I did not know you or your brother, but was searching online for memorial tattoos for my cousin who has recently passed and came across your blog. I am truly so sorry for your loss. I hope that your happy memories with your brother bring you comfort.
Not such a 'Mad Greek' after all! Hey buddy! Good to see that you're living a life worth telling! I remember meeting you in London and you telling me about your love! To her that you put a ring of her finger make me feel happy for you mate! At least she'll stop you from getting pissed up in England shirts and taking dumps in urinals!
I hope our paths cross again buddy! you take care of yourself and you wife!
Peace!
Andy
Well, I wrote about what I saw going on at the time. I was only in PP for a couple days and that is what happened to me.
I don't worry about pleasing everybody, just being honest pleases me.
Our brothers, our heros Nic, I remember when I found out that you and your family had lost Nathan in the war and how sad I was for you. Now, 6 years later, my baby brother Jake is over there fighting the very same war!! It is so very sad, not to mention scary. I loved your writing and wish you the best in your fight to accept what has happened. ....Sarah Johnson (Scronce)
Never Forgotten It's hard to believe its been 5 years since Nates passing. I think about him everyday, and have the paper given to us by NAtes dad with the saying by my door in a frame. Everyday as I leave or come into my home, I read that and NEVER forget!
I'm forever a changed man because of Nate.
I Disagree with Your Potrayal Of PP While I did enjoy a few of your anecdotes regarding your time with the monks and the misbehaving monkeys, I think your portrayal of Phnom Penh is slanted. I was here for a good two weeks, and was asked very seldomly by drivers if I wanted to visit some of the darker sites of this town, of which there are many, and certainly none were "shocked or offended at my disinterest in hookers and guns and drugs." Come on, that's a stretch. Poverty is overwhelming here, but so is the spirit I believe was captured best with your encounter with the classical music ensemble. I thought that your claim that many travelers come here for guns or prostitutes (the dark side) was way off. Sure, there are plenty of deviants here, but let's not get carried away. Many, like you and I, are there to experience what much of the rest of the world (read: the West) has ignored, misrepresented, or just doesn't know much about. It is certainly a place of stark contrasts, but holds a certain charm as well, and tourism is, by and large, desperately needed here. I liked certain parts of this post, but as I said, I though it was too one-sided. Peace.
curiosity and a question Enjoyed the blogs and I saw your site was hacked. Are you going to be posting any blogs in the future, either here or on an outside site?
more pls What's a "pls"?
The website crashed due to Romanian hackers and is not fixed yet (it may never be...), but Chelly and I are married and living happily in Seattle.
Remembering Nathan four years later It has been four years now and I still remember the day we were all called for a batalion formation. Our hearts drop when we heard that nathan was killed. now four years later many of us that got to know nathan as our brother in arms are back in Iraq fighting the fight for everything that nathan believed in.
A hero taken too soon.... I was stationed with Nathan in Iraq, and was the one who came to your homes the day after you found out of his passing. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of Nathan. I have hanging up by my front door the saying your father gave too all of us. It is a constant reminder of a smiling soldier who was the epitome of all that a soldier was. I can only hope that time heals the wounds that his lose brought to your family, and his other family...the ones who fought beside him in Iraq. But I don't think it will......
I miss him!
An Indian's Point of View Hellos and Hi!
Ever since the best of best British left India after Independence, India has been attracting only the unemployed and poor foreign tourists from the West particularly the Hippies and Backpackers not Carpetbaggers . Before Independence as I read from books and magazines only the elite British officers - Indian Civil Service officers, British Indian Army, Educationists, Professionals used to be sent to India. They had to appear in very difficult competitive exams and also had to belong to good British family backgrounds. They were strictly advised never to appear shabbily in public, and encouraged to display British snobbery. These elite class did not mingle with common Indians unless invited by the elite Indian class such as the Kings and High Indian officials to select functions. The middle class Indians although were against British subjugation and discrimination, were at awe by this high class British - known for their discipline, courage, fairness, great education, etiquette etc. The middle class educated Indians wanted to emulate them, so that they too could fit well in the global scenario. Its this middle class Indians, who although proud of their Indian culture wanted to adopt most of the British legacy. No wonder most aspiring indian parents would like to enroll their children in schools that teach in English medium. The missionary and public schools (not the government run schools except Kendriya Vidyalaya or Central School meant for children of Govt. of India servants) even today. Its the Indians who love to get their higher education in Oxford and cambridge as well as in Havrds, Stanford and MIT. This gives them an opportunity to compete on equal footing with the best of best.
The hippy culture and the backpackers who visit India would never earn the respect of the educated Indian middle class, that is why the bcakpacker tourists who visit India have to interact with those Indians who have migrated from villages and live in slums in big cities and towns. These Indian guys with whom they interact such as the taxi or auto drivers, guides, touts, waiters
are mostly semi literate in vernacular subjects run in village schools. They are uneducated, unsophisticated, people. Even middle class Indians do not like to interact with them unless necessary or are working in some social organisation for their upliftment.
I too have come across many backpacker foreign tourists in dirty clothes smelling horribly who do not take bath for days since they prefer staying in urban slums for One dollar a night and eat in the filthiest of eateries bereft of any sense of hygiene. I have never tried to interact with these cheap western tourists. Only those tourists with proper education, professionals such as Doctors, Software engineers, etc. are welcomed by the middle class Indians, since it gives them an opportunity to learn from them, their proper perspective of the world and that of India.
