tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336039542024-03-23T10:42:43.239-07:00See it, experience it (maybe not such a good idea after all!) because it is goingTravels around the world before over population destroys it allTony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-1191442391827922652018-03-18T05:17:00.003-07:002018-03-18T05:17:51.361-07:00<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3352409199/" title="IMG_5973 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_5973" height="180" src="https://farm2.static.flickr.com/1320/3352409199_d691b5042c_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-17346957146236235492009-10-19T10:31:00.000-07:002009-10-19T12:59:44.270-07:00OtleyGreen - Green facts and fiction<div>There is a lot of noise about climate change - Lots of Government funded organisations and the right messages on Government web sites. <i>Even OtleyGreen got £2000 to get started. </i>Just no real action</div><div><br /></div><div>Human beings seem wired to respond to immediate threats, even if they are imagined (Iraq!). We seem incapable of reacting to things that will impact in the future. </div><div><br /></div><div>World leaders understand the threat but they lack trust in each other and know they don't have support from their populations for anything that might affect the economy</div><div><br /></div><div><i>I was castigated by some friends for being holier that thou, after years of flying around the world on business and pleasure and driving a jag. No defence really, even if I drive a small Skoda now. At first I was a bit fed up, but on second maybe OtleyGreen is making an impact</i></div><div><br /></div><div>Ask some simple questions and it proves almost impossible to get a straight answer.</div><div><br /></div><div>How long does it take to save the energy used to make a solar panel? Took 2 weeks to find an answer 1.2 years for energy, 2 years for CO2 and I don't quite believe it</div><div><br /></div><div>Everyone is talking about carbon footprint but there is no standard measure or way of comparing. The Government measures regions by looking at transport, industry, households etc. But this allows areas to export their energy use to others e.g. Suffolk comes out at 7.8T per head, Bromley in South London 4.9T. Bromley people are far more profligate in energy use but don't have any farming or industry</div><div><br /></div><div><i>The OtleyGreen survey suggest emit 8 tonnes CO2 per household. We have included energy used in the home, car use and flights. Useful because it covers things we can do something about but ignores the costs of all the stuff we buy. We import stuff and export Co2 emissions to China and India</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;">Getting worse - T<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; border-collapse: collapse; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; ">he Arctic <em style="font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; ">ice cap</em> will disappear completely in summer months within 20 to 30 years. We loose a nice reflecting white thing</span></span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: small; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: small; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#33CC00;">Getting better </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FF0000;">(no worse) </span>- Reports suggest the Earth has cooled since 1998s. Trouble is that was an El Nino year. Use other years as a starting point and you get very different figures. Also its based on Met Office figures that exclude the Arctic Ocean the fastest warming bit of the earth</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#404040;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#404040;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Still it was beautiful day on Sunday</span></span></div><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-76986812539545700502009-10-07T09:28:00.000-07:002009-10-07T12:34:48.472-07:00OtleyGreen - Pissing in the wind?<div>Believing that extreme runaway climate change is a real danger and not wanting to be part of the problem. <i>Easy for me to say having spent 3 years traveling the world. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; ">Decided to set up a group to try and reduce the carbon footprint of our village.</span></i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "> First step, to cajole some, hopefully, like minded people to join the group. Then meet in the village pub, the White Hart. </span></i></div><div><br /></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "> Managed to choose the 1st Thursday of the month when a very loud band practices. Shouting and saying 'sorry can't hear you' doesn't make it easy running a - getting to know you/what are we going to do meeting. However, avoided a fight over whether solar power for domestic hot water is part of the problem or solution. </span></i></div><div><br /></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; ">The problem with selecting capable, proactive people is that tend to have jobs. <i>Its clear that jobless me is going to have to make the running</i></span></i></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Will local grass roots organisations manage to change things from the bottom up or are we way past that </i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-25397407009065944172009-05-31T15:01:00.000-07:002009-05-31T15:18:01.260-07:00How to mend a dish washer in 10 easy stepsThe problem - Dish Washer trips the electricity circuit breaker<br /><br />1. Spend ages on the Internet to identify a faulty heating element. Order new one<br /><br />2. Heater element arrives in the post<br /><br />3. Strip dish washer and use tissue to clean the bit that makes the element water tight<br /><br />4. For no good reason take out the filters that stop bad stuff getting into the guts of the machine<br /><br />5. Rebuild and throw away all the screws left over<br /><br />6. Go back onto the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">internet</span> to find out why its not cleaning dishes<br /><br />7. Spend hours completely taking the machine apart so you can get the pump out, dismantle pump and remove the tissue that has clogged it.<br /><br />8. Reassemble. Throw away some more screws. Test the washer before fitting back into the kitchen cupboard<br /><br />9 Forget to turn the water back on so the element overheats<br /><br />10 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Goto</span> 1<br /><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-30645187711307738692009-05-14T12:04:00.000-07:002009-05-15T04:58:33.472-07:00More blood in Otley<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3531904408/" title="IMG_6720 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2226/3531904408_e11d6c325b_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="<span class=" /></a></span></div><div>Spring has come on all in a rush. Everywhere animals and birds are giving birth and preying on each other. The Sparrow Hawk being at the top of the tree in both senses. He sits there and dives as the Moorhen chicks follow their mother for food on the grass. </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3533501376/" title="IMG_6717 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3330/3533501376_597b3cca06_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="<span class=" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" /></a></span>
