The last week or so has seen a number of blog posts written about being away from home for the holidays. In fact I recently saw the movie ‘Four Christmases’, about a couple that takes off every year to a new exotic locale for the holidays because they don’t want to be around their dysfunctional relatives.

I take the tack that being away one year or even multiple years is great.

Because you come back and appreciate your family and friends when you get back.

Take me for example. This time last year, I was on the other side of the planet…

Tokyo for Election Night 2008

On a plane to Hong Kong on Thanksgiving

In Macau for my birthday

Ethiopia for Christmas

London for New Year’s and

Paris for the Obama inauguration

Were there times I got lonely on the trip? I can’t say I did. I was too engrossed with the trip and experiencing everything that I didn’t notice that I wasn’t with my relatives. But I still had ways to be connected with others on these special days.

I remember heading to the phone shacks of Addis Ababa to call my parents on Christmas.

I was with my aunt, uncle and cousins in London. In Paris I connected with ex-pats watching the inauguration. Same during Election Night ’08 in Tokyo. Spending huge bucks in Macau was fun when I had cool people to hang out with. So you find a way to enjoy yourself, just like you would/should ANY OTHER DAY when traveling.

Being home this year, I take more joy in being with my family since I wasn’t with them last year. Mom’s sweet potato pie tastes better. Watching football on Thanksgiving – priceless. You remember what you had before and glad to be home to experience it again.

Best Gift You Can Give – Is To Not Be There?!?! is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

Remember I said there were so many stories I didn’t have time to tell. Well, for those of you going through withdrawal, frantically hitting REFRESH in your web browser, these are some more tales from the road…

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Looking through the ruins of Angkor Wat, I met Australian Bradley and his girlfriend Catherine (Cat). Bradley and I hit it off and he shared with me a secret: He was going to propose to Cat in the ruins of Angkor Wat. This is him giving her the ring. He didn’t get down on one knee, which would have made the shot perfect, but I think Cat was so surprised she didn’t even notice. Somehow, I’m trying to get to Australia for that wedding…

That is a tree growing within the ruins of Angkor Wat behind Cat and Bradley. I’ll find some more shots of that.
Siem Reap, Cambodia

Notice anything about these two shots? Yes, there are YOUNG children riding on these bikes, with no helmets. In fact no one seems to wear a helmet in Southeast Asia. Most people can’t afford cars and gas is relatively expensive, so everyone rides a scooter or motorbike. And a whole family gets on the family motorbike. Dad in front then children, INCLUDING toddlers, wedged between Mom in the back. Crazy to me as a Westerner with all the motor vehicle laws we have. But when you’re used to doing something since you were born, it becomes second nature.

This child in red cannot be more than a year old!

The Venetian, Macau, China

I talked about being an Instant Celebrity in Macau. But you see the woman in the picture below? I’m not sure who she thought I was, but when I had my arm around her to take pictures, she was SHAKING! I tried to pat her to calm her down and say it’s OK, but she probably didn’t understand me.

Or maybe she just felt the power! Yeah baby!

Ao Nang, Thailand

The main reason for me to go to Thailand was to see some muy thai fighting, live and in person. What I did not know was that they start these fighters early. These two look like they can’t be any older than seven. Muy Thai is Thailand’s national sport and a source of pride for the entire country. This is no different than American kids getting involved in Pee Wee football or Little League at young ages. Except that these 7 year olds are trying to knock each others heads off!


Bangkok, Thailand

I don’t eat at McDonald’s much…since I care about my health! But when I was overseas I always stopped into McDonald’s to see what was on the menu. Just like McDonald’s in Hawaii had SPAM with rice, the menu conforms with the local appetites and customs of the local country.

McDonald’s in Bangkok had a shrimp patty on the menu. It wasn’t bad actually, but you could tell it was cooked in the same oil used to make the fries. Hey, why let all that grease go to waste?
Also all the Thai McDonald’s had Ronald McDonald in the traditional Thai greeting – a slight bow with hands pressed together. I’m lovin’ it!

Going Thru Withdrawal? Get Your Fix Right Now!! is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

So I’m standing over one of the Venetian’s canals in Macau, trying to read a map of the place, MINDING MY OWN BUSINESS, when I feel a tap on my shoulder.

I see an Asian man pointing at his camera. A large group is around him, staring at me.

I assume I’m in the way of his shot so I start to move.

No, he points at his camera.

Oh, you want me to take the group’s picture? I start to reach for the camera…

No No! He wants to take a picture with me….

WHA?!?!?!

