The trip was a surprise for Tina (I handled all the details myself) so she was very excited to find out we were going to visit a country on her top 10 places I want to visit list. Our flight took off and landed on time and before we knew it we were in Montego Bay on our way to our hotel. If you have read any of my previous posts you will see that we travel pretty low frill (ok cheap) so my booking an all-inclusive for our first two days was a rare splurge.

That being said, I didn’t go overboard so we stayed at the Royal Decameron, a mid-tier hotel not far from the airport and at the top of the ‘hip strip’ tourist street. The hotel turned out to be quite nice actually and while dated, it was very clean and the staff were extremely friendly. The beach was decent and there was a pool and hot tub for those not wanting to jump in the ocean.  The meals were surprisingly good with a very good mix of local and western style foods. Day one was spent relaxing on the beach and enjoying our all-inclusive drink and eat privileges. The next day we headed down to check out the hip strip (its not very good at all so don’t go out of your way to visit) as well as the local beaches (Doctor’s Cave Beach, Cornwall Beach), which are actually very nice. They cost $5 to get into but they are clean, well taken care of and much longer than those in most hotels along the bay.

The next day we were off to Negril to stay at a hotel on the famed 7 mile beach. I think its fair to say that the beach deserves its great reputation as its beautiful white sand stretches uninterrupted for the full 7 miles. We stayed in Sandy Haven Resort as I scored a great deal on Orbitz and we were not disappointed. The room was massive as was the balcony and the beach front was perfectly sized. Free breakfast (pastry, fruit, tea, coffee) and very helpful staff topped off a perfect stay.

The two days we spent in Negril were mostly about relaxing and doing nothing and though some rain got in our way, we fully enjoyed both the beach and the city.

One of the best parts of travelling is trying new food so we were happy to get out of the hotel restaurant in Montego Bay (though it was very good) and explore the local scene…..and it was very tasty.

Across the street from our hotel was the Sweet Spot which had great jerk chicken. Juici provided the Jamaican patties (beef, chicken, veggie) and we highly recommend a stop at Sweet Spice for some great local fare.

Overall, Jamaica was a pleasant surprise. The locals were extremely friendly, polite and welcoming and not once did we feel out of place while wandering in town (though I did stick out like a sore burned white thumb) or on the beach. The weather and the food were great and it turned out to be a great long weekend getaway.

Getting to Chernobyl and its nearby town of Pripyat requires a permit so you can only visit through an organized tour. There are a number of companies out there that do this but my research had shown that Solo East Travel consistently received excellent reviews and was competitively prices ($149) so I booked with them the minute I had confirmed my trip.

I met up with Solo East at Independence square in downtown Kiev and after a brief introduction we were off. My group consisted of about 15 people from Australia, US, France and a number of other nationalities. It takes about 2 hours to reach the exclusion zone from Kiev and in that time a video was shown detailing the disaster and the clean-up efforts. It’s both an amazing story of human heroics and a terrible story of human ignorance and selfishness. The sad part is that the accident was preventable had someone been brave enough to speak truth to power.

Once at the exclusion zone our papers were examined and off we went. The exclusion zone is a rough circle around the plant where the nuclear fallout landed. Due to the winds that day, the zone extends to the west and south into Ukraine rather than north into Belarus, though they apparently received the heaviest amount of fallout. After a quick stop at a village (still people living and working there) we visited the remains of a school house and the fire hall. Fireman were the first on the scene that evening and we responsible for ensuring that the fire didn’t spread and the catastrophe didn’t get any worse. Unfortunately, they were also all exposed to lethal doses of radiation and were the first casualties of the disaster. Their equipment is still so radioactive today that it cannot be touched.

Next up was the plant itself. Amazingly enough, the plant only closed in 2000 and a number of people still work there as part of the decommissioning process. Someone remarked in our tour that they used to work at a nuclear power plant and that the daily radiation dose received by workers almost totalled the entire yearly exposure of a worker at his plat. Scary stuff. Reactor 4, which was the one that exploded and melted down was covered in a concrete and metal sarcophagus that can be seen in these pictures.

As you can see, there is quite a bit of rust as water has worked its way into the sarcophagus. This has left the whole containment area unstable so the international community has chipped in to build a cover for the building that will protect it from the elements as they work towards a better long term solution to the problem. The cover is now in place, though it was just being built when I was there.

After the power plant we headed to the nearby town of Pripyat. Pripyat was apparently the model Russian city and had been built to showcase the countries growing academic and technological capabilities. It was where the workers and their families along with hundreds of research personnel made their homes. Unfortunately, it was also right in the path of the radiation cloud. It took several days to evacuate the city and its survivors are the ones hardest it by radiation poisoning. It’s now an empty ghost
town where nature has slowly taken over. Our tour first visited the local school:

Then the amusement park which was scheduled to open the day after the explosion. To keep children calm during the evacuation, the rides were turned on for the first and only time.

After the tour we were off to the power plant and international project’s mess hall for some food. Eating food beside (the plant is a block away) the world’s worst disaster is a bit of an odd feeling but the food was awesome so it was definitely worth it.  Once we had finished up, we were on our way back to Kiev. Overall the trip was a great experience and well worth the tour cost. I would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in Soviet history or a little adventure. For those looking for more information on the tour, check out Solo East’s website which has a full rundown of the guided tour.

The flight itself went quite smoothly and I can’t say I have any complaints about AirBaltic (though others seem to on the internet).  Riga International Airport is actually fairly small and easy enough to navigate and soon enough I was in a bus (less than one lev, runs frequently) heading downtown to my base of operations, Friendly Fun Franks Backpackers Hostel. Since I was only going to be staying until 4am I figured cheaper is better so Franks $9 price tag sold me but in the end it turned out to be a great place. Targeted mostly at Brits coming to Latvia for a party weekend, Franks is a quirky place with very friendly staff who welcome you with a pint (yes I had one at 9am).  Since I was early for check in I just dumped my bags and went off to fit as much exploring as possible into my day in Riga. This was easy as Franks is right on the edge of the old city centre.

First off was a stroll through town hall square which includes the House of Blackheads, town hall, the statue of Roland and St Peter’s Church. The House is an impressive building built in the 1700’s that was a definite change in style from what I had seen in Finland, Russia and Ukraine.

St Peter’s was an impressive, somewhat gothic church first built back in the 1200’s but recently renovated to include an elevator that takes you all the way up the bell tower. I can never say no to a good view or a good crypt so up I went and I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

Seeing the old part of Riga is even more impressive from above as you can see the old fortifications and flow of the old city (pics up at the top of the post). I highly recommend.

After coming back down to earth I wandered throughout the very pedestrian friendly old city checking out the cat house, St John’s church (impressive but under renovation), parliament, St Jacob’s Barracks (Powder Tower) and St Saviour’s Anglican church (I stopped in for a few minutes like a good Anglican boy should). The city architecture is varied and very interesting and it’s easy to spend hours simply wandering around. I even stumbled across a food festival celebrating….carrots? Kids were having a great time and the sausage selection was very impressive so it was actually a pretty great find.

After a morning/early afternoon of walking I ended up on the other side of the old town at the Freedom Monument to watch the changing of the guard. The monument is a memorial honouring soldiers killed during the Latvian war of independence (1918-1920) and includes a woman holding high three stars. I really liked it a lot actually. Beside the monument is the National opera House with a flower garden and fountain in front of it which was a great place to relax and people watch.

Next up I headed over to the Riga central market which is by the main transit transfer station. The market is actually a couple zeppelin hangers bought for the market back in the ‘20’s where you can find everything from knock off jeans to fresh fruits to catfood. Pretty fun to wander around but nothing all that special to buy.

After a rest back at the hostel (due to a small rain interruption) I headed back towards the central market area to try and check out a building that was dominating the skyline. After walking through some rather sketchy areas out behind the market I made it to the Latvian Academy of Sciences, an impressive communist style building that while fairly ugly, was also quite tall. Apparently it was a bit off the beaten path because other than a woman with her small son, I was the only person around. After a few minutes of searching I found someone to guide me towards the elevator and after a couple more flights of stairs I was on the 17^th floor balcony overlooking the city. Higher than the St Peter’s church you could see quite far off in the distance and I was more than happy I had made the effort to visit.

After a quick bite to eat I was off to my hostel for some sleep before heading to the airport.  With beer actually cheaper than water I was worried I wouldn’t be getting much sleep but it turned out fine as the party animals had actually yet to return when I jumped into a cab and made my way to the airport at 4am. I left Riga with a bit of sadness as I had come to really like the city and its people. What started as chance stopover turned into one of my favourite stops in eastern Europe.

