" Set your goal, ignite your fire, fight for it & never stop until you have achieved it "
" Discover the LIFE you were born to live and ignite it with passion "
" One way to get the most out of LIFE is to look upon it as an adventure "
At age 56 - My 1st backpacking trip (16 days) to North West China after my retirement in May 2006 - a big learning curve & driven by a strong passion in travelling. Visited Xian, Dun Huang, Turpan, Urumqi & Kanas Lake.
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| Visited Xian, Dun Huang, Turpan, Urumqi & Kanas Lake (2006) |
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| My 1st backpacking trip to Xian & Xinjiang, China (2006) |
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| Bingmayong - Terra Cotta Warriors Museum, Xian, China (2006) |
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| Jiahhoe Ruins, Turpan, China (2006) |
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| Urumqi, Xinjiang, China (2006) |
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| Kanas Nature Reserve, Xinjiang, China (2006) |
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| Mogao Grottes, Dun Huang, China (2006) |
At age 57 - My 1st backpacking trip (24 days) with overseas Hospitality Club members to Northern India - major challenges ie food hygiene, poor public transport system, high altitude sickness etc. But full of excitement & adventurous. Visited New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Kashmir, Leh / Ladakh, Manali, McLeod Ganj & Shimla.
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| Visited New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Kashmir, Leh, Ladakh, Shimla |
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| Participants from the overseas Hospitality Club members |
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| Dal Lake, Srinagar, Kashmir (2007) |
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| Sonamarg, Kashmir (2007) |
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| Pangong Tso Lake, bordering Tibet/Ladakh (2007) |
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| Snow capped mountain in Leh / Ladakh (2007) |
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| The town of Leh (2007) |
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| Manali Town, Northern India (2007) |
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| Macleod Ganj, Northern India (2007) |
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| Shimla, Northern India (2007) |
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| Jaipur, Rajasthan, India (2007) |
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| Agra Fort, Uttar Pradesh, India (2007) |
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| Taj Mahal, Agra, India (2007) |
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| Humayum's Tomb, New Delhi, India (2007) |
At age 58 - My first free & easy visit (14 days) with overseas Hospitality & Wish Club members to Japan in 2008 - networking and group travel with members from overseas & Japan, cost sharing of a mini bus service provided by the founder of the Wish Club of Japan, easy going & relaxing.
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| Visited Tokyo, Shizuoka, Kyoto, Nara & Yokohama |
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| Participants from Hospitality & Wish Club members |
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| 14 day Japan visit with members of Wish Club, Japan (2010) |
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At age 58 - My first backpacking trip (37 days) to West Asia covering 4 bordering countries of Jordan, Syria, Turkey & Egypt in 2008 - harsh climatic conditions, language issues, long & tedious ferry crossing between Jordan & Egyptian ports & bureaucratic immigration check points etc. You need to be tough & hardy to face the day to day challenges. Best described as "when the going is tough, the tough gets going".
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| Map of West Asia |
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| The Pyramid, Cairo - Egypt 2008 |
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| Petra, Jordan (2008) |
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| Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey (2008) |
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| Palmyra, Syria (2008) |
At Age 59 - My 1st free & easy visit to Europe in 2009 ( 11 countries). In subsequent years, 2010-2012 & 2014, I made another 4 visits to Europe and to date, I had visited a total of 43 countries in Europe. But I have yet to visit Armenia, Azerbajian, Belarus, Cyprus, Georgia, Iceland, Serbia & Ukraine - still in my dreams !
Why Europe ? Diversity, cultural differences, archaeological sites, old towns, scenic coastlines, beautiful beaches, ancient history, efficient public transport infrastructure and in addition, the various iconic sites ie Eiffel tower (Paris), Big Ben (London), Coliseum (Rome), Acropolis (Athens), Venice (Italy), Dubrovnik (Croatia), La Sagrada Familia (Bacelona) , Cappadocia (Turkey), The Giant Causeway (North Ireland ) ..... able to visit all these iconic sites is everybody's dreams ! So start making goals, dream big & live with passion .... LIFE is short. If there was ever a moment to follow up your passion, do something that matters to you, make it happens !
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| My 5 visits to 43 European countries from 2009-2012 & 2014 |
The 43 countries in Europe I visited :
1) Albania (Tirana)
2) Andorra (La Vella)
3) Austria (Vienna, Salzburg)
4) Belgium (Brussels)
5) Bosnia & Hercegovina (Sarajevo)
6) Bulgaria (Sofia)
7) Croatia (Zagreb, Dubrovnik)
8) Czech Republic (Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Cesky Bedejovice)
9) Denmark (Copenhagen)
10) England (London, Stonehenge)
11) Estonia (Tallinn)
12) Finland (Helsinki, Turku)
13) France (Paris, Versailles, Nice, Cannes)
14) Germany (Berlin & Munich)
15) Gibraltar
16) Greece (Athens)
17) Hungary (Budapest)
18) Kosovo
19) Italy (Rome, Venice, Pisa, Florence, Rimini, Ancona)
20) Ireland (Dublin)
21) Liechtenstein (Vaduz)
22) Lithuania (Vilnius)
23) Luxemburg
24) Macedonia (Skopje)
25) Moldova (Chisinau)
26) Monaco (Monte Carlo)
27) Montenegro (Podgorica)
28) Netherland (Amsterdam)
29) North Ireland (Belfast, The Giant Causeway)
30) Norway (Oslo, Flam, Myrdal, Bergen)
31) Poland (Warsaw, Auschwitz, Krakow)
32) Portugal (Lisbon)
33) Romania (Bucharest)
34) San Marino
35) Scotland (Edinburgh)
36) Slovakia (Bratislava)
37) Slovenia (Ljubljana)
38)Spain (Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Barcelona, Granada, Cordoba, Algeciras)
39) Sweden (Stockholm)
40) Switzerland (Geneva, Bern, Lausanne, Lucerne, Interlaken, Zurich)
41)Turkey (Istanbul, Canakkale, Selcuk, Pamukkale, Goreme, Bodrum )
42) Vatican City
43) Wales (Cardiff)
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| Big Ben, London , England (2009) |
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| Da Sagrada Familia, Bacelona, Spain (2012) |
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| The Giant Causeway, North Ireland (2014) |
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| Venice, Italy (2011) |
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| Eiffel Tower, Paris, France (2012) |
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| Dubrovnik, Croatia (2014) |
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| Acropolis, Athens, Greece (2010) |
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| Cappadocia, Turkey (2008) |
At Age 59, my 1st free & easy visit to Russia
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| Visited St Petersburg, Moscow, Irkutsk & Lake Baikal (2009) |
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| St Petersburg, Russia (2009) |
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| Moscow, Russia (2009) |
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| Lake Baikal, Russia (2009) |
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| Irkutsk, Russia (2009) |
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