<br /></div><div>Moorhens are pretty noisy most of the time but the scream she gives off when the Sparrow Hawk dives is unearthly. After a week she had one left out of 5.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3533501382/" title="IMG_6923 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2099/3533501382_705a56eb7c_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="<span class=" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" /></a></span>
<br /></div><div>Something also got the mother blackbird. I hope it wasn't one of the evil cats that invade our garden. Given the stress that birds and small creatures are under why do people think it acceptable to introduce yet another predator!! Anyway the result was a nest full of dead chicks. Even these were eaten after a few days</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3533501388/" title="IMG_6942a by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2235/3533501388_5c8b7e33e2_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="<span class=" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" /></a></span>
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<br /></div><div>All the large fish in our pond have disappeared. Either a mink or otter is using the pond as a convenient larder. Frustratingly the mink trap is often triggered but empty!!</div><div>
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<br /></div><a href="javascript:window.print()">Lots of Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-60100116670337099172009-04-06T03:06:00.000-07:002009-04-06T11:17:08.702-07:00Bloody Otley<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPR0SLEkxtQ0PwFWgd-gxGBAUnEG4KZfZT-O1cTq4bAt8Q-9O1W6iwpiQkDYtVZrvf_UFULBuF_uus1boAd-qubWjL10iRfYUlv5DguJ6HVuApbx9Uj04sqB6jV-3EIcR0Xy-J/s1600-h/Otley+April+2009+016.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPR0SLEkxtQ0PwFWgd-gxGBAUnEG4KZfZT-O1cTq4bAt8Q-9O1W6iwpiQkDYtVZrvf_UFULBuF_uus1boAd-qubWjL10iRfYUlv5DguJ6HVuApbx9Uj04sqB6jV-3EIcR0Xy-J/s320/Otley+April+2009+016.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321638623646734706" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>Before we arrived for dinner the hostess had to hose the blood off the patio doors. So much was running down the glass it made the room dark. Having ascertained there hadn't been an axe murder she went back inside, perplexed and more than a little worried. </div><div><br /></div><div>Later a noise sounding like a mad man pounding on an upstairs window disturbed our meal. We crept upstairs to see a large crow flinging itself at the window while another stood on the flat roof as if keeping guard. It was like being extras in Hitchcock's The Birds.</div><div><br /></div><div>The attack on the house continues </div><div><br /></div><div>New people are running the pub. They effortlessly display skills that most publicans find impossible to master - saying hello, goodbye, thank you and making you feel as if they are glad to see you</div><div><br /></div><div>Biggest problem on returning home is the socialising and our lack of selfcontrol when offered alchohol. Even the latest TOPs play involved 4 pints of superb real ale </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3418094034/" title="africa 006 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3613/3418094034_53a8f9f6ca_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="africa 006" /></a></span><br /></div><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-51801590784769725662009-03-28T10:42:00.001-07:002009-03-28T16:36:26.352-07:00Bloody Temples<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3393700982/" title="IMG_6533 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3578/3393700982_7ab10d81f1_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_6533" /></a></span><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3393649804/" title="IMG_6498 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3570/3393649804_5663e08cef_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_6498" /></a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Couldn't make our map match the reality on the ground. After a whole morning of frustration we realised we weren't where we thought we were but in one of the most famous and recognisable tourist sites in the world - Angkor Wat<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3393761342/" title="IMG_6473 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3652/3393761342_38351bc020_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="IMG_6473" /></a></span><br /><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3393040856/" title="IMG_6667 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3596/3393040856_d1ec843706_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_6667" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:48px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3392244363/" title="IMG_6535 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3664/3392244363_f8c86ee37d_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_6535" /></a></span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><br /></span>Hired a tut-tut driver for three days to drive around what was a massive city full of temples. Hot, exhausting but strangely engaging <div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3392070049/" title="IMG_6625 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3584/3392070049_c00b5b0a36_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_6625" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>'' Back and to your left a bit''</div><div><br />There are some 6 million land mines and unexploded bombs in Cambodia that are still maiming and killing people every day. Many on them left over from the days when America was 'helping the Cambodian people help themselves' (Richard Nixon) by bombing the hell out of there villages and creating the perfect conditions for the rise of the Khmer Rouge. You would think that the richest nation in the world, after invading one country and then dropping bombs on its neighbour could at least go and collect its unexploded shit when it had finished!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3392073747/" title="IMG_6626 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3623/3392073747_56a34bf0b1_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_6626" /></a></span><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:48px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3392237755/" title="IMG_6488 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3626/3392237755_904e25d271_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_6488" /></a></span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:48px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3393718272/" title="IMG_6471 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3637/3393718272_8a2f8c0748_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="IMG_6471" /></a></span><br /></span></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-63957277299140107212009-03-28T09:17:00.000-07:002009-03-28T11:42:35.384-07:00Eating Cambodia<div>
