This year we are taking off around the world. Our school surprised us not just by allowing it, but by being very excited about it! Of course, the main reason for the trip is to learn about the world around us — its history, cultures, natural wonders, and people. We’ll try to post regularly and appreciate our friends’ interest in following along!
– Gerry, Lou, Sacha, Thalie and Luke Waters
Our Itinerary
2014
England
Costa Rica
Ecuador
Perú
India
2015
New Zealand
Australia
Thailand
Vietnam
Cambodia
Laos
Turkey
Wanda Waters (your mother) gave me your website address. I am thrilled to see what fun you and your family are having roaming the world. I knew your mother as Wanda Phears, sponsor of the Rebelettes Drill Team. I was one of the twirlers … and when I saw her and your father, Lou, at the dinner dance last Saturday night, she said I looked like I could still be a twirler. They both looked terrific and we sat together. She gave me your website address when I revealed that my my husband, Henry and I had traveled the world for 5 years nonstop as vagabonds … though, unlike you, we didn’t have anyone to “home school”. Take a look at my travel website and be inspired. And, please let your mom know I checked out your website. Great photos! Congratulations!
Jourdan
PS — we really loved SE Asia — the Four Season’s Tented Camp in Thailand is a treasure.
We learned to ride elephants there … without the mahout. Dhara Dhevi Spa in Chaing Mai, a Mandarin Oriental with a 60 acre compound, is one of our favorites. We visited 5 times. It’s a beautiful place; and, they offer cultural experiences. I loved planting rice in their rice paddies, riding their albino buffalo, and learning about the lifestyle of the rice farmers. The hotel has free bicycles to get around. Luang Prabang is a must in Laos.
The tiny city surrounded by two rivers has many monestaries with monks, many as young as your son. Vietnam offers interesting trips to the Mekong Delta. We loved Hoi An and Hue making a point to visit various imperial tombs around Hue, which were quite stunning. In Australia … we took the Ghan Train to Alice Springs, a tour of Palm Valley, then a drive to Ayers Rock. . We ended our Australian experience with a flight to Lizard Island in the Coral Sea, the northern most island on the Great Barrier Reef. One of the BEST things we did there was a swim in Trepidation Bay where Captain Cook went aground. We snorkeled, and were amazed by the enormous (4 foot large) clams in the “Clam Garden”. We flew from Sydney to Tasmania for a one week “fly & drive” .. really interesting marsupials including a rescue center for baby Tasmanian Devils. We returned to the mainland to Melbourne and from there rented a car to drive the Great Ocean Road, even more beautiful than our Pacific Coast.
HAVE FUN!!!
Wishing you safe travels and a wonderful, unforgettable experience —-Jourdan