[The Certified Discoverys in front of the Wallenius Wilhelmsen ship that carried them to Singapore.]

Journal by Nancy

Team unloaded vehicles and entered Singapore customs. It was determined that a particular type of permission document needed to be obtained before we could drive out of the port. Singapore is quite picky about their driving regulations, and there are more rules here than anywhere we have been or want to go. The team taxied to the beautiful Goodwood Park Hotel, where four accommodations have been donated to the team by the hotel management. This 5-star hotel is a real treat for the team! Team ate some dinner and held a team meeting to go over taskings.
(N.O.)

Logbook for May 23, Day 205
Start: Singapore, Singapore Time: 7:00 a.m. N: 01* 16.695 E: 103* 46.855	Finish: Singapore, Singapore Time: midnight N: 01* 16.695 E: 103* 46.855	Mileage: 004

[A Drive Around the World vehicle peers at the city of Singapore. Freeing the vehicles from customs was an all-day event.]

Journal and photo by Neil

Today is a day that reminded me of Central America a bit, only in the sense of dealing with major border hassles. Singapore is a place that has more controlling laws than living organisms! We awoke today at 7AM and were out of the hotel at 8AM to head to our first of 4 stops in order to get our vehicles out of the Singapore port and onto the roads. Nick, Justin, Nancy and I were involved in today's activities since we are all the "drivers" on paper. Our vehicles have been stuck in port since yesterday. Apparently, we needed some other paperwork, an International Circulation Permit, that we did not have upon arrival, and the place to obtain it was closed yesterday, Sunday.

So at 8AM this morning, a representative from Wallenius picked us up at our hotel, which is an amazing hotel by the way. You will hear about it in later logs throughout this week. So, when he arrived, we were planning on going straight to the AAS, which is like the AAA of the USA. However, our buddy took us to another guy first in some other building that was supposed to have the correct paperwork for us. When we walked in, the man there spoke to us in pretty decent English, as most of Singapore speaks English. We told him what we needed, and he looked at us and said that there is no way we could get that paperwork, and our carnet wouldn't work. "Oh no, you cannot drive in Singapore, we can tow your cars to the Malaysia border though." What? Nick quickly maneuvered around this and explained to the man that we needed to go the AAS and figure out a solution. It was obvious this guy couldn't help us out.

So we went outside and got in a taxi towards the AAS. Our rep had left, so we just took taxis the rest of the day. All the taxis here have different colors and themes, so it is always interesting to see them all. There was one from Brasil, painted as the national flag. After 20 minutes, we arrived at the office. We were a bit nervous, since we were not sure what the outcome would be here. Well, after I ate breakfast and lunch while waiting for Nick and Justin to handle all the discussions and paperwork, it was 3 hours later. The women at the desk were extremely helpful and went out of their way to make sure we could get the proper paperwork.

At first, they wanted to charge us $30 a day per vehicle to drive on their roads! We told them we would not drive on the roads, and we would be taking the subway everywhere. When all was said and done, this was reasonable for both parties and was agreed upon. We did have to purchase insurance for the vehicles though, another $500!

So after this, we had to go the customs office. We took another taxi there, and met a man who was recommended to us from the previous office. He told us that we had to go the Land Transit Authority, so we thanked him, "Tera Makasi" and caught another taxi. Once we got there, we had to fill out some more paperwork with information from our vehicles. This took about another hour. We were all getting pretty tired by this point. Finally, when we finished up there, we headed to the actual port where our Land Rovers were parked.

At the port, we had to take some pictures that they put on a piece of paper, which was a temporary driving license for Singapore. And then we finally got our vehicles! We also got the lowdown on the ERP. The ERP is a system to control the amount of traffic in the city. There are certain roads, like the whole entire middle of Singapore, and others that you have to pay for to use. They install a small electrical device in your car that keeps track of your driving on the ERP. Whenever you enter an ERP area, there is a monitor that picks it up and registers it. You pay later, or beforehand, for the amount of time you use. We didn't have the ERP, which is what the $30/day would have given us. To get to our hotel, we didn't need it though, so we were in good shape.

So finally, at about 6PM, we arrived back out our hotel, Goodwood Park. Our work was not done yet, though; we still had to wash the vehicles for our guests' arrival tomorrow. Adam and Colin and a few others wiped down the vehicles and gave them a sparkle. Then we went out to eat some delicious food, mmmnn. There are food courts here that have Indian, Thai, Chinese, Italian, you name it, any kind of food, for anywhere between $1.50-$4.00. We ate some Thai food, and it was what I have been waiting for. I am so excited to be able to eat all these different Asian foods for the next few months. Every meal is a fantastic treat.

Well, those of you who are planning to bring a car to Singapore, I have some advice for you......Don't. Leave it at home and bring a big appetite for great food.

Selamat Tingal,

Neil

P.S. - Team collected vehicles from port, finally, at about 6 p.m., after having spent the entire day running around the city to visit the customs office, the port offices, the transportation office, and some other important offices. An education visit was held at the American School in Singapore.
(N.O.)

Logbook for May 24, Day 206
Start: Singapore, Singapore Time: 8:30 a.m. N: 01* 16.695 E: 103* 46.855	Finish: Singapore, Singapore Time: 6:30 p.m. N: 01* 16.695 E: 103* 46.855	Mileage: 010

[The vehicles and team unload in front of the posh, 5-star, Goodwood Hotel. It caused quite a stir. But, hey! The rooms are being comp'd!]

Journal and photo by Adam

Singapore is a perfect stepping stone for first-timers to Asia. It offers the chaos of densely packed people expressing a mild version of Eastern culture while offering a sterile environment filled with fancy cars, nice hotels and $16, 12-ounce, draft Tiger beer. Only a high roller can buy the Heineken, and although we appeared to roll high thanks to Chanda, we were quite the contrary. A week before, Chanda had blasted all Singapore hotels with an email explaining that we are a group traveling around the world in order to do research for a book that recommends hotels and routes for overlanders (world car travelers). So, she managed to get a response from the Goodwood Hotel. They had offered us rooms for four nights in return for a tour of their facility, which I said I would film for our television show. Quite a simple promise, considering the rooms were $435 each per night.

Yesterday, we rolled up to the red-carpeted steps and clambered out of the Land Rovers and began dragging rucksacks, guitars, and dusty cases past the 2004 Silver Shadow Rolls Royce and into the lobby. Heads spun as we stood there in shabby in filth-covered cargo pants and flip-flops, but we were greeted by the staff with a very pleasant reception. They appeared to love us and tip-toed around our every need, because, well…after all, we are filming them for US television…

Logbook for May 25, Day 207
Start: Singapore, Singapore Time: 5:00 a.m. N: 01* 16.695 E: 103* 46.855	Finish: Singapore, Singapore Time: 8:30 p.m.. N: 01* 16.695 E: 103* 46.855	Mileage: 000

[Singapore Parkinson’s Disease Society meets Drive Around the World.]

Journal and photo by Todd

We have hit Asia by storm. After being taken care of on a ship for 5 days, we have now arrived in Singapore. Chanda fixed us up with an amazing hotel called the Goodwood Park Hotel, and we all love where we are staying. Yesterday we had a couple of “Take Me With You” guests join us: Larry from Land Rover, and Sue Mead, an independent journalist. After recovering from their long flights from the USA yesterday, they are ready to join us today in order to gain a glimpse into our daily lives on the road.

A visit with the Singapore Parkinson’s Disease Society was scheduled for today. They knew we were coming, but I never quite know what the local Parkinson’s groups expect when we schedule a visit. I communicate our story, our program goals, and how they can help, but what kind of person would you expect to jump out of Land Rover after seven months of travel, especially one that is part of such a unique project like Drive Around the World?

This morning, six of us jumped out of taxis and entered the Singapore Hospital. After asking a couple of questions, we found our way the meeting place, slightly tardy. We first met Dr. Louis Tan, who unbeknownst to us, had worked with Dr. William Langston and the Parkinson’s Institute, the main beneficiary of this project. The meeting was great; it featured a slide show and words from many people in the Parkinson’s community including two doctors, two nurses, one social worker, and three People with Parkinson’s disease. They told us about their program, and we asked a lot of questions about the Parkinson’s experience in Singapore. It was Larry and Sue’s first time at one of these meetings, and it was great to show them first-hand some of the stuff we learn along the way. One of the Parkinson’s patients we met told us that Parkinson’s disease is one of the best things that have happened to him. Having been diagnosed six years ago with Parkinson’s, he believed that his condition allowed him to have a child, who is now four years old. He, along with his wife and other children, is able to take care of this child, one of the major joys of his life. The visit couldn’t have been better; I think Larry and Sue gained a much better understanding of the disease and what we are doing here on the road. Thank you very much, Singapore Parkinson’s Disease Society!

After returning to the hotel, everyone took off to eat; however, by this time, Nick had tracked down an elusive phone number and scheduled and appointment for me at the Tropical Marine Science Institute. I caught me breath and was off in a taxi once again. “Fourteen Kent Ridge Road”, I said to the cab driver, as I showed him the address. At 2:00 p.m. (the time of my appointment) we were pulling up to Cambridge Rd. It didn’t look like a university, so I asked if this was 14 Kent Ridge. He said, “Kent Ridge? This is Cambridge”, he apologized and soon we off to the other side of town. Twenty minutes later, we arrived at the University of Singapore, and a campus full of streets named Kent Ridge. I saw Lower Kent Ridge Rd, Kent Ridge Circle, Kent Ridge Crescent, and many others. After consulting several people and several maps, I arrived at my destination about a ? hour late, uffda!

I learned much about much about the Tropical Marine Sciences Institute’s programs (www.drivearoudtheworld.com/education/sea/tmsi/FrameSet.htm).

The afternoon ended with a visit to Land Rover Singapore and finally to the famous Raffles Bar. This bar used to host the likes of Rudyard Kipling and Joseph Conrad. It was fun to imagine these guys having a famous Singapore Sling here, and it was fun to see the architecture style that has been copied so profusely around the world.

My favorite part of raffles was the fans. There was a series of blades (shaped like hand fans) that were attached to arms that moved back and forth. Four blades were connected over an area of about eight feet and in a straight line ( a blade every 2 ft). All they did was move back and forth; however, their synchronicity lured me into watching them. I want to build a fan like this in a house that I will own in the future.

We had our final team dinner, for our final continent. We have a lot of distance to cover on this new continent, but the mysteries it holds will be a great incentive to keep rolling.

P.S. - Team hard at work. TMWY! guests received an orientation briefing and then the team went out for dinner at Boat Quay, stopping for peanuts and a Singapore Sling at the historic Raffles Hotel.

Logbook for May 26, Day 208
Start: Singapore, Singapore Time: 8:00 a.m. N: 01* 16.695 E: 103* 46.855	Finish: Singapore, Singapore Time: 12:00 p.m. N: 01* 16.695 E: 103* 46.855	Mileage: 000

[Three ladies on a moped welcome us to Thailand with a wave and smiles.]

Journal by Nancy, photo by Neil

The team has just left Singapore. I was in Singapore in 1999 when I was on a 6-month deployment as a U.S. Marine. I remember having fun in Singapore, but I remember being entirely unimpressed with it, on the whole. I had grand expectations, and I don?t think they were met. It was prohibitively expensive and, well, controlled. My Marine and Navy friends and I were always afraid we?d accidentally break one of their many laws. We ended up alright, though, and even though Singapore broke us all fiscally, we had a great time.

This trip to Singapore was different. We didn?t have time to see any of the city other than the street our hotel was on, and we didn?t get to enjoy the night life at all. I walked around a little bit, but I spent most of my time in the hotel, working. For that reason, I have chosen to use journal entries from my first visit to Singapore, when I was a young, carefree, Captain of Marines. The entries have been edited for public consumption, and names have been changed or deleted to protect the guilty. Revisiting my old journals, I see that not a lot has changed about Singapore. What HAS changed is my perceptions. I think that has to do with my advanced years. I was impressed, this time, with the cleanliness and the good order and discipline of the city, but I still got the impression that the government is too controlling. I guess that?s what happens when your whole country is the size of a big city. It?s like a biosphere. In order to keep it running in harmonious equilibrium, every aspect has to be strictly controlled. Housing is thoroughly restricted, there is a set number of cars that can be legally registered each year in order to maintain traffic levels, litter has been eradicated, and crimes are very heavily punished. Death penalty to those caught with drugs in their possession. Caning for those who commit slightly lesser crimes, such as defacing property. Enormous fines to those who break small laws such as driving on restricted roads or possession of bootleg music or pornography. The government has its hands in everything, and I got the sense that people were repressed. Here?s how I felt in 1999:

24/25 July, Sat/Sun 1999

Well, when liberty sounded on the 24th (at around noon, I think), we got off the boat and took a bus to the MRT station. The MRT is a really nice metro-type train used by just about everybody in the country to get to just about any destination in the country. Lots of cabs, too. Very few people own their own cars. I?m a big nerd, I?ll have you know, because I carried note-taking gear with me everywhere I went in order to record sights and events for this journal.

My first impression was that Singapore was not half as clean as I thought it would be. There were no gum Nazis patrolling the streets with giant canes. There were no litterbug Nazis, no graffiti Nazis. I actually saw gum remnants on the sidewalks, and I saw litter in the bushes and on the streets. What?s up with that? I?m starting to understand why everybody was so upset about that kid getting caned.

I?ve never been in such an expensive city. It was $16 for a beer, and $11 for a glass of wine at the hotel. We went to a place called ?Raffles?, where the famous Singapore Sling originated, to have our first sample of the much trumped-up concoction. Well, for four of these ?foofy? drinks, my buddy paid a hefty $80. Of course, all of these prices are in Singapore dollars, but that?s still a lot of money. (I almost choked when I went to the ATM to withdraw some cash and my balance said $3,000. I never have that much money. Of course, that was in Sing dollars, too.) Later that night, when I bought us two pitchers of beer, I was dimayed to hand the waitress $70. The cheapest place we could find was at a little, local, public, cat-infested, outdoor dining stand, where a big bottle of Guinness ran an affordable $8, and the bathrooms were nothing but dirty little holes in the ground.

We clubbed and danced the night away, and then returned to our cushy hotel for the night.

We had to check in early the next morning, so we all hopped on the MRT again.
I took some notes about what I saw on the way back. Of note was the concept that if you looked ?solely? at people?s shoes, you would get the distinct impression that the MRT had somehow transported you back through time to the ?80s. Some interesting foot gear. Michael Jackson would be proud.

I also noticed that everything--ads, street signs, intercom announcements--was in English, but nobody around us on the train was speaking English. Oh, and the bell-bottom trend, apparently, is very widespread. Americans, Koreans, and Singaporeans alike wear them. And platform shoes. Very tall. All the kids wear
?em.

27/28/29 July, Tues-Thursday

The evening of the 27th, my friends and I went on a night safari. On the bus ride over there, we learned some Singaporean societal tidbits from our tour guide, Vena. Apparently, about 85% of the population lives in government-owned apartments. These apartments can be bought for about $200,000 U.S., or they can be rented for about $500-1000 per month. Instead of asking ?will you marry me,? young men propose by saying, ?shall we apply for a house?? There is a 2-year waiting list, and first priority is given to applicants who can prove that they will be providing room and board for their parents. They can use $200-300 per month from social security to pay for their home, so they don?t need to take out loans. In order to keep people from trying to make money in real estate, the buyers are not allowed to sell their apartments for 5 years.

The Night Safari was very cool. Of course, it was nothing like the San Diego Wild Animal Park, but it was fun. They must starve the animals all day and then feed ?em at night so the people can see them. The big cats (lions, tigers, leopards) were all gnawing on animal pieces tied to trees right out in the open. They had every kind of animal imaginable. I think my favorite was the ?slow loris?, a tiny, sloth-like creature with fuzzy, cuddly fur. He really was slow. Moved like an old man on depressants. I want one. He was like something right out of a Dr. Seuss book.

The 29th was sort of a planes, trains, and automobiles day. We took a bus to a taxi-cab stand to a cable car to Santosa Island. We hung out at the beach all day and we swam and dove off a floating dock for hours. I looked like a little old raisin woman by the end of the day. We left at around 6-ish and took the cable car back over the harbor to the Singapore mainland, then caught a bus to where all the bars and restaurants are at a place called ?Boat Quay.? Then we hopped on a riverboat, which brought us to ?Clark Quay,? where we had pizza at a place called Bellavista. I always like eating the native food, but none of the folks I hang out with will dine with me. Wimps! They did let me eat at a vendor one night, though, where I had stingray that was out of this world!

That night, we headed back to the ship and prepared to set sail for Thailand.

P.S. - Team departed Singapore for Malaysia, just to the north. The city is busy as can be, and mopeds and pedestrians jump out at vehicles from nowhere. The streets are crowded with kiosks selling everything from whole roasted ducks to toys and shoes. We’re checked into a seedy little backpacker’s place, where we are required to remove our shoes before coming inside, and the bathroom floors are less than clean. I’ll bet we move tomorrow…The border crossing was a cakewalk, but getting gas without Malaysian money proved difficult…

Logbook for May 27, Day 209; Happy Birthday to Nancy’s dad, Vaughn!
Start: Singapore, Singapore Time: 8:00 a.m. N: 01* 16.695 E: 103* 46.855	Finish: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Time: 9:30 p.m. N: 03* 08.889 E: 101* 42.410	Mileage: ???

[Chanda smiles through the pain as "cups" suck her skin up and give her polka-dot bruises all over her back.]

Journal by Colin

As I watched the skin get sucked up into the cup, I was a little disturbed. It kind of reminded me of one of those nasty little canned Vienna sausages, all pink and round-ended. Frankly, it was kind of gross.

How did I end up in that situation? It’s simple: being part of the film crew, part of my job is to line up interesting things now and again for Adam and me to shoot. You may remember when we went diving, well, that was all me, baby. Anyway, as I was saying, it is sometimes up to me to make some calls as to what we will or will not shoot, and for some reason, on this particular Friday, I chose to add an extra shoot into an already entirely hectic day, what with shooting the team visits to the Petronas Towers, and an RGS field center and all.

I guess it really began the night before, which would have been Thursday night. The team had freshly arrived in Kuala Lumpur and was out hunting up some grub. We ended up at a Thai place and had a nice meal. Of course, after you eat a nice meal (or a lousy one), you are always going to have to return to wherever that place is that you are currently residing, right? So we, the DATW team plus Larry and Sue, were doing just that; walking home. It was on this seemingly unimportant journey that a tiny event occurred that would change certain individuals’ lives forever. Ok, well, sort of, I mean, it wasn’t really the biggest deal, the world did not fall off its axis, the oceans did not even rise in the slightest bit, and the migratory track of Canadian geese will remain as it always has, but, this event did cause said individuals to partake in some things that they otherwise would never even have considered. So anyway, the incident that I am speaking of, this catalyst of interesting occurrences, this otherwise everyday Southeast Asian happening, took place in front of a reflexology massage parlor. This event was one young lady asking me, “Hey, you want foot massage?”

Of course, I did not want a foot massage. I never have wanted one, and I never will. I really do not like it when people touch my feet. You see, I inherited extremely ticklish feet from my father, so if anyone even goes near them, I freak out. But this story isn’t really about me or my feet is it? Yes, It is about the events that I facilitated, but I am not the protagonist, the main character, I am but a lowly supporting character, and not the kind that gets Oscar nominations, this is really more of a cameo appearance for me, that is if you want to compare what I am talking about with the movie industry. Anyway, I really didn’t want a massage at all, however, when I turned to look at the young lady offering I saw an interesting advertisement on the window of the shop.

The add showed a man lying on a table with cups raising welts all over his back. He had a huge grin on his face, the kind that says “Hey, look at me! I’m being healed and having fun too!” I immediately recognized this as the ancient art of cupping, where suction cups are used to draw bad humors out of the skin. This “art” has been used for thousand of years, throughout the world. Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, Hammurabi, Nefertiti, all these people we probably cupped, and if not, they knew of it. King George of England himself was cupped, or at least he was in a movie that I saw.

Now, I’m pretty sure that modern science has proven that cupping has no real medical merit, but what the heck does modern science know anyway? People still get acupuncture, why not have some stuff suctioned onto your back? So, it was with this in mind that I decided to tell some team member they were going to get cupped. I put out the offer; “Ok, tomorrow, one of you people is getting cupped, and I am paying for it, now whositgonnabe?” Chanda, being the adventurous young woman that she is, chimed in immediately that she was interested. We said we’d meet at one p.m. the next day, and that was that. Or was it? And of course, the answer is no, because when, while writing, if an author ever uses a horrible clichˇ like “and that was that. Or was it?” You know something else is coming. Something better, or worse, or bigger, or cooler, or more dangerous, or sillier, or more important, or crazier, or, as in this situation, something entirely more disgusting. Something foul, something vile, something that could also be considered a reinstated ancient medicine technique. I am talking about leeching.

Above the cupping add was a newspaper clipping of a guy with leeches all over his face; I think there were five or six of the little buggers there, sucking away. Ughh, just thinking about it sends a shiver down my spine. Anyway it turned out that the massage house also had an in-house leech therapist named Jimmy Ee. When I found this out, I immediately decided that one of the team members would have to be leeched too, just cupping was not enough. Justin was immediately interested, and said he’d join us the next day.

Flash forward, one p.m., the following afternoon, the team is gathered in the lobby of their hotel; Justin is nowhere to be found. Nancy steps up to the plate. She hurt her ankle a while back in Australia and it was still swollen. She, being the brave soul that she is, decided to get the leech treatment to help her ailing ankle and our documentary. So, across the street we went, straight to the reflexology clinic. “Two cuppings and one leeching please.” All in attendance were convinced that they needed foot massages first, and so it began. Once all feet were properly rubbed, the fun began. Sue was the first to enter the torture chamber, Chanda second. I was in the chamber with Chanda while Sue’s cupping treatment began. She did not sound pleased, such exclamations as “Ouch, this really hurts!” and “Oh my God,” were heard. I could see Chanda was getting a little scared; however, her technician was giving her a good back massage to get her ready for the age-old treatment. Sue’s cries grew worse; however, eventually she said she become numb. Then, all at once, and without ceremony, Chanda’s cupping began. The woman had thoroughly cleaned all the cups and was placing the first one on Chanda’s back, I could definitley see that Chanda was nervous. The woman attached a vacuum pump to the first cup and pumped the air out of the cup. Chanda’s skin was sucked up into a bulbous mass and changed to a bright purple color. I could tell it was not pleasant, and it kind of grossed me out. I shot it anyway with my trusty Panasonic DVC80, because I know the American public really likes to be grossed out. So, it was not with great pleasure that I watch many of these cups placed on Chanda’s back and suctioned into place. By the time her back was fully covered with the cups, Chanda looked like some kind of space-turtle woman; it was very weird. She then had to lay there with those things all over for half an hour; however, I was not going to stay and watch that because an even more interesting event was taking place outside.

Jimmy Ee, the famed leech man of Kuala Lumpur, had arrived. He broke out the goods. The goods being two huge jars filled with creepy, slimy, nasty, blood-sucking little buggers. Leeches, and a lot of them, all swimming around and looking very hungry, or thirsty, or whatever it is that they feel when it’s time to feed. So Nancy took a seat, put her leg up, and the famed Mister Jimmy Ee, began to do the work that made him famous.

Mr. Ee, as I will henceforth refer to him, informed Nancy that all the leeches were used only once, so no disease could be spread. He then began the selection process, which is apparently very important. Within minutes he had chosen his first critter and was busily coaxing it to attach itself to Nancy’s ankle. The leech when at it with gusto and was soon feasting on Nancy’s sweet life-juice. Then more came, bigger and slimier, larger and grosser, they sat down for their repast at the table that was Nancy’s leg. The banquet lasted upwards of half an hour, and when the exalted guests had drank their fill of my teammate’s fluids, they dropped off in a food stupor, not unlike myself at a Thanksgiving meal; however, unlike myself, they could not retire to the living room couch to watch TV. They were quickly scooped up by Mr. Ee (mystery? Hmm, could that really be his name?) and deposited into the receptacle for used leeches. Where they went after that is anyone’s guess.

Nancy began bleeding, a lot. The blood was dark and we were told by Mr. Ee that this was because this was bad blood, and that it was good that it was being let out of Nancy’s body. This sounded like a bunch of medicine show fluff to me. Seriously, what’s next, eye of newt smoothie? Frenology? Palmistry? We were also informed that Nancy would bleed for upwards of six hours due to an anti-coagulate in the leeche’s saliva. All I could think was how ridiculously gross it was.

So, Chanda and Sue emerged from their cubbies, covered in huge round bruises all over their backs, kind of looking like strange turtle women. Nancy continued bleeding, as she would for a long time, and we left the reflexology center to visit one of the world’s tallest buildings, the Petronus Towers.

Now, I grew up right outside New York City, so skyscrapers really do not impress me. I am scared of heights a little bit, but for some reason, buildings do not invoke that fear for me. The Petronus Towers are around 1500 or so feet tall and have a bridge that goes between them; the bridge is only halfway up the towers, but they still offer a nice view of the city. I can’t say that I was hugely impressed by the buildings, but it was nice to see the city from up there. Sue, on the other hand, was scared out of her mind, she needed an arm to hold. I took a little devilish pleasure in jumping up and down in the elevator, but I could see she did not appreciate that.

So we left the tower and headed to our next visit,(without Nancy, who was bleeding profusely) which was to an RGS field center in the hills outside of K.L. It was there that Dr. Rosli Hashim entertained us with a late-night tour of the local rainforest. At first we walked along the road, looking for an animal known as the slow loris, which is kind of related to the sloth. We didn’t find one, but we did discover an entirely new species. I was given the honor of naming this monumental find, this boon to humanity, this scientific wonder. I named it Neilus Sillius. As we were walking, we heard movement in the trees. We all turned and saw that a branch was shaking. Then we heard the beasts cry. Loud and shrill, EE EE EE EE EE, it went repeatedly. Everyone, including the scientists, turned their lights and attention towards the noise. I heard one of the research assistants say “hmm, maybe it’s an eagle” Someone else said “Whatever it is, it’s big!” It was then that Neil emerged from the bushes laughing his face off. He had fooled us all, including the pros. You see, Neil had snuck ahead and ducked off into the underbrush, when we approached where he lay hidden, he began to shake a tree violently. He played us all for the suckers we are.

After that, the mood was lightened a little bit and we headed into the forest for some jungle action. We were skillfully guided on a great night hike where we were treated to seeing such wild wonders as huge cockroaches, luminescent fungi, fireflies, a juvenile pit viper, a big lizard, and our old friends the leeches. Yep, when we got back to the camp, most members of our team had to remove the little buggers from their ankle where the univited guests had sat down for yet another meal. I’m sure if Nancy had known that rather than having to pay 80 ringgit to have Mr. Ee apply them to her ankle, she could have just gone on the hike and got them for free, she might have waited. What is kind of funny to me, was that everyone who got leeches on them was wearing long pants and socks, while I had neither, only shorts and short socks, and I got away without losing a drop of my precious blood.

So, we had an extremely full day. Cups, leeches, sky scrapers, new species, and old species. After the fact, I asked Chanda if she thought the cupping worked, and she didn’t really know. I then asked Nancy if the leeches works, and she didn’t know. Was it worth it? Well for the experience I think it was, plus they now have things to tell their friends at home that will completely gross them out, and that’s always fun. It’s one week later and Chanda still shows bruises, but I think they are going away. And Nancy’s ankle seems like it is on the fast track to wellness. I’m glad that I set up our interesting visit, and I look forward to subjecting my documentary subjects to more disgusting or painful activities. For Bangkok, I’m thinking that maybe I can get Justin to drink some snake’s blood, as that is a custom there, but, who knows, maybe I can find something even better.

Nancy Receives leech treatment on a sprained ankle. Dr. Jimmy EE promises results, and the bruises did go away quickly, and the swelling went down, but Nancy contributes the healing to the foot massage she received before the leeches went to work.

P.S. - Team explored ancient Asian secrets. Nancy received a leech treatment on her sprained ankle, Chanda and Sue were “cupped”, and Nancy, Sue, and Chanda received reflexology foot massages. Afterward, the team went to Kuala Lumpur’s famous twin towers and did a little filming. That evening, everybody (except Nancy, because she was bleeding profusely following her leech treatment) went on a jungle walk with an RGS scientist.
(N.O.)

Logbook for May 28, Day 210
Start: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Time: 10:30 a.m. N: 03* 08.889 E: 101* 42.410	Finish: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Time: 12:30 a.m. N: 03* 08.889 E: 101* 42.410	Mileage: 054

[This group of beautiful Malaysian children greeted the team as the vehicles rolled through their little village in the Cameron Highlands.]

Almost every day we get asked the question, ?Why are you doing this??

The answer is to help those suffering with Parkinson?s Disease. But there is so much more... On a few instances along our journey, I have realized that our impact stretches much farther and much deeper than I imagined.

Today was one of those instances.

It is day 211 of the LONGITUDE Expedition, and the team is splitting into two groups. The first group, consisting of three of the vehicles, will be heading north in Malaysia to the Cameron Tea Plantations. The other car, filled with Todd, Chanda, and me, will be staying in Kuala Lumpur for one more evening to attend the Malaysian Parkinson?s Disease Association Charity Dinner Nite (sic) before rejoining the team early in the morning to head north into Thailand.

Attending this dinner gave me a clearer sense of the impact that we as individuals can make. By spending an evening hearing all the stories of suffering and hope, I came to a better realization of the efforts these people and their families make on a daily basis, just to maintain a ?normal? life. I was amazed at how welcome we were at this dinner?strangers that had driven 20,000 miles for the same cause. On the road, it is easy to forget how are actions give hope to people.

As we left the dinner and began a 5-hour drive to meet up with the rest of the team, I realized how lucky each of us is to have good health. That even though we have challenges to face daily, it is nothing compared to what could be. It was by chance that we were in Kuala Lumpur the night of this fundraiser, but by choice that we began our difficult journey. In the end, even if we fall short of our fundraising goals, the grateful tears in the eyes of one old woman reminded me what this is all about?making a difference.

Until next time, I wish you all well from the far side of the world.

P.S. - Team split into two today, with three cars traveling to the Cameron Highlands and one staying in Kuala Lumpur. The Highlands group arrived in the tea plantation hills and visited a local village while doing a recon for tomorrow’s filming. That evening, they visited a local bizarre and had a delicious curry dinner. The vehicle that stayed in Kuala attended a fundraising banquet for Parkinson’s Malaysia and met with Doctors Chee and Chien and a member of Malaysia’s parliament. They didn’t arrive in the Highlands until early the next morning.
(N.O.)

Logbook for May 29, Day 211
Start: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Time: 10:00 a.m. N: 03* 08.889 E: 101* 42.410	Finish: Tanah Rata, Malaysia Time: 4:30 a.m. N: 04* 27.368 E: 101* 22.029	Mileage: 149

[Land Rover Communications Director Larry Rosinski performs a stand-up interview as the film crew does their thing. This setting is in the beautiful Cameron Highlands of Malaysia.]

Journal by Larry Rosinski, photo by Nancy

I’m thrilled to be a Take Me With You guest on the Drive Around the World Expedition, and even happier to take a turn as a guest blogger.

My years at Land Rover have given me a chance to learn about the many historic expeditions that our company has sponsored. But this is the first time that I’ve ever had a chance to actually partake in the journey, to be a team member. It’s exciting to have a role on this 21st Century trek . . . a road trip that proves that our world can be a pretty small place.

As a TMWY guest, my time with the expedition is limited. But, it didn’t take long for the team to welcome me and Sue Mead (a journalist who is traveling with us as another TMWY participant) as one of their own.

Already, our journey has included stops in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and remote regions of central Malaysia. I’ve been to a lot of places in this world, but my travels had never taken me to this corner.

The vehicles we’re driving are right at home I these cities and in these jungles. And, everywhere we go, we attract attention. People point, they laugh . . . they want to know our story.

The sights, sounds, and smells we’ve already experienced are beyond description. Not sure I even want to think too much about some of those smells. A few other observations, though, are fit for print:

 Snakes are bigger in real life than they are in zoos
 Burger Kings in Singapore use too much ketchup on their Whoppers.
 Kids love Land Rovers. They like looking at them and climbing on them.
 The rain in Malaysia is fat, and falls hard.
 Some people don’t ever cut their hair.
 If you have enough money, you can buy your own pet monkey.
 Land Rovers are fun for road trips. They’re built for it.

Seeing the world is great. But when my dropout day comes, I’ll be ready to get back to California. It’s still the best place on earth. Besides, I miss ESPN, Diet Dr. Pepper, and surfing at San Onofre. I miss my wife and three kids (Michael, Regan, and Kendall) even more.

I’ll catch-up with the Drive Around the World team again. Until then, I’ll treasure the time and experiences that they shared with me!

Larry Rosinski

[TMWY! guest #10
Communications Director
Land Rover North America]

P.S. - Team departed the Cameron Highlands together after a day of shooting. They crossed the border into Thailand without a hitch and had a delicious Tom Yum soup dinner. Now everybody’s passport is stamped with Nancy’s birthday. Three cars traveled to the hotel a few hours north of the border while the fourth stayed at the border to conduct a radio interview via telephone. The fourth vehicle then continued on to the team’s location at a hotel in Hat Yai.
(N.O.)

[A certified Discovery begins its descent down a steep and exciting 4WD track, at the bottom of which is a spectacular campsite with a surprising set of consequences for the unsuspecting and unexpected visitor…]

Journal and photo by Neil

Helllooooohhhh, we are in Thailand now!!!! My first meal last night was everything I could have imagined and more, Tom Yam seafood soup with rice, mmmnnnn. And then Adam and I got our first massage!! We had two women come to our hotel room and give us a 2-hour massage for 200 Baht, which is about $5! They were walking on our legs, back and arms, and twisting us and cracking our backs; it was unreal.

So this morning, when I awoke, I felt great and excited to start our day with a mie breakfast, which is fried noodles with some veggies, eggs, and chicken. Of course, every moment we have with the local Thai people is hilarious and challenging. They don't speak English, and we don't speak Thai. This is the first time the entire expedition where I have to look at a book and try to figure out how to say, "hello, yes, no, and thank you." It is quite an enjoyable experience. I am so happy right now to eat every meal and relax and enjoy the foreign surroundings.

We are all loving Thailand! It is so much more interesting and wild than Malaysia and Singapore. The transition from those two countries to Thailand is similar to changing from California into Tijuana. Of course, it is extremely different in plenty of ways too, but the fact that there are street vendors everywhere, and people running around in all directions, and an ever-present pungent aroma in the city streets, it does seem very similar. One thing, or I guess thousands of things, are all the mopeds and motorcycles that are on the roads in Thailand. You see families of 3-5 people riding one bike. They are even on the main highways in the shoulder, yiikes, you really have to be careful not to hit them.

So today we awoke in a town about 60 km up the road from the border, called Hat Yai, and are heading to Phuket, another 600 km north on the southwest coast of Thailand. The countryside is gorgeous, with flat green wetland areas, and rolling hills with lush tropical jungle. We also saw tons of rubber-tree and oil-palm plantations. At one point, there was a large pond filled with people throwing out fishing nets, just like what you imagine to see in Thailand. And of course, we stopped at the roadside and their was a young lady with a small moped attached to a moveable vending setup, filled with freshly cut mango, pineapple, water apples, and some other unique Thai fruits that we gobbled up with an insatiable tropical appetite. There are also tons of places to stop along the road to get good Thai food, like red curry or chicken satay. The people working at the restaurants are always very friendly and filled with smiles.

We ended up driving all day until the last hour before sunset. We ended up at a beach on the southwest part of Phuket, called Karon. Our goal for the day was to find a great camping spot and enjoy the Thailand outdoors. However, since we got to Phuket late in the day, we were running out of time. So we stopped at a big beach, which is a very nice spot, but not your ideal camping setup. There were some large hotels nearby and some vendors selling food and drinks. So as the team chilled out for a while, Adam and I decided to get back in the car and go look a bit further for a more secluded spot.

