Mark Wiens - A Quick Overview of Life and How I Started Traveling
Hey, it's Mark Wiens from Migrationology.com. If you're interested in more, I will be sending you current travel and food updates, just sign up here:
While most of the time you probably see me eating food, I've been receiving a lot of questions lately asking me who exactly I am, how I started traveling, why I love eating so much, and how I earn a living. So in this video I'm going to quickly explain how and where I grew up.
I was born in Phoenix, Arizona, in the USA in 1986. My mother is from Hawaii, and she's Chinese, so I'm half Chinese. Visiting Hawaii, where food is a huge part of the culture, is where I first became so obsessed with all things food. My grandfather was a Chinese chef, so food has been a big part of my family.
My parents are Christian missionaries, so when I was 5 years old, we moved to France for a year. I attended my first year of school in France. We then moved to DR Congo, which was then known as Zaire. We lived in the middle of the jungle and as a kid I would run around exploring and eating interesting and rather bizarre jungle creatures. Due to war in Zaire, we moved to Nairobi, Kenya, where I attended a Christian international school for 8 years until graduating from high school. After high school I went back to Arizona and attended Arizona State University for 4 years, graduating with a degree in global studies.
After graduating, I didn't want to just get a job, so I started traveling again. I traveled in South America and then went to Asia where I finally got a job teaching English for a year. During that year though, I decided not to ever teach again but to do everything I could to make it as a freelancer on the internet and be able to have freedom to travel (and eat). It was in Thailand that I met my girlfriend, who is now my wife, so I am married!
This brings us up to now. For a living I do a combination of selling my own ebooks, freelance writing, making videos, and all sorts of other random projects like SEO and social media marketing.
Thank you very much for watching this life sketch video and if you have any questions for me, be sure to let me know in the comments below. You can also ask me on Facebook here:
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Muangboran, The Ancient City, Samut Prakan
I visited Muangboran, The Ancient City in Samut Prakan. It is known as the largest outdoor museum constructed by Lek Viriyaphant and occupying over 200 acres (0.81 km2) in the shape of Thailand. It features 116 structures of Thailand's famous monuments and architectural attractions. The grounds of Ancient Siam correspond roughly to the shape of the kingdom, with the monuments lying at their correct places geographically. Some of the buildings are life-size replicas of existing or former sites, while others are scaled down.
There are various transportation options to explore the Ancient City. You can take a shared open bus, drive with your own car, walk, rent a bicycle or rent an electric golf cart. I chose for the electric golf cart which was a lot of fun. The rental cost is 350 THB for the first hour and 200 THB for every hour after that.
There is so much to see. I was there for 3 hours and only saw about 15 different structures. I think you will need 3 to 5 days to really see everything.
So this video is by no means a representation of Muangboran. You will have to go and see for yourself.
There are also many places where you can eat and drink.
The entrance fee is 700 THB for foreigners and 350 THB for Thai nationals.
Here are some of the structures that are displayed:
1. The Royal Stand
2. The Information Pavilion
3. The City Wall and Gate
4. I-Nao Garden
5. The City Sala
6. The Manohra Garden
7. The Stupa of Phra Maha That, Nakhon Si Thammarat
8. The Pallava Group of Images, Phaug-nga
9. The Stupa of Phra Maha That, Chaiya, Surat Thani
10. The Old Market Town
11. The Tiger King's Palace, Phetchaburi
12. The Scripture Repository
13. The Bell Tower
14. The Stupa of Phra Maha That, Ratchaburi
15. The Palace Garden
16. The Audience Hall of Thon Buri
17. The Buddha Image of Dvaravati Period
18. The Dvaravati House
19. Khun Phaen House
20. The Great Battle of Yuthahathi
21. Monument of Krom Phra Ratchawang Boworn Maha Surasinghanat
22. Three Pagodas Pass, Kanchanaburi
23. Dusit Maha Prasat Palace (The Grand Palace)
24. Rattanakosin Dwelling
25. The Wihan at Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, Ayutthaya
26. The Chom Thong Palace Hall, Ayutthaya
27. Sanphet Prasat Palace, Ayutthaya
28. The Ramayana Garden
29. The Kam Yaad Palace Hall, Ang Thong
30. The Phra Kaew Pavilion
31. Khun Chang-Khun Phaen Garden
32. The Fruit-shape Tower (Prang Mafuang), Chai Nat
33. The Footprint of the Lord Buddha, Saraburi
34. A Monk's Residence
35. Prang Sam Yod, Lop Buri
36. The Wihan of Wat Pho Kao Ton, Sing Buri
37. The Courage of the People of Bang Rachan
38. The Thai Hamlet from the Central Plains
39. The Gateway of Wat Pho Prathap Chang, Phichit
40. The Krai Thong Garden
41. The Prang of Wat Chulamanee Phitsanulok
42. The Sukhothai Wihan
43. The Garden of the God
44. The Fortified Wall around Kamphaeng Phet
45. The Floating Market
46. The Wihan at Wat Phrao, Tak
47. The Lotus-Bud Tower
48. The Bench of Public Appeals, Sukhothai
49. Noen Prasat, Sukhothai
50. The Grand Hall of Wat Maha That, Sukhothai