TotalAdventure Presents “Long Lost Laos” A Video Narrative Of Last Summer’s Voyage.

The TotalAdventure Team flew Qatar Airways from Miami to Saigon (HCM) Vietnam .On the way we had an 8 hour layover in Doha. On the way back we stopped over for two days. The above video is a compilation of the two visits.

Qatar is the wealthiest nation in the world, per capita. But tradition prevails in the desert lands outside of Doha.

It’s a 13 hour flight from Miami. 15 hours going back.

Right off the plane from Bangkok , we went riding the high sand dunes south of Doha. You can experience the adventure in the video above.

We went right dawn to the waterway that separates Qatar from Saudi Arabia, other than the narrow land bridge. The border between the two US Allies is currently closed. That’s a Saudi Army post about 3 km in the distance.

Back in the city , we went to Souk Al Waqif.

A delicious lunch of Sheep’s Head.

And Foul – a delicious Fava Bean stew.

Modest, yet colorful fashions.

Saffron and other exotic, expensive spices for sale.

The Architecture is Amazing.

Qatar Grand Mosque .

Al Zubara Fort.

It’s hot outside in July. That’s 117 F !

TotalAdventure would like to Thank Mr.Ahmed Nasser Al Rayes , Chairman of the Al Rayes Group for making our excursion in Qatar so flawless, exploring the majority of the country in a very short time. The Al Rayes Group owns 83 companies ,and is a leader in tourism investment.

While Hue remains a warlike image in the minds of many Americans, due to the 1968 Tet offensive, it is a city at peace .

Sampans glide the river.

Evil spirits are kept at bay.

Street Food is incredible !

The Pagoda.

Water Buffalo on their way home for the evening. 

Making honey at the Pagoda.

Dinner by the Pearl River.

Like everywhere else in Vietnam , Da Nang has changed immensely since TotalAdventure’s first trip in 1993. 50 story buildings, many of them luxury hotels, dot the skyline in a city known as a large US Army base in a major combat zone, especially  in the late 60s.

We climbed to the top of the Marble Mountains ,where we took in the view of China Beach , an R&R spot for the US Troops, and the South China Sea.

While the Marble Mountains were surrounded by US Troops, the caves within them were major operating bases for the Viet Cong. This large cave was a hospital for the wounded. The Americans could not penetrate. Instead, they bombed the mountain from above, finally opening these holes after months of round the clock raids. By that time it had been vacated. The cave is now a Holy Shrine.

Da Nang restaurants have excellent seafood. This is apparently stonefish, which if stepped on means immediate death or loss of a leg.

On Sunday, June 10th, 12 hours ahead of US East coast time TotalAdventure explored the streets of Saigon. Above, is my langoustine lunch fighting, before being grilled.

Historical Museum.

US Army bulldozers, War Crimes Museum.

Utilized Often By France.

At Jade Emperor Temple.

Peaceful and Holy.

Mother and Baby.

This is a very quick post as TotalAdventure has been on the road for two days, spending last night in a mountain refuge with not much sleep. On the road at 6AM tomorrow,

A 21,000 foot mountain. Name to be updated later. We went as high as 17,200.

Mate de coca is legal everywhere in the Andean Republics and is used to treat altitude sickness.

La Paz from 14,000 feet.

Lake Titicaca Duck.

Shaman Graveyard,

Hauri.

Solar Uyuni Sunset,

After A Six Hour Flight From Miami, Our Flight Landed At El Alto – The World’s Highest Airport – 13,850 Feet – Four Kilometers Above Sea Level.

The Surrounding Andes Are Even Higher – Up To 21,000 Feet – 6000 Meters.

We Drove Down Into La Paz To Refresh.

And Then Got On The Road To Lake Titicaca.

At 12,000 Feet It Is The World’s Highest Inland Navigable Body Of Water. Lake Tahoe Is Tiny In Comparison.

A Reed Boat – In Use By The Incas For Hundreds Of Years. Aymara, Is The Language Here, Not Spanish.

Sunset Over Lake Titicaca. Peru Is In The Distance. Bolivia Is An Amazingly Different World,So Close To Miami.