Yes, that is how I became an instant celebrity Sunday at the Venetian in Macau. For a solid 5 minutes, I posed with a group of Asian tourists. I could not ask them where they were from, because they did not speak ANY English.

But the only word I can use to describe them was “giddy”.

Like they found a white unicorn….

I had flashbacks to Cambodia. Surreal is how I would describe the whole scene. I know people passing by must have been like,

“Who is this guy?”
“I thought Kobe Bryant would be taller.”

The whole mob scene made my day.

Someone could not keep their hand steady, but you get the point. A picture of someone taking a picture of me.

Open your eyes honey, you’re on the Internet!

When I tried to explain I was from the US, they didn’t seem to understand that either. They were just excited to see me.

I’ve heard of this phenomenon from other travelers I’ve met, black, white and otherwise. They will be someplace remote and the locals will come up to them and ask for a picture…of them or with them. I would not exactly call Macau “remote” though. It’s trippy but exciting.

They thanked me profusely and shook my hand when they were done and then they disappeared into the crowd at the Venetian. Maybe I’ll run into their pictures on one of their blogs someday.

Instant Celebrity is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

What you ask?

The Venetian in Macau is the world’s largest casino and the world’s third largest building – period.

I paid about $642US for two nights at the Venetian, taxes and fees included. To put that in perspective I could have

Stayed 20 days in Tokyo, Japan at $31US per night

Stayed 25 days in Hilo, Hawaii at $25US per night

Stayed 91 days in Siem Reap, Cambodia at $7US per night

Stayed 148 days in Krabi, Thailand at $4.31US per night

So what does $642 get you? Glad you asked…

I did not get a hotel room. I got a suite. In fact everyone gets a suite. There are 3000 suites at the Venetian.

The bathroom could fit 10 people in it. Not like you would want to fit 10 people in a bathroom, but I’m just saying…if you had to…

Clear glass shower

Sunken living room

That’s the suite. The resort has over 300 stores and the compliment of casino floor games, slot machines and numerous restaurants. It also have multiple canals, hence the name the Venetian. So people can take gondola rides INSIDE the mall, like they are in Venice, Italy.

I would not be surprised if there is a show on the Discovery or Travel Channel about this place. It is that impressive.

It made for a great and memorable birthday weekend. Glad I came. Money well spent and money I had because I have been living small since I started the trip.

You really appreciate a place like the Venetian when you’ve been sharing rooms for the past 6 weeks. Makes for a nice change…but now back to the budget lifestyle!

It’s Really Big… is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

Saturday afternoon I left Hong Kong by ferry to go to Macau for the weekend. With me is Annie, who is celebrating her birthday on Sunday, and her friends. We all were introduced by Debbie, my fellow Cornell alum, who has seemingly sucked me into the Hong Kong ex-pat scene.

Annie had the day all planned so we had a few hours to kill before dinner. We went to the Macau Fisherman’s Wharf, which has a small amusement park and many restaurants. We had a late lunch and then hit the bumper cars.

Annie picked dinner at Cecconi’s Italian, inside the Venetian. Excellent dinner and excellent company. Here we are letting the food settle after chowing down.

The group proceeded to split up and go clubbing, gambling or any combination thereof. Great night and great weekend overall.

More on the crazy, city within a city place that is the Venetian Resort and Casino Macau next time….

Happy Birthday in Macau is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

If you had asked me a year ago where I would be on my birthday today, I would hedge and say, “Anywhere but New York.”

But Hong Kong?

Life is strange isn’t it…

Since the king cannot live like a pauper all the time and I’ve been ahead of pace on my budget, I’m going to splurge this weekend and head to Macau and stay at the Venetian. Expensive? Yup. But I’m worth it…

Macau was a former Portuguese colony taken back by the Chinese a few years ago, much like Hong Kong was handed back from the British. The best way to describe it would be to call it a Mini-Me Las Vegas. It does have some cultural attractions, but the main draw for anyone going there are the casinos. They also have Cirque De Soleil and other shows and events. I never saw Cirque De Soleil when I went to Vegas so I definintely want to check it out if I get the chance.

So I take a ferry tomorrow from Hong Kong Harbor for a 45 minute ride. One of Debbie’s friends I met has her birthday tomorrow and she’s making the trip to Macau with a bunch of her friends. So I’ll try to hookup with her group and make it a birthday blast weekend.

As for my next destination, I’m trying to go straight to South Africa from Hong Kong and bypass Bangkok. Bangkok has reopened but they have so many people trying to get out I have to suspect there will be a major backlog.

Happy Birthday to Me! is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel