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Entries Tagged as 'Travel'
Arriving in Taiwan
Welcome To Taiwan
We arrived today in the morning, but we did not have much time to really observe. We were hustled to our hostel for a little food and some rest. The jet lag was not terrible but it just put you in an exhausted fog. Our host/employer showed up at 2 pm and took us on the bus to the hospital for some routine checkups, an ex-ray for pneumonia, and some blood tests. It was an easy ordeal.
From there we got our first look at our schools. Bryan’s school was first. We got to meet some of the children and Bryan was introduced as Teacher Bryan. They all said hello and introduced themselves. They are all quite cute.
Bryan will be teaching in the Green class, mostly 6 year olds. They are a fun bunch and as of today Bryan only has 6 students signed up, 4 girls and 2 boys. The library is small but very nice, there is a work room, a computer room, and a teachers’ lounge. It is a small school, but there is plenty to do.
Karen's School, Jump Start Gu Tang
We then went to Karen’s school. Her school is older, with much more activity. The school is smaller in size but bigger in the amount of students. Karen has been assigned the school where all the other experts are. We think that this is more or less their flagship school. Karen has 16 students in her class, the maximum number. The school manager as they are called was very good, very energetic, and very enthusiastic about her school.
Both school managers were women, as were the Chinese teachers. We each got one Chinese teacher assigned to our rooms to be with us. The school managers were very eager to have us and Bryan has been invited to observe the school at any time, we will be going back tomorrow to check things out.
Taipei 101 Early in the Morning
Arriving in New York
We are staying just outside Rochester New York in the North West corner of New York State. It is home for Karen and will be our launching spot for our big trip to Taiwan.
The Finger Lakes area as it is known is a great place to be, it is absolutely beautiful with deep clear fresh water lakes, rolling country, and over 100 wineries. It could not be a better place to start our trip, but we have a lot to do before we get going.
Summer Itinerary
- Travel to Michigan to visit Bryan’s Family
- Travel to Vermont to visit more of Bryan’s Family
- Visit everyone we can in the New York area for Karen
- Travel Back to Michigan for one last Visit
- Travel to Virginia for Karen’s Brother
- Finally leave for the far East
Whew it will be a lot of traveling, but it will be well worth it. So stay tuned it will be a fun time
What About Grandpa’s Cheese Barn
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Somewhere between Columbus and Cleveland on I 71 is a unique shop called Grandpa’s Cheese Barn. What a great fun place.
How many times have you been driving down the highway and seen a place like this? How many times have you stopped? Sometimes we should take just a little time to stop and see what these places are all about. |
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So how do you know if it is worth stopping or not? Look at the building, is it freshly painted? Are the grounds cleaned up and clear from junk? Are there a lot of cars in the parking lot? These are all good signs. These are all true for Grandpa’s Cheese Barn. It was well worth the stop.
Pulling into the parking lot we were greeted by a variety of small shops from sweets, to collectibles, to souvenirs. But the real action is in the barn. |
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As you enter the barn you are greeted by a sweet shop, but the real attraction is upstairs. You will find a large variety of cheese, sausage, cider, pickled vegetables, canned fruits, and many many many samples. We were encouraged to sample many of the sauces, cheeses, and very yummy spreads. |
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So what did we get? A very nice staff helped us to purchased some wasabi peanuts, mustard wasabi peanuts, and a gift of smoked cheddar. All very good choices. |
So for a smörgåsbord of fun, and anything mild, spicy, and smoked stop and see the folks at Grandpa’s Cheese Barn. Don’t worry if you have a hard time making a decision. Just get the variety pack.
What is the Best Alternative Fuel Car for You?
What should you do with your next car? Although we have found out what we will not do with our next car, the answer is not absolute.
What we would not do is get an ethanol or flex fuel car. Ethanol as it is today loses about 30% efficiency to purchase a fuel that costs just as much as current gas does now, and it does not have any better emissions. There are new technologies that are coming about right now but they are not any better of a solution. Clearly not the right choice for an alternative fuel car.
