I just returned home from 40 days in thailand, i brought my alpacka dory and it really changed the entire trip trip for me. I live in homer and use it in kachemak bay frequently. I put it in my luggage and as a travel theme it took over my trip. I rented a motorcycle and it fit nicely on the luggage rack, i bought many maps and asked locals and set out from chiangmai in northern thailand and saw things and met people i would never have encountered had i not been out on the water. It worked well in rivers with the paddle in kayak mode, lakes , reservoirs, ponds , and marshes were all my friends. When you appear at the edge of a rice paddy in an irrigation ditch the locals have a way of taking an interest in you. Appearing at a shoreline with a backpack no one has any idea what you are up to , when they see what you are up , in thailand anyways, they seem absolutely delighted. and things just kind of take off from there. One night i went out at dusk and watched it get dark , and layed back and stared at the stars. I may have slept a little. When i was paddling back in a group at a beach bar could see the white tips of the oars coming in out of the dark and no idea what it was, when i emerged out of darkness , folded up , and took a seat at the bar i may as well have come in from the moon, i was poured more than one glass of mekong whiskey, and a great evening followed. I think these rafts are truly vehicles for keeping the water option open at all times and getting off the beaten track. I met people and made friends that referred to me as the guy with the blue raft, Now i keep it in the trunk of my car and use it as an option for a place to meet, "why don't we talk about this while we're floating?" The alpacka dory is really a kick. will anderson
by wanderson » Sun Oct 28, 2007 5:24 pm 