Travelers along the road less traveled

Japan:
- couple Horshia (Japanese) and Nathan (seattle)
- Daniela (architect/dancer/trying acting now) from Portugal. In Japan for conference, and vacation.
- Andy, a car gear designer from London and Peter, a carpenter from SF

Hong Kong:
- Cinnie Chan and S.H. Lam, college students that were sitting at my table at a dinner place. It is common practice to place strangers in tables that have seats available since space is of premium in HK. They want to see my pictures when I get back to the states.
- Sunny, local photographer, cool dude showed me the tricks and spots for taking picture of HK harbor.

Yangshuo:
- Adam Lam (in transition) a fifth generation Chinese from SF. 3 or more month on the road. Update: after returning to SF, Adam is now in Southern China to start a new life there.
- Hiral(software consultant) from Chicago. Going on a 5 month trip.
- Ryan (software engineer) from Kansas City (Hiral's travel partner)
- Mai and Ulrick from Danmark. Grad students (to be teachers) with one course left. Cool couples.
- Amigo, a female (yes female) from Guangzhou vacation on her own. Met along with Mai and Ulrick on the boat ride down Lijing river. She got her English name from a soap from Taiwan. We did not want to ruin her happiness about her English name by telling her what it means and that it is a masculine word.
- Martin from US, PhD candidate.
- Ido, an interesting Athesist from Israel, yes Israel. I did not know that Athesist existed there!. He is a software engineer I think but gone back to school. He and bounch other travelers (Andreas, Tasha, Mikkel and 3 others I think - 2 Dans, 1 Irish, 1 Brazilian, 1 Australian) got so drunk one night. Well they apparently enjoyed it so much and with lots foolish picutures.
- Vivian? a Taiwanese Brazilan (work in marketing). Again I did not Taiwanese people existed in Brazilan, I know tons of Japanese immigrated there.

Guilin:
- Ruth from Ireland. I think she is a student. She is traveling with 5 other friends for 1 year to Asia, Australia, and South America. Paying part of the way by working in Aust. Update: Only Ruth remained in Australia traveling and working, she is planning to go home some time in Jan 07.
- A HK/New York Chinese bunkmate that is traveling around China. He and his friend smoked in our dorm, which is allowed in China. I gave them a health and moral lesson :) the friend wasn't very happy.
- A couple from Ireland? who lost one of their backback with all his cloth. He is fit-up with China, ready for Australia. I don't blame him. I would be the same if I were to be in China for as long as they did and lost everything.

Kunming:
- Well I met up with Adam (from Yangshuo), he is just chillin in this modern yet not so overwhelming city. No haze and first blue sky I saw in China. We had dinner at the muslim section of the town. He met with local college students and played basketball with them.

Lijiang:
- a Chinese couple from Shanghai, we meet on the ride from the airport and we shared lunch together. Very friendly even tried to help me to find the inn I had in mind before they get to theirs. We did not find the inn, must be closed.
- Adam again, the third time! After I came back from Tiger Leaping Gorge earlier in the evening, I just happened to be standing in the front of the place that I was staying and saw him walking by. He is going to Tiger Leaping Gorge the next day.

Tiger Leaping Gorge:
- Hector and Marc from Barcelona Spain: internet enigeer on 3-week vacation. Very fast hikers. We discussed Spain and Taiwan history and internal politics.

- Mr Ju: A member of communist party who is helping Hector and Marc arrange things. He strained his injured knee during the hike and was very slow after that.

- Mr Liu: Met him at Lijiang to goto TGL together, but I told him I would probably leave him soon after the hike since he is a middle aged smoker :)

- Y. Ji. Chen: on the same bus to TLG and we started togther with Mr. Liu who we lost after 30 minutes or so. He is pretty fast for a Chinese. But no match for westerners.

Dali:
- Bunch Israelis: Couple Naaman and Miri, Translator and Psychologist (just graduated). Naaman another Atheist! Apparent a lot people from Tele Vie are Atheist. We talked about Chinese culture and Israeli society.

