Has it really been three weeks since we arrived in Bangkok from Cambodia? Once we arrived in Bangkok, it was clear that I had developed a sinus infection. A visit with a ENT surgeon at the internationally known Bumrungrad Hospital confirmed it with an endoscopic exam and also found a deviated septum and polyps. A few days later I had a cat scan and 6 days later I was having surgery on January 24th to remove the polyps. This is not how I had planned on spending our second 30 day visa entry in Thailand. But, considering I've had chronic sinus [View Full Entry]

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Following our travels from Hoi An, Vietnam, we took the 3 hour train north to the city of Hue. Not only was it originally the imperial city of ancient Vietnam, it was a city under siege for one solid month during the Vietnam War (or, the American War, as it's called here!) The train followed the coastline north winding over a mountain pass to the city. We stayed in a guesthouse run by a local family. The elderly uncle we met one night was previously a language professor at the local university. He thought we were French at first and started [View Full Entry]

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We arrived in Hanoi on Dec.13th, not knowing what to expect It's the 2nd largest city in Vietnam,and the most furthest north. We stayed in the city not far from lake. Each morning we could hear the loudspeakers playing music for those early risers doing their tai chi exercises by the lakefront. We found a small hotel in the Cathedral section of town, not far from the trendy street where we had our first meal in town. There, we sat near the window, shutters were open to the street, listening to French expats chatting over wine, and we soaked in the [View Full Entry]

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We returned from our trip up north to Chiang Mai and arrived just in time to witness the festivities for the King's birthday on December 5th. He's just turned 80 years old. We were out and about and got caught up in the crowd waiting for the motorcade to pass. The crowds were deep on each side of the boulevard waiting for a glimpse of the King and Queen to drive by. We happened to be in the right spot and caught his car drive by. It was genuinely a crush of people on foot and in vehicles out to honor [View Full Entry]

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Well, we did it. We finally left Vieques! We had a great flight from Los Angeles direct to Bangkok on Thai Airways; very comfortable seats and attentive service. Having been culturally deprived the last 5 months, we were excited to spend time in Bangkok, welcome the Thai hospitality and start enjoying food again. We haven't been disappointed. We started out each getting medical checkups at two different hospitals. We are very impressed with the quality of care we each received, technology and not to mention the cost differential. Once we settled in, we found it very easy to get arou [View Full Entry]

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A few observations from our stay here on the island of Vieques, just off the east coast of Puerto Rico You know you're on an island when: *A horse stampede runs wild through your property *We're going to the beach...again. *Taking a nap is easy *Catching up on our reading; books and blogs. *Watching the horse, or chicken cross the road while driving *We can pick fresh limes and papayas on our property *A power outage can follow a heavy rainstorm *and is the reason we unplug the phone and laptop during a storm and monitor hurricane weather sites [View Full Entry]

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Our last month in San Miguel went by fast. We developed a rythym and adjusted to living here a bit more. We made some new friends with common interests which made it fun. In January, we also had guests from Oregon to share our experience in San Miguel. On Thursday of last week, we made the 9 hour drive to the Texas border at Nuevo Laredo. The roads were good and we made good time with another 4 hours drive up to Austin. We'll stay with our friend Joan while I fly to Tampa to visit my parents and we wait [View Full Entry]

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Happy Holidays to all our friends and family Our travel break is almost over as planned, 3 months in South America and 3 months in Mexico. Had we the chance to do it over again, we would have spent all our time in South America, exploring more of Peru, Chile and a visit to Patagonia in southern Argentina. We found the diversity of cultures, history and landscapes so stimulating, along with great food and wine. We've had some great experiences and met some wonderful people along the way. During the holiday season is when I miss seeing friends and family. We're [View Full Entry]

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Now that we’ve been here for one month, we can give you a clearer picture of what it’s like to live here. For one thing, each morning arrives with a cacophony of noises. First off, the dueling roosters announce the start of each day just before sunrise. Secondly, there are the numerous church bells that ring regularly announcing a mass. I’ve counted eleven churches on the tourist map of the town. This morning at 5:0am I first heard the soothing sound of chiming church bells ringing in the distance. Not too long after that, it was the loud bells clanging from [View Full Entry]

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First off, we’d like to thank our many friends who hosted us in Sunriver, Bend, Sisters, Vancouver and Tucson in September while we made the transition from our travels in South America to Mexico. We couldn’t have done it without you. We’re just sorry we couldn’t make time for everyone. What a long, long trip it’s been! We drove from Bend to Tucson in two and a half days, driving through Yosemite National Park. Spectacular scenery, but a bit crowded in the park and overpriced concessionares. While we were in Tucson visitng Rick and Anne, we finalized [View Full Entry]

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