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Referral Credits
For every referral of a new customer to F&A, you get a credit of $100.
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Dear Robert,
The February Lao Tour is in the books.
We had a great group of intrepid travelers. I consider the tour primarily adventure biking, but there was also some adventure eating and some scary "hang time" 25 feet above the Nam Song river as well. Thanks to all the participants for their good natured participation in this one.
Far and Away is launching a new tour: South India - "In the Garden of the Gods". Whatever your pre-conceptions of India, they are likely be confounded. It's a beautiful country and not to be missed. The new tour is 15 nights and scheduled in early November, 2008.
We've been making school contributions every year in Laos. They have helped build two schools, a school bathroom, and a school playing field. This time out, we had the pleasure of meeting "Big Brother Mouse". "Big Brother Mouse" is putting books into the hands of Lao children. Most Lao children have never seen a book. Read more about "the Mouse" below.
All the best,
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Act now to save more!
 If interested in a 2008 tour, consider sending in a deposit within a week. The value of the dollar has declined vs. the Euro, which means that a price adjustment is inevitable. Far and Away will always compare favorably with other tours because we don't have overhead, but if you want the best possible deal, lock in the currently published price. To do this, you MUST send in a deposit BEFORE prices are adjusted.
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New Tour: "In The Garden of the Gods" - South India
 It surprised me, but India is no secret to British cyclists. India is a bona fide cycling destination that is as interesting as any place I have ever cycled.
Does India present some challenges? Sure. Is it flat? Definitely not. The road up to Kodaikanal is as long as any climb I have ever done and at 2200 meters, Kodaikanal is a truly high place.
To all the interesting riding you add tea and and spice plantations, rugged Indira Ghandi National Park, wild monkeys, backwater houseboats, shopping and dolphin watching in Kochi, the clear coastal waters of the Malabar Coast and ayervedic massages all over the place and, well, you have a fantastic experience. It lives up to its billing as "The Garden of the Gods".
We have picked our route carefully to minimize traffic and we stay in comfy places that provide a respite from the rigors of the road. Yes, you have to be careful. Indians drive only nominally on the left and there are water buffalo and all manner of other things sharing the road, but this is a great tour and it fits the "Far and Away" model.
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"Big Brother Mouse"
We met some engaging independent cyclists in Laos. Bob and Sue from Edmonton, Mat and Mo from San Francisco, Patrick from Switzerland. We always invite people to ride with us, eat with us, have coffee/tea with us, etc, etc.. Mat, Mo and Patrick even took a half day to go kayak with us. That was nice.
We also met Sasha Alyson, from Boston (also a cyclist!), the creator of "Big Brother Mouse" in Luang Prabang. Big Brother Mouse publishes and distributes books for school children in Laos. Most Lao kids have never seen a book and Sasha has set about changing that. The books are aimed at various levels and include Lao and Lao-English versions. Robin and Annette brought a 20lb Lao - English dictionary to help Sasha with the program.
I bought a sampler of books and dropped them off at a school near Kasi, which is outside the range of Big Brother Mouse's current reach. The kids (above) were awestruck. I'm not sure whether that was due to the books or the 6 foot guy in spandex carrying them. Maybe both.
We are going to help "the Mouse" a lot more from this point forward. It is highly rewarding (and fun) to help "the Mouse".
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No, Tom and Nicole did not come to Laos, but we had our own star power. 