We headed a bit further south towards the very end of the southwest corner of Phuket. As we headed up a windy road for a few kilometers, we passed a dirt road that had a sign pointing towards a beach called Nui. Hmmn, Nui sounded like a beach I had read about in the Lonely Planet book that had surf. It was at the top of a large hill, and a few kilometers downwards towards the beach. So we got onto the dirt road and went for it.

Now let me remind you that we are traveling with a adventure journalist and a Land Rover communications director for a couple weeks. Today happened to be Larry's last day with us, and he wanted to camp, and he seemed content at the last spot we had all stopped at, but when Adam and I started descending down this dirt road, our eyes starting bulging out of our heads!! This road was filled with enormous ruts and was surrounded by tropical jungle overlooking the ocean. And, it was so steep at parts, we had to use four wheel drive and our "hill descent control," which is a button on our vehicle that automatically applies the brakes to your wheels as necessary going down extreme terrain. So when Adam and I starting going down this road, we were having a blast, and also knew that when we returned to the camp site to tell the team that we had found a spot, they would not realize how great a spot they were about to embark upon. We knew that this little adventure would be one of the highlights of Larry's trip.

So at the end of the road, about 200 meters before the actual beach, there was a gate that was closed. It looked like a tiny resort or something at the bottom, but we were not sure, since we hadn't gone down. Luckily though, just before the gate, there was a turn off that led to a perfect spot overlooking the ocean and had enough space to fit our four Land Rovers. It was spectacular. Adam and I used our radio to call the team and let them know we found a spot and would come back to meet them, eat dinner, and head back out.

We drove back out to the main road, which takes about 15 minutes, since it is was such a steep and rocky road, then headed into town and met the team. We all ate dinner at a Thai restaurant that was gorgeous. It was filled with wooden carvings that were very impressive, to say the least. They were huge, 10-foot carvings, intricately crafted for years and still were here in a wonderful restaurant for us to see and enjoy while we ate a fantastic meal. And thank you again Larry, for treating us to dinner, that was very kind of you and we all appreciate it tremendously.

After dinner, we led the team up to our new campsite. As we got onto the dirt road and headed down to the campsite, the radio waves were filled with excitement, praise, and disbelief that we had come across such a magnificent area in such a crowded island. We all worked our way down the technical dirt road toward our camping spot. We arrived in the actual campsite, set up, and started playing some music, talking, and just enjoyed the beautiful location, which was also lit up with an almost full moon. We definitely were all howling tonight!

Well, since we were all chilling at this beautiful spot, a few hundred meters above the ocean, it was too tempting to go and explore the beach and grounds below. It was gated off, but we assumed that it was a public beach during the day that they just shut down at night. So Larry, Adam, and I walked down the trail in our trunks and sandals ready to jump into the ocean. As we got closer, we realized it was a small beach hut, with some kayaks and diving gear and some rooms. It was very small, and it didn't look like it was occupied. So we crept out of the bushes and onto the beach and ran into the ocean. Oh wow, what a perfect temperature the water is here at night. It must have been about 80 degrees, and the moon was shining and we were in Thailand, we had just discovered "The Beach", however, Leonardo de Caprio wasn't here.

We swam for a while, then Larry and Adam got out of the water, as I stayed in for a while longer. I noticed after a few minutes that a bunch of dogs came down and were barking at them; uh oh. Well, after a few minutes of watching, I realized the dogs were just barking and not going to attack or anything, so I was calm. I dove a few times and just floated under the stars. As I came up and looked toward shore, I saw Adam and Larry waving at me to come to shore. So I figured we must be getting kicked out, bummer. As I climbed out of the water and onto the beach, I saw a few guards standing next to them with red bandanas around their heads and carrying shotguns! Yep, that's right, shotguns!! Adam and Larry said we had to go, now! One of the guys was telling Adam that we had to go, but not to worry, it was ok. The other guy didn't speak English and looked meaner. They kept saying "You go now." Well, we went, and as we walked up the trail out of the grounds, another guy came down with a shotgun, and he looked really mean, and had an intense look. I walked fast and said "Sawadi," which means hello in Thai. He responded by looking at me with a fierce look, pulling the trigger of his shotgun, aimed at the ground, and "BOOM!!", "YOU GO NOW!!!""" Before I started to jog up the hill a it faster, I noticed Larry had already bolted around the corner like lightning. The shot was loud, maybe a blank, definitely not a bullet.

It was bizarre; even though the guy just fired his shotgun, I wasn't really very scared. I was thinking, ok, this is a private beach, and these are guards who are having their time with us, but they are not going to hurt us. He ended up firing another shot, and kept yelling, "you go now". We scurried up the hill and got to the camp site. Everyone there was in a frantic state. They had heard the shots, and were worried out of their minds. Nancy, who had gone to bed early, away from the campsite, thought we were dead and went back to sleep. Nick told us to hurry up and put down the tents and let's get outta here now. I am not sure exactly what everyone was doing, as I was just putting down a tent. There were a few more shots and the guards were coming up towards our site and were yelling at us. We packed up and were on the road again in a matter of minutes. That was definitely the fasted pack job we have ever done.

It was horrifying for the people up at our site, who didn't know what was going on in those first few minutes. It was just like a movie. Luckily, nothing bad happened and we ended up going back to our original campsite. So I guess from now on, we won't camp in wild countries on private land. We learned our lesson.

Well, until next Monday,

Selamat Jalan,

Neil

P.S. - Team departed Hat Yai for the island resort city of Phuket. Team had a memorable gas stop where they bought fruit from a street vendor and met an former ESL teacher who owns a Series I Land Rover. After stopping in Krabi for lunch, the team made their way down the SW coast of the island to Karon. Wanting to allow Larry a camping experience before he leaves tomorrow, the team searched for a suitable campsite. After D2 did a recon, they led the rest of the convoy down a cool 4X4 path to a spot overlooking the ocean. An hour or so after making camp, the team was chased away by gun-toting locals who made their point crystal clear by firing rifles into the air and sending their dogs out. Team broke camp in minutes and high-tailed it out of there to a friendlier spot on a public beach. For the record: There were no keep out signs, and the land was public land…
(N.O.)

Logbook for May 31st, Day 213
Start: Hat Yai, Thailand Time: 8:15 a.m. N: 07* 00.188 E: 100* 28.253	Finish: Karon Beach (Phuket), Thailand Time: 11:30 p.m. N: 07* 047.229 E: 098* 17.563	Mileage: 295

[Members of the LONGITUDE crew meet with the awesome folks at Austral Land Rover.]

Journal and photo by Adam

Ao Kata Noi, Phuket, Thailand (?The Beach?)

Larry bolted up the dirt road and into the darkness within a split second, with Neil shuffling slightly behind. For some reason, my mind came to a conclusion that it would be better not to run, but to remain calm, and so I continued walking away from the screams that followed, ?YOU GO NOW!? ?YOU GOOO NOW!!!!?

Our somewhat unpredictable Thailand route led us to our last day where we planned to stop at one of the beautiful beaches on the island of Phuket in SW Thailand. The only snag is that once we got there, the place was slightly more developed than expected. So we sat on a small patch of grass between the road and a beach lined with sun chairs and umbrellas. It was there that Neil, Colin, and I decided to do a little emergency recon and wandered over to the lady selling fried noodles and beer. We picked up a healthy half dozen of cold ?Changs? and dished one out to Larry, who at this point had grown rather distraught at our location.

He sat alone on the bonnet of a Land Rover for a moment and then wandered onto the beach; I then approached Nick, who was checking emails on his laptop. He quickly heeded my warnings and took me up on my suggestion. Neil and I were to go on another recon mission, one of a greater importance than the ?Changs?. We were going to drive south and scour the coastline for a more feasible place to camp and, more importantly, to find a location where Larry, journalist Sue, and I could capture the Land Rovers in action using their off-road capabilities in the morning before Larry leaves for Los Angeles.
Neil and I pulled up to a small sign that read ?Kata Noi? that pointed off to the right. It led out onto a large peninsula whose lightless expanse was proof that we had finally discovered something promising. We followed the trail as it weaved into the jungle growth. The further we went, the trail became more aggressive with areas of deep washed-out ruts and steep inclines. We finally stumbled on a small landing that overlooks the ocean hundreds of feet below. Off in the forest down to the lower right were some glimmering lights that looked like a small beach hotel. We celebrated for a moment and turned around quite, proud of each other for finding what would not only make the DATW crew happy, but also provide Larry with what he has been asking for the whole time: one perfectly remote night in the Land Rover?s tents.

We arrived and spread the news with enthusiasm to the others. Excitedly, they packed up and bolted south with us. After a while we entered the trail head. The radio chatter became heavy between the four cars. Larry and Sue were discussing the Land Rover capabilities with Nick, and Nancy was making references to her experiences while driving in last year?s Land Rover G4 Challenge, a Camel Trophy-like event. We slid down the trail and plopped into the landing. The excitement was really high. Everyone praised us for the discovery, and soon the ?Chang? beer supply, which Todd had picked up while waiting back at the other camp, came out of a back seat. Nick started blaring his horrible selection of early-eighties Devo-like music, and the chatter continued. Being that is was a full moon and a hot, humid Thai night, I decided that a trip down to the small beach would be a great 1 a.m. experience. Neil agreed, and we managed to talk Larry into going. We thought showing him an adventurous experience would only improve our relationship for any future filming, should the opportunity arrive. The three of us ducked under the gate and walked a portion of trail that led down towards the lights.

A few bends here and there, and we came across dimly lit huts full of diving and canoe equipment. There were no people, but a small beach with inviting water was just ahead, so we continued the last few hundred feet, pulled off our flip-flops, and jumped into the surf. Five minutes passed and still no sign of anyone, but breaking the sounds of surf and silence was a ?woof!?. Immediately the one ?Woof!? was followed by a sporatic series of ?Woof! Woof! Woof!? Then the 3 ?Woofs!? were followed by 8 simultaneous sets of ?Woof! Woof! Woof!? totaling approximately 24 ?WOOFS!? The silence was broken, and our three bobbing heads peered out onto the beach to find half of them lined up on the beach. After a few more minutes of total canine chaos, I decided that I?d creep out of the water slowly and talk like a woman to the dogs. The barking became very intense from the beach and from atop a hill to the left. As I approached they began licking me and stopped barking. I thought, ?Thank God that?s over,? and signaled to Neil and Larry to follow me. Larry popped right, out but Neil lingered. Then all of a sudden a small man dressed in a Black Viet Kong suit with red bandanas tied around his belt and forehead came out onto the beach. With about 5 words of English, he tried to interrogate Larry and me. Meanwhile, Neil came crawling out of the water behind us. We started back up the trail, and in front of us came another Viet Kong. This one was toting a shiny black shotgun. We continued up the trail in a hurried walk saying ?OK, OK, OK.? Everyone knows that word. Its international for anything. The first man understood that we were stupid white people swimming and started yelling indecipherable alien phonetics to the others in the forest. On our path, out we passed 3 more of these ?vigilantes.? As we passed the last man, whose scowl appeared very mean, I said, ?Sawadee!? which means ?hello,? and a tremendous ?BOOM!!? rang out. A second later, I realized he had fired off his shotgun. Larry, slightly ahead, scampered around the bend with Neil scampering behind. We made out way back to the landing with the screams of ?YOU GO NOW!!?

The others thought we were being shot and were rather concerned, except for Nancy, who continued to sleep. We packed camp immediately after they yelled, ?TEN MO MINIT! YOU GO NOW!!? Leading the pack out defeated, retreating back to the original umbrella beach was disheartening, especially for Neil and me. We slept well that night after the adrenaline subsided.

The next day I convinced the others that we had no other option but to return to the trail for filming. It was perfect for what we wanted, and after all, the actual trail was a public road. As we entered the trail, a motorcycle came by. A Danish man pulled off his helmet and inquired about us. Apparently, we had just bumped into the guy who had just bought the land that comprised of the ?Landing.? His new house was 40 feet below the flat spot of land that was his driveway. He was moving in that day, so it was a good thing he didn?t find 10 people and 4 Land Rovers sleeping on his driveway for his first morning. According to him, the owner of the entire peninsula was a Thai Oxford graduate who inherited it recently from his family. The Dane said that in Thailand, landowners have the right to do what they like and that the guards could have cut us up into little pieces and thrown us into the water and the police wouldn?t do anything. But, he added, this guy was really nice. The actual beach is public, but the land to get there isn?t. We decided to push on and meet the enemy. Filming as we went, we finally came to the gate, and sure enough, there he was. Stout and tanned, full of tattoos was our man, surrounded by his black-and-red-clad Viet Cong workers. They were repairing a shack. He signaled me to come down the trail, and I did, followed by Neil and Sue. With a clean Oxford English accent, he said that he heard about us the other night and was rather annoyed, but thankful that we were apologetic. After some small talk that explained his problems with local Thais trespassing and investors trying to develop the peninsula, he invited us to drive on his property and through the jungle for filming. We would have taken him up on it, but the Land Rovers were too tall to fit under his gateway. He then invited me to return to his property at anytime in the future, but during the daytime. I walked over to the fierce warriors and handed them a pile of Hella keychain lights for which they showed gratitude with smiles. I haven?t heard from Larry since he left the next day, but Sue seemed to have a great time with the us for the rest of her visit. She turned out to be the most pleasant guest on our trip so far.

P.S. - Team woke up hot and sticky after a humid night of camping. Film crew and TMWY! guests did some convoy shooting and standup interviews while Nancy and Chanda checked the team into the Best Western Phuket Ocean Resort and ran team errands. Team had the last half of the day to themselves, sort of. A sat-link interview was conducted at about 1:00 a.m.
(N.O.)

Logbook for June 1st, Day 214
Start: Karon Beach (Phuket), Thailand Time: 9:00 a.m. N: 07* 047.229 E: 098* 17.563	Finish: Karon Beach (Phuket), Thailand Time: 3:30 p.m. N: 07* 047.229 E: 098* 17.563	Mileage: 020

[David, Nick, and Todd talking about Parkinson’s Disease and life in Phuket, Thailand.]

Journal and photo by Todd

After doing so many visits in the last two weeks, it was nice to have a day to try and catch up. Originally, we were going to head up to Bangkok today and have a nice leisurely two days of driving; however, the team decided that another day in Phuket was worth a long day on the road. Traveling at the pace we had been, a rest was a pleasant relief, and a laundry day was essential for us to go on living in close quarters. Above all that, Chanda, had worked her magic, and we were staying at a very comfortable Best Western.

When traveling, the places you stay have a great deal to do with your overall experience. We have stayed at all sorts of places on this expedition, from our tents to 5-star hotels. Each different type of place offers some magic, often at a certain cost. When we sleep in our roof top tents, it is free, but there is no TV at night, an unconditioned climate (no fans or heat), and no plumbing. A hostel offers great nightlife and makes it very easy to meet people, but it is often loud, security is difficult, and you usually have to share public bathrooms. Nicer hotels take care of the security problem, the noise, and the climate, but things are often very expensive, and frankly we don’t have the money to roll with crowds at the finer hotels. However, nice hotels are great for having focused time to get work done.

This place was comfortable, and it was complete with cats. I know a little black kitten was successful in securing some nap time with Nick, and later Neil.

I wanted to get out and see a temple or two, but writing kept me occupied until afternoon, when I met with David Thurston, a native Brit, who had semi-retired to Thailand. David, who has Parkinson’s, had found us on the Internet and realized that we were coming to Phuket, were he lives. He sent a note, and we scheduled a time to meet.

It is always interesting meeting with people with Parkinson’s Disease. Each person and their experience is unique. David, who had been working as a journalist and photographer before his diagnosis, first realized something wasn’t quite right when he was typing. The fingers on his left side would subtly lag behind his right; later he began having trouble dancing as a result of his left side not moving as fast his right.

David chose to move to Phuket about six years ago, hoping to take life easier, and get away from the rat race of Britain and Hong Kong. However, wanting to slow down doesn’t always mean staying out of touch; he commented that if it hadn’t been for the Internet, a move like this wouldn’t have been appealing. Despite the capabilities of the Internet, David, who has been dealing with Parkinson’s for the last 7 years, is looking seriously at moving back to Britain, to seek better medical care.

In many senses Phuket is an island Paradise, complete with waves, elephants, and everything else you can imagine, but sometimes there is no substitute for home, with family, friends, and cutting-edge medical care facilities.

P.S. - Day spent working in Paradise, rather than enjoying it. Oh well. We do what we have to do.
(N.O.)

Logbook for June 2nd, Day 215
Start: Karon Beach (Phuket), Thailand Time: 9:00 a.m. N: 07* 047.229 E: 098* 17.563	Finish: Karon Beach (Phuket), Thailand Time: 3:30 p.m. N: 07* 047.229 E: 098* 17.563	Mileage: 000

[Camping in Phuket, Thailand, was a beautiful treat for the whole team. It was hot and humid, but the scenery was magnificent.]

Journal by Nancy, photo by Neil

Today, we left Phuket, Thailand, at around 7-ish to drive the 15-or-so hours to Bangkok. Sue Mead and I were in D3, and I think everybody was quite tired. It was a relatively uneventful drive, with the real highlight being our stop on the side of the road to pet/ride/photograph/befriend a 45-year-old elephant and her handlers. Sue and I bought the shirts right off the backs of two of the handlers, because we thought they were cool. On the back of the blue, oriental-style cotton shirt is an image of a safari elephant and the words “We save elephant.”

I think we were all sad to leave beautiful Phuket. Bangkok will be fun, but it’s a totally different style and vibe. It’s an enormous city of about 6 million, and I think all but a few of those million were out driving their cars in the crowded streets when we finally pulled into town at around 9:30 p.m. Traffic was a mess, and it took more than an hour to make it to Sue’s hotel. Why? Well, because you aren’t allowed to turn right in Thailand, apparently. We circled the city trying to find a street that would take us to the X on our maps, even driving right up to the entrance of Thailand’s royal palace! Whoa! The armed guards gave us the evil eye. We finally made it to the Sheraton, but since we were a day early and the hotel was overbooked, and since Sue’s reservation was for the next evening, we had to find another hotel. We ended up just down the road at another 5-star, and we failed to talk them into giving the team a discounted rate. We dropped Sue off and sat around for a couple of hours while the Nick & Chanda and Justin found us another place. The new place was hot and sticky with rock-hard mattresses, three to a room. Oh well, we just needed a place to rest our weary bones. Tomorrow, we’ll all be working.

Phuket had been one of the places I was most looking forward to visiting during this expedition. I was here in 1999 as a U.S. Marine assigned to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and one of my best friends, Lori, was my roommate and liberty buddy for the entire 6-month deployment. We had the time of our lives in Phuket, and I was hoping to explore more of the serene beaches and have another longtail boat ride, but it wasn’t in the cards.

This trip to the beautiful resort island of Phuket was way different from the last. I think it’s partly because I’m older (and therefore disinterested) and partly because I’m with different people. This time, I didn’t even go to the freak show part of town, I didn’t have a single beer, I didn’t stay out late dancing, and I didn’t play all day, every day, with my military family. This trip was quick and packed with work. I had only a half-day for wandering around the shops. The rest of my time was spent updating journal entries online. I went downtown to my old stomping grounds and was sad to see the once bright and fun-filled party alleys my dear friends and I once reveled in were dark and empty. Gone were the buzz-cut-wearing men of the11th MEU’s Amphibious Ready Group. Gone was my dear friend Lori. It was depressing. And to top it all off, I just turned 31. I miss my friends back home. I think Phuket misses my friends back home. It seems different. More refined. Cleaner. Less crazy.

My journals from the days when I was here as a fresh, 27-year-old, brand-new captain of Marines are more exciting than anything I could write now, so here’s a look back in time:

1-6 August, Sunday-Friday, 1999

We pulled into Thailand and dropped anchor on the morning of August 1st. The water here is a pretty color, but it’s not clear. Looks a little like the cheesy, died water they like to put in outdoor fountains in the U.S. What happened to the water through which a ray of sunshine looks like a white-blue laser beam piercing for miles below the surface? Did we leave it all behind us in Hawaii?

Thailand. Gosh, where do I begin? What a sick place. I have too many stories from Phuket, Thailand, than I can possibly write about in one sitting.

We packed all of our gear for the next five days, donned our civies, and stood by in our rooms, poised for the liberty call. We had a hotel reserved in a place called Karon, which was a good 15-20 minutes south of where everyone was staying in Phuket. We wanted to get away from the Marines and Sailors. Because Phuket is strictly a liberty port, we were prepared to forget about work and the military for the rest of the week.

When we arrived at our hotel, we were amazed. It was BEE-YOO-TI-FUL! The room itself wasn’t as nice as the Singapore place, but our balcony overlooked the pool and the ocean. Absolutely gorgeous. The lobby had goldfish ponds and trees, and fine wooden furniture and floors formed a sort of gazebo in part of the lobby.

Phuket, Thailand, to the unaccustomed visitor, is an alien world of bizarre freak shows, sexual eccentricities, unabashed amoralities, and Jerry Springer-like societal anomalies. It is a truly different world from start to finish, both superficially and upon closer inspection.

From the outset, I was struck by the “subtle” differences. Natives, for example, could be seen walking along the road with and riding through the fields on, elephants--not dogs and horses, but elephants. Herds of them. One of the first Thais I met was a smelly little monkey who sat on my shoulder as I was searching for a taxi. In addition to the funny animals, tourists are forced to recognize the rather unorthodox driving habits and traffic patterns. Not only do they drive on the left (wrong) side of the road, but they do so with such impatience and wreckless abandon that it’s a wonder any of the millions of moped drivers survive at all. It doesn’t matter if oncoming traffic exists or not, if somebody wants to pass, he or she is passing. Legend has it that Phuket is responsible for the origin of the well-known phrase, “Ready or not, here I come.”

Most of our days in Thailand were spent sitting at the hotel’s pool bar, taking advantage of the happy hour prices, sunshine, and cool water. Nights in Phuket are for drinking, dancing, and people watching. I wonder if tourists here were the first to coin the term, “The freaks come out at night.”

[Paragraph about the he-shes and working girls deleted here for reasons of decency.]

Lori is the source of our favorite “Phuket adventure” story. One night, all of us ended up going our separate ways with different friends from the MEU. I was hanging out with Lori’s newly promoted Top C., buying drinks for him and SSgt G. Our other friends were with their coworkers, and Lori, somehow, found herself without a liberty buddy (we are required to travel in pairs for safety). She walked out of one of the dance clubs and attempted to head toward the main strip, but ended up in a relatively abandoned alley fearing for her safety more and more with each hungry stare from the rogue native men. Finally, a Thai chick on a moped pulled up beside her and asked her if she wanted a ride.
“Sure,” said Little Lori. “I need to go to Karon Beach Hotel.”
“Two hundred bott ok?”
“OK.”
So there was Lori, afraid to hold on to the stranger, but forced to do so out of necessity, with no libo buddy, riding down the road behind some strange chick, in plain view of the entire Combat Service Support Element, with her dress hiked up around her waist, and trying to look sober.

When she (somehow) arrived safely at her destination, she reached into her makeshift wallet, often called a “bra” by most westerners, pulled out her last 120 bott, and told the good samaritan, “Take it or leave it.” She took it and left. Lori was a Hell’s Angel for a full 25 minutes.

On our final day in Phuket, tired of doing the tourist/freakshow scene, we opted for an all-natural local tour of the not-so-beaten path. We hopped in a taxi with the most non-English speaking driver available and, as a result, ended up absolutely nowhere we asked to go. I think it was the coin-toss aspect of the journey that made it so fun.

We ended up in Phuket Town, where we were the only non-Asian folks around, and where we saw what real Thai marketplaces look like. We saw a cashew nut factory where real live nutcrackers separated the meat from the shells with their bare hands and packaged the morsels before our very eyes. And the best part of the day was when we went to the sea shore, asked to rent a boat and driver, grabbed some beers, and headed out for a one hour tour around Kolon Island in a long, wooden boat called a “longtail”. They are so-named because of their strange motors, which look like suped-up lawn mower engines, that are separated from the propeller by a 12-foot pole. The next time we go to Thailand, we want to spend the majority of our time on that beautiful island with the natives. No freaks, just beautiful scenery.

The night ended with a delicious Thai dinner at a local joint called “Jimmy’s Lighthouse,” followed by a ride back to the ship in the bed of the waitress’ brother’s pickup truck. I don’t think any of us will soon forget Thailand. In terms of evil, it’s even worse than New Orleans.

P.S. - Today, the team was up a little after 5 a.m. to get ready to hit the road. It would prove to be a long drive from Phuket to Bangkok. We were sad to leave paradise behind, but it's always good to keep moving. Progress. That's important. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 3rd, Day 216
Start: Karon Beach (Phuket), Thailand Time: N/A N: 07* 047.229 E: 098* 17.563	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: 7:15 a.m. N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: ???

[A colorful Bangkok tuk-tuk. These things are much better than a taxi, and they're more harrowing, too...]

Journal and photo by Colin

Bangkok is about as intense a city as you will find anywhere in the world. Vibrant, alive, noisy, smelly, ugly, beautiful, religious, sacreligious, fun, hair-raising, cosmopolitan, old world, neon, teak. There are a myriad of descriptive words and phrases that could be used to describe this city, and one could never sum it up.

Friday was our first day in Bangkok, and the beginning of the day was dedicated to trying to take care of some business. Adam and I had heard that professional film gear was available here at cheap prices, so we decided to have a look around the various electronic stores in the various malls and various markets to see if the claim was true. Well it wasn't; most of the stuff here cost about the same as it did in the US, so the purchases we dreamed of making (new tripod and new wide-angle lens) did not take place.

Neil has been having a couple of problems with his camera, so we decided to have a look around to see if we could solve them. Well, a typical Drive Around the World goose chase ensued, involving us cruising all over the city, eventually just giving up and heading down to Khao Sarn Road for some dinner and milkshakes.

Khao Sarn Road is the travelers’ mecca of Bangkok, it is completely loaded down with insanely cheap living quarters and neon lights, almost Vegas-ish if you ask me. The streets are lined with vendors selling everything from bootleg western clothing to deep-fried scorpions and cockroaches. The streets are also loaded with farang. Farang is the Thai word that is equivalant to the Spanish word, gringo, meaning white folk.

So there we were, relaxing, eating and drinking our milkshakes, amidst of sea of Swedish and English backpackers, and you know what? I enjoyed it. Even though our hotel is not in that district, I somehow find myself there night after night, enjoying milkshake after milkshake.

But I digress, Friday was really not that interesting of a day, with the exception of one event. The tuktuk ride from hell. I guess in order to understand this, I first have to explain what a tuktuk is. Basically, it is a small motorcycle with a roof and a seat for two in the back (see photo). Although I have seen up to 7 people jammed into one tuktuk (or tukkies as I like to call them), I have yet to be in one with more than four riders, and that was enough. So anyway, there we are, on Khao Sarn, and we decide it's time to go home. Now, this is at rush hour, so what would usually be a fifteen-minute ride was going to take us an hour, which I wasn't really looking forward to. You see, the streets of Bangkok are completely polluted. Noxious fumes from all sorts of vents and vehicles constantly assault the senses, so a rush hour ride, in an open-air tuktuk isn't exactly pleasant, although when the roads are relatively clear the rides are very fun, you know, wind in your hair and all that. So, it wasn't with the most pleasure that we hailed down a tukkie. He wouldn't take us home, "too much traffic! one way streets! no way!" and he took off. I hailed another; he also turned us down. So finally I hailed a third guy with a huge smile on his face. When talking to local Thai who don't speak very good English, the least words you use the better. "Siam Square, Reno Hotel, How many Baht?" I asked the driver. "150" he said. Now, that is an almost ridiculous price to pay; at normal hours the price is 50 baht. So, I said "No way! 50 baht!" The driver grins "Rush hour! So much Traffic! I'm best driver, I get you home 15 minutes! All other drivers take one hour! I never stop, crazy ride!" Neil, Adam, and I looked at each other, shrugged, and got in the cab. I egged the driver on with some vroom vroom sounds, and we were off like a rocket. In fact, the driver did a huge wheelie, scaring the heck out of us.

He was definitely telling the truth; this guy was crazy. He was pulling wheelies into the middle of oncoming traffic and taking turns and roundabouts so fast we had to lean out so the thing wouldn't flip over. He also spent the majority of the time screaming down the wrong side of the road, swerving in and out of oncoming traffic at breakneck speed. He'd play chicken with full-size buses, run down taxis, he didn't care! I think he had a death wish or something, because he had a huge grin on his face the whole time. It was like a roller coaster. I can't even tell you how many times I thought we weren’t going to make it. Seriously, if I was a religious man, I would have been praying for my life, but instead I was wooping and hollering and urging our driver on, thoroughly enjoying my ride.

So we made it home in record time and had a blast in the process. We've been in Bangkok a while and have yet to have made it home in that amount of time, even when there was no traffic.

P.S. - Today was a working day for the team. Everybody is working on their individual tasks, including PR, website, and Take Me With You! Guest Sue Mead did get some shopping done on this, her last day in Bangkok. Later, the team bid her a fond farewell after a nice dinner in the city. Thank you, Sue, for treating us to that dinner. You shouldn't have...but we're glad you did...hahaha. Safe travels. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 4th, Day 217
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[These fried bugs are for sale for your dining pleasure on Khao Sarn Road!]

Journal and photo by Justin

Everyone is familiar with the Murray Head song about this Southeast Asian city of excess. I suppose the lyrics of the song could prove true if you are into exotic forms of entertainment. However, my day has been spent a little differently.

I began by heading over to the tourist shopping Mecca of Khao San Road, where I mingled for the better part of two hours investigating the endless rows of vendor kiosks. This part of Bangkok throws me back to my undergraduate business class on negotiation. I remember all of the theories behind win-win negotiation, but on the street it simply doesn?t exist. The vendors are there for one reason?to sell whatever they have to any tourist that comes by at the highest possible price. Tourists are there to pick up cultural souvenirs at the absolute lowest price they can get. This means naming a price that is about 25% of what the vendor is asking, and then working toward the highest price you?re willing to pay.

Now, if you?re like me, you?re very familiar with all the scams, pleas, and outright insults that can often come with street shopping. It is a little different in Thailand because of peoples? desire to save face. Meaning, they don?t want to lose their cool and you shouldn?t lose yours. At no time is it culturally acceptable to become irate and verbally express your dissatisfaction. What is acceptable is the practice of walking away. And truthfully, being willing to walk is one of the best ways to ensure you pay only what you want to pay. Because the truth is, about three stalls down the road, you will find the exact same item for sale.

After taking a bit of a break and returning to the hotel to freshen up, I ventured out for a traditional Thai massage where you are bent, folded, and pushed to the point of breaking in the name of relaxation. Now, a Thai massage is not very therapeutic at the time you are receiving it, but the benefits usually descend on you about 12 hours later as the soreness from the massage takes over the soreness that you originally had in your muscles.

Feeling refreshed (and bruised), I grabbed a tuk-tuk back down to Khao San Road to see a bit of the nightlife. Once I arrived, my senses were overwhelmed by the pure chaos of the scene. Hundreds of people merrily dart up and down the street looking at items for sale and checking out the numerous restaurants along the road. I opted for a small cart selling spring rolls, where I ate six rolls for the equivalent of $1.25. The cart that intrigued me the most was one selling local delicacies of cricket, scorpion, silkworm, and other various bugs. After considering whether or not to try any, I decided that it would be best to return to the hotel. One night in Bangkok might make a hard man humble, but it really just made me tired.

Until next time, I wish you all well from the far side of the world.

Adam (foreground) and Neil try out one of the glitsy super-trikes downtown on Kaosarn Road.

Photo by Todd

P.S. - Sue left today. Working. Sorry about the webpage journals not being updated. My fault. I apologize. Sir, no excuse, Sir!(N.O.)

Logbook for June 5th, Day 218
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[This looks like a Budda convention, but really, these are tiny statues waiting to be sold to Bangkok tourists inside of the MBK Center mall in the city.]

Journal and Photo by Nancy

Team is working. Chanda is feeling sick, but no need to worry. Team has been shopping, too. Trinkets are quite cheap here. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 06, Day 219
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[In bustling Bangkok, many people wear masks to keep the pollution out of their lungs. Even the cops wear masks.]

Journal and photo by Neil

Bangkok, the infamous Bangkok, Thailand. We have finally made it here after many months of anticipation, or should I say anxiousness. We have all been looking forward to eating the delicious food of Thailand, and thank goodness, it is. It is even better than we had wished for. And as for the crowds on mopeds and all over the streets and malls, those are true to form as well. In fact, there are so many people running around, you can just stop and gaze at everyone in awe. It really is a neat feeling to be surrounded by so many foreign people. And when I say foreign, I mean extremely foreign. The Thai people are very short, and all speak Thai, which I cannot comprehend, even if my life depended on it. Of course, if my life did depend on it, I would start to intensely study right away, but as we are heading towards other countries in a short period of time, it is really too short of a time to really learn a lot. I can point and say “yes” and “no” and say “thank you”, and, thank goodness, there are still signs in English. However, not all the signs are in English; there have been many times when there is no English anywhere, and I have to resort to caveman speak. It is all good fun, and the Thai people are very friendly.

Anyway, the reason I said anxious earlier in regard to arriving in Bangkok is because we are in a very unique situation right now, and we knew we would be before we arrived. Our plan is to drive through Myanmar to India and onward. The problem is that the roads we want to take are very difficult to cross. In fact, we need permits from India and China before we can go into Myanmar. We also need a military escort through part of Myanmar, as well. The western side, going into India, is a military zone, especially in India and it is "off limits." It has been traversed before, but not with four American vehicles. One guy tried, and his car is still stuck at the Myanmar border and they won't let him take it out. Another guy shipped his out, rather than drive it out. And another guy, I heard, after having crossed Myanmar with military escort, got out unscathed; however, his military escorts were all shot to death after they had let the man out of the country.

So we are in Bangkok trying to gather as much information to make sure we can get the permits, and two, to make sure we will be safe. I guess another option is to drive through Cambodia, Loas, Vietnam, and China upward through Mongolia and into Russia, skipping India, Nepal, Tibet, and Kazakastan. And one last alternative is to ship from Bangkok to India and then drive northward towards our original route. There are a lot of questions going on right now, and we are trying to make it happen. We have been in touch with some very important people in India and China who can "move heaven and hell" to make our route possible. Whatever happens, an incredible journey is sure to ensue.

As for my day today, I was online in the Starbucks across the street from our hotel, which has a free wireless internet hookup that we use from the Apple store across the way. It is very convenient. I was doing some research online about Myanmar, doing some photo work for our website, and catching up with some old emails that I haven't gotten around to in the past few weeks. I really enjoy being away from the internet for long periods of time, if I can. It allows me to appreciate the moment more and enjoy the countries we are visiting to the fullest.

I also went for a walk for many hours around the city. We are staying in Siam Square, which has a bunch of huge buildings with shopping malls and smaller vendors everywhere. Once you walk a few hundred yards away from it all, you end up in a more raw Bangkok. I crossed some railroad tracks and one of the canals, which show a much different slice of life than the shoppers in the mall. Everywhere you look, there are people selling fruit, chicken satay, dried squid, tom yam, and all kinds of Thai food for amazingly cheap. I bought a bowl of soup with chicken, noodles and vegetables for 20 baht, which is fifty cents. You cannot beat the food here, it is fabulous. And the Thai coffee and tea is delicious too, only 5 baht!

The city itself is huge, filled with immense buildings, bridges and traffic. There are about 7 million people here in Bangkok! You can smell the exhaust and you start to notice that most of the police, traffic controlers, and tuk tuk drivers wear bandanas or masks over their faces to block out all the polution. Bangkok is a wild place, always full of energy. You can also buy anything here for very cheap. You can find cool tee-shirts for less than a dollar and great meals for the same. It is a shopper's paradise, and I recommend that anyone who loves to shop come to Bangkok.

Well, I must be off now, hopefully next time I write we will know what we are doing and are on the road somewhere outside of Bangkok.

