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2. April 2019 13:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Onsen Osaka

2. April 2019 13:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

While in Japan we had to try a traditional Japanese bathhouse. We found a small one in the suburbs o
While in Japan we had to try a traditional Japanese bathhouse. We found a small one in the suburbs of Osaka that had good reviews and was also suited for the boys.

As most of the bath houses men and women are in different sections, so I took the boys with me which was a fun experience for them.

The bath house had a section that was full of yellow rubber ducks, and the boys spent a fair amount of time playing with them.

It also had a lot of other pools that varied from really hot to freezing cold pools as well a various mineral baths with water pumped up from deep underground.

It is difficult to describe the feeling, but both Kim and I felt amazing afterwards. No photos allowed inside, so the outside and the poster at the local trans station will have to do.





2. April 2019 13:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Universal Studios Osaka

2. April 2019 13:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

In Osaka we went to the Universal Studios theme park. It was just before Halloween, so everywhere in
In Osaka we went to the Universal Studios theme park. It was just before Halloween, so everywhere in the park people were dressed up in 'scary' costumes.

After dark the park put on the most amazing zombie show with hundreds of actors and dancers dressed up as zombies - No One celebrates Halloween like the Japanese - amazing!!!!














































1. April 2019 20:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Nara

1. April 2019 20:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Nara is an area a couple of hours outside Kyoto that is full of temples and deer roaming the streets
Nara is an area a couple of hours outside Kyoto that is full of temples and deer roaming the streets.

It has a massive temple with one of the pillars with a hole in it. Apparently if you can squeeze through then you are enlightened.

The deers are good fun although Kim and and boys took a while to get used to them.

































1. April 2019 18:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Nijo-jo Castle Kyoto

1. April 2019 18:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This castle is close to the centre of the city. It is quite big and lit up at night. Out hotel was j
This castle is close to the centre of the city. It is quite big and lit up at night. Out hotel was just around the corner so we passed it almost every day.

We didn't go inside it as there were too many other things to see.




1. April 2019 18:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Other Kyoto temples

1. April 2019 18:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

There are lots of temples in Kyoto. This is mainly because the city wasn't bombed during the second
There are lots of temples in Kyoto. This is mainly because the city wasn't bombed during the second world war.

For historical reasons they are mostly outside the city centre in the hills - apparently they were banned from the city centre long time ago due to the monks growing influence.








1. April 2019 13:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) Kyoto

1. April 2019 13:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The golden pavillion in Kyoto is one of the most iconic sights in Kyoto. It is a small zen temple su
The golden pavillion in Kyoto is one of the most iconic sights in Kyoto. It is a small zen temple surrounded by a beautifully manicured landscape.

It is however very touristy with large tour buses and large crowds, but still worth the visit.






1. April 2019 09:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Asiyama at Kyoto

1. April 2019 09:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Asiyama is on the outskirts of Kyoto and this is where people go to see the Bamboo forest but there
Asiyama is on the outskirts of Kyoto and this is where people go to see the Bamboo forest but there is also lots of other things to see in the area such as monkeys and more traditional sights such as temples.


The bamboo forest itself is very crowded and the foot paths are fenced in and to be honest there are so many bamboo forests in Japan in the land districts that it is hard to see why this particular forest is so special.





It is lovely to see people in traditional kimono's being transported in rickshaws.








From the place where there are monkeys, there is also a view of all of Kyoto.
















1. April 2019 09:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Gion District in Kyoto

1. April 2019 09:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The Gion district in Kyoto is the traditional Geisha district and one of the very few places in Japa
The Gion district in Kyoto is the traditional Geisha district and one of the very few places in Japan where it is still possible to spot Geishas and see them perform.


It is a lovely little district with all its narrow lanes and old traditional wooden buildings.



We went there a late afternoon and were lucky enough to see a couple of Geishas heading out to perform.




Later in the evening we went to a performance where they both had Geishas perform as well as some traditional Japanese theatre, comedy and tea ceremony.


















Perfect Moments Photography | A Rene Pallesen Journal

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27. March 2002 11:14
by Rene Pallesen
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Whale Watching

27. March 2002 11:14 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

whale watching


We went with Donna and Sandra up to Port Stephens to go Whale watching.

It was a great day (very cold) and we saw lots of whales.

