Not sure eather...I was just wondering.

If it doesnt stop raining...I wont get a chance to find out eather:(

ARRRG!

I know You have a lot of Very important things to attend to... Droughts to fix, people to feed and the like, so I apologize for bothering You with such a small matter but.... Could You make it stop raining in Luang Prabang? See, its been pouring for the last two days  and Eva and I would love to get out and see Your mountains and rivers...Bask in the glory that are Your Jungles and Forests....but we cant do it while the heavens are open and its pouring rain.

: Perhaps take the rain and send it to Western Austrailia for a day or two? I know they need it, and Im sure the jungles of south east asia could handle a day off....

with Love and Respect

Miriam

                                    Located in COTES DE NUITS,founded by the Cistercian monks of Abbey of Citeaux in 1098, protected by a wall of stones already built in the 14th century,CLOS DE VOUGEOT, a single vineyard of 50,95 hectares(125 acres) of Pinot Noir vines, is the largest single vineyard of GRAND CRU in Burgundy and an AOC (Appellation d'origine contrôlée) for the red wine from this vineyard.

                                   It was the property of only one owner till the 19th century.Unfortunately now it is divided up between 80 owners and the average production per owner is a little bit more than 1000 bottles!

                                  According to the location of the vines,the soils are different and the wines have a significant difference in quality:the vines towards the top of the slopes on light chalky and gravelly soils with a good drainage produce much finer wines than those in the middle or the lower part of the vineyard,especially those close to the National road which have a poor drainage.

                                 The geological heterogeneity and the variability of the talent of each wine producer contribute to produce wines under the single Clos de Vougeot Aoc designation variable in quality!The best Clos de Vougeot are typically dense and robust but may develop after 10 years in cellar tasty,full-bodied and richly red-fruited wines.

                                 Some reliable producers of Clos de Vougeot wine who have vines  on the upper slopes and a real talent are Anne Gros,Domaine Henri Rebourseau,Château de la Tour...

     www.rebourseau.com

     www.anne-gros.com

     www.chateaudelatour.com

    www.meo-camuzet.com/en/fiches/frmset-clos-vougeot.htm

We happend upong La Maison after arriving in LP a few days ago. We were looking for a place that was above basic guest house but not crazy expensive. our goal was to find a place where we could relax and enjoy our room after a long day of trekking and sight seeing. La Maison feels like I am staying at someones home. Its decour reminds me of a nice Southern California Home with an Asian theme to it. Teak details yet a lot lighter and airier than a lot of other places i looked at. the bathrooms are beautiful. Rooms, comfortable size, not too big but not cramped eather. We have two suitecases each and with our stuff everywhere still had room to be comfortable. Staff speaks english. Location is very central. You are two small buildings away from all the action. Rooms over look rooftops and mountains beyond. SPIC AND SPAN clean. Windows are a bonus. Shuttered and draped with light silk curtains... great to throw open in the morning and watch the mist clear around the mountains. Highly recommend to people who want something in the midrange price (we paide 35 each night for 3 nights- low season). only about 8 rooms in the place. Very intimate. Cute puppy hangs out with you during the day. very gentle.

 Lima is not the center or miraflores ... We have to know around lima.........Lima Region, also known as Lima Provincias, ITs divided into 9 provinces,(diffrnt kinds of turism if u love advnture sports we can find great points,one of the points f interest is> RESERVES LANDSCAPE NOR YAUYOS(cycling, trekkinh,caping GOOD PICS!awsome:) turquoise lagoons and crystal decorated with beautiful waterfalls white, sky blue deep canyons and gorges, forests and stands Of Puyo queñuales Raimondi. In addition, the zone is possible to find archeological complex and wide variety of birds, how wild ducks, Chu, garsas and 2 varieties of trout.  It was awsomeeeeeeeee....

Today was a "long..." day.  But a better day overall than yesterday.  After a short walk (30 mins) on the jeep road leaving Tatopani, we turned off the road to begin the climb to Ghorepani.  And by climb, I mean a serious climb.  While we weren't at the altitude that we were for the climb to Thorung La we would be climbing 1700m (5577 ft) total from 1150m (3373 ft) to 2850m (9350 ft).  The trail would go UP pretty much consistently for the entire way to Ghorepani.

