We are all feeling like proud parents at Crooked Trails HQ with the launch of our newly-redesigned website at www.CrookedTrails.org. Working with Seattle-based CoolBlueWeb, we’ve revamped our site from top to bottom to create a far more integrative and interactive experience for you!

Some of the new features and highlights of the site include:

* New layout and approach for our travel programs
This intuitive new structure allows you to browse by region and country and look at the array of itineraries we offer. Pricing now starts for just two people, which means we’ve opened up availability for you to experience a Crooked Trails sustainable travel program for a large span of dates throughout the year and on a more independent basis. In addition, we’ll still be offering periodic founder-led group programs on set dates, such as our return to Nepal with CT Co-founder Chris Mackay this October.

* Profiles of our partner communities around the world
Village homestays are always a highlight for Crooked Trails travelers, and we are happy to be able to introduce you to our friends around the world. The partner communities section of the site allows you to get to know your hosts before your international adventure. We’ll also be adding periodic updates to the communities’ pages as we hear from them, so you can stay connected long after you’ve returned home.

* Expanded blog
Having been active in the sustainable travel field since 1998, we’ve been tapping into our years of learning and are expanding our Sustainable Travel Tips to bring you new and useful information on a regular basis. We’ll also continue to share our reviews of our favorite travel gear, share news from the travel world and updates from our own travelers in the field.

* A fantastic calendar
Our new calendar has some great features, such as embedded Google Maps and iCal/Google calendar integration, so you never need to miss an event.

* New look and feel
We feel that the custom design elements, along with a color palette drawn from actual photos we’ve taken in the field, really enhance the Crooked Trails feel.

In the coming days we’ll continue to fine-tune the new site by adding more photo galleries, activating PDF downloads and more. We invite you to come and visit our new and improved virtual home and let us know what you think!

We have had many themes over the years; from Cowboy to Vegas, but this year we decided to go with Mexican and celebrate Cinco De Mayo. Regional tunes from down south played all night as guests moved from Blackjack to Spanish 21, from Roulette to Craps, betting big for kids in Nepal. A great spread of Mexican fare was washed down with margaritas and Manny’s Ale from Georgetown Brewing. Jello shots, roving clowns and a Mexican raffle added  to the fun!

Numbers are still coming in but it looks like we made over $5000 and are very happy with the results. We hope the winners are happy with their takings as well: Bumbershoot tickets, dinner packages, Mariners tickets, spa packages, a trip in Peru and more. The event went smoothly because Crooked Trails is blessed with amazing volunteers who get the job done with gusto and grins. We would like to thank all our volunteers who powered the event, our sponsors who provided support and donors who provided prizes, and those that showed up to gamble with a purpose this year! We owe you all a heartfelt gracias.

I have known many people act as if it’s a big deal to prepare to clean their own water when traveling. That is not the case at all – it’s EASY. There are so many different types of filtering and purifying systems now, and many are very compact – the only time-consuming aspect of the whole process is figuring out what system is right for you. I have three favorites depending on what my circumstances and destinations are.

My first choice is always the SteriPEN Handheld UV Water Purifier, which is a highly effective, easy to use pen about the size of a tube of toothpaste. You simply put the water into your bottle, insert the pen, turn on the light and agitate the water for 90 seconds. Voila! The water is clean. The one drawback is at times in cold water it can act finicky. Plan to carry an extra battery with you at all times or a back-up of potable aqua tablets. Prices start at $69.95 and go up to $149.95 when it comes with a solar powered charger. Battery life is pretty good so I wouldn’t bother investing in that. If you travel often and usually stay in hotels, this is a great way to go and it more than pays for itself in the money you save not purchasing bottled water. You can pick them up on-line or at REI.

If my travel time is short and I want to travel very light and I will be using water from a city system (ie: tap water from the hotel) then I often choose to do the cheapest and easiest thing – Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets. It’s an old standby that works well and is incredibly affordable. For about 8 bucks you get a bottle of 50 tablets, which you use two at a time to clean 1 liter of water. It does the job. The only draw back is you need to wait about 15 minutes for the tablets to dissolve, and the taste can be a bit bad which is why you should always get the little yellow bottle of neutralizing tablets as well. It is simply vitamin C but it removes any lingering taste.

If I am backpacking and pulling water from rivers and lakes, then I not only want a purifier but a filter as well. My first choice for a purifying and filtration system has always been First Need Water Purifier. It’s not small but it does the job and effectively filters and purifies your water quickly. Simply insert the tube into the water source and screw the device onto your Nalgene bottle and start pumping. It takes about 1 minute to fill a Nalgene bottle. First Need removes bacteria, cysts and viruses; it removes giardia and cryptosporidia as well as dirt, unpleasant tastes and chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides. If the water you are filtering is really silty you will have to back flush it after a long trek. It’s easy to do. The system is $115.00 and replacement canisters are $56.00 which need to be replaced after filtering about 150 gallons of water.

