Day 1 Greetings all from the heart of Laos! I'm writing from Vang Vieng, sort of a Gimmelwald of Laos... in other words the Laotian version of the Swiss Alps. I walk out of my hotel room onto a balcony that faces the most ethereal, exotic scene! Mountains in the shape of fingers and hands and what not jet up towards the sky, covered by foliage, and below lie palm trees, the village, and the river. Laos is the 10th poorest country in the … [Read more...]
Annapurna Circuit
I'd always fancied myself as a bit of an outdoors-type, and what better way to prove it than a trek through the Himalayas. "Why would I want to walk for that long?" said a startled friend when I asked if he wanted to come along. Obviously he hadn't pictured it in his mind like I had. There it was; snow-capped peaks looming over pine-forests, twinkling stars dancing across the dark Northern skies, Tibetan prayer flags fluttering in the wind, … [Read more...]
Wacky Packi Northern Pakistan
The mere notion of coming to this country might send shudders up ones spine. But after my 2 months in Pakistan, the chills would be be because I'm so excited about the prospect of returning to one of the most beautiful countries one Earth. The initial excitement of entering the country via the dramatic Karakoram Highway subsides eventually, but a contentedness of being amidst the cool climes, stunning geography & welcoming locals sets in. … [Read more...]
7 Years in Tibet
Tashi Delek from Lhasa, The Holy City, at the heart of the Rooftop of the World! A wild & wacky week of travel covering maybe 2000 miles, countless mountain passes, and some of the planet's most beautiful terrain brought me here over a week ago. My route to Lhasa took me from the NW reaches of Yunnan north thru areas which are officially closed to foreigners by the oppressive Communist imperialists which have occupied Tibet for the past 53 … [Read more...]
Welcome to Thailand: Where taxis, tuk-tuks, boats, elephants, sky train, motorbikes, and mini-buses merge for your convenient transportation.
December 7, 2002 Greetings all from Bangkok, Thailand!!! Bangkok leaves me speechless because it is so utterly different and fascinating. I have no words to describe it, but I'll do my best. The 30-hour trip began by wandering the solitary back roads of Oregon and ended in the heart of crowded, congested, and polluted Bangkok. We were met by Syy and Jim in the airport and whisked away to our "hotel." Outside of this hotel were the slums of … [Read more...]
My Time in Vietnam
Part I Vietnam Hanoi September 24 Bob left Hanoi right away on the train for Sapa near the Chinese border to do some trekking among the colorful minority villages and then to spend three days in Halang Bay learning to kayak. It is probably not surprising that the relationship has taken a beating on this trip so we are traveling separately until we join a friend in Hong Kong on November 20 when the three of us will spend two months in … [Read more...]
Zimbabwe & Zambia: The Zim and Zam of Victoria Falls
Dear Friends, "I can't leave this place. Africa is in my heart'I love the unpredictability here; today we have food, tomorrow we might not". These were the musings of Ivor, a white Zimbabwean grocery store owner we met in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Ivor was one of the few white Zimbabwe citizens left after the country's strong-man president Robert Mugabe changed the constitution to allow himself unlimited terms and, in 2000, instituted a series of … [Read more...]
Huaraz, Peru – Trekking Companies
Numerous tour guides in Huaraz offer day trips - most are congregated around or just off of the main street near downtown. For day trips, typically you will be picked up at your hotel between 6 and 8am in the morning and dropped off at your hotel between 6 and 7pm in the evening. Travelers certainly can arrange independent travel for day trip activities by by hiring a private taxi or taking a mini bus called a "collectivo". For longer treks or … [Read more...]
Huaraz, Peru – More Info
Banks Several local and national banks are located in Huaraz as well as 24/7 ATM's - these are all located close to the Plaza del Armas and downtown area. We've used a variety of ATM cards during our trips to Huaraz and never had any problems with the ATM's in town. Money Many of the trekking agencies only accept cash. All convenience stores only accept cash. Pharmacies and some restaurants accept major credit cards. As in other parts of … [Read more...]
Death Valley, CA – Attractions
Death Valley is the largest national park in the lower 48 states; it houses a diversity of natural and human-made attractions. Based on numerous trips to Death Valley, we recommend at least 4-5 days to have enough time to visit some of the following highlights. However some schedules may not allow that amount of time: One day: we recommend you concentrate your sightseeing efforts near Furnace Creek as many natural attractions are located … [Read more...]
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