<br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3392043798/" title="IMG_6598 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3444/3392043798_59d6a38a0d_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="<span class=" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"></span></a></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:10px;">Eat my feet - massage by skin eating fish</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(85, 26, 139); text-decoration: underline;">
<br /></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3417/3391225959_8ed2d9ccce_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="<span class=" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" /> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3391218811/" title="IMG_6104 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/3391218811_202eeedbc9_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="<span class=" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" /></a></span><div><a href="javascript:window.print()"></a></div><div>
<br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3392006372/" title="IMG_6074 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3562/3392006372_9fb0b7b49a_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="<span class=" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:10px;"> I'll have mine with flies please</span></span></div><div>
<br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3391169867/" title="IMG_5491 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3554/3391169867_f738943f10_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="<span class=" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" /> </a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3391909333/" title="IMG_6136 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3446/3391909333_b2030a5f4f_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="<span class=" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:48px;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:48px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3391943627/" title="IMG_6152 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3588/3391943627_f8fc75305c_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="<span class=" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3391943627/" title="IMG_6152 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr" style="text-decoration: none;"> </a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3392746420/" title="IMG_6149 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3609/3392746420_e02ed00758_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="<span class=" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" /></a></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:'-webkit-monospace';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Spiders and frogs</span></span></div><div>
<br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3392734478/" title="IMG_6143 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3444/3392734478_c49eeddd34_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="<span class=" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" /></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Sticky rice and stuff</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-family:-webkit-monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3393052582/" title="IMG_6489 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3584/3393052582_aab9bbcd75_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_6489" /></a></span>
<br /></span></div><div><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-32555579950296414472009-03-20T05:46:00.000-07:002009-03-20T06:21:28.195-07:00The Garbage kids<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3369556973/" title="IMG_6255 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3599/3369556973_8c0580fb54_m.jpg" alt="IMG_6255" height="180" width="240" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3369646753/" title="IMG_6276 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3448/3369646753_06604af8e2_m.jpg" alt="IMG_6276" height="240" width="180" /></a><br /><br />Met an ex-pat Brit, David, in Phnom Penh. He divides his time between his bar, his beautiful young Cambodian girlfriend and feeding the children who eek out an existence on the city dump.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3369556981/" title="IMG_6278 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3639/3369556981_c94ff1b5b1_m.jpg" alt="IMG_6278" height="240" width="180" /></a><br /><br />He wasn't taking food that day but he took us to the dump to see for ourselves. The pollution in Phnom Penh is pretty bad but as soon as you got to the end of the road full of recycling businesses it was like entering an earthly hell. There was smoke everywhere, it stung your eyes and throat, the smell was indescribable. Dave threw a Stone into what looked like a muddy field with a few patches of grass. The stone immediately disappeared. It was a pit, some 2 metres deep full of toxic waste<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3369646741/" title="IMG_6269 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3465/3369646741_16df7fe683_m.jpg" alt="IMG_6269" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /><br />When David takes tourists to feed the 2000 people who work live and feed in this place. He asks for a 15$ donation from each person. They go to market, buy the food and take it in an old lorry where they distribute the food to the woman and children. Any money left over is used to buy school uniforms for the children. School is free but they cant go if they don''t have a uniform.<br /><br />There is a lot of poverty in Cambodia but Phnom Penh is full of brand new Lexus and Toyota land cruisers. All belonging to the Government, NGOs or major charities. It is so ostentatious and such a waste of money its quite sickening. Particularly against the direct and effective work David is doing<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3369556985/" title="IMG_6283 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3141/3369556985_b0557f9a32_m.jpg" alt="IMG_6283" height="180" width="240" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cambodian fac</span>t. There is a law that bans the use of headlights during the day. There is no law stating you must use them at night<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-1501052621677724012009-03-13T22:28:00.000-07:002009-03-20T05:46:37.594-07:00We are genocide tourists now<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3369532573/" title="IMG_6178 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3468/3369532573_f252fabc0a_m.jpg" alt="IMG_6178" height="240" width="180" /></a><br /><br />The tourists approach the genocide memorial in an excited, expectant state. This after all is an important 'must do' in their whirlwind tour of the country's top sites. Their mood quickly changes as they realise the scale and the mechanics of massacre.