Before writing about the topic below, I wish to thank all my readers who have sent their comments either via the blog's comments box or direct via my email address. The email comments I always answer the same way however, the blog does not offer me this option unless I add comments to the comments box myself. I just wanted to mention that I read all of them and appreciate your comments which often encourages me to keep on writing even at times that I am too tired to do so.

Ok for today, let’s get on with it.

The World Famous Village of Tavan?

What makes something world famous? I think it is when people from around the world look at the same thing with a certain admiration or attraction. For example, we all know what the Eiffel tower looks like and where it is.

Now here comes the anomaly – what happens if all of these people who look at the same thing and admire it, do not know where it is, let alone the name of the place? Then that place could be world famous without being famous around the world.

What am I talking about? Looking at my blog address book, the majority of readers come from around the world in areas where they have an IKEA Store. I have been in a few of these stores in different countries and know that they are 99% identical. So, before writing these words I checked a few of their websites and saw that what I wanted to talk about is visible in their stores.

On the IKEA website (or just check your own brain) you can go to the decoration department and scroll down to the framed pictures.

The picture is called "Premiar". It is a picture of a hanging bridge disappearing into the misty trees at the other side of a river. That picture was taken in the place where Eddie lives - in Tavan. Of course, we just had to go there to have a look.

The IKEA picture is several years old and has different colours to make it even more attractive. This picture is sold worldwide in all Ikea stores and, even as I write, or you read this, someone is possibly admiring it somewhere around the globe it this very moment.

The Tavan bridge could, therefore be classified as world famous ….. just saying.

Before looking at the bridge we took a ride north to the city of Lao Cai, about 35 km away and 1200 meters down the mountain, riding an ever twisting road north. There is not much to see there other than the border with China which you can see in the pictures. In 2013, I walked across the bridge into unknown territory and had to face my fears of the unknown. All pleasant memories.