February 2012
2 posts
Indonesian Final Trip Report 15-Feb-2012
I’m in Hong Kong on a layover on my way back to the USA, after being in Indonesia for 2 ½ months. Along with the 2 months I spent last year in Indonesia, I have had a great opportunity to see much of their country and meet many friendly people. The highlight I suppose was my recent visit to the Baliem Valley in Papua; but there have been so many other great experiences on Bali, Lombok and...
Papua, Indonesia and the Baliem Valley
I had a wonderful experience last week spending 5 days traveling to Papua, with most of my time in the Baliem Valley, and spent an incredible day with a Dani Tribe. Andrea was not able to go because the Peace Corps has restricted travel to the Baliem Valley due to safety concerns over the separatist movement there. However, I never saw anything that appeared dangerous or threatening;...
January 2012
4 posts
Java People at Work, 29-Jan-2012
During the last week, I spent a lot of time walking around the countryside, while Andrea is back teaching. It was a chance to see what is going on during their day. The most common activity is working in their rice fields. Being on the equator, Indonesia does not have changing seasons, although parts of the year are rainier than others. They plant three crop rotations of rice a year,...
Trip Report: 21-Jan-2011 Peninsular Malaysia
We took a flight from Kuching to Kuala Lumpur, to travel in Peninsular Malaysia, arriving in the evening. Kuala Lumpur is a large and very modern city, and the capital of Malaysia. Chinese Lunar New Year is just a week away and the country is decorated for it; and commercialized big time, like Christmas in USA. We walked to the Petronas Towers and took pictures of it lighted at night. ...
Borneo Trip Report 12-Jan-2012
Borneo is an island in the South China Sea comprised of the small country of Brunei, the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Indonesian state of Kalimantan. Andrea and I will visit Brunei and Sarawak for a week. We flew into Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital and only major city in Brunei. On the cab ride from the airport to the Empire Hotel, we could see and hear (no constant...
Indonesian Trip Report: 3-Jan-2012
Been spending the last week walking and biking around the countryside; and preparing for a two week trip to Brunei, Borneo, and Peninsular Malaysia. Also did laundry which is done by hand; soaking in a bucket, scrubbing with a brush, and wringing by hand, and then hung to dry. Andrea has gotten pretty good at it, but I’m a better wringer. It is hard to get clothes dry in the rainy season;...
December 2011
4 posts
Indonesian Trip Report: 28-Dec-2011
Spent the Christmas holiday in Bali, a big cultural and living change from rural Java. Java is mostly Muslim; Indonesia has the highest Muslim population in the world, so there is really no Christmas celebration here. Bali Island is mostly Hindu, but because it is primarily a tourist economy, they display Christmas to cater to the tourist. Bali has great beaches and surfing, lots of...
Trip Report: 20-Dec-2011
Just a quick update from East Java before heading to Bali for Christmas. I received a lot of questions about living conditions here in the village from my last report, mostly about not having toilet paper, and what do we do. I’ll try to explain without getting too gross. For a toilet, there is a porcelain hole in the floor that you squat over. To clean yourself, you wash with your left...
Indoensian Trip Report: 17-Dec-2011
17-December-2011
I’ve been in Indonesia for 10 days now and acclimating to the weather and living conditions. It’s the hot, humid, rainy season. And Andrea’s house in the village of Ngentrong, near Campurdarat in east Java has no air conditioning, no shower, no hot water, no toilet, no toilet paper, etc. I survived it all last year, and will again this year.
On the first night here at...
After spending over 2 1/2 years applying to the Peace Corps, I finally received an invitation to serve with the Peace Corps in Mexico. I have decided to decline the opportunity for two primary reasons. One, my situation has changed during the time applying; Ben and Holly have a baby, Nick has returned to the USA. It just doesn’t seem like the time I should be leaving. Second, the...
September 2011
2 posts
6Sep2011 Final Russian Trip Report
I’m back in Wisconsin, arriving on Monday afternoon. I flew back from Moscow on Sunday afternoon. It was a great trip, but after nearly a month, it is good to be back in the USA., where I understand what people are saying, and can read what is written.
When I arrived in Moscow from St. Petersburg, I headed for the subway to get to the hostel I planned to stay in. Walking through the...
3Sep2011 St. Petersburg
I arrived late Tuesday night in St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad), and got room at the Cuba Hostel. My throat is sore, and my nose is running and I have a cough, I’m developing a nasty cold. I’m wondering if it started because I stopped drinking vodka, which is “good for your health”, as I was doing on the train, or is it the confined space and stuffy conditions on the train.