- Mikkel and Andreas again (from Yangshou), they took a terrible 24 plus bus ride from Guilin. Mikkel throws up half the way. They both very tired when arriving in Dali and ready for sunny and warm weather of Thailand.

Kunming Part II:
- Mikkel and Andreas again (from Yangshou, Dali), they are leaving for Chang Mai, Thailand.

- Danish couples Martin and Kiva saw them at Stone Forest as well. Heading to Laos and then Vietnam.

Sapa:
- Shane from Ireland and Harold from Germany, we all took the long bus ride from Kunming to Hekou. Harold is heading to Hanoi for some sun.
- Inga, Dutch travel guide based in Hanoi. Guide Dutch tourists for Vietnam and Cambodia.
- Suri, Japanese cloth designer ? working in Hanoi

Hanoi:
- Shane Ireland (See Sapa)
- John, England, biking across Vietnam. He has been traveling around Asia for a while. He want to live in France when he get back because he encountered many good mannered French people! How come I did not met many in Paris? May be all the good mannered French people can't stand Paris itself and want to get away?
- Kate and Kelly from Connecticut and Indiana, childern welfare? Currently traveling around Southeast Asia (and been to South America already) for about a year.

Halong Bay:
- Shane again, my traveling partner from Sapa :)
- Denis and Laura, newly wed from Australia. He is Vietnamese origin. Saw them again in Hoi An
- Chris and Ann, couple from Oregon, she a school teacher and he a carpenter. Both quit their jobs and have been traveling for a while.
- Jeffery, Singapore. On a short holiday.

Hoi An:
- Shane again. Update: After his SEA trip, Shane went back to teaching English for about a month and headed back to SEA again!
- Saw Denis and Laura and few others from the Halong Bay tour.

Hue:
- Vicky Le & Desmond Quek, couple from Bay Area. she, Vietnamese Amercian (realtor), he, Singaporian American (system admin). Visiting relatives in Vietnam and sightseeing. Good coversation with them on the bus to and from Hue.

Saigon/Mekong Delta Tour:
- Clara from Australia, just finshed her degree in mining and environment. Visting Vietnam the second time, and to do some sighseeing and try to do voluteering work.
- Sachiyo, Japanese lived in Paris. Vacation in Vietnam and then visiting home in Nara, Japan.
- Ines, Germany. Just finished her degree in teaching, starts in Feb.
- Sherley & Lisa, funny Canadians from Vancouver Island. Waitress and home depot clerk. they have traveled to all contienents. All long trips. Many interesting stories. Their curent journey started in China. They have been traveled so much, and seen the worst and best, so nothing faze them any more. Sherley want to go back school (business) and hope to start a hostal one day.
- Mark and Yana from Germany, just graduated to become teachers in Feb. He a special ed teacher, and she a primary teacher.

Phnom Penh:
- Ines, Sherley & Lisa, Mark, Jana from Mekong delta tour
- Gil from South Africa
- English couple from Halong Bay/Hoi An

Siemp Reap:
- Ines, Sheiley & Lisa, Mark, Jana, and Gil from Phnom Penh. We had Thanksgiving dinner together. No turkey and pie though.
- Grant, soon to be HS teacher (one more semester) from Madison Wisconsin. Miscalculated number of credits he needed to graduate. Come up short, but he was already book his Asia vacation, so he need to go back to finish it up next year.

Vientiane:
- Iqnacio (aka Nacho) & Maria: a couple from Madrid; seem like a really nice couple. He is law clerk at a patent office and she an internet admin?? at an engery company. I met them again in Luang Prabang.

