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.

A joyous ensemble makes music for Lord Buddha.

Angkor is truly a Wonder of the World, even if it was not listed as one of the originals.TotalAdventure spent three days exploring, though several weeks would be needed to visit all the areas that are still being explored.

Europe was in the Dark Ages when this huge city was being built.

These rivers were navigable.

Time takes over.

Lost In Time.

Angkor Wat – Main City.

Intricate Details On All Structures.

June is a great time to visit, as the winter tourist hordes have vanished, but real monsoon has not yet begun.

Eternal Path.

Eternal Guardians.

A local guide and driver accompanied us to Laos’ Far North to the Luang Namtha district

The Akha and Hmong tribes occupy much of the region. Unfortunately for outsiders, few wear tribal costumes anymore.

A Reclining Buddha.

Bulls graze by the roadside.

The cuisine is delicious.

And unusual. Here we have some fresh Bat.

And cooked Rat.

Monks and Novices cross the rice paddies.

An 80 minute flight on an Air Lao prop plane. We received our visas at the airport and it was off to sleepy Luang Prabang on the Mysterious Mekong. It’s a “city” of pagodas and wats , and a beautiful ride up the Mekong to visit the Pak Ou caves.

On a Sacred Mountaintop.

Lord Buddha Gazes Over All.

Serenity is soon to end , as China connects Laos to the outside world by high speed rail that will run from Kunming to Vientiane and onwards to Bangkok and Singapore, or westwards to London, for that matter.While the USA build walls and excludes outsiders, China is building the Belt and Road Initiative uniting countries from Southern Africa to Eastern Asia and all points in between.

The Gateway To Pak Ou.

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.

Brandenburger Tor, always a welcome sight after coming from the East.

The Reichstag, Power Center of Europe.

Wiener Schnitzel,  a delicacy we enjoyed almost every night in Germany. Lunch too.

NO speed limit on  the Autobahn except in city areas. German drivers are the best in the world and have earned the privilege.

The Altstadt of Nuremberg has been restored.. It took nearly 30 years after merciless Allied bombing that took place in 1944 and 1945.

In A Lutheran Church that had once been Catholic.

We walked out to Zeppelin Field. At first, an airstation for Blimps, it was utilized for Nazi Party rallies from 1933 to 1938.

From 1945 to 2005 the complex was occupied by the US Army as parade grounds. Here, in 1945, US Forces blow up a giant swastika.

Thankfully, Nuremberg  now a city at Peace.

Central Europe Panoramic – Austria, Czech Republic,Poland And Hungary.

After a 4 hour train ride from Vienna, TotalAdventure arrived in Prague – for the first time since 1990, just  after Liberation. Although tourists congregate heavily in the Old City and the population is much wealthier – the medieval buildings have stayed much the same.

Over the Stari Grad – Old City.

Habsburgian Architecture.

Hradcany Castle

Hradcany by Night.

On The Metro, about 60 cents US.

A Musical City.

Baroque.

Evening Storks.

U Modre Kachnicky is one of the best game restaurants in the world outside of Iceland. Here is smoked duck.

Wild Boar at U Modre Kachnicky.

About 80 km East of Prague is the village of Kutna Hora. During the Black Death of the 1300s there were piles of bodies deposited at the Cemetery Church,with almost no one to bury them.

Archeologists uncovering skeletons outside the church.

Years later , with so many bones lying about, a local priest came up with a creative way to adorn the church.

Neatly stacked femur and shin bones, with smiling skulls in the middle.

Spirit of Christ.

Holy Insignia.

Death Not In Vain.

Rich and Poor, All Alike In The End.

Less Bleached.

Felled By The Plague 800 Years Ago.

After many hours and 4 trains changes from Kutna Hora, we finally arrived in Krakow about 10 PM , in time for an outdoor dinner behind the Cathedral, where Pope Joh Paul II was Cardinal before 1978.

In the Staro Grad. Word of warning – don’t change money at the tourist change houses – you will get 25% less than you do in a bank !

Hearty cuisine – a bit heavy in the summer weather.

The Pope as Priest – 1960s.

The sun rises at 5AM in June.

On To Budapest.