But getting off the road was a boost for morale.  Views were simply stunning as we climbed.  Seeing the Kali Gandaki behind us as we climbed up this ridge and all the fileds and villages that graced the mountainside in front of us.  And all in all as tough as the climb was we were all acclimitized to the altitude by now and managed the effort pretty much with ease.  The toughest part was simply dealing with all the stone stairs that had been placed into the ground.  While I'm sure it helps from an erosion standpoint, it does make it a bit tough on the knees and I dread the fact that we have to go down the same amount on the other side of the ridge tomorrow.

Even though we were handling it well, the walk took forever.  Thankfully the scenery that surrounded us and the life that was going on around us provided many diversions from the interminable climb.  The last section seemed to stretch on endlessly.  We could see Ghorepani high up on the ridge but still had a few hundred meters still to climb to reach it.  And when we finally arrived in Ghorepani our lodge was one of the highest ones up the mountainside in the village.

After settling in a few of us wandered back down into the center of the village.  Ghorepani had a few small shops with books and other items for sale, and a few of us were looking to make some purchases.  Eventually after a few purchases, it was time to head back to the lodge.  Jess and I got caught in the rain and hail and had to make a fast dash up the steps back to the lodge.  It was mostly hail falling so we didn't get too wet, but the rain started in earnest when we arrived back at the lodge and continued throughout the evening.  And the temperature dropped markedly leaving a pretty cold dining room after we were getting used to the warmer temperatures of the lower elevations.  Ate dinner in the dark as electricity was cut off.  A few drinks of hot chocolate with a splash of rum really hit the spot and warmed myself up before heading to bed.  We had an early morning wake-up call to make the short assault of Poon Hill for what is supposed to be an amazing view of the entire Annapurna Massif.

Time and Distance

Astute readers will notice that I have rarely mentioned distances in any of my journal entries.  One reason is that they aren't that accurately measured.  Another is that between the altitude and terrain, its impossible to correlate distance to the time trekked.  Lastly they just aren't found on any maps and signs in the area.

By rough approximation the Annapurna Circuit is somewhere between 210 and 250 km (130 and 155 miles) with the more conservative number probably being closer to the mark.  But on a daily basis we walked according to a rough guide of time to reach the next destination as opposed to distance.  So signs would say 2 hours to Manag or 4 hours to Ghorepani not 6 miles or 10 miles or the like.  My guide for the trek would give us estimates each morning of the time to reach each of our intermediate stops (tea break/lunch) and our final destination (these would include actual trekking time and our breaks).  Most of the time he was right on within about +/-15 mins for the time our day would take.  The only time this would prove wrong was on days that it rained.  In that case we would power through at a faster pace, with fewer breaks, and less (read none) picture taking.

And then who cares about the distance to a large extent.  We had a destination in mund for each day and we would get there when we got there.  Besideds it wasn't like there was a whole lot to do once we reached our village for the evening so what was the rush.

My Trip to Calgary and Surrounding area in Alberta, Canada 2003

This is about my trip to this area in June 2003.

Day 1 �" Today get up this morning and put my final things in my suitcase. The flight is not till about noon today, so I have time this morning to waste. I do that by watching old 1980’s movies on A and E, Blue Thunder. Well for sure not best movie I have seen in the world, but it was something to watch.

Finally I make it to the airport and check in with my flight to Calgary. It is a direct flight with WestJet. I have a window seat and it’s a good flight. The flight attendant gave me good service on the plane. I found the tiny kid size glass of soda was too small for me, so I asked for a full can and she secretly gave me a can.

I arrive at the Calgary airport and its good landing. Get my bags from inside and then go and pick up my rental car. My rental car is a Chrysler, Intrepid, a little big but nice and comfortable and I got a good price.

I ask the car attendant for directions to get to my hotel, which is in Southern Calgary. She rambles on and on with all types of directions to the point its all just sounds like a bunch of rubbish. So I take off on my own and figure it out by trial and error.

I get across town very easily and onto the street I am supposed to be on.

I see my hotel in the distance, but I am on opposite side of road, so I try to find a spot to turn around. I make it way out of the city into the country, where I finally am able to turn around. I make it back through the traffic and safely into the parking lot of the hotel, Travelodge in McCloud Trail. I check in and get into my room.