Neil

P.S. - Everybody's just hanging out in the city. The team is working on gaining passage through Myanmar, China, and India. Lots of diplomacy and paperwork in progress. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 7th, Day 220
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Wat Po?s Reclining Buddha in Bangkok.]

Journal and photo by Adam

We?re spending one of the longest stops on the trip here in Bangkok, land of cheap food, Tuk-Tuks, and scams. We?re waiting for a few things: visas to enter Myanmar, India and China, and additional funding. The city is all too familiar, as I spent 2 months here in 1997 trying to clear up a gem scam I managed to get myself into. But this time, I?m wizened and I use the Tuk-Tuk motorcycle taxi drivers to my advantage by getting a 50-cent fare by agreeing to stop off on the way at one of their ?sponsors?, who gives them a coupon from their shop. The drivers collect these, and when they have enough, the shop will give them something, depending what kind of shop it is, i.e., a shirt from one of the tailor shops. I think they may also get a percentage of the sale if one of the clients is a person they dragged off of the street. Back in 1997, I bought from one of these ?sponsors.? It?s a long story that only now comes out over a few beers and dinner with others that are patient enough to listen. But in short, I was out $1,500 after buying what turned out to be $300 worth of flawed gems. When I went back 3 days later to report it, ?Elegance Jewelry? was gone. Completely vanished. They were good, and so was the German foreigner who posed as a previous client inside the store. I have to admit though, the novelty of walking into these shops on every taxi ride and pretending to be a prospective victim is getting old. I?m now trying the stern face that says ?I here long time, I no Falong!?. It works, sometimes.

There hasn?t been a lot of action here in Bangkok. I?ve tried to film a few times, but everyone just scattered after the first two days, and they are all around the place on the Internet, making phone calls, and doing embassy visits. I did capture Neil and Justin at the weekend market, but I?ve got a lot more I hope to get. So, as a result the film crew has been spending the nights on Khao Sarn Road, the travelers? stomping ground full of vendors and bars. Since my visit in 1997, it has changed a little. Seven years ago there was more tie-die and heroine-addict-looking travelers with the occasional child on their arm. Now Starbucks and a McD?s is on the road sporting newly glistening neon lights that steal the limelight from the faded old pink ones that flicker in front of guesthouses. Most of the clothes are now electronic party gear for the new world scene. In order to escape the heat of the late evening, Colin and I have had a few nights of jumping into the hotel pool to cool off. In addition to the late-night dip in the pool, I?ve discovered that the morning workers set up a very large rice steamer that keeps a fresh pot of rice ready for the morning in a small kitchen near the pool. For the past 3 nights I?ve been dipping into the top with a clean bowl and dousing the fresh fluffy rice with a squirt of fish soy sauce. It makes for a great late night snack.

P.S. - Everybody's just hanging out in the city. The team is working on gaining passage through Myanmar, China, and India. Lots of diplomacy and paperwork in progress. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 8th, Day 221
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[A recent photo of Stilwell Road. This is the path the LONGITUDE team will have to follow through Myanmar, Laos, and China.]

Journal and photos by Todd

Paperwork, permission, research, questions, web searches, coffee, maps, embassies… How are we are going to drive through Myanmar? Nobody has done it since 1953, why should we be the first? How long are we going to wait for permission?

My research of roads in Myanmar first led me to read about the Stilwell Road. This road connects the eastern provinces of India (Sikkim) to Kunming China. This road, built by U.S. Army General Stilwell, was a means of supplying Chinese forces during WWII. The building of this road was a major accomplishment, but as the road was finished, so was the Japanese army. Since the end of the war the road seems to have been fading back into the earth, or has it? The historical significance of driving this road would be incredible, but there are many obstacles that stand in our path. Some of the factors we must consider while looking at this route are insurgent groups, what is required to obtain permission into a restricted area of India, whether or not the road exists, and if it does exist what kind of shape it’s in. I saw an undated picture of it, which claimed to be recent. This photo depicted three elephants and about 10 men cruising down a two-tracked dirt path. Who knows what we will find? Exciting stuff!

Getting through this area of the world is proving to be a monumental task. Jungles, rivers, areas of insurgencies, and just about anything else you can imagine is all present and accounted for in this part of the world. However, as it becomes more challenging, it often becomes more fun (if you can stand the peaks and the lows). Permits are required for all kinds of travel, but knowing about them and actually obtaining them are often two different stories. First you must realize a very simple thing: for every permit you need, you must first find the person who is capable of issuing it. Sounds simple, huh? Well, you can find plenty of willing assistants, but very few posses the knowledge and the connections to get things done.

Well, we had to start somewhere, and the day was spent taking passport photos, web searching, checking on visa requirements, and filling out visa forms. Sometimes you need one photo, sometimes two; sometimes you need photocopies of your passport, sometimes not; sometimes you have to pay cash, other times credit cards will do, etc, etc, etc (We are in Siam, and that is what the King of Siam said in “The King and I”). There is certainly a lot of office work that is required in order to run these expeditions.

Although the day was spent mostly pushing keyboards and pens, we were able to relax a bit as our new friend Charlotte sprung us from our office. We met here last night at the Atlanta hotel in Bangkok, a sophisticated place filled with character and panache. When we met Charlotte we were sitting under a photograph of Louis Armstrong (playing trumpet), Benny Goodman (playing the Clarinet), The King of Thailand (playing Sax), a trombonist (who I don’t remember) and a young George Bush, Sr. looking on in the background.

Needless to say, it was a cool joint.

Anyway, Charlotte is heading back to Britain in a couple of days after traveling for six months, so we dragged her to an English pub for dinner and a beer. Just where she wanted to go.

After dinner we took a tuk-tuk, like one of these three-wheeled jobies.

Can you believe we had five full-grown people in one of these things? Let me we tell you, the ride was wild. As we learned, you can do wheelies in these things!

Kaosarn Road was our destination. This is a market road and an evening hangout. It was fun to watch and talk to the many vendors: young girls selling roses (in fact, I ro-sham-bowed rock, paper, scissors, for a rose and won, much to the dismay of the vender); old ladies hawking souvenirs; and other people selling all kinds of movies, music and Jewelry, everyone haggling for the best price. You have to see this place to believe it.

After hanging out we took a tuk tuk home. I think they are my favorite mode of transportation in this country!

P.S. - Still working on our route preps here in Bangkok. Things are going well. We all got a bunch of passport photos made for thepermits and licenses we'll need for the next few countries on our route.(N.O.)

Logbook for June 9th, Day 222
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[One of Nancy’s new friends, a meat-on-a-stick vendor near the Drive Around the World team’s hotel in Bangkok. This guy makes a mean pork skewer and sticky rice.]

Journal and photos by Nancy

Thai people are petite and beautiful. Actually, they are tiny. Tiny and gorgeous. And nice, too. And they can cooooooooo-ook.

I love Thailand. I even love the humongous city of Bangkok. Focus. Focus. I need to focus. I stand to confuse you all with my random thoughts. I’ll try to be coherent.

Let’s see. Where to begin? The people. Day One here in Thailand was what we might refer to as an “indicator.” That’s right, folks. It was a precursor. As soon as we crossed the border into Thailand, we made new friends with the first Thai people we met. An upper-middle-aged woman made us Tom Yum soup while three young girls seated us at our table and tried to converse with us in English. They knew not a single word of it, and we knew not a single word of Thai, but we managed with the help of our Lonely Planet phrasebook. The girls were Muslim, and they wore the head coverings required by their religion. They were beautiful and friendly, and we were taken in by their desire to learn more about the wily westerners who had emerged from four big vehicles in their tiny, quiet town. It was a warm and genuine exchange, and, thankfully, Adam got it all on film. That first encounter was to set the stage for many more great experiences to come, and in more ways than one…

The Thai people are very friendly, and they are patient with the big, fair-haired Americans of Drive Around the World. They are soft-spoken, polite, and all smiles. Culturally, it is embarrassing for them to have to say, “no,” and when they get embarrassed, they smile. I make them say “no” a lot. That’s because I ask them questions to which the answer is usually no. For example, if I ask, “How much is that t-shirt,” and they say, “One hundred eighty baht,” I feel compelled to counter with a mega-low offer. So, I say, “You take one hundred baht?” And then they smile really big, sheepishly break eye contact, then look back all kindly and say, “no, I can-ot.” And then we bargain back and forth until a mutually beneficial price is agreed upon. (40 Baht = $1, FYI, and it is an outrage to pay more than $3 for a shirt!)

I have made some new friends here in Bangkok. The first is the guy in the alley who operates the fruit cart. From him, I buy pineapples and orange juice. That’s why we’re friends. I see him every day, because he parks his cart just outside of my hotel’s entrance/exit. Our alley is busier than most suburban main streets. It’s a tiny, narrow little thing, but it is host to a steady stream of taxis, tuk-tuks, mopeds, and POVs (military jargon for privately owned vehicle). It’s so narrow that pedestrians have to squish up alongside the buildings and turn sideways each time a vehicle needs by. Pretty frustrating, really. Our alley is crammed with dozens of little food carts. They’re open in the morning when I wake up, and they shut down in the early evening, their owners washing the dishes, locking them up tight, and leaving them in place until the next day so they can hurry home to their families unencumbered.

My second new friend is the lady who runs the “meat on a stick” cart. From her, I buy grilled pork or chicken, depending on my mood. Normally, it’s pork, nice and lean with a spicy-sweet sauce. Twice, though, I bought a BBQ chicken (gai, pronounced ‘guy’) leg from her. MMMmmmmM! Today, I had the pork. Three days ago, the meat-on-a-stick lady’s man-friend was helping out (I think they were changing shifts), and he introduced me to the most scrumptious item on the cart: sticky rice. It’s, like, super-duper sticky. It sticks to your fingers, even. I think it’ll probably stick to my thighs if I don’t stop eating it. I’m going to have to cut myself off. Maybe tomorrow. Well, the meat people sell all types of meat, but I haven’t tasted most of it. Other items include the following: chicken butts (Yeah, you heard me. Just the butt.), chicken hearts (I think), some sort of kidney, pale hot dogs, some sort of sausage, rooster feet, whole squid, fish, and a couple of unidentifiable items. The pork and the chicken legs are safe, and whenever I see my meat-cart people, we smile, exchange knowing glances, and trade bahts for meat sticks. I love the meat cart.

My third friend is the guy who parks his beverage cart across the sidewalk from the soup cart guy (Soup Man is also a friend of mine, but I don’t buy from him as much). Actually, I have only bought from Beverage Man once, a bottle of Lipton, but he tries hard each day to sell me more. I walk buy them both daily, so now we wave and exchange basic pleasantries.

My fourth group of friends is the gang at the little restaurant on the corner. I see them every single day. I walk out of the hotel, turn right up the alley, turn right at the corner, and they are the second entrance on the right. Today, I walked in and, instead of placing my detailed order, I said, “Same, same, please.” They were all smiles, and one of the young girls said, “Tom yum,” and I said, “gai,” and she said, “Gai (chicken), no spicy,” and then she made the “to go” hand signal. Yep. They know me. Their Tom Yum soup is the best soup I’ve ever had in my whole life. It’s like Heaven in a bowl. In fact, it’s as good as, or perhaps even better than the delightful soup we had at the border on our first night in Thailand. Remember that soup? I mentioned it above, in the first paragraph. The graph about the Muslim girls and the lady who made us soup while we talked. That soup was brilliant, and it was a wonderful hint of good soups to come. The technique I just used just then, boys and girls, is known as “foreshadowing.” You likey? I am addicted to Tom Yum soup. Sometimes I eat Tom Yum seafood, sometimes Tom Yum chicken. It’s all good, but I have to tell them NO SPICY, or it’ll burn my face off. This is the soup I will dream of for the rest of my days.

My final new friend is the lady who works at Wendy House, the hotel a block down the alley from my hotel. I go there to use the Internet each day, so she knows me well. Each time I go up to her to buy another hour online, she giggles, smiles, and says, “Kowp kun kah,” which means, “thank you.” I like her.

Well, that’s about all I can think of to say right now. I’m in my hotel room, and it’s almost 9 p.m., and there’s a movie on about dragons that overtake the world. I don’t know the name of it, it has something to do with fire, but it stars Mathew McConoughy (can’t spell his name; sorry) and this super-good-looking guy whose name I don’t remember, but who plays Quinn, the main character in the movie. I love him. So, I’ll quit boring you now. I have more work to do for the journals page tonight, and I’ll be working pretty steadily all day tomorrow. We’re just chillin’ in Bangkok. Thanks for keeping track of us.

If you think of it, remind your friends to make a donation. That’d make us all very happy!

Cheers queers,

Nancy

P.S. - Working on PR, permits, etc. Exploring Bangkok. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 10th, Day 223
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Until Colin gives Nancy the picture he owes her, everyone will suffer my narcissism with this photo of ME eating MEAT ON A STICK! This is what happens when people who owe me blogs and photos don't give me blogs and photos! Left to my own devices, I will punish everybody with my insanity. Let that be a lesson to all. BWAH-hahahahaaaa! --Nancy

Journal by Colin

Ordering food in Bangkok can be very easy or very complicated, depending on where you eat. I, being the craver of Thai culture that I am, tend to frequent what a less-educated gentleman than myself would refer to as a "local joint." Now, since I, Colin, come from only the finest European stock, it would not do well for my contemporaries back in my usual city of residence to discover my eating habits abroad, however for the pleasure of my readers I will expound upon them, as long as you promise not to tell anyone. But I digress, what were we discussing? Oh yes, food, delicious food. I was talking about the ease or difficulty with which one can acquire said victuals, and I was also talking about where I usually dine, or should I say luncheon, because the place that I am going to describe, is and will be the place where I luncheon every day whilst I am in BKK (or Bangkok for those not in the know.)

It is not what one would call a high-class establishment. It is not one one would call, a middle-class establishment. Nor is it what one would call a low-class establishment. One would never refer to this establishment as fast food, OR slow food, for that manner. That is, if the term "slow food" exists. In trying to find a term for this establishment in the great lexicon that we humans refer to as "the English Language", I do not even believe that there is a term to describe this establishment. If the establishment had a name, I would use it, but alas, it does not. An address you ask? Yes, perhaps there is an address; however, I do not know it, and chances are you will never find it, so is that really relevant? Let's just all agree to call said establishment "Where Colin chooses to dine upon inexpensive victuals."

Oh yes, and the ordering of the food! The marvelous ordering! I speaking the language of my fathers, and their fathers, and their mothers, have many times attempted to order my meal in my native toungue, but to no avail. The wondrous staff at "Where Colin chooses to dine upon inexpensive victuals" does not understand, not in the least bit. Often times, I order one meal, and recieve another. Being the extremelely well-mannered gentlemen of society that I am, I always recieve the meal with a smile and enjoy it to the fullest. However, I am at a point in my life when occurences such as that, rather than depress me, encourage me all the more. So I learn, so I study, so I gain knowledge, so I can order a freakin' Ice coffee, milk, no sugar!

OK, let's cut all this high class stuff; we all know that I'm about as low-brow as they come, and my Internet is fastly running out. Thai Ice coffee! Oh, sweet Thai Ice coffee. I can't get enough of it. I drink so much that it pulses through my veins! Unfortunately, I don't like sugar in my Ice coffee, and explaining that can be a tough ordeal. But I've learned! Kafee-yen May Say Num Taan! Victory is mine! I'll never have suger in my ice coffee again!

P.S. - Doing well. Just working and exploring. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 11th, Day 224
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Here's a rare sight: A monk shopping for DVD's at the Bangkok weekend market.]

Journal by Justin, photo by Nancy

It is oppressively hot and humid in Bangkok. So much so, I have decided to spend most of the day in bed watching the news. I?ve been a bit out of touch with what?s going on in the world, and today seems like a perfect time to catch up.

Problem is, there?s really nothing interesting on TV. Try as I might, I am unable to find anything that interests me today. It could also be that last night I was introduced to one of Bangkok?s most notorious areas?Nana Plaza.

Nana Plaza is near the center of Bangkok, and it?s definitely a place to people watch. In addition to the mass amounts of tourists that flock to this area to see what it?s all about, you have an incredible representation of the various shades of the world?s population. You have the local touts that are desperately trying to attract your attention so you will support them with your patronage at a bar, restaurant, or hotel. You have women that are desperately trying to attract your attention solely because you are a Farang, and they believe all white people have tons of money. And of course, you have the tourists who are being loud and boisterous throughout the night.

Our host this evening is a beautiful and charming British expatriate who is showing us the ropes of Bangkok. Having introduced us to the wonderful food at the Atlanta hotel, we now find ourselves surrounded by nightlife with a bit of a mischievous streak about us.

I have heard many stories about Nana Plaza?most of which cannot be repeated here. To see this part of Bangkok with my own eyes is quite the experience. There are go-go bars everywhere, complete with people dancing on tables, around poles, and on each other. We decide to avoid this scene for the evening, and we settle in at a little cafˇ to exchange our stories from the road with Diana?s stories from Bangkok.

In the end, we all stayed out too late into the morning, and I am sure that going to bed late has only added to my feelings of lethargy today. But it?s also hard to be in much of a hurry right now. The team knows that we will most likely be in Bangkok for a full month or more taking care of logistics for the final legs of the journey. We will keep you posted on how things go.

Until next time, I wish you all well from the far side of the world.

P.S. - Weekend markets start today, but we'll probably save our visit for tomorrow, Sunday. Picture miles and miles of street vendors selling everything from apples to, well, zebra rugs. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 12th, Day 225
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[You can buy anything at the weekend markets. What do you think all these colors are used for? ]

Journal and photos by Nancy

Weekend markets were amazing. You should see the photos in our education section. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 13th, Day 226
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[A woman fries up some fish in Bangkok's Chinatown.]

Journal and photos by Neil

This journal has 17 embedded images! Click on the words in italics to see a virtual tour of Chinatown!

Chinatown! In Bangkok, there is a Chinatown so big I didn't have enough time to explore it all. Yet, what I did discover were all kinds of delicacies that require a very acquired taste. First off, you must try the dried shrimp and funky crabs for an appetizer. Then how about a pig snout for dinner, mmmnn! And for dessert, you can choose your assortment of wild tropical fruits with vibrant colors. And you also have a great selection of all the greatest fake flowers for decor. And if your girlfriend loves gold, well then, Chinatown is the place to shop for it; there are gold stores everywhere with walls filled with more gold than wall space. And remember to be on time for dinner, which you can do easily by choosing from the vast selection of timepieces. You name it, you can find it. How about a super extra shiny smiling Budda! Or maybe some really mean-looking fish, but of course, I know you really have a hearty appetite for the world's biggest pork rinds.

The people in Chinatown are pretty cool too, and work hard, long hours. Women carry poles across their shoulders with baskets at either end filled with goodies. Some men chop fish all day long, while others sell lottery tickets. And of course, all these people's View image; return false">children learn at an early age how to put jewelry together and help earn money for the family. Chinatown is an intense area bustling with commerce all day long, seven days a week. It was really a treat to spend some time there.

It was also nice to be right in the middle of it all, and come across a small temple, where the pace of life was completely different than just outside the small alleyway. Here, a man and his thirty cats, so he told me, lived life at a much slower and peaceful pace than the rest of Chinatown. It is nice to know that, even amongst the wildest of areas, there is a place of refuge and tranquility. One man stood over a fountain and slowly crushed seeds and spread them over the surface of the water. He did this for at least the thirty minutes I was there to bear witness. He must have been feeding the fish beneath the surface, or it was some sort of nutrients for the plants floating on top. I didn't want to get too close and disrupt his meditation.

So if you ever come to Bangkok, definitely stop in Chinatown, and if you dare, go with an empty stomach and dare yourself to eat some interesting food. And if you can't stomach it, well guess what, there is a man selling all the cleaning supplies and toilet brushes you could imagine for afterwards.

Ciao,

Neil

P.S. - Today was a day for running errands, working on the Internet, shopping, and getting things done. Progress is being made on moving forward from Bangkok. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 14th, Day 227
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Bangkok's Khaosarn Road, a mecca for tourists and vendors.]

Journal and photo by Adam

The other day, Colin and I needed to get a shipment of 15 Land Rover tapes off to Las Angeles that we shot during the week Larry was out with us. We obtained an account number from Land Rover and made the call for a pickup from our hotel. Colin had talked previously to a woman there who said we needed an international number?so with this call we were armed with all that we needed. Colin read the number, I dialed. A simple process. A Thai woman answered and I told her I needed a pick up and that I had an account with DHL. The conversation went back and forth making little sense to me. Something like, ?Go to post office, we only letters!? I couldn?t believe that DHL would only send letters, so I just handed the phone over to Colin. He had talked to them before, and he loves to speak ?Ingris? in a loud broken language; he claims that they understand better. He was told the same thing, and he bellowed back, ?Look! I have account! Number for DHL! You pick up package!? It got pretty heated for a while, with the New Yorker speaking broken Thai Ingris and a recipient struggling to make sense of him and the situation. Finally he demands, ?Where you office? You, DHL. Where!?? ?Receptionist!? the Thai woman screamed. ?Yeah I know, where?? yelled back Colin. ?You hotel, this receptionist,? she said again. Immediately after this I hear in a soft sweet tone, ?Oh sweetie, I?m so sorry I thought you were DHL.? But the call had never made it out of the Reno Hotel...

P.S. - We're all on our own to get our work done here in Bangkok, so all of these entries are pretty similar. I will say that Justin made some headway on the media front with a meeting with Land Rover Bangkok today, and Nick made in-leads with folks who can help us get our vehicles through Myanmar, India, and China. Chanda, Todd, Nick, and Nancy took a tuk-tuk to a seafood restaurant for dinner, and Nick tried to poison Todd by ordering him the crab fried rice and passing it for plain fried rice. Todd hates all seafood. On the way home, our crazy tuk-tuk driver popped wheelies and drove like a Hell's Angel just for sport. We thought we were going to die. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 15th, Day 228
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[You can see the four levels of traffic in downtown Bangkok, the street level, a pedestrian bridge, and the Sky Train levels. You can see the Sky Train sliding by above. Motorcycles lead the pack when leaving an intersection as they have driven between all the vehicles and are waiting at the front of the line. Pole Position!]

Journal by Todd

Today we received our visas to go into Myanmar. It was a seemingly easy task to complete, despite what we had envisioned. The process was straightforward, the embassy was not particularly crowded, and the process took only one day. India, on the other hand, will take a full five days; however, in their defense, they only keep your passport for one day, unlike other countries that collect them for several days. Yes, this is all part of the daily routine for travelers. We have been lucky thus far with visas. We never needed a visa throughout Central and South America! The first place we needed one was Australia; I thought that it was kind of funny that we needed one there, but we did. I wonder who makes those rules?

This was another rainy day in Bangkok as I picked up the visas for Myanmar. The monsoon season keeps the sky cloudy, the ground wet, and the air humid. The weather here is perfect for growing tropical fruits, which we can purchase from venders down nearly every street of Bangkok. I talked to some old-timers here, and they told me that less than 50 years ago much of the area surrounding Bangkok was rice fields. A whole system of canals was used for years to get around in this city. Distance, at that time, was calculated in ?days rowing.? Although there are still plenty of canals, many of them have given way to streets. When you are riding on the sky train, you can look down below to see many of the old canals that have been built over and around. Many canals are now under streets that are now the major arteries of the city. I suppose they have to keep most of them open somehow as flood canals, but now I am sure that boats cannot travel them as easily as they once did.

It is interesting how the gasoline engine has completely changed our world in such a short time. I look around Bangkok, and I see more traffic here than anywhere I have ever been! You can sit in a taxi for a long, long time! To get around this traffic you can hire a motorcycle taxi that can split lanes, while you are holding on for dear life. I don?t know how women manage this, as I see many of them riding sidesaddle. Another option is a tuk-tuk driver whose crazy disregard for many traffic rules will get you places faster than most taxis and a little safer than a motorcycle, but still you have to sit in a lot of traffic.

The easiest way to avoid traffic is the Sky Train. This is a two line overhead train that takes a lot of people all over the city. If the sky trains is going your way, it will shave a ton of time off even a short journey. The sky train is very clean and well guarded.

Downtown Bangkok looks in some ways looks like a science-fiction city. One way to keep traffic flowing is to not allow people to cross the streets. There are bridges all over the streets to allow people to cross them without interfering with the traffic. So in downtown, you have multiple levels of traffic going on; the lowest level is the street level, where cars, tuk-tuks, buses, and motorcycles roam or are packed in, one level up is a giant pedestrian bridge, the third level is the lower level of the sky train, and the final level about that is the upper level of the sky train. These multiple levels are running in between several tall buildings and that stand on the corners of a huge bustling intersection down below. It really is impressive, it reminds me of the movie The 5th Dimension.

Enough on the traffic here in Bangkok!

Logbook for June 16th, Day 229
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[This little kitty cat is Nancy's Bangkok pet. Oh, how she'd love to keep him if Todd weren't allergic and if it wouldn't be so difficult to have a cat on the road.]

Journal and photos by Nancy

I fall in love in every city, sometimes more than once. I can’t help myself. Everywhere we go, I find cute, loveable, snuggly, adorable cats and dogs in need of a home. For whatever reason, they seek me out and weedle their way into my good graces in hopes that I will invite them along on our journey. I give off some sort of vibe that tells the stray puppies and kittens of the world that I am a sucker with a capital ‘S.’

I don’t know how my mother survived my childhood. Over the years, I brought home snakes, lizards, a stray cat with a badly broken leg, kittens, orphaned rabbits and squirrels, guinea fowl eggs (I hatched ‘em in my incubator), fluorescent baby chicks (no lie, they were died for Easter, and I bought three), turtles, tortoises, and hamsters (I had at least five, and they all got sick and died, and they were all named “Jerry.”). I knew better than to bring home any dogs. Mine was a Labrador retriever family, and we had two. When I was little, I was sure I wanted to be a veterinarian when I grew up.

Well, not much has changed in my old age. At 31, I still have the adolescent instinct to rescue every cute animal I come across. When you are traveling the world, you come across quite a lot of cute animals who could seriously use a good, safe, healthy home.

I cannot tell you how many dogs I have fallen in love with since we left the U.S. seven months ago. There was one at the Guatemala border that ripped my heart out. He was so skinny and broken down that I would be surprised if he lived through the next day. We couldn’t do anyting for him, but later I realized we should have bought him a nice big hamburger. The shock of such rich food would have killed him, but it would have been humane, and he’d have died happy.

Wretched dog at the Mexico/Guatemala border. Poor thing. He broke our hearts, because he was beyond help.

Later, in the coastal desert area of Chile, I fell in love with a ragged adolescent dog who had a bit of a dingo look to him. He attached himself to me at a fuel stop, and I asked Nick if we could keep him. I always ask Nick if we can keep the strays I find, and he always says, “Yes.” But the reality of trying to keep a dog on the road and my inherent fear of commitment (having a dog is a commitment of 8-15 years) always prevents me from adopting a dog. Strays make such good pets, though, probably because they are so thankful to be well-fed and off the streets, and I’ve met some especially good dogs. And if I’d kept the one from Chile, I could have referred to him as my “Chile Dog.” Get it?

Nancy's Chile Dog

When we ran out of gas in Chile, I met a tiny little scruffy black dog whom Nick said I could keep. Luckily, he or she ran off with a pack of neighborhood mongrels, and I remained unburdened of another little mouth to feed.

Little black dog from Chile. Cute, but unfaithful.

At the subsequent fuel stop after we had been stranded on the road, I could have adopted a whole pack of cute dogs. They swarmed the fuel pumps but ran away when we tried to pet them. Eventually, though, they all let me pet them, and soon I was swarmed by mama dog and puppies. I didn’t keep any of those little guys, either.

I’m quite partial to dogs, but I also have a soft spot in my heart for good cats. Good cats are the ones who think they are dogs. The one who had a broken leg when I found him and rescued him as a kid turned out to be the best cat in the whole-wide world. He was pewter gray, with big yellow eyes and no tail whatsoever. He was a Manx, which means he was born without one. He had to have two pins put in his leg, and I worked off the veterinary bill by repacking supplies and cleaning up in the vet clinic. See, Drs. Lolly and Bobby Wilson of Meadowbrook Animal Hospital were friends of ours, and they knew I wanted to be a veterinarian. They mentored me, and, at the age of 12, I was assisting in surgeries. It was quite a good experience, and I have my mom and those doctors to thank for it. (It wasn’t until high school that I decided there was too much math, too much school, and too many work hours for me to become a vet. I chose the Naval Academy and military life, instead.)

But I digress. See, I have met many kittens along the way who were worthy of a place in my home. The problem, though, is that A) I don’t have a home, and B) Todd, my driving partner, is intensely allergic to cats. I’m allergic to cats, too, but not so much that I don’t want one. Todd’s argument, though, is a strong one, and I won’t be taking any cats into our mobile abode.

Oh, but there was a cat in the barrio section outside of La Paz, Mexico, that I just fell for. She was on the sidewalk near an automotive repair shop, and she was covered in oil. She was dehydrated, lethargic, and hungry, but she was purring through it all. I carried her around for a while, and I tried to talk Adam into keeping her, but we ended up getting her some food and putting her back at the repair shop. The film guys can’t have a cat, either, because Colin is allergic. I miss that cat.

Later, in Patagonia, I found a kitten that wasn’t more than a week or two old who kept wandering into the road. He looked exactly like one of my childhood cats, Kermit, who was a black-and-gray tabby. That cat was cool, and he even won a prize at a cat show once. I tried to convince Adam and Neil to keep that one, too, but no dice. I fed him and put him in front of a vet clinic.

Well, all of this is leading up to my current love, or infatuation, or whatever you call it. Here in Bangkok, dogs and cats are everywhere in the city. But the thing is, they all look fairly healthy, and many of the dogs wear collars. There’re tons of street vendors, and I think they keep the strays fed with their leftovers and clean-up time. In our alley, there are several food vendors, a couple of dogs, and at least a half-dozen cats. On our second or third night here, I was befriended by the cutest, nicest little kitten. Like the awesome cat I found as a kid, the best cat I ever owned, a cat even my cat-hating dad loved, this one has no tail. He’s a Manx. He looks like a creamsicle , white with orange splotches. He’s street-wise already, and he’s lanky. I brought him home to our hotel the first night I met him, and he slept in the crook of my arm all night and never left the bed. Reluctantly and out of necessity, I put him back in the gutter the next morning.

I saw him again a couple of days later. He ran over to me and wouldn’t leave me alone. He followed me and pounced on my flip-flops to make me stop. I picked him up and took him with me on my walk to the sidewalk sales and back.

Since then, I’ve seen him dozens more times, and he always recognizes me. There is something special about that cat, and I think there might be something special about Manx kitties in general. I have a feeling he would be the best cat in the world, just like my long-lost childhood Manx kitty. I wish there were some way I could keep him, but I’m afraid there isn’t. I even contemplated shipping him to my parents (my poor parents), but he’d have to go through the horrors of quarantine, and he might come out of there an altered and irritable being.

So, for now, I’ll just continue to make sure he’s alright when I see him in the alley. One day, he’ll be all grown up and on the prowl, and he’ll probably wind up with scratches on him like most of the banged-up tomcats I see around here. For now, though, he’s cute as a button and looking for love. Anybody interested? I’ll ship him to ya.

P.S. - Still in Bangkok; still working. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 17th, Day 230
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[We failed to see the actual Thai kickboxing, but we saw these little wooden figures battling it out inside the MBK Center mall...]

Journal and photo by Nancy

Film guys, Nancy, and Todd tried to go see some Thai kickboxing, but it was too expensive, and they wouldn't allow the camera inside. Instead, we went to Khaosarn Road and walked around. Neil, Adam, and Colin watched some football (soccer) in one of the pubs. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 18th, Day 231
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[The beach at Koh Samui.]

Journal and photo by Justin

For the last two weeks, I have been chained to a desk in Bangkok working on PR related events. Basically, I go to work at 8:30 a.m. and work feverishly to make press contacts with the local papers and TV media.

In Thailand, however, it?s not so simple. Due to the language barriers, I have learned that Thai?s don?t like to return phone calls. In fact, it is a rare occurrence for people in Thailand to have voicemail. So, unless I talk to someone personally, there?s virtually no chance they will call me back.

I have left all that behind this weekend to explore one of Thailand?s great beach areas?the island of Koh Samui. Located in southern Thailand, Koh Samui is an island that is roughly 20 by 25 kilometers. Situated well away from the hustle of Bangkok, this island retreat is welcomed by me in so many ways.

This is one of the first real breaks I have had in the last two months. I am taking advantage of this opportunity to explore the area and see what island life is like. The answer is painfully simple: life is good. I am staying on the north shore of the island, and the views are snapshots of paradise. In the distance are some of Thailand?s other, smaller islands, and everywhere you look people are smiling.

I took the liberty of renting a little Suzuki Flip-over, I mean, Sidekick, and it does an adequate job for my purposes. After driving around and exploring some of the coastal areas of the island, I?ve decided to follow a road on the map to one of the highest points of the island to find lunch. According to the map, there is a nice restaurant at the end of this road serving up spectacular views of the entire area, as well as fresh seafood.

Unfortunately, the restaurant is nowhere to be found. In fact, as I drive the road, it continues to deteriorate into a narrow, potholed set of tire tracks through the grass that leads me not to the lunch I was hoping, but instead to a couple of rundown shacks that appear to host a small family of farmers. Disappointed in this turn of events, I turn my car around and head back toward the beach.

Upon reaching the water, I do find a nice little restaurant that has some of the freshest fish I have ever had. Complemented with a calamari appetizer and a pineapple shake, I have tasted a piece of paradise. I continue my exploration of the island, and I wind up at a trendy little area called Fisherman?s Cove, where, over coffee, I sit and watch the local fisherman play a pickup game of football on the beach. As the sun begins to fall below the horizon, a wonderful breeze blows in, bringing with it the sounds of island music. The other Thailand is a great place to be.

Until next time, I wish you well from the far side of the world.

A tree grew around this old statue of Buddha in Wat Phra Mahathat, Thailand.
Photo by Adam

P.S. - Again, we're just hangin' out in the city. Working, exploring, etc. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 19th, Day 232
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[A Thai Buddha appears to conjure a rainbow at this temple.]

[Photos by Neil]

Journal by Chanda

Todd and I visited a museum and temple where we learned a lot about Buddha. One of the most facsinating points that we learned is that there are many, many incarnations of Buddha. In fact, YOU could be a Buddha.

Wing-Tsit Tan describes Buddha as, "one of the greatest human beings, a man of noble character, penetrating vision, warm compassion, and profound thought. Not only did he establish a great new religion, but his revolt against Hindu hedonism, asceticism, extreme spiritualism, and the caste system deeply influenced Hinduism itself. His rejection of metaphysical speculation and his logical thinking introduced an important scientific strain heretofore lacking in Oriental thought. Buddha's teachings have influenced the lives of millions of people for nearly 2500 years."

While you may not be described as "one of the greatest human beings" or known for your "logical thinking", don't rule yourself out. There are 32 other characteristics that a Buddha has.

1. feet with a level sole (the Buddha would have an even pace -- not like those who wear down their shoes unevenly -- such a sole would spread the weight of His body evenly)

2. 1,000 spoked wheel marks on soles (such marks would make the Buddha's hands and feet infinitely flexible -- unlike our hands and feet which can flex only in one or two directions because there are only two or three lines on our palms)

3. projecting heels-- the heels were not round in shape but more oval (spreads weight and gives extra leverage for strength to the foot)

4. fingers and toes being of even length (makes the hands and feet very strong by comparison to our own for whom all our fingers and toes are of different lengths)

5. hands & feet soft skinned (this is not to say that the Buddha was not strong. Normally we associate hunks of taut muscle with strength -- but also soft flesh can be full of muscles)

6. netlike lines on palms and soles (this is similar to no.2 -- it allows the feet and hands to be infinitely flexible -- it is not people of ancient times who had such a feature -- even Kuhn Yay Thongsuk Samdaengpan had such a feature on her hands which perhaps explains why she was so resiliant, even at a senior age when travelling to give teachings around the country)

7. high raised ankles (this feature is similar to the way the legs of a horse are built -- it gives exceptional strength, leverage and agility to the leg)

8. taught calf muscles like antelope (again this explains why the Buddha could be so strong -- because his legs were strong like those of an antelope -- rather than being flacid like those of a buffalo)

9. even standing without bending down, the Buddha could touch his knees (such proportions for a person are in fact the ideal -- not like Asians who have a long body but short legs, or at the other extreme, blacks and caucasians who have a long body and long legs)

10. sexual organs concealed by sheath (the advantage of this is not to risk bringing offence to anyone even when naked)

11. bright golden-coloured complexion (such golden skin has the advantage of being sensitive to the touch)

12. skin so fine no dust can attach (this is unlike the rough skin of a reptile to which all manner of dirt attaches. In fact the Buddha managed to achieve what women and sportsmen still try to achieve, but without all the effort!)

