a better way to do the practice because it is much more awkward to get aboard. There are four important steps to retrieving a person who has gone overboard. The first is to return withoutdelay to a position near the victim. The second is to maneu...
pada 4 september 2007 yang lalu, saya telah ke Melaka bersama-sama rakan sekursus di department saya kat PJB untuk menjalankan satu soal selidik mengenai persepsi pelancong ke atas Bandaraya Melaka. Feedbacknya,memang umph... rata-rata pelancong yang group saya interview tu semua friendly betul. diorang kata Melaka BEST!!!!! Bangga jugalah bila mat salih puji-puji kan..Macam -macamlah yang diorang bagi komen, ada yang kata aweks kat melaka cun-cun...eheheeee....tapi bukan itu yang kami nak de...
Last Wednesday I went to Nikko. Nikko is a world heritage site north of Tokyo, famous for the tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Edo period. For a map location of Nikko and details of justification for inclusion, see here http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/913. Anyway for my review (and future reviews of World heritage Sites) I will list 5 sections, with marks given for each section and a final score. A bit of history about the place before I start - Nikko is a shrine and temple city no...
While on TDY (that's "Army business trip" to the lot of you), a Sergeant First Class I traveled with suggested that our group go out to the Flying Saucer. It's set up as a nice pub/bar, offering a wide variety of beers, pub-ish food and college age waitresses in short schoolgirl-style skirts. They have an around-the-world style checklist, but I didn't even make a dent in the list, having only six pints while I was there (it was Pint Nite, select pints at $2.50). I know I started with a...
Kamakura, about 100km (60 miles) south of Tokyo is a very unique place, having been the capital of Japan from 1185 to 1333 AD, after which the capital returned to Kyoto. These were turbulent years under the leadership of a warlord Minamoto Yoritomo. Many temples were built, including many that reflected the influencing of refugee Zen Buddhists from China - including the 13 metre tall Daibutsu - a statue of Amida Buddha, shown with my 6'5 frame in front below:
First off truly there is no place like home! period! end of sentence! the end! Home is where the heart is! Home sweet home! Now that, that is out of the way here we go. The Bellagio Hotel is magnificent, The suite we had had all the luxuries a room away from home could possibly have. The bathroom was made from marble, cold but so beautiful you soon forgot how cold the floor is. The bathtub large enough that I could submerge my entire body, no mean feat at 6 ft 2 and 235 pounds. The bed was ex...
Travel Experiences Instructions: Answer with a sentence. If you don¡¦t understand, ask: ¡§Could you please repeat that?¡¨ 1. What¡¦s the worst trip you¡¦ve ever taken in Taiwan? 2. Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seat? How come? 3. What¡¦s the best airline you¡¦ve ever been on? Give details. 4. What¡¦s the most modern city you¡¦ve ever visited? Explain. 5. What¡¦s the farthest place you ever traveled to? 6. Have you ever lost anything while on vacation? Explain. 7. Whe...
My personal situation has cleared up, I think; and I now have the time and energy to post pictures. Follow the link below for pictures from the Bahai Gardens in Haifa: http://homepage.mac.com/ajbrehm/Bahai/Bahai.html And below for pictures from Haifa from above, the university campus, and Haifa at night from above. It's totally worth it. http://homepage.mac.com/ajbrehm/Haifa/Haifa.html The missiles came in from the mountains opposite the bay, I think. Haifa is a beautiful ci...
Howdy folks, I decided to start a list of my favorite things that i have discovered in my travels. Feel free to submit your own or critique as you see fit. Here goes.... 1. BEST Cheap booze: Charlies Kitchen, Cambridge, MA. - A little divey bar just off Harvard Square. Punk rock barmaids that always have a joke, or a smartass comment! 2. BEST Steak: Le Bifteque, Toronto - 20 oz Alberta T-Bone. $18.00 USD! Cuts with a butterknife. mmmmm mmmmm! 3. BEST place to meet drunken c...
I've been to Disney World 3 times. The first time I stayed at the Contemporary Resort. The second time we stayed at Fort Wilderness Lodge. This time we opted to go with the Polynesian Resort. The resort is not a single hotel but a series of small buildings that surround a larger building that houses restraunts, shops, etc. It is well maintained and sits on the lagoon that is directly across from the Magic Kingdom. Guests can reach the Magic Kingdom by boat or...