Members Idea of Paradise - any Suggestions?

[Bill1945]

Hope everyone is having a peaceful and fulfilling Sunday.

Earlier today I corresponded with @jonsie and I mentioned that I thought Hua Hin in Thailand was as near to Paradise as you could find anywhere. We all have places we would love to escape to for peace and tranquility.

However, being home on leave with your family after a 3 month long tour in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a good example of Paradise.

Bill

[jonsie]

Most places in Thailand to be honest. I've done a lot of traveling over the years with my wife, then alone, with my son and with my present wife.

When I and my first wife were younger we only wanted to travel to the US and later in life we were in a position to do so. We loved it and went for a number of years touring the East coast and the West coast by hire car.

Later we discovered cruising so travelled around Europe and the Caribbean and then decided to try the package holidays some 8 or 9 years ago, the ones where you chose your own destinations and how  long you spent in each country. We did this twice, once with friends and once alone incorporating  a week in four different countries. All were Asia based including Australia but Thailand was the only destination we felt we wanted to include in both trips.

After that we had enough of touring and holidays then we're confined to a month in Thailand. ....Paradise without a doubt!

Sadly my wife passed away and after getting over the shock I decided to go alone  on the holiday we had booked together some seven months later. It would have been cancelled but Emirates decided they would only refund the fare for my wife and not myself. With reluctance I went alone only because my son said he would be coming over for a week for my first birthday alone.

After he went back to Germany having dragged me backpacking to Vietnam and Cambodia (still not forgiven him making me possibly one of the oldest ever backpackers) I hired a motorbike and travelled around Southern Thailand. Not extensively because it was my first time on a motorbike for 45 years! 

Because I was retired I then went every three months for three or four months but time back in England just left me wanting to be in Thailand where I had so many risky relationships with so many young ladies both before and after I met my present wife 😂

So I ended up selling my home in England and buying one in Rayong Thailand where my now wife was from. Not a big city but busy enough with relatively few non-native inhabitants and my home is only 2 kms from the beach.

Now due to unforeseen circumstances I'm back in England and it 2 will be another year before I can get back to my wife and my home that I've not seen for a year already.

All the while I'm dreaming about my own idea of Paradise and totally miserable.

[Marjo]

Just caught up with this topic. Depends on my mood and situation I think - at the moment "paradise" would be something that's warm, sunny, relaxed but also stimulating. Perhaps a holiday somewhere in the countryside, +22-25 degrees, sunshine, with access to a lovely pub or cafe nearby. Picnic blanket in the grass, a glass of red wine and nice snacks. Some good company, but not too many people. And also next to the picnic blanket would be a desktop PC with internet access so I could play World of Warcraft and plug in my mobile to charge. On the other side of the blanket there would be a big space for my 2 cats to play around and lots of toys for them as it makes me happy to see them happy. And in the distance, a sauna!

[Glory1]

My idea of paradise a home on Oahu or Maui in Hawaii. Not in the centre of Honolulu as it's far too commercialised and full of tourists.

The islands are very beautiful and always warm, never really hot and humid. And the people are very friendly.

Mind you I'd have to have plenty of money as it's not cheap to live there, but it's always been my dream.

[Daddydoink]

If a Bounty chocolate bar was "the taste of paradise", surely that would mean that the Mars Foods factory was indeed, paradise?

[Cleoriff]

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wrote:

If a Bounty chocolate bar was "the taste of paradise", surely that would mean that the Mars Foods factory was indeed, paradise?

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Oh I disagree. I have visited the Cadburys factory and I can tell you the overwhelming smell of chocolate is absolutely sickening after a while

[Marjo]

When I was a kid we made a school day trip to a chocolate factory a couple of times. We had a tour of the factory and saw all the interesting machinery that they use to make the chocolate. But the best part of course was when we got to the room full of samples. When I left I had my pockets full of sweets too. 

[Anonymous]

I used to take my locality for granted, road riding was just an extension of car driving.. direct here, direct there.

It wasn’t till I took up MTB that I realised how many other places were accessible, things that were always on my doorstep but I’d failed / never bothered to seek out.

I’m finding out that paradise can be found on your doorstep.. if you’re doing something you love. And for me that’s riding a bike!

[Bill1945]

Thank you all for your suggestions,

I must admit that I have reviewed my idea(s) of paradise from the places I love (EG Coche Island off Margarita, Venezuela). I have replaced the beautful warm sand and clear blue sea. 

Following recent events (HMRC/iTunes voucher con ) and my own loss at the hands of on-line fraudsters in recent days, I would gladly swop the Coche Island Paradise for a world where the vulnerable are safeguarded and have redress. The O2/NSPCC initiative which was rolled out in The O2 Community recently is a wonderful 

example of addressing part of the problem of safeguarding the vulnerable. Charities are creaking at the moment as funds are drying up.

Can someone please advise me how I can add a motto or axiom to my message page below the line?

Bill1945

[viridis]

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