Thu, Jul 26, 2012
Beginning of the journey in the south of Thailand at Hat Yai: 8.00 am national anthem at the railway station.Thailand is the only country of South-East Asia which not has been colonized.In the station the portrait of Rama V who introduced the railways in Thailand.In the train to Phatthalung Philippe meets a policeman who wears talismans.Then Philippe joins the Western coast at Ko Libong, there he visits the islands of Trang and they are looking for swallow nests (a very precious food and also expensive 2.000 Euros for 1 kilogram of nests)..Then from Trang to Bangkok 841 kilometers (in 15 hours).Very pleasant talk with a Thai lady about the smile (Thailand is the country of the smile).A moment in the dining-car where Philippe enjoys chicken meat with cashew nuts and listens to a waitress singing karaoke.Arrival in Bangkok: short visit of the Grand Palace, the residence of the kings of Siam and the temple of the Emerald Buddha and also visit of the temple Wat Pho, of the reclining Buddha.At the station Philippe tries a spicy noodle soup and takes a suburban train: they arrive at a huge market on the rails.When a train comes the female vendors take off their vegetables and fruits.Later Philippe takes the train to Lop Buri, in the ruins, in an old cinema and in the shops there are a lot of apes : interesting talk about the cohabitation with the apes.Next stop Sukhothaï, the first capital of Thailand (Rama Kameng), a place with nice monuments and a peace atmosphere.Last stop: a Buddhist monastery, the head monk is a former Thai boxer and young coaches are teaching to young boys Thai boxing (a way to keep them away from the delinquency and the drugs).
Thu, Aug 29, 2013
Beginning of the journey at Ambila, a small train station at the Indian Ocean.Philippe buys a cup of coffee and the woman explains him how she prepares the coffee.In the train to Moramanga Philippe speaks with a woman who makes her own hats (Madagascar is the country of resourcefulness).Then Philippe taxes a "taxi-brousse" to a village feast: there the men try to catch zebus.Return to Moramanga and now by train to Amboasary: there is a special first class wagon of this "TransLemurie Train".At a station a woman sells him a papaw (anona fruit): this train circulates twice a week.In the train a man speaks with Philippe about the "fihavanana" the social tie of all Malagasy people.At the station Philippe meets Jona and they go on a boat to see lemurs in a beautiful landscape of mountains and rivers.Fianarantsoa: Philippe discovers a micheline , a rail car on tires (the engine arrived at Madagascar in 1952) and has a ride in this historical engine.Then Philippe goes to Morondava: the region of the baobabs and participate in a great funerary feast ( the famadihana) in which the families honor their ancestors (every 5, 7, 9 or eleven years): procession, opening of the family vault and change of the shrouds.Finally Philippe takes the train from Fianarantsoa to Manakara : a line which goes through the mountains and forests (about 67 bridges and 50 tunnels): a young woman explains him her respect for their ancestors who have worked in the construction of this railway line.
Thu, Aug 15, 2013
Beginning of the travel in Manilla, a very huge town of 11 millions of inhabitants.Philippe goes to the railway station, buys a ticket: then in the hall the people are queuing and waiting: then in groups of 2 persons there are entering into the suburban train,Philippe enters also and stays among a lot of women.He asked why there are so many women in the wagon and they explain him that this wagon is reserved for the women, but no problems because he is foreigner: these wagon for women have introduced because the women complained about the unpleasant physical contact.So Philippe goes later to the wagon for men where some men understand why the women want to travel between themselves, he sees a woman in this wagon, she explains him that she is with some friends of her and enjoy talking with them, but when the friends will go she will travel in the wagon for women.Then Phlippe stops in a place and takes a jeepney: the passengers explain him that people used old jeep of the US Army and transformed them into small buses with brilliant colors.Then Philippe go to the region of mountains y rice fields by jeepney.Then Philippe has to walk for 2 or 3 hours in the mountains.There in a rice field he meets women who are transplanting rice: the 90 year old woman explains that the women must transplant the rice because the the children go to school and the men have gone to work to the town .Philippe helps them transplanting some rice and they go to the village.Then she tells that she make natural tattoos with soot and water;so the women look nicer (this is a tradition of the Kalinga minority).Philippe notices that the old lady has a tattoo with the name of Francis: she explains that she loved a man called Francis from another tribe, but she could not marry him for the rivalry between tribes (a Romeo and Julia history) and she came back o her village and remained single.Then Philippe takes the train towards Alabang: Philippe speak with the train driver who must honk every time because children and adults are always crossing the line.On the rail Philippe sees "trolleys" ,platforms with seats which moves on the rails from a village to another village : this platform is pushed by a young man (when a train comes, they takes off the "trolley " and then put it again on the tracks.: the women explain that they used this transport instead of walking with heavy weights.Later Philippe visits the Manila North Cemetery: a young man is living in his family vault.Many families live there because they are impoverished and he is hair dresser in this place: they see a burial and Philippe notices that people are moving children above the coffin: the hairdresser explains that the soul of the dead will protect these children.There Philippe travels by train southwards to Legazpi.A passenger explains Philippe that the Mayon Volcano is the symbol of the Philippines,it's like a great lady and besides it's perfectly conical.Philippe goes near the Mayon Volcano which has been active 15 times since 1900 !. There are another 51 active volcanoes in the Philippines. Finally a travel by boat to the island of Coron (3 three days) : then Philippe goes to the mangrove : there a young Filipino shows him how he gets worms from the roots of a mangrove tree: after cleaning the worms (because there are full of mud and sawdust) Philippe and the young man eat the worms.