<br /><br />Tears don't come at this stage because you cant have much empathy with thousands or even millions of dead people. The tears come later when they read the individual stories. The 5 year old Rwandan child, a picture of her at a birthday party, who had her head split in two by a machete. The hundreds of babies who where swung by their legs and smashed against as 'special' tree in the Cambodian killing fields<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3370424618/" title="IMG_6180 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3573/3370424618_1e61698ba6_m.jpg" alt="IMG_6180" height="240" width="180" /></a><br /><br />Finally, for the tourists, there is anger and the thirst for revenge or at least justice. The Western need for a nice neat ending that will never come.<br /><br />Rwanda has begun the process of reconciliation and justice. Formal trials of some of the Hutu leaders are taking place in Zanzibar. Local courts are enabling people to tell their stories and to confess. Rwanda has ditched the French language because of Frances actions around the massacre. The people refer to themselves as Rwandan now, instead of Hutu or Tutsi. 800,000 Tutsi where killed.<br /><br />Cambodia is now starting trials of a few Khmer Rouge leaders, far too late most of the leaders including Pol Pot have died of old age. Its not easy to investigate these things when your current leader is ex-Khmer Rouge. 1-3 million died out of a population of 8 million<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3369532583/" title="IMG_6173 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3598/3369532583_58a912d8a0_m.jpg" alt="IMG_6173" height="240" width="180" /></a><br /><br />Both massacres demonstrate the impotence and moral cowardice of the UN. In Rwanda a few armed peace keepers could have stopped the killing. The UN continued to recognise the Khmer Rouge Government years after they where ousted by Vietnamese forces. Both France and the US, amongst others, played shameful roles in these decisions<br /><br />As for the tourists? They end the tour chastened and maybe a little change. Most importantly their presence helps ensure the stories are told and not forgotten<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-32795084761668708452009-03-13T22:27:00.000-07:002009-03-13T23:24:29.505-07:00WhoopsMarilyn fails in her 'cycling over a rock' demonstration to the Lao people
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<br />Must get these tee shirts for me and Marilyn
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<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3352418045/" title="IMG_5923 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1190/3352418045_c377ca41a7_m.jpg" alt="<span class=" error="" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" /></a>
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<br /><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-47337150859919647892009-03-08T22:16:00.000-07:002009-03-08T22:35:28.994-07:00That was stupid<span style="font-weight: bold;">If I had listened to Marilyn </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">''Don't go in there</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Don't drink that you don't know what he has put in it</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Don't go for a trip on the river for three hours when you don't know what you have drunk''</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I wouldn't have had the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ignominy</span> of being rescued from the Mekong while floating down it in a lorry inner tube or passing out or having to sleep for 15 hours</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">And I wouldn't have had two days of<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">I told you so</span><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.print()">P</a><a href="javascript:window.print()"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">rint</span> Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-9570918475540471772009-03-06T22:08:00.000-08:002009-03-06T22:46:18.179-08:00Bloody Brits<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3334111161/" title="IMG_5714[1] by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3661/3334111161_3d3980288f_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_5714[1]" /></a><br /><br />In three years of travel we have only encountered two cases of aggressive behavior. The first was the seat grabbing, rude Germans in Guatemala. The second was yesterday<br /><br />The three chavs from Dartford were sitting at the back of a crowded bus. They were loud and there where too many 'fucks' but they seemed friendly enough. Then the driver put on some rather good Lao pop music. One of these guys gos up to the front -----<br /><br />'This is crap, this is meant to be a VIP bus. Have you got fucking English music. English CD English radio. Understand'<br /><br />The Lao people are very quiet and reserved and the driver apologised. Having got the gist of what was being said he turned the radio off. This led to a number of people protesting and saying they were enjoying the music.<br /><br />Our friend from Dartford. Stood in the middle of the bus and told them to fuck off and in particular abused an older Dutch guy. He went back to his set where a French woman told him that this was not England and it was good to hear local music. His reply was to tell her to fuck off too and remind her that 'England once ruled half the world'<br /><br />At this stage I told him to stop being so aggressive and that he was making me ashamed to be English etc etc. I then waited for the abuse to be launched in my direction. But amazingly they shut up. Apart from the occasion stupid noise and inane comments such as 'why cant they put all these fires out' - Lao uses slash and burn techniques at this time of year<br /><br />Met guy who had encountered the chavs.<br /><br />'Hello where do you come from'<br />'Dartford in sarf eastLondon, where you come from'<br />'London, Balham'<br />'Never heard of it'<br />'Its near Clapham'<br />"Nar no idea mate'<br /><br />Another over heard conversation<br /><br />American teacher to gentleman from India - 'Do you speak Indian"<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-38836655663407661982009-03-06T21:50:00.000-08:002009-03-06T22:42:49.990-08:00Transition towns - without happy endings!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3334908340/" title="IMG_5578[1] by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3625/3334908340_6876b952f6_m.jpg" alt="IMG_5578[1]" width="240" height="180" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3334908346/" title="IMG_5589[1] by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3554/3334908346_30c66cd8b8_m.jpg" alt="IMG_5589[1]" width="240" height="180" /></a>If you are very lucky you visit a place when it still has some of its original culture and local business but you can also get decent wine and espresso coffee. