http://www.drokpa.com/Journal Travel the World Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:47:07 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Dates Traveled: April-May 2008 Once again it's been awhile since I've posted, but this entry should be comparatively short - famous last words. I did just return from a long break of almost two months, but there were no penis gourds, there was no coughing up of blood, and there were ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2008/06/10/land-of-the-rising-sun/ A little insight into some of the games played by the Chinese in Tibet, followed by an open letter from some Chinese intellectuals..... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2008/03/29/a-few-news-stories-regarding-tibet/ I'm sure most people are at least partially aware that something big is happening in Tibet right now. I know it gets some coverage on the major online news carriers, though if you want more in-depth information you might check out Phayul. The articles there will give you an appreciation ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2008/03/17/a-cry-for-help/ Dates Traveled: January-February 2008 Uganda Once again it's time to put fingers to keyboard to outline what I've been up to during my most recent six weeks of adventure. I left the vessel on January 16th and flew to Entebbe, Uganda, via a night in Dubai. I met Rhona at the airport ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2008/03/06/rhinos-gorillas-and-cheetahsoh-my/ February 7th is Tibetan New Years Losar Tashi Delek http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2008/02/05/losar-tibetan-new-year-2/ One of our support vessels caught this swordfish yesterday. It quickly became Kilawin - a Philippine raw fish dish in vinegar, ginger, and peppers. It was excellent!   http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2008/01/10/not-long-now/ Dates Traveled: November-December 2007 Malaysia (State of Sabah) - Kota Kinabalu (KK) We arrived in Kota Kinabalu (KK) around midnight, only to find that the airport transfer we'd arranged with the hostel was nowhere to be found. We eventually just grabbed a cab to the hostel, where we crashed long and hard. ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2007/12/22/borneo-bound/ http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2007/12/20/2007-christmas-card/ Dates Traveled: October-November 2007 Singapore I left the vessel, and Rio, on October 24th for the loooong trip to Singapore. By the time my head hit the pillow in Singapore I'd been awake for over 60 hours, though only 42 of those were spent on flights or in the Rio, Sao Paulo, ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2007/12/18/penis-gourds-in-papua/ Four more wake-ups and I’m off work, off the boat, and off and running. This break is going to find me on Irian Jaya in Indonesia, and then probably up in Malaysian Borneo. I’ll fly from Rio to Washington DC via Sao Paulo, and then continue on to Singapore via ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2007/10/20/almost-finished-with-another-tour-of-duty/ Dates Traveled: September 2007 We caught a bus from Puno to Copacabana, on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. We had grand plans of doing a hike, and also visiting the Isla del Sol. However, as we had been on the go for over 3 weeks, and our time together was ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2007/09/25/llots-of-llamas-in-bolivia/ Dates Traveled: August 2007 (I'd also traveled here in June 1998, but that trip is without details) Our flight had us hopping from Denver, to Dallas, to Miami, and finally to Lima, Peru. We arrived at 4:20 AM on August 15th, where we immediately caught a taxi to the bus station for ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2007/09/24/off-to-a-shaky-start-in-peru/ I caught the overnight flight from Rio de Janeiro to Houston, arriving there before 6 AM on August 2nd. I nervously handed over my passport to someone from our office. Nervously, because when it came to acquiring a Brazilian work visa nothing seemed to go as planned, and I needed ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2007/09/23/short-road-trip-in-the-states/ Well, after three months of 'home' being a vessel floating offshore Brazil, I'm leaving today. Right now I'm just waiting on my relief to arrive. We'll have a brief handover, and then I'll leave around 3:00. Our vessel didn't head all the way into port, we're simply at anchor, which ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2007/08/01/counting-down/ Well, believe it or not the vessel is still tied up in Rio - has been for about a month-and-a-half now. However, we're expecting to finally have all of our equipment released by customs and out to the vessel tomorrow. It will take us a couple of days to load ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2007/05/31/116/ This is novel - actually posting an update shortly after I go do something! Yesterday 19 of us jumped in 5 taxis and headed up Corcovado - a 710 meter (2330 foot) mountain overlooking Rio. Why? To get an up-close view of the iconic symbol of Brazil - the giant ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2007/05/20/christ-the-redeemer/ Brace yourself, as I'm actually working again! Crazy, I know.... In the first 4 months of this year I worked 5 weeks, which of course is 5 weeks more than I worked between January 2001 and March 2005. However, I'm about to make up for it, as in the next 3 ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2007/05/12/114/ Well, it looks like it’s been a couple of months since my last update, so I figured it was about time to put fingers to keyboard and come up with something…anything. I ended up getting off the Russian vessel on March 6 and was able to make it all the way ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2007/04/15/blurb-book-of-tibetan-photos/ February 18th is Tibetan New Years Losar Tashi Delek http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2007/02/15/losar-tashi-delek/ Looks like we're not in Tibet anymore, Toto! This one is coming to you live from a Russian vessel in the Gulf of Mexico...as you do. Yep, after being out of the game since January 25, 2001, I'm back in the oil patch. Gulp! I left Montana the morning of ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2007/02/13/liver-madness/ I've been back in the States now since December 18th. I spent until the 27th of December in Denver, Colorado, where I witnessed the first of their 4 major snowstorms. I then raced to Helena, Montana ahead of Denver's second major snowstorm on the 28th, and have been here ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2007/01/23/between-jobs/ Dates Traveled: October - December 2006 I finished my last Tibet trip of the season on October 22nd in Kathmandu, Nepal. I had an enthusiastic group, and we had great views for most of the trip, so it was a nice way to end. And it truly was the end, as ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2006/12/13/india-nepal-as-group-of-2/ Well, once again it's been a couple of months since my last entry. In that time I've run a 1-month Tibet trip, as well as a 3-week trip which just finished in Hong Kong a few days ago. However, as those trips have been described in detail in previous entries, ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2006/09/24/chinglish/ Well, it looks like it's been almost 2 months since my last entry. That has nothing on the 7 months it used to take me to send out an update/e-mail, but I'd envisioned doing these online updates more frequently. What happened? Basically laziness....no other excuses. Anyway, on with the update... Last ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2006/07/30/held-up-by-maoists/ Trip number three of the year is now in the bag, as I finished here in Beijing on May 29th. I had met the small group of 5 passengers on May 15th in Shanghai, where we spent our time admiring the nighttime view from the historic Bund, checking out the ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2006/06/01/everybody-was-kung-fu-fighting/ Me again, this time writing from Shanghai, where tomorrow I’ll start my third trip of the season. My previous trip, a 3-week affair, began on April 15th in Beijing. We did our standard routine while in Beijing, with the first full day spent exploring the Great Wall at Mutianyu. This ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2006/05/14/trip-to-southern-china-hong-kong/ I finished my first trip of the year on April 9th, and to say the least our time spent in Nepal was interesting. I’m currently in Beijing and just started my second trip of the season. This one will be 3-weeks and will remain in Mainland China – it will ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2006/04/16/kathmandu-curfew/ After spending a couple of months at my dad’s place in Montana I made my way back to China, with a brief layover in Denver to catch up with my sisters. I arrived in Chengdu, China, on February 26th, where I met up with my Australian friend and fellow leader ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2006/03/17/losar-tibetan-new-year/ http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/12/25/2005-christmas-card/ Dates Traveled: November-December 2005 I finished my last trip of the season on October 16th and spent a week simply relaxing in Kathmandu. I then flew to Beijing to sort out visa issues and prepare for the upcoming trip with my dad and his wife, Laura. They arrived in Beijing the ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/12/11/trip-with-my-dad/ Stick a fork in me …I’m done – at