tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109729072024-03-13T05:53:23.357-07:00Madberry.com BlogChris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-85795585108419540872013-02-01T01:29:00.000-08:002013-02-01T01:29:14.128-08:005 Tips for Applying for a job as a Virtual Assistant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I posted a position on oDesk for a Virtual Assistant a few days ago. After reviewing 30-something applicants, I have the following suggestions:<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>First, I asked people to answer a specific question in their application. Only a handful of people answered the question. If you don't care enough to do a careful job on your application, why should I believe you'll do a careful job once you're hired?</li>
<li>When I hire on oDesk I want you to have experience and feedback on oDesk. In fact, I usually sort by the total number of hours completed on oDesk. If you have no hours / feedback, you absolutely have to nail the application letter.</li>
<li>Don't charge $1 an hour. There are very few places in the world where you can get reliable access to the internet and still live on $1 an hour. If you charge that little, I assume that (a) you aren't in much demand and (b) if I hire you you will work 10 minutes of each hour, and bill me for an hour.</li>
<li>I pay a lot of attention to the little icon that has your picture in it. I probably shouldn't, but I do. Try to project a professional appearance in that icon. Look trustworthy. Show me your eyes.</li>
<li>If my job posting is for part-time work, don't tell me you're looking for full-time work, or that you have 40 hours per week available. I want to hire someone that is in high demand. And if you're actively looking for full-time work, what's going to happen when you find it? You're going to drop me like a hot potato, and I'm going to have to go through this entire annoying process again.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<b>Bonus suggestion</b>:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Once you're hired and you get your first task -- <i>absolutely rock that task</i>. Do a fantastic job, do it quickly, and communicate regularly.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There's nothing more annoying than hiring someone, assigning them a task, and then not hearing from them quickly, having them drag their feet on the task, and then bill you for waaaay more time than you think it should have taken.</div>
</div>
Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-3392787095806937672013-01-07T03:11:00.000-08:002013-01-09T23:06:13.087-08:00Readings on Programmatic Ad Buying<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been putting a lot of time into PPC traffic generation in the past three months. It has opened my eyes to a whole world of programatic advertising, and I'm going to mention a few of the blogs / posts that I have found most interesting.<br />
<br />
Update: <a href="http://springload.com/2012/08/14/how-publishers-sell-ad-inventory/">This article</a> by Eric Picard gives a great overview of how online publishers segment and sell their inventory.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/33082.asp">How Ad Platforms Work</a> -- I thought this was a very interesting piece about the future of programmatic ad buying.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mikeonads.com/">MikeOnAds</a> -- Good look at programmatic ad buying from Mike Nolet, CTO at AppNexus (although he hasn't posted since 2011). I transitioned from being a programmer to being an entrepreneur, and over the years I have realized how business development and sales ads to the bottom line faster than technical innovations, and I found it interesting the Mike makes this point several times as well. In particular, I found the article <a href="http://www.mikeonads.com/2010/10/07/top-5-media-startup-mistakes/">Top 5 Media Startup Mistakes</a> to be a very useful read.<br />
<br />
I would love to see someone write an article on the "Top 5 Lead Generation Startup Mistakes" -- some of which are probably identical to Mike's 5 media startup mistakes.<br />
<br />
Moving from the land of theory to the land of practical applications, this is an interesting review of early results from <a href="http://marketingland.com/facebook-ad-exchange-fbx-opens-for-business-with-16-partners-21490">Facebook's Ad Exchange</a>.<br />
<br />
For general affiliate marketing trends, I've been reading: MarketingLand's Affiliate Marketing <a href="http://marketingland.com/library/affiliate-marketing-news">channel</a>.</div>
Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-27753048359332642242010-06-27T10:30:00.000-07:002010-12-16T08:45:14.067-08:00An Amazing Trip to Ethiopia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeHlzBbgZI/AAAAAAAAAWE/Mzyl4MajcKo/s1600/IMG_4927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeHlzBbgZI/AAAAAAAAAWE/Mzyl4MajcKo/s200/IMG_4927.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Ethiopia was the highlight of our trip. None of us had ever been to Africa before, and I can't imagine a more fascinating country to introduce us to the continent. It is a lush, beautiful, culturally rich country. The people are friendly and helpful. From its religious importance (the Ten Commandments are there) to its strange calendar, very different food or that coffee was discovered in Ethiopia, it is an unique country. We loved it!<br />
<br />
<b>Some trivia...</b><br />
Ethiopia follows a different calendar than the rest of the world (Ge'ez calendar) so if you want to go back in time, there it is 2002! Their new year is September 11th each year.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdttIEjXnI/AAAAAAAAAQE/g_l1nq2aIM0/s1600/IMG_5659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdttIEjXnI/AAAAAAAAAQE/g_l1nq2aIM0/s320/IMG_5659.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<b></b><br />
Since, travel is primarily just an excuse for eating out, I should say something about Ethiopian food. There are two things you need to know about eating in Ethiopia: Number 1: there's no silverware -- you eat with your hands (actually, you right hand -- using your left hand is considered a major faux pax, as toilet paper is not widely used). Number 2: You eat everything by wrapping it in this spongy pancake called Injera. Love it (like most of us -- especially Mae) or tolerate it (like Wendy and Aidan). Either way, you're going to eat a lot of it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Ethiopians don't eat much fish, and no pork, but they eat a lot of beef, goat and lamb. Meat is typically cooked into a spicy stew or "wat". On Wednesdays and Fridays Orthodox Christians eat "fasting food" like mashed beans, lentils, potatoes and cabbage (with injera).<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdpHKaKG6I/AAAAAAAAAPs/koqbMKfcLT8/s1600/IMG_5894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdpHKaKG6I/AAAAAAAAAPs/koqbMKfcLT8/s320/IMG_5894.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Something else that you may already know but we did not is that coffee was discovered in Ethiopia, thank you so much! An observant goatherd named Kaldi noticed how excited and energetic his goats became after eating some interesting looking red berries. After a little experimenting... coffee!. And the coffee in Ethiopia is wonderful. There is a whole ceremony around the drinking of coffee that most Ethiopians perform up to three times a day. Incense is burned and the beans are roasted grinded with a mortar and pestle as part of the ceremony. After the coffee is ready, good and amazingly strong, it is served. Three cups of coffee are offered to each person, each time being diluted a bit more by additional water. Children may be offered the third round of coffee. We found, much to our dismay, that our children loved coffee in Ethiopia- Most likely because, even though it's black, it is served with lots of sugar).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCduSp6zCtI/AAAAAAAAAQM/eDBfW1cp7WQ/s1600/IMG_5030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCduSp6zCtI/AAAAAAAAAQM/eDBfW1cp7WQ/s200/IMG_5030.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>They love Obama. There are Obama gas stations, Obama restaurants, Obama souvenir shops, t- shirts... I also saw two UNH t-shirts- One was a "Wildcat Lacrosse" shirt. He didn't understand why I wanted to take a picture unfortunately. I thought some of us would get a kick out it. (No BC shirts, Bob!)<br />
<br />
We divided our trip into two parts: 8 days in the South and 8 days in the North -- somewhat at breakneck speed. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Southern Ethiopia</b><br />
<br />
Traveling to the South was like stepping into the pages of National Geographic. We had an <a href="http://www.ethiopiainspiration.com/">excellent guide</a> named Mila. We flew from the capital to Arba Minch, the largest city in the South and from there we explored some amazing places and visited six different tribes near the Kenyan and Sudanese boarders. Though the pictures look like they can't be real, they are authentic. The tribes people we saw -- visited with, played patt-a-cake with, danced with -- they really dress and look like they do in these pictures in their everyday life. It wasn't a tourist thing. There is too much to say about each tribe, but we will try to hit on the highlights. A brief summary of most of the tribes we saw...<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdvtKdrbmI/AAAAAAAAAQc/eijktaZcObs/s1600/IMG_4442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdvtKdrbmI/AAAAAAAAAQc/eijktaZcObs/s320/IMG_4442.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<b>Erbore Tribe</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdvVE647dI/AAAAAAAAAQU/rwDw_NUTt2I/s1600/IMG_4454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdvVE647dI/AAAAAAAAAQU/rwDw_NUTt2I/s320/IMG_4454.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
Their cattle are their most important possession. The number of cattle shows their wealth. They also grow corn and sorghum.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdvwW4WH7I/AAAAAAAAAQk/lyHe5W1rdes/s1600/IMG_4439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdvwW4WH7I/AAAAAAAAAQk/lyHe5W1rdes/s320/IMG_4439.JPG" width="320" /></a>In order for a man to be able to marry, he must kill a dangerous animal. To propose, the man sends four elder relatives to the woman's village/hut, carrying the intestines of four goats with them.<br />
<br />
After the proposal of marriage is made and if the woman's family accepts the proposal, they indicate their approval by draping the intestines, one over each of the visitors. The man's family also offers about 100 goat and sheep and 30 cows to the woman's family. Marriages take place in the mornings and in this tribe, women are circumsized the afternoon of their wedding! Great wedding gift.<br />
<br />
<b>Hamer Tribe</b><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdy-CsKrYI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/A3dr0QbZ0OY/s1600/IMG_4494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdy-CsKrYI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/A3dr0QbZ0OY/s320/IMG_4494.JPG" /></a><br />
They are mostly animists.<br />
<br />
Before a man can marry here, he needs to successfully perform a Bull Jumping Ceremony. Thirty or so bulls are lined up and kept in a line, side by side. Naked and with his body painted, the young man has to run down the backs of the bulls without falling. If his succeeds, he needs to complete the task three more times. Then he will be considered a man and able to marry. If he doesn't succeed, he is mocked by the women of the village and needs to perform the ceremony another time. While the man is running down the backs of the bulls, his female relatives are whipped- the deeper the gashes, the more love they show for their young man.<br />
<br />
The more earrings a man wears shows the number of wives he has. If a man kills a dangerous animal or an enemy (there is tribal fighting), he can decorate his hair with special red clay and an ostrich feather to show his special status in the community. A special pillow is used so he can keep this hair decoration (up to a year). We saw a Hamer man at a village market adorned this way.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdyt3G0EcI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/YGoliWobWuw/s1600/IMG_4476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdyt3G0EcI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/YGoliWobWuw/s320/IMG_4476.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Hamer women are known for their hair styles- making ringlets of ochre clay, water and resin in their hair to show status and health. First wives wear a special neck decoration and their clothes are pretty much goat, cow, sheep skin adorned with beads and shells. They also wear bracelets up and down their arms that have been made from old bullets.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdzA8kOjyI/AAAAAAAAARE/xeV3kosltJc/s1600/IMG_4499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdzA8kOjyI/AAAAAAAAARE/xeV3kosltJc/s320/IMG_4499.JPG" /></a>This tribe is one of a couple that sadly believes in Mingi, the practice of abandoning babies and child seen as "unpure". This may be due to being born out of wedlock, being born to parents but before a special preparatory ceremony was performed, being born a twin or being born with small baby teeth. These children are drowned or left in the bush to die.<br />
<br />
<b>Bumi Tribe</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdz4Dl6wZI/AAAAAAAAARM/YIWumWzmdw4/s1600/IMG_4568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdz4Dl6wZI/AAAAAAAAARM/YIWumWzmdw4/s320/IMG_4568.JPG" /></a></div>Called "Elephant Eaters" (apparently an insult) and not well liked by the other tribes. Originally from Uganda, they found themselves in Ethiopia years ago following their lost cattle and ended up staying in Ethiopia. Now they live near the Omo River and are somewhat surrounded by enemies. They are known as fierce fighters.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd1SldYmaI/AAAAAAAAARc/v1no50M8zxU/s1600/IMG_4586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd1SldYmaI/AAAAAAAAARc/v1no50M8zxU/s320/IMG_4586.JPG" /></a></div><br />
On the day that we visited they were on alert. The men of the village were staying up at night as look outs because another tribe had accused them of stealing 1000 cattle. (They fight with the Hamer tribe among others.) While walking to the village through tall grass a small child surprised us by jumping out of the grass (he wanted to see the strange white kids). He got into big trouble with the elders who were not quite as impressed with surprise ambushes as we were. As these tribes are cut off from the world, we had no way of knowing that they were in the midst of troubles with other tribes that day. I was so happy to get out of the head-tall grass!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd0hTV1QCI/AAAAAAAAARU/jfIxtgDv0rQ/s1600/IMG_4590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd0hTV1QCI/AAAAAAAAARU/jfIxtgDv0rQ/s320/IMG_4590.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Women scar themselves for beauty in this tribe. Women also wear up to 40 pounds of beads on their necks. Men scarify also, but need to kill a dangerous animal or enemy first. The scars show the status of his new position in the community.<br />
<br />
The women in this tribe danced and sang for us and eventually pulled Chris into their dance. He did a great job! (I even have a short video of it.) Sam and Charlie were great sports and allowed themselves to be pulled into the dance too.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Dasanech (Geleb) Tribe</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd2HAX859I/AAAAAAAAARk/jRS1cLr8zuQ/s1600/IMG_4746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd2HAX859I/AAAAAAAAARk/jRS1cLr8zuQ/s320/IMG_4746.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Visiting the Bumi with the dancing and this tribe were my favorites. This tribe lives on the banks of the Omo River. When we got there we saw that sacks of something from USAID had just arrived. We saw that often in Ethiopia and not in India or any other country. It seemed strange because Ethiopia is a poor country but a proud, dignified country and it didn't feel poor, like India or Nepal did.<br />
