Vietnam - Eight Ladies Cave "Eight ladies cave is an aghast historical relic of the sacrifice of eight youth volunteers to keep the north-south route Smoothly. The cave is on the Route 20 road – part of the legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail. At here, US bombing raids day and night to cut off the North’s supplies to the South." Read More » 12 December 2018by Chris Wylie Vietnam Ho Chi Minh 1 Comments
Laos - Forget the Past Development in Laos is broad and deep - with almost all of it being built and much of it funded by China. Within just a few years rails, roads and dams are changing the character of Laos from a country lost in the backwaters of time to a country lost in the march of progress. Read More » 19 November 2018by Chris Wylie Laos Development 7 Comments
Laos - Nam Ou River Laos is a mountainous country. Ample rainfall provides for lush forests. There are numerous slow moving brown rivers with small villages and clusters of homes scattered along the banks. From time immemorial, many of these outposts were inaccessible by land and only threaded together by boats and ferries. Read More » 12 November 2018by Chris Wylie Laos Muang Khua, Muang Ngoi, Nam Ou, Nong Khiaw 5 Comments
Thailand - Motorcycle Tour Simone and I toured around northern Thailand on motorcycle for a week. The weather was cool with some light rain - a refreshing break from the tropical heat we experienced in Indonesia and Bangkok. Read More » 25 October 2018by Chris Wylie Thailand Mae Chaem, Mai Hong Son, Nam Lod, Pai 6 Comments
Toraja - Animal Sacrifice The Toraja people are located in central southern Sulawesi, Indonesia. They lead lives comparable to most other modern Indonesian and have embracedd the Protestant Christian faith. However, they maintain some animist beliefs known as aluk (“the way”) that include ancestor worship and animal sacrifice. Read More » 10 October 2018by Chris Wylie Indonesia Sulawesi, Toraja 7 Comments
Una Una Island We spent 12 wonderful nights at the Pristine Paradise dive resort on Una Una island. We had a spacious and airy bungalow with a garden and the beach outside our front door. The weather was delightful and ranged from 27 at night to 32 Read More » 1 October 2018by Chris Wylie Indonesia Diving, Una Una 13 Comments
Bali - Life as Prayer Bali is a deeply religeous society with strong community bonds and very sophisticated artistic sensabilities. Read More » 18 September 2018by Chris Wylie Indonesia Bali, Ubud 5 Comments
A Week in Beijing We spent nearly a week in the Beijing area. We found the people to be friendly and were impressed with the rate and magnitude of development. Read More » 16 September 2018by Chris Wylie China China 9 Comments
Packing our Travel Gear The lightest travelers catch the bus. Don't be a slave to your possessions. Voluntary Simplicity. What do you really need? Including a Chromebook for online classes, we were able to keep the 'essentials' to around 20 pounds each. Read More » 15 August 2018by Chris Wylie Preparation Preparation 5 Comments
Preparing for Our Trip The first and most important preparation in any undertaking is simply making the commitment. For me this was relatively easy: I had already traveled extensively and knew what to expect; I had already begun to create some breathing room at work; and one of my life dreams was to travel with my family. Read More » 21 July 2018by Chris Wylie Preparation Preparation 1 Comments