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1998
3/20/98
Dear Diary,
Whew! What an interesting trip. I have always
wanted to visit India and Nepal. The culture and history of
India were incredible, but my favorite place was Nepal. I think I
liked the strange and unique villages the best. Many wonderful
pictures and many tales to tell...
Wynkyn
7/15/98
Dear Diary,
I just got back from Germany, Austria, Hungary, and the
Cezch Republic. It was a very interesting trip, and I took lots of
pictures. Now, the big question is how can I afford to have all 16
rolls of film developed. Then, who do I know who would be willing
to sit down and look at them all with me?
Wynkyn
8/1/98
Dear Diary,
I think I must be addicted to traveling or something.
because I just scheduled a trip to Bangkok for the end of November.
I sort of have a good excuse, though... I have 100,000 frequent
flier miles that are going to expire at the end of this year if I don't
use them up. <grin>
Wynkyn
8/29/98
Dear Diary,
I have been working so hard trying to get our new company
started. We just added 3 more employees (that makes 5 full time
and 6 part time), and we are getting ready to move to our new office
next week. We have a great bunch of people with the company now
and I am really excited about all the fun things we are doing. And
I hope to be able to get some sleep soon too...
Wynkyn
11/12/98
Dear Diary,
It seems like my vacation is coming up fast. We are
leaving on the 16th for Bangkok. And we will be there until
December 3rd. So many things are happening at work that it is hard
to leave now. But of course, Frequent Flier Mile expiration
deadlines wait for no man... Ah, well... <he said as he
hung his head in a resigned fashion...>
Wynkyn
12/4/98
Dear Diary,
Home again, home again... Traveling is so much fun
and the people are so interesting... But it still feels good to be
home again... I spent most of my time on the island of Phuket
(southern Thailand) on the Andaman Sea. The people were great and
my only complaint is the sunburn... Even got out to 'James Bond
Island', where they filmed the Man with the Golden Gun.
Wynkyn
1999
5/8/99
Dear Diary,
I am getting restless again. There are so many places
yet to see. Perhaps a cruise to the Black Sea this summer to see
the Total Eclipse? Or to Australia to celebrate New Year's Eve?
Hummm.... I don't think I can wait that long, but how far can I
get in only a weekend and with only $12.94?
Wynkyn
6/10/99
Dear Diary,
It looks like Las Vegas was the best I could come up with
on short notice. But it did cost a little more than $12.94...
<grin> Had fun checking out all of the great casinos and
exhibits and shows around town. Had a chance to see the new Star
Trek show at the Hilton, EFX, Sigfried and Roy, Caesar's Magical Empire,
and Excalibur's Camelot show... And I even got the Mirage to give
me enough money to pay for the Sigfried and Roy tickets...
<grin> If you haven't been to Las Vegas recently, you should
go just to see the fantastic casinos... They are really unique...
Wynkyn
6/14/99
Dear Diary,
It has been so long since I have done any updating to my
web page. I am going to try to do some updates this summer.
And at least see if I can get some of the pages a little more current.
Wynkyn
11/2/99
Dear Diary,
What an extraordinary experience I had last weekend.
I visited Salem, Mass. over Halloween weekend. This is where all
the witch trials were held and they consider Halloween like a National
Holiday there. People were all dressed up in costumes wandering
the streets. I even got to see a statue of my
great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather, Roger Conant, who
actually founded Salem. So cool...
Wynkyn
12/22/99
Dear Diary,
Well, it looks like I am going to get to the Black Sea
after all, but a little late for the eclipse... <grin>
I will be there on a cruise ship celebrating the New Millennium.
The trip starts in Athens, goes to Crete, Rhodes, Ephesus (Turkey), and
ends up in Istanbul (Turkey). Now if there aren't too many Y2K
problems, then I may even get back home on a timely basis...
Wynkyn
2000
1/6/00
Dear Diary,
Wow... Just got back from the Istanbul...
Celebrating the New Millennium was an interesting experience...
