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 [View Full Entry]

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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, [View Full Entry]

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....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 [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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. [View Full Entry]

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