Cool Blue Running

Madrid, a perfect first day destination to get acquainted with the rich history and culture of Spain- the Spanish Inquisition, Civil War, Queen Isabel, the origin of tapas, the greatest football rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona and the unpublish duel between Antonio Luna and Jose Rizal over a women and to brush up basic command of Spanish language before heading to other remarkable places: Segovia to the North, Toledo, Granada, Marbella, Nejar, Ronda and Sevilla to the South and to the East is Barcelona. Marbella, a place situated in the southern part of Spain and where city dwellers flock to unwind and break the monotony of life, charging and reconnecting every neurons  of the brain circuitry with the soothing sound of the ocean wave along a stretch of fine grain sand beach where tourist bare it all to mother nature which in turn radiate all contours and curves of the human body into perfection. Oolala. Nearby, are stalls of café and bar restaurants servin...

In the Andes, the weather can changed abruptly without any warning. As flight TACA 009 about to land, a sudden outburst of dark cloud blanketed the valley of Cusco, the mecca of backpackers to the Inca temples and deep jungle, causing flight TACA to divert back to Lima International Airport where travelers from various part of the world waited anxiously from the tarmac for a second chance to takeoff. As darkness set in, that second chance vanished into thin air sending passengers in disappointment and backpackers scrambling for space,  marking their territory with their belongings in Lima International Airport. It was a long night. The next day, we boarded the first flight out of Lima to Cusco. It was sardine packed, mostly passengers from previous cancelled flights. On standby once again at the tarmac, waiting for weather condition report out from Cusco Airport, passengers waited tensely for takeoff. Ultimately, flight TACA 007 was once again cancelled, sending passenge...

After a delightful experience in Bali, we flew to Sorong regional airport and meetup with other six divers.  From the airport, a relation guest from Sorido Bay Diving Resort sorted our luggages into a taxi that took us to a dock where we boarded an eight passenger boat for about an hour ride to Kri Island. What followed were seven days of world class scuba diving, two in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. Logistics From Bali it is not possible to get to Sorong in one day on Sunday, an overnight stay on Saturday in Makassar is required. There are two flights from Denpasar to Makassar Saturday, Denpasar to Ujung Pandang (Makassar), Lion Air, ETD 18.50pm: ETA 20.05pm @ € 75.00 p/p Saturday, Denpasar to Ujung Pandang (Makassar), Garuda Air, ETD 08.55am: ETA 10.10am @ € 85.00 p/p There are three flights from Makasar to Sorong Sunday, Ujung Pandang to Sorong, Batavia Air Air, ETD 04.00am: ETA 07.00am @ € 125.00 p/p Sunday, Ujung Pandang to Sor...

This was the first year which I got to spend Christmas away from my big family.  After  a long flight from San Francisco(via Taipei), flight EVA Air landed in Bali International Airport. Upon clearing immigration, Michelle and I boarded a taxi airport to Novotel Hotel in Benoa, a place known for its long strip of sandy beach, affordable fresh seafood and water activities for all ages and comfort levels including parasailing and scuba diving. At the hotel, staff hurriedly came to our aid, helping us with our luggage and scuba gears and greeting us with fresh tropical drinks and fruits- quenching our thirst from the rising barometer as we checked in to our humble abode for the next four days. Later that day, after getting some needed rest and with our internal clock out of sync, we took a stroll around the neighboring streets and alleys where we found lines of endless food vendors perfuming the air with the delicious aroma of tantalizing delicacies, snack carts and fruit ...

Schedule Day 1, Sat Nov 18 Join Pattaya Tour Day 2, Sun Nov 19 Join Pattaya Tour Day 3, Mon Nov 20 Join Bangkok Tour Day 5, Tue Nov 21 Join Bangkok Tour Day 6, Wed Nov 22   Stay in Chiang Mai Amora Tapae, through resorthotel.net for   $45 (1700 Baht) Day 7, Thu Nov 23 Stay in Chiang Mai Day 8, Fri Nov 24 Stay in Chiang Mai Day 9, Sat Nov 25 Bangkok Avana Hotel, through resorthotel.net $30 ( 1090 Baht) Day 10, Sun Nov 26 Railay Sand and Sea, through asiarooms.com for  $49  a night Day 11, Mon Nov 27 Railay Sand and Sea   Day 12, Tue Nov 28 Railay Sand and Sea Day 13, Wed Nov 29 Railay Sand and Sea Day 14, Thu Nov 30 Railay Sand and Sea Day 15, Fri Dec 01 Bangkok Ambasador through resorthotel.net for $41 Day 16, Sat Dec 02 Bangkok Ambasador through resorthotel.net for $41 Flights 11/22/2006 10:00 a.m. Bangkok (BKK) to Chiang Mai,  through...