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This log is current to May 25, 2006 April 2, 2006 in Arizona It seems we have chosen a new headquarters for the Gypsy Wagon Expedition’s headquarters. Red Lodge, Montana is a tiny town at the foot of dramatic mountains in southern Montana, thirteen straight-line miles from the Wyoming border. We think it will be the perfect place to explore, and the perfect place to leave our things behind while we’re out exploring other parts of the world. Red Lodge is 60 miles SW of Billings, at the foot of dramatic 11,000 foot Beartooth Pass NE of Yellowstone National Park. Last summer the pass was closed, due to a landslide, but it has been repaired and will open as the northeast entrance to Yellowstone once the snow has been plowed, hopefully sometime in May. Don’s grandparents were married in Red Lodge in 1916. In a sense, we are “coming home.” Once we are relocated in Montana, we will begin planning future international travels. Meanwhile, we stay in touch with people in Thailand and Burma, where we volunteered in a mission hospital in the jungle along that border. We find it unfortunate that problems in other parts of the world allow the brutal Burmese Army to murder innocent villagers who refuse to do things like make illegal drugs and fork over the profit to the military. Here are the words of a Free Burma Ranger via satellite phone from the jungles of Burma, where he is trying to help innocent victims. “These people are part of a April 5, 2006 in Yuma April 6, 2006 in Yuma. Time to move on?
April 8, 2006 in Yuma  It’s our wedding anniversary. Hard to believe, but eleven years have passed since that special day in Virginia. Since then, we wrapped up our lives in DC and hit the road, becoming involved in the lives of people in many countries -- and now involved in writing the life’s story of Don’s former boss, Senator Al Simpson. Late this spring we’ll relocate to Red Lodge, Montana. After that, we’ll be planning more overseas travel. April 9, 2006 -- Grim news from Nepal Our friend Allan Aistrope, who has spent years supporting and educating orphans and blind students, and helping lepers in a number of ways, just returned from Kathmandu. The situation was so difficult that he was forced to use the orphanage ambulance to get from his hotel to the airport. (BBC Photo: police kicking a Kathmandu protester). You can learn more about Allan’s charity at http://virtueschildrennepal.org/. Please April 10, 2006 She had told friends that she knew helping poor villagers under attack by the Burmese Army was dangerous, but that she had to do what she could. It is one more terrible tragedy in a horrific situation ignored by much of the April 17, 2006 in Yuma Her father and grandfather were killed. April 22, 2006 We took this photo when we were there. At the time, nobody was being shot for protesting. Sadly, things have changed. We have recently decided to sponsor braille and basic vocational training for fourteen blind children in Nepal. April 24, 2006 in Yuma, AZ When we lived there, we witnessed the corruption and inefficiency of the government and met many wonderful people who asked only to live in peace and opportunity. Measured in distance, it is precisely 8,060 miles from where we are now to Kathmandu. Measured in democracy, it is almost infinitely further. As these brave people are proving yet again, We finish up this log with a photo we took at an outdoor school concert and ballet recital in Yuma last night. We JUST learned that the King of Nepal has agreed to return democratic government to the people. We think of the young blind students we are helping with education there, and of the millions of good people whose dreams have been stifled. We hope they can look forward to some of the opportunities and freedoms enjoyed by this young American. After we move the Expedition headquarters to Red Lodge, Montana, we will continue working on the Simpson biography and plan our next international travels. Recommendations, anyone? It appears we will be up and running in Red Lodge in mid June. We’ve got to get out of Yuma. It’s so hot (104) that phone system switches melted and many homes, including ours, are without phone service. Thank you for following our adventures. Please go to our next log. |
Current destinations on the list are southern Thailand, Easter Island, Argentina and Chile.
group of over 600 Karen who fled Burma Army attacks on their homes in February. They had to survive being chased by the Burma Army, then were blocked by other Burma Army units on their route just as they arrived close to the Salween River.” 
. It is a horrible situation, featuring an inept King, brutal and corrupt Army and police forces, murderous Maoists and millions of innocent victims.
consider a tax exempt contribution.
world.
ope the King will give up power, returning a democratic form of government to the country. 
what motivates the protests against the brutal King and corrupt government, he inspired us today by quoting President Lincoln: “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” (Photo: Reuters)
freedom can carry a terrible price if it has to be paid for in blood from a corrupt leader.