Hi, I'm PT Bear [the third]

and i just arrived in California, with BC's roommate, Joan. I'm not sue exactly where in N Cali we are, though - i will have to find out!
Anyway, Joan is going to teach me how to be a lumberjack! WooHoo!!!!

this is a picture of me:



I look forward totelling y0u all about my trip!!!!

Happy Trails from PT3

I'm on my way to England!! then France

i am beary excited to be going to england, to visit my friend, Alice! the usps says it will take 7-10 days to get there!

here is a link to a map bc is making for my trip!

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=100252030711946448513.0004808877acfb6979711&ll=43.635702,-116.273589&spn=0.014753,0.025706&z=15

cKenny Bear finally checked in!!!

Hey BC!
I'm so happy to have gotten your email, and I apologize for not writing you sooner. As you will soon see cKenny and I have been very busy traveling the world. He's such a great bear and I think you from the bottom of my heart for you sharing him with the world and most of all...with me. =D
We've done a lot of traveling together, but He really wants to tell you about it. So...I'll type while he dictates, but I must warn you...he's very excited to tell you all about his travels. Please try to bear with him, there's a lot to talk about! I promise that we will both stay in touch from here on out. We have lots more fun to have together. =)
I hope you've had a great summer and I hope you enjoy the fall. It is beautiful here in NY this time of year.
<3 Jenn
Now, what you've been waiting for. cKenny...