13. body hair separate with one hair per pore (not like some people who have whole tufts of hair coming from each pore).

14. bluish body hair curls clockwise

15. upright stance like a god (such a stance gives an exceptional sense of balance and a firm stance)

16. flesh undented and convex in seven places (these seven places comprise: the back of the hands [2], the upper side of the feet [2], the shoulders [2] and the neck [1])

17. lion-like chest (such a chest allows strong breathing and better metabolism than a normal person)

18. flesh on back undented (not like some people whose back looks like fish bones)

19. equal distance hand-to-hand & head-to-toe (such a proportion allows one to sit comfortably for meditation, without one's legs sticking out)

20. neck rounded and smooth (the shape of the Buddha's neck was perfect like a tube or organ pipe and is the reason for the melodious voice he had)

21. sensitive taste-buds (allows one to pick up the nutrients from even the poorest of foods and is why the Buddha could survive for 49 days on seven lumps of rice after his enlightenment or during the time when he had to spend his rainy-season in a place where there was famine)

22. lion-like jaw (such a jaw is necessary to accommodate the 40 teeth of mark 23.)

23. 40 teeth (most people have only 32 teeth and normally some are missing too. Such a set of forty teeth is permanent throughout life -- not like ours which change from milk teeth > adult teeth > false teeth!)

24. evenly-spaced teeth

25. gapless teeth

26. crystal canine teeth. Some people ask how when, as we sometimes find in the scriptures, the Buddha and Ananda are walking along, how Ananda could know that the Buddha has noticed something and is smiling about it. Normally, Ananda would walk directly behind the Buddha, but the reason he could know that the Buddha was smiling is because even just the parting of his lips, light would eminate from his canine teeth)

27. large, long tongue (large enough to cover his whole face and long enough to lick ears -- contributes to melodious sound of the Buddha and accommodates exceptional tastebuds)

28. god-like voice (this is a particularly melodious sort of voice -- collective fruit of the shape of his neck, teeth and tongue -- not like a person who is having problems with their teeth)

29. bluish-black eyes

30. eyes innocent like a calf

31. white cotton-wool soft wisp of hair in centre of brow (Indians respect this very highly and if they don't have one will draw one in as a 'caste mark')

32. brow and face, especially the join between the two, are excellently smooth

So, are you a Buddha?

To learn more about Buddhism, check out http://www.buddhanet.net/

Until next week, safe journeys!

Chanda

A Chinese Buddha in Thailand. If you have children sliding all over you, you, too, might be a Buddha!

P.S. - Sunday. Everybody's on his own schedule. Exploring, working, enjoying Bangkok. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 20th, Day 233
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

Neil went to Cambodia, all by his lonesome, and he has written several blogs about his experiences there.

His journals and photos have been posted to our education site, and they can be accessed by clicking HERE.

This is the first installment:

[A man towing canoes in a Vietnamese floating village.]

[Photos by Neil]

Vietnamese Floating Village

The Vietnamese Floating Village was intense and filled with local color. Just the 30-minute moped ride out there was unbelievable! Again, the countryside here is magnificent. Another thing to realize is that the Cambodian people are extremely poor, and Cambodia is the poorest country in Southeast Asia. So you have friendly, smiling people everywhere who are barely clothed and living in wooden shacks covered in dust. A quarter of the very young children I see running around are naked. Many people look as if they haven't washed themselves in weeks. There are also people in very elegant silks and colorful robes; in fact, many of the younger girls ride around in a sort of pajama-type outfit. And everywhere you look, you will spot a monk or two or three or four. They are impossible to miss with their vibrant orange and purple robes.

Once I arrived at the beginning of the docks, I was so enthralled with everyone and everything that I didn't even bother trying to find a boat ride for the next 45 minutes. I just walked around looking at all the different vendors and people working: women selling fish, men chopping ice and putting it into an ice crusher, little boys carrying around empty gas cans or large water containers, men drinking and playing billiards, people putting gear into their boats, and women cooking and eating. The docks were crawling with people. These ?docks? were basically just the abrupt end of a dirt road, not docks like at a marina you might find in the United States. This is where the waterline is right now. In a month or two, when the rains get really intense, the water level rises drastically, as is evidenced by the houses built on 5-10-foot-high stilts!

After a while, I pursued finding a boat ride. There are many people with boats; however, the people who take you out on a ride to the village for sightseeing are part of a local organization. It's basically a way to ensure you don't go and only pay $1 to some guy with a small boat to take you out, and in doing so hurt the local tourist economy. Instead, you have to pay $10-$15 to a guy who is a representative for one of the many companies there, and he will give a percentage to the actual boat drivers. This whole town is really wired when it comes to raking in the tourist dollar. In fact, there is a hotel here that has rooms starting at $350/night, all the way up to $1900/night, no joke!! I do think this is good though, as tourism is one of Cambodia's main sources of revenue, and, in Cambodia, you can buy everything in U.S. dollars, which is a better deal for us. I saw many people who had changed money to Riel, and they were losing a bit on the local exchange rate.

So, I tried talking to a couple different operators and ended up paying $10 for a two-hour ride out to the Vietnamese Floating Village. The boat was empty but for the driver, myself, and a boy who was watching the engine and helping to avoid obstacles in the river. In fact, I was the only traveler I noticed in the area. I guess this isn't as popular a destination as the ruins. So, off we went, slowly cruising down the narrow winding river, which leads to an estuary that turns into the enormous Tonle Sap Lake.

Right from the get-go, the river was filled with boats and people. There were people standing and paddling their canoes, some of which were filled with all kinds of goods for sale, from food to bamboo or other materials used for building. The range of boats was really interesting as well, varying from canoes, to small motorboats, to small, moving houseboats, to stationary houseboats, and to schools and a police station on stilts over the water. You even see pigs, dogs, and cats on these boats. There are women bathing their children, cooking food, and doing the same basic things people do all over the world. It is really interesting, because it is all on the water, and, hence, the pace of life is much slower. When in town, the tuk-tuks and mopeds zip by, and the streets are bustling with energy and dust. Out here on the water, people revolve with the natural movement of the river, and the river barely moves.

On the water, there were Cambodians and Vietnamese people. The Vietnamese people wore distinctive, pointed hats, which were always easy to recognize. It is nice to see the Cambodians and Vietnamese getting along with good relations. I was talking with Richard, and the only people he said the Cambodians detest are the Thai people. They have been fighting since their history began. In fact, it was the Thai Empire's Kingdom of Ayuthaya that sacked the Khmers back in 1431.

So, as we puttered down towards the lake, we stopped at a fish farm on the water that also turned out to have crocodiles. There was also a girl who had a python or boa constrictor at her disposal. This seemed to be the spot where all the tourists end up, seeing as there were souvenirs there and drinks for sale. It was the most mellow souvenir shop/crocodile farm I have ever come across. After that, I got back onto the boat and headed around the village some more. It literally is a floating village, and everyday, these people live off of the water and trade the goods that people bring in from town and the lake. These people have moved into the water because there wasn't enough land available for them, and they have created a vibrant community. This is their life, quite, tough, and poor, yet peaceful and very scenic as well.

I feel very fortunate having come to Cambodia, and seeing this village was only the beginning of a series of incredible experiences. After the boat ride, I reluctantly jumped on the back of the moped, wishing I had more time to hang around the docks, and buzzed away from the floating village. I only had a short stay in Cambodia, and there were so many other places I wanted to visit, which brings me to my next stop: the Land Mine Museum.

P.S. - Today was another day of work. Monday in the big city of Bangkok.

Logbook for June 21st, Day 231
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Bangkok traffic.]

Journal and photo by Adam

Just in front of me was another street person, a mother carrying a baby as she walked towards the overpass to sit and hope for baht to fall into her cup. As she approached the stairs, the baby started to cry. Its face curled up, tears came out, and it reached towards the ground. The mother tried to quiet her down as she took the first couple of steps to the sky train. It was then that my eyes followed the line of the frail outstretched arm down to the filthy pavement below where a small portion of somebody?s dropped banana lay half smooshed into the cement. As the mother continued obliviously up the flight of steps, the little hand flopped down behind the mothers back, the dirty chin slumped onto her mother?s shoulders, and the wails turned to sobs. This struck a chord in Neil and me. We don?t shell out a lot because its impossible to help everyone, but we both looked at each other and thought, ?That?s horrible.? So we gave the mother 40 baht. She has no idea why, I?m sure, and was quite surprised to receive money without having yet assumed her place next to the others on the walkway above.

P.S. - The team was busy working on India permits today. Things are going great. Nick, Justin, Todd, Chanda, and Nancy were up until 3 a.m. doing a conference call with media and supporters. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 22nd, Day 232
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Adam takes a big bight out of Nemo...]

Journal by Todd

Well, we are making forward progress. Visas are taken care of and paperwork for India, Myanmar, and China are well underway. It came down today that we could arrive in China as early as the 15th of July. That isn?t too far off, and it will give us time to see and learn about the various sites here in Thailand. However, there are many questions to which we need to find answers between now and when we begin the next section of the expedition.

One of the huge questions we have to answer is one about security! Listening to the news, it is sometimes hard to separate fact from fiction. Often every story is true, but it is hard to determine whether many of the stories are representative of everyday life, or if they are extreme cases, the one in a million stories. Take the Scott and Lacy Petersen case, for example. If this story were all that a visitor heard about while in the USA, their opinion would be pretty skewed of us as a people. To further my point about perceptions, I would bet the chances of being shot are greater in the United States than virtually any other place on Earth, if you look at the percentage of gunshot wounds per population. Although many people do not want to accept this, I believe this statement is likely very accurate. In the news, we are witness to the daily bloodshed elsewhere, and the bloodshed on our home front is not very well reported unless an extreme event occurs. The problem here is that the way news is reported often determines how we view the rest of the world. Many people I talk to view the rest of the world as a very violent place. I would suggest that it is not as violent as it is perceived to be, especially in the United States. In defense of the media, we must also look our appetite for the news, what we like to watch, and what do we determine as boring, as our desires are often met. But I guess that is another topic entirely.

To dismount off my soapbox, I must transition to my point. While researching places, we have to look at a variety of sources for information and then try to read between the lines, while at the same time keeping in mind that circumstances change every day. Today we are researching whether or not to hire security between Mandalay, Myanmar, and the northeast states of India. There are a variety of conflicts in this area stemming from the past foreign involvement here. Kingdoms have been swallowed up by larger powers, and people are not completely happy about how the cards fell, and who was in fact invited to the card game in the first place. But again, that is not our issue; the pertinent issue is safety through these regions.

The next couple of days of researching will help us make the best decisions possible for this stretch of the road.

Last night, many of us were on the monthly conference call. Due to the time difference, the call began for us at 1:00 a.m.; therefore, we all made it back to our respective lodgings around 3:30 a.m. Needless to say, this was not an early morning for us. Snapping to attention around noon, one of the most important things on our plates was to deliver to India and China the necessary documentation they requested in order to apply for our permits. Yesterday was filled with filling out reams of paper, making photocopies, and affixing pictures to documents. Now we must hope that all our answers will be cogent, and, most importantly, correct, for the powers that be!

After collecting all the necessary signatures and data, I needed to go to a DHL office to send the documents to India. This seems easy enough, but you never know when a wrench is going to be thrown into your spokes. These errands are usually a lot of fun in a new city, if you have the patience for them. Although you have to have determination, don?t be attached to getting these errands done quickly, because this idea will only leave you with a headache!

I located a DHL office online; there were multiple, but I wanted one that was closest to the sky train (in my opinion, the only way to get around in Bangkok due to the extreme traffic congestion). I was off and running. I love walking down the streets of a new city, because you never know what you are going to see, and you will always see something that you have never seen before! This time I saw a cemetery that was being dug up. There were a few crypts left, but for the most part the whole area was dug up. The area was muddy and half flooded, but the tractors were working. The morbid side of me stopped and looked around and wondered if I would end up in some haunted movie plot. I scanned for bones and things, but at the same time I knew I wouldn?t want to see them even if I saw them.

As I walked down the street, I neared the DHL office. I would check with people on the way to make sure I was going the right direction. Everyone seemed to know where the office was and kept pointing me in the direction I was going. Unfortunately, I arrived only to find the office had moved to a different location less than a month ago. Bummer! One thing that was making me disconcerted despite the lack of a DHL office was the fact that everyone looked at their watch when I asked them where DHL was. I don?t wear a watch; I haven?t for about 15 years, but I became a bit paranoid and developed a new sense of urgency.

Anyway, a nice security officer wrote down in English and Thai how to get to the nearest DHL office. I trusted him and thanked him. I flagged down a cab and gave the cabby my instructions. The cabby looked at the paper for a bit longer than he should have, he studied it, his eyes swayed right, he looked again, and with a semi-confident grin, he gave of the impression that he had a good guess where we were going. We drove south away from the city; it was then that my paranoia tapped me on the shoulder. ?Where is this place?? I thought. We just kept driving. After fifteen minutes I was relieved to see the bright-yellow office of DHL. Soon business was taken care of and I was headed back downtown, trying to get there before another downpour began.

It was at this time that I realized how exhausted I was and picked up an ice cream from Dairy Queen in hopes of getting my second wind. It worked, with the aid of a cup of coffee. Back in the saddle, I spent the rest of the evening researching Manipur and Western Burma. This area of the world is interesting, and I am eager to learn more. Thus ends another day in Bangkok!

P.S. - Working, working, and making progress with the India permits. Nick, Todd, Chanda, and Nancy went to Outack Steakhouse for dinner. The menu has new meaning after their trip through Australia... AND, they met the second Ajay they've ever known, the Indian proprietor of the restaurant. They first Ajay is Nancy's new dear friend from Baffle Creek in Australia, Ajay Parmenter. Hi, Ajay! (N.O.)

Logbook for June 23rd, Day 233
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Surrounded by the bustling city of Bangkok, Nancy dreams of mountain biking in the Outback. Ah, the good ol' days...]

Journal by Nancy, Photos by Todd, montage by Nancy...

Lately, I have been feeling the emotional effects of being physically out of shape. I have lost all of the fitness I gained during my month-long cycle down the east coast of Australia, which is a shame, because I was pretty fit then. I had actually managed to hang on to that fitness by running each day in Brisbane, on the road, and in Cairns. Then, in the Outback, I managed a few runs and a few bike rides.

All the way across Australia, I was in fairly decent shape, though definitely on the decline, and then I mangled my ankle. Well, I?m normally one to run off an injury such as that, but this one was worse than any ankle twist I?ve had before, and I was out of commission until just after we arrived in Singapore. My left ankle, still marked by a large bump, was fat, swollen, and painful for weeks.

Now, I?m certain I can run on it, and I did ride my bike on it in Malysia with fair results, but I?m afraid to go running in the city of Bangkok. I go all over this city by myself, so that?s not really the problem. The problem is, 1) The traffic is ridiculous, and there?s nowhere that?s physically safe to run where I wouldn?t be mowed over by a tuk-tuk or taxi or food cart, and 2) I always feel like a complete whacko running through crowds of people who aren?t used to having people run through them. Maybe if I weren?t the Great White Red-Head who sticks out in a city of Asians like a sore thumb, I wouldn?t be self-conscious. I just don?t want to draw THAT MUCH attention to myself.

So, I?m lamenting my poor fitness level. I have had to alter my dietary intake, because, at 31, I?m prone to ?inflation? if I don?t exercise regularly. What can I say? I like to eat! I realized that the seemingly healthy soups and stir-fry dishes here are heavily infused with sugar, because Thai people, like me, have an intense sweet tooth! So, those delicious things must be consumed in moderation. I hate moderation!

I was asked the other day what I most miss about home. Easy question, if you want the short answer: I miss my family and friends and their conservative political ways? But the other part of the answer is that I miss, very terribly, the sport of adventure racing. It is the world?s greatest sport, and I ache to compete, or even just to train for an adventure race. The sport combines all sorts of weekend-warrior activities, such as mountain biking, trekking, running, paddling, climbing, rappelling (abseiling to Brits), orienteering, and other outdoor activities. Because these are all events that adventure racers love to do in their free time, anyway, training for an adventure race is just incredibly fun. And the race itself, while excruciating, is the ultimate physical challenge and the ultimate thrill for participants, who normally compete in teams of four.

So, here I am in Bangkok, a city of some 16 million, pining for the day when we will move to a beach, or somewhere less congested, so I can hop on my bike or go for a morning run. Sometimes, I even allow myself to dream of the day when we will be home and I can ride my bike throughout the mountains around San Jose, Los Gatos, and the Bay Area.

P.S. - Working, working, and making progress with the India permits. Nick, Todd, Chanda, and Nancy went to Outack Steakhouse for dinner. The menu has new meaning after their trip through Australia... AND, they met the second Ajay they've ever known, the Indian proprietor of the restaurant. They first Ajay is Nancy's new dear friend from Baffle Creek in Australia, Ajay Parmenter. Hi, Ajay! (N.O.)

Logbook for June 24th, Day 234
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Ronald McDonald strikes a Buddist pose in Bangkok]

Journal by Colin, photo by Nancy

Anyhooooo, So we've been in Bangkok for a while now. Almost three weeks in fact. It's a blessing and a curse. I love Bangkok, I really do, of all the cities that I've visited on this trip, BKK is definitely top three. It's also so nice to feel settled. That is one of the major things that I miss from home, the feeling of knowing where I am, and the options that I have. I've reached a point here in Bangkok where I can get anywhere I want in the city and know how much the cab or skytrain should cost. My short-lived love affair with the Tu-Tuk has ended. Yes, they are fun and all, but taxis are actually cheaper if you are Farang (Westerner).

You might wonder about the daily routine that I have here, you might not wonder, you might not care at all. Too bad for you, because I'm a-gonna tell you. So, I wake up (this could be anywhere between 8 a.m. and noon, although it's usually closer to noon.) I shower, usually when I shower I sit on the edge of the tub, which is kind of strange, but since the shower is really just a fawcetty-type thing with an extensiony-type thing, my method makes sense. You can hang the extension on the wall, but I don't like the angle, so I bath Asian style.

After my bath I head over to my favorite eating place, which I went into great detail about in a recent blog. Then I check my email. Which is usually fast, since I don't have a computer and always have to borrow Adam's (which he doesn't really like, but does anyway because he's such a sweetheart).

If the weather is nice, a grab my video camera (Panasonic dvc80) which is my little buddy, and I head out with a tripod and get some footage of things going on in the city.
Usually after that (if that happens, that is), I watch a movie. Movies are super cheap here, so I've pretty much seen everything that's out. I'm heartily looking forward to next week when some new films hit the big screen.

Then I eat dinner, also at my favorite restaurant, where at this point, I know everyone by name, and they all know exactly what I want. A few days ago, they got a TV, so now I sit around with them and watch TV and drink ice coffee for a while. They are always asking me things in Thai, that I don't understand, and they get a huge kick out of that. Yesterday, a Thai woman was there eating who spoke good English, and when they started asking questions she translated for me. Here is the sequence: "Do you have a wife?" "No", I reply. They giggle. "How long you will stay in Thailand?" "Who knows? 1 week, 1 year, maybe forever," I reply mischievously. "You want a Thai wife?" "Maybe so, maybe not," I reply, even though I don't want one. "You have Thai girlfriend?".... Anyway, you get the point. I think they are trying to get me to marry Phung, one of the waitresses there, which I think is funny. But I really don't plan on getting married anytime soon, so I just stick with my ice coffee.

After the whole giggling waitress thing (which is a nightly occurrence) I head back to the room and take another shower on the side of the tub. It's hot and muggy and sweaty and sticky here, so multiple showers are needed daily. Once I am clean, maybe I'll read, maybe I won't. For a few days I was reading Frank McCourt's "'Tis." Unfortunately, the book was so good I couldn't put it down and read it too fast. Now I'm reading some bubblegum murder mystery that I picked up somewhere along the way, and I don't really enjoy it.

After that, the boys (Adam and Neil) are usually back around, so we head down to Khoa Sarn road and drink milkshakes and watch soccer matches until 4 a.m. The Euro Cup is going on right now, so every night, throngs of people head out to watch the games, which start at 1:30 a.m. It's nice to see people so patriotic, all dressed up in their nations soccer jersey. The English people are the most numerous and fervent. They go crazy when they score, and boo when they don't. When France beat them last week it was a very sad scene, to see all those upset English people moping around.

Once the games are over, I go to sleep and wake up and start it all over again. And that is my Bangkok life.

Colin

P.S. - Just working away here in Bangkok! Nancy and Todd tried to see some temples, but they were closed... (N.O.)

Logbook for June 25th, Day 235
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Adam, Todd, and Nancy took an overnight trip to Kanchanaburi Province in Thailand, some 170 km west of Bangkok. Here, two monks cross the Bridge over River Kwai in there. This steel bridge replaces the original wooden structure, which was destroyed by allied troops during WWII. The bridge is part of the Burmese/Thai railway, nicknamed the ?Death Railway? because of the thousands of allied POWs and Asian laborers who died building it during WWII.]

Photo journal by Nancy

A PHOTO JOURNAL

Click on the text to see the picture!
(After viewing photo, you must close the window before clicking on next photo, or it won't display properly.)

1. Nancy and Adam strike a pose on the Bridge over River Kwai.

2. A sign warns tourists of the dangers of walking across the bridge, which has no hand railings and offers careless adventurers a freefall into the water.

3. Todd strikes his own special pose on the Bridge over River Kwai. The bridge?s story was made mainstream by Hollywood, which made a 1957 film of the same name that tells the story of the POW?s who were forced to build it.

4. The Bridge over River Kwai is now a popular tourist attraction. The river is trafficked by party boats and kayakers, and floating hotels and restaurants dot its shores.

Many vendors have booths set up at the Bridge over River Kwai to sell various goods, and one guy sold bananas to tourists who want to feed his elephants. This baby Asian elephant was eager to get hold of a banana!

[Justin poses for a photo in Cambodia after a long and grueling journey to get there.]

Journal and photos by Justin

The team has been sweating in Bangkok for three weeks now, and all of my local friends have gone away for the weekend; I need to get out of town. Fortunately, not too far away is the Cambodian border, and beyond that, the historic ruins of Angkor Wat.

Flash forward a little bit?it?s 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, and I am just getting into bed. I have just endured one of the biggest scams of my life. In order to go from Bangkok to the town of Siem Reap, I have arranged transport via bus. I know that ahead of me lies about a 9-hour trip using budget transportation in all senses of the word. Knowing that the process of getting to and from Cambodia is lined with scams starting with tour agencies, continuing at the border, and wrapping up with the hotels near the ruins, I am prepared.

So I think.

Despite my best efforts to avoid being taken, I got screwed. I mean, I asked what I thought were all the right questions. I checked with many tour groups to find what I thought was a fair price. I asked to ensure that I would be traveling in a bus or minivan the entire distance. I confirmed the price of obtaining a Cambodian visa. I even researched all the hotels in Siem Reap and knew where they were on the map. I am ready for whatever may come my way.

It?s 6:30 am on Friday, and I am supposed to be getting onto the first bus that will take me to the border. I am not well this morning. In fact, I had to stop the taxi on the way to the tour agency so I could vomit out the door into the street. After I reached the tour company, my sickness came back with a vengeance, and I once again emptied my stomach. Feeling a little better finally, I am now wondering where my bus is. It?s 7:30. I have checked with the tour agent several times now, but have been patient given how lousy I feel. Now that whatever was ailing me is gone, I?m ready to get on the road. I bought a ticket on the earliest bus to ensure that I could arrive before the other hoards of tourists and get a good hotel room. Finally, a shuttle van arrives to pick me up. After a 20-minute drive, this shuttle drops me off on the side of the street with about 15 other people. It is here that we wait another 20 minutes before our bus arrives. Trying to remain positive, I settle into a seat for the five-hour ride to the border.

As we near the border, the bus stops at a conveniently placed restaurant, owned and operated by a friend of the driver, where there are several ?paperwork expediters? present who will graciously assist you in buying your visa at the border for 1,300 baht. Since the cost of a visa is only 1,000 baht, I politely pass on their offer. Besides, I?ve been through enough borders in my time that I?m certain I can navigate the border without getting scammed. After taking over an hour for lunch (a scam), we set off for the border 8 km down the road. After reaching the border and talking to the guards, I find that the price of admission has gone up to 1,500 baht. That?s 1,000 for the visa, and 500 as an expediting fee for a stamp that is required. I hand over my passport with 1,000 baht and politely and quietly explain that I know the price for a visa, and that I?m not willing to pay more. One hour later, my passport is still gone. The little man behind the counter returns with my passport and tells me that he cannot process my paperwork with the money I have given him. In fact, he says if I don?t want to pay, I can go back to Bangkok. At this point, I politely and quietly restate the fact that I know the cost of a visa for Cambodia is 1,000 baht. I hand back my passport and ask the man to try again. I don?t want to cause this man to lose face, but I?m not budging. We go through this game for another 20 minutes, even to the point where they pull me around the side of the building into a swarm of military personnel who want me to pay them too. I?m not moving. The hardest thing to get rid of is a body, and as long as I?m standing in front of the window holding up the line, it makes them look bad, and they lose the opportunity to scam other travelers. Finally, after giving me back my passport for the 3rd or 4th time, they admit that they can stamp my passport for an additional 100 baht, or $2.50 cents. Since it is ridiculously hot out, I pay the money and I?m on my way.

Now, here?s where the real work of art takes place. You have to walk about a kilometer through no-man?s land to actually enter Cambodia. Instead of a meeting a bus that will take me the rest of the way to Siem Reap, my tour company representative politely informs me and the other travelers I?m with that we will be taking a pickup truck the rest of the way. It is a small, extended-cab pickup, very similar to the ones we have in the states. The problem? Including the driver, there are 13 of us that will be traveling in this truck. So, I spent the next 7 hours in the bed of the pickup with 9 other travelers and their bags. I still have symmetrical bruises on my butt and a decent bruise on my lower back.

Having the wind in my hair and laughing at the painfully big bumps along the road was fun for the first hour while the sun was setting. The next 6 hours were nothing but torture. You can?t move, you can?t get comfortable, and you are covered with dust from the road. By the time we actually arrive in Siem Reap, everybody looks as impoverished as some of the local hill-tribe villagers.

At least I have done my hotel research.

I set off by foot to find my hotels, only to discover that since it is low season, most of them are chained off with large metal gates. I find myself at a ?high-end? hotel in the area that wants $15 US a night to stay there. After investigating the room, I decide that it is definitely not worth the money. I leave and spend another hour looking for hotel rooms, only to be given stories of we?re full or we?re closed about another half-dozen times. I meet back up with three of the other pickup truck refugees, and we decide to band together to negotiate a better rate at my $15 roach motel. Only when we arrive, we are informed that the price has gone up to $20 per room. At this point, I am fed up. I don?t care about cultural insensitivity, and I don?t care about saving face. I let this guy have it. After about 10 minutes, the price is back down to $15 and I?m too tired to care anymore. I sign my name on the dotted line, go into my room, and collapse. I have to be up in a few hours if I?m going to see the sunrise?

Until next time, I wish you well from the far side of the world.

P.S. - Some of the team has split to spend the weekend in Cambodia, while Adam, Todd, and Nancy have driven D3 to Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand, just 170 km west of Bangkok, to see the Bridge over River Kwai. There's a peaceful little town there, and the three are taking a small break from the city and enjoying three private rooms that float on a little raft. The bridge is steel now, and beautiful, but it is packed with tourists. Tomorrow, they hope to get some exercise on a trek or paddle in the vicinity. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 26th, Day 236
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Kanchanaburi, Thailand Time: N/A N: 14.02* E: 99.53*	Mileage: 170 km

[D3 gets some religion in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Here, Todd, Adam, and Nancy visited Wat Tham Mangkon Thong, which means Cave Temple of the Golden Dragon. Basically, it is a big cave that houses several Buddhist shrines and temples and is considered sacred by Buddhists. People go there to meditate, and ceremonies are often performed there.]

Photo Journal by Nancy

A PHOTO JOURNAL

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1. At the Wat Tham Mangkon Thong in Kanchanaburi, this big, happy Buddha welcomes guests with his benevolent smile.

These stairs lead up to the wat, or cave, where Buddhists go to meditate.

3. Adam and Todd climb up the dragon staircase that leads to the Cave Temple.

4. The view from the top of the big staircase, where the entrance to the Cave Temple of the Golden Dragon lies.

5. This is the entrance to the Cave Temple of the Golden Dragon.

6. Todd and Adam enter the wat to view the Cave Temple of the Golden Dragon.

7. The wat was actually quite a deep cave, and some sections required Nancy, Todd, and Adam to get down on all fours and crawl. This section required a scramble up a little lip to a ladder that led out of the cave. It was AWESOME!

Outside of the wat, or cave, Todd found another temple. Here, he lit incense as a show of respect.

[A Buddhist monk stands on a temple in Cambodia.]

[Photo by Neil]

Journal by Chanda

Marriott Riverside Resort and Spa, Baby!!! We get 5 days of paradise thanks to Colin's cool Auntie.

Since we arrived in Thailand we have experienced many extremes; for example, we have met wealthy and poor, eaten spicy and bland, seen colorful and plain, and wouldn't dare forget, experienced welcoming and "you go now!". The Marriott Riverside Resort and Spa is certainly one of the extremes. The luxury of the Marriott is a huge contrast to the White Lodge where we stayed last week. I love the White Lodge, and we will head back there when our time is up at the Marriott, but well, I'll just throw out some adjectives and you say the first thing that comes to your mind....the White Lodge is austere, musty, moldy, damp yet charming, friendly and warm and don't forget cheap. Perfect.

Bangkok itself is extreme. Whoever put together Bangkok bought in bulk. Here you have most of everything and anything you can think of---people, religion, cuisine, culture, clothing, electronics, cell phones, traffic, everything. Bangkok offers one of the best shopping experiences ever. And with the Sky Train system, you could literally spend the whole day shopping without your Ferragammos ever touching Madre Earth. The Sky Train can take you from your hotel to at least three different multi-level shopping centers that I know of.

The MBK center is a huge, crowded mall, like many of the malls in the U.S. It is seven stories high and has restaurants and a movie theatre.
[Photo by Nancy]

To help balance the extreme shopping and consumerism that one can lose themselves in while staying in Bangkok is the gentle reminder that 'what we do not have, we do not need' and 'attachment leads to suffering,' a concept brought to us by the many Buddist temples and monks that walk the streets. The Buddhist monks live simple ascetic lives of religious contemplation in monasteries; however, you see them out and about all over Bangkok. They follow different rules according to their sect, but most remain cut off from worldly affairs---no television, newspapers, etc. They do not use money, they are self sufficient, but they will accept donations of food and drink from anyone who offers.

Until next week, safe journeys!

Chanda

P.S. - Some of the team is in Cambodia for the weekend, and others are in Bangkok. Adam, Todd, and Nancy were in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand, just 170 km west of Bangkok, where they visited the Bridge over River Kwai, saw some caves, and enjoyed the slower pace of life outside of the city.(N.O.)

Logbook for June 27th, Day 237
Start: Kanchanaburi, Thailand Time: N/A N: 14.02* E: 99.53*	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 178 km

This is Part IV of a four-part educational installment that Neil wrote about his solo trip to Cambodia. To see more pictures and to read the entire story, click on the monk photo below.

[A monk who befriended Neil in Cambodia poses at the Angkor Wat ruins.]

Photo by Neil

What I didn't tell you before about the dictatorship of Sihanouk from 1941-71, was he based his ideals and philosophies on the ancient Khmer civilization that built all the Angkor Ruins from the 9th-14th centuries. The Angkor Kings were godlike. In fact, they revered themselves above God, and the population believed they were higher than God. It is from here that the root of Cambodia's problems stemmed. However, we all have problems, and everyone is far from perfect.

Anyway, I spent four days going to quite a few different Angkor Ruins, and truthfully, they were the most intricate ruins I have ever seen. The amount of time and detail that went into every stone throughout all the temples is unbelievable! The Angkor Ruins are famous for their stone carvings in all the ruins, and they certainly live up to their reputation. It is hard to believe that people can actually create such magnificent structures.

On my first day of checking out the ruins, I awoke at 5:30AM and went to the Angkor Wat temple, which is the most famous and largest of all the monuments. When I arrived, I was quite surprised at how many people were there to take photos of the sunrise. There were about 300 people there ready for the sun to come up. The sun was going to come up behind the monument, and everyone was on the west side to see the silhouette. I decided to go in the temple before the sunrise and go to the other side, the one that the sun would actually shine on, and get in before the crowd.

I am so glad I did just that. There wasn't anyone around, and I had the whole place to myself with all the heavenly nymphs. I must admit, the heavenly nymphs are my favorite carvings in the Angkor Wat. I'm not sure why?

Anyway, the place is immense! The stairs are steep, and if you fall, you've had it, so you need to be careful. There are different corridors as well, the outer corridor and the inner corridor, and you can walk around them, but it takes quite a while. Around the inner wall is what they call Bas-Reliefs, carvings that depict ancient epic events. They surround the entire center of the temple and are 800 meters in length. As you walk up the stairs into the different areas, there are different statues and wall carvings, too many to describe. In fact, these ruins have so much to offer, you really need to go there yourself to really understand. You can also get a book and read up about them, but I am not going to try and attempt to describe all the different intricate carvings I saw; it is too much to recreate. You can, however, check out the pictures I have included, and it will give you an idea of many of the beautiful things I experienced.

I will tell you that I spent five hours in the Angkor Wat that morning and was completely enthralled. I was just in awe and felt the amazing magnificence that man can be. I met a cool monk there as well, and he showed me around for a while and was a very nice guy. He did ask for some "help" afterwards, and I expected that and gave him a few bucks. As with any religion I can think of, the followers depend on the local community for money. If you go to church back home, doesn't a hat or pot go around for donations? I also ended up going to some more temples throughout the rest of that day and the other days. Bayon was a temple that has the ENORMOUS faces of Avalokiteshvara, which was quite a sight. Many of the temples are made of soft sandstone and bricks, and have been restored over the years. They have done a really good job at keeping the recreated work from looking too new and unreal.

Another really amazing ruin as well was Ta Prohm, and a few other similar ruins that have not been renovated or kept up. The ruins have been overtaken by the jungle, and there are huge trees that have grown into the walls and destroyed many structures. But to be able to see it, as it is, untouched by human hands since they were created, is rare to see anywhere in the world. The Angkor Ruins are so large, and there are so many of them, that there are not enough resources to keep them all up. Just in the immediate area, there are two roads that circle many of the main ruins. One is a 17 km road, and the other a 26km road that you encircle and stop off at different ruins along the way. And then outside of that, there are roads that go off in other directions towards other distant temples.

Two of my other favorite locations were about an hour and a half ride away along an old dirt road out in the countryside. One is known as the ruins of Banteay Srei, which they say must have been carved by women, because the carvings are so intricate, only a woman has the patience and delicate touch to accomplish such fine work. Also, the doorways are much lower than the other temples. And yes, the carvings are incredibly intricate!