Helsinki is a very nice mix of old and modern Europe. Cobblestone streets, architecturally interesting building but with cafes, restaurants and bars  at every corner. The historic center isn’t very large and can easily be explored by foot in a few days.  The following are a few of the main sites:

Helsinki Cathedral

This Evangelical Lutheran church was completed in 1852. While a bit modern for my tastes, the size and location above Senate square is quite impressive. On the inside, the church is surprisingly sparse but towers above you. Several other key government buildings are nearby while Uspenski Cathedral and the wharf are only a short distance away.

Temppeliaukio Church

This church is quarried out of the natural bedrock and is one of Helsinki’s most popular tourist attractions. The interior walls are created naturally by the rock and the ceiling is made out of hundreds of narrow planks of copper. Very neat.

Natural Museum of Finland, Parliament

These two are near each other and right around the corner from Temppeliakio. Unfortunately for me I was walking around town on a Sunday so they weren’t open. Outside impressions though: the Museum has some pretty funny animals out front while the Parliament is a solid piece of 1920’s government architecture (so not very exciting).

Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral

Completed in 1868 the Cathedral is the largest orthodox church in western Europe (or so they claim). The old red brick façade and green rooftops can be seen from a distance and the inside is quite spectacular. Oddly enough it’s actually quite small inside even with its claim.

Suomenlinna Maritime Fortress

The Fortress is located a short ferry ride away on a small set of islands (head to the wharf right beside Upenski for tickets and departure. Grab some food while waiting from the street vendors). Interestingly the island is actually home to a full community with a number of homes, restaurants, cafes and even a hostel operating amongst the military monuments. Crazy enough there is even a minimum security labour penal colony as well. Founded in 1748 this fortress played a key role in the Russo-Swedish War. The fortress is well organized with museums, tours and clearly marked trails. Imposing walls surround the fort and it was a thrill to climb all over the heavy gun embankments scattered throughout. Bonus for those visiting in the summer: you can climb inside a German U-boat that they have dry docked on the side of the island.

While in Helsinki I stayed at the Hostel Erottajanpuisto. Located an easy walk from everything described above as well as the main train station, the hostel was much like the city itself: a nice mix of old with modern comforts. The bunk beds were good, the company was nice and I had no problems with the facilities, though the bathrooms were quite small. Staff were very friendly as well and I would definitely recommend.

Getting out of town is easy. You can buy tickets to a number of European destinations at the train station as well as the high speed train to St Petersburg Russia (my destination). For trips back to the airport, grab a public bus out front of the train station.

Overall I was impressed with Helsinki and despite the constant rain I had to endure, I had a great time wandering the streets and exploring the city. Fins are polite and welcoming and speak an amazing array of languages including English. I definitely got the sense that I would have enjoyed it more if I had gone with someone though. Those cafes and bars were begging for something more exciting that a single traveller sipping a beer he can’t pronounce but such is life. I guess it means I will have to come back with Ms T.

Lesson learned: change your wet socks if you don’t want to get blisters.

It has been a while since I last posted anything on this site. We’ve been quite busy hopping around and I haven’t found much time to write with all the food and night markets distracting me. Right now we are in Bangkok en route to Chiang Mai from Krabi. Even after travelling to over dozen countries, Thailand is still my #2 most favourite place in the world (#1 is Canada).

It has been a good trip and definitely not the cheap/ rough backpacking types I’ve done in the past. I guess that’s what happens when you get a job.

Chiang Mai is our second last stop in Asia and we are planning to do in style at the Shangri-la. David, of course, isn’t too thrilled about my desire for ridiculous hotels and is suggesting we stay at guesthouse in Bangkok when we come back (that’s obviously not going to happen).

I hope to post pictures of Hanoi, Hong Kong, Brunei, Malaysia, Bali (Indonesia) and Singapore soon.

Bangkok Airways flight.

Bangkok Airways lounge.

Bangkok Airways lounge.

After a 10 hour plane ride, we finally arrived in Bangkok. I have to say, it’s the same, but a little different than 5 years ago. “Same same but different.”

According to David, it’s seems like a much more “ghetto version of Cancun.”

After a couple nights here of rest and leisure, we will be heading down to Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. I am pretty excited since I have not been there. It’s a really giant Hindu temple.

