longsanborn's VirtualTourist Home Page
| Page Views: 6,864 | IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL! by longsanborn - last update: Jul 2, 2009 |
What's next for me? | Discoveries Monument in Lisbon, Portugal |
Hello Visitors to my VT Page,
I have not been active on VT for some months now due to my work and personal life being too busy. In addition, the winter months were long and I've been "hibernating". Then recently a life-changing incident happened to me so suddenly that it made me realise that life is really so short and precious. So now that Spring is here and Summer coming soon, I am going to be active again - with updating my travel pages and tips as well as traveling around.
Like I said, life is short and precious. We should not take our God-given life and our loved ones for granted. We should always be thankful and grateful - not just content - but also strive to live our life to the fullest. Enjoy reading my travel stories and tips.
Thank you. Danke Schoen. Terima Kasih. Merci. Gracias.....
Latest Update |
| View of Lisbon city behind me |
Lisbon, Portugal (end May 2009)
I went to Lisbon, Portugal, for 4 days end of May 2009. I planned my trip to Lisbon before I found out about the VT (virtual tourist) Euro Meeting 2009 held in Caicais, Portugal. So I joined the VT EuroMeeting last minute and had a fantastic time meeting other VTers from all over the world. At the same time, I get to explore Lisbon city, the UNESCO town of Sintra, and the coastal town of Cascais with the other VTers. We also went for wine tasting, had dinner near the waterfront in Lisbon, and listened to Fado music played by Antonio and his band (btw Antonio of a2lopes has a great voice!)
The next VT Euro Meeting 2010 will be held in Krakow, Poland. Keep your eyes out for that. More information will follow from the organizers of next year's meeting. |
Madrid and Andalusia region of Spain in mid-April 2009
I was in Madrid and Andalusia, south Spain, for total of 10 days starting from the Easter weekend in April 2009. It was the first time for me to be in Spain and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I like Madrid but I just love the Andalucia region; This wonderful region has captivated me. No words can fully describe the beautiful yet wild south region of Spain. It is like a totally different world over there. Each of its cities (Cordoba, Seville, Malaga, Marbella, etc.) are historically unique and beautiful in their own rights. Then there's the fantastic historical architectures, the great food, the shopping and the sandy beaches. Most of all, there are the warm and friendly people.
Andalucia is one place I will definitely return to visit again and again. I will never be bored or tired of the place. Hasta la vista baby!! I will be back!! |  | | Espana Plaza in Sevilla, Spain |
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| In front of the Ho Chi Minh City Hall |
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Vietnam in January 2009
I visited the historic city of Ho Chi Minh (ex-Saigon) Vietnam end of January 2009 together with my family. It was a fun visit but at the same time, memorable. I find Ho Chi Minh to be a still growing metropolis, clean yet chaotic.
I also got to visit the tunnels of Củ Chi; these are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Củ Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. The Củ Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War, and were the Viet Cong's base of operations for the Tết Offensive in 1968. |
My Furry Travelling Companions I have a few stuffed furry "friends" (toys) at home. They include 2 fat cat (ginger Ms. Chubby and grey Mr. Chubby), Happy the teddy bear (a gift from my best friend in Malaysia), a cheetah baby I got from South Africa, 2 black bears from Austria, and reindeer from Oslo. I will post a photo of them later on my travel page.
Anyway, during my latest trip to Italy in Dec. 2007, I took along Happy the teddy bear. You can see him here and also in the above photo with me overlooking Florence. Happy bear was given to me before the Millennium (year 2000); he is such an adorable furry little thing, always smiling and cheerful, which also makes me happy with I am travelling around.
I used to post a photo of my other traveling companion, Ms. Chubby the ginger-colored fat cat. But she looked so grumpy when traveling with me so I decided to leave her at home for now. :-) |
| Hibiscus flower of Malaysia (from mom's garden) |
Many more places 2 See but not Enough Time & Money I still have so many more places I want to see in the future. Here is my wish list:
- Lisbon, Portugal -> I was there end of May 2009 for personal holiday and to join the VT EuroMeeting 2009.
- Spain (Madrid, Cordoba, Sevilla and Malaga) and Gibraltar -> I went in April 2009
- Saigon, Vietnam -> I went in January 2009
- Phuket, Thailand (I've been to Bangkok!) --> I went in July 2008
- Dubai, UAE --> I went in Feb. 2008
- Cape Town & Johannesburg, South Africa --> I went in June 2007
- northern Norway (to see the fiords) --> I went in Sept. 2007
- Amsterdam and Brussels
- Peru and Argentina
- Brazil and Chile
- Croatia and Greece
- Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane/Golden Coast & Great Barrier Reefs)
- Cyprus and Malta
- North Finland to see Northern Lights and Lapland
- Kenya and Zanzibar
- Senegal and Nabimia
- Hong Kong, Shanghai, China, and Taiwan
- Japan and South Korea
- New York and Florida, USA
- Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia
- Cambodia
- Sri Lanka and India
- Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia
- New Zealand
- Fiji and Hawaii
- Cairo and Luxor, Egypt
- Tunisia or Morocco
- Jordan and Lebonan
I feel like I don't have enough time and money to cover them all. Sometimes, I'm overwhelmed with the helpless feelings that I will not meet my travel goals. Sometimes, I feel high with confidence that I could cover at least half on my list. But whatever I'm feeling at the time - or anytime - I tell myself that slowly, slowly, I will make it.
Most of all, I hope to meet new people and make new friends during my travels. Life is short and we should make the most of it. Meeting new people, especially nice friendly people, and sharing exciting adventures can make living so worthwhile.
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 Comments for longsanborn | | | | |
daryll Fri Sep 25, 2009 22:41 UTC
Hello Helena, Good to hear from you! Great would love to meet you in London. Do you prefer hotel near Msian Embassy or maybe I can help; email me ur dates and ur budget? | jumpingnorman Fri Sep 25, 2009 20:20 UTC
Helena - that's awesome...will wait for pic.. jumpingnorman@yahoo.com And yes life is short we have to live life to the fullest...and Antonio also met us in Lisbon - he's a great VTer but I did not hear him sing! Thanks, Norman:) | EuromeetKrakow2010 Thu Aug 13, 2009 20:50 UTC
Helena, you and your family/friends are very welcome for the next Euromeet in Krakow, Poland. You are very welcome, thanks a million for signing up. I can't wait to see you again :-))) | Hosell Fri Jul 17, 2009 12:43 UTC
Hi Helena! you are today's featured member!!! :-) |
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