Ric

About Ric Gazarian

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So far Ric Gazarian has created 510 blog entries.

Bangkok At Night

By |2021-04-16T10:29:12-05:00August 16th, 2014|Categories: Asia, Off The Beaten Path|Tags: , , , , , , |

Bangkok At Night.  A spectacular place to view the Bangkok sunset is State Tower. Resting on the 64th floor is the Sky Bar. A circular, lighted bar seems to be suspended in the sky. A golden dome sits above the bar in an expensive open area. While the drinks are expensive, this is arguably the coolest [...]

Ethiopia: The Good, The Bad, And A Lot Of Ugly

By |2021-04-15T21:03:44-05:00August 5th, 2014|Categories: Africa, Off The Beaten Path|Tags: , , , , , , , |

“You are late. Hurry up,” an unknown man intoned. My face scrunched up. I was an hour and forty-five minute early for my short domestic flight in Ethiopia: Lalibela to Addis Ababa. How was I late? And who was this guy? The Airline He grabbed my bag and dragged it over to the singular counter. The [...]

Walking With The Founders of Tiger Balm

By |2021-04-16T17:28:54-05:00July 27th, 2014|Categories: Asia, Unique Experiences|Tags: , , , , , |

Tiger Balm is a popular ointment with a distinct menthol smell and memorable packaging. When I read the description of Haw Par Villa in Singapore my eyes immediately glazed over. The park is a series of dated statues and dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese mythology, legends and Confucianism. I saw the photos and the words cheesy [...]

Travel For Free

By |2021-04-12T20:21:49-05:00July 20th, 2014|Categories: Advice, Africa|Tags: , , , , |

This is the Holy Grail, travel for free! In a several week period in April, I received about $8,000 in free airline tickets and hotels. I stayed in a hotel I would never typically stay in: Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa. My 1000 square foot overlooking the Indian Ocean was over $700 a night. My [...]

The Roof Of Africa, Simien Mountains

By |2021-04-15T21:11:31-05:00July 7th, 2014|Categories: Africa, Unique Experiences|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

The Simien Mountains, a UNESCO site, are found in northern Ethiopia. The tallest peak is Ras Dashen at 4543 meters in  The Simien Mountains are found on a massive plateau (412 sq km) ranging from 1600m-4543m. Peaks dangerously dive into deep gullies. The most common launching point is Gondar, about a 3 hour drive away. Besides the [...]

Abu Dhabi – Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

By |2021-04-16T15:19:32-05:00July 3rd, 2014|Categories: Asia, Must-See|Tags: , , |

Abu Dhabi - Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.  The UAE also includes Dubai, for a total of 7 emirates. Abu Dhabi is the less flashy, but richer brother to Dubai. The UAE became a unified nation upon the departure of the British, who managed the territory as a protectorate. The UAE is astonishingly wealthy, with a per [...]

Hotel – Be A Rock Star In Bangkok

By |2019-07-06T11:03:22-05:00July 3rd, 2014|Categories: Advice|Tags: , , , , , |

There are too many hotel options in Bangkok.  Too many choices.  But if you want to splurge, consider staying at Lebua at State Hotel.  Have a drink on the 63rd roof deck bar and restaurant.  Why not?  That is where the characters of Hangover II were hanging out.  Otherwise you can take a dip at the [...]

Surreal North Korea

By |2021-04-14T22:40:48-05:00July 1st, 2014|Categories: Asia, Off The Beaten Path|Tags: , , , , , , , |

What do I have in common with Matthew Todd Miller and Jeffrey Edward Fowle? No, we are all not serial killers. But we have all gone on vacation to North Korea. The difference ends there. Miller and Fowle are in jail in North Korea, and I am back home, writing this story. North Korea aka the [...]

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