<br />
The Dasanech Tribe is animist but Christianity had been introduced. They read goat intestines to predict when rain will come and other events.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd2XY9hPQI/AAAAAAAAARs/QdhKXclEZcI/s1600/IMG_4763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd2XY9hPQI/AAAAAAAAARs/QdhKXclEZcI/s320/IMG_4763.JPG" /></a></div><br />
For a boy to enter manhood, he must kill an animal. That night, he needs to sleep away from the village and while he sleeps his father blesses him, sprinkling milk on him. After this the young man can do the special scarring on his chest and then he is considered a man and able to marry- Yet, to marry, the man also needs cattle and goats to give the brides family. Livestock shows wealth.<br />
<br />
Both boys and girls are circumsized between 10-13. <br />
<br />
I really enjoyed our time here because Mae and I, while waiting for our boat back across the Omo River, played Pat-a-Cake with the girls. It was so fun, so adorable. They really wanted to learn it and tried so hard. Mae was an awesome sport as they stroked her face, touched her hair. It was all very gentle and Mae was patient and kind and even enjoyed herself. When the boat came, the girls carried her away to the boat.<br />
<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<b>Man getting his head painted with red clay</b><br />
<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd256u5adI/AAAAAAAAAR0/LW8yH5qkLOw/s320/IMG_4768.JPG" /></td> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<b>Playing Pattycake</b><br />
<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd3lTsQyyI/AAAAAAAAASE/mNwfRY30NwE/s320/IMG_4778.JPG" /></td> </tr>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd4wnutl0I/AAAAAAAAASc/p8-mgQvTArA/s320/IMG_4789.JPG" /></td> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd4tKaiEHI/AAAAAAAAASU/HTKtTJmY8cY/s320/IMG_4788.JPG" /></td> </tr>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd4wnutl0I/AAAAAAAAASc/p8-mgQvTArA/s320/IMG_4789.JPG" /></td> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd4zUFOccI/AAAAAAAAASk/ZwnvDBlPBcY/s320/IMG_4796.JPG" /></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>Mursi Tribe</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd6Kj_XhsI/AAAAAAAAASs/aONbdxoqvzs/s1600/IMG_4965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd6Kj_XhsI/AAAAAAAAASs/aONbdxoqvzs/s320/IMG_4965.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Mursi are amazing body decorators. We saw some watchbands, bottle caps, old keys hanging off the decorated heads of the men and women- even corn cobs on a young girls head. In this tribe, the young girls have a slit in their bottom lip when they're young. Eventually, their bottom two front teeth are removed (how I don't know, scary) and a small clay disk is inserted. As the young woman grows, bigger and bigger lip plates are put in the lip, stretching the bottom lip. The plates can be as big as 8 inches. We were told it is done for beauty and wealth. Our guide also said that some believe that it was orginally done to mark the women so slave traders, looking for unblemished slaves, would pass them over.<br />
<br />
This tribe and the Konzo Tribe see more travelers and it made me wonder about the continued practice of the lip plates. We were told that they tended to be aggressive and that we should hide anything shiny as they love to adorn themselves. Even our driver said that he had to watch the 4x4 and its hood ornament. I thought they were mellow- probably due to the fact that we found them much sooner than we thought, waking them up pretty much.<br />
<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd65M8DwFI/AAAAAAAAAS0/3q80TXWoY5I/s320/IMG_4971.JPG" /></td> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd6-ETIQpI/AAAAAAAAAS8/E4MTp9G_Z8s/s320/IMG_4974.JPG" /></td> </tr>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd7BXMq6kI/AAAAAAAAATE/NxJqgMAWGF0/s320/IMG_4976.JPG" /></td> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd7EdwIsQI/AAAAAAAAATM/IFEFzoeq_II/s320/IMG_4978.JPG" /></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>Konzo Tribe</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd7_9UVDtI/AAAAAAAAATU/tcCCeNPqRM0/s1600/IMG_5073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd7_9UVDtI/AAAAAAAAATU/tcCCeNPqRM0/s200/IMG_5073.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><br />
This Tribe lives closer to mainstream Ethiopia, is easy to get to and has seen lots of travelers and missionaries. Thus, they are mostly Christian and wear Western clothes. Whereas many of the other tribes move around watching cattle or growing different crops, the Konzo seemed more stationary and established in one place. Their village looked like a Hobbit village. They have an initiation rock that young men must pick up and throw over their shoulders in order to be called a man and be able to be married. Chris gave it a shot -- I don't know whether our marriage is valid now...<br />
<br />
<b>Northern Ethiopia</b><br />
Low blow. In my own defense, the rock was really heavy, and I was worried that I might hit some of the small children standing 20 feet behind me.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdqGyIsKWI/AAAAAAAAAP0/EXlJ4gVqDv4/s1600/IMG_5156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCdqGyIsKWI/AAAAAAAAAP0/EXlJ4gVqDv4/s320/IMG_5156.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Our last day in the South was kind of interesting, as we drove for 10 hours to get back to Addis Ababa. It had rained the night before, and the road was flooded in several places. We stopped at one place for about an hour while a big tractor tried to remove a big truck that had gotten stuck in a river that flowed across the road. We eventually made it to our hotel, in time to go to bed, and leave at 8:00 the next morning to drive North!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Bahir Dar and Lake Tana</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd9Z998W0I/AAAAAAAAATc/xkXHEF6Lqq4/s1600/IMG_5178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd9Z998W0I/AAAAAAAAATc/xkXHEF6Lqq4/s320/IMG_5178.JPG" /></a></div><br />
We drove another 10 hours the next day to a small city called Bahir Dar. It is on a beautiful lake called Lake Tana, which is dotted with a number of small islands, each of which has a 1000+ year old church, convent or monastery. Unfortunately, we lost the better part of an hour at a local bank in Bahir Dar. I stopped to do a cash advance on my debit card (pretty much the only way to get cash). Unfortunately, the banker tried to withdraw $51,000 from my account, rather than $1,500, resulting in a "DECLINED" message. I don't think he had ever done a cash advance before, and my bank was offline (shame on you TDBank!), so it took a while to figure out what had happened. Between the delay and our guide renting the slowest boat on the lake, we only got to see a 50-year old convent, rather than one of the more historical sights.<br />
<br />
<b>Gondar</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd-3iyq-6I/AAAAAAAAATs/2LHf9P5_Ik4/s1600/IMG_5378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd-3iyq-6I/AAAAAAAAATs/2LHf9P5_Ik4/s320/IMG_5378.JPG" /></a></div><br />
So, enough about Bahir Dar! The next day we drove to Gondar, which we loved. The town is home to five or 6 16th and 17th century castles, and we spent a very pleasant morning touring the towers, passageways, saunas and lion cages! (Lions have always been a symbol of Ethiopia, so kings kept them in cages all the way up to the 20th century.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd-y_SX2xI/AAAAAAAAATk/h6tW-ta6QGo/s1600/IMG_5363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd-y_SX2xI/AAAAAAAAATk/h6tW-ta6QGo/s200/IMG_5363.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
There is also a really interesting (though small) castle called the Baths of Fasilides. King Fasilides essentially had a small castle built in the middle of a large swimming pool. Every year Gondarans gather for a festival called Timkat. Each of the 40 churches in town sends their replica of the Ark of the Covenant to the Baths, and the townspeople come to view them. Them the local bishop blesses the swimming pool. Preparing for this moment, children climb all the trees that overhang the pool, and once the water becomes holy water they jump from the trees and splash all the people from the town. It sounds like an amazing site.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd_DNddq8I/AAAAAAAAAUE/pBCESS9XTp4/s1600/IMG_5385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd_DNddq8I/AAAAAAAAAUE/pBCESS9XTp4/s320/IMG_5385.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd-9DOuGMI/AAAAAAAAAT0/HjHwar-FO7c/s1600/IMG_5348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCd-9DOuGMI/AAAAAAAAAT0/HjHwar-FO7c/s320/IMG_5348.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<b>Axum</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeA6BmRpyI/AAAAAAAAAUM/dIJMEmqHk64/s1600/IMG_5456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeA6BmRpyI/AAAAAAAAAUM/dIJMEmqHk64/s320/IMG_5456.JPG" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeBBHH_Q4I/AAAAAAAAAUU/tOYhCkcGoxc/s1600/IMG_5486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeBBHH_Q4I/AAAAAAAAAUU/tOYhCkcGoxc/s320/IMG_5486.JPG" /></a></div><br />
When we left Gondar, we drove to stay at a lodge in the Simien Mountains. For most of the trip to the Simiens, I was underwhelmed. The landscape was not nearly as dramatic as I expected. However, as we rounded the corner to the lodge, the ground just sort of opened up beneath us -- it was beautiful. The star attraction, however, were the gelada baboons, which only live in the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia. They are also called "Bleeding Heart" baboons, and they're fascinating. They're vegetarian, ruled by women, and the males have a child-rearing role (once they're no longer the the strongest male in the family).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCc3qO-wC6I/AAAAAAAAAPc/6-gSCoZmTek/s1600/IMG_5582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCc3qO-wC6I/AAAAAAAAAPc/6-gSCoZmTek/s320/IMG_5582.JPG" /></a></div>When we left the Simiens, we had yet another eternal drive (sensing a pattern here?) And we finally reached Axum. Ethiopians believe that the original Ark of the Covenant is stored in a Church in Axum. (The story goes something like this: There was a beautiful Ethiopian queen called the Queen of Sheba. She traveled to see Israel's wise King Solomon, who was smitten with her. Solomon asked her to share his bed, which she declined. So, he made her a deal -- he said that as long as she took nothing that was his, she could sleep on her own. That night, he served her spicy food, and then placed a bottle of wine next to her bed. She woke up part way through the night, and drank his wine. Therefore having taken something that was his, she bore him a child -- Menelik. She took Menelik back to Ethiopia, but when he was 20 he returned to Israel and stole the Ark of the Covenant (the 10 Commandments).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeBz4ARbCI/AAAAAAAAAUc/wP36dsZLjHo/s1600/IMG_5563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeBz4ARbCI/AAAAAAAAAUc/wP36dsZLjHo/s320/IMG_5563.JPG" /></a></div>So, we visited the Church of Our Lady of Zion in Axum. It's a boxy little church, and foreigners have to stay about 20 yards away. Apparently one priest lives in the Church, and he's the only one allowed near the Ark. <br />
<br />
Axum is also know for its Stelae -- large stone monuments to dead important people. The most impressive one is about 100 feet long (I say long instead of "high", because it apparently fell over hundreds of years ago as its builders were trying to stand it upright.) However, the I can't say that I was tremendously impressed with the stelae. (More interesting were the tombs underneath the stelae. It was very Indiana-Jones-esq.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Lalibela</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeCWnnEsWI/AAAAAAAAAUk/BgihPPIiK50/s1600/IMG_5849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeCWnnEsWI/AAAAAAAAAUk/BgihPPIiK50/s320/IMG_5849.JPG" /></a>Finally our driving was over! We hopped a short Ethiopian Airlines flight from Axum to Lalibela, saying goodbye to our guide. 40 minutes later we landed in Lalibela -- which was my favorite of Ethiopia's historical sites. Lalibela is famous for its "rock-hewn" churches. That might seem sort of unexceptional, since many churches are made of stone. The difference is that the 11 churches is Lalibela were mostly carved from one single stone! The architects started at ground level and carved the roof of the church. Then over the period of 22 years they began to carve their way down towards the eventual "floor" of the church.<br />
<br />
Even more fun (for the kids) is that the churches are connected by passageways and secret tunnels carved from the rock. Actually, I think a fantastic movie or video game could be made with Lalibela as the setting.<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeDKa5OJOI/AAAAAAAAAU0/WOt75pQ9TdA/s320/IMG_5852.JPG" /></td> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeC-vuGoLI/AAAAAAAAAUs/OVSAUsfqxxw/s320/IMG_5859.JPG" /></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeGMY5EtAI/AAAAAAAAAVM/R7ob3HVkoe8/s1600/IMG_5815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeGMY5EtAI/AAAAAAAAAVM/R7ob3HVkoe8/s320/IMG_5815.JPG" /></a>We took a day trip to a cave church about 25 miles from Lalibela. The church was unique in that it was built inside a cave, rather than being carved <i>from</i> the rock. Creepily, this cave had the bones of thousands of pilgrims who had come for a pilgrimage, and then decided to die there.<br />
<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeFJHbuPqI/AAAAAAAAAU8/q5g2YDBQjOs/s320/IMG_5808.JPG" /></td> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeFPWfT8kI/AAAAAAAAAVE/rMJXOxq70vE/s320/IMG_5803.JPG" /></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
Ethiopia was a whirlwind, but Wendy and I both kept saying how it was the most interesting place that we've ever traveled. I think when we go back, we'll try to go a bit more slowly, and spend some time in each of a couple of different cities.<br />
<br />
Postscript: Ethiopia gave us one last gift: Wendy has now pulled four parasites out of her left foot.<br />
<br />
<b>Miscellaneous Pictures</b>:<br />
<br />
These pictures are all candid -- people that we just saw coming out of the bush, walking down the road, being ostriches in a field, etc.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeILXGwRTI/AAAAAAAAAWU/hRFUJCAMUqg/s1600/IMG_4343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeILXGwRTI/AAAAAAAAAWU/hRFUJCAMUqg/s320/IMG_4343.JPG" /></a>We have so many pictures of kids that we can't show you all of them. But children from 4 or 5 on are out all day on their own, herding the family livestock (goat and sheep for the littlest kids).<br />
<br />
The firewood carriers are almost always women. They often walk 5-10 miles to collect firewood, and then they bring it home on their backs. The wood might almost weigh their weight.<br />
<br />
The picture of the 3 men on the road was interesting, because they were sitting on the side of the road holding their guns, and they looked sort of scary. But when Wendy showed them their pictures these huge smiles broke out on their faces.<br />
<br />