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Laung</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Prahang</span> is one such place.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3334908368/" title="IMG_5644[1] by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3636/3334908368_0ae0e08e19_m.jpg" alt="IMG_5644[1]" width="240" height="180" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3334908374/" title="IMG_5657[1] by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3661/3334908374_4bf66025c6_m.jpg" alt="IMG_5657[1]" width="240" height="180" /></a><br />If you are late the place will be over developed. the local culture is swamped, big business moves in and flashy hotels are built. Each one being higher than its competitors. Vang <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Vieng</span> is a good example of this. 10 years ago it must have been paradise but now its all building works and self absorbed back packers watching endless reruns of Friends in the bars.<br /><br />Two things that I really like about Laos. Brilliant 1hr massages for 8$ and menus where you can ask for the 'happy' version - Milk Shake or pizza laced with cannabis<br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-63724388649562176912009-03-05T07:14:00.000-08:002009-03-06T21:50:08.474-08:00Mutinies on the MekongJut about the only reason to go to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Huay Xai </span>is to take the two day, slow boat trip to the old capital of Laos. <br /><br />So there are about 180 of us having bought tickets and being lectured by some guy with good English '' The boats are unsafe, you will get food <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">poisoning</span>, men will be robbed and the women raped the place you stay overnight, the waters low so it will take twice as long as they say. On the other hand my bus company will take you there safely in no time. All you have to do is throw away your boat <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">ticket</span> and pay me loads of money''. <br /><br />About 60 people actually fell for this rubbish and went with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">the</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">charlatan</span><br /><br />The rest of us made our way to the river and tried to cram into a boat <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">built</span> for 80. An <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">English</span> guy started a mutiny and a chant of 'one more boat' that got so loud and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">aggressive</span> that the owners actually <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">commandeered</span> a second boat<br /><br />The next day on the second leg, about 90 of us got on the boat. It was getting a bit crowded, so the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Americans</span> tried to start another mutiny by <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">physically</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">invading</span> second boat. They went <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">unilaterally</span> without the support of the other nations, even us Brits refused to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">follow</span> them. Having 'won' the boat they had no idea what to do with it other than to shout a lot. <br /><br />The owner of the original boat owner solved the impasse by starting his <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">engines</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">and</span> moving out.<br /><br />The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Americans</span> capitulated and climbed back on board looking a bit sheepish<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-13414886136439505672009-03-03T07:56:00.000-08:002009-03-03T08:25:46.755-08:00Dumped on in ThailandThere should be a travelers proverb 'When you have a beer in your hand the day wasn't seem so bad and the world will be back in equilibrium'<br /><br />An 11 hour bus journey is daunting but when the bus breaks down and it turns into a 15 hour journey your bum begins to ache<br /><br />In the middle of a mountain range the bus began to overheat and then stop. A coolant hose had broken a spewed coolant all over the road. After an hour or so a mechanic appeared as if by magic. He had an old inner tube and a pair of children's scissors. Once he had fashioned a bandage he dragged himself under he bus on his back. As soon as he was in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">position</span> a woman on the bus who obviously was in dire need, decided to take a pee. The whole lot hit his stomach in a very full and healthy stream - hilarious<br /><br />Probably because he was soaked in pee his repair didn't last long and a mile later the bus was completely dead and we had to wait for a replacement.<br /><br />By the time we got to our destination on the Thai/Laos border we were the last on the bus and the town was shut and in darkness - no people, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">taxis</span> or anything. No idea on how we would find a place to sleep we wandered down the road and stubled upon magic sign that said 'we have just the hostal you need' with a map<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"></span><br />30 minutes later we had a room and the beer<br /><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-12992361392162589232009-02-28T07:19:00.000-08:002009-02-28T07:32:37.200-08:00No lady boys this timeBack into noisy, polluted Bangkok. We end up in go in an 'entertainment' district. The sort of place where the girls end up with the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">desperately</span> old, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">desperately</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">inexperienced</span> or just <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">the desperate</span>. Found good bar with live music and lots of pretty girls. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Despite</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">being</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"></span>in the target <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">client</span> group I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">don't</span> get hassled (<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">unfortunately</span>). Marilyn <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">doesn't</span> get fondled either unlike 15 years ago when she was in a dodgy Bangkok bar.