Around the World in 800 Days

I have read some crap in my life, but this is right up there with the best. The next thing you'll be saying is some old tripe like California has better beaches. Oh I forgot, you already made that generalization.

WHOA,heavy stuff,California beaches are good but gosh!!

Maybe you should reread my post
It was a back-handed complement for France

The best crap is always better than the worst crap, so I will take that as a complement..........

Hey, it is not like I am getting paid to write this crap.
Or I am not forcing anyone to read it.
I am just writing how I am feeling each day and I try to throw in a little of me dry wit.
I do it because I enjoy it and it is my diary.

Baskin Robbins has 31 flavors of ice cream because not everyone likes Vanilla.
I like world's class chocolate.
I hope you do too
If not, there are 30 other flavors to choose from here.
And just because someone doesn't like World's class chocolate, doesn't make it crap.

And thru traveling more, a person becomes more understanding of that

Really? Remember or read about Bay of Pigs? Vietnam? The 1980 Iranian hostage rescue mission? Missing WMD's? Shooting down an unarmed passenger liner?

You got that one right, sir. Carry on with your great RR but stay out of promoting US hegemony. Thank you.

Indeed. And maybe when you've traveled a bit more through France,visited more than a few small towns, seen the monuments to her war dead, immersed onself in the agony of her 'lost generation' then wisdom will take hold wrt celebrating one nations ability to wage war and begin thinking more of anothers pain in suffering its consequences. If you get as far as Galipoli and walk the batllefield and pick up a bone fragment from an Anzac or a Turk maybe then you'll understand the contrite reaction you get when in the same breath you criticize a nations battle prowess and then give your paper thin assessment of her women's performance in bed.

Yes, traveling more should help you become more understanding. We'll see.

To all of you who have apparently developed a case of the proverbial Red Ass...

Lighten Up Francis- see link for reference

http://youtu.be/0OnpkDWbeJs

Good grief...

A nation's ability to wage war has to be the most profane and sad metric ever.

Remember war, yes, glorify it, never. The idiocy of nationalism.

Here's to wine, women and riding. I love seeing landscapes and people through Ed's eyes. Thank you for opening vistas to me that I may never see with my own eyes.

Ed, your doing fine, please continue on.

+1

By the way, Ed how much would you charge to write this crap? Ride on brother, but I am getting a bit concerned about you heading back to S/A? Isn't this thread titled Around The World in 800 Days?

Now Ed, let's be real here. How can you seriously go RTW and get side tracked by L'Amour?????

Thanks for this perfect RR - go ahead with it lot of people enjoy it.

Ok, I guess I opened up a can of worms here, but I do like to stir the pot sometimes.
Stereotypes are usually made for a reason.
But instead of blindly believing in all those stereotypes, I want to reach my own conclusions by traveling thru an area and seeing it for myself.

I really have no idea what the French military is like and I actually don't care. The point I was trying to make is it seems to me France (and many other countries) have a different set of priorities. Some I like and some I don't.
I like that they have passion and zest for life. And if it is true they have retreated from a few battles, was that such a bad thing? Maybe the US could take a lesson here. Perhaps we stayed too long in Vietnam and such have retreated sooner. Same for Iraq. Or in that case, maybe we should have never gone in the first place. Sometimes the US leaders can be stubborn trying to be right and not lose face.
America gets a lot of flack from the rest of the world for trying to be the world police. And often times I don't like it. But if the shit were ever to hit the fan, all the countries would be reaching out and looking to the US for assistance. A lot of our tax dollars go to help out other countries and we are often hated for having our fingers in other people's business.
And for me, I would like to see us get our fingers out in a lot of cases. We have enough issues to deal with on our home soil that we should be focused on. But hey, give the US some credit for spending its money to keep some order here.

And regarding "customer service", the US is king here. We demand it. And that is why Americans can be seen to the rest of the world as demanding. Not a bad thing from the customer's prospective.
If there is one thing in this world that Americans do better than anyone else, it's marketing. I see it in the difference in how American brands like Coke and McDonald's are marketed over here.
As an American, I find myself demanding at times. I want good service.
I expect it. I am not picking on France here. I have seen it all over the world outside the US.
Trying to go to the supermarket at 2 pm in Argentina and it is closed in the afternoon during what I would think is prime shopping time.
Standing in line to buy something in Ecuador and they are too busy talking to their friends to help you.
And here in France, I tried to make a reservation at my favorite winery in Bordeaux for a tasting and tour and I find out they are closed during the whole month of July for their vacation.
Or trying to get a package sent to Paris but their is a strike at the airport (and I hear the workers get paid when they go out on strike)
As a customer......I hate this.
But it a different culture and a different way of doing things so I accept that. In Argentina, everything closes in the afternoon and on Sundays. It is just something I was not used to. But I can't say it is wrong. It is just different. McDonald's was open on Sundays and guess what, they were busy. Just saying.

But from the other prospective, I would love to have every July off of work. Or get paid to go on strike (if that is actually true).

In summary, I guess just because we all might have a different opinion on things, doesn't make the other person's way of thinking "crap"
And by traveling more, you understand this better.
And that is one reason I am out here doing what I am doing.

That is all I am going to say here about that topic.
Now on with the ride

No worries
I will be back.
I am just heading to Peru for 4 days to spend time with Kathe.

The cool part about my trip is that I have no set agenda or plans.
Like for example, jumping on a cruise ship was not part of my original plan, but how cool was that......to take a vacation within a vacation?

As I said from the beginning......"as long as I have the means and the desire to continue, I shall"

Right now I have the means but my funds are running low.
And I have the desire.
I want to see more of Europe
I want to ride thru Africa
I want to finish in South America and ride to the tip
And if I have the funds left over, I want to ride from India to Singapore.


I told Kathe this is something that I had to do. She seems understanding
My ex GF couldn't wait and I didn't blame her.
So I will be back.

Yes, that's the best you can do : Show us nice landscapes, wineries, beaches, bikinis and motorcycles. You are good at it.
Just think a little bit more before writing some unpleasant stuff.

Stay a few years in a country before having definite opinions based on so much cliché.

No hard feelings, go on !

I was defending you from the inmate that got kinda down on ya,I'm along for the ride and your doing it so well I just wanted to say life is fun and your having fun carry on!

Here is a somber thought the next time you get your panties in a wad. Our Country men lay side by side yours. So please lose the attitude and get on with fun and adventure and learning. Just sayin, Retired military 28 years.
United States War Memorials/Cemetery's Abroad.
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Cemeteries

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I am just speaking my mind
It's my blog
I tell it the way I see it.
I share with you when times are good
And I tell you when I am feeling scared, lonely and sad.
Tomorrow, I am going to talk about religion and then the day after about sex......two things I know nothing about.....LOL

I know you were.
I just replied to all with your message.
Thanks for having my back

Bordeaux
It's the king of wine regions.
It makes some of the best wines in the world
And some of the most expensive......Ch Lafite is selling for over $1000 a bottle now
Rolling thru Margaux, Saint Julien and Pauillac today and seeing all the famous wineries that I have had their wines was really special for me.
Seeing the vineyards and the beautiful chateau houses was something I always dreamed about.
And now I am here.
Tomorrow, going to visit the wineries......can't wait