Share your travels with us! Send your vacation selfies to jburrell@bayareanewsgroup. com. Be sure to tell us who’s who, where they’re from and where you are, and include a couple of travel tips to help your fellow readers globe-trot, too. We’ll publish the best of the best over the coming months.
COURTESY OF THE NGUYEN FAMILY
MYANMAR: A recent trip took took Fremont residents Diane and John Nguyen to the white Hsinbyume Pagoda in Mingun. “The pagoda was built in 1816 by King Bagyidaw,” John says. “It’s located approximately 6miles northwest of Mandalay. You can easily get there by bus or taxi.”TRAVEL TIPS: “Be prepared for hot weather in summer — 90 degrees plus. Bring a lot of sunscreen, hats and an umbrella. The country is very safe to visit and people are very friendly.”
COURTESY OF MAURICE KRUMREY
ENGLAND: Fremont residents Maurice Krumrey and his wife, Kathy O’Sullivan, visited the Tower of London on a recent trip to London.TRAVEL TIPS: “In London, there are few, if any, free public toilets, especially in the Underground stations,” Maurice says. “You have to pay, usually about 30p to get in, so always carry some change. Only rarely are there machines that can give you change for a 1 pound coin. One time it cost us a pound to pee :-). If you stay at a hotel, ask if the bathroom has heated towel racks, because public laundromats are not very common. If the hotel has a heated rack, you can wash your underwear, socks and T-shirts in the bathroom sink, then hang them on the rack to easily dry overnight.”
COURTESY CAROLINE LIAO
PERU: A short-term mission team from the Bay Area — from left, San Ramon residents Paul Li and Jingyu Lin, Livermore’s Caroline Hsiung, Walnut Creek’s Lynn Shaw, Danville’s Dora Wong and Pleasanton’s Jason Wang — visited Lima and the surrounding area in the fall. The trip, says Caroline Liao, included “a visit to the Christ of the Pacific statue in the municipality of Chorrillos. A controversial statue that is associated with corruption, it is 9feet shorter than Rio de Janeiro’s famous Christ the Redeemer statue.”TRAVEL TIPS: “In order to avoid highway congestion, take public transportation instead. Stick to the more touristy places, and avoid the southern area. Spanish fluency is a must.”