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...]
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...]
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 – Lodging
The height of the tourist season mirrors the climbing season from mid May through the end of September. We have been to Huaraz a number of times, mostly in the climbing season. However during our latest visit we came to Huaraz outside of the climbing season and it was amazing to see how few tourists were in town, and as a result the hostels and hotels were rather empty. Our Recommendations La Cabana Hotel is a small family run … [Read more...]
Huaraz, Peru – Restaurants
Dave has eaten at all of the restaurants listed below. More restaurants will be added here during future climbing trips. Cafe Turmanye is owned by Finnish and Spanish missionaries with proceeds from the cafe funding local missionary work. This cafe opened in early summer 2008. Several couches make this a nice place to relax during your breakfast and lunch. Good fruit juices and simple food items. This cafe is just down the hill on the left … [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 – More Info
In addition to collecting information first hand from numerous trips to Death Valley, a big thanks goes out to the Death Valley National Park guide books, the guides at Scotty's Castle and park rangers for helping supply information for this article. Flash Flood, Panamint Valley - waters flowing down to the very seasonal Lake Levart Mojave Brown, always be careful hiking or biking near rocks in cooler weather in Death … [Read more...]
Around the World on a Motorbike
I had the opportunity recently to meet Vladimir A. Yarets - he is 62 years old, and is deaf and mute. Whats interesting is he is traveling around the world on a motorbike. The photo above is of Vladimir and his bike when I met him like 10 years later in Germany! I first met him in San Francisco California. … [Read more...]
New Zealand, South Island – More Info
Interested in cycling New Zealand? Lonely Planet has written an excellent resource for those considering biking around New Zealand's country side, it is called: Cycling New Zealand, written by Ian Duckworth. We spotted this lichen growing on the rocky shoreline at Milford Sound. After a week of rain, we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived in Milford and were greeted by clear blue skies and warm sunshine. New Zealand is an outdoor … [Read more...]
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