the end game
re: that last post, PDR stands for People’s Democratic Republic.
laos isn’t the first communist country i’ve visited and certainly won’t be the last. as americans, we tend to think words like democratic and communist don’t go together (excluding the Tea Party folks) but maybe they do for some? seems to work pretty well for those i’ve visited with in my travels. it’s a small sample size, i know, but it’s large enough to prove to me that at the end of the day we’re all looking for...
The PDR of Laos
After 41 hours of travel, we arrived in the capital, Vientiane, yesterday.
Warm tropical air scented with incense and smoke filled my nose and I am filled with the grateful feeling of being back in Southeast Asia.
Let the travel begin!
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they’ve done it
hey skipper. you know your idea about tiny ice cream drumsticks? well, these fun loving aussies beat you to it. check out this pic.
-tim
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the wizard
you knew there was no way I wasn’t going to use that line right? well, i am a simple mind and avoiding an obvious metaphor just isn’t in my skill set.
as i sit here in the sydney airport waiting to catch the time machine that is united flight 840 i am struck with one thought.
the wizard of oz is really the wizards of oz. all of the people we met and visited with during this visit make the experience.
whether it’s the shop keeper in port douglas whose mum and dad are without a roof over their heads in christchurch...
do clothes make the man?
it’s not the destination but the journey. usually that is the case with this blog right? well not so for this posting. this one is about the destination.
katoomba is the spot.
go ahead and google it. you’ll find out that it is a small town in the blue mountains just outside of sydney. it has been serving as a retreat for sydneysiders since back in the day.
the main draw (other than the fresh and cool mountain air) is the national park and magnificent canyons. quite a sight or so i’m told, more on that later.
katoomba...
no worries mate
pt. douglas is australia’s answer to jackson hole wy. seriously, it is. do they sell some kit that tells you how set up a cool, kick ass town that makes you want to move there?
this place is great. with one exception, the food is crazy expensive.
is it the close proximity to a wonder of the world that makes a place the kind of place that brings everyone to it and chills them out?
or is the place just that kind of place on it’s own and the natural wonder is just a bonus?
the locals here would probably tell me to stop asking...
damn that was cool
i will write a more substantial post later but I have to say a few words on today’s exploration of the great barrier reef.
holy shit is it cool. spent much of the day thinking about captain cook and the trouble he ran into (please forgive the pun).
those sailors were damn ballsy. some wicked navigation hazards out here.
i was swimming around the reef hoping to see a turtle (again thinking about how cook and the boys slaughtered so many, a bit shortsighted) and boom! there’s one literally 18″ from my face. super cool.
you...
the yellow brick road
here I am in oz wiith brandi and dale (my father-inlaw). jeff isn’t here so my odds of leaving the country in one piece are pretty good.
first impressions of Sydney are excellent. good vibe, great weather and friendly peeps.
expensive as hell though.
seems like a fitting possible home for oblivion. long off into the future kind of home. the harbor is amazing and reminds me of ess eff. superb sailing spot.
what do you say skip? how do we get her down here for a float?
leaving the city today. off to the great barrier reef. can’t...
