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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Jan 08, 2019 10:00 PM A night in the airport
It was 6 pm local time and 31 deg Celsius when I disembarked Lot's dreamliner in Singapore. Well, Fiji Airways cancelled my flight who should depart at 9 pm.... With a help of my friend Stephen (thanks a lot Stephen!) I managed to have rerouting via Hongkong, but the flight to HKG is tomorrow morning. So I have to spend the whole night in the airport! Fiji Airways do not care about that...
The last expensive airport hotel charges around 130 USD per night - not for me! Fortunately Singapore Chiangi airport has opinion to be the best airport in the world. In the terminals they have many reclining seats so it will not be so bad, I believe.
I did not go through the customs and immigration - no need. Between the terminals they have free, automatic sky train I used.
I will sleep in Terminal 3... :) That's traveller' life!
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Jan 07, 2019 10:00 PM A long flight to Singapore....
My Wojtkowka sleeps in the winter while I travel the world (see picture). I was there just to control,if everything is OK and the cats are doing well.
Big Journey started today in Gdansk airport. I became little bit nervous waiting for the flight to Warsaw - it was delayed by 20 min. Normally it is not a problem, but I had very short connection in Warsaw to Singapore flight. I was almost running to the gate 13N, going on the way through the passport control (I am leaving EU).
Ufff.. I boarded the dreamliner with the last passengers. It was white in Warsaw and the temperature minus 1 deg so when the boarding was completed they took the big plane to deice it....
The flight was full. At midnight they offered the hot dinner (beer and softs are included, but you have to pay extra if you want something stronger). 11 hours in the air. 2 hours before landing they served hot breakfast. Due to the 7 hours time change this breakfast was served at 4 pm local time....
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Jan 06, 2019 10:00 PM New voyage! Pacific is calling me!
I am setting off on the first voyage of 2019! The route leads to the islands of the Pacific Ocean, Australia and New Zealand. Maybe I'll see the famous volcano of Krakatau... On the way back I intend to visit several new, interesting places in Southeast Asia. In the distant Kingdom of Tonga I would like to see new king... :) I plan to cover many thousands of kilometers by air, ships, trains, buses and rented car.
This will be another great and very varied journey, prepared over a year. I plan to be back in mid-March. You can find hot news and photos from this voyage as always in my travel log - if only I'll have access to the Internet. Please, keep your fingers crossed for me dear friends!
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Jan 05, 2019 10:00 PM Happy travelling in 2019!
Happy New Year dear friends!
Look how my dacha looks in the winter time :)
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Dec 18, 2018 10:00 PM Flying home for Christmas...
It was plus 10 deg Celsius when we landed in the morning in Lisbon. I had a time to refresh and to change clothes to the warm ones. I also tried to connect to internet , but my battery was already dead and all sockets in the airport net point were broken. Shame!
Then there was 4-hours TAP flight to Warsaw. Good service, warm meal with wine and juices...
It was minus 3 deg when I landed in Warsaw. Brrr... Welcome to the Eastern Europe. Here in the Chopin airport terminal wi-fi works and bI was finally able to charge my tablet.
Now I am waiting for the flight to my Gdansk. One more unique voyage is almost over. And it was great! I already feel the atmosphere of Polish Christmas....
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Dec 17, 2018 10:00 PM Sao Paulo after years
It is one of the biggest cities in e world. When I was here 32 years ago I was in Butantan Institute to see tropical snakes.
Today my friends left me in the center and I had 4 hours to explore again elegant Avenida Paulista, the downtown, Se Cathedral.... So many poor people sleep here on the streets! I think, even more then 32 years ago... Sao Paulo is a monster with polutted streets, noise and elegant gentelmen wearing ties and white shirts... City of contrasts!
I terminated my walk at Luz station. The station is old, but they recently opened a new express train service to GRU airport. It takes 30 min and costs only 8 reales. Great! Airport bus costs like 50 reales and often stays in the traffic jam...
But you still have to use free shuttle bus to get from the station to GRU airport terminals...
TAP plane is already waiting and I can use 60 min of free internet... To come home I will fly 3 planes: 10 hours to Lisbon, 4 hours to Warsaw and 1 hour to Gdansk...
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Dec 16, 2018 10:00 PM 10 hours on the Brazilian bus
Today I have to go to Sao Paulo. There is only one day service from Sao Joao - the ticket costs 113 reais. In a schodule it is 8 hours ride, but this is Brazil and you never know...