Hi Family!
I know you haven't heard from me in quite a while and I'm so sorry...you wouldn't believe how busy I've been! I would like to start off and tell you that I miss you all and I've been having such a great time.
I think Andrew told you that he took me home with him to Durban, South Africa, right? Well, after about a month of exploring ZA with him I met his friend from NY, Jenn, and she adopted me.
We traveled down the coast of South Africa and stopped in Coffee Bay for some cliff jumping, drum lessons and hiking. We then traveled down the coast to Wilderness where we went Kloofing [a ZA version of canyoneering], paragliding and relaxed along the besutiful coastline. We left Wilderness and went down to the southern most point of Africa, Cape Town! We only stayed for a few days because Jenn missed her friend in Durban, so we took a spontaneous flight back to Durban for a few days and then flew up to Johannesburg in preperation for our next trip to Thailand!!! Jenn ended up buying me a pin with the South African flag on it to thank me for traveling with her. I wear it every day now.
I was so excited to go to Thailand, but I was also a bit nervous. I mean, who knows what that do to stuffed bears there?! Well, they welcomed me with open arms and we had a great time. We flew into Bangkok and spent a few days there exploring temples, trying new and strange foods and experiencing the Thai New Year Water Festival! For the hottest week of the year the entire country has the week off from work and hosts a country-wide water fight! Everyone has squirt guns, water baloons, cups/buckets/bottles full of water and face paint to cover you with. It was impossible to go anywhere without getting wet. At one point Jenn's new purse got so wet that it dyed me purple for a few weeks! She eventually got me clean again, but I'm thinking it was a good look for me. I'm considering getting some more color in the future...
Eventually we left Bangkok and headed north to Chang Mai where we explored night markets, ate crickets [they werne't too bad...but I had to talk Jenn into trying one. She was hesitant, but eventually tried it.] and then we went on a three day trek through the Thai mountains and into hilltribe villages. It was so much fun, and so neat to see how these people lived. We slept on cotton mats on the floor and there weren't even real bathrooms or showers. We ended up leaving the villages on bamboo river rafts...we just rafted down through all sorts of rapids until we finally reached a village where a truck was waiting to bring us back to our hotel. It was a lot of fun, but I got a little tired rowing all day and sitting out in the sun. Whew! We headed north a few days later into Chang Rai and explored some ruins. Eventually we had to head back south and ended up in Bangkok again. We spent a few more days here and then decided to go to Cambodia!
So we took a bus across the border into Cambodia and ended up at Siem Reap...the small city famous for the ruins of Angkor Wat. You should look it up online, it's amazing! The ruins seemed so untouched. We hired a private tuk-tuk [mortorbike with a small passenger cart on the back] to drive us around the ruins all day. WE actually went out for the sunset, and sat on the steps of a temple and watched the sun rise over a small lake in front of the temple. It was breathtaking and I felt like I was on a totally different world. We explored new and interesting temples all day and I even got to go through the temple that Toumb Raider was filmed in! We ended the day by watching the sun set from a very large and tall temple, and then took our private motorbike back to the hotel in refelctive silence. It was an amazing day and I would give all my fur to go back again someday. A few days later we took another bus down to Phnom Phen [I think I spelled it right] and got to see the killing fields and a famous prison known for genocide. It was a sad day, but I learned so much about Cambodia and it's history that I'm glad I went. We did go out and have some fun though...we got a great Cambodian dinner and went out exploring at night. Eventually Jenn decided that she was going to continue south to Vietnam. So...before I knew it we were on a bus again crossing the border into that very country.
Vietnam was unexpectedly my favoritte. The people were so nice, the food was amazing, and the culture is so full of vitality. I would love to come back and live here someday. Not to mention that there were plenty of stuffed animal shops everywhere...you should have seen some of these cute animals. I've never considered dating a different animal before, I mean...I've been a bear only kind of bear, but I met this really cute stuffed penguin and we hit it off right away. She was traveling too and I think she just...got me. I hope to see her again someday. You wouldn't believe all the places she's been! Hopefully I'll get to go to all those places someday. But...anyways. We got into Ho Chi Minh City and spent a few interesting days there. It was unlike anywhere I've ever seen. It was so busy, people were everywhere, motorbikes were zipping by, markets were flooded with activity and there was always something to do. We headed out to Nha Trang next and took a boat tour of the islands off the coast. We did some snorkeling in beautiful coral reefs, went cliff jumping and had a great time with new friends! The next day we explored and eventually found this great Reggae bar that we hung out at for the rest of the night. The live music was fun, and it was neat to meet so many people from all over the world there. Next we went to riverside town of Hoi An, which is the 'city of a thousand tailors'. Jenn got lots of clothes made...she got dresses, a custom coat, some high heels that she designed herself and a ton of shirts and sandles that were made just for her! I was on a budget, so I saved my money and didn't by anything. Plus I like traveling with just my coat anyways...it's refreshing to not have a ton of baggage. Eventually we made it further north to Hue and Hanoi...all the way in northern Vietnam. Hanoi was busy like Saigon [Hoh Chi Minh] but had a smaller town feel to it. We ended up going east to Halong Bay where we spent three days on a traditional Virtnamese style junk boat with the sail and everything! It was so neat sailing through all the limestone kasts that were standing out of the water like little mountains. We jumped off the top of the boat, made new friends, ate a lot of traditional Vietnamese food and had an absolute blast. We even got to go kayaking and into some caves. I enjoyed it. We made it back to Hanoi safely and eventually boarded a plane back to Thailand.
Now that I had been to Bangkok three times I felt like I was getting the hang of it. We wandered around for a few days and eventually we hopped back on a plane and went to Hong Kong. It reminded me a lot of New York City...just asian. I got to see the famous view of Hong Kong from above, do some shopping and explore the busy metropolis.
We then headed into Mainland China and went to Yangshoo...a small town in the south that is famous for rock climbing. Jenn, being so into rock climbing, spent a few days out and climbing while I relaxed at the hotel. We got to go on a small boat down the Yangsing river and see some small villages though. That was neat. Eventually we went north and got to go on a three day cruise to see the three gorges dam. It was so big! The cruise was fun too...even though we were some of the only english speakers on the entire thing...
Next we went to Xi' An and rode a bike around the top of the old city walls. We also went to an amazing Chinese Buffet where we stuffed our faces until we almost got sick. Never again! [well...] the city was really neat and we got to go see the famous Terracotta Warriors. Next was Shanghai, and I must say the air was so dirty. Nevertheless we explored all the markets, shops and sights that we could...including a very important Chinese Meuseam....The Shanghai Meuseam. We finished our trip in Beijing where we got to go to the Forbidden City, Tienemen Square, The Great Wall and explore the city to our hearts content. I tried the notorious Peking Duck and it was actually pretty good. I'd eat it again! Eventually it was time to go back to NY, and I was excited to see the states again. It had been a while!

Well...we got home and Jenn wasn't done traveling. She decided to go on a roadtrip across the country, so I asked if I could go. Of course I ended up going, and we ended up going to Salt Lake City first and we got to visit the City Meuseam...it's like a playplace for adults [and stuffed bears!]. Next we went to Denver, and then to Bryce Canyon National Park where we went on a three day backpacking trip through the backcountry and into the canyons. It was great! We then headed to Las vegas for a week so Jenn could visit one of her friends from ZA who was in the states for a conference. Jenn ended up breaking her wrist and ruining her plans to go climbing for the next week...so we went to the beach in California instead. I really liked Long Beach! It was so relaxing and fun. After a few days of recovery Jenn decided on doing some more backpacking so we headed into Utah again and went to Arches National Park. Again we got another backcountry pass and enjoyed three full days of nothing but the beautiful desert, red rocks and peace. I think I really like this backpacking stuff. Especially sleeping in a tent and using a camp stove!!! After Utah we headed back to Denver, up to Boulder, and then to a music festival just outside Denver where I got to see my first live rock bands! Jenn had to convince me not to get a tattoo...she says I may not want that on my fur when I get a bit older. I listened, but I think I really want a heart with 'MOM' in it. It looks so cool! We headed back to NY after this and Jenn started school again.

