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 Welcome to the TravelPod forums!, First time here? Introduce yourself, we won't bite... |
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| starlagurl |
 May 29 2008, 08:35 AM
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Rolling Stone
Group: Local Expert
Posts: 14509
Joined: 5-November 07
From: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Member No.: 103914
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QUOTE(kitkatgo @ May 28 2008, 05:12 PM) 
Although, I might look cute in a leather biker chick outfit though. Baha hah ha ha ah aha! (JK)
Haha Kit, I don't have the leather outfit, but I am growing my hair so I can do the sexy "take the helmet off and hair flick" thing that you see in every Aerosmith video. QUOTE(introducinlyric @ May 29 2008, 06:11 AM)
and yes i will visit you louise and there will be lots of cocktail making hehehehe i actually want to meet you, Jo & Keith. the 4 of us in a room together would be interesting
Well, if you come this summer you me and Keith could be in the same tent together...that would be three out of four... QUOTE(lilash @ May 29 2008, 07:33 AM)
Got 1 girl - Mariam and Today is her Birthday.
Ohhhhhh, happy birthday Mariam! How old is she?
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| b2009 |
Jun 1 2008, 11:56 AM
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Drifter
Group: Members
Posts: 28
Joined: 23-May 08
Member No.: 187629
Nominate me as a Local Expert
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Ok I will fill this thing out since I am new and all. My name is David, 26 years old, and heres the rest.
Some of my favourite things: Music, statues, stairs, documentaries on Palestine/Israel conflict, eastern philosophy, coffee, different cultures, hot and humid climate, the science channel and adult humoured cartoons.
Places I have been: Once road tripped from California to South Carolina, so a good amount of the US. Vancouver BC, Oahu HI, NYC, Austin TX every year for sxsw. UK - London, Bristol, Cardiff, and just about every inch of Scotland. Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona.
Places I am going: Qatar, UAE, Oman, Mauritius, Reunion, Madagascar, South Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, China, India, Israel, Burkina faso, Morocco, Senegal, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Australia.
Philosophy: The is a quote I believe in the I CHING that says something like "You cannot drink water from the stream by grabbing at it with a fist, you must use yielding hands to hold the water" Something to that affect anyhow, always liked it.
Favourite Music, Movies, Books:
Music: Cooper temple clause, damien rice, emiliana torrini, blur, hot chip, why?, chikinki, king crimson, debu, skunk anansie, helio sequence, ltj bukem, dungen, super furry animals, and many more.
Movies: 28 days later, kill bill, death proof, sunshine, constant gardener, children of men.
Books: Slaughterhouse no. 5, trainspotting, metamorphosis, satanic versus, golden compass, The Zen Teaching of Huang Po.
Types of People I enjoy: I'm not sure, I suppose I enjoy people who are interesting and interested. People who enjoy the simple things and can sit down, drink some coffee and have a conversation.
Things I can teach: Not really sure, but if you need me to recall an event or story, I can do... I remember everything.
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| inasia2008 |
Jun 1 2008, 11:23 PM
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Unregistered
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Make sure you read all the travel starter kits for all the places you are planning on visiting!
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| donyan |
Jun 2 2008, 01:05 AM
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Nomad
Group: Members
Posts: 151
Joined: 7-March 08
From: Mexico
Member No.: 151427
Nominate me as a Local Expert
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Hello Travelpod:
My name is Wolfgang Hamacher on legal papers only: a bad (URGENT!) translation of Wolfgang to french, and in real life I was oraly re-named and refered to as JeanLoup, FOREVER. Pronounced YanLú in spanish and since I am the family Don, my name turned out to be donYanLu or donYan for short.