Departure was delayed half an hour. The road was narrow and bumpy at the beginning and we were picking passengers from little towns off the road. After 4 hours bus stopped at the roadside restaurant and drived informed that we have30 min for lunch and then we will continue by the other bus because ours is broken. Oho! New bus arrived and we were driving the highway. At the first payment gate the barrier did not open automatically so the driver broke it. It is made of plascti - nothing happened except the alarm. Thd same at the next two gates... We arrived to Sao Paulo Tiete bus station with 2 hours delay. No wifi onboard!
I took a subway (4 reals) with the local lady going the same direction.
Then I walked in the dark to my new friends from Couchsurfing - Mariana and Andre. Great evening! They are also passionate travellers - we were talking till 11 pm!
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Dec 15, 2018 10:00 PM Sao Joao del Rei - end of my Estrada...
Sao Joao (St John) seems to be the largest of the historic towns I visited on Estrada Real. 200 m from the bus station I found here great pension - Villa Bella Hospedaria. Marcelino and his two ladies are very hospitable and helpful. And the big room with shared bath and breakfast costs here only 50 reais.
Centro Historico - the old city is 2,5 kms away - follow upstream the canalised river. Marcelino told me that Pillar Church (entry fee 6 BRL) is more rich than San Antonio in Tiradentes and now I agree - it is "number one" - see the picture! San Francisco has also a lot of carvings, but no gold. Sorry, no tourist office here so I was not able to catch the map. But orientation is easy here once you stay near Pillar Church. On the same Direita Street you have Carmo Chuch on one end and Rosario on the other end. Going up from Pillar you wil reach nice square with pelurinho and - on the top nice hospital and church of Merces. Then going downhill from Rosario you will cross the old stoney bridge and going 200 m directly you will reach San Francisco (entry costs 4 BRL).
The end of historic Estrada Real was in the port of Paraty near Rio. I did the most interesting part of Estrada. From my studies I know, that the townd further south are more urbanized and not as interesting as the north. Fully satisfied and enchanted by the landscape, the architecture and the people I met I am going tomorrow to Sao Paulo and then - home. Thank you dear friends for keeping your fingers crossed - it works! :)
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Dec 14, 2018 10:00 PM "Smoking Mary" and gold of San Antonio
I live at the edge if the city - tropical forest is vert near: you have to shut the window before switching on the light in the evening. Otherwise you will have a big collection of tropical flies not only on the walls b7t alsoin your bed. Now I know that....
Tiradentes is lovely, colonial township with many pousadas - pensions, art galleries, restaurants... I am lucky to be here on weekend: the old narrow gauge train is coming at 10.30 from Sao Joao. Nine old cars and Maria Cumaca or Smoking Mary - the authentic steam locomotion. You have to be there! Round trip ticket costs 60 reales - too much for 17-kms journey (in my opinion)
Cobbled streets, horse carts, old stoney bridge... Tiradentes has also a number of interesting churches. Rosario - black slaves church is worth to see, but the real highlight of the town is Matriz or San Antonio church. The inside decoration is really very rich with plenty of gold on the altars... They charge here 5 reals entry fee and photography is (officially) forbidden. Great panoramic view of the surrounding mountains can be seen from the terrace in front of the church.
Down from the church you will find San Jose fountain. After few hours in the heat I was thirsty. To drink or not to drink? I went to the post of Policia Militar nearby. -We drink this water from the fountain, but we can offer you also filtered water! And they did! Nice guys!
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Dec 13, 2018 10:00 PM Bye, City of the Propeths!
They often call Congonhas "The city of the propeths" because the statues made by Aleadinho... The copy of propeth Jonas stands here in front of Prefeitura...
OK, in the morning I was marching in the heat to rodoviaria to jump on the bus to Sao Joao (32 BRL) - it was like 2,5 hours drive, the bus did not have a/c - the only vientilation came through the open windows. Not very comfortable! In Sao Joao I changed the bus - the second one was going to Tiradentes - another famous town on Estrada Real... This cost me 4 reales.
What a surprise! A lot of advertising on the entry to the town, then you are coming to the conclusion that Tiradentes is almost flat... At least in the center... They left me at miniature bus terminal and now I have to go to my cheap pension located somewhere on the outskirts... It was a long walk -like 3 kms, also because the final part was climbing the hill. Only 600, 400, 200m more and I will take the shower!
Oh my God! - the doors of the little house are locked, nobody there, nobody takes the telephone... Eh, Brazil!
But there are also nice people in this country - the neighbours called City Council where this pension is registered. Officers found the owner (local taxi driver) and he sent somebody with a keys. All right, I finally took my shower and made a laundry...
It is evening already and I am looking to the nice sunset... Tomorrow I will explore Tiradentes...
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