We visited a the Palace of the Minotaur in Crete that was 4,000 years
old. Then we went to visit Ephesus in Turkey that was over 2,000
years old... Then to Istanbul where we saw artifacts from
6,000 years ago... Kinda puts celebrating a 2,000 year
anniversary in perspective...
I wonder what kind of ruins we will leave for people to dig
up 2,000 years from now... hope they aren't too disappointed
in us... <grin>
Wynkyn
5/4/00
Dear Diary,
It seems like forever since I have gotten away. Why
is it that the vacations always seem so short and the time between them
so long? Well, hope to make up for that next month. Planning
to head off to Spain to join up with a cruise ship that will take us to
some cool Spanish and Portuguese cities. We even get to see the
Rock of Gibraltar.
Wynkyn
7/1/00
Dear Diary,
A very nice trip. Portugal has a wonderful history
and there were some interesting castles and palaces places to visit.
We went to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar and fed the Barbary Apes up
there. And in Spain, we visited some wonderful ancient Moorish
Palaces. I took my digital camera with me and took LOTS of
pictures. Barcelona was one of my favorite cities, and we spent a
lot of time on La Rambla just strolling around and watching the people.
Another of the many places I will return to some day.
Wynkyn
8/18/00
Dear Diary,
I had a flying dream last night. (This counts as traveling,
right?) It was a very unusual flying dream because I was able to
extend my flying gift to a beautiful lady. Together we soared in
the sky. Something about those flying dreams. They fill me
with such great pleasure...
Wynkyn
9/7/00
Dear Diary,
Spent the last few days in San Francisco. Did all
kinds of tourist stuff. Stayed out by Fisherman's Warf,
visited Chinatown, Alcatraz island, the Cannery, Pier 39, Golden Gate
Bridge, and Union Square. Even had time to go to Haight-Ashbury
and Hippie Hill... And drove around the area where Ken Keasy and
the Merry Pranksters used to hold court...
And, guess what woke me up in the middle of the night?
A real California earthquake that measured 5.2 (the big one in 1989
measured 6.2)... Gosh, if they didn't want me to stay, they
coulda just said something... <grin>
Wynkyn
11/23/00
Dear Diary,
The turkey was good, I have had my nap, there is snow on the
ground, and tomorrow I hop a plane for the 22 hours to get to some place
warm... Got reservations on the island of Phuket in the Andaman
Sea (Eastern Indian Ocean). There is a really nice spot on the
beach with my name on it... Every once in a while, you feel like
you have REALLY earned a vacation... This is mine...
<grin>
Wynkyn
12/5/00
Dear Diary,
Phuket Island was such a great trip. Even got to visit the
island where they filmed The Beach; an extraordinary island paradise
where you can imagine staying forever. And, of course, the people
were incredible. Such gentle hearts...
And that International Dateline is amazing. I left this
morning, traveled for 22 hours, and got home this afternoon. Now
the only thing I have to worry about is the 12 hour jet lag and how long
it will take me to get back to normal. Ahhh... but
such a small price really... <grin>
Wynkyn
2001
6/3/01
Dear Diary,
How can it be so late in the year and my suitcase is full of
nothing but dust? I don't think this is the way things are
supposed to be in Wynkyn's World... <he said, as he
looked around for something special to do...>
Wynkyn
8/4/01
Dear Diary,
This was a most wonderous trip... A trip back in time to my
very roots... to the place of my birth in Maine... to
see relatives and friends nearly forgotten... yet when seen
again, remembered and loved as though no time had passed... to see
places that were dim memories yet much loved... And, this trip was
even more special because I made it with my father and my brother, which
brought us all closer together... Gosh... How many travels
have been this good?
Wynkyn
2002
1/13/02
Dear Diary,
Ahhh... I can still feel the warm sun and sea breezes
from the Mexican town of Puerto Vallarta. It was a nice place to
go after such a long and weary year. I was there for a week, but
managed to accomplish almost nothing; I did, however, begin to understand
how REALLY cool a siesta can be. <grin>
This year, one of my resolutions is to catch up on the lack of
traveling (he said as he dusted off his passport).