In the...
August 2011
8 posts
30Aug2011 Vladisvostok
Just arrived in St. Petersburg, but wanted to get a final report out on Vladivostok. I had a little time to walk around Vladivostok some more before heading to the airport. They drive on right side of road like we do, but most cars are left hand driven. Reason is used cars are imported from Japan.
As I waited for a tour group taking pictures of a Lenin statue, I heard the Russian guide...
30Aug2011 Irkutsk to Vladivostok
I’m in Vladivostok having completed the Trans-Siberian Rail from Moscow, 5759 miles (9,288 Km). The last three days, 2,500 miles (4,000 Km) were non-stop from Irkutsk. The route goes along the Mongolian and the Chinese borders. The three days were spent looking out the window as Russian Siberia passed by, reading, sleeping, and drinking vodka.
The scenery was less forested, and more...
25Aug2011 Irkutsk and Lake Baikal
Talked with Ben from England, he is driving his Land Rover around the world. He started in England, drove through the Chunnel, across Europe, through some of the former USSR states, across Russian, and will next go down into Mongolia and back up to Vladivostok. There he will ship his Land Rover to Vancouver and drive across America.
I walked to the train station in a drizzling rain, and...
22Aug2011 Krasnoyarsk to Irkutsk
Arrived in Krasnoyarsk midmorning Sunday and found a café with internet. In the afternoon I walked around the city and found some more traditional wooden Siberian homes with the window shutters. Krasnoyarsk is a pleasant city to walk around. At the city amusement park, for the first time people are allowing me to take their pictures. Everyone is in a happy mood, and I got a lot of people...
21Aug2011 Yekaterinburg to Omsk
Before I left the hotel, I dropped my camera and it is no longer focusing automatically. Also my ATM card is not working here. A few little problems to deal with, part of the excitement of travel.
Today I am taking the “proletariat” class platskarny car versus the higher “bourgeoisie “class kupeny I traveled yesterday. It is half the price. Getting on the train, the big difference is the...
18Aug2011 Moscow to Yekaterinburg
Tuesday night I took the subway back to the Kremlin for night pictures of St. Basil’s Cathedral. I’m getting better at navigating the underworld of the Moscow Subway System, and can manage without help. At 1:30 AM I got a call and was told my bag had finally arrived from the airport. Now I’m set to start out on the Trans Siberian Railroad leg of this trip tomorrow.
To be sure not to miss...
Russian Trip Report
16Aug2011
After a weeks delay, I finally arrived in Russia. And yes, I can see Sara Palin’s house from here. I was delayed over what I have narrowed down to an insect bite that had me in the emergency room four times; first for a CAT scan, two times for antibiotic IV’s, and for an ultrasound to rule out DVT. I’m feeling fine now, and had to get this trip in before my Russian visa expired on...
July 2011
1 post
Everything You Wanted to Know About Change, And...
I always save the change I get. It’s not coin collecting, its coin hoarding because I am not selective in what I keep, I keep it all. I know there are many other people who do this, and when they have a jar full, they cash it in and get something special. I have a friend Marilyn, who bought her husband’s wedding ring from change; although she collected money she found. It wasn’t a cheap...
March 2011
4 posts
It Takes Two to Tango
As I was getting down to the last days of my trip, I planned to spend a few days in the Pampas area, with the gauchos (cowboys); and end up in Buenos Aries and learn to tango. The tango part is in jest, I know better than to even try, my feet ‘have got no rhythm’. After my problems with the Paraguay Consulate and pickpockets, the remainder of the time was uneventful and relaxing. The plan...
Iguazu Falls, and the Jesuit Missions
The next attraction that piqued my interest was Iguazu Falls in northeast Argentina, on the Brazilian border. I left Montevideo Wednesday afternoon on a bus to Paysandú for a 24 hour series of bus rides. By evening, I was on a bus to cross the border at Colon, Argentina; then took a night bus to Concordia; and another bus on to Posadas. During the night, I got a view of the stars and found...
Bienvenido a Montevideo, Uruguay; Donde Esta el...
For some reason, there is an aversion to giving change in Argentina. It even turns into a multiple transaction, handing bills back and forth until it comes out correct. I’ve even had a clerk charge me less so he wouldn’t have to give change. Then I discovered why this may be, there is a shortage of coins. At a large grocery store in El Bolson, when the clerk opened the cash drawer,...