least for this year. Yep, my leading season came to an end on October 16th when I said goodbye to my last group. There were a few challenges along the way, but all-in-all another good group. Certainly can’t complain about the ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/10/26/last-trip-of-the-2005/ Another one down, as I just finished in Kathmandu on September 11th. I ended up flying immediately to Hong Kong to try to sort out a new visa, do a bit of work, and have my camera repaired. I’m leaving here tomorrow and making my way to Beijing in order ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/09/16/40-years-of-tar/ Well, that was certainly an interesting trip - to say the least! I was supposed to have a full group, 12 passengers, but one passenger cancelled before I ever met him as he wasn't able to secure his necessary visas. Down to 11. Then, one minute before my group meeting ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/08/11/12111098/ Looks like it’s been awhile since my last update, though not nearly as long as the 4 to 7 months it used to take me to send out an E-mail update. This website is definitely the way to go. On July 3rd I finished the Tibet trip I was on, and ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/07/16/finished-my-first-fsn-trip/ Another update – this one coming to you from Lhasa, though mostly outlining my trip through the Tibetan grasslands of Gansu and Sichuan Provinces. We left Xian via an 8-hour overnight train to Lanzhou. We ate breakfast there and then hopped in a mini-van for the 6-hour drive to Xiahe. Xiahe, ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/06/21/amdo-to-lhasa/ Had a little time on my hands here in Xian, so thought I'd beam out a quick update. I'm a few days into another trip, and by all indications it should be another good group. I once again have a small group (5 passengers), so we should be able to ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/06/10/great-wall-terracotta-warriors/ Well, another trip completed. This one was a 21-day affair starting in Kunming, hitting Lijiang and Chengdu in mainland China, then into Tibet, and finishing in Kathmandu, Nepal. It was a great trip, as I only had 3 passengers, which allowed us to see a more intimate side of Tibet. ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/06/04/first-trip-i-lead-into-tibet/ Well, I've got one under my belt, as I finished up my first trip yesterday. Right now I'm in Kunming, gearing up to start my next trip tonight. This one will be a 21-day affair, spend most of the time in Tibet, and finish up in Kathmandu, Nepal. Looking forward ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/05/10/first-solo-trip/ Well, the visa run to Hong Kong was less than successful. Doesn’t pay to be an American. I’d talked to an agency on a Saturday and told them what I wanted. With the old Chinese visas I had in my passport already, they felt certain they’d be able to get ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/04/24/hong-kong-visa-run/ Picking up from the previous Shanghai update, we did embark on the 26-hour train trip to Guilin. I was actually 'leader for the day' for some of that - including the train trip. However, playing drinking games with the locals and two big bottles of baijiu, while most of your ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/04/10/end-of-china-trainingstart-of-tibet-training/ Me again - this time coming to you from Shanghai, though I'll first back-track a bit and fill you in on my last days in Xian. I did a lot of walking to check out the various sites - pagodas, museum, drum and bell tower, to name a few. I also ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/03/23/xian/ This journal entry comes to you from Xian, as the group just arrived here this morning after a 12-hour overnight train trip from Beijing. The group consists of 10 passengers from all over the world - England, Ireland, Australia, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium. There are two of us accompanying ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/03/19/beijing/ Greetings from Suzhou, China. After a 2-hour flight from Denver to San Francisco, and an almost 13-hour flight to Shanghai, I was back in China on March 5. The next day I met many of the other new leaders for Intrepid, and we caught a bus up here to Suzhou. ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/03/11/intrepid-training/ I'm currently in Denver, CO, but I'm flying out of here tomorrow. My trip takes me to San Francisco, and then on to Shanghai, China. I'll probably spend a night there before taking a bus to Suzhou. On March 7 I'll begin my 'group leader' training with Intrepid ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2005/03/03/89/ http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2004/12/25/2004-christmas-card/ Dates Traveled: October 2003 - August 2004 Various trips March-November 2005 Various trips February-October 2006 On October 15, after years of being near the top of my 'must-see' list, I was finally on my way to Tibet. The overland trip cost more than a flight, so I found myself airborne for 1 1/2 ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2004/08/30/tibet/ The saga continues, a year has flown by. The reindeer are harnessed and Christmas is nigh. The sneering bus drivers who left with their tease? They're back once again but now speaking Chinese. http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2003/12/25/2003-christmas-poem/ Dates Traveled: July-October 2003 Various trips between March-November 2005 Various trips between March-October 2006 I guess the best way to start is with some generalities - which I normally hate, and cultural differences: Hhhhhkkkkkk-ptew! Not sure how to spell that, but I certainly know the sound of somebody bringing up some phlegm, seemingly from ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2003/10/15/china/ Dates Traveled: June-July 2003 Ho Chi Minh City I caught a bus over bone-jarring Cambodian roads to the border, where we encountered inefficiency and stupidity in all its forms. All mini-vans were timed to arrive at the border at the same time, but they only had one official checking passports...others were ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2003/07/15/vietnam/ Dates Traveled: May-June 2003 (I'd also traveled here in June 1999, but that trip is without details) Sihanoukville From Koh Samet it was a relatively easy share truck, ferry, share truck, bus, bus, mini van, and motorcycle ride across the border and into the town of Koh Kong in Cambodia, followed the next ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2003/06/18/cambodia/ Dates Traveled: Various times between September-December 2002; April-May 2003; Few days in December 2005 (I'd also traveled here in June 1999, but that trip is without details) April 2003 - Start of another trip I flew from San Francisco to Bangkok, with a brief layover in the soon-to-be-serious-for-SARS region of Taiwan. As such, ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2003/04/13/another-trip-start/ 'Twas the day before Christmas and all 'cross the globe not a traveler stirred - not the young, nor the old. Backpacks were thrown in a corner with glee, not to be worn for a day - or a week! My cold shower taken, the squat toilet used, I wandered the streets to check out the views. http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2002/12/25/2002-christmas-poem/ Dates Traveled: November-December 2002 Journey to Muang Sing Leaving Chiang Mai I caught a van for the 5-hour trip to the border town of Chiang Khong, crossed the Mekong River on a long-tail boat, and arrived in Huay Xai, Laos. The following day I started heading northeast by truck, the standard mode ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2002/12/18/laos/ Dates Traveled: Various times between September-December 2002; April-May 2003; Few days in December 2005 (I'd also traveled here in June 1999, but that trip is without details) November, after returning from Myanmar Again I flew Biman Bangladesh Airlines, so had an onscreen prayer to Allah, complete with views of mosques, before taking off. ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2002/11/27/heading-north/ Dates Traveled: October-November 2002 Yangon I caught the short 1-hour flight to Yangon, Myanmar. After passing through customs one is required to exchange US$200 for 200 FEC's - Foreign Exchange Certificates. Basically it's the military government's way of getting hard currency, though most travelers opt to exchange less money and pay ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2002/11/17/myanmar-burma/ Dates Traveled: Various times between September-December 2002; April-May 2003; Few days in December 2005 (I'd also traveled here in June 1999, but that trip is without details) Thailand - Koh Lanta It was the off-season, so I had the guesthouse all to myself - cheap beachside bungalow, beautiful beach, fantastic Thai food, and ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2002/10/12/thailand/ Dates Traveled: September 2002 (I'd also traveled here in May 1999, but that trip is without details) Once at Nunaken, a city on the Indonesian coast of the island of Borneo (the Indonesian part is known as Kalimantan), I bought an immediate ticket for Tawau, Malaysia. That ferry took 1 hour, dumping ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2002/09/25/malaysia/ Dates Traveled: July-September 2002 Bukittinggi on the island of Sumatra Leaving Singapore turned out to be a long day - I caught the 7:30 AM ferry for the 45-minute trip to Batam, an Indonesian island. I immediately boarded a ferry