Click here to see more photos Click here to see more photos from: Whale Watching/Slideshow

27. March 2002 11:03
by Rene Pallesen
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Climbing in New Zealand

27. March 2002 11:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

climbing in new zealand


I went climbing with Andy in New Zealand. We flew onto the glacier at Pioneer hut with a skiplane.

We attempted a couple of peaks in the area but were mainly unsuccessful due to sloshy conditions and late starts. Andy eventually insisted going down after taking a bit of a slide after taking a bit of a slide. We did however get a little bit of climbing done.

Click here to see more photos

Click here to see more photos Click here to see more photos from: Climbing in New Zealand/Slideshow

16. September 2001 11:10
by Rene Pallesen
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My Friends in Denmark . . .

16. September 2001 11:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

my friends in denmark


Believe it or not, I still have quite a few friends in Denmark. I would like to put photos of all of them here - unfortunately I do not have photos of all of them. If you are one of my friends and your photo is not on this page then please do not despair - I still consider you a friend, and maybe, the next time I go to Denmark, I shall have photos of you all!

Kenneth in kitchen


Here is one of my best friends in Denmark. This photo was taken quite a while ago, before I came to Australia.


Kenneth is now living here in Sydney, on the beautiful Manly beach - only about a half hour away from me. Kenneth came to stay with me a few months ago. He was trying out a new job, and actually came back! He is going to give Australia a go, to see if he likes it like I do. No more biting winters, lots of warmth and sunshine, beautiful mountains and bush to explore... and I think he has discovered, there are lots of friends to make - especially the pretty fun-going ones with two legs and a skirt! *smile*

He is actually a pretty good cook. Whist he stayed in my apartment for a couple of months, he cooked pot roast with gorgonzola sauce, and also gave a wonderful 3-course dinner for a small group of friends here. About two years after I arrived in Australia, I returned to Denmark for a visit. On the day I arrived in Denmark, he threw together a party for me!

Ester







Here is Ester, another one of my friends.


She is a fashion designer and paints some wonderful paintings.



Me!



Naturally at parties, there was quite a large amount of beer being consumed (how can you not?? - not possible to have a party otherwise in Denmark.


It was nice to taste one of the annual Christmas beers from Tuborg.
Created: Jan 2000 Last Updated: 16 Sept 2001

28. July 2001 11:11
by Rene Pallesen
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Photo Gallery

28. July 2001 11:11 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

photo gallery

Photo Gallery

I have placed photos here - those I could not fit on the respective webpages.



Schwedagon
Big Stuba at nightBig StubaBig Stuba at night
Schwedagon 1Schwedagon 2Schwedagon 3


Mandalay
Mandalay facing eastMandalay HillMandalay Fortress


Marionet
Puppet Show 1Puppet Show 2
Musicians


Volleyball



Created: 3 Nov 2001

28. July 2001 10:52
by Rene Pallesen
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South East Asia ( 24 July ~ 24 August 2001 ) . . .

28. July 2001 10:52 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

south east asia 24 july 24 august 2001





Map of area I went to

I initially made plans to explore Burma and then make my way across the border into western China at Burma's only border crossing up north. I had not made any definite plans wanted to play it by ear... but in the end my trip consisted of Thailand, Cambodia and restricted areas to Burma.

I was away for a total of 5 weeks and must admit that parts of my trip really frustrated me - there were many restrictions in Burma and being in Bangkok at times stressed me because of all the tourists and crowds. I really only went to Cambodia to see the magnificent Angkor Wat - actually I really did enjoy being there. I think my most enjoyable part of the trip was the days I had climbing on the secluded areas of Krabi.

Burma - Temples at SchwedagonCambodia - Angkor WatThailand - Scuba-diving at Krabi
Burma
(23 Jul ~ 5 Aug)



Cambodia
(6 ~ 10 Aug)
Page available soon
Thailand

Page available soon








28. July 2001 10:51
by Rene Pallesen
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Monkeys . . .

28. July 2001 10:51 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

monkeys
There were quite a lot of monkeys at Mt Popa.





Mother & Baby Monkey

Monkeys fighting

Mother feeding baby monkey

The photo above in the middle, shows monkeys that look like they are playing around. They are actually fighting monkeys and can be very dangerous because they bite and also snatch things from you.