4-MAR-2011 Los Tres El’s (The Three El’s)
If you don’t want to read the next couple of pages, I can summarize the report in this paragraph. From Ushuaia, I traveled 800 miles north along Ruta 40, along the Argentina/Chile border of Patagonia by bus. I spent two days each in El Calafate, El Chalten, and El Bolson. El Calafate is near one of the most interesting glaciers in the world, Perito Moreno; and also has a lot of shopping. ...
Antarctica, Part 2
On Day 8 we had rough seas and spent the morning in lectures on seals and sea ice, and the past use of dog sleds in the Antarctic; but we did manage to get a late afternoon zodiac trip in to Port Stanley when it settled down enough. Actually we have been really fortunate with the weather. There have only been a few activities cancelled due to weather. We had a blend of snowy days,...
February 2011
6 posts
Antarctica
I’m back on terra firma, Tierra del Fuego to be more precise; after a 15 day expedition to Antarctica. It was a wonderful experience, exceeding my expectations. I’ll cover the first half in this report, and follow later with another for the second half. The expedition was with 67 other passengers on the Ocean Nova, and began with a cruise out of Ushuaia, Argentina through the Beagle...
12-Feb-2011 Fin del Mundo (End of the World)
Hi from Ushuaia, Argentina. You have probably not heard of it, or have not seen it on the globe because it is at the bottom. Turn the globe upside down and you will see it is the farthest south you can get on land without going to Antarctica. It is on the island of Tierra del Fuego. They refer to it as the “end of the world” here in Ushuaia; which is pronounced, oos-why-a.
Getting...
7-Feb-2011 Don’t Cry For Me Argentina
Hello from Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina. You might ask what I am doing in the middle of nowhere. Well, I’m making my way down on buses from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, Argentina in hopes of getting a boat to Antarctica. And this is where the bus stopped on Sunday evening, so I got out to spend the night and watch the Super Bowl. What a great game!!!
After four days on the road, it...
January 2011
4 posts
South America and Antarctica
“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” ~ Lao Tzu
Guess I am going to be a good traveler for the next 1 1/2 months. Weather permitting; I will leave Wednesday for Buenos Aries with the only fixed plan being to come back on March 20. I would like to get down to Tierra del Fuego in the southern tip of South America, and make it over to Antarctica. ...
11-Jan-2011 Back In The USA
After long flights from Surabaya to Singapore, on to Taiwan, then to Los Angeles and finally to Chicago, I arrived back in the USA Sunday night. In contrast to 90 degree temperatures and 90 degree humidity in Indonesia, this morning it was 20 degrees with snow on the ground. I find this refreshing. And already I am most grateful for two improvements; toilets to sit on, and high speed...
8-Jan-2011 Homeward Bound
The last week was spent preparing to leave Indonesia for my return home. I’m in Surabaya tonight getting ready for my flight back to the USA tomorrow. It has been a wonderful 2 ½ months and I will write a final report when I get back.
In the meantime, I forgot to mention something in my last report. When we flew from Bali to Yogyakarta, we flew on a local airline called Lion Air. ...
1-Jan-2011 Selamat Tahun Baru (Happy New Year)
Hope you all had a very Happy New Year, and that the year brings you happiness, good health, and good fortune; and that your new resolutions make it into February. On Sunday after Christmas, we moved from Lombok Island back to Bali Island. This involved a car ride to the ferry, and four hour ferry ride to Bali, and another hour car ride to Ubud, Bali. Ubud is inland with no beaches,...
December 2010
7 posts
25-Dec-2010 Selamat Hari Natal, Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas from Senggigi Beach, Lombok Island, Indonesia. I will not have snow for Christmas this year, but have white sand beaches on Lombok Island.
The week after I got back to Indonesia from Myanmar, was spent planning and arranging for the following two weeks of travel. Plans were to visit Bali, and Flores Islands, spend Christmas on Lombok Island, back to Bali for a few...
13-Dec-2010 I’m All Stupa’d Out
I don’t mean stupid, but stupa’d out. Myanmar is filled with stupas. I have completed my travels in Myanmar with trips to Mandalay, Bagan and Yangon. By one count, Bagan itself has 4,237 stupas. A stupa is the Buddhist temple with the round school bell shape. The larger, more significant ones are covered in gold. Many of the smaller ones are made of bricks and plastered over to...