The two little sheep herders walking towards the camera could not understand that I was trying to take their picture. They had no concept of what I was doing, so I took their picture while slowly walking backwards, because they wouldn't stop!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeIu1oThUI/AAAAAAAAAWk/D98vLfhnp5A/s1600/IMG_4865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeIu1oThUI/AAAAAAAAAWk/D98vLfhnp5A/s320/IMG_4865.JPG" /></a></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeIW0kkG_I/AAAAAAAAAWc/Sg4TeMxYf5Y/s1600/IMG_4457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeIW0kkG_I/AAAAAAAAAWc/Sg4TeMxYf5Y/s320/IMG_4457.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeIBb43SlI/AAAAAAAAAWM/2at0c4avVsE/s1600/IMG_4394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeIBb43SlI/AAAAAAAAAWM/2at0c4avVsE/s320/IMG_4394.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeGrv-QdgI/AAAAAAAAAVU/nA1GlOML5AA/s1600/IMG_4893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeHFAqroKI/AAAAAAAAAVk/BB9uvWbYItE/s1600/IMG_4908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeHFAqroKI/AAAAAAAAAVk/BB9uvWbYItE/s320/IMG_4908.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeGrv-QdgI/AAAAAAAAAVU/nA1GlOML5AA/s1600/IMG_4893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeGrv-QdgI/AAAAAAAAAVU/nA1GlOML5AA/s320/IMG_4893.JPG" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeHOL1R41I/AAAAAAAAAVs/Ma849OmZW_U/s1600/IMG_4956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeHOL1R41I/AAAAAAAAAVs/Ma849OmZW_U/s320/IMG_4956.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeHSlBc9_I/AAAAAAAAAV0/ImriwGV_R0g/s1600/IMG_4916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeHSlBc9_I/AAAAAAAAAV0/ImriwGV_R0g/s320/IMG_4916.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeHXWAbk-I/AAAAAAAAAV8/Wiai1_KEyF0/s1600/IMG_4946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeHXWAbk-I/AAAAAAAAAV8/Wiai1_KEyF0/s320/IMG_4946.JPG" /></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeG1JtBXBI/AAAAAAAAAVc/WCnuBAGpO1c/s1600/IMG_4901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCeG1JtBXBI/AAAAAAAAAVc/WCnuBAGpO1c/s320/IMG_4901.JPG" /></a>Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-88946113346792301362010-06-26T02:06:00.000-07:002010-06-26T02:06:47.095-07:00Snapshots of India<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWMV7eTjgI/AAAAAAAAAMk/pBj3ZXadwM0/s1600/IMG_4159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWMV7eTjgI/AAAAAAAAAMk/pBj3ZXadwM0/s320/IMG_4159.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
Wendy and I have always wanted to travel to India, but I've always been scared to go. Looking back, I'm really glad we went, and I was right to be scared. India's an amazing country and a feast for the eyes, but it's also completely exhausting. This post starts with some of our overall impressions, and then I'll talk about some of the towns that we visited.<br />
<br />
<h3>Amazing Sights</h3><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWLKA4QByI/AAAAAAAAAMc/7LQZRGLXULo/s1600/IMG_3559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWLKA4QByI/AAAAAAAAAMc/7LQZRGLXULo/s320/IMG_3559.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
You can't go to India without seeing the Taj Mahal. Construction began in 1632 when Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the building as a monument to his favorite wife (who had died the year before giving birth to their 14th child.) It was beautiful and perfect, but the town that surrounds it is squalid, with open gutters and garbage everywhere.<br />
<br />
Beyond the monuments and 1,000 year-old forts, everyday life in India is a spectacle. The women dress in beautifully colorful saris -- even when they're working in the fields. There are 20 different sorts of vehicles on any given road, all moving in different directions. I think you could learn a lot about India just by sitting in a coffee shop and watching people go by for an afternoon. <br />
<h3>Shopping</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWWr_OKsYI/AAAAAAAAAM8/bFJm9ORqCg0/s1600/IMG_3849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWWr_OKsYI/AAAAAAAAAM8/bFJm9ORqCg0/s320/IMG_3849.JPG" /></a></div><br />
There's no question -- the shopping in India was amazing. You could buy funky, beautiful clothing, religious statues, knives, books, food, cell phones, knock-off designer goods and spices. But, there's a huge downside: every interaction is a negotiation. Hard bargaining is fun the first few times, but after a while it's exhausting. And remember, you're bargaining not only for clothes and memorabilia, but for bottles of water, taxi rides, food on the street, books in a book stall. Everything. And, you're from a wealthy country and you have <i>no idea</i> what the actual cost of a product should be. The one constant is that it probably cost a lot less than you think. Shopkeepers will swear up and down that there's no way a hand-embroidered shirt could cost less than $2 -- how could someone work for that little? But, in the end, they'll follow you down the street and sell it at a profit for $.75.<br />
<br />
Scams abound -- everyone has an angle to take your money -- some are obvious, some subtle. Without exagerating, I can say that almost every interaction felt like the other person was trying to take money from us. A Hindu priest in one of the holiest towns in India (Pushkar) kept pushing us to donate $200 - $300 in return for the blessing he gave us. I gave him $2.50, and he kept pushing.<br />
<br />
<h3>The Food!</h3><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWvCy-GqhI/AAAAAAAAAOU/S_ze8z7bE2c/s1600/IMG_3410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWvCy-GqhI/AAAAAAAAAOU/S_ze8z7bE2c/s320/IMG_3410.JPG" /></a>Indian food is second to none, in my humble opinion. From "Family Size" dosas (a South Indian food featuring a big 4-foot-long crunchy crepe-like thing) to North Indian curries, raita and garlic naan -- we ate amazingly well! <br />
<br />
<h3>Homelessness</h3><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWK4QUp7mI/AAAAAAAAAMU/WymEH2P-b0o/s1600/IMG_3467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWK4QUp7mI/AAAAAAAAAMU/WymEH2P-b0o/s320/IMG_3467.JPG" /></a><br />
Tens of thousands (millions?) of people live in the street. Highway underpasses are covered with small children, entire families, single men that sleep anywhere they can find space. I've never seen a place with so much poverty, right out and in your face. Ethiopia, for example, is much "poorer" than India -- but we only saw a handful of people living on the street in Ethiopia.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCXCYg5PrTI/AAAAAAAAAPM/5-OExvzWmxM/s1600/IMG_4167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCXCYg5PrTI/AAAAAAAAAPM/5-OExvzWmxM/s320/IMG_4167.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCXCTAAV2RI/AAAAAAAAAPE/-Fmvshh6DnE/s1600/IMG_3684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCXCTAAV2RI/AAAAAAAAAPE/-Fmvshh6DnE/s320/IMG_3684.JPG" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><h3>Transportation</h3></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWdbm-imbI/AAAAAAAAANc/YHBLMW-BvWw/s1600/IMG_3673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWdbm-imbI/AAAAAAAAANc/YHBLMW-BvWw/s320/IMG_3673.JPG" /></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCW0BqIFx5I/AAAAAAAAAOc/zdIi7FEq9ac/s1600/IMG_3474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCW0BqIFx5I/AAAAAAAAAOc/zdIi7FEq9ac/s320/IMG_3474.JPG" /></a>I've never been to a country where I'd be more afraid to drive. Cars mix with tuk-tuks (little 3-wheeled motorized taxis), bicycle rickshaws, buses, camels pulling carts, horses pulling cars, and sacred cows wandering everywhere. Cars will drive on any side of the road, in whatever direction gets them to where they want to go. Beggars will walk, hop and drag themselves to your car at every intersection. You'll see three year old children walking on 4 lane highways, with no adults around to look out for them.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWRSUGD7II/AAAAAAAAAM0/bRoF3rXMvOQ/s1600/IMG_4080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWRSUGD7II/AAAAAAAAAM0/bRoF3rXMvOQ/s320/IMG_4080.JPG" /></a>We took a 19-hour overnight train ride from Jaisalmer in the West to Delhi in 120 degree tempatures. However, the only seats available were in fan-cooled (rather than air-conditioned) compartments. (Despite the poverty, everyone paid for A/C.) That has become the single most difficult -- though memorable -- trip of my life.<br />
<br />
The dust on the train was amazing -- over the first few hours it literally covered everything. Aside from the dust and the heat, there was the culture shock. We bought assigned seats that converted to beds. However, unbeknownst to us, assigned seats are only assigned (private) from 6:00 pm - 6:00 am. The next morning as we began to approach Delhi, the train began to swarm with passengers, all who wanted to sit in our seats. People were various levels of polite and rude, but it was quite clear that they wanted our seats. In fact, our six seats were shared with (at times) 12 <i>additional</i> people.<br />
<br />
And check out the plumbing system -- guess where this train toilet empties?<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>Itinerary</h3><br />
We took a "classic" tour around North India -- starting in Delhi, then heading Southeast to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, then turning West towards the state of Rajasthan. Our final destination (before returning to Delhi) was Jaisalmer, where we wanted to ride camels. The heat in Rajasthan was incredible -- temperatures were as low as 110 degrees F by noon, and ranged up to 120 degrees every day! (Luckily, it was a dry, desert heat, which mean that we didn't turn into six spontaneous Brooks puddles.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCW1zBYl4eI/AAAAAAAAAOs/XRYuzl3IGGI/s1600/IMG_3721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCW1zBYl4eI/AAAAAAAAAOs/XRYuzl3IGGI/s320/IMG_3721.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<h3>Jaipur</h3><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCW13rvrCzI/AAAAAAAAAO0/molHEFpkX1Y/s1600/IMG_3725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCW13rvrCzI/AAAAAAAAAO0/molHEFpkX1Y/s200/IMG_3725.JPG" width="200" /></a>Our first stop after the Taj was Jaipur. This was one of my favorite cities in India -- it had great clothing markets, a great hotel (the Hotel Pearl Palace), and interesting historical sites. We took a 2-hour tuk-tuk ride around the city and got to feed monkeys (and some very persistent cows) at Jaipur's Monkey Temple.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCW21DnjUDI/AAAAAAAAAO8/RSOEiLH4XD4/s1600/IMG_3793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCW21DnjUDI/AAAAAAAAAO8/RSOEiLH4XD4/s320/IMG_3793.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<h3>Pushkar</h3>Pushkar is one of the holiest sites in India, and home to one of the few Brahma temples in the world. People travel from around the country to bathe in its holy lake -- which, unfortunately, has largely dried up due to global warming. Some of Ghandi's ashes were spread in Pushkar, and it is one of the quieter towns that we visited.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>Jaisalmer</h3>We saw a 1000 year old fort in Jaisalmer with 99 turrets. Inside was a maharaja's palace that launched 3 jauhars -- the ritual burning alive of all the royal women so that the men could go out and die in battle when faced with certain defeat.<br />
<img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWPGHRGH0I/AAAAAAAAAMs/MJywGy2bU6Q/s320/IMG_4052.JPG" /><br />
<br />
<br />
We also finally rode camels! We saw the sun set across the dunes 25 miles from Pakistan. <br />
<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWdQbLOOHI/AAAAAAAAANM/pD0AVtAfMYg/s1600/IMG_3920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWdQbLOOHI/AAAAAAAAANM/pD0AVtAfMYg/s320/IMG_3920.JPG" /></a></td> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWdU7Uu1SI/AAAAAAAAANU/xoGoneKxRxE/s1600/IMG_3970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWdU7Uu1SI/AAAAAAAAANU/xoGoneKxRxE/s320/IMG_3970.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<h3>Other Cool and Interesting Things</h3><table><tbody>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<h4>The Blue City of Jodhpur</h4><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWdL6cZ76I/AAAAAAAAANE/kM9iyFsmgZw/s320/IMG_3861.JPG" /></td> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<h4>This one's for you, Amy M!</h4><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWfuJRP0pI/AAAAAAAAANk/B5FQV8snTcg/s320/IMG_3416.JPG" /></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<h4>Yep, that's a dead body on the street,<br /> and nobody cared.</h4><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWhPFJzPdI/AAAAAAAAANs/P_ET92fnxV0/s320/IMG_4165.JPG" /></td> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<h4>The new sign I'm going to post outside my home office</h4><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWj98WyBbI/AAAAAAAAAN0/wAhDudQP7FM/s320/IMG_4008.JPG" /></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<h4>Pakistan -- go that way, 25 miles</h4><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWlbVI2eyI/AAAAAAAAAN8/cohjUGBTF4o/s320/IMG_4062.JPG" /></td> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<h4>Views from Jaisalmer Fort</h4><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWmCOQFkiI/AAAAAAAAAOE/ezMIlkWXWkk/s320/IMG_4045.JPG" /></td></tr>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
<h4>The only King Cobra we saw in India</h4><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TCWmh-4qpKI/AAAAAAAAAOM/syDYYRYxGx0/s320/IMG_3693.JPG" /></td> <td valign="top" width="50%"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-10875748929692400242010-06-13T15:20:00.000-07:002010-06-13T15:20:50.302-07:00One week in KathmanduWe had a whirlwind tour of Nepal. The night before we left Tibet, we heard that all buses in Nepal had been shut down because of a strike. Maoists from the countryside had set up checkpoints on all the roads around the country, and were beating people that refused to respect the strike. (Like, umm, bus-drivers!)<br />
<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVIY3XN36I/AAAAAAAAAKc/IzPRrphJrmA/s320/IMG_3157.JPG" /></div><br />
So, we weren't really sure what we'd find as we took our bus from the Tibetan border 3 hours to Kathmandu. (We found out that vehicles carrying foreign tourists were being allowed to pass.) We started hitting roadblocks about half an hour after the border. The first roadblocks were set up by the police. In fact, at about 10:30 in the morning we were told that we would not be able to continue on until 6:00 pm that night. (Apparently the angry mobs wouldn't see our white faces as easily at night, so we would be safer.) No amount of parading around with our kids convinced the policy officers that they should let us pass. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVKZG99X6I/AAAAAAAAAKk/BsFwUbo6JxY/s1600/IMG_3183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVKZG99X6I/AAAAAAAAAKk/BsFwUbo6JxY/s320/IMG_3183.JPG" /></a></div><br />
However, as the second and third tourist buses arrived, the officers saw that they would have a logistical nightmare on there hands with hundreds of bored Westerners. So, they decided to give us an "escort" past the screaming hordes of protesters. They stopped a passing sedan traveling in the opposite direction, and three police officers with bamboo sticks nervously piled in. We soon found the source of the trouble -- six young men chanting (and waving to us) on the side of the road. A mile or so later, our escort pulled over and we drove on.<br />
<br />
As we approached Kathmandu, there were thousands of people on the streets, just walking from place to place. Soldiers in full riot gear relaxed near smiling Maoist strikers. The only cars on the streets said either "Tourists Only", "UN" or "Hospital".<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVLsTK_b8I/AAAAAAAAAK0/Xlhb5j5-1Ww/s1600/IMG_3198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVLsTK_b8I/AAAAAAAAAK0/Xlhb5j5-1Ww/s320/IMG_3198.JPG" /></a></div><br />
In full Brooks' style, we didn't actually know where we were going to stay once we reached Nepal. There were 5 or 6 other people in the bus with us, and they were headed for the Radisson. Nothing, of course, could make us stay in such an <br />
upscale hotel -- we like to rough it. (Nothing, -- until we discovered that the rooms included a breakfast buffet, and the hotel had an "Olive Garden".) Then, of course, we did it -- "for the kids".<br />
<br />