They were rather oblivious to me being there, until the flash on my camera went off. Then their attention was on me and they were ready to attack.

I adopted the “monkey mentality” - avoid eye contact and move away backwards - the only way to stop the monkeys from attacking is to not look at them.



Monkey 1

Sitting Monkey

Monkey with eyes closed

Monkey Portrait!

28. July 2001 10:50
by Rene Pallesen
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Burma Up North (continued) . . .

28. July 2001 10:50 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

burma up north continued
Volleyball Player Photo 1



Whilst I was up north, I watched a rather interesting game of volleyball.

I have never seen such dexterity and agility amongst the players!

It was amazing to see how flexible these guys were.

Volleyball Player Photo 2

Volleyball Player Photo 3Volleyball Player Photo 4
Volleyball Player Photo 5Volleyball Player Photo 6

Volleyball Player Photo 7Volleyball Player Photo 8

Volleyball Player Photo 9Volleyball Player Photo 10

Volleyball Player Photo 11

28. July 2001 10:50
by Rene Pallesen
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Mt Popa . . .

28. July 2001 10:50 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

mt popa
Mt Popa



There is a monastry on Mt Popa - a hill located 50km away from Bagan.

When I was there, it was a cloudy day.

Woman selling petrified wood at Mt Popa

I ran into a woman selling petrified wood - quite silly really, considering the place was covered with it.



Road sign

They must think tourists are stupid! *laugh* I managed to pick up a couple of small pieces to take back with me.


As you can see, there are stacks of them around.

And no... this is not a tombstone.
This is actually a road sign.


Example of petrified wood

You would be surprised how big some of these pieces are - this piece below was actually about a metre long and 40cm wide.

Toilet in Burma

Actually what I found interesting were the toilets in Burma.


My girlfriend tells me that squatting over a toilet is quite common in Asia.

In many of the city areas, they would have toilets as we know them, and they would also have a carved hole in the ground, on which either side, one places their feet on.

Toilets in the rural area are more crude than that - a hole leading into a gaping pit.

However, what I found interesting about these toilets were that recycled running water was used to wash away any excrement. The water is first used for washing one self and then used in the toilets.

As there were a few toilet cubicles a row, sometimes you would see the excrement from a toilet uphill go beneath you! *laugh*

Very clever and environmental system, I think!

Me at Mt Popa



Trying to grab a snooze... *smile*


Like Schweddagon, most of this is real gold as well.

And yes, there is a monkey sitting near my head.

If you click to the next page, you will see that I have taken a series of photos of the monkeys.

28. July 2001 10:49
by Rene Pallesen
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Puppet Show . . .

28. July 2001 10:49 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

puppet show
Puppet Show




I saw the most interesting puppet show, known as the “Mandalay Marionettes”

There were 2 or 3 puppeteers out the front, with a live band of musicians.

Unfortunately, it was more of a show for the tourists, rather than the locals.

It cost 1,000 chats or US$2 per show.






4 men manipulating the marionettes A child posing as a 'puppet'
The Marionettes



Lots of bright lights

28. July 2001 10:49
by Rene Pallesen
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Burma Up North . . .

28. July 2001 10:49 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

burma up north
Map of Northern Burma


View from train


I decided take a 20-hour train-ride to Myitkyinã *laugh* it took 20-hours to get there by train because there was only one track.


It was definitely faster to run next to the train than to travel in it!

We had to wait for the oncoming train to return before we could travel north.

At one point, we crossed a bridge that was so rickety that I thought it would collapse any moment!

Working in the rice fields






Locals working in the rice fields.

Working in the rice fields





Locals using water-buffaloes to plough rice fields.

Jrrawaddy River




The train travelled along the Jrrawaddy River.


It would have been nice if I was able to travel to Mandalay via a riverboat down the Jrrawaddy River.

People living on lake




It was amazing to find out that people live “on” these lakes, by building houses on stilts.


This sort of housing is quite common in many parts of Asia, especially areas where monsoons quite frequently flood an area.

It is also very environmentally-sound, I think, and hurts the land less.

Most of the houses are made of wood.

Myitkyina in rain






Myitkyinã is pretty dismal in rain!




There is a huge drug problem in Burma, especially through the crossings into China.


I have scanned a copy of a recent newspaper article about this problem in Burma.