Argentina.

Now here is an amazing country. I found Argentina to be extremely diverse not only in the climatic and enviromental sence but also in culture and people. Being such a large country with it's size similar to India, it offers so much when it comes to climate and landscape. I was lucky enough to cover the country from the tropical north all the way down to the sub antartic south. The changes I saw were simply amazing.

Visiting Iguazu falls on the boarders of Uruguay and Brazil is a must. It is the largest waterfall in the world (one of the natural seven wonders) and it's awe and power can not be simplified in words. I feel so incredibly lucky having seen it. As seen in the first picture it really is a once in a lifetime expierance.

Buenos Aires is an amazing city with alot of charm. It is reffered to as the Paris of South America and I can possibly see why with it's very European architecture and layout. With such great places to visit like Parlemo Soho for the restaurants and nightlife to Recoleta for the historic grave sites and trendy coffee shops, it is such a pretty city. I also found BA to have beautiful park areas all so well manicured complete with traditional statues and fountains.. very charming. The food in Argentina.. now that is something. The best steaks I have ever tasted and with real manly portions of barbecued meat and great beer.. it is alfa male heaven. Unfortunately BA use to be cheaper, but the locals have woken up to the fact that they have a city with heaps to offer and an incredibly wonderful country to visit.

Heading south there are lots of places to visit. From Puerta Madryn to see the penguins, seals and killer whales (Orcas) to Bariloche with it's beautiful lakes and mountains to El Calafate to see the incredible glaciers as shown in the second photo, all the way down to Ushuaia, the last city before Antartica (an area effectionately known as The Land of Fire -Tearra Del Fuego) all being part of the famous Patagonia region.. Argentina is just so amazing. The third photo is of the lakes surrounding Bariloche.. just stunning.

Well I hope you have enjoyed Argentina as much as I have had briging her to you. There are other places yet for me to visit here like Jojoy, Mendoza and Salta but I will have to add them in if I make it this trip.. I hope I do. Do your self a favour.. visit Argentina.

Unfortunately my stay in Vietnam was limited to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) this trip. I really needed more time because it is quite a big country with so much to see. I was there to have a quick look around (four days) and also to spend some time with a very old friend. What I did see of it I really enjoyed. Saigon has some great places to visit including the Vietnam War Museum which is both awesome because of it's war relics (first photo) and very sad and quite moving at the same time. Seeing all the footage from the war on the walls and what people from both sides had to endure.. makes me wonder about human beings. A very sad period in our history indeed. Apart from the war museum I also managed to hit a few wonderful restaurants in the city and a must is a rather posh one called 'The Club' which has the most majestic ambiance including a cigar and cognac room for after dinner. I don't recall the name of the seafood restaurant we went to on one of the nights (so many) but the food was so diverse and so very delicious. Anything from huge Scampi type prawns to roasted garden snails (second photo) which were to die for.. really. The nightlife in Saigon is excellent and the Opera Bar located at the fully refurbished Opera House is simply world class. With the hip designer lounges and lighting.. very cool music and selection of cocktails.. it's a must if you get to Saigon (third photo). But the best part.. the people! Just friendly and gentle people and some of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. One more thing.. I can only speak very highly of Vietnamese coffee. Strong with flavour and very, very smooth. I could sip it all day. As I said at the start.. I'm going back because I simply did not get enough of Vietnam.

Laos.. what a great place for excitement and adventure. I spent about three weeks there and had a brilliant time. I had a week in an area called the 4000 Islands on the mighty Mekong River (about four hours by bus from the town of Pakse). It is a part of the river that stretches from Southern Laos into North Eastern Cambodia and is dotted with tiny little islands all along the way. There is not a great deal to see in Pakse itself but lots to see out on the islands. I stayed on Don Khong which was okay but the two most popular islands are Don Det and Don Khon, a little further down stream with their pretty river front guest houses and little villages . Everybody commutes between islands by long boat and it's the cheapest way to go. Note.. most places do not have the facilities for credit cards so bring cash. The people are quite friendly but perhaps there is a larger language barrier than what I experienced with people in Cambodia. The picture at the top is of the largest waterfall (in Asia) along the Mekong called Khone Papheng and the power in that water is just immense. You can get tours to the waterfalls and other attractions from most guest houses and tourist spots on the islands. After leaving the 4000 Islands I caught a flight out of Pakse up to Luang Prabang in the north of Laos. Now that is a charming place. I headed out to the old French quarter on the peninsular (where two rivers merge) and it was simply beautiful. All the old French Colonial buildings have been Heritage listed and converted into the most exquisite guest houses you could ever come across (second photo). They start from about $10.00 USD a night (no breakfast and not too classy) to $350.00 USD for something over the top but you can get a beautiful place for around $25.00 USD per night including breakfast and a friendly smile. The Mekong meanders through the hills and highlands and it is so picturesque. There is lots to do including boat tours up the river, visiting the temples, arms for the Buddhist monks at six in the morning (recommended) and beautiful clubs and restaurants for the nightlife. Here's the funny part.. the whole town shuts down at 11.30pm every night. It's a communist country and they run a curfew along with the fact that they need to keep the place tranquil for the monasteries. But the good part is the bowling alley stays open till 3am! It also doubles as the nightclub and is the only place in town you can continue to party. That's great because everybody ends up going there to kick on and you sure do make a load of new friends easy. I was partying on with my new friends Kyla and Christie from Canada and the good Dr Jeff from the US. Note the bowling pins in the back ground of the third photo.. how funny. What ever you do, you must not miss out on the Kuangsi Waterfall Park about 25 kilometers out of Luang Prabang. The fourth picture is of the Kuangsi Waterfall and it is so beautiful. Don't forget your towel and bathers because the swimming holes are a little walk down river and it is perfect relief from the tropical heat. Do not.. climb up the track heading up the side of the waterfall.. it's a killer climb in the heat and there is absolutely nothing there. Hey, I hope you guys get to see some of the things I've seen and Laos is definitely right up there in the top ten. Cheers..