And further up the road is Kobal Spien, which is the River of 1,000 Lingas, and is where the old king used to bathe. I took the liberty of taking off my clothes and going under the waterfall and bathing as well; and I must say, I did feel like a King. Although, that is nothing new:) Also in this river, there are hundreds and hundreds of carvings in the actual rock bed of the river. They are circular carvings, representing a phallic nature. It is a really beautiful, remote location in the middle of the jungle. In fact, if you take the road further north, it is really dangerous due to land mines. You start heading up towards the northern border with Thailand, there are still some Khmer Rouge floating around, whom I've heard come out once a year or so and blow something up just to let us all know they still exist.

Oh, and in between the ruins, Richard, my moped driver would take me to various vendors in front of the ruins to have lunch or drinks. The Cambodian food is decent, not as good as Thai food by any means, but not bad. And, you end up drinking tons of water, as Cambodia is extremely HOT!!! It is the hottest I have been on this whole trip so far, just sweating all the time. I had to buy a hat to cover my face and shoulders to keep the sun's penetrating rays from heating me up too much. And at the end of each day, I was completely exhausted and worn out. It was hard to fall asleep with a fan that blew hot air over my body all night. I guess that's what you get for $3 a night. I could have paid more for air conditioning, but come on!

I also ended up going to many other ruins, and they all were fantastic. The Roluos Group, which are the oldest, date back to the late 800's. As for all the ruins I barely described, and for the ones I didn't, please forgive me, but there are large books solely devoted to these ruins. If you are really interested, go and buy one, as all I really want to say is that these ruins are truly a gift to witness and experience. I have been touched to the core by these ruins, and also by Cambodian culture and history. It really is beyond my words. I only hope you can make the time to visit this place some day; it will be one of the greatest places you have ever been, guaranteed!

And if you ever do come, maybe you will remember this part of my story, and you too can help out some local Cambodians. After a few days of walking around ruins all day, my legs and feet were beat up, and all over the town of Siem Reap, there are foot massage places. So I decided to get one. I walked up to one of them, and there were a couple of ladies sitting out front. One of them asked if I would like a massage and I told her yes, I would like a foot massage. So she brings me in and sits me down, washes my feet and begins to rub them, which tickles like mad!! Anyway, she could speak a bit of English and was really excited to speak English with me. She was telling me how she is trying to learn English, but it is difficult because she doesn't have the opportunity to speak it very often. She goes to English school in the morning from 6-8, and then works from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. everyday. She is one of ten children, each of whom is supporting the family, as the parents don't work. She brings home the most money from the massage place, since she gets tips, which is good. However, she doesn't like it very much; she wants to get into management eventually. Her name is Sitha by the way.

I tell her that the more English she learns, the more success she will have in the future since she lives in such a tourist-dominated area, and she agrees. I ask her if she knows how to use the Internet, as that is a great way to practice English and chat with people. She doesn't know how to use it and wants to learn, but doesn't have the opportunity. So as she massages me more, I think, well, I have one more day here, maybe she will have time to go to an Internet cafe with me for an hour and I can teach her. So I ask her, and her eyes light up like I've never seen before; it was amazing. "You would teach me?" she asks, as if she doesn't really believe me. I tell her yes. She is amazed, and we organize to meet the following morning at 8 a.m. to go to the Internet cafe for an hour or so. She is so happy, and we continue talking, and she keeps calling me a "good man."

Anyway, the next morning comes and we meet and she shows up with one of her friends and asks if it is ok to teach her as well? Of course! Her name is Chai. So I take them both over to the Internet cafe and sit them down at two computers and open up a Yahoo account for each of them and teach them how to use the computer and mouse, and what to click, and everything necessary to use email. I make them start the computer, open the browser, type in www.yahoo.com, then click the email button, then put in their name and password, etc. After about 15 times, they really get it without my help. The lady who works there everyday also helped them a bit, so now I know in the future if they get stuck, they can ask her for help as well. So after an hour and a half, they get it and are extremely happy.

Then I go over to the cashier and pay for the time, and also pay for 20 more hours of Internet time for the girls so they can use it for a while and really get used to it and practice English. We are all really happy, and I wish them goodbye, they are so happy, it is great to see. In just communicating with a local, and putting in a little time and effort, I really hope that I have started and inspired some more learning for them. I do think it will help them both tremendously. They live in a very poor area, and a small bit of knowledge and help can go a long way, as long as you can get them to be self-motivated and continue on their own, which I think I have done. I will keep in touch with them, and it should require them to translate my emails with one of their dictionaries, and they will learn more English and how to type faster, which can only help them in a tourism-dominated town.

After that, I grabbed some food and then decided to head off to the silk farm for a bit of my own education.

P.S. - Monday in the City...Nothing terribly exciting, except for the fact that we checked into a SWEET hotel yesterday! We're staying at the Bangkok Marriott Resort and Spa for five days, compliments of Colin's uncle and the fine staff here at the Marriott. Five-star accommodations, swimming pool, spa, and, most importantly, FITNESS CENTER! Woo-hoo!!!(N.O.)

Logbook for June 28th, Day 238
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Headless Buddas.]

Journal and photo by Adam

Across from me she wines, ?I just wanna see his email!? He plops the petite laptop down on the round wooden table. ?Sorry, they said that they?ll have to send it out to a service department!? And so she gets up to buy another tidbit from the English language menu. Clad in beads, Tevas, and an oversized Independent Coffee Company T-shirt, she now sits head-in-hand, disappointed in a far-off world. He?s sinks his fork into a small muffin cup as though it were a dessert in a fine Parisian restaurant. Nibble by nibble, his goatee scruff catches a few crumbs. These are the new world travelers, as they sit in Starbucks in Bangkok, they steal wireless from the nearby Apple Centre store with their wireless computer. Splattered with hypocrisy, they display themselves in the window like contemporary art depicting American values?and I, equally guilty, sit facing them and this computer screen. While my fingers tap away at the plastic keys, two blue lights flicker in the corner showing 11.0 Mbps of stolen bandwidth.

P.S. - Everybody's working. Nick is swamped with expedition funding and sponsorships. The rest of us are doing our part to help with visas, writing, and the web page. Etc., etc. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 29th, Day 239
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[A riveboat taxi in Bangkok, Thailand.]

Journal and photo by Todd

After traipsing all over Bangkok for the last week or so, still working on paperwork, permits and visas, today I thought I would change gears. While exploring Bangkok, I have been seeing stupas, temples, and Buddha?s and have been wondering what all these things mean.

Chanda and I got up early enough to catch the morning ferry up river. Unfortunately, we were a little late to meet a 9:30 am tour at the National Museum, so the ferry seemed extra slow this morning. I have to say I have been really enjoying starting my day boarding a morning open-air ferry. The weather is warm, but a breeze slides though the boat, and I get to read the morning paper. Anyway, back to the present morning. Bangkok traffic moves slower than the boats on the river, so after our ferry shuttle took us to the main terminal, we needed to catch another boat the rest of the way up the river.

The boat we took was long and sleek. It could have held about 12 people, but there were only four of us. The boat was colorful and it was complete with a canopy and splashguard so we wouldn?t have to deal with the muddy water of the river or the strong tropical sun thundering down upon us.

One of the coolest things about these boats is how the engine is situated. The engine and transmission are bolted together and mounted on a pivot. Connected to the transmission is a long shaft that is about 10-feet long. This shaft is connected to the propeller, the speed and the heading of the boat altered by swiveling or pivoting the engine, which in turn alters the depth or direction of the prop in the water. The engines look like standard four-cylinder jobbies, so they can make tracks. If it wasn?t for the long propeller shafts and their movement, you could easily ski behind one of these babies.

We raced up the river and got to the museum, but we had to catch up with the tour, which was not too much of an effort. Volunteer tours are given in English on Wednesdays and Thursdays; today?s topic was Buddhism.

The National museum was now held in one of the crown princes? former palaces; the buildings were beautiful. The first building we entered was a temple. We were required to take off our shoes as we entered. Shoe removal is just an excellent way to keep dirt levels down anywhere. We had to step over a large threshold (about six inches high), and we were in the temple! We were told that it was bad luck to step directly upon the threshold, so now I won?t do that anymore, but sometimes I forget!

In the temple we learned the story of Buddha. In Thailand we are not able to take pictures of sacred Buddhist things, so I wasn?t able to take pictures. Anyway, the story of Buddha was depicted in a series of colorful murals on the walls.

Buddha was born in around 500 BC to a king and queen who lived in what is now known as Northeast India. His name was not Buddha, but Siddharta. Apparently, Siddharta?s mother did not have a normal pregnancy, as she was entered by a deity and then became pregnant.

Siddharta lived in his father?s court for 29 years and even married, but when he was 29, he managed to slip out of the walls that protected him in his father?s court and got a glimpse of what life was like without privilege; this is when he began his wanderings. Siddharta could not resolve the problem that some had privilege and others didn?t; therefore, through his wanderings he was able to separate the material and the spiritual, freeing himself of earthly desires. As a result of being free from desire, he was also free of fear. Through his efforts he became enlightened (free of fear or desire, having only love for everything and everyone).

The teachings of Buddha are a method of obtaining enlightenment. Buddhist monks spend their life studying his peaceful teachings, as Buddhism is the major religion of Southeast Asia, China and Tibet.

After leaving the temple, we viewed all kinds of artifacts from royal Thailand. We saw cremation urns, glassware, and clothing styles from many different eras. It?s all pretty interesting, as you see certain objects, characters and symbols over and over again, but people have spent their entire lives writing about that stuff, so I won?t.

After leaving the museum, I went to the Grand Palace. This is not the royal residence anymore, but the place where the king of Thailand goes to practice Buddhism. Just a side note here about the king: the King of Thailand is a highly revered person here. You do not make jokes about him or the royal family, not because of a mandate, but out of respect. One thing we have all been startled with is a brief royal ceremony before movies. Before the movie, but after the previews, the king appears on the screen. There are images of him doing various things around Thailand, but what you have to do is stand up when he comes on the screen. I didn?t know this during the first movie I saw, but I quickly learned. I must confess it is kind of a strange concept for me to show profound respect to a person who possesses a hereditary title, but I guess there are always concepts and ideas, some of which we challenge, and others which we don?t.

Anyway, back to the day. The Grand Palace was an amazing place. One of the most notable items there was the Emerald Buddha. The Emerald Buddha was placed in a glass box on top of a large altar. Apparently, it was discovered in about 1434 in Chiang Rai. Although it was confused for being made from an emerald, it was really carved from jade. Only sitting a couple feet tall, this is one of the most venerated Buddha images in Thailand. In the last 500 years, this statue has been traded back and forth between Thailand and Laos. Unfortunately, the trading has been done with armies rather than amongst friends. In any case, the Emerald Buddha is now living in Thailand.

It was amazing to walk through the royal grounds, seeing the former residence of the Thai kings and queens. It does not look like a high-walled fortress of Europe, although it most certainly has a high wall around the perimeter. It?s just inspiring to see what human creativity is capable of. With that kind of capability, shouldn?t it be easy to find a cure for Parkinson?s Disease?

P.S. - Working, doing errands, enjoying the fitness center and pool at Marriott Riverside. Tonight, we have a reception with the hotel manager. Yea! Should be fun. (N.O.)

Logbook for June 30th, Day 240
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, the Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa is the only true resort on the River of Kings. www.marriott.com/property/photoTour/BKKTH]

Journal by Nancy, Photo by Marriott

I would like briefly to explain the incredible mental and physical health benefits a simple workout can bring.

We are staying at the Marriott Riverside, thanks to a very generous donation (four free double rooms for five nights) from the hotel. Everybody calls the place Marriott Riverside, or Malliott Liverside, if you are speaking to a Thai taxi driver, but its official name is the Bangkok Marriott Resort and Spa. That adds a whole new umph, I think. Resort and Spa. Ahhhhh?

Well, the hotel is gorgeous. It is five-stars-worth of gorgeous. When we arrived, a bellboy whisked our bags away and tagged them so they could be brought to our rooms, while a hostess greeted us and seated us on a couch so we could fill out a short guest form. (Note: Not a short-guest form, because we are not short, and that would be rude, anyway, but rather a form that?s not long which guests fill out. This illustrates the importance of a strategically placed, double-modifier hyphen.)

After checking in, Todd and I went upstairs to find our new room. It is big and clean, beautifully furnished, with wooden floors and an amazing view of the river. Most importantly, it has a television that has National Geographic, Discovery Channel, a new adventure network called A1, and, most importantly, Fox News. I love Fox News, and I found myself fixated by all the reports about the Iraqi handover and Saddam?s custody turnover and trial. I just love the reporting on Fox, and I felt soothed and refreshed by it. Of course, I am the only right-winger on the team, and being that my Peace Corps roommate cannot stand to listen to the ?sword shakers? on Fox News, I can only watch it when Todd is not in the room. Haha. (We don?t talk politics on this team, so we get along just fine.)

Not one minute after we?d arrived in our room, a man came by to see if we liked it alright and if we needed anything. Then another man came by right behind him to see if we?d like our beds turned down. He left us cookies, so we?ll invite him to turn down our beds every night. A minute later, our bags arrived. So, this is five-star service, eh? Not bad.

So, we settled in to enjoy our five days at the Resort and Spa, and I went to check out the gym and the pool. And this brings me to my point. Finally. While staying here at the Marriott, we have access to a gym, and that gym has treadmills, weight machines, and television. Every day, I go for an intense 30-minute run, lift a few weights, stretch, and head outside to the pool. At the pool, I soak in a few cancer beams, swim some laps, sit on a pool lounge to scan the area for beautiful people, and then sit in the hot tub to soothe my wonderfully achy muscles. Later, I often have time to get in another run and/or swim in the evening.

All of this working out and pool gazing has put a smile on my face and a spring in my step, and I feel like a new woman. A workout a day makes Nancy a pleasant girl. So, thanks, Marriott. I love your gym, your pool, and your comfortable rooms. May I continue to borrow your treadmill after we check out of our free rooms tomorrow? Please?

P.S. - Working and relaxing here in Bangkok. Paperwork going well. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 1st, Day 241
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Bangkok skyline.]

[Photo by Todd]

Journal by Colin

My guru says I shouldn't cut my hair, nails, or wear black cologne on Fridays.
My guru says that I will be famous in a few years.
My guru says I am Mr. funny face man.
My guru says I make people laugh and smile.
My guru says that there are two women at home thinking about me.
My guru says I make one man jealous.
My guru says that all the women in my life are bad for me.
My guru says I should grow my beard longer.
My guru says I need to cut down on the chilli powder.
My guru says he abstains from coitus and alcohol.
My guru says that on the 26th of this month I will meet my soulmate.
My guru says my soulmate will be cream and coffee.
My guru says my soulmate and I will be together for eternity.
My guru has a sweet beard.
My guru says he is a holy man.
My guru told me the name of my ex-girlfriend.
My guru knew my life's goals and current mental/emotional state.
My guru knew my favorite color (green in case you were wondering.)
My guru knew about the current events in my life.
My guru was funny.
My guru was overly curious about my bathing habits (really).
My guru hangs out at the Siam Interchange Skytrain station in Bangkok.
My guru approaches people like me for a living.
My guru has 200 baht of my money.
My guru made me smile.
My guru may not actually be a guru, but he was interesting to talk to anyway.
I'm glad I met my guru.

Love,
Colin

P.S. - Everybody's doing great. The sad news is that we had to check out of the Marriott today. Our free stay ran out, and we moved back to our old rooms at the White Lodge. It's cozy, and the staff is great, but it's no Marriott Riverside Resort! This evening, we all went out on Khao Sarn Road. It was a fun, crazy time. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 2nd, Day 242
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[After a trek into the jungle, Justin finds his elephant, Ms. Pang Lawann.]

Journal and photos by Justin

I?m in a taxi on my way back to the Marriott Riverside Hotel in Bangkok, and my driver is vigorously slapping himself on the face and neck to wake up. How worried should I be?

I have just stepped off a plane from one of the most unique experiences I have ever had?I have been deep in the rainforest in northern Thailand learning how to be an elephant Mahout.

I started by heading out into the jungle at 6:30 am to find my elephant. Actually, we?re looking for four of them, and although I am with a small group of people, this experience seems seductively private. Small butterflies dart playfully through the thick morning air as the sun burns down on the grass and ponds filling the air with the scent of fresh flowers. The only drawback to the morning is that he mosquitoes are heavy and the mud is sticky, making the trek into the rainforest a little challenging. The sweat pours from my scalp across my face making it difficult to see, but there?s no denying that 20 meters in front of me is about 8,000 pounds of female elephant.

After chatting with Pang Lawann the elephant for a bit, we lead her back to camp where we find the other three elephants waiting for us. We begin the day by giving the girls a bath and some water (actually a LOT of water) before we give them a morning snack of bananas from the local jungle. With the girls fed for the moment, it is now time to begin our training. We start by learning how to mount an elephant. One of the first mistakes to be made is thinking that getting on an elephant is similar to getting on a horse. The difference here is that elephants are about ten feet tall. With the help of my Mahout, I grab hold of the elephant?s ear and walk up her leg to a position where I can jump onto her back and lay on my stomach. From there, I can easily swing my body over the top and reach a sitting position near the base of her neck.

Now, a skilled Mahout can guide an elephant with around 70 soft commands and light touches behind the ears. This short lesson will only give me the basics, but within minutes I know the commands for forward, backward, turn around, and stop. The thrill of riding on the back of this magnificent animal is incomparable, and being the only person on the elephant tests your ability to remember the commands in Thai.

I steer Pang Yom around the mahout village practicing what I know:

?Pai? (nudge behind both ears) ? to go forward
?How? (squeezing knees together) ? to stop
?Baen? (nudge behind the opposite ear) ? to turn left or right
?Sock? (rocking backwards) ? to walk backwards
?Tak lung? (putting feet over the head) ? to lower head and dismount by sliding down the elephant?s trunk

With only a few exceptions, Yom takes me where I want to go, and to reward her, I steer her toward the trees to pluck some leaves off with her trunk. After dismounting, I give her a few more bananas and a soft rub on her side to thank her for her patience and a wonderful experience.

I could easily spend days here learning how to be a Mahout, but my schedule demands a return to Bangkok later today. Regardless of where I travel next, I can be sure the feeling of riding an elephant for a day is one that will not be soon forgotten.

Until next time, I wish you all well from the far side of the world.

An elephant gets a bath in Thailand.

P.S. - All is well here in Bangkok. We're all moved in to the White Lodge, and we're all recovering from a late night out on the town. Pretty much business as usual. Working hard. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 3rd, Day 243
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Happy 4th from the team! (Sorry, no pictures of sparklers, hot dogs, red/white/blue, etc. Couldn't find any!) The team went on a photo shoot last week with a group of reporters from the local paper. Here's a picture of the LONGITUDE team in front of the royal palace.]

Photo by Kwanchai Luangsathit

The team worked all day, and then we celebrated the 4th of July by splitting into two groups. One group watched DVDs at the hotel on their laptops (donated by Seagate--thanks, Seagate), and the other group (Neil, Adam, Colin, Nancy) went to Khao Sarn Road and watched the European Cup finals. Happy 4th, everybody! (N.O.)

Logbook for July 4th, Day 244
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[The crazy Bangkok traffic.]

Journal and photo by Neil

Where are you from, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, or maybe Dallas? Well, wherever you are from, if you get frustrated with traffic or road conditions, then I urge you, never drive in Bangkok!! Today, we had to bring our Land Rovers to the dealership in downtown Bangkok, yikes!

Looking at the map, we figured out our route, and it didn't seem like it would be so bad. We could take tollways most of the way and then end up right by it, no problem. Well, there is no way to get around in Bangkok without a problem if you are driving here for the first time. As we left the hotel, we had to make a right turn onto a road which was extremely busy, and they drive on the left side of the road here, so we had to cross two lanes of traffic just to get into the traffic going in the same direction we wanted to head. Luckily, there was a guard there to blow his whistle and try and stop traffic for us. It eventually worked, and we were on our way. So I was leading, and Adam was following behind me, just the two us. We got onto the road, then came to the next road where we were suppose to go right to cross a river, only you can't go right there. We had to go left and then do a U-turn. However, in Bangkok, the opportunity for doing a U-turn, or even making a right turn, only presents itself every once in very long while. So we had to drive about a mile down the opposite direction just so we could turn around and go the correct way.

After that, we drove across the Taksin Bridge and looked for signs to the RAMA IX tollway. "OH, there it is!" I say to myelf, as I try to merge into three other lanes of traffic to move over in time to get onto a road that I am not even sure is the right road, because the sign for the road is just after the actual turn, but seems to indicate this is the correct turn. So I go for it, and luckily, it is the correct turn, and we drive under the expressway for a while before there are signs that actually lead you to the side to pay a toll and enter a ramp up to the expressway, which is a second level freeway that loops around parts of Bangkok, intertwined with other tollways that are a bit difficult to understand at times.

So we pay 40 baht, $1, and get on the toll road. As I am driving and looking at the map, constantly trying to figure out which lane of six to be in for the next set of overpass signs to follow, I narrowly avoid brushes with other cars. Eventually after winding around for 10 miles, I find the correct off ramp and exit. However, when we exit, there is an option to get on another tollway which goes in the same direction as the road we want. The map shows the road we want and the toll road as the same, so I choose the toll road. Oops, wrong choice. Once we pay another 40 baht to get on, we realize this toll road doesn't have any exits for miles. So we pass where we were supposed to see Land Rover and keep going and going and going, and finally, there is an exit! Phew, we exit and are now under the tollway, but we can't turn around, there literally is no way to turn around, so we just go straight under the toll road, filled with tons of traffic, until we can find a way to turn around.

Well, finally, after 15 minutes and a few miles more, there is a ramp that is called the "U-Turn" ramp, so we take it and go up and over the current traffic jam, around and back into the traffic jam going to opposite direction, back towards where we want to go. Well that's good, at least we are going the right way and we should come across the Land Rover dealership within 15 minutes or so. We were supposed to be there by 5 p.m., and now it is already 5 p.m., and we are pushing our luck. So as we near where the Land Rover dealership should be, we realize that it is still on the other side of the road. Well, how the heck do we get over there? By the time we have already passed the dealership, we finally see an option to go somewhere other than under the tollway. We enter, and it is another tollway. So I ask the lady how to turn around and get on the other side of the road. She tells me to get on this tollway and exit to the right and turn around. All right, sounds simple enough.

We get on the tollway, another 40 baht, and there is no exit to the right; what was she talking about? So we go and go and go, and turn onto other loops and are heading in a strange direction so that I have no clue where we are going. I am not using the map at this point, as I am just using my instincts to get us back. So I finally exit after a few miles, and then we deal with turning around again, which is a nightmare in itself, then pay another 40 baht toll, while getting upset with the lady because we are driving in circles. It's not her fault, I know, but I am getting a bit perturbed!!!!!! So we get back on and luckily, I see signs for Rama IX again and we are on the original route we began with, so now I know that when we exit, to stay to the left, and not get back on the tollway, and we will find Land Rover. And sure enough we did. It was about 5:45 when we got there, but they were still there and we were happy to see them. They gave us coffee, sprite, cookies and chips, and we were happy campers. Just another day driving around Bangkok.

Gees!

Neil

D3 in front of the Imperial Palace.

Logbook for July 5th, Day 245
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[The Drive Around the World team visited Thai Ultimate Car in Bangkok to have the brake pads checked and replaced in preparation for the impending journey into the Himalayas!]

Journal by Nancy

We spent the day at Thai Ultimate Car, a local Land Rover dealer. Because we will soon be going into the Himalayas, we had our brakes checked and low pads were replaced. Now we're all set! (N.O.)

Logbook for July 6th, Day 246
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Todd's family meets the new baby.]

When you think of expeditions, armies, or sports teams for that matter, you generally think of all action, the big battle, or the big game. It is true that there are a lot of exciting moments during these events, but there is often a less glamorous, more unseen side to them. In an army it often takes seven people to support one person in the field: logistics coordinators, supply people, medical people, cooks, the list goes on.

On an expedition, although we are out in the field a lot and see tons of cool stuff, there is a lot that goes into making this all happen. We are constantly solving new problems, researching upcoming areas, appraising our current situation, and planning for our future activities and their needs. There is so much to do that it is easy to forget stuff, but undone research or tasks can often lead to delays for the whole expedition, so we must all be very careful.

I woke up to an early knocking on the door. It was Chanda; she was on a task to solve some banking issues. Since a lot of the organizational paperwork was in my name, she thought she might need my assistance, or more importantly my signature and winning smile. It is always fun doing errands with Chanda. Chanda and I always have a good time, as we both share a certain determination to get things done (we don?t lollygag), but also a playful spirit while we are going about our errands. We always seem to get into some kind of trouble, but nothing that doesn?t make us laugh, and generally nothing we can?t solve. One of the best things about doing errands with Chanda is we always treat ourselves to coffee, desert, or some kind of good food; this was a tradition we started in Argentina. All this to say, when Chanda knocks on the door asking help with some of her errands, I never know what I am getting into, but I know we will have fun doing whatever needs doing.

Off course, we started the morning with coffee and breakfast, but we soon investigating our banking options. Essentially we needed to wire money here to Thailand, but Western Union prices were through the roof. We knew that was an option, but an option that we preferred to avoid. We investigated international banking account options, wire transfer regulations, and a number of other things. We tried three different banks, and we constantly had the problem of no work permit in Thailand, no bank account; who would have thought it was so difficult to open an account? Well, the third bank we went to was the charm, and after waiting for about 45 minutes for a bank representative, we were in business. Banking issue solved, and the need for food was at a critical stage.

A nice little Italian place that I had eyed while I was working on the Russian visas was just the place. Although, I love Thai food, Italian was a welcome change. Seeing the cheese plate on the menu, there was no turning back: bleu cheese, parmesian, brie, and another one made my day, or so I thought.

After lunch we returned to the office (Starbucks with free wireless). I checked my e-mail and the first thing I saw was a note from my mother that said,

Howdy uncle,

You have new niece. Megan Karen, born July 5 at 2:00 a.m., 14 hours after I arrived. All is well and she was 8lbs 1 oz and 19 inches long. She is beautiful and reminds me much of Lauren [my first niece]. Sonja [my sister, Megan?s mother] popped her out after a short labor. All of us were surprised when Sonja's water broke, as we were about to sit down for dinner.

Wow, I am an uncle again! I first got the news that my sister was pregnant when we were first leaving on this expedition. Nine months later, I am in Bangkok, and she is having a baby. Sometimes it is easy for me to believe that time stands still back home while we are on the road, but the fact is it doesn?t!

It hurt me to be away, as a family we always make time to go visit the new parents and see our new relative, but now I find myself more than 10,000 miles away, almost completely on the other side of the world. However, it will be kind of cool to remind her when she is 15 or so that I as in Bangkok when she was born.

Best regards to my sister Sonja, her husband Andy, my nephew Nathanial and my new niece Megan.

Well back to work on sorting out the Russian visa process.

P.S. - Spent the day working and running errands. All is well. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 7th, Day 247
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Expedition leader]

Journal by Nick

?Once you see the world in a different way,
it?s impossible to go back to seeing it how you used to.?

Short intro

My name is Nick. My team and I are driving our vehicles around the world?again.

You know the past, but you can?t change it. You don?t know the future, but everything you do changes everything. A famous writer said that. Another famous writer said, ?The things we do now have a tremendous impact and even grow in time.? And one of my favorite writers said, ?what?s more interesting than people??

If you?re anything like me you look at our world each day, and each day you regard it a bit differently. Sometimes it?s wonderful and beautiful. Sometimes it?s harsh and scary. A lot of this depends on mood, but if you get in a car and drive around a bit -- you don?t have to go outside your country, just go a bit beyond your comfort zone, whatever that might be -- you?ll come back a different person.

Our projects are about people meeting people. Humans working to achieve something larger than themselves. Humans using the resources at their disposal, a few resources of others, and doing what they love to do, to effect change.

History

It began with a move to Northern California and a vehicle I purchased. A 1966 Land Rover. I became active with an online community that centered around an annual camping trip in the Mendocino National Forest. It was a list server (a discussion group), and if you imagine a virtual campfire with a bunch of fascinating people all sitting around, talking about whatever, that?s what I got caught up in. Mostly we?d talk about the subject of the community?Land Rovers?what we were using them for, what we were fixing, or restoring, anything that came to mind really, and lots of other topics too. A fine bunch of petroheads!

One day there was talk about a guy from Atlanta who was driving to Belize to deliver medical supplies to some villages down there. A bunch of people from different places across the US said, ?we want to go too? and this guy said, ?OK, as long as you bring your share of medical supplies.? Two months later we were on our way from California to Belize. Our route down and back was different so we called that expedition the ?Crazy-8.? Because that?s what it looked like on a map.

And that was it. We had completed our first expedition. It didn?t take long to figure out what to do next. When we returned home we heard about two 65-year old guys from Wisconsin. They?d just driven around the world in a 1954 Packard convertible. I think my response was, ?can you really do that!?? And the planning began for the LATITUDE Expedition: A drive around the world from Beijing to San Francisco?traveling westbound for 78 days. We did that too.

Drive Around the World : the group

I have learned that, when people come together, we?re suddenly capable of extraordinary things. We can make amazing accomplishments.

Our organization is really a place where people can bring their projects. If someone proposes something, and everyone likes it, we all do it together. That?s the culture we?re trying to develop.

The team represents a collision of explorers, engineers, and thinkers?all fascinating personalities. Many of them have day jobs that take them in other directions, but we choose to associate here because of an aptitude and curiosity we all possess. And this is a place where fun and interesting projects are developed. I think everyone possesses an interest in exploring or figuring out how something works-- why things are the way they are. This organization helps us develop our skills.

We all enjoy working on something that?s larger than ourselves. Crazy ambitious projects--it?s not driven by personal ambition, but more by a desire to make very large and strange things happen. They?re bizarre, strange, fun, and surprisingly possible.

I believe that our societies and civilizations aren?t bad in general, they just have bugs. One of those bugs is that people need to learn how to rally together to solve tough problems. To get people to understand this, you could say, ?hey we need to do something,? or you can simply throw something new and fun out there, give it what it needs, and watch the spark take fire. Then it?s up to the rest of us to keep it going.

The Expedition

Looking back I see a series of events that have slowly been steering us where we are and, based on where you?ve been, you begin to see where you want to go.

We want to get better at exploring?eventually we?ll define new ways of exploring. We want to be an example that encourages others to hear and act on their own intuitions. We want to educate?to leave a good impression and inspire our future explorers. The LONGITUDE project was created with a very clear set of goals that moves us in this direction.

About Missions

A project like this is so empowering because you realize how your actions amplify down a period of time. It?s not empowering, because it?s surrounded with obstacles and challenges and a constant need to persuade those who don?t see it. It gives mission to our lives. Our life may be one great mission, it may be a series of them, or it may be devoid of mission. It?s entirely up to us. We?re hoping to answer the question, ?just how good are we at helping people??

Why Parkinsons?

Click HERE and we?ll tell you.

The idea for LONGITUDE came from my wife, Chanda. This drive is being a fundraiser for Parkinson?s Disease because the disease affects our families. If you?re going to do something extraordinary, why not take more than passengers along? Why not take a cause? It?s a great way to maximize what we?re doing. They way we work is this: We come up with an idea, decide whether we can really make an impact, obtain buy-in from the group, and move on it. This is what I call, ?the deep dive?, and we did one on Parkinson?s research and came up saying, ?YES, this is something we can definitely do.?

The idea of LONGITUDE is really to come up with, and encourage new and innovative fundraising ideas. We?ve chosen to focus our team, our vehicles, and our ideas on Parkinson?s research, but we hope people will adapt it to other areas. Whatever personally affects them.

Why do I get involved in these things? A few elements need to exist for me to get excited about anything.
The project needs to be unusual, it should be ambitious, and it needs to be extremely forward looking and offer a lot of encouragement and hope. These are the elements that make it easy to give one?s best, day-in and day-out.

The expedition event is a carrier of sorts, kind of like a drone in a melody. When we get up every day, we know what we?re supposed to do. We?re driving around the world. That?s our focus. But it is our programs that make the difference. They weave in and out of each day and the constant moving of our team ensures the programs move along, too.

Will it work?

I won?t be surprised if it works. I?ll be surprised if it doesn?t work. When you have an idea that you?re passionate about, you envision the outcome very clearly and you plow ahead toward it. You might not see it entirely, but it comes to you as you go. I?m occasionally surprised when we reach a different outcome, but when you stay on top of things, it?s surprising how you can steer your ideas in any direction you want to go.

Why a drive around the World? Why LONGITUDE? Why not? You have to focus your efforts somehow. People say it?s unsafe to travel right now. They said the same thing before our ?99 LATITUDE Expedition, but our timing then was perfect. The Middle-East is now a hotspot, and you just can?t do now what we did then. Maybe in a way they were right, though. The world is a bit unsafe, and that means the world needs people like us now more than ever.

The Vehicles

The key to completing an extraordinary undertaking is to approach challenges with a childlike perspective and always keep it exciting and fun. Traveling at this pace is refreshing. There?s a certain slowness to this sort of travel, and I like that. We used older Land Rovers before; they were forty years old, low-tech, and slow. But in countries with undeveloped or poorly maintained road systems, they actually clip along at a reasonable pace. These vehicles are easy to repair because few special tools are required and parts are interchangeable and available most anywhere. They run great on low-octane regular or unleaded gas and they don?t overheat. The older Land Rovers are low in power, high in reliability, and seldom travel over 60 miles-per-hour, so if there?s an accident, we stand a good chance of walking away. They rarely break down, and their age makes them inexpensive to insure or obtain import bonds at the borders. Their appearance allows them to sail through border crossings, and people love them! Ok, this ends my tribute to vintage Land Rovers. Let me tell you a little about our Certified Discoverys!

At first I wasn?t crazy about this model. A 4.6 liter V8 engine? We need economy, not power, right? Air conditioning? Comfortable seats? Not what we wanted?or did we? I have always said that this expedition is a ?charmed project?, and things just seem to work out for our team, and the Discovery follows this theme. When you?re on a two lane undivided highway, as much as we are, on mountain roads winding up steep switchbacks, and it?s nighttime, and it?s raining, and that dog-of-a-semi in front of you signals that it?s ok to pass (uphill around a blind corner), well? you don?t (unless you?re a fool!) You wait until there?s a safe stretch and then you gun it. Now what happens next really depends quite a bit on what you?re driving. Our Certified Discoverys have a strong V8 engine with plenty of get-up-and-go power to get us around slower vehicles safely and pacify these hair-raising moments. Even in the foulest weather we feel safe and stuck to the road in these vehicles. Looking back, I suppose safety was the most important factor in my decision to take the Discovery II.

And that?s just the beginning. This vehicle has a feature list a mile long. Take Hill Descent Control (HDC) for example. As an off-road enthusiast, and an engineer, I thought this feature was invented in a board room and placed straight to the marketing brochure. But seeing is believing. After witnessing this feature in action one word describes HDC: ?Ingenious.? Wait, I?ll give it another word. ?Clever.? If you like driving off road, you?ll smile like a twelve-year-old when HDC kicks in and the vehicle just inches down the hill. The same goes for Electronic Traction Control; Just like driving the legendary Land Rovers, you can really feel the vehicle sensing and grabbing the ground. Reduced wheel spinning is what any off road driver wants and it doesn?t tear up the place so it?s good for the environment as well. Wouldn?t it be great to be a fly on the wall when the engineers came up with that one! The smooth ride is unprecedented. I could go on an on in a chat room about the benefits of a coil suspension over leaf but I?ll spare you. (You?re welcome.) The A/C is awesome (dual controls!). Everything is right there in front of you and the interior is especially comfortable?again not what I though we needed but, in retrospect it?s exactly what we needed. Talk to the rally drivers and they?ll tell you all about their bad backs but when this 50,000 kilometer endurance drive-a-thon is over we definitely won?t be at the finish line with back problems, that?s for sure.