Now it is finally time to explore this area. I leave the hotel and I am hungry, well McDonalds is quite close by so I go there for some lunch. I have a big Mac and large fries with a Coca-Cola, heart attack on a tray.

I then go walking up McCloud Trail towards Chinook Mall, for something to do. This mall is one of the major malls in Calgary, has many stores and a Theatre and Imax, quite impressive. As I am not a shopper I just walk around awhile and check out the place and see what movies are playing.

The movie Fast and Furious 2 is playing tonight, so I will come back later and checks it out.

I walk back to the hotel and decide I need some goodies for my little fridge in the room. I get into my car and drive to Safeway’s. Safeway is a nice store and I shop in them regularly.

I get lots of supplies such as Soda, chips and then to beer store for beer, meal of champions. I drive back to hotel and put all in fridge, at least I work them into the fridge.

Afterwards it is time for dinner, so for old times sake I go down the street to restaurant of Denny’s. I got in and am greeted by a nice Waitress named Nancy. I get a nice booth and am offered a newspaper to read while waiting. I get my menu and decide to order the top value thing on the menu. Some type of steak meal and potatoes. I order my meal and It is served by the main manager, maybe I am special or something.

Overall, a great meal and the soda Coca- Cola went down quite  well as well.

No room for dessert tonight, so I just pay my bill and say good bye and thank you and walk back to my hotel.

This evening is going to be quiet evening, So I head back to the Chinook Mall, driving this time and get my ticket for tonight’s movie, Fast and Furious 2, its going to  be good.

I wait in line and am tempted by the popping popcorn and soda, but its overpriced and I decide to go without. Finally it is time to go in the room for the movie, I get my ticket ripped by the movie usher kid, who probably has seen the movie 50 times already.

Movie comes on and I watch the movie. Overall it was an ok movie, not as good as first one, but it’s only fast and the furious.

Anyways back to hotel tonight, for some sleep and I will be up for new adventure in the world.

Stay tuned for next days.

One of the guys from our hotel took us on a Tuk Tuk truck all day to see and experience the temples, it was a full day pondering around in i guess about 38 degree (C) heat.

The Ankor Wat temples are definatly one of the worlds most sacred sights, to indulge in its history, beauty and delicacy first hand truely is a privilege beyond what I ever imagined.

The Buquebus is actually a boat. After three extremely pleasant days in peaceful Colonia Uruguay, I took a one hour boat ride back to Buenos Aries. Accommodation at Giorgio's House is booked until 16th July 2009, so there's about ten days to leisurely discover more of this great city. In late July, I am scheduled to arrive in Santiago Chile to participate in a United Nations / Chilean Education Ministry Development Programme for 4 months. Over the next week or so, there will hopefully be available time to start online Spanish language lessons in readiness for the Chile gig.

Its only been another week and I'm already heading out for Australia in just a few hours. How time flies!!!

Wellington:
I really enjoyed getting to spend some time with Wendy and Martin. It was great to catch up and see how they were doing. On Saturday night we went out to a bar/dance club with the English guys, a couple Scottish girls, and a Canadian that was themed after Alice in Wonderland. Very random, but fun. They even served drinks in teapots and you had a tea party- fitting since I was with some Brits :) I wound up only getting 3 hours of sleep since I had to get up REALLY early to run my half-marathon the next day... I know, I'm bad at race preparation. I also had two coffees with milk in them (not good for your stomach before a race) and I walked a mile and STILL managed to run faster(1:53) than my previous time(2:02). I think I'm going to write a book. I just hung out in Windy Welly for the day and then went over to Wendy's for a home-cooked meal thanks to Martin. Afterwards we had hokey pokey ice cream (vanilla with toffee bits) and toffee pops (a biscuit, sorry, cookie*).

Ohakune:
All you need to know- It was cold. I was supposed to go skiing. The slopes were closed. Sad day.

Taupo:
Met back up with the English guys in Taupo for a day, as well as another English girl that they had met along the way. Apparently they had been waiting at the bus station for me to greet me with random candy jewelry from the $2 Store, but somehow we missed each other :( They're pretty random, but great fun. The first night we just hung out and cooked dinner at the hostel, but the next morning we packed in tons. Amy had a rental car so we were able to get from place to place quickly, so first we went to Huka Falls to take a look. Next, we went to see the dam release the water (does this every couple hours), and lastly we went to some thermal pools. It's truly amazing how there is so much thermal activity. The place we went to wasn't commercialized at all. It was just a random stream in the middle of a park that just happens to be a naturally-ocurring hot springs. After lunch, I caught a ride with Amy up to Rotorua instead of catching the bus. Way easier- I am definitely renting a car next time!

