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Happy New Year!
Tour dates have been added to the schedule for the end of 2009 and into the first half of 2010: India, Laos, Corsica, Slovenia and Croatia. We hope that you will be able to join us on one of the tours.
Laos has been one of our favorites for cycling from the very beginning. While long overlooked, it is now generating plenty of interest. Now is the time to give it a closer look. It's not lost any of it's slow-lane, off the beaten path charm, but change is definitely on the way.
Congrats to Dan Telep who recently completed Tour d"Indochine at the age of 74. There is no slowing down for Dan. All we can say is: "Bravo!".
Last year, we helped raise money for Big Brother Mouse via an on-line auction supported by the Officer's Club of the Canadian Embassy. We are planning on doing the same thing this year for the Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation. If you have something you are willing to donate, please contact me or Chantal. The auction will be in June. We already have some great hotel stays and other cool items. You'll need to be sharp with your mouse when the bidding starts!
Wishing you a great 2009!
All the best,
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Lao PDR: A Top Destination
Move over Italy, France and Spain! We love 'em, but you aren't going to find a week long group cycling tour in any of those places for less than a few large. In comparison, you can tour in Laos on good roads with low traffic, where there is super spectacular scenery for twice as long at less than half the cost.
The Lonely Planet has this to say:
"After years of war and isolation, Southeast Asia's most pristine
environment, intact cultures and quite possibly the most chilled-out
people on earth mean destination Laos is fast earning cult status among
travellers." ( read more)
The Guardian, a British paper, recently identified cycling in Laos as one of it's Top 5 Breaks.
Ride the Road.com has taken ranking cycling destinations to a new level and considers Laos The #1 Cycling Destination in the World.
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Dan Telep Keeps Riding
You are as young as you feel. Dan Telep, pictured above with a couple young Lao girls, recently set the Far and Away age record when he completed Tour d'Indochine. Dan picked a challenging tour. Tour d'Indochine starts in Lao Cai, Vietnam, near the Chinese border, and ends in Vientiane, Laos. It covers almost 1,200 kilometers with about 17,000 meters of climbing.
Dan, who is 74, rode every mile and even borrowed a bike when his derailleur disintegrated. While he has been biking since childhood, Dan got into serious touring 20 years ago when he purchased a Raleigh Grand Prix road bike and a friend invited him to a tour in France. Since then, Dan estimates he has done more than 50 organized tours, including 6 within the last year.
When I asked what keeps him going, Dan said: "genetics" (long pause) ....."plus I enjoy it; it keeps me in shape, it's social and there is great scenery." Dan brought his son Mark with him. I think Mark will like that answer.
Dan is an active member of Central Bucks Bicycle Club of Bucks County, PA. Visit the Wobblin' Sprocket, to see more, congratulate Dan and/or post a comment.
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Auction to support NYOF
 In Nepal, it is not uncommon for daughters of desperately poor parents to be "sold" for a small amount of cash. NYOF has been extremely successful in changing this unfortunate practice not by trying to outlaw it, but by offering a better deal. Receive a piglet or a goat, a "renewable resource", as well as a free year in school for your child instead of "selling" your child into slavery and you can do better for yourself, your family, and your children.
It is a proposition that is working! All it takes is $100 per kid to "change the world one child at a time" as NYOF puts it. We're in! The NYOF story is told in this brief video (3 minutes):
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