We went on a few trips to NYC and Boston, and in September we went to Daytona Beach for a few days for Jenn's friends birthday as a surprise. It was a fun trip and I really love being on the beach, even if it is hard to get the sand out of my fur sometimes. Oh, my tag ended up finally falling off, but Jenn found it and saved it. She says she'll make me a new one if she ever gives me to a new travel partner. I made her promise not to pass me off too soon, because she's so fun to travel with!

Well...you may think this is it, but it's NOT! I just got back from Europe!!! We decided to go to Europe a bit spontaneously, and it was interesting but loads of fun over all. We flew from NYC into Rome and spent a few days there. I got to see the Coleseum, try gelato, have Italian cappiccino, go to the Vatican City and see the Basilica [the Sisteen Chapel was closed for some reason... =( ]. Jenn really wanted to go to Germany for Oktoberfest, so I went with her. We met up with a friend of hers from England and had a great time. The beer is the best in the world, and the food is amazing. On the last day of Oktoberfest Jenn got her wallett stolen, and since it was just the two of us we were stuck in Munich for a few days until we could get some money. In that time we explored the city, took lots of pictures and fell in love with Germany. It's a great place! We finally got some money so we headed south through Austria and made it to Venice, Italy intact. What a beautiful city! Our hostel was right near one of the main canals and set back in a small alley. It was called the meuseam because it used to be a palace!!! The floors were granite, the cielings were intricate and there were statues everywhere. I loved it there!!! We even went on a goldola ride and got to see St. Marks square. Next we went to Florence where we saw the famous statue of David and try Crepes for the first time. After a few fun days we headed to Pisa, saw the leaning tower and then it was back to Rome for the end of our few week journey through Europe. I'm sure there was much more to tell about, but it's almost dinner time and I'm starving.

We may be planning a trip back to South Africa in February, so I'll keep you posted. We would be staying for three months and I might get to see a few more African countries! I'll even get to see Andrew again. It should be fun.

I miss you all, and I'll stay in touch.
Love,
cKenny bear.
pix to follow

I get to go to Germany!

LH said she would take me to Germany! yay! i finally get to go somwhere! We are leaving saturday. I am sooo excited!

camping @ warm lake

i don't know where to start abt the weekend! mc chose not to go-wanted to hang out with a friend. BC & i tried not to bug him too much2change his mind [MC is BC's22yo son] Fri., BC was going to make dinner for me & Shyla [the sis we were ridin with] but Jennifer [#2 roommate] was hogging the kitchen, so we went to B.K. after burger, got underway. After a while, Shyla said that some guy was following us. Whatever. When we realized we had gone past the turnoff to the campground, we stopped to turn around and the guy [who was still behind us!] pulled over,too!!! [scary music] That idiot girl got 00 the car to see what he wanted!!!! [scary music gets louder...] And... it was MC!!!!!!!!!! [she says she had figured out it was him-- yeah, right!] actually, she must've at least had a clue. {I HOPE!!} it was dark when we arrived--putting up a tent is so much more fun, that waY! Ezra [a bro in our cong] came over and helped us w our tents-he is such a sweetheart! i didn't sleep very well- could not get my feet warm. :( the group campsite was wonderful-- lots of room for everyone to spread out! and pure sand covered the tent sites: no rocks or pinecones sticking in our backs-YAY! About half our cong. was there. [despite the dreadful weather forecast] Friday night, quite a few of us stayed up late, bcs Sarah had agreed to drive from boise to twin falls to pick up Keenan, and they didn't get to the campground till 1:30 a.m. While we were waiting up, we saw a fox! He was quite adorable, but he was getting into food in the campground host's pickup bed. You would think the host, of all people! would know better than to leave stuff out, like that! when i did go to bed, i didn't sleep very well- could not get my feet warm. :( BC took a pic of me, at burger king b4 we left. left camera on. battery died. : ( there were lots of pix i wanted to take. Sat., after breakfast {Terry, the brother who-- with much help from his lovely wife, Kelly-- organized the outing, was the main breakfast cook} everyone just kinda did whatever: fishing; playing cards; going for walks; riding motorcycles & atv's... The motorcycles & atv's are very noisy, tho! and to me, the point of camping is to get away from all that! But it was wonderful to be relaxing amongst brothers & sisters! Saturady, a little b4 dinner [really AWESOME roast beef- - thank you, Doug!!!] it started pouring! rain. Thank goodness the community kitchen has a metal roof!!! Dinner was very delicious; and the downpour continued... BC & I had expressed some concern about whether our tent would hold up to the weather, and Doug and Terry went over & put a tarp over it for us [we didn't have one!] They are both very loving brothers-- BC says their wives are extremely fortunate!] MC has become infatuated with this card game called 'president', and has been threatening to teach it to me. Well he was off doing something else, and the group playing it needed another person, so i played a few rounds with 'em. When i went to bed, sat.,alas, my cot and my bedclothes were wet- dried out my sleeping bag by the fire, and went & slept in Shyla's car. It was very comfy, too! sunday, i was the first one up- decided i should get the fire going. the woodpile looked a little low [and rather wet!] but.. when i looked around, there was dry wood under the picnic shelter! Hmmm... who could have done that?! Guess what!!! it was MC [with help from Harley] Doug gave a short guitar concert for the early risers, then we had breakfast. After breakfast, sun., Terry conducted our watchtower study [about 1/2way through, we had another downpour!-heavy rain on the metal roof made it hard to hear] after w.t., we had a spontaneous outbreak of Kingdom songs [acapella-Doug had to leave] some are quite good singers. it was wonderful! : ) Every time we saw the sky getiing dark w clouds, we built the fire up really well, and had a fire through all the rain!!! : ) anyway, sunday was wonderful, too - i played president most of the day. we laughed ourselves silly. no one wanted to leave, but the real world was calling...but shyla & bc & i didn't head out till after 10:00 [pm], and therefore, didn't get home till nearly 1:00! oh, i forgot abt the jabenero jelly! one of the brothers brought some, and i decided to try it. it was very hot! i like things with flavor other than just hot, tho i also almost forgot about the s'mores! another one of the brothers was making s'mores--