Having recently attended a National Geographic presentation on Ghengis Khan, I began thinking about Mongolia again and was reminded of a delightful little film I had seen years ago called The Story of the Weeping Camel. I couldn’t remember why I was so touched by this film, so, I watched it again.

The film begins slow, almost at a real life pace, making you feel as if you are living with this nomadic herder family from Mongolia.

I was intrigued by that fact that the directors had referred to this film as a narrative documentary or docudrama.  Not really knowing what that meant, I wondered if this family was real.  I later learned that the directors cast a real nomad family of herders and shot many of the events in the film as they occurred.  The film is a blend of documentary footage and narrative.

The Story of the Weeping Camel is the story of a nomadic family in Mongolia’s Gobi desert who face a big problem when their prized camel bears a colt through a difficult delivery and the mother rejects it. Repeated efforts by the extended family to get the mother to nurse the colt fail. The colt stands alone and cries for its mother. The family worries that the colt will not survive. Finally, the two sons are sent to a nearby town to find a musician who can perform a “Hoos” ceremony.

The two boys travel for miles across the desert, stopping at a neighbor’s yurt, where the young boy is delighted by his first encounter with television. They travel on to the village, and then return home with word that a musician is on the way. A musical ceremony is performed in an effort to get the mother camel to accept her colt.

The film left me feeling like I was privileged to have lived with this family and witness something magical!

As one reviewer put it,
“As the film unspools at its slow, observational pace, the effect is almost therapeutic, like sinking into a warm bath.”

The Story of the Weeping Camel is available on Amazon

Mongolian yurts photo by David Berkowitz via creative commons

Crooked Trails strives to create programs that respect and protect the natural and human environment, benefit the host community, and allow local and indigenous people the right to control their own future.  Based on David Mozer’s Code of Responsible Travel, our guidelines below help make travel an environmentally, culturally, and economically aware activity.  We follow these guidelines and hope that you will, too.

Briefly, responsible travel is:

Environmental – travel that reduces the negative environmental impacts and, where possible, makes positive contributions to the conservation of biodiversity, wilderness, and natural and human heritage.

Social/cultural – travel that respects culture and traditions, fosters authentic interaction and greater understanding between travelers and hosts, and involves local people in decisions that affect their lives.

Economic – travel that generates greater economic benefits for local people, enhances the well-being of host communities, improves working conditions and access to the travel industry, supports local services, and operates on the principles of fair trade.

ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES
Be resource efficient. Use energy, water, and other resources in a way that is efficient and appropriate to their availability in the place you are visiting.  Whenever possible, use reusable materials and recycle.  Avoid bottled water.

Minimize the impact of travel. Travel by non-motorized transport whenever possible.  Always use the most energy-efficient practicable transportation option.

Leave no trace. Do not participate in activities that harm the environment.  Do not harass wildlife or collect ecologically crucial materials.  Do not leave garbage or other items in inappropriate areas.

Do not support activities that undermine the environment. Avoid tourism activities that create harmful impacts on the environment.  Critique service providers to make sure they are not undermining ecological health in hidden ways.

CULTURAL GUIDELINES
Travel for the right reasons. Please do not travel to check off destinations or collect stamps in your passport.  Travel out of a genuine desire to experience the world and meet local people.  Take the time to get to know the people and the places you visit, rather than rushing in to take pictures and rushing out again.  Cultivate a true desire to share, and give of yourself in whatever culturally appropriate way you can.

Respect differences. When the customs, beliefs, and values of the people you encounter differ from your own, realize that they are simply different, not better or worse than your own.  Honor these differences and treat local people with respect and dignity.  Seek to deepen your understanding of other people and cultures, and reflect daily on your experiences.

Avoid causing offense, even accidentally. Be careful to avoid offensive behavior, particularly in regard to dress, photography, and religion.  Be humble and do not expect special privileges.  Do not buy or wear items that are sacred or otherwise central to the culture.

Understand cultures on their own terms. Enter a culture in a spirit of humility, with a desire to understand and a willingness to ask questions.  Do not make assumptions or act as if you know all the answers.  Truly observe and listen rather than just seeing and hearing.  Avoid racist, ethnocentric, pejorative, and sensationalizing language in your speaking, writing, and thinking.

