http://www.darrensimpson.net smiles of the world Wed, 18 Feb 2009 06:48:10 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en jan/feb 09   Sapa Viet nam .....After a few days battling strep throat and fever in Hanoi,i took the 8 hour night train to the Vietnamese/Chinese border-town of Lao Cai,..  45 minutes and a 2 dollar minibus from the train station had me back in the mountains of Viet Nam..Paging through my ... http://www.darrensimpson.net/?p=464 25 January 09  SaPa, Viet Nam .....If silence is golden and pictures are worth a 1000 words,.. then my name should be Midas,and i should load the 2 gigs of photos from my nikon D90 to explain the past 2 months..I have trekked through some jungles..and dark forests...experienced a french revolution,,and ... http://www.darrensimpson.net/?p=458 22 Dec. 08 Chiang Mai, Thailand ...The alarm went off,and i immediately knew it was one of those mornings that i should stay in bed...my better judgement impaired by the fact that i had only "slept" for three hours,..i got up showered,shaved my teeth,and headed out to meet Jon and Ruben. ....After ... http://www.darrensimpson.net/?p=406 ...Four months ago i landed in Bali,and the hook was set.The culture,people and landscapes drew me in,.and i knew very quickly a new love affair had begun.I've always enjoyed the sense of motion that traveling provides.,but Bali begs you to stay,and dig in, I freely admit that it was a ... http://www.darrensimpson.net/?p=418 4 nov.08 Ubud Bali ...Sitting in the shade of the ceremony hall at the busy intersection of Jalan Ubud and Jalan Suweta has become something of a pastime.The room i rent at Dr. Gede Budanas' family home is only 75 meters north on Suweta,so it's a close spot from which to ... http://www.darrensimpson.net/?p=358 24 oct. 08 Singapore 29 days..,a wedding,new friends,a reunion and a nearly expired Indonesian visa landed me in the city/country of Singapore. Almost a month before,i obtained a $25 "visa on arrival" at Denpasar International Airport in Bali. Not feeling remotely close to being done,Singapore was the nearest visa run option.$170 ... http://www.darrensimpson.net/?p=336 My new existence is suiting me well..The days moving at a leisurely pace...there's nowhere i have to be...so it's hard to be late.The town of Ubud has got its grips on me,and i haven't fought much to get away.I've moved out of the small bungalow that i was staying in,and ... http://www.darrensimpson.net/?p=300 3 oct. 08 ubud bali "....sorry simpson,,i’m late.."…7:45 am…Nyoman steps off his motorbike and unlocks the door to the photograghy gallery that he works in,.a small plastic bag in his free hand. Two days prior wandering aimlessly around Ubud,I had stepped into the shop to browse the large prints and escape ... http://www.darrensimpson.net/?p=245 I’ve never been one to bang on doors,or knock incessantly..i prefer to allow them to open purely by a well directed breeze.Many times during my travels,prevailing winds have led me to places and situations that a map or guidebook never could have.. Letting things just happen has led me to the ... http://www.darrensimpson.net/?p=277 27 sept. 08 Ubud,Bali My room is situated on the second floor of a two story bungalow. Twenty five square meters,white washed brick walls.The ceiling is tall,cone shaped,constructed of teak..an inverted matchstick funnel with a ceiling fan spinning slowly in its center to move the humid air.The ... http://www.darrensimpson.net/?p=207