<br /><br />Last year Marilyn spent her birthday in a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">minivan</span> travelling <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">across</span> British <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Guiana</span> for 22 hours. This year she spent 13 hours on a plane and the time change ate up the rest of the day<br /><br />Up at 5am <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">tomorrow</span> to get a bus to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Northern</span> Thailand and on to Laos<br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-15759463751503690872009-02-22T11:06:00.000-08:002009-02-22T13:19:04.013-08:00Living on a big yellow truck<div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3212711363/" title="africa 102 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3122/3212711363_6a73493b31_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="africa 102" /></a> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The idea of traveling and living with a group of strangers was more than a little daunting. The reality was a delight - brilliant company, great organization and lots of excitement. There is probably no better way of seeing </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Africa</span></st1:place><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and getting to stay in national parks.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia;color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3300384491/" title="IMG_4734 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3605/3300384491_6a82753aa9_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_4734" /></a></span></span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">A leader and driver are provided but the rest is diy. A daily rota gives everyone a task and a responsibility - cooking, washing up, security or cleaning the truck. This is essential to keep the costs down and to give the group the feeling that we are 'all in this together'</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Everything is down to the atmosphere the leader establishes, and the people. Just one or two arseholes could destroy the trip for everyone. Our leader 'Gracie' used a yellow card system, anyone could be nominated for one during dinner. They then have a chance to defend themselves and then the nomination gets put to the vote. Mostly it is a fairly hilarious process but it does give the chance to air things that could otherwise fester and become a problem. When (rather than if) you get 3 red cards your punishment is to buy everyone a shot. But it's your choice what goes in it. My concoction of Ugandan rum, vodka and brandy with a large dash of chili powder went down well!!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia;color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3300392777/" title="IMG_4753 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3394/3300392777_164d6f7358_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_4753" /></a></span></span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia;color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">We travelled from </span><st1:country-region st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Kenya</span></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, </span><st1:country-region st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Uganda</span></st1:country-region><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and </span><st1:place st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Rwanda</span></st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3301213540/" title="IMG_4733 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3309/3301213540_abcc237054_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_4733" /></a></span><br /></p></div><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-39619954110353026482009-02-22T10:06:00.000-08:002009-02-22T13:36:09.902-08:00Gorillas in the pouring rain<div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3300769931/" title="IMG_4938 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3344/3300769931_acea385dd4_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_4938" /></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Our arrival is causing much bemusement in a small village where we are starting our trek to see Rwanda's gorillas. We are following the </span><st1:city st="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Shinda </span></st1:city><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> group (these are the ones that Dian Fossey studied)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. Just ten of the gorrila groups can each be visited by 8 people a day. It’s probably one of the few wildlife viewing things you can do guilt free - the 500$ a day permit means that someone is making a lot of money and that person will be inclined to try and stop poachers destroying his money making scheme</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Trackers are already way up in the mountain trying to locate the group. We start off with guides and armed guards. The latter is supposedly to save us from elephants and buffalo but really to protect us stumble upon armed poachers or wandering Congolese guerrilllas<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3301295468/" title="IMG_4817 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3384/3301295468_d8729b4fb9_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_4817" /></a></span><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">After a couple of hours we hear a noise and though the trees I can make out the black shape of a gorilla. It’s partly hidden but an exhilarating experience and I think 'well that’s my money's worth'. The next moment we are surrounded by gorilla’s - mothers with babies, adolescents and several silver backs. We are meant to be 7 meters away but no-one told the gorillas and they even brush past us. All the activity is because it has started to rain and gorillas hate getting wet. For the next 20 minutes they </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">huddle under trees looking extremely miserable</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">As soon as the rain stops they start getting active and the chief silverback comes through with his favorite family</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3301301926/" title="IMG_4818 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3652/3301301926_d19744df24.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_4818" /></a></span><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=" ;font-family:Georgia;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It’s all deeply moving especially looking deep into their eyes. There is definatly some sort of understanding or connection that goes back to a common ancestry. It’s difficult to believe that I belong to the same species that will kill these creatures for a hand or foot trophy!!