ChrisThao's VirtualTourist Home Page

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A beautiful bluff view of the Oregon coast

It is really true that ............

distance does lend enchantment. Taking a few steps back and getting away from the daily grind can help clear one's head. It is there and then when one can see all the magic and potential in a situation previously written off earlier.

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Cool, calm day on a wilderness bluff

PERSONAL VINDICATION FOR TRAVELLING

Aside from that you only live once and it is with this notion that I intend to see the world continent by continent, country by country, city by city, etc to the very end.

Simply said travelling does the soul good. It is nice to get out there and see what it has to offer. These are refreshing and enlightening experiences when one is able to witness and dwell in other's cultures and lifestyles. I really pity those that do not have the opportunities to see the world beyond their own borders.

Whereas in history it would take months just to travel across such distances, in today's commercial age we are very fortunate and blessed to be able to travel such distances in such short time. Make the most of it, I say and enjoy the beauty that is out there. For with all the craziness in the world these days, our offsprings may never get to enjoy such magnificence bestowed upon us again.

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Outside Eugene, Oregon - Tributary of the Blue R.

NORTH AMERICA

Throughout all of my days, domestically, I've been to many US cities and states across North America and yet it seems every time every one of them is like a completely new experience to me - the sights and sounds of the U.S. How it varies from the West Coast to that of Great Plains state and onward to the eastern seaboard of the US. Great unique food along along the way too.

"God bless the U.S.A!"

Internationally, a great example would be Mexico. This is a land of great enchantment. It is where old meets new. Truly a magical land filled with very hardworking, friendly, and humble people. If you ever get the chance, get out of the tourest spots and try staying at a Mexican "ranchera." It is like being taken back in time to that of the 1800's where cowboys roam around with pistols in their holsters and ladies are respected. Life is simple and the people are ever so friendly and respectful.

"Viva Mexico!!"

Just that word alone rings mystery to me. Within the past few years, I've been fortunate to have traveled to some of these wide far reaching places. These trips have really opened my eyes, enriched me further, and have taken me to the times of my fore fathers. From the modern cities such as Hong Kong to the small "kampung" villages of Malaysia, it is such a continent of great contrasts.

Despite it all, it will always be the friendly and helpful people that I'll always remember the most at heart. Their smiles, their stories, and their perseverences I'll always carry with me.

ASIA

Indonesia - Jakarta, Bali, and Sumatra and it's Lake Toba, and realize in person of the significance of the Straits of Malacca to it's importance during the time of European colonization & influence in Asia.

Nepal - What else could I be talking about other than the roof of the World - the Himalayas here. I'm no Sir Edmund Hillary and I don't intend to get to the summit but a good 20K feet plus will be suffice to say. Simply to have climbed a great and rugged distance and to stand on what is commonly referred to as the roof of the world.

Tibet - The experience to live a monastic lifestyle at such a high attitude as I know it and feel my spirit soar into its timeless sky, somehow feeling humbler than I will ever feel. I can only imagine somehow like a part of eternity. The complexity of the Tibetan/ China relation will be explored.

OCEANIA

Australia - Ayer's Rock, the Great Barrier Reef, and then Western Australia.

New Zealand - Both islands of the "Southern Alps" including Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington. Maori culture and it's relativeness to that of Polynesia.

EUROPE

Greece - Santorini to quench my own fascination into what is possibly once the fabled land of Atlantis. Then Athens- the birth place of democracy and see how the land and Greek Myths intermingled back in the time of Homer. The Hellenistic Period revisited.

France - Roman influences upon the land and it's rich history i.e Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire.

The Iberian Peninsula - Witness the "rock" that is so strategic to the British Empire aka the "Pillars of Hercules." The land that Christophe Columbe sat sail from and Portugal, home to Henry the Navigator.

The United Kingdom - Edinburgh, Bath, and the Scottish Highlands as well as the Isle of Skye. I simply just have a deep calling for it.

Germany - The Ruhr Valley Germany's industrial might, experience the Autobahn in a Porsche, and Oktoberfest in Bavaria. How cool is that!!!

Scandinavia - Fjords gallore!

AFRICA

The mighty Victoria Falls, Ngorongoro Crater, and the ultimate safari in the Serengeti.

SOUTH AMERICA

Patagonia in Argentina/ Chile - Check out the glaciers before global warming finishes it off as well as fishing and rafting.

Amazon basin - Jungle trekking the world's largest rain forest before its too late.