Thu, Aug 2, 2012
La Paz-Oruro-Uyuni-Sucre-Potosi-Santa Cruz-San José: a journey through Bolivia: pleasant talks in the trains, encounter of Cesar in the Salar of Uyuni, travel in the bus-travel from Sucre to Potosi, great encounter with Richard , a miner of this town, visit of his daily work in the mine.Then travel to Santa Cruz where Philippe takes a train to San Jose de Chiquitos: pleasant talks with the drivers and then at the kilometer 41 from San Jose Philippe meets a Mennonite farmer with his carriage who presents him his family and Philippe will discover the life of these Mennonite people.
Sat, Aug 9, 2014
Beginning of the journey in Auckland: Philippe takes the train from Auckland to Wellington (there are only two trains each day on this line).In the dining car Philippe speaks with a charming Maori-Italian woman about the haka (Kamate Kamate) and she explains that Maori women have also their own haka and proposes him to visit a Maori village.Philippe stops at Taumarunui and goes to Rotorua: a village in volcanic region; he see how Roni and Narmoni, two Maoro women cook a chicken soup with the the steam coming from the earth.They invite him to the public baths where all the villagers take a bath twice a day..Later Philippe hires a little train to reach the place of Whangamomona.He meets the president of the Republic of Whangamomona, a man full of humor who explains him the story of the Republic.Then Philippe takes the train to Wellington, the ferry to Picton, then a train which goes through the Alps of the South: he has very pleasant talks with the passengers about the kiwi, national bird of New Zealand and the kiwi, a fruit imported from China.Then Philippe meets Pete who manages an inn with his wife and is an opossum hunter: the opossum is an invasive animal which doesn't have natural predators in New Zealand.So Pete invites Philippe to go to the mountain with his helicopter.Later Philippe Philippe meets teachers and students who sing to him a Maori song.Finally Philippe ends his journey in Kaikoura: with marine biologists he is watching at dolphins and also diving among them.
Thu, Aug 8, 2013
This travel in the northern part of Brasil begins in Salvador : in a suburban train Philippe meets a group of musicians who is playing samba.Then Philippe explains that Salvador, a very rich many years ago is note a quiet town: about 365 churches in all the town: but one of these churches is dedicated to the Lord of Bonfim: he meets a catholic priest who is blessing cars.Then the people have come to the church to ask for a help and Philippe can see the room of the miracles where people hang a plastic hand or a plastic leg to thank for their recovery.Then Philippe appears in the north of Brazil near the border with the French Guyane in the town of Pedra Branca do Amapari.He will take a train to Santana.In the train he meets a young man who collects the fruits of the açai palm tree:Philippe goes with him into the forest and sees how is climbing 20 meters tall palm trees.Then the train arrives at Santana , on the Amazon River.To go further Philippe takes a great boat.Instead of chairs every passenger has his hammock.The people on board are very friendly.Philippe stops in the island of Marajó, which area (40.100 square kilometers) is similar to that one of Switzerland.He meets policemen riding on buffaloes and Philippe is invited to ring a buffalo with them.The buffalo can walk in the swamps and marshes.Then Philippe visit shortly Belem, a famous town in the time of rubber plantations.Philippe has learn that there is a great train in Carajas: the biggest iron ores mine in the world; the train carries iron minerals to the Atlantic Ocean.But the rails cross the territory of Parcateges.Philippe meets then a chief of the tribe who explain him the life in the Amazonian forest.