So biodiesel or hybrid? That answer is a little more foggy. Our first choice would be to get a Veggie Oil and Biodeisel combination car over a hybrid, but only because it fits our style and goals better.
Hybrids have the upper hand when you are driving around town or commuting. The hybrid does well in stopping and starting and trip durations under an hour.
If your battery goes bad the replacement will cost you between $3,000 and $7,500 depending on the make of the vehicle. Fortunately the batteries are made to last the life of the car, about 150,000 to 200,000 miles. Once the battery is unusable anymore the disposal may be a problem. But car companies are aware of this and Toyota offers a $200 reward for proper disposal.
For us the choice is straight vegetable oil. We are trekking, meaning we are taking long trips to see the united states, and eventually the world. There are a lot of really cool people here with a lot of really good solutions for us. Biodiesel is expensive. It costs Sam at Full Circle Fuels “nearly $5.00 a gallon” which of course he needs to pass on to is customers. So at $5.00 a gallon it seems that biodiesel is not very cost effective either. It is not, but straight vegetable oil (SVO) is.
So for our style of travel, and what we want to do SVO is the way to go. It is free for the most part. Many restaurants are happy for you tot take their fry oil as they have to pay to have it removed otherwise.
‘Aren’t there too many people doing it already’ we are asked a lot. No. That is not the case. There is plenty of fuel available. It is also a great way to recycle. Not only do we recycle the used fry oil we recycle the heat from the engine to warm the oil to proper operating temperature before it is sent to the engine. It makes the engine more efficient.
Hot SVO does not hurt diesel engines at all, but there is a little more process that needs to be done. SVO needs to be filtered throughly before it can be used.
So before you purchase your next Alternative Fuel Automobile decide what you will be using it for. It may not be quite as easy as just going out to buy the best looking car, but you will be helping the environment and eventually saving money.
10 Things you can do to help the Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are known as the rain forests of the ocean. They may just be the most important living structure in the world.
10 Things you can do to help the Coral Reefs
- Recycle. Recycling is always the first step in conservation. If there is no recycling program around you find a group and start one. Many groups look for community service projects.
- Speak with your wallet. Support reef friendly businesses. Check ahead, the Internet is a beautiful thing. Find dive shops, boating stores, tour operators, hotels, and other businesses that have pledged to helping support the reefs.
- Support conservation organizations. Many of them have coral reef programs, and they all need your help.
- Volunteer for a coral reef cleanup. If you are taking a vacation, take one with a purpose. Enjoy yourself with an eco-friendly vacation centered around coral reef conservation.
- Don’t anchor on a reef. Many reefs have mooring buoy systems available close by. You wouldn’t want to hurt the thing that you are trying to visit.
- When you dive or snorkel don’t touch. Keep your fin’s, fingers, and other gear away from the coral. It may look strong and bony but it is delicate.
- Don’t pollute. Never ever dump garbage or human waste into the water. Please don’t leave trash on the beach. It will eventually make it into the water.
- Even if you live thousands of miles from a coral reef runoff from pesticides and fertilizers make their way into watersheds and eventually the ocean. Be careful and don’t use more than you need. You will only be wasting your money and hurting the environment.
- Conserve water. The more you use the less clean water is available to them.
- Support the creation and maintenance of marine parks and reserves!
Nashville Boat Show
What can one get for $8 dollars? We got an entire afternoon of adventure climbing about lavish yachts to viewing a cooler full of enormous catfish. We talked to Pro Bass Fisherman, Eddie Scott. We meet the owner of Birdsong Resort which is the home of North America’s only Freshwater Pearl Farm. We signed up for boating classes with Music City Power Squadron. A host of fishing courses were offered (although we did not attend). We entered all types of contests for free vacation giveaways and more. And we even practiced running in coil heeled shoes by Z Coil.
Talk about something for everyone, we meet new boaters, experienced boaters, fishermen, hunters, country singers, boat racers, sailors, and of course the salesmen all of whom were willing to offer free advice on the type of boat my husband and I should purchase. With all the luxury and speed, the glitz and the shine off all the fancy new gadgets we were ready to sign on the dotted line. Fortunately we resisted, for many of these boat cost triple what our house is worth!