Wynkyn
2/3/02
Dear Diary,
Gosh, I had never been to Mardi Gras before. I learned that
they celebrate it pretty well in Galveston, Texas. I had a chance
to spend the weekend there on the opening weekend of their Mardi Gras.
They had parades and bands and interesting people in costumes. It
was pretty clear that I was blending in with the rest of the crowd,
judging from all the beads I carried away... <grin>
If I ever get to see Mardi Gras in New Orleans, I suspect I
will have a chance to see even more of a great thing...
Wynkyn
2/13/02
Dear Diary,
In four more days, I will be off on what seems to have become my
semi-annual pilgrimage to the island of Phuket. This time, I will
be gone for almost three weeks. See what happens when all that
pent up vacation fury finally gets unleashed? <grin>
Wynkyn
3/10/02
Dear Diary,
Gosh, the time just flew when I was in Phuket. It is a
tropical island paradise, and I had a chance to spend some time touring
the island and seeing all of the great sights. Even got to see an
incredible nightclub act called FantaSea, which compares favorably to
any show in Las Vegas. I do have one caution for everyone. I
decided to get a foot massage, and I was enjoying it when suddenly I
felt a pain in my big toe. It was only then that I remembered that
this massage involves needles. I was brave enough to finish it,
but it is not on my short list of things to do again...
<grin>
I spent a few days in Bangkok before returning. The
sights and sounds of that city are still with me. Wonderful
temples everywhere. Even got serenaded in a couple of hotels by
some great singers who appreciated the way I appreciated their singing.
But where else can you go, sit in the front row and be one of only 5-10
people enjoying the performance? Great fun.
Wynkyn
10/20/02
It has been soooo long since my last vacation. Finally I
had a chance to get away for a very relaxing time. Four days in
the Big Easy (New Orleans), checking out all of the interesting places
in the French Quarter. We stayed in a nice hotel just off Bourbon
Street; and I managed to stay up half the night with a new friend I met
there who told me about his life in the Quarter. Then a week on
the cruise ship with stops in the Grand Cayman and Cozumel and
Progresso, Mexico. And naturally, I went off in search of ancient
Mayan ruins (Tulum and Chitzen Itza). It was hard to come back to
the cold North after such nice sunny days...
Wynkyn
2003
1/18/03
Dear Diary,
I will be leaving today. Getting away from the snow and
freezing temperatures. Away to ChiangMai where the people there
think it is winter. The winter temperatures drop down into the
70's and sometimes the 60's. The people wear warm winter clothes
of thick jackets and sweaters. I will wear a t-shirt and catch a
tan while I am there. The people will not understand how I can
stand the cold. Side trips while I am there will include a trip to
Cambodia to visit the temple of Angkor Wat, said to be extraordinary.
I have already packed 8 rolls of film... <grin>
Wynkyn
2/8/03
Dear Diary,
Another great trip. Up in ChiangMai, we rode elephants,
rafted down the river, visited the Night Bizarre, and even played with
tame monkeys. I had a chance to observe cock fighting, kick
boxing, and more. In Cambodia, we visited Angkor Wat and the
ancient city of Angkor Thom, which are extraordinary feats of building.
One of the things that made my trip so special was getting invited to
dinner at the home of some Thai friends we met. They cooked a
seafood banquet of extraordinary delights for us and gave us a rare
glimpse into their lives. Of the places I have been, this part of
the world continues to draw me back.
Wynkyn
2004
2/28/04
Dear Diary,
Another great trip. I visited Kanchanaburi, which is where
the movie "Bridge over the River Kwai" happened. It was
an extraordinary thing to wander the graveyards and the war museums
there. It was a chilling thing to see and learn about the real
story.
Then on to Phuket to be re-united with friends. They even
threw a "Welcome Back Wynkyn Party". I got in many trips
to the beach for swimming and some sun as well as side trips to
magnificent temples. I even got to a special park built by the
Princess to tell the people about Heaven and Hell. Although their
concept of heaven is different, I think most Christians would agree with
their picture of Hell.
I am no sooner back than I begin to think about the next
time I will return to this extraordinary place.
Wynkyn
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Wynkyn thought it would be a good idea to make notes in his
journal from time to time. 