with mint flavored andes' candies. VERY yummy!!

BC was mad, cause she didn't get one. Sorry, BC. what a trip!

cKenny has been getting out

cKenny has been getting out. He joinined me on a backpacking trip to
Chicago and New York city over the winter. This included him
witnessing me doing him proud by swimming the New York "polar bear
swim" off Coney Isalnd beach in the dead of winter!
This made him cold
So 2 days later he was en route to South Africa with me to begin the
summer there. its where Im from, so he toured the mountains called the
"Drakensberg", went to the South African border with Botswana to visit
a game lodge, visited my home town of Durban to laze in the sea and
sun.
he had his fill of South African hospitality and decided to travel
with a friend of mine, Jenn, to Thailand. He quickly tried the local
cuisine, as the pic shows.
I believe he is now en route to China with Jenn.
After that? Who knows!

All the Best
Andrew(Doug)
PS: How about a facebook page for the bears to follow them?

cKenny Bear is traveling, again! YAY!!!!

cKenny has headed to New York, South Africa and Thailand. he is
en route to China as we speak. Pics will follow!

We have not been very successful

We have not been very successful, so far, in getting the Geo-Bears traveling. A few of us have gone to Seattle. And cKenny Bear went to Chicago.
Anyway, if anyone wants a small, stuffed traveling companion, please post a comment here, and BC & I will contact you.
Have a great day!

glad we finally got that fixed!

we finally got the pix loaded from cKenny Bear's last trip! (to Chicago)

cKenny travels to Chicago for the festive season!

cKenny decided he couldn't stay home alone over the festive season, so stowed away in my bag (and other items) to be included in the revelry. Attached are a couple of pics...! Andrew

cKenny Bear in Boston

Hey. cKenny has just returned from a whirlwind tour of Boston! In 2 days he toured the Science Museum, went on a tour of the city and harbor in an amphibiuos WW2 vehicle, saw a couple of IMAX films, saw a band called the "Kings of Leon" play at the Orpheum theatre, visited the Boston aquarium, Harvard university and Cambridge, saw a comedy show, and the SkyWalk at the top of the Prudental center. He's EXHAUSTED!

A few pics are attached!
Doug

Hey! What a brilliant idea.

The couple you gave cKenny to is my uncle and aunt. I took him over after or rafting trip. Handover was in Lewiston, Idaho. I will remind them to send the pics, since there is a cute pic of the actual handover at the airport!

We rafted 5 days on the Snake river, winding our way through parts of Idaho, Montana and Washington states. I then flew with him to Seattle for a 9 hour layover, during which I visited the city. I the flew back to New York State, where I have him now. I figure I may hold on to him a little while since I am a South African in the USA for a year (intern visa), working in Schenectady, NY, involved in environmental remediation of a chemically contaminated site. I plan to travel while here until Feb2009, and will love to have him as a travel buddy.