What appealed to us most at the boat show is the fact that the “Green Evolution” is in full force among boaters and manufacturers alike. We learned that most new engines today are faster, more fuel efficient, and quieter. IPS system by Volvo has been popular in Europe for the past ten years and has just been brought to the US last year. Emissions are way down, and most engine manufacturers are already meeting the requirements placed on them by the EPA. As a matter of fact there is a bit of an engineering war going on to see who is going to exceed those expectations the most.
All in all the benefits of attending this or any boat show are endless. First of all, it just fun to go and dream … picturing yourself with the wind in your hair, the sea at your feet, and not a care in the world. But if you are a more serious attendee searching for great deals, there are numerous vendors and sales reps ready to bargain with you. Most of all, the boat show is an enjoyable experience for the whole family. Both big and little kids can explore the life size jungle gym at their fingertips. So next time a boat show sails into your town, go have fun for the day!
Welcome to Trekking Around
Welcome to Trekking Around! We are proud to introduce our blog and website to promote the love of living.
We are two young Location Independent Professionals on a journey around the Great Loop of North America by boat.
There are a few things that you will see throughout this blog, and as the site is developed.
We are a couple who love life.
Karen has always known how to live free and independent. It is in her soul. She has a pirate heart with butterfly wings. Life surrounds her and she embraces it. She embraces all of it, every little twist, turn, adventure, and journey that comes along.
Bryan is a technician and a self proclaimed geek who actually likes math and science. But he is also a dreamer and a roamer. He loves change and new adventures. He embraces new challenges and dives into them head first and learns everything that there is to know about it.
We are a couple who have come to know the power of belief, believing in ourselves and our dreams.
Bryan’s other site Coach Kip is developing into a great personal development and leadership site. His basic premise is — Conceive It, Believe It, Achieve It — a mantra learned from his High School Football Coach. He has traveled a long way through self-discovery and is an expert at reinventing himself. The key: Believing that you can do it.
Karen has always known that she is the one who controls her destiny. Belief is what drives her. She believes in her goals. She believes in her life. She believes in her adventures. That belief makes life fun for her and all those in contact with her. You will soon be able to visit Karen’s website, TheLoveofLiving.com.
Together they have decided to
Live Right:
In working hard and barely paying bills both came to realize something that needed to be realized a long time ago. Focus on the important things. The most important thing to Karen and Bryan is time. They love to be together. They love adventures. They love to do what they chose to do. In order to do what they wanted they realized that they needed to adjust their lives so that they would be able to get that time back. What they discovered is something that is very simple, less stuff equals more time to enjoy life and live their dreams.
Go Green:
In their discovery of what they really want they found that they both love the outdoors. It sickens both to take a nice nature walk and find trash littering the trails. It is appalling to see a film of oil on a reservoir that serves drinking water to millions. So what to do? Karen and Bryan have always done their part in recycling, and trying to be good about reducing waste. They both are concerned about the environment around them. Why? They live in it! In doing the research on the boat and the Great Loop they both decided to live right. With less stuff, focus on the important stuff, and be GREEN. So in their journey the couple has decided to live life as green as possible. This means that they will procure a boat with a diesel engine and convert it to run as much Biofuel as possible. It is something that is rarely done, and it needs to be brought to the public’s attention. Biofuel, clean living, reducing waste, is not only possible but easy with some very subtle life changes. There are lots of possibilities and we hope that you can all help us with finding new ways to live clean and green.
To sum it up, Karen and Bryan are going to travel the Great Loop of North America on a Green boat. Living life to the fullest, meeting new people, and enjoying the time that they have together. All the while, an undying belief in what they set out to accomplish will drive them forward.
Enjoy our journey. There will be plenty of opportunities to join us, both virtually and personally along the way. We hope to see you along our journey.
Bryan and Karen
Our Pics
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