Hi I'm confusedmiked, and am based in the UK.
I've been an active Wikimepedian for a while now.
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Contents
- 1 New pages
- 2 Major Updates
- 3 People to Read About
- 4 Books to Read
- 5 General Cool People
- 6 Intriguing people
- 7 Films to see
- 8 Amended pages
- 9 Travel Plans
- 9.1 Train timetable
- 9.2 Vietnam
- 9.3 Cambodia
- 9.4 Laos
- 9.5 Thailand
- 9.6 Bangkok Hanggliding
- 10 Flags
- 11 Flight codes
- 11.1 Tibet Flights
- 11.2 Flights
- 11.3 World Heitage sites
- 12 Total Distace travelled =
- 13 Favourite Links
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New pages
These are pages that I have started from scratch, and other wikipedians have helped me with
- Papa Lazarou
- 1984_Libyan_Embassy_Siege
- Butare
- Michael Rosen
- DMZ (Vietnam)
- Cop Killer controversy
- Unfinished Sympathy
- Bristol Urban Culture - this one is top
Major Updates
People to Read About
- Nietzsche - German philosopher famous for ubermench and God is dead quote
- Marcel Proust - French author, Graham Greene called the greatest nobelist of 20th C
- Kafka - Czech author. Must see film selftitled directed by Soderburg
- Dostoevsky - Russian author
- Homer - Real person? Must read Odyssey and Illyad
Books to Read
- Why I am not a Christian, by Bertrand Russell
- History of China
- Kim by Rudyard Kipling
General Cool People
- Richard Dawkins
- Stewart Lee
- Bertrand Russell
- John Pilger
- Noam Chomsky
- Michael Moore
- Mark Thomas
- Martin Luther King
- Charles Darwin
- Nelson Mandela
- Robert Kennedy
- Christopher Hitchens (before 9/11)
- Aung San Suu Kyi
- Ghandi
Intriguing people
- Newton
- Mao
- Ghengis Khan
- Sigmund Freud
- Alain Delon
Films to see
Amended pages
- Human rights in the United Kingdom
- The League of Gentlemen (comedy)
- John Pilger
- Brian Haw
- Frank Skinner
Please note, that this is just a sample, and a full list is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Contributions&target=Confusedmiked
And this is a seperate section on travel
Travel Plans
http://www.seat61.com/China.htm Seat 61 advice about travel in China
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china-trains/display1.asp?from1=beijing&to1=taishan&Submit32=SUBMIT
Train timetable
Beijing to taishan -7/8 hrs $28 soft $18 hard
Taishan to xian 14hrs $47 soft $30 hard
Xi'an to chengdu 16 hrs $35 soft $22 hard (non a/c $15/$22)
Chengdu
Total $110 beijing to chengdu
Alternatives
Alternative 1
taishan to chengdu 1 day 10 hrs $50 soft $33 soft non a/c
alternative 2
beijing to chengdu 1 day 7 hrs $77 soft $50 hard
alternative 3 - by boat
taishan to shanghai 12 hrs $39 (25 hard)
(then boast shanghai to nanjing)
nanjing - xian 13-19 hrs $50 ($30 hard)
beijing to chengdu $152 train total
Bus golmud to Lhasa $200 or 1600 Yuan return including permits
Tai Shan
East Route: "Serenity" characterizes the east route. It is the best option to take for a climb up Mount Taishan. Many cultural relics and historic sites bear witness of the past history. Attractions include Dai Zong Archway, the place where Confucius had ever visited, Jing Shi Valley, Hu Tian Pavilion, Mid-heaven Gate, Five Pines Pavilion and Eighteen Bends.
