C’est Fini

Now, as we prepare to land, I am looking out my window and seeing the United States. We have gone around the world, not in 80 days, but in 26, and this last leg, from Dubai to Washington D.C.  is actually a third of the whole way around the world.

I think that what will remain in my heart and mind is just how incredibly fortunate we are. Not just to be able to make this trip, but to be who we are; to live how we live; and to have family and friends who join us on our travels, either in person or through their support and enjoyment of the stories and pictures we share.

As I wrap up this edition of the “Drive by Tourists” I want to share with you the observations, likes, and dislikes, that we have been talking about  among ourselves.  We shared a great adventure and without a doubt, Japan was the favorite of all of us. 

I think Phil and I were amazed at how the positive things we remember from our childhood still remain, such as how safe this country is. We remember the freedom we had as children because of this safety, and it remains that way today. You still see young children out and about on their own, personal property left unlocked in public, and the “honor” system everywhere. People respect each other and show it in their everyday lives. Ordinary people don’t carry guns, or leave their homes worrying about getting shot in random or mass shootings. 

This respect for others manifests in their conservative, modest manner of dress; in the cleanliness of the whole country; in the lack of visible trash or trash cans; in their courtesy; and in their lack of homeless people. The streams and rivers are clear and clean and their gardens are so beautiful that they are copied all over the world. 

Japanese technology leads the world.  Public transportation is user friendly, readily available everywhere, on time, and innovative. There are vending machines everywhere selling bottled water, soft drinks, energy drinks, and even beer. The rear view mirrors in cars are high definition video cameras.

And deserving of special recognition are the Smart commodes located everywhere, always immaculate and well maintained.

Japan even has Wagyu beef, which is almost indescribable in its flavor and tenderness. 

Japan has always been a beautiful and friendly country and in spite of their overcrowding, among the most civilized in the world. Just an amazing place.

Other things that we liked and disliked in Thailand, Cambodia, and  Singapore

Likes:

Nice people, friendly, helpful everywhere

Lush tropical vegetation  

Chaing Mai is cleaner than Bangkok and w/o as much obvious poverty

All our hotels were very nice and not terribly expensive

GRAB (a better version of Uber) was everywhere except Dubai

Taxis everywhere were honest and cheap 

Riding in the vintage Mercedes limousine at our Chaing Mai hotel 

The excellent driver, Kim Peng and the car at Siem Reap

Woaht, pronounced Wat, our guide at Anchor Wat

The Siem Reap hotel’s tuk tuk and Sambo the driver.

Check in process with refreshing drink in the Kyoto and Siem Reap hotels

Thailand and Cambodia are very inexpensive to visit 

Spirit houses in Thailand 

Good excursions everywhere  

Fresh fruits everywhere and the new fruits we tried in Thailand and Cambodia 

Elephants in Thailand 

ICON SIAM, the gigantic department store in Bangkok 

The traditional dancing on dinner cruise in Bangkok

Beautiful traditional clothes

Not wasteful people (salt farms and using every bit of the pig) 

Lots of really long moving sidewalks in airports and the free baggage trolleys

Getting sent to priority lanes because I looked old

Singapore’s ethnic neighborhoods 

Singapore Apple Store

Ice water and frozen towels on hot excursions 

Written language in Thailand is lovely 

Being met by Thai air officer and escorted to where we needed to be, when changing      

        planes in Bangkok headed to Singapore. We wouldn’t have figured it out  by   

        ourselves

Changi Airport in Singapore is so well organized

Showers outside of tubs w/drain in the floor everywhere 

Economy class gets fed even on short flights and even on hour prop flights

Emirates First Class - simply unbelievable.

Didn’t Like:

Namaste bows incessantly - although I found myself doing them in Dubai and on 

          Emirates Air

Not being able to drink tap water in Thailand or Cambodia 

Bangkok is dirty

Hotel rooms with windows or glass doors into bathroom 

Lack of charging stations at airports & hotels 

Shower wands 

Massage or pedicure in Cambodia, even though the massage was free 

My iPad battery died

Toilets everywhere else compared to Japan

Not enough western toilets out in country in Thailand 

Food got repetitive 

Excessive Gold and jewels in temples

Thai King and all his pictures

Lost my cuticle trimmers and thread snippers at security after multiple airports    

            cleared them

Thai is a hard language to learn. We only “got” one word - thank you

Singapore’s bidet toilets