Rotorua:
First night I didnt really do anything, just read a bit and went to bed WAY too early :) The next day I had a tour planned. Turns out I was the only one, but they still took me around. First thing was mountainbiking- heaps of good trails here. Then we went rafting down the Okere river, just me and the two guides. They had lots of fun with me since I was the only one. I managed to fall in when we went over the waterfalls (21ft high!!!). So after that they didn't mind pushing me in and getting me soaked and such. They are quite hilarious. Next, we kayaked across Lake Rotoiti and to some hot pools. It was quite a day and I loved it. The company was Multi-day Adventures (they usually do longer tours), and I would HIGHLY recommend them. The guys are great and they know tons about the Maori culture. Their friend was supposed to be playing live music that night at a local bar, so they invited me out. I went for a bit, but as it turns out their friend was actually sick so they didn't stay long either.

Auckland:
Sadly, I didn't get to experience much here since I'm only stopping through to get to the airport, but it seems like it could be a fun place if I gave it a bit more time. I did have my first ever Korean BBQ meal here. Quite tasty :)

I'm off to the airport- Happy travels!!!

Hi all ,well this is my 5th day here and due to my out of sinc body im far awake ahead of anyone else in the house ,so here i am.

Im a market stroler ,i like markets and knick knack shops much more than a mall or some branded outlet area. So my gf's parents take us to one of the big markets here in QD thats not a tourist market and see what cool things are on for sale that might take my fancy.

I consider myself travelled enough through asia to know about the security of my bag ,my wallet and other such valubles and not a nieve traveller by any means. Yesterday i seemed to have a budding young theif in my midst who thought i might be an easy meal ticket. Ill put it this way ..anyone who can get my wallet is welcomed to it and there talents a greatly deserving of it! ..I was unaware that i was being followed as me and my gf were in front and my gf's parents were trailing us by a metre or so. They noticed that every stall i stoped at ,this aspiring young oportunist would be there inching closer & closer to my day pack untill my gf's mum inderictley intervenes and puts herself between my bag and the fleet footed young man ..then he leaves empty handed and maybe a bit dissapointed.

. ..Maybe im a positive thinker and tell myself it wont happen to me ..whats the chance? But still very very cautious where i store my valubles! ,haha well ,it shows that China is a breeding ground for young "up & comming" would be pick pockets as this market is not a tourist market what so ever! and it happens alot here than some might say ,in other places in Asia.

It comes as no supprise to me that i was being followed as it does happen ,hes welcome to have a try .With my wallet, camera & other valubles where they are ...Am i an easy target for a pick pocketer ? .Im pretty confident that im not! .

At best ..hes welcome to my empty sunglass case.

The 4^th of July- What a terrific country!  We are so lucky to live here. 

Traveling provided a chance to view the U.S. from a different perspective.  Here are distinctions we noted for our country:

Our young country was built on DEMOCRACY.  Since the Independence War, no king, coup, or political dictator has ruled over us. 

While there are ongoing struggles, the U.S. holds EQUALITY as a basic principle- no family birthright, nationality origin, or caste system prevents us from becoming what we want. 

We have FREEDOM OF SPEECH - our investigative journalists uncover and report on political and social wrongdoing.  They are not hunted for their discoveries in America. 

JUSTICE is eventually served here.  Police are generally honest.  Trial by jury is a right.  Bribes for officials, gangs, and the mafia do not run our cities.

We have FREE SCHOOLS for our children, a right to be cherished.

CLEAN WATER to drink emits from our faucets.  We do not have to hike and carry fresh water daily.

The U.S. is geographically HUGE- Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase doubled the size at the time.  The U.S. is 3000 miles across.  Rome to Amsterdam is just 1000 miles.  Our tremendous growth is partly related to our immense size. 

IMMIGRANTS of many nations grew our population to build this country.  Unless you’re of Native American descent, your ancestors were immigrants.  It is personal - let’s remember in our arrogance that we too descend from immigrants.  We are a nation of immigrants.