Its unfortunate that tourists in the west have to depend on the lopsided versions of the backpackers who visit India to escape the expensive lifestyle of the home countries to live on a shoe string budget for six months unless their VISA is extended by the Govt. of India, which is usually difficult but not impossible.
It was better if the tourists who enjoy cheap and friendly stay in India did not complain so loudly. Do not try to compare Nepal with India. These countries depend on India economically.
Frankly the West particularly Britain, France and Germany has always tried to play spoil sports by trying to prove that India could not survive long after gaining independence. They have tried to mislead and misuse USA to pressurise Pakistan to wage war on India, to bleed India but all their clandestine efforts have failed, this is only beacuse Indians who have learnt to tolerate and keep moving inch by inch towards self reliance.
No wonder India is a Nuclear Power, a Space Power, self reliant in producing food to feed its billion plus Indians. By the by food is cheap in India compared to that in the West. India is well connected by internet, mobile connections, cheap transport. Indians are not bothered what the uneducated unemployed backpackers think of India. Its the elite people in the West such as Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, George Bush, Henry Kissinger who once called Indians Bastards, today regret his words and keep frequenting to India apologising his myopic statements then during Nixons regime, he is a strong advocate of India today. More and more investments from America and Japan are taking place in India. Only the Europeans, who are too proud of their psedo superiority are hesitating to invest in inmdustry but have no option but to set up their car manufacturing infrastructure in India to keep pace with the world which is eagerly looking at India as a lucrative marketplace. Backpackers although you are always welcome to visit India, and enjoy Indian hospitality but do not try to spread canards and propaganda about India. I agree with most of your observations but that is only a portion not the complete picture. If you put up at seedy places, red light areas, slums etc. do not expect the best of India. remember it was in search of India Vasco da Gama found the sea routes and Columbus accidentaly stubled upon America and called the natives over their mistakenly as Indians. Do you know India is the largest importer of tons of Gold and Diamonds in the world? India is the largest exporter of computer software progtrams in the world. It has the second largest number of English speaking people in the world. India has a middle class population as per American standards who exceeds the whole of the population of Europe including Russia. India is also the largest producer of quality milk in the world. There are many things of India that not many westerners know about or care to learn.
Although India is predominantly Hindus, yet it has the second largest number of muslim population in the world far more than any Arab country or Pakistan. It is by and large very peaceful even though India baiters try to terrorise India into submission. It is only in India that the Jews and Parsis sought refuge and was never persecuted till St. Francis Xavier arrived in Goa and started the notorious inquisition resulting in burning of Jews at stake in the Malabar coast. When Americans were bundled as Army conscripts to be sent as cannon fodders in Vietnam , many turned Hippies and sought refuge in India who did not wish to go into an unconclusive war in an alien country.
When the poor Bengali muslims in East Pakistan suffered attrocitries by the Pakistan Army under a notorious General Tikka Khan and Generla Yah Yah Khan, the muslims in East Pakistan sought refuge in India. It was the Indian army who helped them to gain their freedom and establish a new nation "Bangladesh". Yet today Bangladeshis hate India more out of Jealously beacuse India continues its march for self reliance. Where do you think Mother Teresa received all the love and help in her missionary, its the Hindus and Bengalis of Calcutta and India, that has made her a household a name and a saint after the formalities are over.
So shame on all those who keep playing the same broken record all over and over that speaks ill of India. I tell you Indians are not bothered with such statements from uneducated tourists particularly the West and some third world European and other Western countries. Indians will try to pursue the best part of the Western world and discard which is rotten.
Do not think that just because you happen to be a foreign tourist you are swindled by taxi drivers, touts etc. I tell you as a well dresed Indian tourist I too have to face such nuisance, but thats part of tourism. If you can speak local language the prices automatically tumbles down at local rates. I am a Bengali and if I visit south India, and if I do not speak their local language, I'll have to face the same problem of being overcharged, taken to shops to buy thngs so that that they get a commission. Try to understand it is their livelihood, so they will pester you. But mind you the charges are never too exorbidant. Infact if you try to book a car from the hotel you might be overcharged in the form of service charge and taxes levied by good hotels. So as tourists do not complain and make comparisons. Try to enjoy as much of India, you will begin to love the place I tell you guys.
I guess I have to try this s... :=) I feel like I have to try this snake thing ,just hope i donĀ“t get sick of it. Gonna have a beer Lao in hand when I do it :)
again love your pics and your writings. Just hope I can do some of the things you have done
this was a great read man, very well articulated. i come from a different seattle experience than you for sure but your story totally touched me. be well g.
More blogs? I know you dont know me, but I have been reading your blogs off and on for some time. I was hoping you'd continue writting and let us who are interested know how the visa process is going. Its going to be well worth it !! Dont let these other peoples negative comments get to you, your blogs were truly an inspiration to me, I may never get to go on a "RTW" trip, but I do enjoy reading about it, and dreaming about it ! Good luck !
My name is Nic Nakis and I come from Sedro-Woolley, WA. I started this travel blog as "The Mad Greek's Travel Blog" when I left North America for the first time in 2006. I documented that first 6-month, around-the-world trip extensively. Then, I returned for a few updates around 2010. I revived the blog in 2022 in order to record my ongoing travels and fill in some of the gaps.
I am a filmmaker and a fitness coach.
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I did not know you or your brother, but was searching online for memorial tattoos for my cousin who has recently passed and came across your blog. I am truly so sorry for your loss. I hope that your happy memories with your brother bring you comfort.