http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/david-holmes/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from david holmes en-us Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:22:14 +0000 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:22:14 +0000 My trip to Costa Rica was a lot of fun and I would like to repeat it when I have the use of all my limbs. There were so many things like swim that I just could not do. I didnrsquot think it was safe for me to do the zipline canopy tours and most of the fun required hiking.There are no elevators anywhere in Costa Rica as far as I could tell. Living on the 2nd floor at the resort was a cha http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Guanacaste/blog-222621.html How did I not know that know that coffee is the seed of a berry And is there a hard bitter seed at the center of the fruit that is Costa RicaI learned a heck of a lot on the tour of the coffee plantation we went on after we left the national park.I have become a heavy coffee drinker over the years starting with debate in college and peaking in my many years working in the Texas Legislature.Bu http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Guanacaste/blog-222070.html Tuesday I went on a combined tour of a national park and then a coffee plantation. In a small country that is home to more bird species than all of the United States and Canada combined I assumed I would see some birds on this tour but so much of what I saw birds and more was because we had a good guide.We drove about an hour and a half from the resort while our tour guide Manuel talked t http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Guanacaste/blog-221931.html I have many new stories and pictures to share but this internet connection will just not allow me now. I look forward to telling about my day in a national park and a coffee plantation.I got some great pictures and have made a lot of new friends. I hope to update again soon... http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Guanacaste/blog-221328.html Last night I and several others had a nice dinner at the resort French restaurant. I guess I should say now that allinclusive is more of a temptation that I am capable of resisting. I have consumed and consumed ever since I've been here. The food is great and it is available 24 hours a day. The only limitation I've discovered is that room service will only bring four beers to your room at a http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Guanacaste/blog-221039.html i have a few minutes before dinner so I stopped by the internet cafe.One very different thing about being in Costa Rica is the sun. While there isn't a time difference there is very much a light difference. I think the sun cam up around five this morning and now at 8 p.m. it has been dark for hours.Oh well I see people heading to dinner so I think I'll go. Will send more updates later... http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Guanacaste/blog-220807.html I made it to Costa Rica and I have seen no Mariachis in case you remember my last outofcountry experience.This place is beautiful. I am here just after the wet season ended so everything is beginning to bloom.We're staying at the Playa Conchal Resort in Guanacaste which is the Northwest section of the country.There is no cell phone service and it is not easy to get on the internet so you wil http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Guanacaste/blog-220698.html Lesson 1 The San Antonio Airport long term parking has no shuttle service. I think I expended most of my energy for the day by 645 a.m. hiking the half mile or more from where I parked to teh ticket counter on crutches.I was offered a wheelchair at the counter but at that point I had something to prove I am fit for this trip I had to convince at least myself.I am traveling in a large gro http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Guanacaste/blog-220690.html I want to summarize my trip to Taiwan but I don't know where to begin. First I want to thank all of you for reading what I wrote. I had hoped a few friends and family would read the blog but had no idea how many people would read it and who those people would be. Gardner Selby and Robyn Hadley had something to do with that thank ya'll. I also had readers among those we met and visited in Taiw http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Taiwan/Taipei/blog-176189.html I don't think I fully had a perspective on my time in Taiwan until I got back to the U.S. and began to acclimatize back to the world I am used to. I mean certainly there are people in the U.S who every day feel like they are unique and are in their environment. I had a conversation with one of my fellow travelers during our wait for our disparate flights here in San Francisco about the diffe http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Taiwan/Taipei/blog-175356.html I wanted to send a quick update i am at the taipei airport getting ready to board. Don't stop reading just yet though. As soon as I can I will add info about my last day final impressions and many more pictures. .. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Taiwan/blog-175089.html Shopping in Taiwan has been an experience I wonrsquot forget.I may have mentioned a tailor across the street from the hotel in an earlier post. I ordered a custommade shirt from him the first day we were here for 25US. I got it last night and it fits quite well. Now that he has my measurements I can order custommade shirts from him and have them shipped still for less than many dressshi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Taiwan/Taipei/blog-174653.html Today our group flew halfway across Taiwan to spend the day at Taroko National Park near Hualien. I donrsquot know enough superlatives to describe the placersquos beauty and appeal. Very simply though the National Park was a great break from the bustle and humidity of the city of Taipei. At a higher altitude and different climate the park was comfortable and refreshing. The primary attr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Taiwan/Taipei/blog-174654.html We threw everything we had at them. Doctor choice patient privacy prescription formularies...The Taiwan National Health Insurance plan is something for Americans to envy. Our group's combination of public policy experience professional expertise and business experience provided a steady barrage of questions for the officials of the Taiwan Health System.The system is a model for universal hea http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Taiwan/Taipei/blog-173996.html Today we had five meetings. Five meetings does not sound that daunting but the formal meetings with the other activities including meals add up to days that are so exhausting that I can recall few days during the legislative session when I was as completely worn down as right now. I'll feel better when I sleep and a lot of it is the humidity that this desert boy will never get used to even as http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Taiwan/Taipei/blog-174290.html Marsha asked what my Chinese name is and I keep forgetting to post my picture of one of my nameplates. Can't find these characters on my keyboard... http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Taiwan/Taipei/blog-174297.html As I was looking through some of the pictures I have taken I realized that I needed to write a posting about some of the things we've been seeing around Taipei some very foreign some familiar. One immediately and obviously different experience is the traffic. It is chaotic and complex but somehow flows amazingly efficiently. The largest difference from traffic in U.S. cities is the use of th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Taiwan/Taipei/blog-173817.html It has been a very long day. I can't say that I have fully adjusted to the time change it is after midnight here and I need to go to bed soon but I want to talk about some of the things we did today. I'll finish covering today tomorrow.I am torn. Our first meeting of the day was with the American wouldbe ambassador to Taiwan if we officially recognized Taiwan as a country. Since we don't h http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Taiwan/Taipei/blog-173835.html I have posted a couple more entries below this one and have added a number of pictures to the old posts... Today after we visited the American Institute in Taiwan we had four other meetings with The Bureau of National Health Insurance very impressive the Taipei County Governor the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei and the Director of the Department of Over http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Taiwan/Taipei/blog-173848.html I really really am going to bed after this it's about 130 now and I can't believe I'm still awake.But I keep forgetting to mention the food. I brought large enough luggage that I could bring some additional things back home I am not sure I brought large enough clothes to fit me back home.We have been eating amazingly well from the restaurants in the hotel to street vendors it has been non http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Taiwan/Taipei/blog-173858.html