This log runs through December 21, 2001

September 25, 2001 in South Dakota
An uneventful 650 mile drive across Wyoming brought us to Belle Fourche, SD, where we intend to sleep a day or two. There, we'll reflect on the events that we felt forced our return to America, and ponder where we'll travel next.

We find ourselves thinking and talking about friends in Thailand, including: Dr. Phil at the mission hospital, Wissut the former policeman and Tony the British bar owner in Kanchanaburi, and the woman they call "Mama" and her street side restaurant, and Sombat our friend who stored our stuff while we traveled to Indonesia. We'll miss having a brew with friends and acquaintances at the Red Kangaroo, and the friendly bartender and even the local Internet place where Becky (and Don too) spent so much time. We'll even miss the trash collector and his dogs and our little apartment at the jungle hospital. This Expedition is not over. Next, we may regroup in California for a trip to Central America -- or we may go sailing off the east coast. We'll look for spots that avoid the coming military conflict.

October 2, 2001 in Livingston, Montana
It's beginning to look like we may survive the worst jet lag of our lives -- and that we'll be moving to southern California for a while. Until the political and military turmoil affecting much of the world has settled down a bit, we'll be reluctant to stray into areas as remote as Indonesia's eastern islands. Shortly after we left there, militant Muslim leaders issued a decree that should the USA initiate any military action in response to the attacks on America, an all-out war will be launched on Americans and American businesses in Indonesia. We made the right choice to leave.

CLICK HERE for enlargeable photos of Montana.

October 5, 2001 leaving Livingston, Montana
The Gypsy Wagon Expedition, having survived a dusting of snow, is heading south once again and expects to arrive in Jackson, Wyoming this evening. In the coming weeks, we will move further south and find an apartment in the San Diego area, then help Don's parents relocate from Montana to Yuma, Arizona. We will then watch the international political situation while making plans for more foreign travel.

October 7, 2001 in Jackson, Wyoming
We're in the beautiful home of our wonderful friends Lyn and Joe in Jackson, watching the American assault on the Taliban in Afghanistan, on TV. If we had any doubts about having returned to America from Asia in the wake of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, they were erased by today's State Department warning that all Americans overseas take immediate self protection precautions.

Even here at home, we join Americans who are concerned about future terrorist attacks in our own country, and may reconsider our decision to live in the populous San Diego area until the dangers are more clearly known.

October 9, 2001 in Salt Lake City, Utah
Dr. Kiko Rutter, the British sailor aboard the 42-foot sailing vessel Hygeia of Halsa (seen here in Maumere, Indonesia with Becky) who heard of the attack on his short wave radio, and ran to our cottage on a remote Indonesian island to tell us about it, made it okay to Bali. But enroute to Singapore, near the SW coast of Borneo, he was forced to approach a fishing boat to buy fuel. The six fishermen asked if he was American or British, and make it clear they were upset about the military action in Afghanistan. He said he was Norwegian and, after a very tense exchange there on the high seas, escaped the situation -- motoring his dinghy back to his boat (and highly concerned wife). As if that weren't enough, they soon ran into a vicious storm, updating his website about it via satellite phone. They are now enroute to Singapore.

In our initial days back in America we occasionally had second thoughts about having returned home (although Becky's parents were delighted to have us back, as was Don's family). But we are now convinced that until this situation plays out, we're better off here or in Central America. After taking a minute to visit the stack of antlers in Jackson, we took off for southern California and should have a short term apartment there within a few days.

And as if to underscore our decision to return, we just received an e-mail from the American Embassy in Bangkok (they think we're still in Thailand), warning Americans to stay away from the embassy on the 11th because of a protest march.

October 10, 2001 in Yuma, Arizona
Who says there is nothing to do in Yuma? One can spend the morning at a GMC dealership, trying in vain to get OnStar working, and run down to Mexico in the afternoon for a root canal. Great fun!

October 18, 2001 in Yuma, Arizona
A wonderful friend of ours has died. Dick Frech of Casper, Wyoming worked with Don many years ago. He died at home a few days ago. We don't normally do this kind of thing, but to express our feelings to Dick's many fans who read this website, we posted a tribute in our “essays” section. Please read it. In a few days we will rent an apartment in southern California. We'll watch the international situation and head overseas again as soon as we feel safe doing so.

CLICK HERE to read this essay.

October 22, 2001 in Oceanside, California
You'd think people living the Gypsy lifestyle could find a minimally acceptable one-bedroom, unfurnished apartment in one of the cheapest areas between San Diego and Los Angeles for less than $1,000 -- but apparently not one we like! Looking. Still looking.

October 26, 2001 in Oceanside, California
Home. We're at "home" in our little apartment in Oceanside. How strange, after nearly two full years (685 days) of traveling. Don't know how long we'll be here, but when the international chaos of recent weeks calms down, we'll undoubtedly be on the move again.

November 3, 2001 in Oceanside, California
When we returned to America in the face of threats overseas, we never dreamed we would read headlines like the one in yesterday's Los Angeles Times. We have been sailing with our friend John Marshall along the LA coastline, and have been back and forth to Yuma to help Don's parents. We're having a nice time at our apartment, but it isn't the same as exploring obscure foreign destinations.

November 8, 2001, shuffling around California sailing marinas
The J-boat is a high performance vessel -- super fast. That's what attracted Don. Maybe he misses his airplane and Corvette. But now that Rebecca, a bastion of common sense, has reminded Don that if we're going to live on a boat, it might make more sense to focus on comfort rather than speed -- especially because the vast majority of our time aboard will be at anchor or dockside -- Don is coming to his senses.

