http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Sarar/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Sarar en-us Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:23:34 BST Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:23:34 BST So now that I work with this nonprofit to help people in the developing world rather than a forprofit to help people in the developing world it only makes sense that I would now travel to Europe for meetings rather than the actual developing world and that I would go in business class rather than economy class. You might not find much to favor in this administration but at least they made http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/blog-280397.html Uh drug street Not interested thanks.So that's how my afternoon went. But let me give a brief rehash oops pun of the week. My man Rohan has kept me well stocked with good food goat roti and food from the Breakfast Shed including callaloo um don't know what the rest of the plate was but it was good. I think it included macaroni salad pasta salad salad greens provision cousin of cass http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Trinidad-and-Tobago/Trinidad/blog-237194.html On my day I visited two rural communities in the Sisian region of Armenia Tolors and Akhlatyan as they celebrated the openings of their renovated health posts done with the help of our project.So I cut the ribbons at both health posts gave some speeches kissed babies was interviewed on Armenian television etc. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Armenia/West/Yerevan/blog-229312.html Another exciting day...For some reason people like to plan meetings and then cancel them at the last minute. It leaves me and S. sort of roaming around the Ministry for Health with not a whole lot to do but wait until the next meeting. However today we had to go and pick up my tickets for Malawi. Because the whole eticket fad hasn't caught on here in Mozambique. So we've been to the travel http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Mozambique/Southern/Maputo/blog-229308.html On Saturday I went to the large bazaar with a colleague from work. Everything you can imagine from single beaters to plug into your handheld mixer auto parts beautiful rugs and needlework bootleg CDs etc. and you name it and it was there. But the highlight of the evening was yet to come. I went with one of my Armenian colleagues to a birthday party. Originally I thought we were going to a ja http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Armenia/West/Yerevan/blog-225109.html Sorry for the delay. I think when I last wrote I was crawling on thefloor to a bathroom that had no water in order to get sick. Myexperience with the Peruvian healthcare system was well maybe weshould we just call it special. It was comprised of a morning atschool stretched out on 5 chairs pushed together for my exam. I thenwandered around looking for a lab to deliver my specimen. My firstp http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Cusco/Aguas-Calientes/blog-225092.html The people in Trinidad are absolutely the nicest people on the face of the earth. I want to move here immediately. But first let me tell you about it...I sat next to a really nice Trinidadian on the plane not that I really chat it up with people on planes but we talked toward the end of the flight and turns out she is in policy and her sister works for the people that pay my bills former owner http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Trinidad-and-Tobago/Trinidad/blog-225089.html Dear allI wish I had something fascinating to report about my latest travel. I will say this Bogota is far different than the last few places I've been namely Maputo Lilongwe and Dar es Salam. For example Bogota has electricity and water 24 hours a day every day. And while there were a few similarities such as men with guns the difference in Bogota was this I actually believe that these http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Colombia/Bogota/blog-219934.html Trinidad... Oh Trinidad.The people in Trinidad are absolutely the nicest people on the face of the earth. I want to move here immediately. But first let me tell you about it...I sat next to a really nice Trinidadian on the plane not that I really chat it up with people on planes but we talked toward the end of the flight and turns out she is in policy and her sister works for Deloitte EMG's fo http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Trinidad-and-Tobago/Trinidad/blog-219927.html Greetings to allAfter a miserable few days cooped up in a windowless conference room and eating all my meals in this hotel I finally escaped. But I'm getting ahead of myself. This hotel is well let's just call it special. It really isn't for the foreigners. As a matter of fact this evening a woman said Mzungu whitey when I came in. In any case today the toilet didn't work. Yesterday I http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/East/Dar-es-Salaam/blog-219874.html First today is 1989 throwback day in Armenia. And I don't mean theyare wearing throwback jerseys. For the upcoming election I think itis in January or February one of the candidates was president back in1989. As a protest against him by the other candidate who must stillbe in government Armenians do not have heating oil today. A littlereminder of what life was like back during this guy's te http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Armenia/West/Yerevan/blog-219873.html Bon appenutin'So today here in the land of Armenia Bossman Tikki Tikki Timbosicked out on work. Well actually his luggage was going to arrivethis morning so he stayed at the hotel. Considering it is now almost2pm I think he should have rolled into the office by now. But I'llkeep that to myself. Actually no I'll share that with you.Tikki and I are sitting with the Healthcare Finance Team w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Armenia/West/Yerevan/blog-219872.html Armenia is nice but I have absolutely zero interesting things toconvey. The airport was shiny and new but leaving I saw the oldSoviet one which was crumbling and in disrepair. It looked like aflying saucer I think it may have been cutting edge when it wasbuilt. No scary men with guns no creepy dark rooms or anything.I walked around this morning before meeting the boss of the projecthere R. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Armenia/West/Yerevan/blog-219871.html Nothing too exciting to report yet... I had two meetings today then came back and did some work at the hotel. Actually I feel crummy and I'll tell you why. Native Mozambicans can't afford to eat in restaurants or things like that so I feel like a big heel eating in restaurants. Today ate in a room full of expats for breakfast lunch and dinner served by the people whose country that we're in http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Mozambique/Southern/Maputo/blog-219870.html well at least most of you...Let's see so what did I do this weekend. Saturday I decided to head over to the weekend market. I had read and heard all about it but that did not prepare me adequately for what I encountered... So I disembark at the SkyTrain terminus Mo Chit. I walk down the steps with the other throngs of people. I'm walking around in this park but I don't see anything that res http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central/Bangkok/blog-219868.html Today in Bangkok I was on a mission to get the SIM card for the work cell phone. It turned out to be harder than I thought so I decided to head to see some sights and worry about it later. The concierge was less than forthcoming about how to get around so I just started walking in the direction of what seemed to be the skyrail from my 19th floor view.Locating the skyrail I hopped on the skyra http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central/Bangkok/blog-219867.html I wanted to press my cheek my throat my lungs to the cool linoleum floor of the office building hot.Am I talking about the weather Nope.Today for lunch I had something a little different. Thinking that I was all cool because the other day I had added chili's to the soup I got out on the street I thought I could handle it. Today Koon Jude and I had lunch together. The waitress told him that the http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central/Bangkok/blog-219865.html Perhaps my tongue in cheekness wasn't evident in my email as I meant it to be. Just in case I've left the wrong impression I'm having a terrific time meeting lots of knowledgeable people and like Thailand and Asia. I think because I've been all alone here for the last two weeks or so I just want someone to affirm to me that I am behaving somewhat appropriately taking my shoes off when I'm s http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central/Bangkok/blog-219864.html So I decided to get out of Lilongwe and head to Lake Malawi over the weekend because not much is shaking in Lilongwe. Blantyre is really where the action is. So first I needed to go to the bank to see if I could get out some money after the whole debit card debacle. So two hours later I have my cash but I'm exhausted. I freaked myself out like what if I can't get out any money what am I go http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Lake-Malawi/blog-219862.html Arriving in Malawi was the scariest thing of my life. And I mean terrifying. The cab driver kept stopping on the side of the road next to groups of 20something men. I finally told him that my colleague was waiting for me at the hotel and if I wasn't there in 5 minutes he'd call the police. And then I took out my totally useless cell phone because I didn't have a Malawi SIM card yet and put it on http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Malawi/Central/Lilongwe/blog-219861.html