The biggest effect of the strike (at least for us) was that there were no services available in the town. The only way to find restaurants that were open was word of mouth -- people would tell you which restaurants were serving, and how to get to their back doors (usually through the kitchen.) The few restaurants that remained clandestinely open had to be careful -- a couple of restaurants were destroyed by Maoists for ignoring the strike.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVPXAE3wRI/AAAAAAAAALk/FN7zDdusBSk/s1600/IMG_3352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVPXAE3wRI/AAAAAAAAALk/FN7zDdusBSk/s320/IMG_3352.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The next day we rushed to the Indian Embassy, applied for a tourist visa and bought our plane tickets to Delhi. This was apparently what the Maoists were waiting for, as they immediately cancelled their strike.<br />
<br />
<h3>Things we managed to see while waiting for our visas to India</h3><br />
<h4> </h4><h4>Tourist Central</h4><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVUkwt4LgI/AAAAAAAAAMM/GzQVkOPLAsk/s1600/IMG_3307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVUkwt4LgI/AAAAAAAAAMM/GzQVkOPLAsk/s320/IMG_3307.JPG" /></a>Once the Maoists packed up their sticks and went home, we moved from the Radisson to the Kathmandu Guest House. KGH is backpacker heaven or hell, depending on how you see it, and -- for bonus points -- they had 4 kittens on the grounds. We also ran into Mel, Tony and Bebe -- our new friends that we had met in Tibet.<br />
<br />
Being in the heart of grungy, exciting, chaotic Kathmandu also introduced us to our first street children. They come to the tourist areas because tourists pack lots of cash and aren't very good at saying "no". We met several Westerners that offered to take us to orphanages so that we could sponsor a child. (We later learned that -- much like in other sales-oriented businesses -- such a referral earned the Westerner 50% of the donation.) And, speaking of scams, we learned plenty of them. Suffice it to say that if someone tells you that "Concord" is the capital of New Hampshire within 12 seconds of meeting you, a request for money is coming.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVMKV2-y0I/AAAAAAAAAK8/I5GZR8BfPDQ/s1600/IMG_3207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVMKV2-y0I/AAAAAAAAAK8/I5GZR8BfPDQ/s320/IMG_3207.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<br />
My favorite was the 20 year-old who told me the capital of my state, explained that he had AIDS, but his son didn't, and then tried to pull the "milk scam" -- "I don't want money, can you just buy me some (overpriced) milk at that store over there so that I can return it and pocket the difference?")<br />
<br />
<h4> </h4><h4> </h4><h4>Buddhist and Hindu Sites</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVM2mhoUFI/AAAAAAAAALE/zmb0FlvfhCA/s1600/IMG_3226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVM2mhoUFI/AAAAAAAAALE/zmb0FlvfhCA/s200/IMG_3226.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><ul><li>Monkey Temple (Swayambunath): a Buddist temple on a hill above Kathmandu. The temple featured great views, and a monkey that tried to rip a necklace off Charlie's neck. </li>
</ul><ul><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVOx61FySI/AAAAAAAAALc/zIrzIUOJpmM/s1600/IMG_3278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVOx61FySI/AAAAAAAAALc/zIrzIUOJpmM/s200/IMG_3278.JPG" width="200" /></a>
<li>Durbar Square: Home to the Hippy Temple and stone carvings that make up Nepal's contribution to the Karma Sutra</li>
<li>The House of the Living Goddess (Kumari Ghar): The Kumari is a living goddess -- she is chosen when the previous Kumari reaches the ripe old age of about 13 (or when she gets her period), and must meet all sorts of divine criteria to be selected. Goddesses don't have that appealing of a life -- the Kumari is only allowed to leave her temple home a couple of times a year.</li>
<li>Pashupatina : a Hindu pilgrimage site, that includes a temple, caves for holy men, and platforms (Ghatts) to burn the bodies of deceased loved ones. This site really deserved more than the hour we had for it.<br />
</li>
<li>Sadus: Hindu holy men from Nepal and India. Very interesting to look at, painted white and yellow.</li>
</ul><br />
Kathmandu was a strange time in our trip, with the strike and traveling with our four kids. There's tons to see there, and someday we'd like to go back and do it justice. (And maybe visit the Lazy Gringo Mexican restaurant again.) ;-)<br />
<br />
<h3>Genuine Holy Man -- or just a Character Actor?</h3><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVNY_HyUKI/AAAAAAAAALM/i02WhHJSE5g/s320/IMG_3286.JPG" /><br />
<br />
<h3>Maoists in Action During the Strike</h3><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVK_-MI3pI/AAAAAAAAAKs/0af4haPqKP8/s320/IMG_3205.JPG" /><br />
<br />
<h3>The Fam</h3><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVOC3AFkbI/AAAAAAAAALU/xJuU5lC7PCI/s320/IMG_3263.JPG" /><br />
<br />
<h3>Body Burning on a Ghat in Pashupatina</h3><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVPrlMwxdI/AAAAAAAAALs/TvGYL-SZp7s/s320/IMG_3364.JPG" /><br />
<br />
<h3>Hippies and (fake) Sadhus</h3><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVQWmw3EfI/AAAAAAAAAL0/Cw9ZapSym2Q/s320/IMG_3390.JPG" /><br />
<br />
<h3>Widows that live on donations at Pashupatina</h3><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVQ03gJeMI/AAAAAAAAAL8/eGREETTusQU/s320/IMG_3394.JPG" /><br />
<br />
<h3>Waving goodbye to Kathmandu at the (extremely security conscious) Kathmandu Airport</h3><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TBVRgb_ftoI/AAAAAAAAAME/LEBXBM1K5Oc/s320/IMG_3404.JPG" />Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-70505536975396185492010-06-01T10:15:00.000-07:002010-06-01T10:15:25.216-07:00Traveling in Tibet<h3 style='float:right'>Potala Palace</h3><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_jwv8bgGJI/AAAAAAAAAGc/Vkga0OLTiws/s320/IMG_2697.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474390053534832786" /><br />
<br />
Traveling in Tibet is a different beast than any other type of traveling that we've done. China began occupying Tibet in the early 1950s, and it's clear that the occupation is still unwelcome. At least in theory, foreigners can't travel in Tibet with just a Chinese tourist visa. They must also get a Tibet Travel permit -- and only travel agents can arrange the special travel permits. So, the upshot is that you need to get a travel agent to arrange a tour for you -- no way to easily backpack and simply move from city to city.<br />
<h3>Pilgrims walking Cora around Jokhran Temple</h3><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_jwtuSJIeI/AAAAAAAAAF8/xXSASa13TIA/s320/IMG_2549.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474390015377744354" /><br />
Our first full day in Lhasa, we went to the Potala Palace ticket office, and registered to tour the palace the next day. Our first night we had slept in a hotel in the Chinese part of Lhasa. While it was a perfectly nice hotel, it didn't feel like "Tibet", and so we moved to the Mandala hotel which is half a block away from the Jokhang Temple -- one of the holiest in Tibet.<br />
<h3>Buddhists walking Cora</h3><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_j9m00hfyI/AAAAAAAAAG8/gZCfcKQ58JQ/s320/IMG_2715.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474404190524636962" /><br />
This was the perfect vantage point to see real Tibetans. Thousands of Tibetan Buddhists walk <i>Cora</i> every day -- a clockwise procession around Jokhang Temple and the surrounding buildings. Jokhang Temple is a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage for many Tibetans, and many spend all day prostrating themselves in front of the temple's doors. (In fact, on the roads driving around Lhasa, we saw people that spent up to a year traveling from remote parts of Tibet, walking a few steps, then prostrating themselves on the ground. Then walking a few more steps, and prostrating themselves. Amazing!)<br />
<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_j9lXaJhYI/AAAAAAAAAGk/XrHMz3Gcs8M/s320/IMG_2671.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474404165449516418" /><br />
For us, the people walking the Cora showed the best and the worst of the situation with China. The rural Tibetans were amazed at our four children, and they couldn't stop smiling, talking about them, touching them, and saying "Namaste" ("Hello"). <br />
<img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_j9mIwHm4I/AAAAAAAAAGs/QHzFALP2MpI/s320/IMG_2706.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474404178695003010" /><br />
For many of them, Lhasa might have been their first time ever seeing someone from outside of China, and then to see 4 white children -- probably shocking. (I should mention that the rural Tibetans were amazing to see -- we just wanted to smile at them and say "hi" -- it felt like we were transported into the pages of National Geographic. We even had a couple of Tibetan monks with cell phones who were taking pictures of our kids -- though most of the pilgrims were way too poor to have a camera.)<br />
<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_jwuFfyXqI/AAAAAAAAAGE/ejJeX97yuUA/s320/IMG_2577.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474390021608988322" /><br />
However, the police do not want Tibetans talking with foreigners, and by the second day, we had a police escort whenever we walked near Jokhran Temple. As soon as people would start to smile and come towards us, the police would wave them away. (We were able to evade the police a couple of times, but not for more than a couple of minutes.)<br />
v<img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_jwu07-XqI/AAAAAAAAAGM/iu1OLHLcE0c/s320/IMG_2615.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474390034343681698" /><br />
While our first two weeks in China left us with a very positive impression of the Chinese, our few days in Tibet made it very clear that the Chinese occupation was completely unwanted by the Tibetans. It also made it clear how poorly the Tibetans are treated, and how paranoid the Chinese are. (For example, when we crossed the land border into Nepal at the end of our trip, soldiers went through our bags very carefully, removing travel books, and ripping out pages that referred to the Dalai Lama.)<br />
<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_jwvHwZyOI/AAAAAAAAAGU/WQj2kg_VZK8/s320/IMG_2627.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474390039395420386" /><br />
Other impressions of China's occupation: there's a tremendous amount of economic development -- but it's coming at the expense of the Tibetan cultural sites. Tibetan buildings are being ripped down and replaced with modern concrete apartment buildings. (One Tibetan we spoke with was evicted from her apartment so that China could tear it down and put another in its place. They were supposed to get a stipend to rent a new place, but the government never sent the money.) The Tibetan architecture is beautiful, but disappearing quickly.<br />
<h3>Beautiful Hillside Monastery about 1.5 Hours Outside Lhasa</h3><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_j9ngGlgUI/AAAAAAAAAHE/cyKFwAc7Gik/s320/IMG_2724.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474404202143121730" /><br />
Signs in Tibet have locations in both Chinese and Tibetan, but the Chinese letters are much larger -- and some signs have no Tibetan at all. (And many Tibetans can't read Chinese.)<br />
<br />
<h3>Brooks Kids walking a non-traditional Cora around said Monastery</h3><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_kETabEmYI/AAAAAAAAAHM/1doR1JrKOC8/s320/IMG_2779.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474411553602443650" /><br />
<br />
China also actively encourages Han Chinese citizens to move from mainland China to Tibet, apparently to ensure that native Tibetans are not a majority in their own country.<br />
<br />
There were police photographers posted on the roof of our hotel, presumably to photograph people that might be trying to assemble without permission. And there were soldiers with rifles on the roofs of many neighboring buildings.<br />
<br />
Our time in Lhasa was truly eye-opening, and left us feeling a little less positively towards China.<br />
<br />
<h2>After Lhasa</h2>ht <br />
After 4 or 5 days in Lhasa, we climbed into our trusty bus with our guide, driver, and 5 other fellow travelers, and headed out to start our trip to Everest Base Camp and our trip overland to Nepal.<br />
<br />
Did I mention that Tibet is really high up? The night before we left, we bought 6 canisters of Oxygen, and as we left Lhasa we pretty quickly climbed from about 3500 meters to 5200 meters. ("Quickly" is perhaps an overstatement, given that we were traveling in an 18-passenger bus. However, we did begin climbing almost immediately, and reached 5200 meters within a few hours.)<br />
<br />
Altitude Mountain Sickness (AMS) is real, and noticeable at about 3,000 meters. You get out of breath quickly, get dizzy, develop headaches, and can have a hard time sleeping. And that's if you climb slowly. Go too fast, and you can drop dead. (Our guide recommended against that.) <br />
<br />
On the first day after Lhasa, we encountered a number of the indigenous animals. Charlie and Mae quickly managed to wrestle some of the more ferocious beasts into line.<br />
<table><tr><td valign='top' width='50%'><br />
<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_kGroKve-I/AAAAAAAAAH0/8KwqDClUWY4/s320/IMG_2850.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474414168632163298" /><br />
</td><td valign='top' width='50%'><br />
<img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_kEVLxZKkI/AAAAAAAAAHs/vdmW2UQfxkk/s320/IMG_2849.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474411584029272642" /><br />
</td></tr></table><br />
We then continued on, visiting monasteries, forts, the odd buffet, and people's houses.<br />
<br />
<table><tr><td valign='top' width='50%'><br />
<h3>People we Met</h3><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_kGtMtWfDI/AAAAAAAAAIM/ZW4qO_RQTmA/s320/IMG_2930.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474414195620871218" /><br />
</td><td valign='top' width='50%'><br />
<h3>Tibetan Prayer Flags and a Fort</h3><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_kGste6QXI/AAAAAAAAAIE/OT59Pv5435E/s320/IMG_2921.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474414187238801778" /><br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign='top' width='50%'><br />
<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_kEUltfWuI/AAAAAAAAAHk/hGHrVPEugq8/s320/IMG_2824.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474411573812353762" /><br />
</td><td valign='top' width='50%'><br />
<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_kEUI17laI/AAAAAAAAAHc/QZBXG9HERlY/s320/IMG_2823.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474411566063130018" /><br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign='top' width='50%'><br />
<img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_kEThPUe2I/AAAAAAAAAHU/mNWWnxKUCL4/s320/IMG_2796.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474411555432201058" /><br />
</td><td valign='top' width='50%'><br />
<h3>Typical Tibetan House -- Yak Dung Stored on Fence</h3><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_kGtuVmDQI/AAAAAAAAAIU/5yhd6ww_IWE/s320/IMG_2934.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474414204648033538" /><br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign='top' width='50%'><br />
<h3>Tibetan Famer</h3><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_kJvsmcIMI/AAAAAAAAAIc/ImEo2mBRq7Q/s320/IMG_2939.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474417537076437186" /><br />
<br />
</td><td valign='top' width='50%'><br />
<h3>Pack Yaks (yep, they really use them)</h3><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TAPdOgE0uQI/AAAAAAAAAJE/6OcEmYGNz4A/s320/IMG_3129.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477464813010729218" /><br />
</td></tr>
</table>But, for me (Chris) at least, the highlight was seeing Mount Everest. Here's a completely spontaneous, non-posed, candid photo of our family when we first saw Everest. <br />
<h3>Our First Glimpse of Everest (we weren't oxygen deprived at all!)</h3><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_kJwPtEKEI/AAAAAAAAAIk/QszzlF5bDiY/s320/IMG_2985.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474417546499467330" /><br />
