Travelogue
Pakse on the Mekong Highway - 16 September 2023
From the Four Thousand Islands in Laos you can get a bus back to Cambodia, make a connection over the Mekong River to Thailand, or go further into the LPDR, which in English stands for both “The Lao People’s Democratic Republic” and “The Laotian Peoples’ Democratic Republic”. The country that is today Laos has been described as an historical oddity like Monaco, Andorra, and Liechtenstein that were somehow left behind when petty principalities were consolidated into great nations. In the mid-19th century, the region today called Laos was composed of a confusing pattern of minor states, none of them able to act in any truly independent fashion. The French seized the territory through a combination of individual audacity, Great Power manoeuvring, and reliance on dubious claims linked to Vietnam’s past suzerainty overs sections of Laos.Laos came into existence due to colonial rivalry between the French and the British on the mainland of Southeast Asia. An impoverished little kingdom that appeared to lack all the economic and political criteria for nationhood. Following independence and unable to finance itself through conventional economic means, the Royal Laotian Government filled its coffers and lined its pockets by legalising or tolerating what its neighbours had chosen to outlaw, as needy principalities the world over have done. Monaco gambles, Macau facilitates the gold traffic, and the Laotian government tolerated the smuggling of gold, guns, and opium. During the
Southern Laos and the Four Thousand Islands - 12 August 2023
In southern Laos you can see two of Southeast Asia’s outstanding natural wonders, the Four Thousand Islands and the mighty falls of Khon, the third largest waterfalls in the world. To get there from Cambodia you can travel from Kracheh (Anglicised to “Kratie” by guidebooks and tourists alike) straight to the Laos border by minibus via the dusty
The Heavenly Lady Pagoda and the Citadel of Huế - 24 June 2023
Thien My Pagoda is regarded as the unofficial symbol of the ancient imperial city of Huế. The pagoda is older than any of the tombs I visited and holds a more poignant place in the contemporary history of Vietnam. The pagoda which means “Heavenly Lady” in Vietnamese, is situated on hill on the outskirts of Huế overlooking the Perfume River
Huế – Travels on the Perfume River - 27 May 2023
The usual tourist trail along the length of Vietnam takes in Hoi An and then Huế if going south to north. Most visitors with time go by road or rail while others, on tighter schedules, fly. My first trip to the country saw me travel the 1700kms by land from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi (Ha Noi) by bus and by train. Hoi An to Huế is just 120kms but
The Royal Tombs of Huế in the Heartbeat of Vietnam - 23 April 2023
Vietnam is a country with a fascinating history boasting a host of attractions. Midway along the country’s distinctive s-bend coastline is the former imperial capital of Hue where you get both history and wonderful sights. A few years ago, I made my first visit there and found it a welcome stop on the journey through Vietnam away from the hustle
João Saldanha - Football and Politics in Brazil - 25 March 2023
Brazil won the World Cup in 1970 with a team that is widely regarded as the best side ever to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy. The national team in 1970 had two managers: João Saldanha followed by Mário Zagallo, the latter a protégé of the former, both of whom enjoyed a long association with Botafogo FC. Saldanha had been a player, coach, sporting
Kratie on the Mekong - 21 January 2023
I recently took a bus from Phnom Penh to the provincial town of Kratie or Krong Kracheh, northeast of the Cambodian capital on the banks of the Mekong River, a journey of about 250kms by road. Cambodia is one of the few countries I’ve travelled in where road travel is often easier, faster, and more comfortable on dirt roads than on sealed ones
Italy in Mexico, World Cup 1970 - 10 December 2022
The Italians arrived in Mexico in 1970 as European champions having eventually beaten Yugoslavia 2-0 on home soil two years earlier, and after winning the semi-final against the Soviet Union by the toss of a coin. Their playing ranks included two of the best attacking midfield players in Europe in Sandro Mazzola and Gianni Rivera, rivals from
Working in a Gold Mine in a Desert - 21 August 2022
I once worked in a gold mine in the middle of an Australian desert. To get there I flew to Adelaide from overseas with the intention of hitchhiking to Kalgoorlie, a mining town in Western Australia and base for many of the operators working in the mines that drive much of that state’s economy. I had done lots of hitchhiking before all around the