We are now researching comfortable cruising sailboats, such as the Island Packet 37. One problem: this brand is considered wide and slow -- with a cruel sailing-community nickname "Island Piglet." But the opinions of others haven't affected the direction of our Expedition (or our lives) yet! Maybe we'll end up changing the name Gypsy Wagon Expedition to Gypsy Sailors' Expedition.

CLICK HERE for enlargeable photos of southern California.

November 13, 2001 in Oceanside, CA
Call us crazy, but we've been out boat shopping. Today's mission was a trip to the Dana Point Marina for a second visit to a Cabo Rico 38-foot sailboat that is for sale. This is a high end boat, but we didn't make an offer.

November 15, 2001 -- REJECTED in Carlsbad
Brimming with patriotic spirit, we went yesterday to a mobile Red Cross blood van to contribute. We filled out the extensive forms -- and minutes later were REJECTED. We never dreamed that having traveled extensively in a combined total of more than 60 countries would disqualify us from giving blood back in America. Photo: Don holding his rejection letters.

The Kwai River Hospital in Thailand, near the Burma border, was thrilled to tap us for a pint now and then. But because we were in the jungles there and in Borneo and elsewhere in SE Asia, we can't give blood here for a year. And because Don has been in so many countries where Mad Cow Disease is such a problem, he has been "deferred" indefinitely!

Please know that the above is tongue in cheek and that none of the above should be construed as criticism of the American Red Cross. We have nothing but the highest regard for their efforts and only regret that our travels preclude our blood donations. (To the guy who is all worked up about this: are you happier now?)

November 23, 2001 in Oceanside, California
Happy Thanksgiving! Our hanging around the marinas has paid off! We were taken in by the members of the Oceanside Yacht Club and treated to Thanksgiving dinner.

More central to our Expedition, we are on the verge (teetering one way and then the other hour by hour) of making an offer on a great-sounding sailboat in Florida. If we make this major change in lifestyle, we would move aboard and continue our Expedition via sea.

November 25, 2001 still in California
What is it with California? Good thing this stop is temporary. We just received our first gas and electric bill. In addition to the actual gas and electricity we consumed were extra charges for the following items:
Transmission
Electric Service Establishment
Distribution
Public Purpose Programs (electric)
Nuclear Decommissioning
Trust Transfer Amount
Competition Transition Charge
Franchise Fees on Electric Energy Supplied by Others
Gas Service Establishment Charge
State Surcharge Tax
State Regulatory Fee
Public Purpose Programs (gas)

These are in addition to the gas and electricity we've used -- and they more than DOUBLE the bill. We can't wait to get our phone bill! What a strange place. It's kind of like buying cheap water filters and finding out that replacements cost a fortune -- or buying a cheap printer and going broke buying ink.

And what about these commutes? We know people who leave for work in San Diego at 4:00 am, returning home after 6:00 pm. That's worse than the thousands of hours we've spent in Washington, DC traffic. There are some wonderful things about being in California, but some life here isn't living.

December 1, 2001 in Oceanside, California
We're still considering a sailboat purchase -- and frankly, we're overwhelmed. Changing the Expedition from a land to a seagoing operation has become a more difficult decision than the one to begin the trip two years ago. We have boiled our sailboat interests down to the following brands: Island Packet, Pacific Seacraft, Baba, Cabo Rico, Panda and Tashiba (and not Gozzard!).

Meanwhile, we've got to get out of California, a place we continue to think is terminally over-regulated. Our first phone bill came today. In addition to the basic charge, here are the categories for other charges:

Number Portability Service Charge
Federal Universal Service Fee
Service Connection
Network Access for Interstate Calling
California High Cost Fund Surcharges (A&B)
California Teleconnect Fund Surcharge
Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Charge
Rate Surcharge
State Regulatory Fee
California Relay Service & Communications Devices Funds
Tax (fed, 911, local)
Charges for "local long distance" charges (figure THAT out!)

In all, the base charge was $8.91, and the total bill was $54.57 -- including no long distance calls except $1.16 for local calls billed as long distance because they were in the area, but beyond 17 miles (like we could know that!). These people have run totally amok!

December 2, 2001 in sunny southern California
We haven't given up on a sailboat search, and are currently interested in Cabo Rico sailboats. We have never heard a complaint about one.

December 14, 2001
Three days ago we passed our two year mark. Looking back through our logs, the extent of our travels impresses even us. And best of all, we've only just begun!

We continue to search for the perfect used sailboat. An Island Packet 38 in Alabama caught our eye this morning. One of these days!

As we enter our third year of adventure travel, and as the holiday season looms, our wish for the world is peace and understanding.

December 20, 2001
Still looking for the perfect sailboat. Today's "find" is a Cabo Rio 38 footer in Florida. There are a lot of considerations, if one is to live aboard a boat.

We've been thinking that if we didn't buy a sailboat and continue the expedition via sea, we might move to Argentina for a while. Wouldn't you know?! The news today shows some nasty riot action. We're starting to think it's US.

December 21, 2001
As we approach Christmas, we wish all our readers a joyful holiday season and a wonderful year ahead -- especially Becky's parents, and Don's. At the same time, we think of our friends in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, at the Kwai River Hospital on the Burma border, and the poor refugees in the jungle. Please search your soul for ways to help them in this coming year.

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