Thereafter I willl find a suitable adoptive parent to give him to!

Attached are 3 pics
First is from the top of the space needle in Seattle, at sunset. In the background is the seattle skyline and Mount Rainier.
Second is rafting the snake river (if you look VERY closely, he is strapped to the white cooler box in the center of the raft (to be safe, AND get a view). He is with my aunt and uncle in that pic. He is SOMEWHERE between Lewiston and Boise in that pic!
Third is at the road sign to Rumney, NH. He joined me at the Nor'easter festival in the town. It was a rock climbing and music festival. He didnt climb, but watched the activity from the safety of a backpack!

Will keep you posted
Doug

This is Wendy, checking in!

My Aunt Zephyr took me on quite the whirlwind adventure. Sunny California!
The trip started a little too early in the morning for my taste. Zephyr had to drag me out of a warm cozy bed at four in the morning! We drove down to a big hotel and I thought the traveling was over. Boy was I wrong! Turns out, the nice hotel security guard was just giving us a ride to the airport.
I tried to take a nap, but next thing I knew I was rushed back out into the cold. Zephyr carried me in her purse so I could peek over the side and watch the world go by.
The airport was huge! It was really fun to ride through the x-ray machine. So fun that I got to do it twice!
Then the scary stuff started. I got on a plane where everyone was squished together. The worst part was when Zephyr had to zip up her purse. I didn't like the dark. Then it got really loud. The floor started shaking and then my tummy dropped to my feet. Ahhhh!
Then things got a little more comfy. Zephyr took me out so I could watch the sun rise out of the window. (very pretty!-see the picture, below) I loved looking at the top of the clouds. They look like cotton candy, which is my favorite!
Then it was back in the purse to run through an even bigger airport and back on a smaller plane. That one was so loud that i didn't even want to get out of the purse! We finally got off that plane and out of the airport and I was ready for a nap.
We got to the hotel in Sacramento (which was WAY bigger than Zephyr's hotel) but the room wasn't clean, yet. Fine with me, because Zephyr took me shopping!
There was a giant mall across the street with a million stores. My favorite part was riding up and down on the glass elevator. After a good breakfast, we got checked in and went right to sleep.
The rest of the weekend was crazy. We went to bunch of strange people's houses and ate a lot of food.
Zephyr and her boyfriend swam in the pool, but I didn't want to get wet so I worked on my tan.
We went to something called a 'wedding' that was a lot of fun. A guy and a girl talked about how much they loved eachother and kissed a lot. And then we ate some more and danced the night away.
The next day was the trip back. I wasn't as scared this time, because I knew what was happening. Two more plane rides later, I was back in Boise. I had a lot of fun, but I missed my home. So there's my story, hope you enjoyed it! Love, Wendy.

PS- thank you

PS- thank you, Aunt Zephyr, for taking me with you. I had loads of fun!!
I can't wait to go on my next adventure!!!

New York!

I am so glad I am in New york! but I have serious jet lag-- gotta get some rest.
cKenny Bear

I'm going to California!

I am very excited. I get to got to California, and see a palace! I can't wait to meet the queen!

And she's getting married, so I'll get to meet the king, too!

Whoohoo! Thank you, Zepher, for letting me go with you!

Wendy

Thank you, Ji

To Ji:

Thank you , so much, for taking me with you to Washington, and for making me a part of everything you did. I've never had so much fin in my life!

The scariest part was the washed out road. it looked like a river! Man, I could have gotten washed away!! I was hangin' on to that pole for dear life!!!

Anyway, we're all home, safe & sound, and I had a great time.

Thanks again, Ji!

Love, Cole Bear

Here are some pix

The washed out road in Index was something to see!
We went to Granger, Wa to the Dinosaur Park. The dinos weren't scary, at all!
And stayed the night in La Grande and got home safely by noon.
Here's a link to some pics of our trip
Cole bear
PS Patty (our hostess) said she would email me the pics from the lake, soon. (I forgtot my camera, that day!)

http://picasaweb.google.com/Bear0035/ColeBearInSeattle

I'm back in Boise

I'm back!-- very glad to be home. We had lots of fun, but I am too tired to blog it all, right now. I need a nap!
Cole Bear

from Ji & Cole

We went driving around Index. Craig, our host, drove us up to see the Big Foot statue. Then we up Galina Rd where the road was washed out. Cole Bear was the model to show how bad it was. We will send pictures soon. We all are not used to this wet weather- hope it stops raining. Would love to go rafting again if it gets warmer.
Love Ji and Cole Bear..