We are a GLOBAL nation:  Half the young people in many countries left to work abroad.  Can you imagine how that changed their countries’ fabric?  It changed ours too.  We are interconnected.  Do you want to trace your ancestry and then visit that country to experience your roots?

We are a RICH country.  Americans own far more in both quantity and size than most people.  We focus on consumerism.  We spend to impress.  We churn through items at a fast rate.  We tend to replace rather than repair.  All these things seem different than other countries we’ve visited.  I am guilty too.

Our nation’s growth in ENVIRONMENTAL issues will accelerate because we are just beginning compared to European countries.  Our knowledge of conservatism is rather low as a country.  We use far too much electricity, water, gasoline and plastic bags.  We throw out too much as we buy too much.  We could share more so we don’t all buy the same rarely used items.

Our CONSERVATION of resources will increase when our costs increase.  Here are some personal examples:

1.      In Ireland, a .15 E charge for each plastic grocery bag produced a 40% drop in plastic bag usage!  We bought reusable burlap Tesco bags to use- our first time ever.

2.      Our RV propane tank went from lasting just 5 days, to lasting over 2 months when I realized the cost went from negligible in the U.S. to 30E in Europe. 

3.      The lovely houses of people in most countries are not larger than they need nor are their yards acres of grass that require tons of precious water.  I am looking for ways to put in a garden or more plant areas than yard at our house.

4.      Gasoline costs across Europe hovered around 1E per liter, or 3.80 E per gallon.  So, people drive highly efficient small vehicles.   They use clean diesel or LPG-modified cars, both of which are less expensive than regular gasoline.  They do not bang their head repeatedly against a wall by driving huge gas-guzzlers. 

5.      When the cost of U.S. gas went up, we drove less, carpooled, switched to more efficient vehicles, and some of us *woke up* to monitor our gas usage.   I’m considering a Prius now and Ned likes the Tesla Model S all-electric car.

6.      When laundry costs were high (electricity and water), we learned to dry our clothes by hanging then up (inside or out) and it really wasn’t that hard.  (Clean air in Houston would make for better-smelling clothes though.)  We didn’t wash clothes that were not yet dirty, nor towels or sheets unnecessarily.  Was my washing machine load every night in the U.S. excessive?  Yes, we now think so.

So, increasing costs of resources will result in conserving resources, not in people paying much more overall.  Americans are resourceful and will adjust to the higher costs by using less.  Let’s not be afraid of energy and conservation measures which appear increase costs.  They work. 

We are a CREATIVE people - Music and films are our strengths.  No matter where you are in the world, American music can be heard as often as the local music.  American movies are subtitled and enjoyed everywhere.

America is a wonderful country!  Many people feel an attachment to this country through their own country's history.  While most people in Europe would not trade passports with us (they too love their countries and enjoy a high standard of living), there is respect for what our nation has accomplished and continues to accomplish.  We are resourceful, innovative, and creative. 

I'm proud to be an American.  Happy 4^th of July!

6.30.09 Belfast, N. Ireland (to Dublin)

Belfast was really beautiful!  I expected big, industrialized city, but got sparkling and lovely with fabulous buildings, old Irish pubs, and lovely people.  We were so impressed with Belfast!

We walked 5 minutes from the campground, through the quaint town of Larne, to the train station.  For 15 Pounds total (they are part of Great Britain, so we use Pounds and measure in mph and not metric) we got round-trip tickets to downtown Belfast, nearly a full hour away.  The train was smooth and clean, a delightful ride indeed.

A free metro bus (pink) picks up every few minutes from the station (free if you took the rail into town) to tote you to the center, where you hop off at City Hall.  There is the ferris wheel (like a small London Eye) on that main square and enormous buildings. 

The monument to the Titanic is there too, as Belfast is where the ship was built and some residents died on it.  Shipbuilding is a part of Belfast's long history and we could see the gigantic, square, yellow arches used in hoisting the ships being built.

We enjoyed riding the ferris wheel (18P for family rate).  It circled 4 times with commentary inside our private capsule- it was like an overhead tour of the city!

We walked all over Belfast- beautiful!  Although there was a cruise ship in town, most of the people in town were locals.  It was a delightful time and we never felt or saw any of the issues that occasionally surface on the news.  Granted, we did not go into the neighborhoods where the segregation between Catholics and Protestants is found either.

