Update on contactinformation Hello there. There are a lot of changes going on at the foundation. Most important is that the work still continues and that we still need volunteers to help with the children. The new (temporary) website for the voluntary part of this project is www.freewebs.com/creciendo-juntos. Check it out if you are interested.
luggage and going to the bathroom I am planning to do this race for the first time with my team mates The Dragon Healers(a dragon team in San Francisco California. We may have a raft with 4 women on the two teams. What do we do with our luggage, we plan on staying to do tourist stuff after the race. How do women go to the bathroom on the raft? We need to know. kathy
great pictures as usual your pictures are great. Really feel like ive been doing the travling. Love the older people and children. Please if you can get some more senic. Your doing a great job and doing what many of us would liike to do. Keep it up be safe and cherish all these wonderful adventures,be safe in your travel.
great job hi glad to hear odf all tour trips around. Sounds like you are doing and seeing alot.
doing a great job on story and love the pictures. Sounds like you are doing alot of site seeing great job. loved the transportation you had great way of getting around hope you have some more senic ones
Nice blog, Dave, with some memorable photos of our Halong Bay Tour. I visited a "Monkey Island" near Nha Trang and found it to be an experience I could have done without.
The persistence of Vietnam vendors seemed pretty much the same in the north and in the south, but more so in the big cities. I prefer to get around on foot to view things which the cyclo-drivers had a hard time understanding when I declined their offer for a ride. I blew my top at a couple of them in Saigon and then later felt bad when I realized they were just trying to make a living. Still, one has to "steel" themselves against these merchants of commmerce. Overall, I found the Vietnamese to be the friendliest and most helpful of any SE Asian country, although they as a rule are all very hospitable. Good luck with your travels. BTW, Anna was a great tour guide, wasn't she? And she spoke such excellent English.
Great Dave,
I enjoyed your blog and pictures once again, keep it up. Have a Very Happy and Safe New Year. Looking forward to seeing you when you make it back to the states. Take care.
Still on the road Hey Dave,
Still very much enjoying your blogs! As always the photos are stunning. I'm planning to visit Vietnam after i'm finished in Australia so i'm keeping your blogs as a mini reference guide for later! Keep it coming dude!
Nice Pictures Dave what a great page the pictures and stories of your experiences has been great thank you for including me. Keep going hope all is well.
great stuff hi there
love hearing your news just makes me look forward to the next trip
thats all we can do while working!!!
allan gone to melb for a few days
xmas hols soon
yehah
take carexxxx
Yo Cuz Glad you're having a great experience -- Cool photo's -- Still trading away fighting a tough tape with the US Market -- I've shared your site with fellow traders -- Dennis Paulson , a friend of mine who follows the Dali Lama (fasting.com) has also made that trek and always has good things to say in his rememberance of his journeys .. Wish you well and hope the trek continues ----
Off to watch the Packer - Cowboy game tonight--- Go Pack Go!!!!
Continued sucesss, living life
Cuz Dave
;-) once again some wonderful captured pics mate..loved the ones with the kids..you just building my appetite for asia when i head out there in a few years time..
busy finishing things off here in cusco..got a few weeks back in bolivia..then flying out to south africa..then heading back to south america..colombia will be the next adventure!!!..
keep in touch mate
hey mate glad to hear you got your health back in order!!..can`t be a pleasant experience!!..lovn your pics..keep it up!!..
all is good in cusco land..got another 5 more weeks..keep in touch dave
larry
WEBSITE Hi Dave
Great blog. The name of the website is actually www.projectangelsofhope.org - the one on top of this page is not connected to the Foundation.
Gracias
Podge
Good work Dave! Hey Davie,
Delighted you are still traversing the planet, its great to see that with a bit of thought and initiative one can keep on travelling and learning! Lovng the blog by the way, tis real interesting! Are we gonna get on it some time soon? I.e are you going to be landing in Sydney? Let us know would be great to see you!
Ciao amigo
Suz
Curiosity Hi Dave, I know all about the overwhelming 'attention' foreigners get in Asia.However, what a lot of people don't or too little realise is that this asking about where one is going and where one is coming from is a true difference in culture. They do this too between themselves, this is part of a social communication that is really different from ours. (as you know, because as you said our reaction being from the more individual west is: none of your business) If we could speak their language we would understand this much more about these (for us sometimes) intruding questions, and if we go with their flow we can really enjoy and appreciate it even. Of course, being really hassled is not great, but rather understandable too, I think. Have fun, and smiling is indeed the best, and you're good at it!!
X elisa
Death for saying bad things about the king? Sir, I beg to set you straight. In Thailand there is no such thing as death penalty for lese majesty. The actual punishment is between 3 to 10 years imprisonment. In reality, the courts hand down punishments only in rare cases where the offenders clearly act with malicious intention. One recent example is the case of a Swiss man who was guilty of splashing black paint over the king's portraits along Chiangmai streets. Following the verdict, however, he was almost immediately pardoned by the king and deported back to Switzerland.
Eventually, anyone who is convicted normally can be put on parole or have his punishment reduced if he admits to or shows remorse for his deeds, or has never been found guilty of a similar offense before.
Social critics and academics do occasionally give fair, reasonable criticisms or advices over the king's or royal family's matters. Although in some instances lese majesty suits may be filed if the police or state's attorneys feel the words offensive enough, those critics are seldom found guilty by the courts.
Not a backpacker city I hear you. Freedom doesn't cover all the sh** that a backpacker has to go thru, esp. in cities. Tokyo, Hong Kong, even NYC are not cities for cheapa** like us. When you are used to a few bucks for a decent room in developing countries, $20 is way too much for crappy rooms and crappy altitude. And you don't even get the rooster call at 3am! One word: countryside!
Hey Dave! Sounds like you are fishing right now. Let me know when you get back, and we'll try to get together. It's been a long time... good to hear you are back in the US of A for awhile. If you are up in Ely for a bit, maybe we can do some canoeing or camping. Call or email, you know how to reach me at work. email is greggrell@email.com
Take care Yogi,
Greg
Get it all the time. ..."aren't you afraid?" , "why do you want to go there?", ... every hard core traveler I know get these questions. I also hear "what did you eat?" (like there's nothing edible outside the states). Oh, and every women i know wants to know about Europe. Europe, Europe, Europe. Sorry for stereotyping, but that's just what i hear all the time. By the way, love the quote from Mark Twain, i'm sure i'll use it in the future. Good luck on your next trip!
--codrin
Thanks for taking the time to read my TravelBlog. Originally from the Chicago area i received my BS from northern Illinois University and after graduating I started my "career" at Abbott Laboratories. While there I earned my MBA from DePaul, Univiersity. Then I dropped out of the corporate world in 1992 when I moved to Minnesota. Next, I dropped out of the rat race in 1997 and I've been traveling since. For the first few years I only traveled in the US, working one summer in Yellowstone national park and I spent two summers in Alaska. I also had the great fortune to be a rafting guide ... full info
André
non-member comment
Update on contactinformation
Hello there. There are a lot of changes going on at the foundation. Most important is that the work still continues and that we still need volunteers to help with the children. The new (temporary) website for the voluntary part of this project is www.freewebs.com/creciendo-juntos. Check it out if you are interested.