Ahhh.. The Island Paradise of Bali. What a beautiful place with such beautiful people. I have been to Bali quite a number of times and I can never get enough of the place. Kuta and the surrounding tourist township is always fun for the beaches, clubs, shopping and restaurants (like La Luchiola in Seminyak). It's easy to enjoy the coast but the real charm of Bali is up in the hills. The resort I cannot speak highly enough about is The Alila Spa Resort in Ubud. What a wonderful experience. Set in and amongst the rice fields and hill side coconut groves the Alila is everything relaxation is about. With one of the most photographed drop pools and a day spa (particularly for the ladies) and the exquisite thatched roof bungalows scattered amongst the immaculately kept surroundings.. it is overwhelmingly romantic and you just end up never wanting to leave. Unfortunately your wallet reminds you when to leave because it is quite expensive and definitely comes under the category of life's little luxuries. It's a must to experience at least once in a life time. The ambiance is serene with quietness and rest being the order of the day. There are shuttle buses transporting people to the little town of Ubud, (there and back) throughout the day and well into the evening. Even a walk around the grounds in a tropical rain storm simply adds to it. Fellas.. take your gals, and you will see a completely different side to them. Three to four days there is plenty. Best way is to check with your travel agent as to getting a package with flights and ask about any special offers especially in the wet season. Enjoy people!

I went to visit my brother (who lives and works) in Dubai in 2007 and enjoyed my short stay. I managed to make more new friends (expats and others) and even had some time to look around a little and enjoy the beaches. I found Dubai to be an extremely modern city with all the 'mod cons' and glitz and glamour. Unfortunately I was on a less materialistic drive and couldn't fully appreciate the staggering impact of what all that money could do. I welcomed the fully enclosed air conditioned bustops what with the days topping at a high of 45 degrees celcious (and that was just the start of their summer) but I thought the indoor Ski Slope was a little over the top. The locals certainly enjoyed it. The really nice beaches belonged to really wealthy people or big hotels and if you brought bucks with you it made all the differance. This picture was taken along the beach toward the 'Burj Al Arab'.. the one and only seven star hotel in the world. Dubai's standards certainly are impressive.

Well, so far I've been traveling since November 2007 and I've seen quite a few things in quite a few places. This is the best sunset picture I have taken up to date. It was taken in Darwin in early December of 2007. Better than any Hollywood block buster computer generated image.. all 100% mother nature. For those who have been to Darwin in the Northern Territory (Australia) you know what I mean when I say Unforgettable! Definitely do the waterfalls in Leitchfield and the sunset dinner cruise on the harbour is a must.. it's really lovely. For those who are yet to discover the NT.. Well let me put it this way.. Mick (Crocodile) Dundee was absolutely right when he said it was God's country. 'Yeah good on ya Mick.'

This is Denmark. I was there a couple of times in 08 because my beautiful girlfriend is Danish. Very friendly people.. very beautiful looking people and Copenhagen to put it simply is a 'Pretty fairy tale place'. Unfortunately it is quite expensive there and if you enjoy sushi.. best give it a miss. Take away sushi for four people came to $1400 DK ($266.00 AUSD). Definately not cricket! Plenty of great Thai restaurants though because plenty of Danes vacate in Thailand and bring home Thai wives and they end up opening restaurants. Thai food there is more resonably priced thank goodness. Beer (important) is probably one to two dollars dearer than it is at home. Sitting out front of the cafes along the walking streets enjoying a cuppa and watching all the pretty girls go by (and there are many).. the best way to spend $5.oo. Both pictures were taken at the end of winter sometime in March/ April and the contrast is quite amazing. It can be blue skies, clear but cold one day and powder coated snow a couple of days later.. but still cold. It really is beautiful and the picture with the boats is of Nyhavn (New Harbour) where all the pretty restaurants and coffee places are. Just so charming. The picture of the snow is from Marlena's apartment window. She rides to work on her bicycle in this.. a lot of them do. Imagine that.

