http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/KSwick/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from KSwick en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:34:21 +0000 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:34:21 +0000 I completed my journey on June 25th with 18 days of riding covering 1325 miles. Sorry for the delayed post but I was busy and wanted to get a map made to include. I did not go direct from Peoria to Ft. Myers as there was the forementioned break in TN and I actually met Jeff and Jenny north of Gainesville on their way home. Since Peoria to Ft. Myers direct is 1280 I actually accomplished more http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Florida/Fort-Myers/blog-413745.html Greetings from Wetumpka AL which is just outside of Montgomery. I decided to take a day off to rest a pained knee do some laundry and relax. I neglected to take any photos at Phish or Bonnaroo and only a dozen or so on the road but I attached a few anyhow. Bonnaroo was loads of fun and it was nice to be surrounded by people drink beer and not ride a bike for a change. We managed to get my http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Alabama/Montgomery/blog-410561.html So my next leg was another four days of riding but only 275 miles this time. Elaine got me prepared by taking me to an artwine fair the night before I left and I has happy to oblige her. Southern IL and and KY have been nice and hilly and forest took over what in most of IL was endless cornfields. I also got on to the Trans Am a popular cross country route with many cyclists going coast to http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Knoxville/blog-407523.html My last entry left ended with hopes for a bike journey. This is the first entry hopefully followed by a few more of the fruit of those desires. The month of May was spent acquiring the necessary gear bike panniers etc. and getting in road ready shape. My biggest fear was that I wouldn't be able to get the wheels rolling quick enough to go from absolutely nothing to ready for a bike tour in 1 http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Illinois/blog-405647.html After over 24 hours hopping planes and my most painless U.S. border crossing I made it home to Peoria a couple of days ago. I could have stayed longer but I'm just as happy to be home. It was quite an interesting feeling to get accustomed to a constant state of flux that is except for wearing the same 3 sets of clothes all the time and it's nice to know I'll have the same bed for the next mont http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Illinois/Peoria/blog-395466.html About a month has passed since I wrote last and I have very little to report. Therefore this will be more of a brief update than a blog on any topic...After meditation I spent 2 days in Jakarta with some folks I'd met at Dhamma Java. All lived there except for the only other westerner to finish the course and she was based in Ubud on Bali. She had made a pretty good case for the place so I go http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Bangkok/blog-391162.html Since my first attempt at learning some type of meditation failed I jumped at the chance to take a 10day Vipassana course in Java. This wasn't the most likely place as Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. However the course was not secular and there seemed to be a variety of religions represented I was shocked to learn that Indonesians must choose one of five religions t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Bali/Ubud/blog-382797.html From Malaysia I crossed into Indonesia Tawau gt Nunukan gt Tarakan and caught a plane to Balikpapan gt Manado a city in northern Sulawesi Indonesia. I was going to meet someone I'd been talking with through couchsurfing for those of you who do not know it is worldwide network for making connections between travelers and the local communities they visit...and also something I had done http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Sulawesi/Menado/blog-377438.html NOTE I know it has been over a month since my last entry but when last I wanted to write the internet became elusive and then I spent the last 18 days on an island with no internet at all. I'm going to have 2 separate entries and I've added pictures to the last few entries that previously had none so check it out. Overall Borneo was a bit of a let down. Normally I refrain from forming any e http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Semporna/blog-370891.html The first week of the new year was mostly uneventful. Vietnam's weather teetered from overcast to rainy temperatures got cooler with every move north and I got complacent doing all the touristy things. I went from Mui Ne gt Nha Trang gt DanangHoi An gt Hue travelling mostly by bus but a little by train though not always the most comfortable there were some incredible sights along the w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Sabah/Kota-Kinabalu/blog-363365.html Briefly My last nights in Laos were on an island in the Four Thousand Islands area of the Mekong. It was a great place for biking and relaxing and though the Irrawady dolphins can be seen there I did not see them and opted not to take a boat trip as I heard it was anticlimactic fin in the ditance breaking mud colored water. I then spent 10 days in Cambodia split between Siem Reap the temples http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Mekong-River-Delta/blog-357067.html I know I mentioned that Vang Vieng was known for its tubing drinking but I only participated 1 out of my 5 days there sans tube. It was incredibly fun but far from the safest place on earth made clear by the countless bruises and bandages you see around town. There is a bar about every 100 m each equipped with its own device to jettison you into the river. There were water slides zip lines http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/South/Pakxe/blog-352137.html First...note I finally got some photos up and added them to older posts as well.Where last I left you I had just arrived in the small town of Pai. I spent a few days there and did what most people do there...practically nothing. It is a smaller town and has the vibe of Phish lot lots of dreadlocks ganja and people who've taken months off from the real world. Needless to say I enjoyed my http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vang-Vieng/blog-349553.html In case you've been watching the news lately I thought I should let you know I am no where near Bangkok and will not be until April. Hopefully all of the issues surrounding the government and PAD protesters will be resolved by then. I did have a flight leaving from Bangkok on the 26th heading for Kuala Lumpur but I had canceled it weeks ago that proved to be a good move.I'll report more soon http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Northern-Thailand/Chiang-Khong/blog-348718.html All my hard earned blisters are starting to soften and peel having left Amee's farm 4 days ago. I will certainly miss that little farm in Lo Pahan. Unfortunately at the time of our departure Alea the head honcho on the farm was stuck in Chiang Dao because he had become ill. I didn't like not being able to thank him for letting us into his house and home but he didn't know how long he'd be gon http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-347751.html Last Wednesday was the Thai festival of Loy Krathong so we decided that morning to skip work and venture to Chiang Rai to get in on the action. The trip was several hours on sangteuw covered pickup truck with benches that operate like small buses bus and a longtail boat long boats with the prop several meters down a shaft from the engine...very cool. At one stop on the Mae Kok River there w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Chiang-Rai/blog-345475.html I've spent the last week working 56 hours a day 6 days a week on Amee's Farm. It is owned by a Frenchman married to a Thai woman though they are not currently here. We get to stay in their house though which is quite nice accommodations. The farm is run by Amee's brother Alea who lives across the way with his wife 2 sons 4 and 6 and the boys 2 workers aged 18 and 19. They provide us http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Chiang-Dao/blog-343109.html I was told to catch the bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao which runs every half hour. I watch as several nearly empty buses leave which I'm later told are going to Chiang Dao...mai ben rai no problem I'll wait the 30 minutes. It strikes 4 and another nearly empty bus leaves before I realize I should have been on it so I ask another driver Chiang Dao He responds by pointing to the bus tha http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Chiang-Dao/blog-340720.html