¿Why was it so urgent to translate my name to french? Well...I was born in Paris, january 1943, by a french belgian as my mother, and a german military engineer as my father. I am his first (and only) male son so he proudly named me like him: Wolfgang! (he was Franz Friederich Wolfgang, I am Wolfgang Theodor) Then June 6, 1944 happened. That day my mother asked for the Nibelungen meaning of "Wolfgang": it's "Wolfs Path" = "Chemin de loups". The closest (and more comon) name was "JeanLoup", since both are pronounced very much the same in french.
When the Russians & comunists became the new USA enemy, all hunt for germans and collaborateurs stoped in France, the Marshall plan went under way and we could stop hiding in the woods (such beautiful forests, by the way) of Chevreuse in la porte de Versailles, and crossed the Pirineos mountains to Spain. I was five years old when I crossed the first border without papers... and first time in school to learn spanish. We lived in a refugee camp in Pamplona, and after a year my father got a job: we had a home again!
Four years later we moved to Madrid & lived there for another four years. After two years of being in Madrid, father decided to cross the Atlantic Ocean looking for better economical oportunities. He started in Canada, where he bought a blue 1954 VW Karmman Cabrio (a convertible Beetle, Käffer, Cucaracha, Coccinelle...1.1 lt engine!) and drove to the South. On reaching Mexico, he found prewar friens (VW company, Bosch company, etc) and started a new life...and a new family.
In January 1956 my mother brought us (my Pamplona born sister and I) to Mexico, and divorce was worst than the ending of WW II!!!
So after two years of mexican divorce (we were proof of bigamy, my sister & I) I decided to do my own life, went wet-back to the USA. I was 14 years old when I crossed another border without papers...and learned english, in Haskell Texas Junior Hi. My older half sister had married a NewYorker academic specialized in spanish & english literature. To this date they are the only stable & durable marriage of this family, since many many generations.
When I finished HiSchool, I came back to Mexico. The "american way of life" deffinitly is NOT my thing...started working as a hunter in jungle plantations and cattle ranches over the mexican SouthEast, and from then until 1991. That's the longer I lived in any given place of this planet (such a beautifull planet): 4 years at the most. In 1991 I took a Skydive training in Tequesquitengo lagoon, south of Cuernavaca near the Cortés hacienda, now converted into hotel Hacienda Vistahermosa. Dungeons and all!
Something happened, because the calendar started to gallop like crayze horses on a stampede. I would wake up on Monday in Cuernavaca (my location in 1991) and drive to Tepoztlán where my Cerdenian/italian friend Paolo had a Pizza retaurant. And arriving there, maybe half an hour drive tops, his calendar said Friday!
Then I met this colombian woman from Cali, and had a three day party heavy on boos and food. I had to pick my two sons at their mothers home and be a father again for a while crocodile. The strangest thing ocurred then; arriving their mothers home, it was time to prepare Christmas dinner! But I went to Paolos restaurant in April...calendars are not to be trusted, I decided. Never said a word to anyone since I was feeling healthy and active (that Cali girl really made me healthy!!!)
We decided that the elder son had to leave mothers skirts, and start a life. He wanted to go to Chakagua lagoon, on the Emerald coast of Oaxaca state. He told me that a lot of fishermen had new outboard boats and needed a mechanic. And since I am a back country mechanic, with a complete shop on wheels (then a VW Thing/Safary, turned into a Kubelwagen réplica) we headed for Chakagua (three hour drive to Acapulco, plus a six/seven hour drive to Chakagua)
The economics of the place were not buoyant, beer being the only currency. My son started his Scuba diving carreer (now a deep sea diver, living in Sharm el Sheik Egipt) and I moved to PuertoEscondido, an hour drive south of Chakagua mangrooves.
I lived there my first record; six years! First time IN MY WHOLE LIFE!!! But the calendar was printed with errors: for me three months had passed, and the calendar said THREE YEARS HAD PASSED!! Before I had time to complain with calendar makers, Paulina came, and PuertoEscondido was devastated...no food, no work, no travelers, empty hotels, no comunications, no light, no tap water...a hurricane is nothing: it's afterwards that things go sour. I had just moved on with a wonderfull argentinian woman and rented a cabin on Zicatela beach. We held on from September (when Paulina arrived) until May.