for the 6 1/2-hour trip to mainland Sumatra and the town of ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2002/09/11/indonesia/ Dates Traveled: July 2002 (I'd also worked/traveled here in April-June 1999, but that trip is without details) I took a flight from Delhi to Bangkok and then directly on to Singapore - basically from filth to sterile in two short flights. The cleanliness of Singapore was blinding! Singapore was simply a short ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2002/07/15/singapore/ Dates Traveled: September 2001 - July 2002 (I spent a total of about 6 1/2 months actually in India during that time) April, after my travels in Sri Lanka Back to India A short 40-minute flight back to Trivandrum in India had me asking, "Where did all these people come from? Who turned up ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2002/07/11/end-of-india/ Dates Traveled: March-April 2002 From Trivandrum I took a 40-minute flight across to Sri Lanka. My initial plan was to head towards the south, but I met an American couple and a Swiss couple that were trying to get others to pitch in for a taxi to Kandy - the second ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2002/04/15/sri-lanka/ Dates Traveled: September 2001 - July 2002 (I spent a total of about 6 1/2 months actually in India during that time) Late December, after trekking in Nepal Darjeeling From Pokhara it was 22 hours by various buses and a shared jeep out of Nepal and to the Indian hill station of Darjeeling...of tea ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2002/03/02/east-southeast/ Dates Traveled: Two trips between October-December 2001 Various trips between March-October 2005 Various trips between March-October 2006 Another trip between October-December 2006 (I'd also traveled here in October of both 1997/1998, but those trips are without details) December, after seeing camel fair in India Border Crossing Unlike most simple border crossings, it was a 6 km rickshaw ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2001/12/27/annapurna-basecamp-trek/ Dates Traveled: September 2001 - July 2002 (I spent a total of about 6 1/2 months actually in India during that time) November, after travels in Bhutan and Nepal India - Pushkar & Camel Fair From Pokhara, it was time to dive back into India - at least for a few weeks, as I ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2001/11/17/camel-fair/ Dates Traveled: Two trips between October-December 2001 Various trips between March-October 2005 Various trips between March-October 2006 Another trip between October-December 2006 (I'd also traveled here in October of both 1997/1998, but those trips are without details) Kathmandu The flight from Paro to Kathmandu was incredible, and I was lucky enough to fly on a crystal-clear ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2001/11/03/annapurna-circuit-trek/ Dates Traveled: October 2001 Phuentsholing On the way through India to the Bhutan border I saw a sign along the road which said, "Expect the unexpected". That could be India's national motto! The drive towards Bhutan was very nice, as it passed through tea plantations and green hillsides. I knew I was ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2001/10/15/bhutan/ Dates Traveled: September 2001 - July 2002 (I spent a total of about 6 1/2 months actually in India during that time) Delhi So, what does one do after a good night on the town? Goes for a curry, so I headed off to India! The flight seemed to make a concerted effort ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2001/10/03/taj-mahal-varanasi/ Back to Oktoberfest After Dad and I completed our quick trip through Europe, and he flew home, I went back to Munich for Oktoberfest. When I told the woman at tourist information that I needed a hotel room for about a week, she simply looked at me as if I were ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2001/09/24/another-oktoberfest/ Dates Traveled: September 2001 (I'd also worked/traveled here in May-September 1992, but that trip is without details) After catching the Eurostar train through the chunnel, the last stop with Dad on the whirlwind tour of Europe was London, and we really did that one quickly. Saw all the main sights - Tower ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2001/09/17/england/ Dates Traveled: September 2001 (I'd also traveled here in September 1992, but that trip is without details) After consuming as much chocolate as is humanly possible in Switzerland, we made a one-night stop in the Black Forest region of Germany before heading on to Paris. Hit the main sites - Notre Dame ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2001/09/14/france/ Dates Traveled: September 2001 (I'd also traveled here in September 1992, but that trip is without details) Glacier Express From Italy we caught a few different trains and eventually ended up in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Final leg of journey from Tirano, Italy, to St. Moritz was beautiful as it wound through the mountains. ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2001/09/11/switzerland/ Dates Traveled: September 2001 (I'd also traveled here in March 1998, but that trip is without details) Venice Venice must be one of the few cities in the world where buildings, which are in such a state as to be falling into the canals, can be termed charming, but there you have it. ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2001/09/03/italy/ Dates Traveled: August 2001 (I'd also traveled here in October 1995, but that trip is without details) Salzburg was next, and we spent our time wandering the narrow streets, listening to the street performers play classics (Salzburg is the birthplace of Mozart), touring the imposing fortress on the hill above the city, ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2001/08/29/austria/ Dates Traveled: August/September 2001 (I'd also traveled here in September 1995, but that trip is without details) I left 'home' August 27 bound for Europe. Heard the song Freebird on the flight over, "....I must be traveling on now. Cuz there's too many places I've got to see." How true. Arrived in ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2001/08/15/germany/ Dates Traveled: March-July 2001 The Road from Perth We left Perth on March 5. The other half of 'we' is Harriet - an English woman who also quit her job and wanted to see Oz. We decided to pool our resources - she had a car, and I had the ability to ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2001/07/27/australia/ Dates Traveled: May-June 2000 Havana Good Time Actually, I suppose that should read 'Had a Good Time', but that would require changing the name of the Cuban capital, and that could get ugly. http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2000/06/30/cuba/ Dates Traveled: May 2000 Boquete From Golfito it was a 2 hour bus ride to the Panamanian border, a 1 hour shuttle bus ride to David, and a 1 hour bus ride to the mountain village of Boquete. Very quaint setting, as it reminded me of a small Swiss village, complete with ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2000/05/30/panama/ Dates Traveled: April-May 2000 Santa Elena I had decided to try and get to Costa Rica for Semana Santa (Easter) rather than hanging out in Nicaragua, so I left at 3:45 in the morning. Had to catch a bus to the other side of the island, a 1 hour boat ride to ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2000/05/11/costa-rica/ Dates Traveled: April 2000 Matagalpa From Tegucigalpa I took an 8 1/2 hour - 5 bus journey across the border at Las Manos and into Nicaragua, spending the first night in Esteli. Met up with an English guy on the bus, so we grabbed a room and then wandered around town a ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2000/04/23/nicaragua/ Dates Traveled: March-April 2000 Ruins of Copan The following day I bid El Salvador adieu. Didn't spend much time there, so probably didn't do it justice at all, but I was more interested in moving on to Honduras. First place I popped into in Honduras was the town of Copan Ruinas, near ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2000/04/07/honduras/ Dates Traveled: March 2000 From Antigua I caught the bus to Guatemala City and then across the border into El Salvador. Decided to stay initially in Santa Ana, as it sounded like a better place than San Salvador. Santa Ana seemed like another world from Guatemala.... dirtier, hotter, not really set ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2000/03/30/el-salvador/ Dates Traveled: February-March 2000 We caught a bus to the Guatemalan border and were immediately accosted by people wanting to shuttle-bus us to someplace in Guatemala. Normal buses are definitely cheaper, but they don't run as frequently from the border, so we rounded up 7 other travelers and watched as the ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2000/03/12/guatemala/ Dates Traveled: February 2000 To enter Belize, I took a bus down to Chetumal on the Mexican coast, and was immediately whisked onto a bus heading for Belize City. While waiting in line to officially exit Mexico I was talking to an English woman, Natalie. It turns out she had just left ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2000/02/15/belize/ Dates Traveled: January-February 2000 (I'd also climbed volcanoes here in January-February 1997, but that trip is without details) Nothing much of note so far - first day started with a 22 hour bus ride...yeehaw! Caught the bus from Denver to El Paso, TX., then crossed the border to Juarez and hopped a ... http://www.drokpa.com/Journal/2000/02/05/mexico/