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| 646.pintadosPintados Festival, Tacloban City, Leyte, Philippines | |
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 | 647.Luang Prabang, LaosA week before we were to fly to Thailand, we saw an episode of "Lonely Planet" on PBS that featured the Laotian town of Luang Prabang. There was something about this town that cried out, "It's now or never." We knew we had to get there.
We somehow squeezed in a three day visit to this - then - sleepy town. Yes, the heat was oppressive. Yes, clouds - not sun - prevailed. Nevertheless, the charms of this town clearly shone through: French colonial buildings (in various states of renovation and disrepair), Buddhist temples trimmed to the hilt in dazzling gold gilt and the gloriously muddy Mekong River silently slipping by - almost unnoticed - along the western fringe of town.
Recent articles have trumpeted the new development in this town: big hotels, a new airport and a fresh influx of foreign tourists. Thankfully we missed all that. To us, it remains a lazy riverfront village where the evening banana pancake vendor ("Banana pancake, banana pancake!") still pushes his cart along the dirt main street at the close of another typical simmering southeast Asian day. | |
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 | 652.PanamaYes, Panama is more than the Panama Canal. But as one of the wonders of the modern world, the Canal should compel all travelers to journey to this tourist-friendly country.
Snorkling lovers will find it hard to leave the waters of Bocas del Toro. Nature lovers will savor the tropical richness of the mountainous Boquete area.
We just sampled some of what this country has to offer - inviting island hangouts, coffee-treed mountains and a surprisingly large indigenous population that are still living and working in traditional ways. | |
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 | 653.STIRLING CASTLEThis was our second time visiting Stirling Castle. We also visited the castle last year. However, since our daughter was with us this year we revisited areas of the castle we had seen last year.
This year the castle had a new exhibition. This exhibition was dedicated to the Stewart monarchy. The Stewart King James the V, Mary Queen of Scots' father, built Stirling Castle for his new wife. Below you will find photos of this exhibition and several new photos of the castle that we had not taken last year. This castle is among our favorites. Yes, we like it MUCH better than Edinburgh Castle too.
>>> Do visit our 2003 Castle Stirling Castle photos.
We have 70 photos there on display of the castle.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Stirling Castle.
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 | 654.Scotland 2001My fourth visit to Scotland, this time for a month. Stayed with friends in Fife, Inverness and travelled to Applecross and Ullapool on the West Coast, the Orkney Islands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Falkland, and up and down the Eastern Coast. | |
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 | 656.STIRLING CASTLE
This castle is MUCH BETTER we feel then EDINBURGH CASTLE. Edinburgh Castle is the castle everyone wants to see and they often miss this famous castle to do that. IF you MISS A CASTLE, miss Edinburgh and see this one INSTEAD!!!!!! Stirling castle is a WONDERFUL castle but it can also get crowded like Edinburgh since it is gaining in popularity.
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| 657.Beaufort, SC, and Savannah, GAWe spent Thanksgiving docked at Beaufort, South Carolina. I walked the streets in the afternoon and afterwards we went on a carriage ride through this sleepy southern town. | |
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