Vang Viang:
- Philip: chinese Australian (parents from Malaysia), 51 year old divorced father of 1, is partying hardy to make up the lost years. Pretty fun and knowledgable guy. Although I don't agree with him on politic and communism in China (he is pro-communinism). Pot smoker. He is traveling for extended period of time. Going to China next.
- Jacob: Czech Australian, 24 year old party animal; booze and pot and who knows what else.
- Kerry: Irish lady, also booz and drug.
- Nikki: Canadian from Vancouver who lived in Thailand for a while, but is chasing her dream man across border to here. Very strange lady who is out hunting everyday for a man (sugar daddy)
- Sylvia: dutch 32, the only really not smokers (tried one puff). She is traveling for a year in Southeast Asia and Australia/New Zealand. Seems to be pretty health person but I thinking she feels the peer pressure sometime.
- Danny and Tara: young American couple from Seattle: She is the controling kind. They claimed one of their traveler check was stolen, and then tried to walk away from paying their room (but got caught by the police and in the end they paid half for the room and get a free bus). Very immature behavior of them, dealing one wrong with another.
- Andy: an American; the true backpacker with the look to go with it.

Luang Prabang:
- The whole gang from Vang Viang minus Andy and Nikki. Nikki went to remote South Laos still in search of her sugar daddy. More booze and drug of course. The new addition to the gang Louise from Jonhansberg SA. She said no to the drug. Good for her!
- The cool Spanish couple Iqnacio & Maria
- Lawrance, Janice and their daughter from NZ. The parents have been traveling in South Asia for a while after they quit their jobs. And currently living in Thailand and taking this trip with their youngest daughter who is on break from Uni. Plan to go back soon and move/work in Australia. They are part some sort of relative new religion...

Bangkok:
- fun crew Sheiley, Lisa, and Jana from Cambodia

Sukhothai:
- English couple of Chinese ancestry. he a doctor and she a food health and safety inspector? On a two-week vacation

Mt. Kinabaru:
- Adam and group of Aussie HS students who come to borneo to do some work for the local tribes as part of their school curriculum, they are finished and just spending last few days having fun
- Fiona, Helen, Claire from UK: Helen in advertising, but going to become call girl recuiter in NY; Claire a mid-wife looking to move and work in Australia, may be NZ

Sandakan:
- Claire (a different one), Corala, Becky (English): fed up after about one year of working, decided to travel around the world. Seems like young people in their early to mid 20s get fed with work (real world) soon after school (controlled world). The baby boomers' kids have been sheltered and praised all their life and now entering the real world, they can't stand the criticisms and little hard work. Very sad.

Uncle Tan's Wilderness camp:
- Mary a massage therapist from Victoria canada
- Catherin and David (Italian) from NY: will traveling around for about 20 month. His sister come join them for this part of the trip
- Petra, Medelo, Marle, Manu: Dutches

Gum Gum:
- Jackie: a teacher from New Zealand that is teaching in Brunei; her daughters Hena (a uni student) and Selly came visit.
- Adam and Aussie students

Miri/Brunei:
Mr Hwang and family: friendly Malaysian invited to his home in Miri and Brunei. He was traveling with Mr. Lee from Sibu.

Mulu:
- Dominique: french traveling for about year
- Vincent: french traveling for about year as well
- Mr Wu and his nephew: Malaysian from KL. He, a physician and avid photographer
- Mary from Uncle Tan's Wilderness camp
- Two Malaysian girls: one working in Ottawa Canada, the other work in Forestry department in Malaysia

Sibu:
- Mr Lee and family from Miri: staying one night with his family. The daughter of Mr Hwang was staying with him (playmate with his own daughter)

Kuching:
- Mary from Uncle Tan's Wilderness camp

Ubud/Amed:
- Mary from Uncle Tan's Wilderness camp
- Jack originally from Hawaii but lived in Bali for over 20 years: retired formal sarong wholeseller? now just surf and travel around Bali in his van (sold everything) to catch the surf. Extensive knowlege of local culure as well out of the this world beliefs: UFO.

Amed:
- Neil (South Africa) and Ally (Taiwan): realestate agents that sell managed and gated property to foreigners as rental investment here in Bali. Now expanding their business to near by counries like Fiji. Previously they worked in Taiwan.