This log is current to January 21, 2007

January 2, 2007 in Red Lodge, Montana
We are pleased to report that Don’s back, although still painful, is mending. For those interested, the operation was a right lumbar 2-3 lateral discectomy, hardware removed (from previous surgery),transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion and posterior lumbar fusion with autograft, allograft, and bone morphogenic protein.

It does appear we will be able to launch our next expedition, scheduled for January 21. We will not update this site until we return in mid March.

Oddly, this trip is requiring more planning than previous adventures, even though at seven weeks is it briefer. Because we will not have time to explore local travel options and take our time getting from place to place, we are making difficult to secure reservations before departing.

We are also purchasing new equipment. Included are a Garmin mapping GPS with destinations pre-programmed, and a new 10mp camera with 11X zoom lens. As an example, the first photo on this page was taken at a standard lens setting. The second was shot at full zoom. Notice how hard it is to see the deer in the first picture.

Using this advanced equipment, we intend to post our first high resolution photos upon our return. We have selected destinations that are particularly photogenic, including the dramatic islands of southern Thailand, the amazing temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, scenic stretches of the Mekong River in northern Laos, and fascinating Kathmandu and rural areas in Nepal.

We will also visit a tiny village (we’ll need the GPS to find it) in NE Thailand where our friend Thiam, whom we met in 2000, is teaching English to children. (Photo, Thiam pointing out her village). We’ll conclude with a return to the mission hospital in far western Thailand (KRCH), the place we lived while volunteering to help the poor people of that area.

January 4, 2007 in Montana
We’re not spending all our time preparing for the next expedition. This is our first winter weather in seven years, and Becky is taking advantage of it -- skiing out the back door and off through the trees.

Concerning Asia, here is our schedule:

January 21-23: at 3:45 a.m., van to Billings, MT, fly to Seattle, Los Angeles, Taipei, Bangkok and Krabi, Thailand (47 hours, 10,458 miles).

January 30: fly Krabi-Bangkok-Siem Reap, Cambodia. Tour Angkor Wat.

February 3: fly Siem Reap-Pakse-Vientiane-Luang Prabang, Laos.

February 16; small passenger boat down the Mekong to Vientiane, Laos.

February 18: Cross the “Friendship Bridge” into Thailand, and from Nong Khai to the tiny village of Nong Khwai. There we will visit our friend Thiam (photo above).

February 20: overnight train from Nong Khai to Bangkok.

Feburary 21: fly Bangkok-Kathmandu, Nepal

March 1: fly Kathmandu-Bangkok, then take a private van to Kanchanaburi, Thailand (we used to live there).

March 3: bus from Kanchanaburi to Sankhlaburi to Kwai River Christian Hospital (KRCH) on the Burma border (were we also once lived), return to Kanchanaburi March 5.

 March 7: Kanchanaburi to Bangkok airport via Jumbo Travel van, fly to Taipei, Taiwan, Los Angeles.

March 8: fly Los Angles to Portland, Oregon, to Billings, van to Red Lodge.

January 15, 2007 in Red Lodge
Before we depart Montana for Asia, we want to share a photo taken through the front window of Expedition Headquarters. This is the top of the Red Lodge Mountain ski area, and it is five miles away. Although there is lots of natural snow, you can see clouds of snow being made by machines.

When we return in mid-March, 2007 we will post scores of photos in very high resolution.

January 21, 3:30 a.m. in Red Lodge, Montana
We are departing into heavy snow. Before this long “day” (48 hours) ends, we will be checked into the Seaview Hotel in Krabi, Thailand, 10,250 miles away. The temperature as we depart is 20 degrees Fahrenheit. In Krabi it is 89.

Our thanks to the many people who have followed our adventures for years. We will return in March and post the most dramatic, high quality photos yet.

Temp end.

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