Life has a way of making sure you get what you need and with these vehicles, we certainly did. We still have a low-tech approach to solving problems. I believe the most elegant solutions are simple ones, but don?t let that fool you. To support our ideas, a technologically rich infrastructure is required to provide advanced communications, navigation, and imagery. I?ll talk more about that next time.

Until then, drive safely.

Nick

p.s. I?d like you to support us. Make a donation to Parkinson?s research and maybe you?ll win one of our Land Rovers in the raffle at the end. 100% goes to research, so click HERE and do it today.

Neil went to Cambodia, all by his lonesome, and he has written several blogs about his experiences there.

His journals and photos have been posted to our education site, and they can be accessed by clicking HERE.

This is the first installment:

[Nancy and Chanda explored one of Bangkok's popular modes of public transportation: the canal taxi. These long boats zip up and down the canals that bissect portions of the city. Passengers have only seconds to board and disembark, and side skirts keep spray from drenching everybody when boats meet in the narrow canals.]

Journal and photo by Nancy

The longer this expedition goes on, the crummier my writing gets. For whatever reason, I am having trouble with my creativity, especially when it comes to writing. Have you ever sat down at your keyboard to start typing out a paper and just stared vacantly at the screen without a single coherent (or even incoherent) thought in your head? Well, I have. I just did it a moment ago, and, oops, I did it again.

I?m not sure what the problem is, exactly, but I have a couple of guesses. Part of it, I think, is that I have loads of writing to do. There?s about five or six feature articles I?m supposed to write, I have to caption a bunch of photos, I have these weekly journals, I have e-mails to answer, I have to proofread everybody?s journals and company correspondence, and I have to dress up my resume in preparations for my return home and my reintroduction to the ?real world.?

I think being here in Bangkok for so long is cramping my brain a bit, too. I don?t do many exciting things each day that I think you?d be interested in hearing about. I?ll have to wait until we get going again to dazzle you with my literary brilliance. Maybe I?m getting lazy!

There must be something I can tell you about?

I know, I?ll tell you about the pomelos. Every few days, I will see somebody on the street selling big pale wedges of something on a Styrofoam meat tray covered in plastic wrap. Well, I took a close look at those wedges, uniformly fanned out on their tray, and I discovered them to be a type of citrus fruit.

Imagine taking a grapefruit, peeling it, pulling off little wedges, and then removing the skin so that only the little pulpy bit remains. You know how oranges and lemons and all citrus fruits, for that matter, have those tiny little kernels of pulp all stuck together to form the fruit, right? Well, now imagine a grapefruit (not a red one, but rather a sort of chardonnay color with a hint of blush) the size of a bowling ball (or a Size 3 soccer ball). The skin is actually green, but after peeling off an inch-thick layer of rind, the pale fruit part is exposed. But you can?t eat it yet. Even once it?s peeled, the fruit is inedible. You still have to segment it out and then peel the sheath off of each little segment, or wedge. Don?t worry, though, because the pulp bits are huge, too, and they stick together rather well if you are careful. The sheath bit tastes incredibly awful, with a bitingly strong, bitter, chemical-ish nastiness to which I have found no equal in nature. Um, and, like, I?ve heard it can wreak havoc with one?s innards and send one running for the super-squatter (toilet) like a madman (or woman). This whole process (not the bathroom bit, but the peeling and preparation bit) can take up to a half hour, which is why vendors do better selling it already prepared.

Anyway, I used to see these things on occasion and wonder what they were and whether I ought to investigate by purchasing some to take home, but I?d always decide not to. Finally, when Adam and Todd and I went to the Bridge over River Kwai, I decided to take the plunge. Holy schmockatolly, am I glad I did! My first bite of that sweet, delectable fruit was like discovering the nectar of the gods! It was like biting into a dozen exploding little grapefruit-juice bombs, but grapefruit juice that had been sweetened and had had all of the bitterness removed! I?m not kidding! It was incredible.
So I ate two servings of it, which is equivalent to at least two big California grapefruit, and that was the start of my pomelo obsession. Now, I eat it every day. It took some searching, but I finally located a source for this amazing fruit (already peeled, because I have given up on peeling them myself) nearby our hotel at the foodstore section of a store called Tokyu at MBK Center.

Todd tells me pomelos are available in the U.S., and I sure hope he?s right. Now that I?m a complete giant-grapefruit addict, I need to feed my habit. Anybody know where I can find some in northern California?

P.S. - Business as usual here. Tomorrow, we will all (minus Justin) go to Cambodia for a day or so. Our stamps will expire for Thailand, and we have to get our "extensions" at the border. So this is a good excuse to visit Cambodia! Also, there is a lat/long location in Cambodia that is exactly opposite a location we visited near Nazca in Peru. In order to have a true around-the-world expedition, we have to visit an "antipode" point. The grid point directly opposite another grid point is an antipode. If we visit this antipode, we will be exactly on the other side of the Earth from where we were in Peru! What a crazy concept. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 8th, Day 248
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[While waiting to cross the border from Thailand to Cambodia, Adam and the gang passed the time playing with the border kids. They were cute enough to keep.]

Journal by Colin, photos by Nancy

Thailand lets you stay in their country for 30 days. No more, no less. After my first 30 days, I took a trip to the local immigration office and got a visa extension. It cost me 50 bucks for ten days, so, when that extension was up, the team and I decided to do what is known as a "visa run.? Now, a visa run is basically a quick trip over the Thai border so that when you reenter the country you get another 30 days to do whatever it is you want to do. We decided on Cambodia for our visa run for many reasons: It's close, it's cheap, and it has Angkor Wat, a huge complex of Khmer ruins.

So, it was with smiles on our faces that we headed towards Cambodia in two Drive Around the World vehicles for one night. Little did we know that we would be dealing with logistical nightmares and worse. Anyway, we got out of Bangkok and to the Cambodian border town of Poi Pet without a hitch; however, when we got to the border, we were disturbed to discover the customs office for our cars was closed, so we were forced to spend the night in the no-man?s-land between Cambodia and Thailand, which consists of only one type of thing, which is a good thing and a bad thing. These things are something that I love and hate. These things can be tons of fun or a pain. These things...are casinos, and tons of them. So the team, plus one, this funny English guy Tom that I met on Ko Samet, and I, all booked ourselves into a casino for the night, with plans to move on in the morning.
So, the next morning, wallets just a little bit thinner, we wake up to discover that Nick and Todd have run into some difficulties taking our cars into the country and have gone off to the next province to talk to some bigwig type guy. The team was told to stay close by, which basically meant stay in the casino, which I took to mean "keep gambling." So I did, and I broke even once again. Eventually, Todd and Nick returned and handed us the shocking news that we would not be able to drive our cars into Cambodia, but, and this is a big but, Cambodians could drive our cars into Cambodia.

So off we went to look for some Cambodian drivers, and actually it wasn't tough. We managed to very quickly find two drivers and a guide who could communicate with them. The guy who drove our car had a name we couldn't pronounce, so we called him Mr. Moon, and the guide's name was Ank.

And so they drove us all over Cambodia in our own cars for a few days, and it was actually pretty cool. Outside of having five people crammed into our vehicle on all types of ridiculously bumpy roads, having a driver was very cool. Anyway, we saw a bunch of the Angkor temples, which were very interesting and photogenic. I'm not the biggest temple fan, so I tend to lose interest after the third or fourth one, but we got some great video footage of the team, and I managed to snap some cool pictures. Neil, Adam, Ank, and I even managed to meet the guy from the cover of the lonely planet. Yes, things were good, but there were problems yet to come.
So we went to the ruins, and they were great big old temply things, just like you'd expect, and it was good. We went out and went to a Cambodian nightclub, and it was good. We ate food, and it was good. We drank milkshakes, and it was good. I slept, and it was good. Then we went to drive back to Thailand, AND IT WAS BAD! Ok, actually it wasn't bad until after we already got through the border, but let me just put it this way, we ended up broken down on the side of a Thai highway in the evening and there were tons of mosquitoes all vying for my attention. Thank God for Gameboy is all I can say. So it was a very long ordeal, and if it wasn't for a friendly local Land Rover enthusiast, I?d have no idea what would have happened. He took us in, made some calls for us, and got us situated in a nice hotel for cheap. I don't remember his name, but three cheers for him (glass raised). Anyway, all in all, Cambodia was an extremely interesting/hectic experience for me.

P.S. - Today was a big day. We had scheduled a 0900 link-up at the Marriott to load into two vehicles for rthe drive to Cambodia. Due to some tardiness caused by extended errand running at the bank, etc., we didn't leave until after noon. The drive to the border was uneventful, but they didn't want to let us drive into Cambodia. It was about 7:30 p.m. by the time we got all our visas, etc., and we will have to talk to teh Cambodian customs officials tomorrow about getting our vehicles into the country. That will have to wait until tomorrow, though, so we'll spend the night here. We are in no-man's land, and, to our great surprise, the area between Thailand and Cambodia is strewn with several big casinos and hotels. It's super-duper weird. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 9th, Day 249
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Poi Pet, Cambodia Time: N/A N: 13* 39.000 E: 102* 34.000	Mileage: ???

[Nick and Todd snapped this photo of a live pig being transported by moped in Cambodia. "They were all carrying pigs," said Todd. Nick and Todd had been out and about talking with customs officials at another border in order to arrange for the Land Rovers to drive in Cambodia.]

Photo by Todd

Without a doubt, I have reached a new level of laziness. In fact, I think I should win an award or something. I am usually an overachiever, and those of you who know me well know that I tend to bite off more than I can chew. Plus, I never seem to learn my lesson regarding how much I can handle at one time.

But today was a different story. Today is dedicated solely to discovering how lazy I can be. I started by deciding to have a little bit of a ?lie-in? to catch up on some much needed sleep. I slept so well in this little resort town that I barely managed to get up before noon. After a very lazy shower, it was off to the restaurant to have some phad thai noodles and a fresh pineapple shake for lunch. Afterward, I adjourned down toward the beach to catch a little bit of afternoon sun. Besides, when you?re being lazy, isn?t getting a tan part of the package? While I was there laying there reading a fascinating book about Myanmar (Burma) and listening to the gentle waves caressing the shore, I decided to take a nap?I mean, it?s hard work being this lazy.

Once I woke up (with a bit of a sunburn), I went back to the restaurant for another delicious meal. It was then that I got to do something I have always wanted?learn to play backgammon. At first, it was a bit confusing, and I was playing a master at the game. But after a few quick losses, my backgammon lesson was over, and I started to play for real. I sat there for over two hours playing, and by the end of the evening I was fairing pretty well for myself?well, at least for a beginner.

And that ended the laziest day of my life. I headed off for bed with a sense of accomplishment, knowing that tomorrow it?s back to Bangkok and the work that awaits me.

Until next time, I wish you well from the far side of the world.

P.S. - Nick and Todd spent the entire day working with Cambodia customs to devise a way to drive our vehicles into Cambodia. The only way to do it is to hire Cambodian drivers to pilot OUR vehicles. Apparently, no foreigners are allowed to drive into Cambodia because of liability. In case of an accident, we would not be covered. Nick's ingenious solution was to request that we be allowed to have Cambodia-insured drivers drive for us, and the officials agreed. Nick and the official had a gentleman's agreement that only the Cambodian guides would drive while in Cambodia, and we will exit the country day after tomorrow. We found a couple of drivers and an English-speaking guide, and we entered the country. We drove the worst roads of the entire expedition and arrived Angkor Wat late at night. We're in a hotel and will visit the ruins tomorrow. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 10th, Day 250
Start: Poi Pet, Cambodia Time: N/A N: 13* 39.000 E: 102* 34.000	Finish: Angkor Wat, Cambodia Time: N/A N: 13* 25.000 E: 103* 52.000	Mileage: ???

[One of the Certified Land Rovers at the temples in Cambodia.]

Journal and Photos by Nancy

We woke up at 0530 so we could get to the ruins early. Angkor Wat is amazing! The journal entry will tell you all about it. These famous temples were build by the Khmer kings between the 7th and 13th centuries. There are more than 100 temples in an area of 200 square km here. This was the administrative and religious centre of the Khmer empire that stretches out over a large part of SE Asia. We had a big, tiring day, and then we went out and explored the Cambodian night life back in town. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 11th, Day 251
Start: Cambodia Time: N/A N: 13* 25.000 E: 103* 52.000	Finish: Cambodia Time: N/A N: 13* 25.000 E: 103* 52.000	Mileage: ???

[Gas stations in Cambodia consist of no more than a little stand with pre-measured Johnny Walker Red bottles of fuel manned by Cambodian families. We believe the bright-yellow litres of fuel we purchased at one stand might be responsible for Vehicle D2's burnt-up catalytic converter!]

Journal and photos by Neil

I am back in Cambodia again, this time with our team, and it has been a short-but-sweet adventure. I was here a couple weeks ago for about seven days by myself, not knowing we were to return here as a group, and I am really happy we all did come back as a group. Cambodia is the most amazing country I have visited on our expedition so far, and now that we have all come together, the rest of the team realizes how special Cambodia is as also. You can also click on this link [coming soon] to see what I wrote about my six days in Cambodia before, which I highly recommend.

Oh, and before I describe what happened today, I have to tell you a story about something that happened yesterday, since it only happened to Adam, Colin and me, and Adam and Colin's log days are later in the week, so I might as well write about it. So anyway, we are in the Ta Prohm ruins, which are the magnificent ruins that have become one with the jungle, completely overgrown with huge trees that have destroyed half of the ruins. The ruins are not built up or renovated, they are left just as they were, incredible, with moss growing all over the stones and rubble, and broken Buddhas, and all kinds of interesting, ancient pieces just lying around unassembled.

So as we were filming myself talking about the ruins, we noticed that this very old man was chillin? just behind me. And who was this old man, but the man on the cover of the Lonely Planet 2002 edition of Cambodia, which we happened to have with us. So instantly we went over to him and showed him the cover, and I said, "Wow, this is you!!, you are famous!!" And he smiled at us and said, "Yes," and kept nodding his head. So I began to sit with him and talk with him for about 20 minutes about his life. He comes to these ruins everyday and sweeps up the ruins, so he has good karma when he dies. His name is Niem, and he is 83 years old! He had six children and a wife, but four of his children were killed during the horrible Pol Pot regime, and his wife just passed away a year ago. His other two children are married and living nearby now. I asked him if it was ok to talk about his experience with the Khmer Rouge and said I understood if he didn't want to due to painful memories. But he was willing, and luckily we had Saomonk, our translator with us, because Niem didn't speak English. He explained much of his horrible experience, which was very similar to a few of the different stories I have read in a couple other books since my first visit to Cambodia a few weeks ago. I am always amazed at the people who survived and the horror they lived through and how they can continue to have such big smiles on their faces.

It was a fascinating and very touching time talking to Niem, and afterwards, I asked him if he would sign our Lonely Planet book, and he said yes. He can't write, but can etch out a name. And he also said that this was the first signature he had given. I was astonished; however, maybe he meant just today. But it is a nice romantic notion to believe that it was the first book he has ever signed. Anyway, I hope Niem lives for many years to come, and continues to sweep up the peaceful Ta Prohm ruins and keeps his smile until the day he passes into his next life. I also overpaid for a Buddha head, and some cowbells from Niem that he had for sale. However, no amount of money from me is too much when it comes to helping this man have food on his plate everyday.

And now to today...

So today, we awoke and began our drive back to Thailand from Siem Reap, Cambodia. Our drivers, Chan, Pho, and our translator, Saomonk, drove us back on the dirt road, the main highway, Route 6, back to the border. This main highway isn't what most people consider a main highway due to the extreme road conditions, with dirt, potholes, bridges with missing planks, and beautiful, rugged Cambodian people scattered alongside the roads, standing on bridge railings waving and staring at us. We were surrounded by rice fields, on both sides, for as far as our eyes could see. The majority of Cambodia's land is rice fields, and has been since the Khmer Kingdom started back in 800 A.D.

So after driving through the country for five hours, we reached the border town of Poipet and dropped off our drivers and guides, which was a sad goodbye, as they were really nice guys. We could really only talk with Saomonk, and he would translate to the others for us. Yeah, as sad as it was to say goodbye, we were also really glad that we could drive our own vehicles again. It was a bit nerve-racking at times with these drivers. They would drive with the brights on all the time, and when a car would come, then they would turn off and on the Hella Halogen lights, making it even more difficult than it was before for the oncoming vehicle to see. We tried to explain the situation to him a few times, but he just couldn't understand; it was pretty funny.

Also, as we were approaching the border, our car started to lose energy, and the engine was sputtering and jerking. The "check engine" light was flashing, and we seemed to have a legitimate problem on our hands. We had to fill up our tank a few times with roadside gas, which were small houses on the side of the road in the middle of the countryside, which had "Johnny Walker" bottles filled up with gasoline for sale. The family would attend your car and fill up the tank. Many times, the family members who were filling up the gas and getting gas from the canisters into the bottles were small children. It was a bit disturbing to see young children, only about 10 years old filling up gas tanks and having to breathe in gasoline fumes all day.

The other problem with this roadside gas is that we didn't know what type of gas we were getting. We tried to explain that we needed unleaded gasoline, or petrol, and pretty much whatever we would ask or try to explain, they would say, "yes, yes." So as our car started having problems, we assumed that this must have been caused by bad gas, maybe we were receiving leaded gas, or even some diesel.

Well, we made it to the border, ate at the casino, and pushed on into Thailand to the first gas station we could find. We filled up with unleaded gas and then drove for another 6-10 miles hoping that the new gas would clear up any problems we were having. Unfortunately, it wasn't working, and our vehicle kept struggling. So we pulled over at the next gas station, and Nick and Todd spent an hour changing all the spark plugs, hoping that would solve the problem.

After replacing the spark plugs, it was dark, and we decided to push on to Bangkok, another four hours away. Right away, we realized the spark plugs weren't the problem, as our car was still feeling as if it was running on a missing cylinder. So we went a steady 50 km/hr and were trying to keep the RPM's at 2000, as it seemed run a bit better at 2000 RPM's, until suddenly, five minutes into our drive, Nick from behind us in the following vehicle YELLS, "Stop the car and GET OUT, you are on fire!!" They had also just seen huge chunks of glowing metal skip down the street towards them out from under our vehicle. Wholly sheep shmibblies! We pulled over and jumped out of the car, and we saw a huge glow under the Land Rover. As some of us ran away, and some grabbed valuables, Adam looked under the car and saw that the entire catalytic converter was bright red and glowing. So we got our stuff and stayed away for a few minutes and waited for the glowing to go away. It literally looked like a red light bulb underneath the car; the metal had melted and even dripped off onto the road! So much for getting to Bangkok tonight.

FREELANDER TO THE RESCUE!

After it cooled down and we had looked at it, Nick and a few others went back into town looking for a towrope to bring us back to the gas station. We stupidly brought the two vehicles that didn't have our tools and recovery kits inside them. Well, we learned a good lesson. Anyway, after an hour, Nick had borrowed a towrope from the police and came back to tow us back to town. However, during Nick's search for the tow rope, he happened to meet an extremely nice man who had a Freelander (Land Rover), who owned a very nice restaurant in town and told us we could leave our vehicle in his lot for the night until we figured out what we were going to do. Wow, thank you! So when we arrived at the restaurant, which was closed now, due to it being 1:15 a.m., but the man with the Freelander and a couple of his guards were there. They greeted us and brought us ice-chilled water. And as it turned out, the guy had a roadside service number for Land Rover, and he called them for us, and they arranged for a tow truck to drive five hours from Bangkok to Aranyaprathet, pick up our Land Rover, and bring it back to Land Rover in Bangkok. The tow truck was to arrive where we were at 6 a.m. And all this for $125; unreal!!!! What luck, to have broken down just inside Thailand and to have met a man with a Land Rover who helped us out, and to find a tow truck driver who could come all the way out and bring it back to Bangkok for such a reasonable fee. We must have good karma working for us.

So we ended up staying the night in a very nice hotel near the border. When we awoke at noon, our other Land Rover had already arrived back in Bangkok and was being worked on. Now that is service. Land Rover worldwide has helped us out tremendously, and we are so grateful to have Land Rover as our sponsor. Thank you, Land Rover!

As of now, we assume that we had gotten leaded gas and the lead had clogged up the catalytic converter. We'll find out for sure very soon.

Take care, and if you want to read a lot more about Cambodia, please go to this link and read about Cambodia. [coming] Cambodia is truly a fascinating country, and is also extremely happy now that they are finally enjoying peace and freedom, which only came as recently as 1998. While I was a child growing up in California, playing soccer and having three meals a day, Cambodia was experiencing the genocide of the Khmer Rouge, where the entire country was put into labor camps to work rice fields, be malnourished, and die in doing so. So I urge you to read more about Cambodia, and their history, and be inspired to come here some day and see the beautiful people and help spur their economy with tourism and knowledge and education from abroad. Have you ever considered teaching English in a foreign country, helping out the local people, experiencing a brilliant culture and also get paid? It is an opportunity that is good for all. Think about it.

Caio,

Neil

Flooded-out moped

Water buffalo

Cambodian boys

Babes on bikes

P.S. - Our drivers got us back to Poi Pet, where we said goodbye and paid them their 500 Baht per day. It's good to be back in control of our own vehicles. We crossed the border and were on track for a fine drive home when D2 started acting up. Choking, hesitating, and then, finally, heating up the catalytic converter so much that it glowed red. We pulled over immediately and searched for a tow. We couldn't risk starting it up again. The cause is, very likely, contaminated fuel from Cambodia's roadside stations. It may contain some lead. We'll have to investigate. It will have to be towed back to Bangkok for inspection at Land Rover. We'll spend the night here, just outside of Poi Pet. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 12th, Day 252
Start: Cambodia Time: N/A N: 13* 25.000 E: 103* 52.000	Finish: Thailand Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: ???

[These Cambodians at Angkor Wat demonstrate the best means of transportation available.]

Journal and Photos by Nancy

D2 was put on a flat-bed this morning and carted off to Thai Ultimate Car in Bangkok. They are busy investigating the problem. We had a relaxing morning at this cool hotel near Poi Pet, and then we made the long drive "home" to Bangkok. Cambodia was a wonderful experience, but it is comforting to be back in this hotel that has now become so familiar. It's a nice home away from home. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 13th, Day 253
Start: Cambodia Time: N/A N: 13* 25.000 E: 103* 52.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: ???

Photos by Nancy

]

Hella, who has provided us with auxilliary lighting for each of our vehicles, including huge Xenons for our front bumpers and "alien abduction" lights for our roof racks, has also given us thousands of keychain lights to hand out to children along our route.

The following is a photo tribute to Hella, just to say "Thanks" for one of the most incredible sponsor gifts we have received: Smiles, smiles, and more smiles."

Mom and boy say thanks for the flashlight.

1) This little cutie poses for a picture with his new light.

2) He investigates its possibilities.

3) And decides maybe this light can fly! Whoopee!

4) Look Ma, no hands!

The boy's sister tries out her light.

From Cambodia: Thanks, Hella!

[Inside the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand.]

Journal and photo by Todd

After a wonderful excursion to Cambodia, the team is now back in Bangkok, and back to work. Now that we have another legal 30 days on our visas, everyone seemed to pick up where they left off.

Everyday we hope to have definitive word on when we will begin driving again, but what we are waiting on is news on the Manipur permits (Manipur is a state in India on its eastern side). Once we have the paperwork in order to leave Myanmar and enter India through its Eastern Border, we will be ready to start driving again. The reason we are waiting is that if we don?t get permission we will have to drastically alter our course in China; this will mean more time in China, and more money we will need to spend. We keep our fingers crossed everyday that we will hear a favorable word, and our ears are still poised and ready. There is a reason that no one has driven through Myanmar in over 50 years: these permits are really tough get.

In the morning I helped Chanda with some banking stuff as well as preparing our medical bag with new supplies. Our upcoming trek will take us through places where malaria is endemic, as well as areas of steep altitude climbs (in the Himalayas). The odds of us getting malaria are not very high, but we bought eight treatments for the team, expecting the worst. It is kind of like buying insurance: you most likely won?t need it, but if you do, you do. We hemmed and hawed at spending the money, but we figured safety was more important than money.

We also bought a medication called Diamox for altitude climbs. This drug helps you adapt to higher altitudes, as when we leave Katmandu, we will quickly climb the foothills of the Himalayas and find ourselves driving at 15,000 feet atop the Tibetan Plateau. Serious altitude climbs can bring with it serious medical problems; this drug will help in our adjustment to life at 15,000 ft. Hopefully we will quickly adapt to this change, but we bought plenty of tablets in case we have any trouble. Hopefully, the worst that will happen as a result of the altitude change is a couple of headaches, but in any case we really have to be careful; we also need to keep a close eye on each other. Once you are in the middle of the Tibetan Plateau, there are not any quick ways to descend if someone gets ill.

The rest of my day consisted of tracking down the Laos embassy and securing visa paperwork. I was totally excited when I got home and the whole team managed to get additional passport photos taken. I just have to fill out the forms and I should be set for the morning.

I guess I don?t have a lot to report on this time. Until next!

Logbook for July 14th, Day 254
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[The Michelin Man in a Buddha pose, Bangkok, Thailand.]

Journal and photo by Nancy

Today, I basically worked on my computer most of the late morning and early afternoon, and then I remembered my broken computer. I?ve been using Nick?s old laptop, one that has already been around the world once, because the HP I bought in D.C. broke several months ago. I think there?s an issue with one of the bulbs in the screen, because it simply does not light up. I can just make out the screen, if I view it from the right angle, but it is extremely difficult to see. It?s quite frustrating to have a dead laptop, and I certainly won?t have the cash to buy one when I get home.

Because we?re in Bangkok for a few more days, at least, and because Bangkok has an HP Service Center, I decided to have the folks there take a look at my screen. I?m at least two, maybe three years beyond my one-year warranty, so my plan was to see if we could get lucky. Maybe it?s just a loose wire, or maybe it?s the world?s cheapest repair.

Todd went with me, because 1) I?m not well-versed on the inner workings and hidden mechanisms of my computer, and 2) I?m not at all good at groveling for a good deal on such things as T-shirts, produce, or computer repairs.

We had to take the sky rail to the right area of town, and then we were supposed to ?exit the skyrail at the big Black Canyon Coffee sign, walk up Silom Street, turn right on the corner, and it would be on our right, beyond some hotel, and in a big office park.

Ok, great, but walk up the street in which direction? If we went right, a right at the corner would mean we?d have to cross a bunch of traffic. If we went left, we wouldn?t have to cross traffic. Deductive reasoning told me we?d need to go left. We started walking, we came to a corner, and we turned right. We looked for the hotel as we walked, but we didn?t see any hotel at all. And then we came to a dead end. Either we should have gone right when we went left at the beginning, or we turned right at the wrong corner. Still convinced we weren?t supposed to cross all that traffic, I had a feeling we?d turned at the wrong corner.

Todd and I decided to hop into a tuk-tuk and have him take us to the hotel. We could walk to HP from there, and asking a Thai-speaking driver to take us to HP, I knew, would be impossible. Drivers know where hotels are, and they know where the party areas and temples are, but that?s about it. Unless you speak Thai. He asked somebody where the hotel is, and he took us around the block. We had been very close. Had we turned right at the second corner instead of the first, we?d have found it.

Anyway, we walked inside, vadered (took the elevator, or ?vader?) to the third floor, and walked up to a receptionist. And here is the beginning of the most mind-blowingly incredible example of customer service greatness that we have ever experienced. This is where HP officially took the cake. She asked us what the problem was, and I told her my laptop screen doesn?t light up. I was expecting her to start asking about warranties and the age of my computer right then. But no; she walked us right back into the guts of the building to a room that was labeled something like ?Repair Technician Room.?

WOW! She walked us back, told the young guy in there what was wrong, and he went to work. He opened up my laptop, plugged it in, saw that there was no screen, and plugged my computer into a desktop monitor. Bingo. The hard drive is perfect. Only the screen is non-functioning. He and the girl walked out of the room. She explained, ?I will go get the engineer now.?

The three of them came back with another man, and that man went to work. He opened up the computer, took something out, plugged it back in, screwed the tiny screws down tight, and tried to turn the screen back on as I held my breath. No dice. He explained something to the first guy, and he explained to us that there was a bad bulb, or something, and that the screen should be replaced for 20,000 Baht, or about $500 USD. Yikes! We don?t have that kind of money!

Todd stepped up at that point. He asked if they had an old computer lying around that could be pirated for parts. They checked. I mean, they actually really checked. No. No spares. They felt very bad, and one of the guys went to get his supervisor. They head of the repair division came down to meet us, and he explained the problem, and that they were sorry they didn?t have what was needed to fix it. They were very sorry. Genuinely. They checked on that part again, and they realized there wasn?t one in Thailand and that it would have to be ordered from Singapore. We?d said we were leaving in about four days. The part won?t be here soon enough.

They tried and tried for quite a while to come up with a solution, but nobody could. They gave us the part number, and they told us we might be able to get it at our next big-city stop: India. We had told these guys about Drive Around the World, and how this laptop is what we use to update our web page, etc., and they truly wanted to solve our problem. But they couldn?t. So, they supervisor went and got a little box and handed it to Todd, saying it was a gift for us from HP. Whoa! They felt bad, so they gave us a gift. It was a Swiss Army-style pocked knife, with lots of gadgets. How cool. Unfortunately, we didn?t have anything to give to them. I?m going to go back with some stickers and Hello key chain lights for them later.

I am stunned by the amazing service we got there at HP. I never would have expected to walk in, go directly to the repair guy, and stand there and watch as three engineers opened up my computer and tried to get it to work. Never. I was certain we would walk in, be told our warranty is up, and then be told they can perform a diagnostic (no guarantees) for a large fee in order to see how many hundreds of dollars a repair or replacement would cost. Instead, they just jumped right in with hardly a word spoken. And when they couldn?t help, they felt so rotten that they sent us away with a nice gift.

Unbelieveable. Thanks for the experience, HP.

P.S. - Work as usual. Colin and Neil are at the beach in Koh Samet. Chanda and Nancy might go there tomorrow.(N.O.)

Logbook for July 15th, Day 255
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Colin and Neil joined the moped brigade at Koh Samet, where the dirt roads are fun and the rental fees are cheap.]

Journal and photos by Colin

Bangkok can make a man crazy, or a woman for that matter. It's fast, loud, intense, and odiferous, and don't get me wrong, I love it, but every now and again a man needs a break from the ol' hustle and bustle, and my preferred break spot is Ko Samet. Ko Samet is an island about a four-hours drive and a half-an-hour boat ride from Bangkok, and it's just a great place. Sun, sand, beach chairs, what else could a man ask for? So anyway, Neil, Chanda, Nancy and I all took off there for a nice long weekend of good times. We made some great friends and had some great laughs (and a few milkshakes too). We ate, we slept, we danced, we relaxed, you name it, we did it. The trip lifted a huge weight off all our shoulders, and now the team is ready to roll. One more week and we are out of Thailand, and I think it was a great idea to spend some of our last days in a beautiful tropical setting rather than a bustling metropolis.

Colin met some cute-and-silly little kiddies on the beaches of Koh Samet.

Logbook for July 16th, Day 256
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[A wall at the Grand Palace in Bangkok.]

[Photo by Todd]

Journal by Justin

Today I am locked inside, working like a madman. The weather outside is nice, well nice enough by Bangkok standards, but I have much to do. Today I am sorting through literally hundreds of photos that have already been taken on the expedition as part of my efforts to revamp our pressroom photo gallery. As the expedition garners more and more coverage (five newspaper articles and one TV appearance in Bangkok alone), I need to be able to easily point journalists right to the heart of the action for what they need.

Keeping on top of all of one?s tasks on the road can be quite challenging. I mean, as you know, each one of us wears many hats on a daily basis, and it?s not uncommon for one task to jump to the forefront and overtake everything else that you?re doing. To tell the truth, this is a task that should?ve been completed a long time ago, but due to one thing or another kept getting pushed off.

So, here I am. Buried in photos of great memories and funny stories that the pictures remind me of. The problem now is that there are so many great photos?which ones do I choose?

Until next time, I wish you well from the far side of the world.

P.S. - Nick and Todd went out last night in Bangkok, while Nancy and Chanda went out in Koh Samet. Today, each is taking it easy and enjoying Thailand.(N.O.)

Logbook for July 17th, Day 257
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Water buffalo graze alongside the road in Thailand.]

Journal by Nancy

Chanda and Nancy enjoyed some rays before heading back to Bangkok via ferry and then bus. They are psyched to get back to work in the city. Colin and Neil return tomorrow. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 18th, Day 258
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[The team made several of the Bangkok papers recently, including this one written in the Thai language.]

Journal by Neil

Waaa, waaaaaaaaa, waaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!! Waaaaahhhhhh all up and down the island on a 125 four-stroke motorcycle was what I did during my day on Ko Samed! It was a blast! The island was really small, only about 11 km long, and 90% of it was dirt road along the coast. It was so beautiful and free to be whizzing around an island in the south of Thailand. The other thing that was really nice was that the island wasn't crowded with tons of people, so you could be on the roads and not worry about hitting other cars and trucks. It was relatively safe, although, Colin did hit a huge rock and flip over his handlebars, ooops! He was alright, though, just some scratches and a big raspberry.

These were really supped-up mopeds, more than actual motorcycles, which was ok, as it was safer. During my rides, I would go back and forth from one end of the island to the other, and back and forth, and back and forth again, and so on. In between, I would stop at a secluded beach with a reef, clear-blue water, and a couple cabanas selling delicious Thai food, and eat and drink some milkshakes, mmmnnn. Tropical fruit shakes in the sun, swimming, and motorbikes...sounds like Heaven doesn't it. Well, it was!

It was a nice break between all the days on the Internet researching all the info for driving through the rest of Asia. We are about to embark on the wildest and most dangerous part of our entire expedition. It will be incredibly interesting, and a bit scary. Right now, India is having the worst flooding in 20 years, and we are supposed to be heading right there. And, Manipur, where we are heading is having riots right now too, with the military and guerrillas having warfare. So we will see if we end up actually sticking to this route or not. There are still quite a bit of factors left to decide whether we will do it or not.

So slipping away to tranquil paradise on Ko Samed was perfect. I am sure if you ever come to Thailand, you will end up on one of the small beaches in the south of Thailand, and when you do, rent a moped and zip around and have a blast!

Neil

P.S. - We spent the day working on permits and visas. Todd and Nancy tried to have her laptop fixed at Pan Tip Plaza, where they have 6 levels of electronics and computer stuff. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 19th, Day 259
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[Here's another clipping of Drive Around the World in the Bangkok news!]

Journal by Nancy

We're leaving Friday! Permits and visas are looking good. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 20th, Day 250
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[A LONGITUDE Expedition Certified Land Rover Discovery gets a thorough cleansing.]

[The team has one last hurrah on Khao Sarn Road in Bangkok.]

Journal by Nancy

Big working day. Getting ready for departure early Friday morning. Justin and Nancy had a television appearance (taping) for a local a.m. show. Tape will post to this website soon, but it won't air in Bangkok until next week. Washing cars/putting on fresh decals, etc. Film crew treated the whole team to dinner on Khao Sarn at a very nice Himalayan restaurant. Thanks, Adam, Neil, and Colin! Mmmmmm! (N.O.)

Logbook for July 21st, Day 261
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[A boy in a Bai village in Dali, China, shows off his Hella light.]

Photo and journal by Nancy

What?s brighter, their new Hella key chain lights, or their smiles?

In an earlier photo blog, we showed you images of some Cambodian kids who had just received some key chain flashlights that one of our sponsors, Hella (they make accessory lights for vehicles, especially off-road vehicles) gave to us to hand out to people who need them as we drive around the world. It is difficult to describe the amount of joy those tiny gifts have brought to the hundreds of kids and adults we have bestowed them upon throughout the LONGITUDE Expedition.

At the start of our expedition, we each had, I think, [500] lights per vehicle to hand out as we saw fit. The developing nations that we drive through all have villages set up along the roads, and few of these roads or villages have the luxury of streetlights. Some don?t have electricity at all, and the ones that do certainly don?t have enough of it to use on streetlights, floodlights, or even outhouse lights. Bulbs are burnt out in dark toilets and alleys all over the world. It?s amazing to us Westerners that so many people spend so much of their time in the dark. Hella?s generous donation has brought the gift of light to hundreds of people who otherwise would have none.