I had the pleasure of visiting the 'Big Ass State of Texas' in December of 07 and gees was it fun. Was there with my good friend Tammy to visit her home and make more friends. Loved the southern hospitality and everybody was so down to earth. Don't let this picture fool you.. The police there don't really cuff people like you see in this photo. They shoot you first and don't bother with the cuffs at all.. ha,ha. Yep, the old gun culture is alive and well down there in the land of the Alamo. Visited Houston, Kemah, San Antonio and the cover picture to this blog was taken at San Jacinto River.. where you get "the best god damn fried cat fish this side of Louisiana I tell you". Great cowboy bars, friendly girls and Carter's just outside of Houston is the best shooting complex I've ever been to. Special thanks to Thomas (The Fireman) for taking me skeet shooting. Learned alot from those kids who were there that morning with their new shotguns Grandad bought them for Christmas. They must have been a whole nine or ten years old.. Hmm. And to my Aussie friends.. if you're planing to visit Texas, be warned.. It's Deep Fried Everythig! They even talked about a deep fried turkey for Christmas. Oh, you can get a salad.. Deep Fried! But I must conclude with a comment about the Steaks in Texas. One kilogram Rib eye.. Ooooo Yeah!

And I love this photo.. For those who know me, you know I can't hide from my pro gun redneck ways. And for those who don't .. well it's a little embarrassing. Taken at the gun range just outside Siem Reap in Cambodia. It's a BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) and it's god damn heavy!! Special thanks to Gary for taking this awesome pic!

I was in Cambodia in November 08, traveling with my best mate Gary for just over three weeks. He could only manage time off for two weeks but I stayed longer before proceeding on to Laos and Vietnam. Two to three weeks is plenty of time to have a good look around Cambodia.

We enjoyed Siem Reap followed by Sihanoukville on the coast. Beautiful places. The temples around Siem Reap are just so special and Angkor Wat was spectacular. The only unfortunate thing was that there were scaffolding erected for the renovations taking place on the Angkor Wat temples which ruined the photos a little. Apart from that it was awesome. The most beautiful was Tha Prom or also known as The Tomb Raider Temple (top photo) set in and amongst the rain forest. There I'm just lost for words. It's a must see. The bottom photo was taken at The Pink Temple in the middle of a tropical rain storm.. Loved it!

Sihanoukville on the South Western Coast line of Cambodia is very special with it's beaches and beach front restaurants and bars.. alot of fun. It's worth the eleven hour bus ride from Siem Reap. It goes via Phnom Penh. The best way to see Sihanoukville is to hire a scooter and head out along the beach tracks as far south as you can go. Some great beaches along the way.

As for the capital Phnom Penh.. it is old and dirty and basically another big city. It has some beautiful temples, restaurants and bars but four days there is plenty. We arrived during the Moon and Water Festival and it was just too crowded with all the local village people coming in to celebrate from near and far. Quite an experiance.

Cambodia had the friendliest people by far out of the three Indochinese countries and it was quite affordable. Resonable accomodation costs anywhere from $7.00 to $35.00 USD a night pending on how you want to go.

Get there if you can.. And tell the girls at the 'Sok San Night Club' that Rocky sent you. Ha,ha.

The beautiful Fijian sunset. I was there with one of my best friends Tammy in February 07 and it was just awesome. We stayed out in Nadi toward the west of the Viti Levu Island. Port Denarau located close by is where you get the island tours to some of mother natures best work.. the Mamanuca and Yasawa achipelligo. I thoroughly recommend it. The bottom picture is a view looking out from one of the atol island.. Simply spectacular. As for the people of Fiji.. very lovely and very friendly. The population consists mainly of 50% Fijian and the other half Indian. The indigenous Fijians are not very tall but huge wide people.. specially the men. They are friendly enough but I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of any of them. Their recent history dates back to Violent Warriors and Cannibalism. Yep, pay a visit to the museum if you get there and have a read about their origins. You'll be much nicer to the hotel staff after a good read I guarantee. The currency of Fiji is slightly lower in value to the New Zealand currency and things are a little expensive. Most of the business' are run and owned by the Indian population. Great souvenir shops.

This picture was taken in the Darlana region of Sweden. I visited for Christmas and it had turned out to be a real white one for me. I have some great friends there (The Hurtig family) and through them have made many more which I am ever so grateful for. As they say in Sweden.. Skol. (Cheers)