</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3301591530/" title="IMG_4935 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3325/3301591530_997081787c_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="IMG_4935" /></a></span></o:p></p></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-33181830608160997072009-02-12T04:07:00.000-08:002009-02-28T07:19:32.708-08:00French EdinburghWe are in a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Wethersppon's</span> Pub in Edinburgh watching France thrash Scotland at rugby. It all gets very confusing when the majority of people cheer every time France makes a good move. First I think maybe Scotland isn't playing, then that Scottish fans have given up supporting their national teams unable to withstand the constant <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">disappointment</span> and heartache. It gradually dawns on me that I am standing amongst 100s of French people - this was about the time they started singing the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Marseillaise</span> . No idea what they are doing here, maybe its another Scottish/French plot to invade England<br /><br /><br />Liked Edinburgh a lot but the grey granite along with the grey <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">skies</span> can be a bit gloomy<br /><br />The Scottish <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Parliament</span> is even crappier than I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">imagined</span>. Managing to be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">nondescript</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">oppressive</span> at the same time. Still if you only spend 414M pounds on a public building (original price 50M) you cant expect to have an impressive building which <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">doesn't</span> drop beams and water onto your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">MPs</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"></span><br /><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-19499167387816396012009-01-05T01:57:00.000-08:002009-01-17T02:32:03.829-08:00African Stories<div>1. <strong>Marriage.</strong> If you don't have enough cattle to get the wife of your choice raid a neighboring tribe and steal them. However make sure you hand them over to the father before they can arrange a raid to get them back- 'its then his problem'. This has all become a bit murderous since the tribes started using guns rather than spears.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>2. ''I thought <strong>female circumcision</strong> was illegal'' 'yes but not for the Pocott tribe''</div><br /><div>Two days later the paper is full of stories of the Pocott persuading other tribes to adopt complete circumcision, the labia as well as the clitoris. All done by the old ladies in the tribe with a rusty razor blade</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>3. <strong>The riots</strong> in Jan 2008 started as a political protest but gave the tribes a chance to steal from each other. One island on Lake Victoria has double its population as people fled the mainland. There are refuge camps everywhere as the Government tries to find a way of getting people back to their homes and farms. Not easy when there is no property rights and whole districts have been cleared and resettled</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>4. <strong>Obama</strong>. As election day approached for the American presidency white people in Kenya got extra armed security. If Obama had not got in they where sure they would have been attacked. There is still tremendous excitement about having an American President with a Kenyan father. But the Kenyan people are likely to be disappointed. They think Obama will favour Kenya in the same way as their own politicians give precedence to their own tribe</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>5. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Politicians</span>. Kenyan politicians earn much more than their Wesminster counterparts. In a country with average income of below a dollar and falling. They are amazingly corrupt and incompetent. Kenya is facing a famine which will affect a third of the population but the Government has managed to 'lose' all but 7000 of the 150,000 bags of maize it had in store</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>5. <strong>Donations</strong>. Its 6am and we are waiting for the Uganda/Rwandan border to open. I have got a Rwandan note worth about 50 US cents. I say good morning to about 20 village woman and children as they walk towards the market. They respond with 'good morning. Give me money'. Eventually a woman with a baby on her back and a back of potatoes on her head says ' good morning how are you' with a big smile. I hand her the note. A few minutes later I hear shrieks of laughter and three woman are giving her high 5s at her good fortune</div><div><br /></div><div>6. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Thief</span>. We were given some good advise. Only shout 'thief' if you are robbed if you want the culprit beaten to death or lynched. Everyday the papers had stories of people being caught and summarily killed.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-34021760307449731392009-01-05T01:39:00.000-08:002009-01-22T12:15:42.224-08:00Kenyan Railways<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3213524596/" title="africa 060 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img style="width: 219px; height: 166px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3536/3213524596_6018b07018_m.jpg" alt="africa 060" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3213518462/" title="africa 050 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img style="width: 225px; height: 141px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3521/3213518462_6b0a05c4c3_m.jpg" alt="africa 050" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3213531992/" title="africa 061 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3372/3213531992_b111d591a5_m.jpg" alt="africa 061" width="240" height="180" /></a><br />Views from the train window<br /><br />''Kenya railways welcomes its passengers on the Mombasa Nairobi night train and wishes them a pleasant journey"<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3217742112/" title="africa 034 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3473/3217742112_18fa4ca9cb_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="africa 034" /></a></span><br />The decrepit diesel grunts, groans, belches and stops. Ghostly figures shine torches underneath and aimlessly walk up and down the platform. An hour later they give the engine a second chance and it manages to pull its load upto an impressive walking pace.