It is heartening to witness how much joy something as common as a teeny flashlight, something as simple as a keychain, and something no bigger than a silver dollar can bring to someone who has likely never owned any of those items before. At times, you?d think we?d just handed them a 50-dollar bill. The joy is palpable.

We have had to establish very strict rules to govern the handling of the Hella lights in order to prevent unmanageable situations from occurring enroute. For example, nobody is allowed to hand out any ?Hellas? to kids at borders until we are leaving. If the crowd is too big, we cannot hand out Hellas to anybody. We must be very discriminating when handing out Hellas to adults; they?re meant to be for the children.

If you hand a light to a lone little kid who has been hanging out with you at a border, he or she will run off to show it to a friend or sibling. That one kid will point to you, or describe you to the other kids, and soon throngs of children, parents, grandparents, border agents, shopkeepers, and taxi drivers will be on your tail like moths to a flame. We want to give them to the needy kids and the occasional cute little old lady, but we don?t have enough for those others, and we can?t have everybody seeking us out and distracting us from the business of crossing a border with their pleas for a light. So we wait until we are ready to leave. And when we hand them out, it?s magical. Never has giving been such a selfish pleasure. I live for those smiles.

Whenever possible, we give the lights to the parents, so that they can have the pleasure of giving the lights to the kids. Sometimes the parents signal to us that it?s ok to hand the Hellas to the kids directly, and they always make sure we get a ?thank you? from the pint-sized recipient.

Hella has given us an amazing gift with the donation of these key chain flashlights. Our friend Yvonne Pratt and the amazing people at Hella also gave us accessory roof-rack lights (we call them our alien abduction lights because they?re so bright), bumper-mounted Xenons, backing lights, and map lights, and those pieces of expedition equipment are indispensable to our team. They even gave us cash toward our cause. But of all the gifts that Hella has given us, our most beloved is the key chain lights.

With that gift, we get to elicit smiles across the globe, and those smiles are what light our way. Smiles, and freakishly bright Hella off-road lights?

Favorite Hella moments:

1) Walking down a very dark and uneven sidewalk in Antigua, Guatemala, we passed a poor, elderly man walking in the other direction. I felt in my pocket and realized I had a Hella light, and I ran back to hand it to the old man. His voice, his eyes, his whole body, were full infused with such gratitude and disbelief that he seemed younger as he bubbled out a hearty ?muchas gracias!? and continued down a suddenly well-lit path.

2) During a photo shoot near a tiny village in Cuzco, Peru, the villagers wandered down to our location to watch what we were doing. We were taking pictures of the team with the vehicles and our equipment, and we showed them our cars and ?stuff? and laughed with them as we tried to communicate with hand gestures. As dusk began to fall, we began passing out the Hella lights. Soon, everybody in this village of not more than 50 had a Hella key chain. They were amazed. As we packed up to leave, the villagers began to disperse, and we were delighted to see a line of lights like Chinese lanterns moving through the hills toward their homes.

3) At the roadhouse just before the intersection of the Great Central Road and the Gunbarrel Highway in Outback Australia, I met an Aboriginal man who wanted to sell me an ornate snake carved out of a stick. I didn?t have much cash on me (I never do), so I offered him three Hellas, two Red Bulls, and a dollar bill. It was a fair trade, and that snake stick is now in the back of D3. Since then, I have used Hellas as currency (in a pinch) on a couple of occasions.

A Lao boy shows off his new Hella light. (Check out his Land Rover Camel Trophy T-shirt...)

P.S. - Final-prep stages for tomorrow's departure. Getting everything ready to go, picking up items we think we'll need, etc. Finished putting new Parkinson's logo on the vehicles (on the bonnet, or the hood, as we say in the U.S.). We'll depart around 7 or 8 tomorrow morning. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 22nd, Day 262
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Mileage: 000

[A tiger chomps down on some chow in Laos.]

Journal and photo by Colin

Sa Bai Dee from Laos, which coincidentally is one of the friendliest, most beautiful places I have ever travelled to in my life. The people here are ridiculously warm and friendly, even the little kids with M-16s are excited to see us; in fact, even the grown men armed with weapons are excited to see us.

Laos may not be a country with a lot of money, and some people might tell you it?s an extremely poor nation, however in my view, people from Laos lead a charmed life. Never is there a problem with food shortages, and money isn?t even really needed in the villages. Sure, villagers might not have televisions, mobile phones, or easy chairs, but when you drive through a small village and you see the smiles on everyone?s face, you can see that these frivolous things are not necessary. Now don?t get me wrong, I?m not going to denounce all my material possessions and move to a small mountain village; I?ve already been programmed by the western media, however, it?s nice to see that there are still those that can resist the draw of modernization and really enjoy life to its fullest.

So yeah, that?s Laos, it?s like stepping back in time, at least that is, once you leave the cities. One day in particular Justin and I did just that. We hopped in D4 and headed 35 kilometers out of Luang Pruabang to a waterfall. We had a blast. We swam, we relaxed, we ate, we met some Spaniards, you know, the usual. Oh yeah, and Justin got bitten by a bear, an Asiatic black bear to be exact. It?s not as bad as you think, the bear didn?t just come tromping through the woods and chomp on to Justin?s leg. You see, the bear was part of a family of bears that had been recovered from a poacher and were being raised in an enclosure near the park. Anyway, we kind of wandered into their home and their care taker told us it would be fine to hang out there. Within minutes the bears were right there with us, begging to be pet. Justin was more than happy to oblige(as was I), and was quickly surrounded by a few of them. Eventually, I think he pissed one off a little and it nipped at him. Nothing major, no broken flesh. They were pretty cute and all, but when they got snippy I got the heck out of that enclosure.

After the whole bear attack thing we were walking up back towards the waterfall, when we came upon another enclosure. This one was bigger, but we couldn?t see anything inside it. After walking along the outside of it for a while, we came to another caretaker?s house. I looked inside and there it was, a tiger, and a hungry one at that. Her name was Phet (Thai for spicy) and she was also captured from a poacher. It was feeding time, and she was very hungry, pacing back and forth in her enclosure looking at me like she wanted to eat me on a platter. Luckily, her caretaker was more than happy to let us watch her feed the cat.

Watching Phet wolf down chunks of raw buffalo meat was amazing, I?ve never been so close to a big cat; I was within inches. But seriously folks, the grace and power of the beast, I can?t even describe it. The first few minutes I just kind of sat there with my jaw dropped open, awed by the animal. Eventually the shock kind of wore off and I just grabbed a chair and sat back and kind of hung out with her while she ate. All in all, I probably spent an hour hanging around Phet. It was a great experience, and I don?t think I?ll forget it anytime soon.

So, now we are on our way to China, where I?m really curious to see what awaits the team and me there; we?ll find out soon.

P.S. - We had an early rise, packed up, said goodbye to all our Bangkok friends (mostly local food vendors and hotel operators), and hit the road. We are privileged to have joining us Ms. Diana Moxon of the UK. She is a friend of ours who works for Marriott, and she will be with us for the first part of our drive north. She has helped us immensely in gathering PR for our cause through her networks. Yea, Diana! We had an uneventful drive north to the border, and we crossed fairly easily in the evening. We're staying at a nice little guesthouse in the nation's capital, and Diana treated us to an amazing dinner at a fantastic French restaurant nearby. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 23rd, Day 263
Start: Bangkok, Thailand Time: N/A N: 13* 45.000 E: 100* 30.000	Finish: Vientiene, Laos Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: ???

[A Buddah in Vientiane.]

Journal and photos by Justin

Sawasdee khrap! Parlez vous Francais?

Welcome to day 267 of the LONGITUDE Expedition. Today we are in the capital of Laos, Vientiane. Now, just a walk down the street will leave you somewhat confused. Glancing around at the buildings, you will see several different styles of architecture presented, which may leave you wondering exactly where you?re standing. First, there are the traditional simply styled buildings and elaborate temples that one associates with Southeast Asian cities. A twist of the neck in one direction will present you with visions of grand French architecture, and a turn in the other direction with put you face-to-face with the cold, hard lines of communist-style bomb-shelter-like buildings.

Vientiane is completely different than what I expected. Here in the middle of Laos, you can find some of the best French food outside of Paris. Plus, they have a Scandinavian bakery that is out of this world. Who knew that in the capital city of Laos, I would find some of the world?s best cuisines? I mean, sure you usually expect to find great food in a capital city, but this is only a city of 133,000 people.

I spent the day wondering around the city past many different types of shops and restaurants, and after adopting a dog (Chauncey?who later ran away), I got caught in a rainstorm. After the rain passed, I continued through a myriad of temples and wound up face-to-face with an arch that sits in the middle of the main thoroughfare. This arch, styled similarly to the Arc de? Triumph in Paris, is an impressive cap on top of the other buildings in Vientiane.

After a final stop past the local souvenir market, I decided to call it a day. After all, tomorrow we?re back on the road heading north, and I need some rest.

Until next time, I wish you well from the far side of the world.

Logbook for July 24th, Day 264
Start: Vientiene, Laos Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Vientiene, Laos Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: ???

[Nancy and Chanda try to escape a giant man-eating statue in Vientiane's Buddha Garden.]

Journal by Nancy

We spent the morning getting vehicle insurance for Laos, and then we left to head north to Khasi. We arrived early in the evening in a small, sleepy town full of smiling people and checked into a comfy, bare-bones guesthouse. The food was excellent, and we turned in early. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 25th, Day 265
Start: Vientiene, Laos Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Khasi, Laos Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: ???

[Local farmers pick rice in a Lao paddy.]

Journal and photo by Neil

I don't know if you read my account of Cambodia in the World Bytes section of our website by clicking HERE. , well you should. Just click on the "Neil's Cambodian Adventures" to read it. The reason being that Cambodia was the most amazing country I have visited this entire expedition.....until now!! Laos is more than I ever imagined. Talk about smiling people and a countryside that is overwhelmingly scenic. It is truly spectacular, and the single greatest thing about it all is that it is still relatively untouched by westerners. Of course, I do say relatively because there definetely is foreign influence, like the French colonization and the small number of travelers who do frequent Laos; however, in comparison to everywhere else I have been, except Cambodia, it is light years behind the globalization boom.

Stepping into Laos is like diving into a tropical island reef out of a 40-story building in the middle of New York City. You immediately enter a slow, peaceful, and different flow. Everywhere you go, your senses are peaking, from visually stunning rice fields amongst towering mountains, to the smells of lush tropical rain, or feeling the changes in climate as you climb up three thousand feet from sea level, and even the slight fear of the rebels who have killed tourists and locals before and who live in the next three-hour stretch of winding roads through the steep hills that harbor them.

Rebels who have killed tourists? I met a woman yesterday who flew to Luang Prabang from the border because she was scared of what she had heard about the road we were about to drive. She had heard that there had been killings on this road, Rte. 13. She must have received some wrong information, or maybe the tour agencies just try to scare tourists into flying in order to make some more money? Either way, from what I have read and researched, there are rebels in the hills that we are passing today, but they have not murdered anyone in about a year. However, when we awoke this morning, we heeded warning to our guidebooks that said the next stretch of road is the location of the rebels. So we didn't stop to set up convoy shots and take photos.....unfortunately!

The sights and people we passed today were magnificent. Waking up to a rice field reflecting the warm morning sun's rays, lush green foliage, clouds, and dew was quite a serene scene. Then we piled into our cars and headed into the "rebel" mountains. We all agreed to radio silence so we didn't warn anyone we were coming, in case they were listening! I guess it doesn't hurt to be overly cautious. However, what we discovered in our five-hour drive was quite the opposite of any threat or danger. We saw small children everywhere waving at us, screaming "sabadi!" which means hello, with immense smiles and wonder in their eyes at the vehicles we were driving. We saw woman carrying goods and cooking food. We saw many people just sitting around and relaxing, or just stepping outside of their small house to see what all the commotion was about, four Land Rovers driving through their peaceful neighborhood.

Now of course, since this is "rebel" territory, you are guaranteed to see your fair share of gun-totin' Laotians, and that is just what we saw. I saw a small child, literally about 10 years old carrying a semi-automatic rifle (an M-16). We also saw many other young men, or teenagers, carrying guns, some rifles with extremely long barrels, most likely meant for hunting birds or some mountain animals, and some machine guns. But with every gun came a nice genuine smile. These people were not a threat to us; they were very friendly and even let us slow down to a stop to take a couple pics. Even though all these people are so nice and friendly, I guess it only takes a few bad people to give a whole area a bad name, which must have been the case in the past. The Lao people are wonderful, and even though we get to spend a week here, I really want to come back and spend months and months in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. I guess on some other trip. As for now, as you know, we only have a limited amount of time due to our schedule and goals.

So after driving through fantastic countryside, we arrived at Luang Prabang. This town is a very special place, as it sits along the Mekong River, and is also the old Royal center of Laotian history. As we sat at the riverside, gazing into the chocolate-brown Mekong River, which is a quarter mile wide, we drank some iced coffees and sat back and just relaxed. Aaahhh, what a peaceful place. Luang Prabang is filled with Buddhist Temples and is a very small town. There are plenty of restaurants, cafes, and places to buy all kinds of Laotian goods, which are some of the coolest I have seen yet. There is also a really cool Red Cross where Colin and I walked in the pouring rain for 1/2 mile, getting drenched and loving it, to receive a massage and sauna for $4. The sauna was the best part, I must admit. I was floating around Luang Prabang all night after that sauna. We went and ordered some food, and I ended up drinking two pots of smoked Laotian tea, which was delicious, mmmn, mmmn.

Then we went and perused around the night market, which is a beautiful display of vendors on the main street selling goods. However, like said before, these items they have for sale are the most beautiful and ornate things I have seen yet. The silks are plentiful, the quilts are very intricate and colorful, there are beautiful paper lamps for lights, vases, wood carvings, and all kinds of shirts and wonderful clothes that will turn any non shopper into a mall rat. The coolest part of this market, though, was the overall feeling that was present. It was very peaceful, with people walking here and there at a leisurely pace, and the Lao people smiling at you and saying, "sabadi", hoping you will buy something, but not insisting, just calmly letting you look and enjoy what they have to offer. It was a feeling I have not felt at a market before; usually people are yelling at you to buy something, or tugging at your arm, or begging. This was what shopping should be like everywhere: you walk around a place that is very scenic and peaceful, and the people working don't come up to you and try to sell you something. You literally get to look around and see what they have and also get a very fair price. There isn't much haggling or bargaining going on since the prices are fair and the people aren?t here to play games and try to rip you off.

Another great thing I have noticed about Laos are the children. They are clothed, have food and shelter, and are in the streets all day playing soccer, laughing, riding bikes, eating and just having a healthy young life. These people have a very good life here and are not going hungry or "poor." Even the hill tribes in the extremely remote areas have enough rice and crops to eat.

Lao is a very special place, and having only been here for two days now, I do not know it extremely well by any means, but I definitely know I love it. In fact, tonight, after the market, I was in such a peaceful and mellow mood, I walked back to our guest house, picked up my guitar, and walked to a temple that was lit up by the half moon and some lights. There were two monks at the entrance to the grounds. I walked in and asked them if it was ok to walk around and play guitar, and "yes, sure, no problem" was their answer. There were four temples here and many other stuppas, and they were all along the Mekong River under the moonlight. It was precious, and I played guitar for hours and hours, just chillin' in one of the most serene and beautiful places in the world.

Neil

P.S. - We left early and drove through amazing hill country, through tiny villages that speckled the main road to Luang Prabang. The rice fields are greener than the greenest green, and the people are the friendliest we have met yet! We arrived in Luang Prabang and had to say goodbye to our friend Diana. Wha! Miss you! Then we went and had a delicious lunch and checked into a very comfortable guesthouse with A/C! (N.O.)

Logbook for July 26th, Day 266
Start: Khasi, Laos Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Luang Pra Bang, Laos Time: N/A N: 19* 53.590 E: 102* 08.328	Mileage: ???

[The monkey's name is Rambo, and Nancy VERY nearly bought him for $15...]

Journal by Nancy and Photo by Todd

We had a nice trip up the Mekong River in a long boat today to visit a cave full of Buddhas, a whisky distillery, and a paper-making plant. It was fun being on the water. Nancy almost bought a really cool monkey for $15. In the evening, most of the gang went to the local Red Cross for a $3 massage. Tomorrow will be a work day. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 27th, Day 267
Start: Luang Pra Bang, Laos Time: N/A N: 19* 53.590 E: 102* 08.328	Finish: Luang Pra Bang, Laos Time: N/A N: 19* 53.590 E: 102* 08.328	Mileage: 000

[Monks walk past the LONGITUDE vehicles on their way through town. Every morning, the townspeople give them food for their meal buckets, and this feeds them for the day.]

Today was a busy day, starting with a hospital visit. Tracking down information on Parkinson?s disease, in a country where the average life span is less than 60 years and the leading cause of injury is unexploded bombs, is tough. Luang Prabang, one of the biggest cities in the country, was once the Capital of Laos, the seat of royalty. Although I couldn?t find anything online about Parkinson?s disease organizations, doctors, or research in Laos, I still didn?t give up. When I can?t find anything online, or don?t have any contacts, my last resort is to show up at the hospital and see what I can discover. I arrived at the provincial hospital a couple of days ago, and found out that it was not the place I wanted to be. Although it was a hospital and made good use of the few resources it had, it certainly wasn?t a place where I would have wanted to end up. Everyone was friendly, but upon walking in, I knew that I would not find the information I was looking for there, as I saw people walking around caring their own I.V. bags.

I talked to a young med student, and despite the communication barriers, he managed to tell me that there was a bigger Chinese hospital just south of town. It took me a while, but I finally found the Chinese Hospital after taking some back roads. I was impressed; the place was beautiful. Apparently, it had been built just one year ago. The only strange thing about this hospital was that there was nobody there. I was able to walk in, talk to a few people, and find myself in the director?s office shortly thereafter. The director loaned me a book on health care in Laos, and I was able to set up an appointment for this morning, and here I am.

When I arrived I was startled. The person I had made an appointment with wasn?t around, but apparently he had left word with someone, and people had been gathering data about Parkinson?s Disease. A wonderful Lao woman named Singkham helped me find the information and people I needed to talk to. By consulting the computer, they found that there is one person with Parkinson?s Disease in the Luang Prabang area. He was once an official of some kind and is being treated for the disease. With some help, I managed to track down the Dr. who made the diagnosis. We were unable to meet, because he was busy at the time, but I hope to communicate with him later via e-mail. I wasn?t able to track down the patient, unfortunately, but hopefully I will manage to contact him in the future.

After leaving the hospital, I was on my way to locating the UNESCO office, as Luang Prabang is an official UNESCO site. This city is amazing! It is flanked on two sides by rivers, the Mekong being one of them, and mountains. The land is carpeted by a jungle landscape; it seems as though any seed you could toss on the ground here would become a giant lush, green work of art. You can walk down the street and see French buildings, traditional houses (built on stilts), and golden temples. All this beauty, the availability of cheese, the relatively quiet feel of this place, and the somewhat romantic remoteness of this place is a great combination. I will definitely come back here.

The city?s small size doesn?t mean that things are easy to find. In fact, I struggled with almost everything I was looking for. Our hotel manager, Tom, helped me find the UNESCO office. Although it seemed obvious when we got there, it took us about ? hour to find a place that was about a five-minute walk from the hotel. In our defense, we had asked a least half a dozen people where the office was, and we got a lot of different answers. Walks are usually great, but you have to pace yourself in the tropical heat and humidity.

After I made to the UNESCO office (which was the old French Customs house), they were willing to talk to me about what they were doing. I talked to Emmanuel, and he shared with me his excitement about historical preservation and what they were doing in Luang Prabang. He said Luang Prabang was unique in how the city?s architecture seamlessly flowed from French architecture, to traditional, with gardens stitching everything together. He encouraged me to walk down the back alleys to appreciate the real beauty. It was exciting to hear how he loved his work.

On the way out, I met an intern, Laura, a young French woman. She was heading home for lunch as I was leaving the office. It was fun to talk to her, as we gave each other a hard time for the stereotypes of our countries. I asked why French people complain so much, and she asked me why Americans talk so loud. We had a good time hanging out.

I spent the rest of the afternoon (per Emmanuel?s advice) driving and walking around the city, looking down the back alleys, and genuinely enjoying my own company. There was a place you had to climb 190 steps to overlook the city. This was a great perch, and there was even an old Russian anti-aircraft gun sitting up there, a distinct mark of an era that is hopefully gone by!

Tomorrow we head toward the China border and more adventures.

P.S. - Did our own thing today. Todd had a Parkinson's visit and the others did some writing. We head to the Chinese border tomorrow. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 28th, Day 268
Start: Luang Pra Bang, Laos Time: N/A N: 19* 53.590 E: 102* 08.328	Finish: Luang Pra Bang, Laos Time: N/A N: 19* 53.590 E: 102* 08.328	Mileage: 000

[Laos kids gather to say hello.]

Journal and photo by Nancy

Lao has just maneuvered itself to my Top-Five All-Time Favorite Countries list. It?s a beautiful country with smooth, winding roads sandwiched between bright-green rice paddies and picturesque mountains blanketed in a patchwork of green forest and white mist. It?s breathtaking.

But Lao?s greatest treasure, I?m quite certain, is its people. As we drove past the rice paddies and hills of Laos, the roads began to climb. The team went on full alert as we entered a territory that had a history spotted with rebel activity, which, at its worst, has been responsible for the deaths of several tourists and a busload of Laotians. We didn?t know what to expect, so we prepared for the worse.

We drove into the countryside, and as we passed through the hills, the roads became speckled by little outcroppings of villages and settlements situated along R13, one of the country?s main arteries. In every single settlement, naked babies and young boys and girls with no need for any clothing below the waist stepped out of the jungle, peeped out of irrigation ditches, and scrambled out of modest little dwellings to wave (usually with both hands) and scream with pure glee the traditional Lao greeting of ?SAH-BYE-DEEEEEE!!!!?

The kids have perfect little Chiclet teeth and wild, sun-bleached hair, and the young women sport broad smiles with Kewpie Doll dimples and brightly twinkling eyes. Young men carry long-barreled bird-hunting rifles and smile brightly as they wave at us with strong, sinewy arms and hard-working farmer hands. The elderly are just as happy to wave to the convoy as we drive through, but they are a bit more stooped and slower on the uptake. These country people are some of the most beautiful in the world.

Sometimes we stop briefly to hand Hella key-chain lights to kids, and when we do, we are swarmed by the whole village. These stops have to be brief, indeed, lest we give out our whole supply of lights in one shebang. Everybody smiles, waves, poses for photos, and says , which, of course, means ?thank you.? As we pull away, we are barraged by dozens of screaming byes.

I?m convinced that the Lao people would do anything for someone in need, and that?s a comforting feeling when driving through this barely developed country. Whether we are checking into a guesthouse, walking through the streets, shopping in the markets, or stopping for gas, the people we encounter are polite, cheerful, and bedecked with big gleaming smiles.

This country has made me realize some things. One is that I would like to come back here with my own kids someday so they can see how people here live so free and happy in their simpler lives away from video games and traffic signals. Nobody dotes over the kids and worries about them doing tasks that would have American parents horrified. Secondly, people everywhere just love people, and family is the most important thing in the world. No matter how tough things can get, when you have family and community working together for a common good, life is just grand. Thirdly, everybody, no matter what their facial features, ethnicity, bone structure, height, or weight, is beautiful when they smile. Try to notice this sometime. You might be surprised.

P.S. - The drive to the border was awesome, and we made good time. We checked into a guesthouse like no other. Rooms were just big enough for the large board over which was placed two small mattresses, plus there was a tiny space in the entryway to stand in and put a backpack in. There was a mosquito net over the bed, thank goodness, because the walls were just slats. It was cool, though. We really liked it. Tomorrow, we cross the border into China and meet our guide. Can't wait! (N.O.)

Logbook for July 29th, Day 269
Start: Luang Pra Bang, Laos Time: N/A N: 19* 53.590 E: 102* 08.328	Finish: Laos/China border Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: ???

[Fish, but not THE fish.]

[Photo by Nancy]

Journal by Colin

My most disgusting blog ever. (Do not read if you have a sensitive stomach)

China is amazing, over a billion people, thousands of food dishes, cities that stretch as far as the eye can see, and rice patties that do the same. But in this blog I am not extolling upon the virtues of China (and there are so many), rather, in this particular entry I would like to discuss a little known fact about china. Here it is: China has the most disgusting bathrooms in the world. I?m serious. Dis-fargen-gusting. I mean, these are the kinds of places you wouldn?t even imagine existed. These commodes make up a land inhabited mostly by flies and maggots. In fact, judging by the amount of people I?ve seen urinating or defecating on the street, I think that Chinese people don?t use public toilets at all; they just put them there as a very cruel joke to westerners like myself.

Anyway, I avoid the aforementioned lavatories at all costs. Sometimes, going more than twenty-four hours in between clean toilets is a tough business, but luckily, the powers that be blessed me with an iron will and I was doing fine, I repeat, I WAS doing fine. That is, until I got a little loosey-goosey in my gut. So, a few days ago, I was forced to use a public toilet, and it was one of the most disturbing experiences of my life.

OK, this is when it gets really bad, so if you think you?re going to be grossed out, just quit here.

So there we are, at a restaurant off the highway on our way to Kunming, a major city in southern China, and I get the call of nature. Now, this is not one of those calls from a boss or telemarketer where you just look at the caller ID on your cell phone and decide to just let it ring. This, that?s right folks, this is one of those ?I?m sorry, I really have to take this one? calls. Well, I picked up the proverbial phone and trudged off behind the restaurant towards what I was told was the bathroom. Ankle deep in mud, in the pouring rain, I trudged toward the shore of a big green pond. Situated upon said shore was a small shack. Knowing the Chinese symbol for men told me that this, unfortunately, was the toilet. I shuddered, I really did. It was dilapidated, almost about to collapse into the lake/pond. So, against my better judgement I entered my little private hell.

When I ducked into the building, I was actually pleasantly surprised; there was no human waste visible to the eye, and no fumes were burning my eyes. ?Ok? I said to myself ?This is a good sign.? Now, this commode functioned in a very unique and interesting way. I do not actually know if my readers are acquainted with the Asian ?squatter? toilet, but let?s just say this is an interesting take on that basic idea. Basically, inside the small square room, at the back, on the lake side, was an eight ?inch-wide slot that dropped straight into the pond. Now, I had seen similar toilets before, but the water was always six feet or so down; this water was about nine inches away.

OK, this is REALLY when this story gets graphic, so you can still back out now; however, those that stick around will be rewarded with a hilarious anecdote that won?t be easily forgotten.

So, I took my place over the modified squatter and began to do my business. Everything was going well, that is, until I looked down. I was disgusted. I was shocked. Startled, grossed out, yukked, appalled, revolted, dismayed, think of a bad adjective, and I was it. What I saw will never leave my mind?s eye. What I saw was a horde of catfish eating my poop. Ughhhhh. I finished up and vowed never to eat fish in China, never ever ever.

Ok, hold on to your chairs, this is the funny part.

I got back to the restaurant and announced to the group that I vowed never to eat fish in China. Of course I had to explain my reasons, and I did so in the most genteel manner possible; however, when my explanations were through I noticed that Todd was smirking. ?Todd? What?s up?? ?Oh nothing, it?s just a funny story? .

So, I asked what we were eating. Since in China, no one speaks English, we are forced to have a guide with us. His name is Ma, and he is a great guy. He orders our food, bargains for souvenirs, whatever we need, he?s there for us.

But I digress, I was getting to the meal, and as you?ve probably guessed by now, Ma told me that this particular restaurant was famous for its fish soup, and that was our main course. People, if you could only have seen the look on my face. I?m sure it was priceless. Everyone had a good laugh and all, and assured themselves that there was no way that they would be catching fish from the poop pond; they must get them somewhere else. I, however, was not reassured. I thanked God that Chinese meals consist of tons of courses and swore to myself I would not be taking part in the main course.

The meal arrived and I think most of the other people were avoiding it as best as they could too, but eventually Nancy and Nick gave in, telling themselves that it would be rude not to eat it. Adam eventually had some too. They all said it was yummy, but I was still not convinced. I had to ask Ma and know the truth. ?Ma? What type of fish is this?? ?Catfish? was his reply (not good). ?And where, may I ask, do they catch these from?? ?Oh, you know, from the pond out back.?

Lesson learned, no eating fish in China.

P.S. - The border was a fairly quick one (4 hours). We met our guide, Ma Sha Wei (I forgot to ask him how to spell it, so that's almost certainly wrong), and he's great. He speaks perfect English, and he's just super helpful. We drove through amazin hills, had the best Chinese food we've ever had, and then checked arrived at our hotel. Tomorrow we'll drive to Kunming. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 30th, Day 270
Start: Lao/China border Time: N/A N: .590 E:	Finish: Check back tomorrow; I don't have my book Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: ???

[The view out D3 of the road to Kunming.]

Journal by Nancy

Photo by Todd

We had to change dollars into Yuan (8 Y=1 USD), sand the bank opened at 8, so we left shortly thereafter. We drove down a really bad road for about 90 km before it turned into a smooth toll road, and it rained most of the day. We arrived in Kunming at around 9 p.m. It was a beautiful drive, and we all like China very much. (N.O.)

Logbook for July 31st, Day 271
Start: Jinghong, China Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Kunming Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: ???

[Justin practices his "coyness" at the Kunming Flower and Dog Market.]

Journal and photos by Chanda

Next time you are in Kunming, China, you simply have to go the Dog and Flower Market. And when you do go, you have to have coffee at the ultra-secret cafe in the middle of the market between the hat salesman and the bird shop. The ultra secret coffee shop provides the best coffee around for miles, in the whole province some would argue. It is only half surprising that it is owned and operated by an Italian man and his Chinese wife.

Our friends Yanni and Ma Xiaowei guided us to this coffee paradise. It's ultra secret mainly because it is so difficult to find---even most locals do not know of its existence. The owners infused Italian marble and decor into a traditional Chinese house. Beautiful.

The Flower and Dog Market not only has great coffee but also has loads of jade, antiques, and a strange selection of small animals---baby chicks in a rainbow of colors, baby turtles, dogs (of course!) and reptiles that would make Steve Irwin?s mouth water.

To show off our coyness, some of us bought traditional Chinese rice-paper fans.

The day at the market shaped up well. We enjoyed the coffee, the traditional Chinese market shopping, and most of all the fine company. The whole team was there along with our two new friends, Yanni and Ma Xiaowei, and having all of us there made the day even better.

Until next time, safe journeys!

Chanda

P.S. - We had an amazing day today, thanks to Ma Xaiowei and his girlfriend, Yani (pronounced like Jenny, with a "Y". Yenny). They live here in Kunming, so they were the best guides we could hope for for a day of sightseeing. We had lunch at a renevated old guesthouse-turned-restaurant, and then we went shopping at a really cool market. Several of the guys bought hand-carved stamps of their names in ancient Chinese characters. This city is beautiful, and it was fun dodging bicycles while navigating her busy streets. Tomorrow, we head north to Dali. (N.O.)

Logbook for August 1st, Day 272
Start: Kunming Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Kunming Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: 000

[Chinese locals pass the convoy while it is pulled over on the bad road to Dali.]

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[The convoy skirts along rice paddies butted up against the road to Dali.]

Journal and photo by Neil

Driving through China has been a very interesting experience, filled with great people, all who have unique style that?s depending on their location, endless mountains, rice fields, corn, soy, wild drivers, and intense new construction everywhere. The main highway that we take through the countryside is very modern and under construction half of the time. The road is very wide, and the tunnels and bridges are huge. One tunnel we passed through was over a kilometer in length. The countryside is so beautiful that the highway running through it doesn't really fit, as it contrasts with the landscape in a harsh way. For example, there are countless small villages with one or two rice fields and a few wooden homes nestled in the hillside amongst gorgeous trees and fauna, yet right in the middle of their field are a few 20-foot-wide-in-diameter bridge pilings that tower 100 feet into the sky up to an immense cement freeway overpass. It is sad to see this brand new and very large-scale construction ripping through these peaceful, secluded areas of countryside.

Such is life, especially when you live in a country that has 1/5 of the world's population. And being visitors in China, and especially since we are driving, we had the unique pleasure of going through their driving inspection today. Since we entered Latin America more than nine months ago and had to declare four drivers for our vehicles, we (the drivers) have been tied to those vehicles and endless paperwork at every border. In fact, in China, we are the only ones allowed to drive the vehicles, so I have been Adam and Colin's chauffeur for the entire China drive. It has been fun, and they keep making me coffee and tea on the road to help keep me awake. So today, Nick, Nancy, Justin and I, along with our guide, Ma, went over to the Chinese Driver's Inspection in New Dali.

The Land Rovers we are driving are part of their Certified, Pre-Owned, Land Rover program, which means every vehicle must pass a grueling 140-point inspection before they can be accepted into the program. Today we put our vehicles through the Chinese version. There are a few rules in the Chinese inspection that are unique to China, though. The one that I found the most interesting was that I could not wear my flip flops while I was driving! Luckily, I had a pair of shoes hanging out in the car and just slipped those on. They also told us that our vehicles were too heavy and we wouldn't be able to brake within their standards. We told them that we were fine and within the manufacturer's weight limits. They continued to run all kinds of tests on the vehicles. They tested our emissions by sticking a sensor up our tailpipes. We passed, no problemo. They stepped on the gas and then slammed on the brakes; they did that a few times. They all passed, except D2, which needs new brake pads. They flipped on the headlights and shined them on a board that senses brightness and aim, or something, and they passed that, too. It would have been a little scary having these Chinese inspectors give our vehicles the once-over, had it not been for our confidence in the 140-point Land Rover Certified inspection. I mean, what would happen if we failed? Would we go to prison? Would we be heavily fined? Would they turn us around and send us right back to Lao!? After a couple of hours, we received our results, and Ma insures us that the paperwork, all in Chinese, indicates that we passed. Whew! Thank you, Land Rover!

Neil

P.S. - We left Kunming today after paying a visit to Land Rover here. They were really nice, and we got some good photos. The drive today was 90% bumpy dirt roads. The main road from Kunming to Dali is under heavy construction, and, whereas in the U.S. they would work on one lane at a time, they just do the whole shebang here. It's all dirt, and it is badly potholed. We had a ton of fun, though, because we love "offroading." It was a long day, and we arrived in beautiful Dali pretty late. The hotel is nice, we have secure parking, and tomorrow promises to be a wonderful day. (N.O.)

Logbook for August 2nd, 2004, Day 273
Start: Kunming, China Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Kunming, China Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: 000

[Portrait of a Bai Market, Dali, China.]

Journal and Photos by Nancy

The "Hat Man" in Dali. He sells hats.

Old Bai woman.

A classic China bicycle, working hard, as usual.

Incense and such for sale in the Dali village Market.

A woman selling fish and eels in the Bai market.

Spices, raisins, etc., for sale at the Bai market.

The people here are beautiful. This woman is working hard.

Neil and Chanda in the midst of a shopping frenzy. These women are ruthless, and they simply do not take no for an answer...

Today was an amazing day in Dali. It's beautiful here. The altitude is up around 6200 ft, so it's cool here, comparatively speaking. We visited a village on the outskirts of the old town today, where the Bai people live. They have a market there, and we had a great time exploring. The people are amazing, and it's quite a rich culture. The film crew is very pleased with the footage they shot today. Tonight, most of the crew had fun hanging out down town. (N.O.)

Logbook for August 3rd, Day 274
Start: Dali, China Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Dali, China Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: 000

[Todd receives acupuncture from a wise old Chinaman and his helpful daughter.]

[Photo by Nancy]

Journal by Todd

August 4

We are still in Dali. Although touristy (primarily Chinese tourists), this is probably one of the most accessible traditional areas that I have been to in China. It is still able to keep sort of a small town feel, despite all the venders and the interesting types of individuals that roam the streets here.