Thu, Jul 25, 2013
Some famous places: Rangoon, Mandalay, Bagan, the Gokteik viaduct, the Imle Lake , the Golden Rock and also small places Kyaukme (where Philippe begins his travel), the suburbs of Rangoon, Kalaw and little villages. Very nice encounters: the palm reader in Kyaukme, the lady praying when the train was crossing the Gokteik viaduct, the family who prepares gold leaves, the medium in a small village, the flowers women who spoke for the first time with a foreigner, the women in the train explaining why they use thanaka powder on their faces, the women on the railway tracks selling corn or watermelon, the family living on stilt house at the Imle lake, the young women who went to the Golden Rock explaining their faith. Very nice landscapes: Bagan with its pagoda, the countryside from a very slow train or the fishing on the Imle lake.
Thu, Jul 28, 2011
Beginning of the journey in Ho Chi Minh Ville or Saigon: great traffic of scooters (about 6 millions of scooters), A short look at the old French buildings: Notre Dame de Saigon, the Town Hall, the Post Office, the Opera.Now Philippe goes to the railway station: he sees how people send their scooters to another station.Meeting with a woman and talk about the smile (the best thing that we can give to other persons).Another encounter: two Buddhist nuns.Arrival at Da Nang.Philippe meet at Mi-Son Mr. Tien who shows him this religious center of the Chams (a civilization from the second to 15 the century).Then Philippe goes fishing with a young man in his round basket.Philippe takes the train to Hué: women who sell products to the passengers are travelling on the roofs of the wagons.At Hué visit of the Imperial City (palaces, mausoleums, tombs).Then Philippe meets Chung t, the Buddhist nun, they prepare food and have a nice talk about peace and smiling.Then train to Hanoi: a short moment with a young woman who lives very near of the railway tracks.Then Philip goes to the Old Hanoi (32 specialized streets).He meets a woman who speaks French and is buying gifts for her ancestors (banknotes, gold bars, cell phones, houses, cars) and later they burn all these gifts n a metal box on the street.
Thu, Jul 30, 2015
Beginning of the travel in Rio de Janeiro.First Philippe see the town from a mountain: the beaches, the bays, the famous Sugarloaf Mountain, the statue of Christ the Redeemer.Philippe has decided to take a suburban train and visit the favela of Rocinha: there he meets Peanut, a man who has helped the people of this favela to get electricity and water in their homes.Back to the suburban train he meets a young man who has been inspired by his meetings in train and has become writer.Then Philippe goes to another favela by cable car: women explain him how their life have changed this this new cable car: they spend less time to go to center of Rio o to come back.In the favela Philippe meets women in a candomblé ceremony: these African-Brazilian women communicate with the spirits of their ancestors.The oldest woman was speaking a language coming from Angola because she was communicating with an ancestor of Angola.Then Philippe starts a new train travel in Curitiba: a train which goes through the Atlantic tropical forest.At Paranaguá Philippe goes with a fisherman, they see dolphins and try to catch fishes.Then comes the train travel from Belo Horizonte to Vitoria: a touristic train who goes through mountains , forests and they also can see a great iron ores mine.Philippe meets a couple who has known themselves in his train and now they invited their children to discover the joy of traveling by train.Philipe goes to Ouro Preto where he sees a great celebration of African-Brazilian for their ancestors: there is a nice church which was constructed by a miner and former slave.
Thu, Aug 23, 2018
Beginning of the journey in Taipei: at the central railway station a great space for encounters: people sitting on the floor talking, eating and drinking.Philippe takes a suburban train: there he meets women wearing face masks (a protection against the air contamination specially in crowded places).Then Philippe goes to a temple: young people are praying to Yue Lao (the old man under the moon, god of the marriage and love) and they hope to meet a good companion.Later Taipei by night, a festival of lights.In a night market Philippe tries to eat stinky tofu.Then Philippe travels to Alishan and takes the train at 4.30 am. to Zhushan: a lady explains him that all the people have come to see the sunrise.In the forest of Alishan Philippe meets a maintenance team who is changing the railway sleepers, then they see with him sacred trees (Taiwan red cypress-Chamaecyparis formosensis); specially two 2000 years old trees : couples come here hoping that these sacred trees will give them a long marriage.Philippe leaves the mountains and in the countryside he meets in a colorful village a drum producer who will tune a great drum for a Buddhist temple.In Taichung Philippe takes the high speed train (Shinkansen technology) to Taipei.Later Philippe visits a cat paws house; records made with cat meowing.Later Philippes takes the Taipei underground and notices that the train is very clean: it's forbidden to eat or to drink in the underground.Philippe speaks with a passenger about the respect of the law in Taiwan.In this train Philippe meets a young woman with a Lolita fashion clothing, she invites him to go to a Lolita fashion clothing shop and all the young Lolitas and Philippe dressed as a prince have a photo shooting.