Everest really was in the background there -- you could see it in person. We then took a slight detour to see the summit of Mount Blue Job.<br />
<h3>Peak of Mt Blue Job on a Clear Day ;-)</h3><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_kJwfeaHwI/AAAAAAAAAIs/ASP3rjT0mG4/s320/IMG_3048.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474417550732959490" /><br />
<br />
Our bus then spent hours laboring up a winding dirt / gravel road to get to Everest Base Camp. It was a stomach churning, though beautiful ride. After about 3 years, we arrived at a series of "tea house tents" that sit 4 km away from Everest Base Camp. <br />
<h3>Our Teahouse Tent at EBC</h3><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TAPdPGeNALI/AAAAAAAAAJM/hhKXZOuYfCY/s320/IMG_3084.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477464823317725362" /><br />
Not to mention, the world's highest post office.<br />
<h3>World's Highest Post Office</h3><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_kJw2fHNLI/AAAAAAAAAI0/Zo2W6claxww/s320/IMG_3068.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474417556909929650" /><br />
The view was amazing. The next morning, Wendy and I slipped out at 6:00 am to catch the sunrise the next morning. <br />
<h3>Wendy at Sunrise at EBC</h3><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_kJxbE4T5I/AAAAAAAAAI8/QpP-dPzHNow/s320/IMG_3075.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474417566732013458" /><br />
And then, we headed to Everest Base Camp. This is where the expeditions that are climbing from the Tibet side spend a week or two acclimating to the height. (You can see the tents in the background of these pictures.) We met one climber -- he looked exhausted. He had 4 days before they began their ascent proper, and he was spending his days climbing up 1,000 meters, and then coming back down to base camp.<br />
<br />
<h3>The morning after sleeping below Everest Base Camp in Tibet</h3><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TAPdQxFb7RI/AAAAAAAAAJk/-mgUKadlnjE/s320/IMG_3122.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477464851936439570" /><br />
<h3>Mt. Qumolang = Mt. Everest. Really </h3><br />
<img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TAPfh6BxeMI/AAAAAAAAAJs/JeiS3uT7aqU/s320/IMG_3123.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477467345418025154" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>The Brooks Brothers at Everest Base Camp</h3><br />
<img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TAPdQUygIhI/AAAAAAAAAJc/FnZeTac_Kdo/s320/IMG_3116.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477464844340830738" /><br />
<h3>Mae sucking down some Oxygen (We all got sick)</h3><br />
<img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/TAPdP08Ap9I/AAAAAAAAAJU/wF_Bnb9L2wU/s320/IMG_3107.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477464835790776274" /><br />
<br />
Everest Base Camp was our 7th day in Tibet. After that, we re-boarded the bus, and headed to the border with Nepal. That was an experience in itself -- the last 30 kilometers must drop 2,000 meters, and the road barely hangs on the the side of the most amazing cliffs that I've ever seen. The driver was (in my opinion) driving like an idiot -- way to fast on a one-way road around blind corners, and simply slamming on his brakes to slow down. Finally, one of our fellow passengers (thanks Antony!) asked the driver to stop so that he could take a picture. It immediately became obvious that something was wrong with the brakes when we got out -- there was a strong smell and the tires were smoking! So, the photo opp became a half-hour wait while the driver hauled water from a nearby stream to bathe the brakes.<br />
<br />
We did that twice more on the way down, and the driver still ended up crashing into the guardrail and bashing up the side of the bus. By the end, we were all telling the driver to slow down. One of the scariest trips in a wheeled vehicle in my entire life.Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-26502644981191652712010-05-15T10:14:00.000-07:002010-05-18T09:17:48.614-07:00Guilin -- Southern ChinaSince we last wrote in the blog, we left China & Tibet, had a brief pit stop in Nepal (brief because we seem to cause political unrest everywhere we go) and are now in India. Here's a bit of our adventures in Southern China in a region known as Guilin. We hadn't planned to go to Guilin at all, but our innkeeper in Beijing convinced us that the landscape was so beautiful that we had to see it.<br /><br /><h3>Rafting down the Yulong River</h3><br /><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S-7aAUMccdI/AAAAAAAAAEk/oRidSAunaoI/s320/IMG_2247.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471550296257491410" /><br /><br /><table width='100%'><br /><tr><br /><td width='50%' valign='top'><br /><h3>Hiking in the beautiful karst mountains</h3> <br />These pictures don't really do the mountains justice, because we didn't have a blue sky to pose them against.<br /></td><br /><td width='50%' valign='top'><br /><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S-7aBR6ZPkI/AAAAAAAAAE0/Ojf2TZLE8Q4/s320/IMG_2362.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471550312824782402" /><br /></td><br /></tr><br /></table><br /><br /><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S-7aA8KmJKI/AAAAAAAAAEs/t6SNbVeZ9FU/s320/IMG_2297.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471550306987156642" /><br /><br />Our week in Guilin was wonderful -- we met a great family that were the Innkeepers at our <a href="http://www.yangshuo-outside.com/">guesthouse in Yangshou</a>. They were inspirational in terms of the amount of travel that they had done with their kids (hi Michael and Nadine!) All the kids got along great, and nearly buried themselves in a little tunnel.<br /><br />Highlights included river rafting, caving and traditional Chinese fans that Wendy and the kids made.<br /><br />And, not to be forgotten, I also got a little schooling in how to tell time, military style.... 20:15 doesn't mean 10:15 pm, no matter how forcefully you try to explain to the airlines that it does. This also gave us the opportunity to sample the beds in a complete dump of an airport hotel, as we awaited our rescheduled (and more expensive) flight the next morning. (We also got to try sleeping 3 of us in each twin bed, along with innumerable bedbugs.)<br /><br />...<br /><br /><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_K29vWULdI/AAAAAAAAAFE/X27Ur_eOn4k/s320/IMG_2439.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472637669006912978" /><br /><h2>The next day: Xi'an, China and the Terracotta Warriors.</h2><br /><br />Back in the 1970s, a farmer was digging a well on his land, when, to his chagrin, he hit pottery rather than water. It turns out that the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huang, wanted to ensure that he would have a powerful army in the afterlife. So he had 8,000 life-sized terracotta warriors built and buried. The emperor was a charming guy -- he had tens of thousands of "unpaid laborers" build his tomb, and then had them killed to maintain the secret of what they had built. The warriors were amazing to see.<br /><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_K28_i3Q3I/AAAAAAAAAE8/W5RMTcDgWB0/s320/IMG_2416.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472637656174642034" /><br /><br />After seeing the warriors, we spent an amazing evening in the Muslim quarter of Xi'an, sampling street food and seeing a traditional Chinese puppet show. <br /><table width='100%'><br /><tr><br /><td width='50%' valign='top'><br />And then we were off and waiting for our train to Tibet!<br /></td><br /><td width='50%' valign='top'><br /><img style="margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_K40MiIUvI/AAAAAAAAAFM/eUMTLOgBfGI/s320/IMG_2443.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472639704065659634" /><br /></td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td width='50%' valign='top'><br />And this is how we spent the next 37 hours on the train:<br /></td><br /><td width='50%' valign='top'><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_K7VOj5KoI/AAAAAAAAAFk/D8C1kSzz92E/s320/IMG_2446.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472642470568864386" /><br /></td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td width='50%' valign='top'><br />(And here's a lovely shot of Wendy in the throes of altitude sickness -- we found out quickly that altitude sickness _is_ something to be taken very seriously. The train even pumped in oxygen as we crossed 5,000+ meter peaks -- but it wasn't enough for Wendy!)<br /></td><br /><td width='50%' valign='top'><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_K5402ja3I/AAAAAAAAAFc/ZlObjN8Mn_g/s320/IMG_2521.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472640883119844210" /><br /></td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td width='50%' valign='top'><br /><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_K8AUia5FI/AAAAAAAAAF0/199RQsK4eWc/s320/IMG_2481.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472643210907673682" /><br /></td><br /><td width='50%' valign='top'><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S_K7_z8Gl9I/AAAAAAAAAFs/Bp-szyDVaJs/s320/IMG_2476.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472643202157025234" /><br /></td><br /></tr><br /></table>Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-17806399583432401842010-04-24T01:12:00.001-07:002010-04-24T03:09:31.523-07:00A Week in Beijing<div style='float:right;margin-left:10px'><br /><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S9K7rAV9EfI/AAAAAAAAAD0/MC4vAItVclw/s320/IMG_2058.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463635645454684658" /><br /><h4>Kids in the Forbidden City</h4><br /></div><br />After the chaos of leaving Bangkok, we caught an easy flight to Kuala Lumpur. Two hours later, we arrived in a very new airport, and rented a hotel room in the terminal for 7 hours. The next morning we visited the airport Starbucks -- don't judge us, we were in a Muslim country, and we really wanted coffee. Addiction is rarely pretty.<br /><div style='float:left;margin-right:10px'><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S9K7qtQfzZI/AAAAAAAAADs/rpr8-vh_MEQ/s320/IMG_2039.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463635640331521426" /><br /><br /><br /><h4>Wendy and kids in the Forbidden City</h4><br /></div><br />The flight from Malaysia to Beijing was uneventful, and, after haggling with two taxi drivers, we managed to get a ride to our hostel at only twice the price we had anticipated. One thing struck us immediately -- Beijing in mid-April is cold! But, what is cold but an excuse to hit Silk Street? (A hagglers' paradise, full of knock-off brand name jackets, watches and clothes.) The sellers have perfected the art of haggling, reducing Charlie to tears at one point, and dragging Aidan to the floor as he attempted to resist their efforts to spread Capitalism. Well armed with 6 new intellectual property-infringing jackets, we hit the Streets to see the great sites of China.<br /><div style='float:right;margin-left:10px'><br /><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S9K_BHy5l9I/AAAAAAAAAEM/4WjGHSDEwx4/s320/IMG_2167.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463639323947145170" /><br /><br /><br /><h4>Brooks kids on the Great Wall</h4><br /></div><br />The high point of our week in Beijing was walking a 10 kilometer section of the Great Wall. We caught a bus at 6:00 am and took a 3-hour ride to Jinshanling. The kids were real troopers -- parts of the wall were very rough, and extremely hilly. 4.5 hours later, we reached Simatai, where we dismounted the wall the way the Chinese did 1,000 years -- by zipline. Okay, in reality the zipline is not actually on the wall, but close.<br /><div style='float:left;margin-right:10px'><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S9K_Bi6EXQI/AAAAAAAAAEU/i6RGPoQoBiY/s320/IMG_2194.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463639331224968450" /><br /><br/><br /><h4>Chinese Soldier kidnaps small child</h4><br /></div><br /><br />The next day, we went to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The Forbidden City was the imperial palace for the Ming and Qing dynasties for about 500 years, and it was amazing. Apparently some members of the royal families lived their entire lives without leaving the palace grounds. The funniest part of the day was that probably 30 different Chinese tourists wanted to have their pictures taken with our children. They would literally stand in line, and have their pictures taken one after another. The kids were quite patient with it, at least in the beginning.<br /><br />Another cultural experience was a visit to the Chinese Acrobats in Beijing. Actually, we tried to go our first night, and kept having travel difficulties. It wasn't until our 4th attempt that we made it successfully. The acrobats did all the tricks that any self-respecting gravity-defying pretzel might do. Except that they did them in groups, stacked on top of each other, occasionally using spears and motorcycles. Needless to say, the kids were impressed, and my neck was sore.<br /><div style='float:right;margin-left:10px'><br /><img style="float:right; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S9K7rXRQ6EI/AAAAAAAAAD8/W2dy0keflzA/s320/IMG_2097.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463635651609028674" /><br /><br/><br /><h4>Brooks kids invade Tiananmen Square</h4><br /></div><br />In a nutshell, we really liked Beijing. It was a very comfortable city, despite (or maybe because of) the fact that few people spoke English. Nobody approached us on the street and tried to sell us anything. In fact, people would come up to us and start talking full-speed in Chinese, assuming that -- of course -- we understood them. I can't tell you how many people counted the number of children that we have on their fingers and then gave us a big thumbs-up.<br /><table width='100%'><br /><tr><br /><td width='50%'><br /><h4>Alternative Transportation</h4><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S9K_Bw3xF_I/AAAAAAAAAEc/ZAJS6Hnmsgg/s320/IMG_2214.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463639334973413362" /><br /></td><br /><td width='50%'><br /><h4>Charlie eating Snake</h4><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S9K7sFGfB4I/AAAAAAAAAEE/-KPGPx5b9Qc/s320/IMG_2125.JPG" border="0" alt="Charlie eating snake" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463635663911847810" /><br /></td><br /></tr><br /><tr><br /><td><br /><h4>Tea Ceremony at our Guesthouse</h4><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 263px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S9K7qZGZvxI/AAAAAAAAADk/6qHT-nC7_-Q/s320/kids-in-tea-ceremony.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463635634920472338" /><br /></td><br /><td><br /></td><br /></tr><br /></table>Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-71831228430348520292010-04-17T06:09:00.000-07:002010-04-17T06:39:59.106-07:00Missing imagesCareful readers (as of course, all of you are) will have noticed a couple of cryptic messages in that last post where you might have expected images. Here are the two missing images:<br /><br />[insert image 1726]<br /><img src='http://www.organiccodefarm.com/images/IMG_1723.JPG' width='498' height='665'><br /><br />[insert image 1608]<br /><img src='http://www.organiccodefarm.com/images/IMG_1608.JPG' width='443' height='332'>Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-41901574241696999662010-04-09T03:04:00.000-07:002010-04-17T06:00:53.286-07:00Wrapping up our first month in Northern ThailandSo, we're back in Bangkok at our favorite guesthouse, all of us camped out in our room which has wifi and air conditioning. We arrived here at about 1:30 am this morning, after a day of travel, and tomorrow night we head to Beijing. So, it seems like a good time to talk about the last two weeks.