Anytime I roam the streets here, I have to beware of ?Shoe Guy.? I should have gotten a picture of him, but I think he has turned in for the night. Anyway, ?Shoe Guy? can spot a flawed shoe from a click (one kilometer is a click) away. When a flawed shoe has been spotted on his radar, he quickly closes in on his target. Once at the target, I believe he tells you exactly what is wrong (but I don?t speak Chinese), or he tugs on the problematic area. I have rebuffed him several times, but this hasn?t stopped him.

The sole is peeling away from my flip-flops, and this seems to bother Shoe Guy. I guess letting a shoe go un-repaired is like Superman not capturing a bad guy. Anyway, later, while I was having a conversation with Neil in the street, Shoe Guy stealthily swung in with glue in-hand and fixed the problem with my sole; amazing! Dumbstruck, I looked at Neil and began to laugh, and shoe guy looked proud!

Such is life here in Dali.

So far, life in China has been great. This has been my best experience yet in China (this is my third time here). People have been very friendly, our guide, Mr. Ma, has been beyond helpful; he will sleep well when we are gone, as he has been busy helping out with all of our work, including hospital visits, border visits, negotiating, translating, and answering all of our questions about China.

What transcends our feeling that all is well here is our looming question of what is going to happen tomorrow. Although Nick has done everything in his power to deal with the situation, paperwork sometimes takes a life of its own. This is the case with Myanmar. Although the permits have been issued for India, the Myanmar permits will not be issued by the time we get to the border, because the Myanmar permits were contingent upon the India Permits, and the India permits where just issued. However, the China permits, which are currently in motion, depend upon the Myanmar permits, which depend upon the India permits. Each department wants exact dates of arrival and departure, so the task is difficult. We now find ourselves needing to check out of China, but not being able to enter Myanmar. Our wait may last up to a week, hmm. We are hoping that we will be able to check out of China but stay in the area between the border (so we won?t have to officially check into Myanmar) until our permits are ready and our guide is at the border. I hope that explanation is confusing, because that is how it is: confusing. This is the life and times of traveling with a vehicle expedition: we are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. People are buying movies in case the wait is long; we have thought about the idea of each car choosing a night to entertain the team. Who knows what will happen?

With this looming over our heads, the team is spending the day preparing, buying food, researching the floods in Assam, and uploading information?a typical workday.

The day closed with a trip to the acupuncture doctor. Despite my fear of needles in my younger days, something I inherited from my own experiences plus a gene from my father, I have been intrigued with acupuncture. I mean, how did someone come up with the idea that sticking needles in someone would make them feel better? The Chinese have been doing this for thousands of years, so I am assuming it is doing something. Generally, time weeds out most bad ideas.

Here in China, I have been wondering what type of role Chinese medicine will play in the search for a Parkinson?s cure or even treatment of Parkinson?s disease. In terms of acupuncture, I figured I have to try it to see what it is all about in order to look into how it might affect Parkinson?s. I really didn?t have any ailments, so I figured I would have it done to improve my energy levels.

I was lying on my stomach, so I didn?t see the needles get stuck in my back, but according to Nancy, they stuck a couple of needles at least 3 inches into my shoulder. I can tell you that these hurt! After completing the sticking process (about 10 different needles), the doctor took my pulse and told me to relax for about ? hour. Nancy and Chanda, who were guiding Justin and me in our experience, figured out that he and the majority of his family were deaf and mute.

After relaxing as much as I could with an arm that was falling asleep and with needles stuck in my back, the doctor returned. Once the needles were pulled out, I got a serious massage. I mean serious, because the lady worked me! I felt like a wet towel that was being wrung out!

After everything was done, the doctor was trying to communicate with me about something he found during my session, but communication was difficult. Apparently this session will cure some ailments I have had for a long time, and he kept on pointing to my arms. Hmmm, I don?t know what that means, but I am looking forward to feeling better.

P.S. - Today we did our own thing. We've been working and shopping. Nancy took the Santa Cruz on a bike ride and got a flat six miles from home... Todd and Justin got acupuncture. We all prepared to leave early tomorrow to head to the border at Ruili. (N.O.)

Logbook for August 4th, Day 275
Start: Dali, China Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Dali, China Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: 000

[A pedicab in Ruili. In the background, the moped rider is wearing a long raincoat. The boy in my journal was severely injured because of something like that.]

Journal and photo by Nancy

Today started out like any other day. It?s a border day, so we had planned to roll out at 0500. The nice young Chinese man at the hotel was set to wake us at 0415. Realizing that we would need our sleep to drive off that early, he was running around last night asking everybody if we were sleepy and saying he?d be waking us at the prescribed hour.

Well, 0415 came and went without anybody in the Chinese guesthouse stirring, and then we were all saved by Todd?s camera alarm going off at 0430. He rousted the troops while I grabbed the two Santa Cruz mountain bikes and dashed off to affix them to their racks on D1 and D3. I?d put them in our room for security, and I?d require extra time to ready them and myself for departure. By the time it was all done, I was sweating, and a little bit angry, but I did manage to make it to the driver?s seat in time to avoid holding up the convoy.

We rolled out at 0517. We were heading to the border city of Ruili, where we?d have to negotiate how we were going to manage two counter-situations which, on one hand, were the fact that our vehicles? Chinese ?visas? would expire today, and, secondly, the fact that our Myanmar guide and permits would not be ready for six more days. Technically, the vehicles cannot stay in China, and they cannot enter Myanmar. We?ll see what happens?

The drive was easy enough along China?s smooth thoroughfare north, and then we moved onto a narrow, winding, cobblestoned road that brought us down a detour through the mountains and villages situated amongst rice paddies. It was breathtaking (my favorite Seinfeld word). We saw people on bicycles in the poring rain, each wearing wide rice-paddy hats that acted like umbrellas to keep the rain off. I seriously need to get one of those hats.

We were driving along a smooth road now, and I was occasionally looking from side to side for any hats that might be for sale, when Nick came over the radio and said ?Looks like a kid may have fallen off a moped up here.? Last in the convoy, Chanda and I rolled to a stop on the shoulder and prepared for the worst. Todd came running from the front to grab me for assistance. I had no medical kit handy, so I grabbed a clean Thai Ultimate Car towel from behind my seat and ran forward to where a distraught father was holding a very sluggishly moving, bloody son.

He had very large tear wounds to the top of his head and behind his left ear. I gave the towel to Chanda, who put pressure on those to stop the bleeding. He also had a puncture wound in the vicinity of his left cheekbone, and a minor scrape to his entire left cheek. I looked in his mouth because I though he had broken his front teeth out, or perhaps even had one shoved up into his jaw, but I was relieved to see this typical seven-year-old had lost them naturally, before the accident.

Somebody grabbed a Thermarest and another Thai Ultimate Car towel, and we laid the boy on his back, taking the burden from his frightened father and trying to prevent further damage in the very likely case of a spinal cord injury.

Justin, who had been in the lead and had rolled past the moped parked in the right lane and hadn?t seen the man and child, parked his car and ran back to the scene with the team med kit. I cursed myself for not being familiar with its contents. Let?s see, a bleeding head wound, possible neck and spine injury, certainly a concussion if not worse. I searched for a compression bandage and gauze. Justin grabbed them. I saw a space blanket, and I grabbed that. It was cold and rainy, and the boy would certainly be going into shock. The first-response medical training I had received through Wilderness Medical Associates several years ago in my weeklong Wilderness First Responder course flashed into my mind very clearly.

Todd had sent Neil to ensure the flashers were on in the rear vehicle. With the convoy safely out of harm?s way, we focused on the patient. This was going to be an excellent team effort. [The film guys recorded the event, once Colin got over his aversion to the sight of blood and gore.]

We wrapped him in the space blanket (it looks like aluminum foil, and it reflects body heat like nobody?s business to keep the victim warm and alive). Chanda and Justin were looking at the boy?s head wounds, which had stopped bleeding, and trying to keep the boy conscious. I was suddenly afraid he might have some life-threatening wounds hidden under his clothes, so I opened up his jacket and shirt and felt down each arm and leg, as well as his back and chest. There was no visible or palpable damage, and he didn?t wince at my touch.

A glance at the moped explained what had happened. A rain jacket was shredded and wrapped around the rear chain and axel. The boy had been wearing it when it became caught in the wheel, wrapped around the rear axel in an instant, and ripped the kid off the back of the moped, head first, into the street. Dad must have been really on the ball (and traveling slowly) to stop the cycle before dragging his son down the road.

The boy was in a bad state, and he really wanted to just go to sleep, but the crazy white people standing around him wouldn?t let him. Todd asked the father to keep talking to his boy, to keep him awake. Our guide, Ma Xiaowei, explained in Chinese that he and Nick were going up the road to fetch a doctor, and that an ambulance was on its way from the hospital 60 km back the other way.

With help on its way, our job was to keep the boy stable until we could turn him over to professionals. That meant keeping him warm and comfortable, keeping him alert, and keeping his head still. It also meant comforting the distraught father. ?Nay-OHn,? he would say. ?Nay-ohn, lots of stuff in Chinese.? We repeated the boy?s name, Nay-ohn, and spoke to him soothingly. Chanda did a wonderful job of calming him, while I struggled to get his legs comfortable and warm. I removed his Spider-Man sandals and checked his toes for capillary refill, which indicates how circulation is at the extremities. He was alright, but his feet were like icicles. I wrapped his little legs in the space blanket and the towel.

Occasionally, he would go into a fit and start crying and kicking his legs. We didn?t want him flailing, but that was a good sign that his legs and pelvis were likely ok. Later, his eyes would roll back as he fought desperately to just go to sleep. Each time, we?d wake him up. If he was alert, we knew he was breathing. We wanted him alert. We wanted him still. We wanted him comfortable (Poor boy was soooo uncomfortable), and we wanted the doctor to hurry up.

His feet began to warm up, and we felt confident we could keep him conscious until help arrived. I wanted to put gauze over his wounds to prevent infection from jumping into that delicate area of the body. We talked to the boy and comforted the father. Oh, the poor father!

Finally, Nick and Xiaowei arrived with the doctor, a young woman whose emergency bag consisted of gauze and a stethoscope. Chanda and I backed off and let her do her thing. Moments later, the ambulance arrived. They wrapped his head in gauze and loaded him up. We helped a friend of the father cut the jacket out of the moped?s gears. We wrapped all the bloody gauze and towels up and asked the EMTs to dispose of it for us. I retained the magical space blanket, which had no blood on it. The ambulance left, the lady doctor hopped onto the back of the moped, and they all drove off, sans helmets.

We had a border and customs agents to reach, so we packed up, too, and left without ceremony. I?m really proud Chanda, and of Todd, and the way we worked together as a team. There?s always some initial fear at entering an unknown situation like that. I?m always nervous about what I might see. This boy?s head was a mess. The wounds were deep, and they were bloody. But for some reason, it was not gross, it was not scary, and it was not intimidating. Chanda has had nurse training. I had First Responder training. I have a lot of confidence in my abilities to stabilize a patient and handle an emergency. I was pleased that the team worked together so well during this real-life drama.

In the Discovery, I reflected on how much worse this situation could have been. The boy was ripped headlong off the back of a moped. No broken bones were sticking out. He was breathing, he was conscious, and his heart was pumping. His head, although we don?t know the extent of his internal injuries, looked pretty good. It was intact. He?s young, and the wounds will heal. By the time he?s our age, I bet you won?t even notice the scars. All in all, I?d say he?s a very lucky boy.

I?m really glad Drive Around the World was there to help. I can?t imagine how terrified that father would have been if he?d been there by himself, alone and helpless. He didn?t know what to do, and he didn?t know if his son would make it. He was terrified, and he felt awful. I?m glad we were there to assist him.

If we had left Dali at 0500, when we were supposed to; if we had received our 0415 wakeup and left on time, rather than at 0517, we would have passed that moped before the accident, and that father would have been alone with his wounded son. All things happen for a reason, don?t they?

We stored up a lot of good Kharma from that event, and it helped us when we got to the border. The Chinese customs officials were awesome, and they were in favor of giving us an extension to keep our vehicles in China until the 14th, when our Myanmar guide and permits would be ready. They sent us to the border police for their approval, and the cops were just as friendly and just as supportive. We got our extension. We?ll stay here in Ruili until the 14th, unless our agent arrives sooner, and then we?ll begin our adventure in Myanmar. Life is good.

P.S. - An exciting day. See the journal entry. We left for the border at Ruili at 0517. On the way, we assisted a boy who was badly injured falling off a moped. We made it to the border at Ruili and received an extention to keep the cars in China until the 14th. (N.O.)

Logbook for August 5th, Day 276
Start: Dali, China Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Ruili, China Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: ???

[The team shops in Ruili, China.]

[Photo by Todd]

Journal by Colin

Adam, Neil, Chanda and I inadvertently entered Burma the other night without even knowing it. We had read in the Lonely Planet that there were casinos everywhere here, so we went hunting for some cheap blackjack tables. We ended up at what we thought was a big casino, but turned out to be just a big hotel. So we ask at the front desk where the casino is at, and they say they'll send a car to take us there. So we figured we'd be riding in style to some swanky Chinese joint. Wrong; what ended up happening was pretty interesting, though.

A rinky minivan pulled up and we all piled in. We started down the main drag of Ruili, but took a dark turn and headed down a back street. We all kind of looked at each other like we wanted to know what the heck was going on, but since no one except us speaks any English here, it was pretty pointless to ask. Anyway, we continued on that road for a while and then made another turn onto a bumpy dirt road lined with palm trees. We bounced down that road for about ten minutes, the whole time wondering what was going to happen. There was a lot of traffic going both ways, so we didn't really think we were being set up for a robbery or anything, but still, it was a little strange. Eventually, the van turned down a dusty street and we pulled up into a dirty, rubbage-strewn Chinese village. Another quick turn and we were parked in front of a small square building.

We were ushered inside by our driver, and lo and behold, there was the casino; well, sort of. Actually, it was just five tables of the same game, a game which I have never seen before, and I don't think I will ever understand. I'm pretty sure white people have never been in there before, because when we walked in, the whole place shut up and basically dropped their jaws. I felt like I was in a zoo. We were ushered to a table; however, having no idea how to play this crazy game, we kind of just lingered around trying to watch. But everyone at the table got up and left. We kind of took that as a hint and got out of there.

It wasn't until the next day, when I met Efe, a nigerian, and the only foriegner that actually lives in this town, that I discovered that that was really Burma we were in. Turns out there's tons of places around here where you can cross the border with no problems.

So yeah, this place is weird, and really, I can't wait to move on. Every day we are held up is more time until I can get home and start relaxing.

P.S. - We spent the day working and catchingup on much-needed sleep. We went to the shops in town, and the guys are considering buying cheap suits ($6). (N.O.)

Logbook for August 6th, Day 277
Start: Ruili, China Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Ruili, China Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: 000

[I don't know what this says, but isn't it COOOOL? I'll have to ask Ma Xiaowei what it means...]
[UPDATE: I asked what it means, and I'm sorry if I disappoint you...It says, "Do not enter construction area without a hard hat."]

Journal and Photo by Nancy

The day was spent doing our own thing. Everything is difficult here in Ruili, where we know no Chinese, and they know no English. It's hard enough just to order something at a restaurant...(Nick and Chanda ended up buying a $67 lunch, and the lobster came out with it's living and moving head on one side of the platter and it's squirming body on the other. It stared at Nick, who looked back at it squeamishly. They sent it back and had it cooked.)... Walking through Ruili is an experience in itself, as few locals have ever seen a westerner in real life, and they are not too shy to stare... Tonight is China's match in the football world cup, so the boys will be glued to the telly. Later. (N.O.)

Logbook for August 7th, Day 278
Start: Ruili, China Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Ruili, China Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: 000

[A fruit stall in Ruili]

Journal and Photo by Nancy

Ruili is sort of a ho-hum town, compared to the ones we've been in recently. There just isn't a ton to do without getting out of the city. I think we'll try to go to some hot springs soon, and the cycling here is supposed to be quite good. Today was a day for Internetting and dining out. It rains here every day. (N.O.)

Logbook for August 8th, Day 279
Start: Ruili, China Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Ruili, China Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: 000

[An assortment of jade for sale in Ruili]

Journal and Photos by Neil

Ruili, a border town in China next to Myanmar, filled with mostly Chinese people and quite a few Burmese trying to sell jade wherever we walk, is where we have been for the last five days and will be for two more. We are the only foreigners I have seen here, except one person from Nigeria whom we met, named Efe who is the first person to try and teach English in this large town. The streets are all torn up, rarely blessed with a sidewalk, instead filled with craters and sewage holes that are very dangerous if you happen to fall in one. The streets are bustling with people, vendors, fruits, even a water park, go-carts, bumper cars, and all kinds of restaurants. There are places to buy a nice suit for $12 or a shabby one for $5. We almost bought a few, but they didn't have any long enough for us, since we are six feet tall, and that is not the norm here in China. There are also all kinds of things to eat, like tasty brains, heart, eyeballs, dog, intestines and turtle. Mmmn mmn. I haven't tried any of those delicacies yet, and doubt I will. It is great to see it all on display, though.

And of course, ordering food or anything else is hilarious, since we don't speak any Mandarin and all the people here speak NO ENGLISH. If you are lucky, they know how to say ?hello.? Whenever I try to talk to someone, they will rattle off in Mandarin as if I can understand; it is really funny. People have even sat down with us at restaurants and talked to us for thirty minutes, and we have no clue what one another said. This is truly the most foreign place I have ever been, and I love it. You would think that a border town that is not aesthetically beautiful, and run down would be a bummer to spend time in, but in truth it is my favorite place we have stayed in China. It is 100% Chinese, and it is not geared towards foreigners, and that is really fantastic to experience. Going out in the evening to eat is great. There are small houses and families that have turned their abode into a restaurant, and the family sits around and talks and plays games, and you can go eat there and hang with them. There is this game they play with their hands where they both throw their hands into the middle of the people playing and hold out a number between one and ten, and they both scream out what they guess the total will be. They keep doing this until one of the people gets the right number, and then the other has to drink a milkshake. It is sort of like the Rock, Paper, and Scissors game. They also play tons of dominoes and cards. China is a big gambling country, and people are in the streets everywhere here playing cards and having a blast.

Ruili is also a place where it is very popular to buy and sell jade. The jade comes from Burma, yet the craftsmanship is better here in Ruili, so you get the best of both worlds here. Today, I went walking around the jade market, which is filled with all kinds of vendors selling bracelets, rings, carved jade pieces, and full jade stones that haven't been carved. You can buy heaps of jade if you wish; it is really inexpensive and there are hundreds of markets to choose from. There are also Burmese guys running around the streets with jade wrapped up in red paper in small bags that they try to pawn off constantly, or take you to a jade shop that either they or a friend owns.

There were also places where you can actually watch people carving the jade. It is quite a process and takes a long time. These people work hard and make beautiful pieces of art from these rocks. There are different qualities of jade as well, such as the very clear jade that you can see through, or the milky white jade, or the greener jade. There is red jade, too. My favorite is the clear jade with hints of green. Unfortunately for me, it is also the most expensive, so I haven't bought any yet, and don't know if I will. It is just a rock, for Heaven's sake.

So Ruili has been a very good experience, and it is really a treat to be in such a foreign country. We have had some time getting used to the Asian cultures. In Singapore, Malayasia and Thailand, there was plenty of English. In Cambodia, there was a bit less, and in Laos, the English really started dropping off, and now in China, bye bye, no more English. Of course in some towns there is more English, like when we were in Dali, which was much more tourist-oriented. But out on the country roads and here in Ruili, we are in the heart of China. Thank goodness we have Ma, who is our guide. When we all go to eat with him, he orders all the food for us and we end up with an amazing assortment of delicious food. I am so impressed with the food in China, especially the Yunnan Province; it is spicy and very tasty. However, when we go eat without Ma, it becomes comedy. We usually resort to only eating at places where we can point to food items that are on display or on someone else?s table. There are also the Chinese Markets, which have such a wide variety of goodies to choose from, such as marinated and dried spicy mushrooms, or honey-glazed walnuts, yak jerky, corn-flavored candy, and all the green tea you can imagine. I never really explored the Chinese markets back home, but when I get back to California, I am going straight to Chinatown and finding some of these treats that they have mastered.

Well, I am off now to go get some spicy beef on a stick barbecued and mixed with some noodles and sauteed vegetables, all for $1.

Neil

P.S. - Today was rainy and then hot. Todd slept all day. He has a sinus infection. Myanmar stuff is looking good. (N.O.)

Logbook for August 9th, Day 280
Start: Ruili, China Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Ruili, China Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: 000

[A jeweller shapes a piece of jade in Ruili.]

Photo by Neil.

[Ruili. They have dirt instead of sidewalks...]

Photo by Nancy

We had an awesome lunch and dinner with Ma, and then we went out on the town. Ruili has a surprisingly active night life. Looks like our permits will be ready to move into Myanmar on Friday the 13th. (N.O.)

Logbook for August 10th, Day 281
Start: Ruili, China Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Ruili, China Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: 000

[Bizarre item of the week: Look, kids, you can win a pack of Lucky Strikes! (For the record, we don't think anybody should smoke, especially kids.)]

[Photo by Nancy]

Journal by Todd

So, it finally happened: I got sick! This ends my streak of traveling to over 35 countries without getting sick. I woke up Monday morning with a splitting headache; any slight movement would induce nausea, and it seemed like it would have been a real relief if my right eyeball finally popped out of my eye socket, with all the pressure that had been built up behind it. All I wanted to do is pop it like a pimple. Ouch!

Two days later, I was at least moving, but not very quickly, and I had the attention span of about two minutes before getting tired. Thanks to Chanda, I was outfitted with all the latest film releases, so it was somewhat relaxing being sick.

Despite the work I needed to get done, the most important thing to do was get ready for our departure from China into Myanmar, something that we have been waiting for for six weeks, and something many people only dream about.

I really don?t know what to expect of Myanmar, I know so little about it. I don?t know what the people will look like, what the food will be like, or what the road conditions will be like. According to our research, we will be the first vehicle expedition to go through Myanmar since 1953; in other words there is not a lot of information about driving through Myanmar.

I am eager to see Myanmar. So much effort has gone into the planning, the fruits of this labor will be truly exciting.

P.S. - Nick spent all day at the Internet cafe. Permits coming along great. Poor Ma is bored to tears. The rest of the team is enjoying the food and the people here. By the way, we are stared at like nobody's business in this town. And people like to impress us with their English by saying "Hello!" (N.O.)

Logbook for August 11th, Day 282
Start: Ruili, China Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Ruili, China Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: 000

[We'll be leaving Ruili tomorrow!]

[Photo by Neil]

Journal by Nancy

(I should be writing about how we're leaving Ruili tomorrow and going to Myanmar, and all that good stuff, but I am swamped with other writing assignments. Instead, please enjoy this submission I wrote for Santa Cruz Mountain Bikes' website.)

TEXT:

One of my teammates looked at my bike shoes and commented that bringing them along was a bit ?excessive.? How can I argue with a guy like that? Clearly, he just doesn?t get it.

We were embarking on a yearlong driving expedition that would take us around the world, through 25+ countries, across four continents, and over a distance of 30,000-some-odd miles. We were packing nine team members and all of our gear into four Certified Land Rover Discovery vehicles, and we were carrying two Santa Cruz Blurs that had been hand-delivered by Mr. Rob Roskopp (professional skateboarder back in the day, El Numero Uno of Santa Cruz Mountain Bikes) himself.

The expedition is called ?LONGITUDE?, its purpose is to raise money and awareness for Parkinson?s Disease research, and it is the Drive Around the World non-profit organization?s third vehicle expedition. This is the first time mountain bikes have been on the gear list.

In the months leading up to our departure, I was accused by each of my teammates, some more than once, of being ?obsessed? with the bikes. I think the label is unfair and a little extreme, but I guess there are much worse things I could be called than bike-obsessed. They just didn?t understand the ramifications of bringing not one, but two, of what most consider the ?the Range Rover of mountain bikes? along on a journey around the world. I mean, these aren?t just bikes, for Christ?s sake, they?re works of art. Why couldn?t my teammates understand the consequences of traveling through third-world nations and some of the remotest areas on earth with a pair of Picassos?

There were secure bike racks to be researched and obtained, unbreakable locks and cables to be purchased, and a tool kit to be sourced. None of these things could be taken lightly if I was to achieve my goal of getting both bikes from start to finish without incident. The votes against my success were about seven of nine.

We left our headquarters in Los Gatos, California, behind Nov. 1 to have our official kick-off at the Parkinson?s Institute of northern Calif. That was more than eight months, 19 countries, and 22,000 miles ago. And you know what? The bikes are still with us, and they?re still in near-perfect condition.

With the rapid pace of our travels, and with the intensity of the workload each of us juggles each day, the bikes haven?t tasted quite as much international dirt as I?d hoped they would, although they have seen action in all but five of the 19 countries we?ve visited. And I?ve only tasted dirt in two of those?(minor headers down sand dunes and rocky switchbacks?and one embarrassing tumble on some steps in a Chinese alley).

I?ve had a blast zipping down monstrous sand dunes on Peru?s coast, flying down muddy switchbacks in the Andes, darting messenger-style through Santiago, Chile, traffic, circumnavigating glacieral lakes in Patagonia, chasing roos in Australia?s Outback, racing pedicabs in China, and enjoying a 1.5-month solo sabbatical down the east coast of Australia. My bike is my refuge and my therapist.

Since we can?t very well drive across oceans, we had a span of about two months to kill while waiting for our vehicles to ship from South America to Australia. I had time, a bike, and orders to Australia, so I packed up my Blur and hopped a flight to Cairns. I planned a route that would take me approximately 1200 miles down the right-hand coast of Australia, from Cairns to Brisbane, and it was some of the best fun I?ve had on this entire expedition.

I ordered a B.O.B. bicycle trailer from the U.S., strapped my gear to it in Cairns, and headed off on an incredible, 37-day, solo adventure. Because I was by myself, I was able to meet more people and become more intimately familiar with Queensland, Australia, than I ever would have with my team and vehicles in tow. Everybody wanted to talk to the crazy American dragging a trailer behind her ?push bike? (That?s Australian for bicycle). My Santa Cruz helped me make some very dear new friends during that 1200-mile journey.

Actually, my Santa Cruz helps me make friends in every country, because people are just drawn to its majesty. And that?s a lot of what this expedition is about: meeting new people and exploring different cultures. We have close to 10,000 miles and at least six countries left in our travels, and I?m looking forward to many more Santa Cruz adventures. I intend to sample some of the rocky trails and thin air of the Himalayas, the sands of Pakistan, and the frigid tundra of Siberia before touching down again on U.S. soil. We enter Myanmar (formerly Burma) tomorrow, and the bikes are cleaned, lubed, tuned, and ready. This is the jumping-off point for the Himalayas, and adventure awaits. Am I glad I packed my cycling shoes? Affirmative. Am I bike obsessed, as accused? You bet your pooper I am. Now, bring it!

Nancy is a U.S. Marine Corps reservist, an adventure racer, and the United States? representative in the 2003 Land Rover G4 Challenge global driving/adventure-sport competition. She hails from Southlake, Texas, but currently resides in Los Gatos, California (when she?s not living out of a Land Rover).

P.S. - Our guide is meeting us at the Myanmar border early tomorrow. Once we cross into Myanmar, we probably will not have access to the Internet. I might not be able to post logbooks or journals until we reach India. So, don't fear! Just assume all is well, because it will be. We're in good hands! (N.O.)

Logbook for August 12th, Day 283
Start: Ruili, China Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Ruili, China Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: 000

[A woman carries water through her village in Myanmar.]

Journal by Nancy

We said goodbye to our incredible guide, Ma Xiao Wei, reluctantly, at the China/Myanmar border. He was really great, and we miss him already. This border was the most intense so far, and the Chinese authorities searched each vehicle thoroughly before stamping us out of the country. On the Myanmar side, we met up with our new guides, Chetry and Mao Ma. The Myanmar authorities were a bit less intense, and the stamping-in procedure was pretty painless. Our guides had done a lot of prep work to ensure a smooth crossing. We enjoyed a traditional Burmese lunch and departed the border town. The landscape was absolutely breathtaking, and the team made several stops along the route to take in the views. Driving on these narrow, winding, crowded roads at night is suicide, so we found a hotel at nightfall and turned in. (N.O.)

Logbook for August 13th, Day 287
Start: Ruili, China Time: 10:30 a.m. N: E:	Finish: Lashio, Myanmar Time:8:00 p.m. N: E:	Mileage: 110

[Nick's loving the Myanmar roads, as you can see by the, um, grin, on his face...]

Journal by Nancy

During today?s drive, the team stopped at a rice paddy and received a lesson in planting by the local women working in the fields. It was one of the coolest experiences to date, and the film crew captured it on camera. We were a muddy mess by the end of the evolution. We also visited a local market en route to Mandalay to pick up some traditional banana-leaf rice paddy hats, which are worn by all the workers here. They are a really cool souvenir, and they only cost about a dollar. (N.O.)

Logbook for August 14th, Day 288
Start: Lashio, Myanmar Time: 8:00 a.m. N: E:	Finish: Mandalay, Myanmar Time: 6:45 p.m. N: E:	Mileage: 162

[A shy boy in a village in Myanmar.]

Journal by Nancy

Team visited a local orphanage housing more than 250 boys after meeting local teacher Sasha Miller, who volunteers at the orphanage. Afterward, Todd and the film crew visited a nearby villager who suffers from Parkinson?s Disease. After buying the traditional longhi skirts that the men and women here wear, the team was caught in a rain shower. The people of Mandalay are super-friendly. (N.O.)

Logbook for August 15th, 2004, Day 289
Start: Mandalay, Myanmar Time: N/A N: E:	Finish: Mandalay, Myanmar Time: N/A N: E:	Mileage: 002

[Justin is wearing the traditional "longee" worn by most Burmese men and women.]

Journal by Nancy

Rose early to see the traditional Buddha face-washing ceremony at on of the Mandalay temples. The team also visited the local international school to talk about the LONGITUDE Expedition. The kids (1st through 3rd grade) were awesome! Some of the team stopped in for a quick shopping trip to the main market while Chetry hosted a visit to a monastery, with 1200 monks, a local weaving market, and embroidery shop, and a place where they hand-make gold leaf. The team was interviewed by the Mandalay Daily News. We departed fairly late and met many friendly villagers along the route. (N.O.)

Logbook for August 16th, Day 290
Start: Mandalay, Myanmar Time: 4:00 a.m./ 1:15 p.m. N: E:	Finish: Monywa, Myanmar Time: 7:15 p.m. N: E:	Mileage: 007

[The team prepares to winch a Myanmar Army Jeep out of the mire with the WARN winch. This was one of seven vehicle recoveries performed this day.]

[Thanks to our mud-eating BFGoodrich tires, we had no problem tracking through the awful roads of Myanmar. Thanks, BFG!!!]

[Photos by Chanda]

Journal by Todd

Team made an early departure toward the India border. We took the ?new? road after learning that a recently washed-out bridge had been repaired. The team encountered the worst roads to date along this new road, which consisted mainly of mud and switchbacks. We performed seven vehicle recovery operations, including pulling a Burmese Army Jeep, a bus, and Take Me With You! guest David Burleson?s Trooper out of the mud. Only one LONGITUDE vehicle became stuck, and that was only because one teammie got a little excited and went mudding around a bridge. No vehicle could have made it through that awful mire. It was a fun but exhausting day, and everybody was glad when we hit good pavement at the start of the India/Myanmar Friendship Highway in the wee hours of the morning. It took us 16 hours to go 160 miles! (N.O.)

Logbook for August 17th, Day 291
Start: Monywa, Myanmar Time: 7:30 a.m. N: E:	Finish: Kalay, Myanmar Time: 2:30 a.m. N: E:	Mileage: 160

[Armed guards escorted the Drive Around the World convoy through Imphal and Nagaland. When asked whether has killed or would kill anybody, the man on the right replied, "Why not?"]

[Photo by Nancy]

Journal by Todd

This is one of the biggest days of our expedition. Months of planning and research have gone into this day. If all goes well, we will successfully pass from Myanmar into India; if things do not go well, we will have to drive to Yangoon and ship our vehicles to India, or maybe something worse. A glitch here would cost us a lot of time and a lot of money. Success here will truly make our expedition unique, as it is very difficult, if not impossible, to find people who have driven their vehicles across Myanmar.

After one of the most strenuous drives yesterday, on the brand new road, we finally went to bed after the unstoppable Nancy pulled numerous vehicles to freedom after their incarceration in mud. Team members also helped rebuild a bridge that had been washed out; wow what a day. We believe a concept called travel karma, helping people out, always comes around. Perhaps helping that little boy in China turned the scales on us and allowed us those extra days in China. Maybe, we will get a little help at this next border.

Although weary, the team awoke, packed u, in a rainstorm, and made their way to the border that was located about 2 ? hours away. The drive was gentle, on good roads, but the stress meter was recording readings. Problems had been going on in Manipur, and the border has been open and closed intermittently. Our original paperwork stated that we would be here four days ago with only four vehicles; now it is four days later and we have five vehicles. Despite the amendments to the documents, we just want to avoid any glitches today.

We made it to the border, and border-crossing procedures commenced. Knowing the system, our Myanmar guides had us park as they went to work. We sat and drank tea and ate biscuits while we wondered what was going on. In order to even approach the Indian side of the border, you have to have all your I?s dotted and your T?s crossed. Apparently, too many people had tried to cross without the proper paperwork, and India had turned them away, leaving the Myanmar officials to be responsible for them.

I am glad to say, despite the border being closed, we made it through! After some final paperwork on the Indian side of the border, and seeing one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen, we received an escort of armed guards and we were heading the final 110 kilometers to our resting point for the night, Imphal, the capital of Manipur.

Although the distance didn?t seem too far, it was already 4:00 p.m., and we were in a hurry to beat the moon to Imphal. We were all on our guard here, as there has been a lot of unrest in this area, all based on the fact that this seven-state area (Manipur being one of the seven states) is not particularly happy being under Indian rule. Back in the late 40?s, when the British turned over their colonies in this area, for independence, this area was thrown under India?s jurisdiction. Due to the continued unrest since the incorporation into the empire, India has enacted some very controversial policies that have continued to fan the flames of discontent. At the end of the day, neither side is free from bloodshed; but from the looks of things, there is a long way to go before there is peace in this valley.

We were whisked up and down through the hills before finally entering the valley (and straight-aways) towards Imphal. Police seemed to be everywhere as David Burlinson and I (the fifth car, who had once been refused admittance into India with his vehicle, and whose advice was invaluable in the planning of this leg of the journey) thumped down the road listening to techno music. I am not sure what was going on, I just knew that I was a bit uncomfortable with all the guns around.

We finally made it to the hotel about 9:00 p.m., checked in, stripped everything off the vehicles that wasn?t locked down, and went in for the night. What will tomorrow bring?

--Todd

The Drive Around the World team drove north along the India-Myanmar Friendship Road during the final stretch to the India border. We're the first team to complete a continuous overland journey through this former country of Burma since 1953.

Photo by Nancy

P.S. - Your Drive Around the World LONGITUDE Expedition team would like to quickly announce that we have successfully driven across Myanmar and are now in India! This is likely the first East-West crossing by foreigners since 1953. We exited Burma and entered India along the India/Myanmar Friendship Highway, at the border town of Tamu. The crossing took a few hours. At Tamu, the team bid a sad farewell to Chetry and Mao-Mo before picking up our new guide, Mr. Singh. Due to unrest in the area, the team traveled with fully armed military escorts through Manipur State to Imphal. The team is happy, healthy, and safe, and we have some very good stories to share. (N.O.)

Logbook for August 18th, Day 292
Start: Kalay, Myanmar Time: 9:45 a.m. N: E:	Finish: Imphal, India Time: 8:40 p.m. N: 24* 48.627 E: 93* 56.218	Mileage: 141