tulambin's VirtualTourist Home Page

TO ALL WHO MADE IT THIS FAR THANKS AND ENJOY!

A little about me and how I got this way. Go ahead call me an addict cause travel is my drug of choice : ) I guess I caught the travel bug when I was in high school. Didn't care much for geography while in school till I saw pictures from a friends trip to Mt. Reiner in Washington, Colorado, and Arizona. Never seen such spectacular scenery and mountains so, from that moment on I took every opprotunity afforded me to visit and experience the world we live in. After graduation my best friend and I were planning on taking a road trip across America but, those plans never panned out and I ended up joining the Marines go figure. My first duty station was Iwakuni, Japan about forty kilometers south of Hiroshima. For the three years I was stationed there I ventured as far north as Tokyo and as far south as Nagasaki as well as all the little prefectures in between. Additionally, I was station three separate times in Okinawa throughtout my tour in Japan. It wasn't until the second year that I got a taste of Southeast Asia when we shipped out to Thailand near Pattaya Beach to cross train with the Thai military in 1991. Understand that Japan is a facinating & beautiful country with very warm people but, you can see and do a hell of a lot more in Southeast Asia with very little. I stayed three months that first trip then sailed back to Japan by way of Hong Kong. We stayed their five days (more on Hong Kong in my country list). After returning to Iwakuni approximately four months later I shipped out to Thailand again and stayed in the same location as the first operation with the Thai Marines. This was my final trip to Thailand. When I finally did get out of the Marines in late 1993 I worked another seven months and left on my backpacking adventure in May 94. During my eight months on the road I was fortunate enough to visit Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, & Thailand. While on this trip I gained a new perspective about travel and I can honestly say I'm a half way hardened traveler not a tourist. I didn't know what a hostel was till I visited NZ but aren't they great! In closing, keep an opened mind, get as far away from the airport as possible to really meet the locals, and never forget to appreciate the little things cause they do mean a lot.

Something to think about. During my first few weeks on the road I couldn't help but ask other folks I met about the impression they had of the countries I was about to visit. Truth is everyones impression was very different from what I gained seeing it for myself. So remember that each country I talk about is my own interpretation of my experiences. Just like seeing a movie everyone has their own opinion so go easy!!

Spent twenty three days in Fiji (can stay four mo. as visitor w/ passport)

Stayed 120 days in New Zealand (can stay for three mo. as visitor w/ passport, I got a one mo. extension)

Stayed nine days in Australia (can stay for three mo. w/ passport, I recieved a six mo. extension while in NZ)

Stayed 28 days in Indonesia (can stay for sixty days as visitor w/ passport)

Stayed six days in Singapore (can stay for 30 days as visitor w/ passport)

Stayed three days in Malaysia (can stay for three months as visitor w/ passport)

Stayed thirty four days in Thailand (can stay for sixty days as visitor w/ tourist visa) I got my Thia visa while in Singapore at the Thia embassy otherwise I believe you can only stay thirty days as a visitor w/ passport.