<br /><br /><a href="http://whistlefish.blogspot.com/2010/03/update-from-thailand.html">When I last wrote</a>, we were a few days into our time in Chiang Mai, and getting ready to head to the <a href="http://www.elephantnaturefoundation.org">Elephant Nature Park</a>. Monday morning, we packed up our gear, scrambled to find some bug spray and a couple of towels, and hopped into a minivan to spend a week volunteering to help elephants. Wow, is all I can say. It was a really interesting experience.<br /><br />[insert image 1726]<br />The elephants all had crazy stories. The one that Mae was touching in this picture was blinded in both eyes by it's handler (its "mahout"). As a result, it was a little bit dangerous to be around. Not because it was aggressive, but because it used its trunk to "feel" its way through life, and you could get whacked accidentally.<br /><br />[insert image 1608]<br />After getting introduced and feeding a few elephants, we gave them a bath. Luckily for us, elephants really like the water. Unluckily for me, my kids enjoyed splashing me as much as the critters.<br /><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S77_20laVnI/AAAAAAAAADE/f9vteJJgFbw/s320/IMG_1620.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458081115713197682" /><br /><br />Wendy then decided to make out with an elephant named "Hope". Hope's mother had died when he was a few months old, and local villagers found him wedged between two trees.<br /><br />Speaking of baby elephants, they're really cute, given that they weigh almost as much as our minivan. There were "only" two babies at the elephant park. Here they're wrestling together.<br /><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S78BAL9kKeI/AAAAAAAAADM/MkD-tJtVSZE/s320/IMG_1663.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458082376118970850" /><br /><br />The kids did a wonderful job -- the other volunteers repeatedly complimented them on their behavior and how hard they worked. On the last day during the wrap-up, one of the volunteers stood up and said to the whole group that she had volunteered for years all around the world and that she had never seen... (at this point I was expecting her to say that she had never seen such a well-organized animal refuge or volunteer program...) such well-behaved and hard-working children.<br /><br />While at the camp we saw several videos about how elephants are trained. It's a very abusive process, that starts with something called "Phajaan". Young elephants of 3 to 4 years old are strapped into a small pen for days, and beaten, stabbed, and kept off balance to break their spirit. Later, as they learn more specialized skills, they are hit with hooks in their ears and skin to train them. <br /><br />This made programs like the Elephant Nature Park more amazing -- they also work to train elephants, but only through rewards. (Unfortunately, this also meant that we probably aren't going to ride elephants -- something we had been excited to do.) On the other hand, we spent hours bathing the elephants in the river -- not to mention swimming and tubing.<br /><br /><h3>Further North into Thailand</h3><br /><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S8SHuWjNV1I/AAAAAAAAADU/vVEMmno_WLs/s320/IMG_1936.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459637878676870994" /><br />After returning from the Elephant Camp, we went three hours North to the town of Pai. (It was supposed to be three hours North. However, we rented a car without a map, and accepted directions from an extremely helpful -- and even more clueless -- person, who sent us on a seven hour drive along the scenic dirt road (pictured to the right) in the golden triangle. Wendy was convinced that we were going to be "disappeared" by gun-toting opium farmers. It took a mango smoothy in Pai to get life back to normal.)<br /><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S8SIoXPklJI/AAAAAAAAADc/_Q0UTKuWDhw/s320/IMG_1959.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459638875295356050" /><br />We stayed in a treehouse (cleverly named the Pai Treehouse) situated about 30 feet up an amazingly healthy tree. We rented a couple of motorbikes, and scooted to a natural hot springs about 8km outside of Pai (taking care to drive around the clumsy <i>farang</i> (foreigners) that had crashed their motorbikes, leaving them with odd limps, and larger bandages.)<br /><br /><h3>Saying a temporary Goodbye to Thailand</h3><br /><br />Things got ugly in Bangkok around April 10th (ironically the day we were scheduled to fly to China). 21 people were killed that day in clashes between soldiers and red shirts. It was crazy: the area we were in was in complete gridlock, there were helicopters circling around, and you could here gunshots. Everyone was glued to their televisions. <br /><br />We had a 7:40 pm flight out of the city last night and had hired a driver who was supposed to arrive at 5:00 to drive us to the airport. At 4:00, he called and said that he couldn't get through the traffic. So we loaded up our backpacks and hiked to the river. From there we took a boat about 2 miles south, where we flagged down a taxi, and made it to our flight with about 20 minutes to spare. In the end it worked out fine, but we weren't sure we were going to make the flight for a while!<br /><br />But, then the flight was easy. We stayed overnight in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- we rented a room for 7 hours, so we got some sleep. And the next morning we flew to Beijing.<br /><br />Had a hilarious time trying to eat in China for the first time. No one here seems to speak English (at least in the restaurants, unlike in Thailand.) And we had no idea how to eat! They gave us chopsticks on these tiny 3-inch round plates, then brought out central platters of rice, veggies, meat, etc. We sort of scooped it onto the little plates, but we felt completely over our heads. Other people were stopping at our table and laughing (nicely) at us. Eventually we figured out that we should just eat directly from the communal bowls.<br /><br />And that's it for now! Our computer battery is almost dead, and it's pushing 11:00 pm, so bedtime!Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-4891219524415011112010-03-25T08:35:00.000-07:002010-03-25T09:09:46.552-07:00Update from Thailand<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S6uDi-ZrHnI/AAAAAAAAABk/ibkaqkrenmI/s320/IMG_1289.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452596410751590002" /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;">Hi from Thailand,<br /><br /><div>Thailand is so beautiful and friendly. I can't say enough how friendly the people are here. The folks at our guesthouse love our kids and it's so peaceful in the sitting and garden area. They have two gentle rabbits that hop around the garden that the kids play with constantly when we are here. Except for one day when we stayed here all day, we have been sight seeing during the afternoon and at our guest house in the late afternoon. We stayed here all day one day because of the "red shirt" demonstrations (an anti-govt group wanting to change the ruling party. We all took a Thai cooking class and it was so cool because the kids were as involved, if not more involved than we were- grating coconuts, cutting veggies, making coconut milk for the curry.... They dressed Mae and Charlie and Sam up in traditional Thai clothes for fun that day too. (Aidan would have none of it.) So cute.<br /></div><br /><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S6uEKNApblI/AAAAAAAAABs/A6wae8vh1pg/s320/IMG_1368.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452597084688051794" /><br /><br /><div>..... (About a week later....) Since the above was written, we have moved on to a few more places- Lopburi, Sukathai and Chiang Mai in the north. Lopburi is a regular,not particularly touristy Thai town that has monkeys EVERYWHERE- all over the telephone polls,in the middle of the road, all over the sidewalk, sitting in wait on top of a phone booth outside a little store ready to steal your bag of food... </div><br /><br /><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S6uEqRXArbI/AAAAAAAAAB0/dyeVe-cflMc/s320/IMG_1418.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452597635611405746" /><br /><br /><div>We next went to amazing Buddhist and some old Hindu ruins, biking around them one day. We have met and got to talk with a Buddhist monk at a temple and today we saw elephants, beautiful waterfalls and poisonous snakes. (We all held a python!)<br /><br />Next week we have signed on to volunteer at an elephant protection center for the week. We will stay there and all help take care of the elephants. As I understand it, about 2000 elephants in Thailand have been "domesticated" having worked in the logging industry. But now because less forests are being deforested (: the elephants and their handlers don't have work and some animals go to these rescue centers.<br /><img style="float:right;margin-left:10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S6uIsKATKyI/AAAAAAAAACk/Vt00qg7fuwc/s320/IMG_1491.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452602066043349794" /><br />After the elephant preserve it's back to Bangkok and April 10th we fly to Beijing!!!!<br /><br />Sorry for the long note. I am trying to be a better emailer.<br /><br />I hope spring is beautifully green in Durham (and elsewhere!)<br /><br />Sa wa di kaa,<br />Wendy<br /><br /></div><div>Just a quick update from the "bald is beautiful" side of the family. (Actually, I'm not as bald as I'd like to be. The 3rd day in Thailand, I plugged in my hair clippers, and shaved half my head before the clippers decided that they really were designed for 120 volts of electricity instead of the 220 volt stuff they use here. I then tried to find a replacement, but only managed to find a guy that re-wound the coil in the center of the clippers, so that I could continue to use them. However, in the absence of a voltage converter, I've been afraid to try again.)</div><div><br /></div><div>I should mention the food, seeing as that was one of the main reasons for coming. The Thai food here is quite good, but they make it a bit spicy for my taste. Green curry seems to be the spiciest, with red curry and Panang curry being more palatable (with sugar). The pad thai is consistently good, and tom kha gai has been inconsistent, but I've had some of the best I've ever eaten.</div><div><br /></div><div>Chiang Mai -- where we currently are -- has a wonderful variety of food, which is particularly convenient because after 10 days of nothing but Thai food, I have gotten a wee bit -- err -- sick of it. We found a great tex-mex place (eaten there twice) and an excellent Mediterranean place as well. Lest you think we do nothing but eat, we have also managed to stay pretty faithful to working / homeschooling twice a week.<br /><br />We haven't met many Americans here -- which seems surprising. There are lots of Japanese and European tourists around. We haven't really met many friendly tourists though, not sure if that's because many of them are here for "illicit" activities and the kids make them feel guilty, or if the friendly folks just hang out in the South of Thailand. We shall see!<br /><br />That's it for now. I hope Spring is treating you well, and we'll talk with you soon!<br /></div><br /><br />And now, I've gotten lazy about embedding images, so I'm just going to import the rest of them here. <br /><br /><br /></span><br /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S6uHWTzszJI/AAAAAAAAACc/qtb-aYlvRBA/s320/IMG_1486.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452600591206108306" /><br /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S6uHV_dEDZI/AAAAAAAAACU/UHBx3F-tPPw/s320/IMG_1462.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452600585742454162" /><br /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S6uHVVK_FwI/AAAAAAAAACM/olLYOeoS7-s/s320/IMG_1386.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452600574392342274" /><br /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S6uHU4dMtNI/AAAAAAAAACE/iuM_Sd1h9-M/s320/IMG_1379.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452600566684103890" /><br /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S6uHUFk4fyI/AAAAAAAAAB8/D8NBTcJ2t40/s320/IMG_1207.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452600553026125602" /><br /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/S6uIs8uC0tI/AAAAAAAAACs/D7_l0AuL3bw/s320/IMG_1492.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452602079656989394" />Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-32829521242104760702010-02-03T14:41:00.000-08:002010-02-03T14:44:12.725-08:00Beginning to experiment with VideoSo, the word is out, video consumption online tripled in 2009, Google says video is "where it's at", ad revenues begin to creep up. What's a text guy to do? Starting small, trying to grok video.<br /><br />Here's one of my early attempts: <a href='http://www.septicsystem.com/septic-system-videos.html '>Sh*t Happens</a>.Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-78823261551720891592009-12-16T05:45:00.000-08:002009-12-16T06:46:50.888-08:00Investing in Assets to Boost Organic SEOFrequent reader of this blog (Hi Mom!) will know that I place a lot of <a href="http://whistlefish.blogspot.com/2009/06/domain-names-as-force-multipliers-for.html">value</a> on domain names. In Decembers past, I have made end-of-tax-year "big-ticket" (ie low 4-figure) domain name purchases. This year is different. That's partly because 3 sales I pursued fell through (1 person wanted $200k for a domain that I was willing to pay $1500 for; Sedo had another domain listed, but it turned out that the person listing it had already to sold it to someone else; and Rick Latona advertised a name in "Daily Domains", but it turns out that they didn't bother to check whether the person selling it actually owned it.)<br /><br />But there's a bigger trend going on. Despite some really large domain sales this year, domains as an asset class have substantially declined in value. The biggest factor is Google's decision to dramatically cut payments for parked traffic. Perhaps that was a strategic decision on Google's part -- they certainly have no interest in propping up the business models of (competing) type-in traffic or spammy "made-for-adsense" companies. Perhaps it simply reflects advertisers taking advantage of the ability to segment parked traffic out from search traffic, and deciding that search traffic is more valuable. Either way, it's harder to justify buying domains when the opportunity to earn parking revenue has evaporated.<br /><br />A second factor is that (at least from the tests that I've run) "mini-sites" are a complete and utter failure. I purchased 3 mini-sites from AEIOU in 2008 (Ski-Hats.com, Cross-Country-Skis.com and Landscape-Designer.com), promoted them for several months in 2009, and then watched to see what happened. The answer, unfortunately, was "nothing". When AEIOU announced that they were no longer supporting this business, I gave the Ski-Hats.com domain to SkiHats.com, moved Cross-Country-Skis.com to my own server, and I still haven't figured out what to do with Landscape-Designer.com.<br /><br />Where does that leave domain investing? It seems to me that there are really only two options left -- "buying to flip" (at which I have failed repeatedly and miserably) and building domains into real businesses. While I am a big fan of the latter strategy, it <i>doesn't scale</i>! Buying a new domain name makes your job harder instead of easier -- you now have to develop content, functionality and links for more sites! So, at least in the short term, you're worse off than you were before you bought the latest domain.<br /><br />Domain owners: wake up! Unless you have a truly premium domain, it lost half of its value in 2009, and will lose more in 2010. End users have less money to spend, and fewer ways to make money on the domains that they do buy.<br /><br />Domain buyers: wake up! There are higher value assets to buy for organic SEO than domains. Invest your money in real content, real functionality, better business relationships, and assets that make it easier to attract editorially-chosen links. Although these assets are more difficult to manage than domains, they are (much!) more valuable.Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-39453286688528323072009-12-03T08:32:00.000-08:002009-12-03T08:41:08.463-08:00More signals from Google that Page Load time will affect SERPsJust a quick note -- there are a couple of recent signals that Google will start to use site response times to affect how well you rank in their search results in 2010.