Departing from Japan, I expect to fly to Singapore and after a couple of days there take a bus to Kualalumpur. Spend some time in Malaysia, Brunei, and then continue to Thailand , Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam. From there it's on to Hong Kong, Macau, PRC, Mongolia, Taipeh, and finally back to Japan for my return trip to the USA.

There is a new rail line into Tibet, which is another place on my itinerary. The train is called the Lhasa Express.

Japan

I expect to depart in early April and return sometime in June (I'm counting on 70 - 90 days). Exact dates TBD, contingent on local developments, e.g. where I am in my home search and purchase. Potential move back to Ventura County, now that property values have come back into reach, even there. I like the ocean-side lifestyle. I'll even dump the Porsche, to get the lowest possible house payment and a house in the area I want. I can always buy another used Porsche later, once I have my house. What might keep me local are the clubs, instructors, friends and acquaintances, and having become pretty comfortable here. However, there are two clubs in the Oxnard/Camarillo area and I am familiar with both of them, and the easy access to LA and all it has to offer, as well as the bicycle-along-the-beach and ocean swimming opportunities are a great plus for Ventura County. I'll have to weigh all of the pros and cons for both areas over the next few months.

Visas (Burma, China, Vietnam) are good for three months from date of issuance, so I will get that process started within a month or two of travel. In other countries, such as Cambodia, for example, you buy your visa t the airport. Many other countries require no visa at all. Hong Kong and Macao have no visa requirement. The PRC Communist leadership, that profits wildly from the shop-til-you-drop- H.K. economy and the gambling and nightlife of Macao, decided that there would be no visa requirement for those two special administration areas of China.

I have to get in line for a Space-A seat on a military transport (destination Yokota AFB, Japan), and find a way to get to Travis AFB (Fairfield, CA) the night before and hopefully get on-base temporary quarters. In due time I will drive there and see what the deal is, and what the current security requirements to be met are. As a military retireeI do qualify for a seat. That's a fact and one of the few remaining valuable benefits we retirees have.

I will have to purchase JR rail passes (link above) which, like Eurail passes, can only be purchased outside of Japan. Another pass would be a Tokyo: Toei one-day travel passes, which include any type of tranportation inside of the city limits and in one case, include a JR East rail pass as well. All bought in local stations (vending machines).

Traveling almost exclusively off-season will make the trip a little easier as far as reservation go. I won't have any, since I won't exactly know when I will be in whatever country or town.

In view of the injuries that I sustained when I was hit by a car, while walking to teach a class, I will try to change the size of my backpack. I want to travel lighter with a more compact backpack. However, I will have to have some heavy hiking boots with me, as well as some light-weight cold weather gear, for high altitudes, as well as stuff for the jungles and moderate climates. Although, the latter can be purchased anywhere. I may want to pre-position, or at least temporaily store, the heavier stuff with friends, so that I have it when I need it, but won't have to lug it all over.

Right now I show 77 days (incl. Burma), add to that some travel time, and if going by mil transport, some delays for that. I do have the liberty to enxtend or shorten any stay anywhere or add or drop a country or two. That's why I loosely estimate 70 - 90 days. Being flexible will make this or any other trip more successful.

In time you will see another matrix/table here which will have all of the countries listed. If you click on any one of them, you will see the exact itinerary, hotels, modes of transportation, and days in-country. That matrix will end up my personal, printed (and on-line) travel guide which I intend to follow pretty strictly - to keep the whole thing under control. While I plan to visit the locations I show here, the final matrix will most likely differ in parts. Because of its level of detail that one will take some time to develop.

So, you ask,' Why not Indonesia?' Because that one, as well as Bali and New Guinea, will be part of a trip to Australia and New Zealand a couple of years later.

Note: I just did not believe that Macao, being only under China's administration at this time, would not have it's own flag. Then I did find it, and when you click on it, you can see it there and the story of the change of power ceremony from Portugal to China. I then figured out a way to animate it via my Lightwave 3D software.