So it turns out that my buddy Jay doesn't function all that well in the tropics. The five weeks he was in Thailand, he was never quite healthy, wavering back and forth between a stomach bug and some sort of bronchial thing. It worked out great for me, because he was always healthy enough to belay me on climbs, yet he could usually be counted on to eat less than his share at mealtimes. The perfect traveling companion as far as I'm concerned, but somehow he didn't see it that way.

Anyway, I'll be embarking on an informal tour of Bali and the surrounding islands tomorrow. It should be fun, I managed to get down the coast a ways today and It was quite a bit nicer than around town. Happy holidays!

written by  Jason Kester on December 25, 2000 from Kuta, Indonesia
from the travel blog: Southeast Asia, 2000-2001
tagged Christmas
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We started the festivities on Friday night with a visit to the British embassy for carols in the garden, with free mulled wine and chardonnay – wow! Free booze and VSO volunteers do mix well if you want to outcome to be enthusiastic carol singing!! They had also shipped over some mince pies especially, so we were well well happy! Rose made me laugh so much, as we mingled with the bigwigs of this world she proudly donned spangley boppers and tinsel accessories!

Then we headed to Gisenyi on Saturday for a few days chilling by Lake Kivi. This is where we spent Christmas day and indeed where I turned 29!

Being 29 seems ancient, but hey, the day was cool, so wasn’t depressed by that fact. After a birthday breakfast with singing and presents we headed down to the beach. Kersti surprised me with a beautiful homemade chocolate cake and the alcohol was cracked open way before midday! However, things then turned more sporty as we swam in the Lake (during which the heavens poured!), played Frisbee and British bulldog, had cartwheel competitions and made a sand-Santa! We were a complete spectacle, providing locals with much amusement! The games continued over dinner that night, despite being in a posh restaurant where I was presented with my best Birthday present EVER!! A toilet seat – a deluxe padded version! (Short explanation – my toilet seat is severely broken, it bashes anyone who sits on it and eats their skin, often falling off completely!)

Christmas morning came and some of us gathered in my room to ‘share the joy’ as we opened the presents that had arrived on time. Never before has a potato peeler been met with so much joy, my friend was equally pleased with her multi vitamins and face wash! Then we headed off to spend Christmas day in Paradise! Literally. That was the name of the place; cheesy name, but actually very apt. We ate Christmas dinner (vegetable curry) in beautiful surroundings – a flower garden overlooking the lake where we swam, rocks where we relaxed and a beach where we frisbeed! Secret Santa bought me some chocolate, a lolly pop, some pink head bobbers and bourble earrings! Top class present from Santa! I wore them all day. Thanks to Maggie’s mum we also had mince pies, crackers and played charades! Yippee! Such a fantastic Christmas time!

So of course I missed you all, but the moral of the story is a good Christmas depends on the people, not the presents! Hopefully, you were able to spend it having fun with great people too!

written by  Sue on December 27, 2006 from Gisenyi, Rwanda
from the travel blog: Rwanda
tagged Christmas
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There is not much news to report. Travis is flying daily now and is enjoying actually performing his job tasks instead of just learning about what he is supposed to be doing.

My next goal is to finish getting our Christmas cards/letters out. The letters are finally printed so all that is left is addressing, stuffing and mailing. They should be done tomorrow.

Once that is done I need to really get down to business with the NYIP stuff.

written by  cathighley on December 28, 2009 from Meridian, United States
from the travel blog: Deployment Numero Uno
tagged Christmas and NYIP
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well..found a classic best hits CD at walmart..Yes..i don't care for 70's music as much as i do for 80's music but i like about 4 of Yes's songs and those happen to be on this CD.

Wish i could find more 80's mix (ie,various artists)CD's around./Walmart has some but they're re-recordings(original artists,but recorded later,so the songs don't sound exactly "right").I'll keep my eyes open when i browse other stores.i picked up three of those CD's that have the re-recorded tracks just to hear what kind of differences there are and actually,i like the tracks on all three CD's just the way they are.i'd prefer having the originals,but yet these tracks kind of make my collection more rounded and balanced i think/.

Wish i could meet other introverts like myself.It just seems like everyone wants to party and hang out in groups //Not too many people,i guess would care to just do simple stuff like walking in the country,sit home watching movies and listening to music.../
Of course me being a night person(all night)and sleeping days(til 2pm) would make alot of people search elsewhere for a friend to hang with/.
And not too many people would care to cruise around at nights in the wee hours, playing with the CB radios(mobile) at night/. Browsing the Walmart at 1,2 or three in the morning/.

There's not too many people like myself who are retired and now unemployed and enjoy doing these things...actually ..none.Nobody/

Not too many people like me who still have the old school belief in God and Country and don't feel that a person has to be buzzed or high to have a good time/.
and that marriage should be between a man and woman/.
that to have a good time means simple things.not expensive or mind altering .//
Yup..CB's..80's music..All kinds of movies(Not X..yeck!)...quiet ,country walks..hanging out all hours of the night/.relaxing and enjoying an introverted lifestyle...and then there's the Christmas holidays.Not the day itself,so much as the holidays beginning on Thanksgiving up TO that day.The Christmas season is the best! best shared with a friend/.I hope i meet someone to hang with long enough before the Christmas holidays,that i can get to know and enjoy his/her presence(not presents)/.

The 2000's just aren't anything to mention.the 90's were okay and everything got better as the 90's became the 80's(looking backward) and the 80's were fantastic/.

What's with this 70's talk??? I don't see the 70's as being all that great really/.The 80's definitely were awesome,as were the early 90's til rap and hip hop became the norm./
Anyway..I guess i'll go ahead and shave and then shower and head out to the Denny's down the road/.i'm bord and it's 3:35am/.Time for Coffee./
djteel@att.net

written by  Reverend, Dennis Teel on June 30, 2011 from Seagoville, United States
from the travel blog: No Trip,No Gain
tagged Christmas, Bored, Bipolar, Shy, Lonely, Introvert, July4th and Seagoville
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