<br /><br />Life is pleasant in our 1st class carriage. Excellent wine and a 5 course dinner, whilst someone makes up our beds. Not so much fun for the 3rd class passengers. Hundreds of them, whole extended families with all their worldly goods, have been packed into the front 4 coaches<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: -webkit-monospace; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3217740464/" title="africa 028 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3528/3217740464_cc93e749b4_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="africa 028" /></a></span><br />For us, after dinner whiskeys with four 60 year of Swiss guys whose idea of a good holiday is to pay gorgeous young Kenyan girls to go on safari with them. The girls seem happy with the arrangement and one is celebrating her 21 st birthday<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:-webkit-monospace;font-size:13px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3217740572/" title="africa 032 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3255/3217740572_a856059ed8_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="africa 032" /></a></span><br />This must be the only railway in the world where you can spot giraffes, zebra and antelope<br /><br />We arrive at 1pm 6 hours late into the maelstrom of Nairobi<br /><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-24164749912471232832008-12-16T07:30:00.000-08:002009-01-22T12:12:55.645-08:00Black and white in AfircaA night flight in a plane full of kids either running around of screaming is always fun. A broken computer system leading to a 2 hour queue for visas just goes to remind us why we love travel so much<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: -webkit-monospace; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3216883091/" title="africa 022 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3257/3216883091_8803f11bf5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="africa 022" /></a></span><br />Managed to scrounge a lift so we didn't have to tackle Mombasa taxis. We had refused the online offer of a coach transfer but no-one told the Cosmos rep so a coach load of holiday makers waited for us for ages in the midday sun - boy were we popular.<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: -webkit-monospace; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3216872393/" title="africa 015 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3357/3216872393_6a60b90d24_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="africa 015" /></a></span><br />Hotel great, very few Europeans but lots of Kenyans on holiday- Though the pool could get a bit crowded<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3213508238/" title="africa 004 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3469/3213508238_8cb3661db1_m.jpg" alt="africa 004" width="240" height="180" /></a><br /><br />The bit of Kenya we have seen has wonderfully friendly, helpful people and superb weather. There is much more obvious poverty than we have seen elsewhere and a lot more crime. A wander round the Mombasa old town led to us getting lost and two guys helping us out. While they were doing this a third guy snatched Marilyn's necklace from her neck and ran off. We should had realised that even crap, cheap jewellery attracts stupid thieves .<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: -webkit-monospace; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; "><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/3216866773/" title="africa 014 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3375/3216866773_a71a425ccb_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="africa 014" /></a></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-2723842571192924132008-10-06T13:32:00.000-07:002008-10-06T14:22:49.633-07:00End of the trip<a title="europeii 667 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/2919073817/"><img height="240" alt="europeii 667" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/2919073817_3ff154b5dc_m.jpg" width="180" /></a> <a title="IMG_4153 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/2919112659/"><img height="240" alt="IMG_4153" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3042/2919112659_e8391fef8d_m.jpg" width="180" /></a><br /><br />Lithuania, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Slovinia</span> is a beautiful city just the right size for a few days while waiting for our flight.<br /><br /><a title="europeii 646 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/2897656391/"><img height="180" alt="europeii 646" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3209/2897656391_242c2d142a_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><br />Thoughts on this trip -<br /><br />Lots of people are doing well in the Baltic States but the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ordinary</span> person is suffering from low wages and high inflation<br /><div></div><br />The more you pay for a toilet the worse it is<br /><br />Lots of people are worried by Russian influence<br /><br />Things we decided not to try from the menus -<br /><br />Crap - fried, grilled or fresh<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Squitters</span> - fresh<br />The chef's bits<br />The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">cocktail</span> - 'Sex in a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">disabled</span> toilet'<br /><br /><a title="europeii 609 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/2897652709/"><img height="135" alt="europeii 609" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/2897652709_fe2a096de8_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><br /><a title="IMG_4176 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/2919963842/"><img height="180" alt="IMG_4176" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/2919963842_b8ef649c38_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />This Guiness Records biggest sausage attempt failed because it didn't cook<br /><br /><br /><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33603954.post-87197705736418696042008-10-06T13:18:00.000-07:002009-01-17T02:38:45.422-08:00Croatia Sailing<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/2899359500/" title="europeii 386 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3283/2899359500_800171c28d_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="europeii 386" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/2898531161/" title="europeii 410 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3021/2898531161_09ce1c37a2_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="europeii 410" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/2898619177/" title="europeii 457 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3263/2898619177_aa6412dc0b_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="europeii 457" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/2898737881/" title="europeii 537 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3229/2898737881_92a3d1ccc6_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="europeii 537" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/2898725275/" title="europeii 529 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3098/2898725275_d3791434cb_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="europeii 529" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/2899558610/" title="europeii 506 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3192/2899558610_130ff2d8b1_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="europeii 506" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12914392@N02/2898683695/" title="europeii 497 by tonypbarrett, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3216/2898683695_29df67fed0_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="europeii 497" /></a><br /><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print Page</a><div class="blogger-post-footer">http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ BackToQuitoViaTorontomediterraneanEuropeFromQuitoToBuenosAires</div>Tony & Marilynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01646074578544029480noreply@blogger.com0