From there, we moved to Cuernavaca, where I reside now, after 10 years (another record!). Calendars slowed down again now, no more of those errors. Every day I travel the roads giving assistance to automobiles, or visiting those litle villages where my sons were born at home, with the local midwife and yours truly helping the birth labor. The very best happy trimes of my life, I must confess.
¿Why did the calendars go crayze? Now that's a longer story than this simple and short (JÁ!!!) introduction...so I'll sum it up: I got struck by lightning, it afected the Hipotalamus (those two seahorses at the center of the brain) All our senses send their info to the Hipotalamus, where info gets potentiated (whatever that means) and is then sent to different sectors of the memory in the brain.
So I was not recording my actions!!! I did not loose stored info: only the inmediate memory was not working. I had never made so many notes to keep track OF EVERYTHING!!! Or I would simply freeze without a clue of what was going on. But when you don't remeber, you don't worry nor panic. My life changed for the better, I feel more relaxed and enjoy my family every day, here and on the Net. My two sons are married and abroad: the other just went ro Beijing...in charge of the Restaurant wagons on Bullet trains!!! His grandfather das General, was in charge of all french railroads before loosing the war...trains run in the family: must be a destiny!
So now I'll have to do my first travel blog, I guess. Hope I did not bore you all  donYan
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...see you later, alligator !  |
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| nas.latif |
Jun 2 2008, 05:42 AM
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Wanderer
Group: Members
Posts: 10
Joined: 23-May 08
From: Cambridge England
Member No.: 187597
Nominate me as a Local Expert
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My name is Nas Latif and I live in Cambridge England with my wife. We have 3 grown up children, one who lives in New Zealand. I have recently retired and now I will continue my travels. In the 1970's my wife and I used to take people overland by coach to India from England, but there was no money in it so I went into law and now after 30 years I can go back to travelling.
I have seen quite a lot of the world and with age my philosopy on life has changed considerably. I am much more easygoing and forgiving than I used to be. We are what we are from our backgrounds backgrounds, but can change if we want to. Luck plays a part in our lives but we also control our destinies.
I have very wide tastes in music, art and sport. I recently got my motocycle licence and so that has opened up other interests. I also sail and have a gliding licence
In August I hope to start a travel from USA, Mexico Central and South America, the Australia, Se Asia, India and back to the UK in about March 09 or thereabouts, but nothing is too rigid at the moment.
I came upon this site quite by mistake and I am seeking advice from anyone on interesting things to do in the countries I shall be visiting.
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| donyan |
Jun 2 2008, 06:03 PM
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Nomad
Group: Members
Posts: 151
Joined: 7-March 08
From: Mexico
Member No.: 151427
Nominate me as a Local Expert
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QUOTE(nas.latif @ Jun 2 2008, 05:42 AM) ...In August I hope to start a travel from USA, Mexico Central and South America...
