Travellin'

Lazy River

2006-08-17T00:06:00.000-07:00

I made it back to Laos for a second trip. There is something different about the little country; maybe a lack of tourists in outside areas or just the lack of advancement. The people have a gentle nature and are very helpful.

This is the famous tubing that happens in Vang Vien. So good we had to do it again the next day, might be the most relaxing day ever!

USS Lagarto Found in the Gulf of Thailand

2006-07-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

Early in 2005 two friends of mine, Jamie Macleod and Stewart Oehl, who own the technical dive boat M.V. Trident rediscovered an American submarine whose exact location had been unknown since it was sunk in World War II. The sub laid in 75 meters (225 feet) in the Gulf of Thailand. The USS Lagarto is believed to have been sunk during a daring convoy attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy minelayer HATSUTAKA, at 0010 on May 4, 1945.

Stuart and Jamie prepared a mission to document the wreck and submit photos and videos for positive identification. I had the pleasure of joining them as the photographer. I agreed to a secrecy agreement in May that stated we would all keep the informational and documentation to ourselves until a certain group released a documentary about the submarine. Now that a year has passed, I've been encouraged to share this with you.

Two grandchildren of one of the sailors, accompanied us on the mission. Their grandfather was one of 86 sailors that went down with the sub. Beth Kenny-Augustine and John Kenny are both from Chicago and allowed me the pleasure of visiting with them while out for the week. It was amazing to hear the effect that finding the sub had on the families. It provided closure for many of the wives and children and helped to bring them together after all these years. Before, the wreck was lost for all practical purposes to the sea.

The highlight of the trip was being able to bring physical images up from the bottom to show the grandchildren, who could not see it for themselves. The sub has been down for a long time, and the sea has taken it over. There is a continuation of life there as corals have found a home among the structure. It is at the same time a melancholy war grave memorial, and a beautiful thing teeming with life.

A fish makes a home in the forward deck gun. One of the identifying features of the Balao class submarines.

A brass fitted top to the snorkel at the top of the conning tower, where air would be accessed while the sub was resting at periscope depth.

A silhouette of the conning tower, most of which has decayed from the years undersea.

America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride

2006-06-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

I took it upon myself to train for an endurace event this spring with the Leukemia and Lympomia Socitey's Team in Training. They have people participate in endurance challenges to help raise money for this important cause. Please check out my event website for more information. www.active.com/donate/tntenc/CWHarris.

It's two days till the race, and I am here in Tahoe getting use to the altitude. 100 miles around the lake will difficult, but I am excited. I have been training for months and feel ready.

The Big Day

A Teammate from Raleigh and I on the Lunch Break.

The race went well; I finished 100 miles in 6 hours and 15 minutes, not counting the rest stops. The hardest part was after 80 miles there was a steady uphill climb that took 45 minutes.

Just after the finish. Exhausted, but feeling good. I would love to do it again, just not tomorrow.

The event raised 8 million dollars thanks to all of you who showed your support through donations.

English Camp in Northern Thailand

2005-09-13T22:39:00.000-07:00

I just finished up an English Camp in the Surin Province of Thailand. Jeff Gilbert, a friend from Woodberry who has been working with the Peace Corps for the past two years and helps with local community programs like this one, invited me to join him for this camp. I came in as a volunteer to help the teachers and students learn English for two days. They were about 11 to 13 years old and are not taught English on a regular basis, so these camps are there chance to learn a couple of time a year. They were all enthusiastic, and quick learners. Mostly it was numbers, greetings, and animals; very basic elements of the language. It is good to see that even in a rural part of the country they still understand the importance of learning a global communication tool.

Highlights:

singing in front of about two hundred Thai locals, and I really don't sing,
dancing in front of them, trying to look like a traditional Isan dancer, which I never knew I had a talent for,
and signing autographs after the camp for the excited children.

Here I am, imitating an elephant in the midst of a song I could not begin to understand, even though it was sung in English.

2005-07-19T22:40:00.000-07:00

In the midst of a long hang

Tech Diving

2005-07-15T20:37:00.001-07:00

I am now a qualified Tech diver, which means that I can dive far below the limits of recreational diving. I carry multiple mixtures of gases, and do long decompression stops on the way back to the surface. I have started this for one main reason: my friends, who own the boat I have been training with, search out ship wrecks in the area. They have found an old WWII American sub, believed to be the USS Lagarto, which went missing years ago. It looks like I will be bringing back photos they will use to indentify the sub and be the first person to photograph the site. The wreck lies extremely deep, but with proper training and support it will be quite possible. It is a new pathway for me, and I look forward to where it may take me. The trip is set for the 27th of July.

