wellison
Billy Ellison Joined: August 28th 2006
Logged in: December 22nd 2009
Logged in: December 22nd 2009
Travel Blog Posts
Brown Trout
Friends, I have spent the last few weeks in Argentina and Chile, and everytime I think I have experienced the most beautiful sites or the most wonderful people in the world, someplace else like the Patagonia region of the Andes tops them off. While in Chile, I volunteered with Habitat for Humanity building houses for an underprivilaged community near the port town of Valparaiso. The experience was good because it gave me a chance to give back on my trip, while at the same time learn Chilean culture. The project I worked on was building second stories for 60 houses that had families of large numbers living in very tight conditions. I found it a bit difficult to get to know the Chilean people because they seem to keep very much to themselves. Perhaps it was ... read more
The Remarkables
Hello All! I am spending my last night in New Zealand (South Island) and it was a remarkable three weeks here. I have met some wonderful people on my travels that I will truly miss. It was such a blessing to spend time learning about other people around the world. I made friends from Scotland, England, Whales, Sweden, Switzerland, S. Korea, and of course New Zealand! Some folks I have met are traveling for a few weeks, and others for years around the world. I also met many people who were traveling around the world, fell in love with New Zealand, and never left! After leaving Abel Tasman National Park, I had an adventurous day trekking on Franz Josef Glacier with a hired guide. Franz Josef Glacier is unique in the fact that it descends from ... read more
Kaikoura
....viewing these pictures may cause you to quit your job and run away to New Zealand! Friends, family, and Gus, There are some places in the world that instantly click with a person, and the South Island of New Zealand has completely captivated me by its rugged, wild, scenic, and isolated terrain. The island is prepared to cater to anyone who seeks to experience the wild, push limits, and gaze at mind-blowing vistas. I wish I could bring all of New Zealand to you, but no picture or words can bring it justice. However, I hope that these pictures will bring you some sense of the country's splendor and brilliance that you may already know well from the Lord of the Rings. So far, I have spent my time hiking along the clifftops of Kaikoura, sailing ... read more
Sally Sells Seashells by the Seashore
Friends, I decided to spend my last days in Thailand on the tropical island of Koh Chang in Trat province. I was sad to leave the muay thai gym as the trainers became very dear friends of mine and I was really enjoying the exercise. After leaving the muay thai, I found myself having withdrawals and even caught myself trying to “knee” luggage carts at the Bangkok airport! Haha! I chose Koh Chang because it offers more of a “jungle experience” that I have been anxious to have in Asia. This was my second trip to South Asia and I had still not experienced any remote wilderness areas. The night I arrived, the island experienced an extremely violent storm that flooded shops and homes, washed out roads, and forced hundreds to evacuate. Apparently, I had walked ... read more
Sunset at Railey
My Good Friends, Most of you will be happy to know that I am safe, and that I am not being affected by the Thai military ousting Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a coup and imposing martial law in Thailand. Apparently this is usually a peaceful process and has happened 18 times since World War II. As you can imagine, democracy is far from mastered in this country. When the Thais don’t like the political structure, they have a coup, oust the PM, and put a new one in place. This happens time after time. The military presence seems to only be in the major cities such as Bangkok and Chang Mai and life here in Phuket continues as normal. There are no tanks, troops, or violence. With that said, after some tough muay thai training, ... read more
Royal Palace in Bangkok
Hello Friends! I arrived in Bangkok a few days ago and have now made my way to a Muay Thai camp (Thailand's signature martial art) in Phuket. I stayed on Th Khao San Road while in Bangkok which is a staging ground for backpackers around the world to plan their treks in Thailand. Bangkok is a city emersed in pollution and to the point that the humid air captivates the musky stinch of the place like fog in a valley bottom. The pollution comes from thousands of taxis, buses, rick-shaws, motor bikes, and trucks that snail through the traffic riden city. Aside from the pollution and traffic, the city is a jungle of powerlines, street signs, street vendors, canals, motor boats, and sky scrapers...whoever planned this city must have been on a lot of drugs because ... read more