9-Dec-2010 Arriving in Myanmar
I had an early flight from Bangkok to Yangon, Myanmar. I was reading my Lonely Planet guide book on the plane and read that they do not have ATMs, or use of credit cards in Myanmar, and to bring enough cash. Now seemed a little late to be learning this. Fortunately, I did have enough cash to survive for 6 days, only because I could not get some of the $100 bills I brought with me...
6-Dec-2010 The Elusive Myanmar Visa is Granted
This afternoon I was finally granted a visa to visit Myanmar by their embassy here in Bangkok. I will fly from Bangkok to Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma) early tomorrow morning. Although I arrived in Thailand quite by accident to get my visa, my six days here have been interesting. Bangkok is one of the most complex and interesting cities I have visited. It is very large and...
1-Dec-2010 Fucshia Taxies
The title has fuchsia in it; but the story is all about the taxi rides today, not about the color. I was just intrigued by the hot pink color of the taxies here, and thought I would show that I knew what color fuchsia is. Not that I am trying at all to get in touch with my feminine side, there are enough “guys” doing that here in Bangkok. So forget about the color.
Let me preface today’s story...
30-Nov-2010 Yes I Am, In Siam
Saturday I flew to Saigon (Ho Chi Mihn City) Vietnam. The plan was to spend a few days with Nick and Ha here, while making arrangements for traveling on to Myanmar and Bhutan. This was my fifth trip to Vietnam, starting with the year I spent there with the 101ST Airborne in 1971. In 1998 while working in China, I spent the Tet holiday in Hanoi; and also visited Nick there in 2005 and 2008.
Nick...
November 2010
8 posts
Saigon, Vietnam
I’m in Saigon (Ho Chi Mihn City) for a few days visiting with Nick, and making arrangements for travel to Myanmar and Bhutan.
26-Nov-2010 Getting Accustomed
Just as I’m getting accustomed to Indonesia, I’m getting ready to leave for a few weeks to Vietnam, Myanmar, and Bhutan. I’ll return to Indonesia for Christmas and New Years. One thing I am not yet acclimated to is the heat, and Vietnam will be similar, but there should be relief in Myanmar and Bhutan for sure. Plus Nick says he has AC in his apartment in Vietnam. Except...
3 tags
23-Nov-2010 Gunung Bromo National Park
Over the weekend we traveled to a National Park featuring volcanic peaks, Bromo being the most famous of them. Saturday morning started out with a two mile walk around the village with the school teachers and students in celebration of their anniversary. The remainder of the day was spent on buses to Tulungagung, to Blitar, to Malang, to Probolinggo, and to Cemoro Lawang and the Lava View...
19-Nov-2010 Eid Al Adha
Throughout the Islam world, Wednesday was celebrated as Eid Al Adha. This is the holyday they commemorate Abraham willing to sacrifice his son at God’s request before God intervened and provided a ram instead. Tuesday evening, children paraded down the street with torches, and played drums and tambourines. The next morning it was celebrated at Andrea’s school with the slaughtering of two cows...
14-Nov-2010 Yogyakarta
I’m back in Campurdarat after spending four days in Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta is in Central Java, about an 8 hour bus ride west of here, and one of the top tourist spots, along with Bali, in Indonesia. Attractions in the area are the ancient temple sites Borobudur and Prambanan, the volcano Gunung Merapi, and the beach and coast line 15 miles south. Due to its current eruptions, I knew that I...
Gunung Merapi
Since Gunung Merapi is interfering with my travels here, I thought I should have a look at it. When the news is not about Obama in Indonesia, it is about Gunung Merapi. They show the refugee camps where thousands of people have been evacuated off the mountain. Many of the busy street intersections have students with boxes collecting for victims of the Merapi eruption. Merapi lies about 20...
Just a Quick Update
I’m in Yogyakarta for a few days while Andrea went to Jakarta to meet the Obama’s. The Peace Corps Volunteers are considered VVIP’s, Very Very Important People for the visit. They will also meet with FLOTUS, First Lady of the United States. I took a bus from Tulungagung to Yogyakarta leaving at 7:00 am. Andrea took a bus at 9:00 from Tulungagung to Surabaya were she met the...
5-Nov-2010 Getting There
For the next 2 ½ months I will be traveling in Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bhutan, and back to Indonesia. I will provide occasional updates as I travel.
I have traveled a lot, but getting to Indonesia is the most grueling. It must be about as far from the USA as you can get and still be on this planet. It all started on Thursday morning with a 2 hour drive from Kaukauna, Wisconsin to...