We bought a sticker from Ulster, which is the N. Ireland province.  I found 2 "Ireland" stickers to every "Ulster" option.  The feeling of "one Ireland" with shared history, Irish pubs, etc. makes it difficult to separate the fact that half the country is part of Great Britian and the other the Republic of Ireland, it's own country. 

Finally, we took the once an hour train back to get Sugar from the campground by 3pm, check out time.  Check out times in Europe are far more reasonable than in the U.S.  The earliest checkout we've ever had in Europe was noon, I believe.

By 6pm we'd traversed Dublin traffic, gone around the M50 ring road, and arrived at the wonderful Dublin's Camac Valley Campground, where we had spent our first night on our own after leaving the Behan's.  It was like a homecoming and we were happy to see Tracy again.  After chatting about our travels, Tracy said that there was no charge for the night, in honor of our last night camping in Europe!  Wasn't that nice?  We later took her some wine and chocolates when we said goodbye .

Then we hopped the hourly bus into Dublin - it stops right in front of Camac Valley- and got off near the Gaiety Theatre, where we retrieved our 7/25 Raindance tickets, so that at least someone else can enjoy the show.  They did not offer any half-price tickets, even 20 minutes before their show.  But we were ready to enjoy Dublin.

We walked around St. Stephen's Square, the Trinity area again, and found a great pub with traditional Irish food.  We ordered cafeteria style and then sat in the dark wood, old pub and enjoyed our last night out in Ireland.  Delightful!

1983 was my last year in the beautiful Pacific Northwest--and it would be a good 17 years before I'd move back to the United States again!

My family rented a house along the rushing Sandy River for a week.  There my father and I would hike a ways upstream and then ride and brave the rapids on an inflatable raft... OK, they weren't real rapids, but for me it was an absolute thriller... We even managed to flip over once... I determined that one day I would do some serious white water rafting--a determination that I have yet to fulfill...

And so ended another phase of my childhood... From here, we'd move to Mexico, and over the next 12 years of my life, I would come to consider myself more Mexican than American...

And so... although I didn't do a whole lot of real adventuring or discovering during this time, I did get my feet wet... a little bit...

If you want to escape to a tranquilo coastside village and stay at an awesome place near the beach, then you will dig Cabañas La Iguana. Sandra y Galvan are the wonderful Columbian couple who run the place. They are super helpful and knowledgeable about the area and will share great places to hike, eat and chill. They'll also help you to arrange anything from a tour to Isla de La Plata to horseback riding. They are amazing. In fact, I originally planned to stay in Ayampe for 3 days, but ended up staying for a week, because I fell in love with the atmosphere at Cabañas La Iguana. I love the ocean. I don't love crowds of people and beach vendors. I love staying at a place where most of the sounds I hear come from birds and the ocean. I love staying at a place that is clean, private, simple, has hot water, private baths and where I feel safe traveling alone. I love Hostals where the people who manage them are present when you need them and respectful enough to give you privacy. When I went last week I stayed in a room with a private bath and hot water. They provided soap and towels, a cool mosquito net over the bed if you need it (I used it because it felt like I was on safari, but there wasn't one mosquito in my room). The room had a double bed and a bunk bed. So, it could've slept 3 or 4 people. But, I had it to myself. In fact, I had the whole place to myself! It was awesome. I paid $10 a night. It didn't include breakfast. But, if you'd like breakfast, just let Sandra know and she'll prep a huge one for you for, I think $3.50. It includes- coffee, hot chocolate or tea, fresh juice, eggs, toast, granola, fruit and yogurt. Actually, she'll make you lunch or dinner as well. I had a full almuerzo (lunch) for $2.50. There's a central palapa with a bunch of hammocks and tables. Also, there are a few books...although mostly in German....(the owners are an Ecuadorian and Swiss). There's also a little stereo with a bunch of local CDs...... This place is completely chill and just 2 minutes from a pretty much deserted beach. This place is for you if you are into simplicity, quiet and chill. It is not Montanita. It doesn't have WIFI. But, Las Tortugas, next door has internet access for $2 an hour. I would stay here again in a heartbeat. In fact...I loved it so much, I'm going back in 3 weeks.