¥ 82 for the East Route. ¥ 102 for the West Route + ¥ 38 for the bus fares
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shandong/taian/mt_taishan.htm
Tibet
Kunming
- Good general info on Indo China:
http://www.travelindependent.info/indochina.htm
Vietnam
some info here
Official government info here Fansipan is branded "the Roof of Indochina" at the height of 3,143m; Fansipan is to be approved as one of the very few eco-tourist spots of Vietnam, with about 2,024 floral varieties and 327 faunal species. - Claim it will take 6 -7 days to reach summit
- Independent info http://www.summitpost.org/show/mountain_link.pl/mountain_id/4443 here] - Claim it will take 3 days - also the verdict of woman at guesthouse. The Trail:
Day1: You start going through several different valleys with a lot of lush jungle. The first day entails 2-4 hours of hiking. There is typically a lot of mud so come prepared. You might have the option of moving up to a high camp but the camp right by the river is beautiful. Enjoy the river to clean off( it is a btit nippy) Day2: From the camp you pretty much go straight up the mountain side. It is a mixture of light 3rd class rock, root and tree climbing. The trail can be very slick and there are a lot of spots where the trail drops off. If you have trouble with heights you might not want to consider this hike.From the camp it takes 2-5 hours to reach the summit. Going up is not to bad but if it rained recently the trial can be very slick. Coming down is whre you want to be careful. Day3: From the camp it takes about 3 hours to get down, bec areful about grabbing on to the grass if the trail is slick it will tear up you hands. When you reach the bottom you will end up in a beautiful hill tribe village
- Map
- Lonely Planet Guide
- Island near Hanoi
- Get around by train "While sometimes train travel can be slower than bus travel, it is safer and more relaxed, and you're likely to have decent legroom. There are several types of train, including the famous Reuinification Express; but think twice before you take a crowded, snail-paced local train. Petty theft can be a problem on trains, especially in budget class. Children throwing things at carriages, everything from rocks to cow dung, is another problem, and you're advised to keep the metal shield on the window in place."
- Vietnam War
- ""It is better to sacrifice everything than to live in slavery" said Ho Chi Minh
- Passers-by stop to watch as flames envelope a young Buddhist monk, Saigon, October 5th, 1963. here
- "The North Vietnamese had been winning the public relations battle; it had implemented a massive agricultural reform program which distributed land to peasant farmers, and the people of the South took notice. President Eisenhower noted in his memoirs:
"I have never talked or corresponded with a person knowledgeable in Indochinese affairs who did not agree that had elections been held at the time of the fighting, possibly 80 per cent of the population would have voted for the communist Ho Chi Minh." http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Background-to-the-Vietnam-War
- "in 1984, chemical companies that manufactured the Agent paid $180m into a fund for United States veterans following a lawsuit" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4494347.stm
- "Vietnamese plaintiffs have condemned a US court's decision to dismiss their legal action against manufacturers of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. " http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4339419.stm
- Professor Nhan, the former president of the Vietnamese Red Cross, denounced the action as "a massive violation of human rights of the civilian population, and a weapon of mass destruction".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3798581.stm
- "In Vietnam, there are 150,000 other children like him, whose birth defects - according to Vietnamese Red Cross records - can be readily traced back to their parents' exposure to Agent Orange during the war, or the consumption of dioxin-contaminated food and water since 1975.
VAVA estimates that three million Vietnamese were exposed to the chemical during the war, and at least one million suffer serious health problems today. " http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3798581.stm
- Famous picture of a girl running here
Twenty-five years later, the young girl running naked from her village, Phan Thi Kim Phuc, was named a UNESCO goodwill ambassador.
- My Lai Massacre
- Map of My Lai
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mylai/MYL_MAPS.html
- Account of travel to My Lai
http://www.traveladventures.org/continents/asia/mylai.shtml
- My Lai peace park project:
http://www.mylaipeacepark.org/index.html
www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat=15.1833&lon=108.8833&scale=1000000&icon=x (seems right next to Quang Ngai)
- Can't seem to find any hostels online or in guidebook for My lai or Quang Ngai
but there are hostels at two nearest cities - Hoi An and Qui Nhon, both approx 100km from Quang Ngai
- Apocalypse Now. Set in Vietnam, and Cambodia, travelling up the Mekong River. "the Philippine Army helicopters used for shooting were constantly called back by President Ferdinand Marcos to be used in actual combat, the lead role was recast (Martin Sheen replaced Harvey Keitel after shooting had begun), Sheen then had a near-fatal heart attack, Brando was intractable and out of shape, and Coppola himself was mentally fragile."
Cambodia
- Cambodia border crossings:
here
- Be aware of risk of theft. Buy and use locks
- Map
- Lonely Planet Guide Street crime remains a problem in the capital - take particular care at night and travel by taxi rather than moto or cyclo. Petty crime is a problem in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, so be aware.
