4D / 3N Laos Travel Itinerary ============================= Day 1 - 18th December 2006 -------------------------- Singapore - Bangkok - Udon Thani -- More

4D / 3N Laos Travel Itinerary ============================= Day 1 - 18th December 2006 -------------------------- Singapore - Bangkok - Udon Thani -- Vientiane 7.45AM: Singapore Changi International Airport, Budget Terminal 9.15AM: Depart Singapore by Tiger Airways Flight TR 102 10.30AM: Arrival at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport 11AM: Free & Easy, Lunch on own 2.45PM: Gather at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Domestic Airport 4.15PM: Depart Bangkok by Thai AirAsia Flight FD 3364 5.15PM: Arrival at Udon Thani International Airport 5.45PM: Board Chartered Bus to Nongkhai, Thai-Lao custom for immigration procedures 7PM: Thai-Lao custom for immigration clearance 7.30PM: Check-In, B & P Hotel 7.45PM: Dinner buffet at a restaurant along Mekong river 9PM: Free & Easy Overnight in Vientiane. Day 2 - 19th December 2006 -------------------------- Vientiane City Tour 7 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. 8 AM: After breakfast, explore Vientiane city and visit major insights of the capital: * The famous and sacred structure of That Luang Stupa. * Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane's own Arc de Triumph. * The Vientiane Central Market of Talad Sao where the Laotians and tourists shop for textiles, Lao sinh and souvenirs. 12.30 PM: Lunch at a typical coffeeshop * The former royal temple of Wat Prakeo previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Image. * The oldest Wat Sisaket with thousands of miniature Buddha statues. 3 PM: Continue Vientiane City Tour to the village area to see peaceful Mekong river and how the Laotians lead their daily lives. * Visit Ban Sikhaitha and Ban Lao (Lao Traditional house), infrastructure constructed purely by wood. 4-6PM: body and/or foot massage 7 PM: Welcome Dinner cum Interaction at a Chinese restaurant with Singapore embassy staff and SSEAYP Laos Alumni 8.30PM: Free & Easy Overnight in Vientiane. Day 3 - 20th December 2006 -------------------------- Vientiane - Vang Vieng - Vientiane 7 AM: Breakfast at hotel. 8 AM: heading out of the city and make our way to Vang Vieng. Along journey, enjoy beautiful traditional villages along the road. 11 PM: Lunch at Ban Sabai guesthouse, Xayoh Café restaurant. 12 PM: sightseeing around Vang Vieng. Option 1 -- Kayaking around the Namsong river. Explore the rich eco-tourism in Vang Vieng and the sceneries of the beautiful mountains. Option 2 -- Caving to Pou Kham (Gold Crab caves) to see the Gold-plated Sleeping Buddha statue inside and see the unique structure of the dark, cold caves. 3 PM: Depart Vang Vieng and return to Vientiane. 6.30PM: Return B & P Hotel to get changed. 7.15PM: Depart for dinner 7.30PM: Dinner buffet at a 'Sin Dard' restaurant. The term 'Sin Dard' refers to table barbeque for the Laotians. Weather temperature expected to be at 18 degrees as December is the winter season in Laos. 8.30PM: Free & Easy Overnight in Vientiane. Day 4 - 21 December 2006 ------------------------ Vientiane - Udon Thani Airport - Bangkok - Singapore 7AM: Breakfast at the hotel 8AM: Depart Vientiane to Thai-Lao custom for immigration clearance On the bus journey from Nongkhai to Udon Thani Depart Udon Thani by NOK Air (as abandoned Thai AirAsia Flight FD 3365) in order to arrive at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi for evening Bangkok departure by Tiger Airways Flight TR 119 11.45PM: Arrive Singapore Changi International Airport, Budget Terminal 12AM: Home Sweet Home (With thanks to Elson Lee, the trip planner. )
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A project in need of investors: a bio-pic about Gypsy kid, Jimmy Rosenberg. Child prodigy, Jimmy received a record contract worth $1 million at age More

A project in need of investors: a bio-pic about Gypsy kid, Jimmy Rosenberg. Child prodigy, Jimmy received a record contract worth $1 million at age 15: big mistake! Frank Zappa once lauded kids like Jimmy saying "in Europe, there are little kids who can play circles around US guitarists" :+:+:+: UPDATE -- May 19, 2006 Dear friends, Jimmy is out of jail. We took our caravan down on Monday 15th. to Asten in the South of Holland, where we were made very welcome by the families, in particular by Jimmys mother Engelina. After a fitful nights sleep, we donned our nice clothes and drove the thirty kilometres to the jail which is in the cheerfully named village of Grave. When we arrived, Jimmy had just stepped out of the gates and the television crew from Amsterdam were already filming. We all greeted each other, and Jimmy got on one knee to play on the Harmsworth and Willis spruce top D hole that we had brought down. He had not played a real guitar for five months, having only a nylon stringed toy whilst incarcerated. He went fearlessly into 'Improvisation Number 1' by Django, and it was a perfect start to his new life. From Grave we went into a heavenly cafe for coffee. The cafe proprietor was surprised to find a film crew working whilst we had coffee, and Jimmy played a few beautiful tunes, and off we drove to his Dads house in Gemert, closeby. There, we had the great pleasure of listening to Jimmy play both with Mekki, his father, and Nomy, his younger brother. Considering that they had not seen each other for months, it was hard to find fault in the swinging technicalities of this unique duo. They played for a few hours to everyones great pleasure, especially the film crew, who interviewed him as part of a longer term documentary, and meanwhile, we were making our own film. Later we drove back to his mother, and enjoyed a few more hours of fun, but we declined to drive back to Gemert where an impromptu concert had been arranged. In the morning, we decamped and said farewell to Engelina, and towed the caravan to Gemert for a farewell to Jimmy. We are going to take Jimmy to the Isle of Man, between 19th. and 23rd. June where a music series is being filmed. We hope that good might come from this. If the logistics work out, we shall be at Samois on Saturday 24th. June, with Jimmy and Mekki. Martin Taylor will be at both gigs, Isle of Man, and Samois. Nev Willis, was kind enough to let me have a guitar for Jimmy, but it has to be paid for soon. Thanks must be expressed also to Bjørn who has volunteered to pay the rest of the fine, enabling a new dawn to break for Jimmys future. The film is a mini blockbuster. To anyone familiar with Jimmys playing, I can tell you that it is still on fire, and his new ideas seem to be taking him bang into bebop territory. Look out you guys who have mastered bebop, a new kid is coming to the block, and he is going to make some space for himself. Jimmy has asked me to thank you all for supporting him, especially during his lowest hours, and has promised a new beginning, so keep up the support...
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