2005-05-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

Meet Mr. Nibbles, he takes care of the house when I am not there.

2005-05-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

A Serious Hammock

2005-05-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

The view from my porch.

Typical Luck

2005-05-04T00:27:00.000-07:00

I've been here for about two weeks now, and am pretty much settled. I am living in a nice place up on a hill overlooking the ocean, and really feel like I have a home now. The underwater photos are going well, as I am learning through trial and error. There have been a lot of errors, but a few have turned out well. I have a long way to go, but feel good about my path.
As always, the one day that I decided to stay out of the water something amazing happens. After having a pretty poor day two days ago, I wanted to do something else yesterday. My friends go diving, and I would have been right there with them, and at the end of the dive they stumbled into two sea turtles mating. That is something that my friend who has been diving for 10 years said he has never seen and will never see again. Quite the letdown, but I can't think that way. Part of undwerwater photography is being at the right place at the right time, and my time will come. I was too busy climbing a peak on Koh Tao and enjoying other good sides of life.

2005-03-31T22:47:00.000-08:00

Enjoying some tree planting with the local high school students.

Visiting the local high school

2005-03-31T21:21:00.000-08:00

Also traveling with Peace Trees Vietnam, was a high school group of 15 students from the Athenian School in California. The group had set up a visit to the local school, which had about six hundred students from the ages of 5 to 18 years old. When we arrived there was a large banner, welcoming the group, and a large number of students waiting for us on the steps. I felt a bit like a celebrity, and wasn't sure how the day was going to go. Quickly after the principle welcomed the group, individual students would come up and start trying to talk in the English. They were the upper level English students, and spoke very well, but had never had the chance to speak with a native English speaker. They could not have been any more friendly, and intrigued by us. It was like some exodic animal had been released on the grounds of the school and they were lining up on the balconies to get a glimpse.
There was a soccer match, and a lot of touring around the school. We also planted trees in the courtyard with some of the students. After leaving the school, we later met up with the upper level English students for lunch. We sat in small groups and had the chance to talk and get to know students further. That evening we had a cultural exchange with this same group. It was a chance for them to perform some of the traditional songs and dances of the area. The American students sang a nice version of Imagine, and a few other popular songs. It then turned into a hard core Karyoke session, which seems to be the norm of this part of the world. I couldn't understand their songs, but the energy of these kids was amazing to experience.
There were a lot of email exchanges and whatnot, and my friend Jeff, that I am traveling with, pretty much broke a lot of hearts when we had to leave. He managed to score one nice picture to remember a nice student by...awww. I later found out from the head of the English department that the students talked about the group for the next few days, and that many of the girls thought they were in love...With Jeff...Not me.

Peace Trees Vietnam

2005-03-29T20:56:00.000-08:00

It has been a real pleasure to get involved with the non profit group, Peace Trees Vietnam. http://peacetreesvietnam.com. I quickly became friends with the directors of the organization and enjoyed learning what their purpose is. As the first organization allowed into Vietnam by the government, for the purpose of land mine education and clearing, they have a long standing relationship with many people here. I was able to visit a site outside of Dong Ha, in the Quang Tri province, where there was a military base and airfield in the war. Now it is the site of friendship village, which has a large number of houses, a community center, and a school; all thanks to the support of Peace Trees Vietnam. It was wonderful to go there and to plant trees with the locals, and to have them welcome us there with kindness. It was also interesting to see American Veterans laugh and talk with a North Vietnamese Veteran, who is now the mayor of this small village.

Their major contribution to the area is the land mine education center. They bring in children year round, and have several activities set up, that are aimed at educating these children to the dangers of unexploded land mines and other ordinances leftover from the war. We met two of the victims and heard their sad stories. One lost a leg, a foot, most of his sight, several fingers on one hand. He was happy to talk with the group, and answer any questions. It happened near his house, where he and same friends were playing in a sand dune. Without warning, a large explosion killed his two friends and left him critically injured. He showed amazing strength in his life, and was an inspiration to us all. The worst part is that he never even knew what it was, and had no idea such dangers were present in his environment. This was several years back, but still today 1 child a week is injured in such a disaster in this province alone. It is just hard to believe.