- Pol Pot Khmer Rouges
Laos
White water rafting or
Thailand
Bangkok
Bangkok Hanggliding
Thailand Package & Price
Level 8 - "First time paraglider course"
Learn at our school one hour from Bangkok.
By the end of this course you will have learnt how to set-up, launch and land your paraglider for short flights (approx. 10m altitude).
- This course can be used as an Introduction to Paramotoring.
10,000 Baht. (240 dollars or 140 pounds)
4 Days, 3 Nights.
Ground handling and first flights.
Included - Transfers,
http://www.extremesportscafe.com/paragliding_courses.html
Excellent website:
http://www.extremesportscafe.com/paragliding_thailand.html
Flags
[[
Flag Line has:
- Rwanda Flag patch
- Estonia Flag patch
- But not Uganda or Mongolia.
Ebay does have :
- a Mongolia flag here, image here
- And a Uganda patch
- Ebay [WorldColors] charges $3.75/patch plus $2 for 1st shipping. $1 for every additional shipping. Size: 1.5"X2.5"
- World colors has every flag except Rwanda. For the 3 it would be (3.75 * 3) + 4 = $15.25 or about 10 pounds. For 2 it would be (3.75 * 2) + 3 = $10.5.
- Flagline [charges] $2 for up to $10, and #3.75 for above that, plus $3 for all international shipping. So 1,2 and 3 would be $5 (shipping). The flags themselves are $2.50 and Actual size is approximately 2.25" x 3.5". So 1 would be $7.50, 2 would be $10.
- Getting 2 from World colors and 2 from Flagline would be $10.5 + $10 = $20.5
- Getting 3 from World colors and 1 from Flagline would be $15.25 + $7.50 = $22.75
- Tinas store on ebay has Mongolia, Estonia.
- Worldcolors on ebay has Mongolia, Estonia, Uganda
- Flagline has Rwanda, Estonia
- Patchesmart] has Mongolia, Estonia, Uganda. but expensive
- Also note flagline is right size, World colors slightly smaller.
- NB: Now have Mongolia, Uganda.
STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS Now only need to buy Rwanda patch and Estonia, both from Flagline, for a total of only $10
Flight codes
Hong Kong HGK Hanoi HAN Lhasa LXA Beijing PEK
Tibet Flights
Flights Leave Lhasa, Tibet No. Departure Via Type Day Dep. Time Arr. Time SZ4402 Chengdu / A340 Daily 09:30 11:15 SZ4406 Chengdu / B757 6 12:35 14:20 SZ4404 Chengdu / A340 Daily 08:45 11:35 SZ4111 Beijing Chengdu A340 Daily 16:00 20:40 SZ4311 Guangzhou Chongqing B757 2 13:55 18:25 SZ4218 Xi'an Xining B757 1,3,5,7 15;20 19:05 SZ4811 Shanghai Xi'an, Xining B757 1,2,4,6 13:45 20:05 SZ4410 Qamdo / B757 7 09:30 10:25 SZ4430 Chengdu Deqen, Kunming B757 3,6 09:35 14:00 SZ407 Kathmandu / B757 2,4,6 09:40 11:00 from: http://www.chinaplanner.com/tibet/general/fly_ll.htm
Direct flight beijing to lhasa $250 (CNY 2090) (140 pounds) http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china-flights/display2.asp?from1=BEIJING&to1=LASA&dt1=0000&dt2=2400&Submit=Submit
http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi Currency convertor
Flights
China Airlines is for outside of China Air China is for internal flights Can't buy flight over the internet
Cambodia
Pol Pot
World Heitage sites
World Heitage sites in China http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Asia_and_Australasia#China
World Heitage sites in Lao Town of Luang Phrabang
Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape
World Heitage sites in Thailand
Ban Chiang Archaeological Site Historic City of Ayutthaya and Associated Historic Towns Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns hungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries Dong Phaya Yen – Khao Yai Forest Complex
Total Distace travelled =
London - Tallinn (Estonia) 1788 km Tallinn - St Petersburg (Russia) 320 km St Petersburg - Moscow 636 km Moscow - Ulaan Baatar - Beijing 7925 km
Above using indo.com Below using geobytes.com
Beijing - Tai Shan 12237 km - this must be wrong Tai Shan - Xi'An
Tai Shan 1545 metres high (Everest is 8850 metres high) - only 20% of the height of everest
Favourite Links