...I came upon this site quite by mistake and I am seeking advice from anyone on interesting things to do in the countries I shall be visiting... Welcome to Mexico, nas.latif. Acording to me, some interesting things to do here: first my location: it's Cuernavaca, 1 hr drive south of Mexico city taking the Acapulco road, close to the Volcanos pass were Cortés conquered the Great Tenochtitlan (Mexico city Aztec name), even closer to Tepoztlán and at an hour distance of two Skydive jump zones. All this is in the state of Morelos. Some images to wet your apetite: (I have visitor room & camping space)  Tepoztlán is a flying area for paragliders, mail to: franz_mx@hotmail.com the local contact for excelent equipment & safe training. I am a rookie skydiver only, NOT a paraglider YET... The two Skydive zones on my area: Skydive Mexico (link not working: try later)LINK WORKING AGAINCuautla SkydiveI am in direct contact with my friends in Puerto Escondido, on the Oaxaca state Emerald coast. The mexican pipeline is the fastest in the world (surf legend says) and is close to mangroove lagoons like Chacagua, mainly of afromexican culture (the third root of Mexico's etnicity) an incredible sanctuary for all tipes birds, from tiny Humming birds to big pelikans, egrets, cormorans...etc. but acomodations would be more like camping, and hotels are basic. Lots of mosquitoes at dawn!!! The scenery is superb, the people extremely friendly (fishermen culture: the greatest fishing stories...some might even be true!). In Puerto Escondido, lots of travelers and inmigrants from all over the world stay for the winter or retire and become locals. Hotels on the beach, or campings: no luxury but friendly atmosphere and great night life. Click the next pics for links: JoséLuis Mendiola Arcoiris link:  My excelent friend Rebeca having breakfast with a guest, at the restaurant "la Galera", Arcoiris hotel Cecile Crowe Arcoiris link:  the mexpipe...Arcoiris is on that beach, left of surfer my blog the Maule:  my good friend Ángela, selling hammocks at Arcoiris entrance from Zicatela beach. Click Angela's image, and you are transfered to my blog the Maule: go way down that page until you reach Robert Crowe was a surfer (he created the hotel with JoséLuis, his compadre!) You can read all my blog if you preffer, but it's mostly aviator stuff. NOTE- the Cuautla Skydive team lives in the Arcoiris now: Skydive in Puerto! Rebeca (photo of breakfast above), when coming back from Mexico city goes to Cuautla, takes the skydive team twin Otter, jumps over Puerto and lands on Zicatela beach. Then after picking the chute canopy, se crosses the street and enters the Arcoiris hotel! ¿How many women do you know geting home that way??? If you are thirsty for more indications, just  me any time, here or through Email: I love to be ! donYan
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...see you later, alligator ! |
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| pauls_pad2002 |
Jun 3 2008, 06:10 AM
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Wanderer
Group: Members
Posts: 19
Joined: 21-March 08
Member No.: 157116
Nominate me as a Local Expert
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hey people im paul im frm new zealand, im currently staying in my apartment in bangkok. i have just been to northern vietnam and southern china.. i was born in uk lived there for 9 years when i immigrated to new zealand and the later went on my 1st OE to uk europe and then went to live in australia for 2 years and then again to the uk for another 2....i had a long wait till my next adventure which was 3.5 months in darwin australia workin and that instilled the travel bug again so last year took off for 4 months in europe and asia and this is where i fell in love with asia and this year am away again for 4 months for a bit of business... would love to visit remote regions which i have done in sapa in 2 yrs running and next year look to go to live there for 3 months.... have travelled mainly in asia and europe withj visits to usa hawaii all of aussie and new zealand uk.....now can only travel for 4 months at a time due to business i onw but wil come here each year from now on as i love it...hope everyones travels are going well love to hear frm some of u soono ...check out my page http://www.travelpod.com/members/pauls_pad2002.. |
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| donyan |
Jun 3 2008, 09:13 AM
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Nomad
Group: Members
Posts: 151
Joined: 7-March 08
From: Mexico
Member No.: 151427
Nominate me as a Local Expert
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QUOTE(starlagurl @ Jun 3 2008, 08:37 AM) That is quite a lot of traveling, Paul, good job!
Donyan, you know a lot about Mexico, would you like to become a Local Expert for the country? You flatter me  Starlagurl...and I can't even get started with my first TraveLog!!! 
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My son gave me a Moto RAZR 3V, I use it as my camera. But geting the drivers to USB conect...that was really something! After 3 days and +600 MB of downloads, its working great and I can transfer everything from myPC to V3 and viceversa. Actually, its more of a pocket procesor than a phone...can even use it as a wireless modem for my PC! (not needed, I have wireless LAN 2GB speed) BUT the global service PRI$$$E...the most expensive in te world.
END
But if you can bear with me, OK 
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...see you later, alligator ! |
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