Kyrgyzstan is the quintessentially remote Central Asian land and arguably the worlds least known country. It is situated in the southeastern part of Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, China to the east, China and Tadjikistan to the south, and Uzbekistan to the west. It is about 900 km long from east to west and 425 km from south to north. The area of the country (198.5 thousand sq. km) is comparable with such countries as … [Read more...]
Three days in Laos
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...]
No Time for Love, Dr. Jones
The following morning I awoke early and knew from experience that the boys would sleep for several more hours. I usually enjoyed this time by myself reading or wandering around, maybe getting breakfast. But I felt an odd surge of energy and curiosity and took flight into the jungle to find me a cave. I got my hands on a poor hand drawn map and bought a bottle of water on the way out of town. According to the map I would come to a bridge on 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...]
Siberia, Russia – Here I Come!
"You must really hate this job." That's what my boss said when I told him I was moving from San Diego to Siberia for a year. In reality, I was bored and looking for something that would be completely and utterly new. Whether it was sunstroke or a developing tolerance to margaritas, San Diego just wasn't cutting it anymore. Heck, I hadn't even gone to the beach in nine months and it was only a few blocks away. Time to rediscover a zest for life. … [Read more...]
My Foreign Language
The preparation for the trip back to Vietnam was almost as unsettling as the trip itself. Mom didn't want me to go because she was afraid something might happen to me. I had planned to go with several other people, including a Vietnamese guy who goes by his Catholic name of 'Matthew,' and I had assured mom that Matthew would look after me since he had gone back several times already. Father had demanded that I not go because he didn't want me … [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...]
Saddlebag Lake Resort, CA – February 2006
Saddlebag Lake Resort is located at over 10,000 feet in California's spectacular eastern Sierra Nevada mountains just off of Highway 120 (Tioga Pass). The access road leads off of Highway 120 about half way between the nearby Tioga and Ellery Lakes. The 2 mile drive up is mostly on a rocky dirt road (with two steep sections of pavement) all uphill (suitable for passenger vehicles). The lake was built in 1919 by the Southern Sierra Power … [Read more...]
A Week in Sunny Devon
It was six forty-five in the morning as our USA plane touched down at Gatwick airport. This was the start of my one weeks vacation in Southern England. As we drew up to the disembarkation gate the captain told us the weather forecast for the next few days was warm and sunny ... what a bonus no rain. Once we cleared customs and located our hire car which, as luck would have it, had a diesel engine. What a great reward, considering gas is around … [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...]
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