Today, we arrived at Koh San Road, took a trip to MBK to eat at the food court and got a Thai massage. I couldn’t help but close my eyes and fall asleep.

Right now we are sitting at a restaurant/cafe planning to take a trip to Ratchada Night Bazaar. We wanted to go to Suan Lum, but according to Wikipedia, it has been relocated. Hopefully, it will be as fun as it was before.

Will post pictures soon.

Population:   69,518,555 (World Bank, 2011)

Religion:        94.5% Theravada, Buddhism (Wikipedia, 2013)

Currency:      Thai Bhat (approx $1 uSD = 30 Baht)

About Our Stay

Average hotel cost: $15 per night in 2008.

Top 10 Places to Visit in Bangkok 

1.    Royal Palace
2.    Reclining Bhudda
3.    Temple of the Emerald Buddha
4.    Ratchada Night Market
5.    Chatuchat Weekend market
6.    Koh San Road
7.    MBK Shopping Mall
8.    Floating Market
9.    Muay Thai boxing match
10.  Pattaya Gun Range

2013 updates and pictures coming soon.

Based on our travel consultations with our doctors, we were requested to get the following vaccines.

Please note that this for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide you with legit medical advice – consult your doctor if you have any questions.

Vivaxim (Typhoid/Hepatitis A)

Malaria pills (Malarone/Mefloquine)

• Malarone costs more and needs to be taken more frequently, but the side effects are not as bad as mefloquine.

Japanese Encephalitis (JE-Vax or Ixario)

• Note, that the JE-Vax is no longer being manufactured. Ixario is the new vaccine. If you got JE-Vax for your primary shots, it’s recommended that you get a new set of primaries with Ixario since there is no longer a booster available for Je-VAX.

Rabies Vaccine

• In Asia, there are a lot of stray dogs around, and some of them can be scary. A lot of them have been abused by people, so it’s best to avoid them.

Dukoral

• An oral vaccine available that provides you with protection against travellers’ diarrhea.

Hepatitis B

•  If you haven’t had a booster in 10+ years, you should probably get it asap.

Plus all other vaccines you’re not up to date on. 

• Credit/debit cards work just about anywhere in the world, depending on the financial institution and their agreements. Call ahead of time so that you don’t have any transaction issues when you’re out there.

• Bringing large sums of cash is not advisable; you might find yourself in a pickle if you ever get robbed. Having multiple cards hidden in different places will help. That being said, I once lost my debit card in a taxi, it was my only source of income. Luckily, the restaurant was able to contact the driver and I got my card back. This was in Bali.

Backpack/suitcase

• Pack it light if you’re planning to move around a lot. 

Money pouch

• I have a money pouch made out of hemp which I wear around my neck.  Unlike the ones that wrap around your waist, it’s easier to pull out if you are wearing a dress, and it’s breathable.

Toilet paper

• Bathrooms in Asia for the most part do not have toilet paper. They have little hoses or faucets which one can use to clean themselves with. It’s good to bring toilet paper with you just in case.

Hand Sanitizer

• Bathrooms in southeast Asia sometimes don’t have soap either. 

Camera

• Unless you’re a professional photographer/graphics type of person, don’t bring your giant camera(s). It can be tiresome to lug around and it makes you look like a tourist with big bucks, meaning people will milk you for whatever you got.

Clothes

• We are going around monsoon season, so there is bound to be some rain.

Hair straightener

• I like my hair to look nice in my travel photos. So I have two straighteners (one for North America one for Asia). Since I am from North America, both of mine plug into 120V.

• My fancy digital Croc straightener does not/will not work even with the adapter. I know this because I tried it in Iceland and it fried and died.

• I have a non-digital/simple straightener which I bought off EBay eons ago and work fine when use with the adapter abroad.

A Good Book

• To keep you entertained. If you don’t like your book you can always exchange at a book exchange in the major tourist areas.

An Electronic Device

• It is not necessary to bring an electronic to Asia since here are numerous internet cafes and are cheap to use. However, I plan to take my netbook since I intend on writing along the way.

• If you feel you need to bring your iPad, iPhone or laptop, just remember to be cautious. I once left my iPhone at a jewellery store in Delhi, India; I got it back along with a lecture on taking care of my valuables from the store owner.