<br /><br />The first is found in a summary of a recent PubCon session with <a href="http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/">Matt Cutts</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>He [Matt Cutts] hints that people at Google really want to use site speed as a factor in rankings. They’re not using it right now, but they want to be. They want search to be like a magazine. Google wants to make the Web fast. 2010 is a great time to pay attention to speeding up your site. HINT. HINT.</blockquote><a href="http://outspokenmedia.com/internet-marketing-conferences/pubcon-smackdown-session/">Source</a><br /><br />The second is that Google Webmaster Tools now offers a page called "Site performance" which gives you feedback on how fast your site loads relative to other sites on the web. (Announcement is <a href="http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2009/12/how-fast-is-your-site.html">here</a>.)<br /><br />Have you thought about how quickly your site loads? Probably a good time to take it seriously.Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-12718069269661959992009-11-19T04:49:00.000-08:002009-11-19T06:05:13.711-08:00Bad experience with 99Designs -- my takeawaysI'm coming off an unhappy website redesign with 99Designs.com -- only 2 or 3 of the 13 designers submitted designs that seemed worthy of iterating on. This contrasted sharply with my previous experience having a logo designed at 99Designs when I had nearly 350 designs submitted (compared to 37), and 4 of them were very good. This time around I have 1 design that I'm pretty happy with (and the overall hit to my wallet is twice as high).<br /><br />Part of the explanation appears to be that many more designers submit designs for logos -- they're probably much less work -- and payouts tend to be about half the payout for a website design, so designers opt for the logo projects.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">One approach to designing a successful project</span>:<br />If you sort the webpage designs by the number of designs that were submitted, you can find projects that received more designs than projects that offered to pay more. Sometimes these high-marketing / low-cost projects beat out projects offering to pay nearly 3x as much! These disproportionately successful projects suggest a few takeaways:<br /><ul><br /><li>Tell designers that there's a possibility of ongoing work in the 2nd line of the project description</li><br /><li>Projects that get lots of designs often offer a high payout but <b>don't</b> guarantee the project. Some of the projects that do guarantee a payout didn't get many designs. There doesn't seem to be a clear association between guaranteeing a project payout and the number of designs submitted.</li><br /><li>Making the project "blind" -- ie designers can't see what other designers have submitted -- doesn't appear to be correlated with the number of design submissions.<br /></li></ul><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Here's what I'm going to do in the future</span>:<br /><ol><br /><li>Make an effort to "sell" the project, both by describing how tricky a project it is, and by approaching designers directly and asking them to take a crack at it (see the tips in the links at the bottom of this post).</li><br /><li>Don't buy separate logo and webpage design projects for the same website.</li><br /><li>Give feedback to everyone, even if you only give personalized feedback to the folks whose designs you like. My guess is that designers look at whether or not a contest-buyer gives feedback to everyone before they decide which sites to design</li><br /><li>Avoid the "blind contest" option like the plague. I understand that designers love it, because it prevents less talented designers from stealing their best ideas. However, as the buyer, I kind of like designers riffing on other peoples designs. You probably get more designs overall, and more of them are going to be appealing. Plus, (granted with only two data points) I had about 1/10th the number of designs submitted in my "blind" contest.</li><br /></ol><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Other tips for 99Designs Contests</span>:<br /><ol><br /><li><a href="http://www.mybusinessadventures.com/2009/08/03/10-tips-for-obtaining-a-stellar-graphic-design-via-99designscom/">10 Tips for Obtaining a Stellar Graphic Design via 99Designs.com</a></li><br /><li><a href="http://99designs.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/tips-crowdsourcing-a-design-project/">tips: crowdsourcing a design project</a></li><br /><li><a href="http://eastes.com.au/design-competition/">4 tips to hosting a fun design competition</a></li><br /></ol>Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-16733647764524371592009-11-02T20:16:00.000-08:002009-11-03T06:45:41.369-08:00Using "Outposts" in your SEO StrategyI attended the <a href="http://www.meetup.com/BostonSEO/">Cambridge SEO Meetup</a> again tonight, and was once again reminded why I go: there are some great people that attend. Props to <a href="http://www.capecodseo.com/">Derek Edmond</a> for giving me a great link-building idea, and thanks to <a href="http://centersandsquares.com/">CentersAndSquares.com</a> for bringing food!<br /><br />Tonight's speaker was <a href="http://thelostjacket.com">Stuart Foster</a>. He has an interesting resume and it sounds like he's done some genuine legwork to create a meaningful following on Twitter. However, I'm iffy on his SEO recommendations, and I disagree pretty strongly with one of them. He recommended that people follow a strategy that he credited to Chris Brogan: that you "syndicate" the articles that you write to 5 or 6 "outposts", like Facebook, a blog, etc, and that you then funnel links from those "outposts" back to your main money-making site.<br /><br />Now, I first heard the name "Chris Brogan" about two or three years ago when he came to speak at one of the Cambridge SEO meetups. I later heard him speak at Affiliate Summit in Boston after his star had ascended a bit, and I have to say that he came across as a genuinely decent human being. And further, he does appear to have written a post titled: "<a href="http://www.chrisbrogan.com/using-outposts-in-your-media-strategy/">Using Outposts in Your Media Strategy</a>" which uses a lot of the same words and concepts that Stuart used. But, for Chris' sake, I'm going to assume that this strategy makes more sense for personal branding than it does for SEO -- because it's a really bad idea for SEO.<br /><br />Here's the idea behind using "outposts": if you set up 5 or 6 mini-sites on different hosts (maybe a Facebook page, a MySpace page, your LinkedIn account, etc) then you can point all of those sites to your main (money-making) site, and Presto! -- instant inbound links | PageRank | link juice. You'll have the magic of Facebook's PageRank 11 site to push your money-making site up in Google's rankings.<br /><br />Here's the problem: If you want this to actually work, you now have 5 mini-sites plus your money-making site that you need to update. Let me say that differently: instead of simplifying the work it takes to get inbound links, you have multiplied it six-fold!<br /><br />Let's say that your brand-spanking new Facebook page has exactly one article on it, plus a link to your money-making site. Guess how many visitors it will get per month if you don't promote it? 3,000? 1,200? 8? Nope. Zero. The only way to get people to visit your Facebook page is to go out and promote the page.<br /><br />Make no mistake -- getting editorially chosen links is really, really hard. Why in the world would you want to increase your link-building workload by a factor of six? Especially when the link juice passed from 5 of those 6 sites doesn't flow directly to your money-making site? Insanity!<br /><br />Take all that hard-earned content and publish it on your money-making site. Spend all the time you would tell your friends and acquaintances about your MySpace page, and tell them about your money-making site instead. Stop tweeting. Stop retweeting. Write more content; promote that content. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-85525908568150143662009-10-20T11:55:00.000-07:002009-10-20T12:01:14.782-07:00The NOLO Consultant & Independent Contractor Agreements book rocksJust a quick note to folks out there that hire independent contractors. You should run, not walk, to your nearest web browser and order a copy of <a href="http://www.nolo.com/products/consultant-&-independent-contractor-agreements-CICA.html">Nolo's Consultant and Independent Contractor Agreements</a> book. It comes with a CD with stock contracts, and excellent explanations of each of the clauses within the contracts. I use it at least monthly.<br /><br />(Those of you who know me know that I had a situation back in the Spring where I thought an independent contractor was trying to get their contracting work for me re-classified as an employee to get benefits after losing his full-time job. In the end, it just turned out to a mistake on his part, and he cleaned everything up. However, I now use this book with every new contractor I hire to be sure that I have good contracts in place up-front. $34.99 well spent!Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-40426544026887450752009-09-01T21:15:00.001-07:002009-09-02T08:55:00.708-07:00What Great Long-Tail Organic Pages Look LikeI attended tonight's <a href="http://www.meetup.com/BostonSEO/">Cambridge SEO Meetup</a>, and left the meeting somewhat frustrated. The speaker, Chris Baggott presented blogging software from his company, <a href="http://compendiumblogware.com/">Compendium Blogware</a>. Chris was articulate and well-informed, and dealt gracefully and with humor while being challenged by several people who seemed intent on proving that he isn't a Linux sysadmin -- which he's not.<br /><br />That aside, here's what frustrated me: Chris was presenting a solution that really bothered me. He was recommending that clients use his company's blogging software to build web pages that target long tail keywords. That in-and-of-itself is laudable. It's relatively easy to rank for long-tail keywords, and a lot of high-volume "fat-head" keywords don't convert that well. His software has some proprietary sauce that helps to categorize those posts in several different categories, and post them with keyword-enhanced titles and using keyword-enhanced directory names. So, for example, the page might be:<br /><br />CrazyToasters.com/four-slice-cuisinart-toaster/<br /><br />And the resulting page would have the title "Four Slice Cuisinart Toaster". Aside from these basic SEO optimization techniques, he encourages his clients to write a 100-word blog post on what they're doing that day that relates to four-slice cuisinart toasters. I'm imagining posts that say something like: "My family ate four slices of sourdough toast this morning from our new Cuisinart toaster."<br /><br />Compendium will then also helpfully categorize that post under:<br /><br />CrazyToasters.com/four-slice-toaster/ and<br />CrazyToasters.com/cuisinart-toasters/<br /><br />The result is made for Google psuedo-spam that takes very little effort by the end user, is easy to update on a regular basis, and probably ranks pretty well for queries involving these keywords. (Indeed, just several weeks after registering a $10 domain and pushing 150 posts live, he claims that they have sold 20 toasters.)<br /><br /><h3>Why does psuedo-spam like this work?</h3> <br />It seems to me that when Google visualizes the web, it sees a vast topographical map. At the center of the map are commercial terms like "mortgage", "gambling", "viagra" and "insurance". And surrounding these keywords are vast mountains of pages that are attempting to optimize for those keywords. The 10 pages that make up the very peak of this mountain are displayed to the end user when they type the query "mortgage". Surrounding that peak are lesser peaks, such as "online mortgage", "second mortgage", "quick mortgage", and foothills such as "san diego mortgage", "interest-only mortgage new york". Within each of those lesser peaks and foothills there are 10 pages that fit the Google algorythm well enough to become local maxima.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/Sp4HYHaoU7I/AAAAAAAAAAM/rCeZVJPKSzg/s1600-h/keywords-as-google-sees-them.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 319px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Llv7zyUMZxA/Sp4HYHaoU7I/AAAAAAAAAAM/rCeZVJPKSzg/s320/keywords-as-google-sees-them.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376743116015948722" /></a><br /><br />Compendium's brand of psuedo-spam works because out beyond the mountains of high-volume, highly-commercial keywords, there are vast plains, with 4 and 5 word keywords that very few people search for. Because so few people search for them, few marketers optimize for them. And because few marketers optimize for them, it takes little work to create the sub-surface geology that gives these pages a moderately higher peak than the plains around them. By choosing a domain name with the "toasters" keyword, highly-targeted sub-directory names and titles, and a bit of text that hasn't been translated from English to Russian and back again, Compendium's clients gain enough altitude to rank for their long-tail keywords.<br /><br />So, what's wrong with that? I guess nothing. It's certainly better than the true spam that's out there -- stuff scraped from RSS feeds, and then churned through an automated content re-writer and spewed onto the web. Stuff that almost reads as English, until you realized that the last few sentences you processed don't actually make sense. I mean, from one perspective, I'm <i>glad</i> that Compendium's software works. Certainly reading about what toaster people used for their breakfast is better than reading true spam. However, the problem is that it doesn't take that much additional work to create truly useful long-tail organic pages. In fact (in volume), it may even be easier.<br /><br />Start by asking yourself: When someone types 'Four Slice Cuisinart Toaster' into Google, what are they hoping to find? What are the implicit questions that they're asking?<br /><ol><br /><li>They probably want to know what models are available, how much they cost, and where they can buy them</li><br /><li>They probably want to know what product features they have</li><br /><li>They probably want to see pictures</li><br /><li>They might want to know where the user manual is, or troubleshooting tips</li><br /><li>They might want to see user reviews</li> <br /></ol><br />Why not create <i>that</i> page for these users? If you're going to create 250 pages (which Chris recommended), it's probably faster to collect the data in a spreadsheet, and then have someone spit out that data into a web page. Include a link to a "Consumer Review" page, and then roll those reviews back into the page. The upside of this approach is that you have a page that genuinely ought to rank #1 in Google. The better it ranks, the more people will come and submit reviews, which creates a virtuous cycle.<br /><br />Now, over time perhaps Chris's clients will create these higher-value pages that offer more substance to their readers. Or maybe domainers will adopt Compendium (or one of the the other similar CMSs) to monetize their middling domains. And maybe that shouldn't bother me -- I've certainly got one or two projects out there that I'm not really proud of. But my personal bias is that two-or-three years out you'll reap the rewards of building a platform that results in great pages, rather than pseudo-spam.<br /><br />Update: Here's the danger of writing blog posts at 2:00 am. I slept on this and decided that I was being an idiot. Compendium is a <i>much</i> better solution than just ignoring your long-tail keywords, and clients certainly have the option to make those pages genuinely useful. The "pseudo-spam" aspect of it has nothing to do with Compendium's product -- just what I imagine most people would enter as blog posts.Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-70787054315116571702009-08-26T13:29:00.000-07:002009-08-26T13:32:32.870-07:00PoliticalCalculations just did an excellent Cavalcade of RiskJust a quick pointer. Ironman from <a href="http://politicalcalculations.blogspot.com/2009/08/cavalcade-of-risk.html">Political Calculations</a> just did an excellent job rating and ranking the 30 submissions to this week's Cavalcade of Risk. (Of course, I may be biased -- my submission on home insurance and hurricanes was tied for the highest rating that he handed out).Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-85208653749675434852009-08-14T04:20:00.000-07:002009-08-14T06:45:59.879-07:00Favorite Techniques for Buying Domain NamesI've written in the past about the <a href="http://whistlefish.blogspot.com/2009/06/domain-names-as-force-multipliers-for.html">value of domain names</a>. I thought I'd write a brief summary of some of the methods of buying domain names that I've found to be most successful.<br /><br /><h2>1. Approaching domain owners directly</h2><br />The best names I've ever bought I found by approaching the owners directly. <a href="http://www.fixityourself.com">FixItYourself.com</a> and <a href="http://www.septicsystem.com">SepticSystem.com</a> are 2 examples. Here's the story of a 3rd:<br /> <br />I recently decided that I wanted to buy a better domain name for my life insurance website. The old name was TermLifeOptions.com, and I felt like it detracted from the site's credibility. I generated a list of what I thought were the 20 best generic keyword names related to life insurance. (ie: Insurance.com, LifeInsurance.com, TermLife.com, InsurancePolicy.com, TermLifePolicy.com, etc.) I then checked each domain, and contacted all of the owners that hadn't built actual sites on their domain. Contacting the owner is often as simple as checking the record domain name at Whois.sc and sending an email to the administrative contact. <br /><br />Given that life insurance is such a competitive niche, many of the names were unavailable. Prices on some of the <i>available</i> names were as high as $100,000. However, the owner of <a href="http://www.termlifepolicy.com">TermLifePolicy.com</a> was willing to talk in a couple of months, if the deal he was working on at the time fell through. Luckily for me, it did, and we were able to agree on a price. <br /><br /><h2>2. <a href="http://www.namejet.com">NameJet.com</a></h2><br />NameJet is a drop-catching service. That is, when a domain owner allows a domain to expire the name "drops", and a number of services (such as NameJet, <a href="http://www.pool.com">Pool.com</a> and <a href="http://www.snapnames.com">SnapNames.com</a>) compete to register the name and then resell it. However, NameJet also has exclusive relationships with a number of registrars that guarantees that Pool and SnapNames can't compete to catch names. That means that many of the best names are only available through NameJet. I've purchased 8 names through NameJet in the last 2 years, including RoofingEstimate.com, AccessRamp.com and a third excellent name that I'm not going to mention here.<br /><br />The trick with NameJet, I think, is to be patient and selective. Spend 10 minutes every day checking the service, and don't buy names of marginal value. (For example, one of the 8 names I bought was xShoe.com -- what in the world was I thinking?) If you want to buy names of marginal value, I'd recommend a different method.<br /><br /><h2>3. Buying names for Reg Fee</h2><br />"Reg fee" means that you pay only the registration cost of a name -- somewhere around $7 - $8. The trick for buying names for reg fee is simply to generate a large number of names (either via scripts or just through keyword munging in Excel). Then run 10,000 names through a Bulk Registration tool (like <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/domains/searchbulk.aspx">GoDaddy's bulk reg tool</a>).<br /><br />The advantage of this approach is that you can develop a relatively large portfolio at low cost. I've sold three "reg fee" names in the past few months for between $300 - $450 apiece.<br /><br />However, the disadvantage is that you may be paying reg fee on 200 names a year to sell 3 or 4 names. If you don't have a repeatable method of selling names, then you may have a hard time making a profit, even if you bought the names for cheap.<br /><br />The trick for all three of these approaches is not to fall in love with a particular domain name. If you <b>must</b> own a particular name, you're going to pay a premium for it. If you simply need a good name in a particular vertical, you can generally find one that represents good value. (If you simply want a good commercial name, and you don't care <i>what</i> niche it's in you can probably get a steal!)Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-87847082820364204652009-07-17T14:17:00.000-07:002009-07-17T14:20:44.417-07:00New Look and Feel for WashingMachines.netJust launched a new look and feel for <a href="http://www.washingmachines.net">WashingMachines.net</a>. I'd love to hear feedback or suggestions!Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-8358007584769878492009-07-16T11:59:00.000-07:002009-07-16T12:08:15.816-07:00Renaming TermLifeOptions.com to TermLifePolicy.comI have been developing a life insurance site called TermLifeOptions.com since 2006. I'm excited to announce that I have now renamed the site <a href="http://www.termlifepolicy.com">TermLifePolicy.com</a> to more accurately reflect the site's focus on helping consumers choose the most appropriate term life insurance policy.<br /><br />We've done some really interesting consumer-related research on life insurance, including topics such as: <br /><ul><br /><li>Should you request multiple life insurance quotes? (<a href="http://www.termlifepolicy.com/multiple-life-insurance-quotes.html">link</a>)</li><br /><li>Why do insurance quotes from different companies vary so dramatically? (<a href="http://www.termlifepolicy.com/why-life-insurance-rates-vary.html">link</a>)</li><br /><li>What to do if you have given inaccurate information to your Life Insurance Company (<a href="http://www.termlifepolicy.com/incorrect-insurance-information.html">link</a>)</li><br /></ul><br /><br />The site also profiles more than 60 life insurance companies, policies in each state and more. If you're in the market for life insurance, please take a look (and let me know if we're missing anything!)Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-261953419548443322009-07-16T03:35:00.000-07:002009-07-16T03:45:54.592-07:00ApplianceRepair.com -- great end-user domainI always like to see great domain names put to use by end users (as opposed to domainers), so I wanted to give a shout out to John Sowden. John works for RepairClinic.com (an online appliance parts retailer) as their VP of something, and he's been really helpful with a couple of articles that we've published.<br /><br />He pinged me last month to say that he had launched a site for his appliance repair show called (appropriately enough): <a href="http://www.appliancerepair.com">ApplianceRepair.com</a>. John's been working in the appliance industry for more than 2 decades and he really knows his stuff. If you're interested in radio along the lines of "Car Talk for Appliances" check it out.<br /><br />By the way, from a domainer's point of view ApplianceRepair.com is a fantastic name. My stats show that people are much more likely to type-in a domain name that's "NounVerb.com" than one that's "VerbNoun.com" (ie RepairAppliances.com), and my guess is that that gives "NounVerb" domains a bit of a boost in search engine results as well (the domain name is one of the few bits of data that the user gets to see before they click).Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-53129263483303788602009-06-17T13:26:00.000-07:002009-06-17T13:34:56.057-07:00Affiliate Sites in Highly Competitive NichesOne of the things that I've "learned" in the past couple of years of building websites is that some niches have a hell of a lot more competition than others. Life Insurance, for example, is just a tough niche to break into. My takeaway from that is that it probably makes more sense to be a big fish in a small pond that a small fish in a big pond.<br /><br />However, <a href="http://www.clickconsultants.com/dont-be-afraid-of-big-niches">this article</a> makes a couple of interesting points while encouraging people to just into "big niches":<br /><ul><br /><li>More offers to split-test<br /><li>Higher payout due to more competition<br /><li>Longevity -- these niches aren't going anywhere<br /></ul><br /><br />Interesting thoughts.Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10972907.post-63949170593921433712009-06-12T09:46:00.000-07:002009-06-12T12:56:33.296-07:00Domain Names as Force Multipliers for WebsitesMy day job involves developing and promoting my own small stable of online businesses. However, on a daily basis I devote time to domaining -- finding good domain names to buy. One thing that I have banged my head against in the domaining community on a regular basis is (what I believe to be) a substantial misunderstanding of what makes domain names valuable to online businesses. A domain name's true value lies in its value as a force multiplier. Independent of a domain owner applying substantial force to the domain, it has relatively little value at all.<br /><br />First, I should make a few caveats:<br /><ul><br /><li>I buy a handful of domain names each month, so I believe domain names are both useful and valuable.</li><br /><li>There are a couple of classes of domain names that are valuable independent of their value as force multipliers. For example, misspellings of popular generic domain names aren't really useful to develop a site on, but they may generate substantial and valuable traffic. Alternately, short commercial .com names (Toys.com, Candy.com and various adult-themed names have been in the news this year) attract substantial easy-to-convert type-in traffic. And there are all sorts of stories about domainers building 5-6 figure a month revenue streams on these sorts of domains.</li><br /></ul><br /><br />Here's an example of the misunderstanding that I see often:<br />"The domain name itself takes care of something like 50% of the SEO work" (from a comment on <a href='http://www.elliotsblog.com/index.php/the-domain-name-matters-for-seo/#comments'>ElliotsBlog.com</a>). I've had other conversations with domainers who have argued that "the domain is the biggest piece of the puzzle" when it comes to building sites.<br /><br />I don't buy it -- and more importantly, I've never seen a result remotely similar to that. Building websites into effective businesses takes a tremendous amount of work, experimentation, time, patience and risk. Good domains are a useful starting point, but it takes a lot of work to grow a site from "registration fee" money (which the vast majority of domains that people buy and sell every day never make), to "car payment" money to "work for yourself" money. In fact, what strikes me most about the domains that I own is how little type-in traffic there is out there relative to the traffic available from search engines. <br /><br />(As one data point, I own a single-word commercial .com domain that I have been developing for a bit less than 1 year. Type-in traffic represents less than 5% of the site's traffic; search engine traffic > 90%. And true type-in traffic -- navigation to the site from folks that have never heard of it -- will continue to decline as a percentage of total traffic.)<br /><br /><h3>Domains as Force Multipliers</h3><br /><br />A "force multiplier" in military speak is a factor that makes a group of soldiers dramatically more effective: for example, the ability of precision-guided bombs to dramatically change the outcome of a war. (thanks <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force_multiplier">Wikipedia</a>) I think that's a good analogy for the utility of most premium domain names.<br /><br />A domain name is useful for several things:<br />1. You'll get a small amount of type-in traffic -- people that think "Hey, I want to buy some candy -- I bet there's a website at Candy.com that sells candy."<br />2. Search Engines give a bump to sites that have content related to the generic terms in their domain name. I don’t think they do this because it makes it easier for search engines to categorize the site — I think it’s because end users are more likely to trust the “brand”.<br />3. If you’re building a site, it’s easier to get on the phone and explain to someone that you own “Laptops.com” than “Best-Laptops-Around.com”. The person on the other end of the line is more likely to believe that you’re serious with the former domain than with the latter, whether you’re trying to get a link, become an affiliate, sell them something, etc.<br />4. The domain name — along with your title tag and some text the search engine scraped from your site — appears in the search results. End users trust good generic domain names, so all else held constant, they’re more likely to click on your link.<br /><br />But, with the exception of type-in traffic, none of these benefits help you unless you help yourself. That is, <i>if you do a lot of work</i>, a good domain name can amplify your efforts. But if you don't do the work, don't expect the domain name to do it for you. <br /><br /><h3>How big of a force multiplier is a good domain?</h3><br /><br />Tough question, and one that I can't do more than speculate on. However, I think there's a good case to be made that the more competitive the niche you're trying to break into the <i>less</i> useful premium domain names are.<br /><br />1. In competitive areas, where much of your competition has a good domain name (perhaps a branded domain name), don't expect to see much of a bump because of your domain name. (One industry that comes to mind is life insurance.) There's lots of great content out there and people have been consistently building links for a decade. There's a lot of offline advertising and people trust brands that they know more than generic names. In this scenario, the search engines have lots and lots of trusted content for the most profitable queries. My guess is that the multiplier effect is minimal -- low single-digit percentile. Given that domain names in these niches are expensive, you may be better off coming up with a brandable $7 domain name (ie Insurabilious.com)<br /><br />2. In areas with middling competition, I think a good generic name can be quite useful. I'm guessing that it can give your efforts as much as a 20% bump. Maybe it becomes easier to attract links than it otherwise would have been; Maybe it's easier to find partners, or to negotiate a better payout from those partners because they took you more seriously; Maybe a higher percentage of people clicked on your links in the search results because they assumed that such a great domain name would be coupled with useful content and features.<br /><br /><h3>Other Force Multipliers that You Can Buy</h3><br /><br />There are, of course, other force multipliers for your business that you could buy instead of a domain name. <br /><ul><br /><li>Editorially-chose inbound links are probably the single most powerful force multiplier. While I don't buy (or recommend buying) links directly, I certainly invest in techniques and assets that increase my chances of acquiring such links. It's hard to overestimate the degree to which a <i>single</i> good link can multiply the rest of your work.</li><br /><li>A technology platform that makes it easier for you to develop content and features that help your end users.</li><br /><li>Analytics tools and consulting that help you understand what your users want.</li><br /><li>Increased traffic can itself be used as a force multiplier if it helps you better understand how to convert your users.</li><br /></ul><br /><br />Names matter, not least for the simple reason that humans seem to be wired to remember them (present company excluded). But before you go out and spend 5 figures for a domain name do some deep thinking about whether that name will pay back your investment within a reasonable time horizon. And whether it will multiply your efforts more than some of the other assets mentioned above.Chris Brookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03948649058257596384noreply@blogger.com0