🧳🇯🇵🧳 OSAKA, JAPAN - March 28, 2019 - An evening in Osaka

Third trip to Japan and first to Osaka. Arrived in the early afternoon but late afternoon before I could get started. Cool spring day.

Interesting old building not far from hotel with the facade almost completely covered in vegetation.

Tulip tree in bloom

Cherry blossoms just starting

Camellia blossom

Namba pedestrian area

Lion backpacks

Very large and expensive apples at 800¥ (C$9.71) each !

🧳🇨🇳🧳 MACAU, CHINA - March 27, 2019 - A one day affair

中華人民共和國澳門特別行政區 

Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China as it is officially known was my stop for a day. Actually an afternoon and evening. I did manage a four hour walk around some of this place taking rapid fire photos. A few interesting facts: 1. With a population of over 653,000 in an area of 12.7 square miles it is the most densely populated region on earth  2.  From 1557-1999 it was leased, colonized and used by the Portuguese so many of the signs even today are in Chinese and Portugese  3.  It’s gaming industry is 7 times larger than Las Vegas  4.  Both spellings Macau and Macao are used  5.  Two thirds of the land area has been reclaimed from the sea.

 View from hotel window

Across the street

First glimpse of The Ruins of St Pauls a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can see I wasn’t alone.

Constructed by the Jesuits, Ruínas de São Paulo as it called in Portuguese begun in 1602 it has become a very recognizable landmark. Some of the detail ...

Rustic or what?

And how would Macau be rated? One day doesn’t give me enough to decide, but I think high marks. Enough that I hope to return and give Macau more of a visit. Nice airport ... no forms to fill out! 

🧳🇹🇭🧳 PATTAYA, THAILAND - March 26, 2019 - Something NEW

Ok, for me I’ve come up with something NEW! A rating system for each place I visit. A very subjective measure, yes for sure. I am asked often how my holiday was. Each place is different each time so here are my criteria ...

Based on this system, Pattaya gets 84% this year getting high points for the Thai and expat friends I know and have met. As well, food, interesting people and places score high for me.

A few more photos ...

The north entrance to Walking Street which by night transforms itself into a madness of earthly delights. This corner is the busiest in Pattaya at night. Imagine thousands of wide-eyed vacationers!! Imagine brilliant garish neon signs!! Imagine All Sorts!!

Statues

After the bar closes 

Somebody’s growing melons 🍉 

The famous Tiffany Show is here!

View all

THE SHOW. TIFFANY'S SHOW PATTAYA WAS VOTED NUMBER 4. IN THE TOP TEN BEST SHOWS TO SEE AROUND THE WORLD

THE SHOW. TIFFANY’S SHOW PATTAYA WAS VOTED NUMBER 4 IN THE TEN BEST SHOWS AROUND THE WORLD 

Exotic flowers

Exotic fish (actually in a friend’s aquarium)

Exotic birds

🧳🇹🇭🧳 PATTAYA, THAILAND - March 25, 2019 - Terminal 21 and more !

Well, hard to believe for me but 2 months here in Pattaya is coming to an end today. I’m off to Bangkok tomorrow. On this last day, did not plan much but it rained most of the morning so ... No Beach! 

Instead, indoor activity at Terminal 21. It’s a mall! Somewhat different. A chain of mixed use complexes centred around an international theme. The complex in Pattaya opened recently.

One of many modern sculptures

Reading ... now and then









An illusion ... SCB is Siam Commercial Bank