Exotic Boat Trips

The Doc is back from his sailboat trip of 5 days at and around St Tropez. He was reluctant to go at first as he did not want to leave me alone with the Little One. This is very thoughtful of him but we would be fine & it would be a chance of a lifetime to go sailing with his buddies. I know if someone invited me to do the same I would not hesitate. I fantasize periodically about living on a boat, but finances and seasickness have always brought me back to reality. They had a great time of course and the little one was ecstatic to see papa again this morning.

I have been following this story: Amazon Indians challenge Peru over land - Americas- msnbc.com: "Aguaruna Indians" for the past few weeks. This is just the sort of thing that happens all over the planet but most of the time nobody raises any kind of stink. People just let g0vments and industries have their way and sell off our children's heritage and birthright to fill their pockets with paper money. I am very proud of a group of people who are willing to risk all to protect the forest and I am rooting for them with hopes their efforts to protect the Amazon from development will succeed. They are a very forward thinking culture who realize that without the forest they have nothing.

Speaking of having nothing, I am saddened to read also about more troubles in Burma:
4,000 Karen flee fighting in Myanmar - Asia-Pacific - msnbc.com
I suppose if there was oil over there the international community would be bending over backwards to help these unfortunate people in Myanmar. All the troubles these people have had over the past few years due to natural disaster and more accurately the power hungry military regime is heartbreaking. I wish I could DO something for them. I remember an afternoon spent doing a visa run from Mae Sot, Thailand to Myawadi, Burma in 2002. We went into the marketplace there and had a nice time having a look around. We were impressed by the gentle spirit of the shy but curious Burmese. One mother handed me her baby to hold for awhile as her friends giggled on everyone shaking their heads yes. Cute baby with the yellow sandalwood powder all over. I think she may have wanted me to keep her (or maybe my imagination was playing tricks on me). A few years after that we made multiple visa runs from Ranong Thailand by boat which were also very pleasant but in a different way. Ranong has a large population of Burmese who live and work around. Although I have long wanted to go, we never travelled into Burma simply because I did not like the idea of paying the gov a fee just to enter the country. I did not want to participate financially to their despotic regime. One day I will go and stop dancing around the border...