Exclusive Annapurna Panorama Trek

(Kathmandu/Pokhara/Annapurna panorama 10 Days Trek and Tour)

HOTEL:
Package price includes stay in standard three star hotel one room with twin beds adjustable for two people. We also provide breakfast, lunch and candle light dinner. Package price do not include personal expenses for beverage, tips, cloths laundry in the Hotel

VEHICLES:
Package includes vehicle facility according to need of people visiting. We can arrange car, jeep, costar and bus for the travelling. All vehicles are luxury to travel with AC .

APPLICABLE FEES: Our package includes all applicable fees during seven days sight-seeing. That includes entry fee to visit Historical world heritage site, sunrise view, mountain flight, religious places visit, and educational zone visit.

PERSONAL GUIDE: An experienced package guide will be keep in touch with you once you check-in to the Kathmandu International Airport and until you check-out. Your personal guide will be available without any additional charge that excludes personal tips. They will be with you in your every new experience sharing their lots of collective information related to the complete sight-seeing package.

Sight-seeing package description:-

Day 01: arrival to Kathmandu and Check in to Hotel Mirage Lords Inn.

Kathmandu – On arrival, meet our representative at the Kathmandu International Airport & transfer to hotel. Check-in at the hotel. O/N stay in Hotel Mirage Lords Inn. Evening Candlelight Dinner with Live Music.

Day 02: Kathmandu City Tour.

Kathmandu sightseeing. After breakfast, meet at the hotel lobby for your city sightseeing in Kathmandu S/S Pashupatinath, Boudhnath, Swoyambhunath & Kathmandu Durbar square. O/N stay in Mirage Lords Inn.

Day 03: Fly to Pokhara.

After breakfast Kathmandu Domestics Airport fly to Paradise Pokhara and Transfer to Lake site Hotel Kailash Resort and evening dinner with Live Nepali Culture Music memorable One.

Day 04: Start Panorama Trekking.

After Breakfast Drive to New Bridge and Trek to Birethati Via Tikhedhunga and Uleri 1000 Step Hill and Overnight Ghorepani Beautiful Village.

Day 05: Early morning climb to Poonhill Panoramic Sunrise view Tower and back to same hotel and make breakfast and Trek to Ghandruk Eco Tourism Village overnight Mountain Lodge.

Day 06: Morning Annapurna Panoramic view and breakfast and trek down to Landruk village and overnight Tolka Beautiful Village.

Day 7.After Breakfast to Climb to Pothana village panoramic view Dhampus and drive back to Pokhara same Hotel evening Dinner Lake site and Overnight.

Day 8: After Breakfast make Pokhara sightseeing Lake Booting and David falls, Mountain Museum and Bindabasini Hindus Temple and Tibetan Refuse camp and Overnight same Hotel.

Day 9: After Breakfast departure to Pokhara Airport and fly to Kathmandu and Transfer to same Hotel Mirage Lords Inn and Farwell Dinner.

Day 10: Visit Touristic Area Thamel visit and departure to Kathmandu International Airport see you again next Destination.

Special Trekking Cost Per Person: US$ 1599/-.

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TotalAdventure finally had some time to relax after a whirlwind journey. We stayed int eh luxurious resort town of Bodrum, on the Aegean Sea Our gracious host was Nezih Çavuşoğlu,the well known Turkish artist we met in Istanbul in 2012. Read the November,2012 article here.    You can review , and perhaps  buy his paintings here on Artsy.

Balcony at the house of the Artist.

Crystal clear Aegean waters. The atmosphere was peaceful in the days after the attack at Ataturk, hundreds of kilometers to the north.

A newly constructed Mosque.

The peaceful Mosque interior.

Bodrum by night.

Delicious fresh seafood every night.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To God’s holy people in Ephesus,^[a] the faithful in Christ Jesus:

² Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. “

On the final day of June, TotalAdventure toured Ephesus , about 2 hours north of Bodrum. Ephesus began as a Greek city around 1000 BC and was later annexed by Rome. In Biblical times,early AD , the Apostles John and Paul lived there and the Virgin Mary perhaps spent her final days there.

The House of The Virgin Mary.

Same alphabet used today, but only in Greece.

Bath Near Virgin Mary House.

The larger of two amphitheaters. Ephesus is normally very crowded in the summer, but due to events in Istanbul there were very few tourists. In many areas we were by ourselves, along with a  few stray cats. Cruise ships had cancelled landings in the nearby port – their loss,our gain.