Avoid creating barriers. Travel in a way that doesn’t create walls between you and the place you are visiting.  Walk, bicycle, or use other non-motorized transport whenever possible.  Minimize your use of technology to avoid letting gadgets get between you and the natural rhythms of your destination.  Be especially careful in your use of video and camera equipment.

Do not undermine the local culture. Do not participate in tourism activities that negatively affect local values or traditions.  Consider that you may be one of thousands of visitors and understand the cumulative effects of tourism on the local culture.  Choose activities that preserve and celebrate cultural diversity.

ECONOMIC GUIDELINES
Keep resources in the community. Spend money so that it remains with the local people.  Stay in lodgings and use services owned by members of the community.  Buy locally produced food and beverages except when this would negatively affect the community’s supply.

Do not compete for scarce resources. Where food and beverages are scare, either travel somewhere else or make sure you are self sufficient.

Do not patronize tourism establishments that undermine the local economy. Avoid service providers that siphon money or resources away from local communities to the absentee elite or outside corporations.  Be aware that in most places, spending on motorized transport has minimal benefits to the local economy because the equipment and energy are imported.  Be sensitive to fair pricing and do not seek out bargains at the expense of the local producer.

Be satisfied with what the local economy can provide. If you need all the comforts of home, why leave home in the first place?

I want to invite you to the 7th Annual Casino night! It’s a night of card -playing, Georgetown beer (and tequila/margarita) drinking, outbidding your friends at the auction, yelling at the craps table (regardless of if you know what you are yelling for or not) fun. Casino night has become one of my favorite nights of the year, sometimes so fun, I think we forget all the good we are doing.

Through our fundraising, we have improved and built schools that benefit hundreds of the children of Nepal. We have demonstrated to those children and their families that people in America care about them, so much so that they come to Nepal with Crooked Trails each year to help the people of the village build a school.

I will always remember when I went back to the first village I visited, to return with school supplies and plans to build the secondary school. The headmaster of the school told me, “We will think of you and your friends every time we go to school.” And I think of him every single Casino night.

It always continues to amaze me how far a donation of US dollars will go in Nepal. The average Nepali makes about $200 U.S. a year. If you and 4 of your friends attend Casino night, that would be equivalent to someone in Nepal donating their entire year’s pay to the school. It will be the easiest night of school construction you have ever done!

Cinco de Mayo Casino Night
When: Saturday, May 5th, 2012
7:00PM – 11:00 PM
Where: Lakewood Seward Park Community Center
4916 S. Angeline, Sea. WA 98118
Tickets: $40 – Click here to buy tickets now!
Includes: one beer, food, 3500 in chips. (1000 chips =$10 for bidding purposes)

Gamble with a Purpose – Get your Mexican ON!
This year Casino Night will be held on May 5th to honor our friends to the south and enjoy the food and drink of Mexico! Come and play casino and card games, enjoy margaritas, beer and tequila, and tasty Mexican food. Take your winnings and bid on excellent auction items! All proceeds go to support Crooked Trails and school construction projects in Nepal. Bring your friends and have fun getting dressed up. Banditos, senoritas and everything in between is welcome.

Despite the fact that people have been traveling to Nepal for years, it still feels like a magical land with its soaring mountains, deep green valleys, its mystical stupas and shrines and aromatic incense wafting through the air. For those who have been lucky enough to make the journey to this small Himalayan country, the one thing that stands out even more than the towering mountains, is the people. Their beautiful faces, joyful smiles, and willingness to dance or sing at the drop of a hat will win over even the most introverted traveler. Nepal is worthy of being on everyone’s bucket list; it truly has something for everyone and its intrepid citizens are sure to show you all of it.

It’s been a decade now since Crooked Trails’ first service program in Nepal, in the village of Gyarjtee near the lakeside town of Pokhara. We spent a week living in the village and working on a school project to construct new toilets and a staircase for the students. I will never forget the excitement of that first program, and the wonderful hospitality of the people.

Since then, we have continued to work on school projects in partnership with The Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP). We have lived in four different communities and worked side-by-side with villagers to build toilets, dig ditches, build new walls and rebuild crumbling ones, help install a water system and even build a school from scratch.

For the past several years that village has been Chandeni, about four hours east of Kathmandu. The first year we arrived we helped to rebuild a wall devastated in a landslide. The second year we returned to build their lower secondary school, and the following year we built the upper secondary. And last year we built the water system for the school. The project is pretty much complete, but the bonds we’ve forged run deep and the thought of moving on to the next village is heart breaking.

And so we will continue to travel to Chandeni, where the locals have come to really enjoy the travelers that show up on their doorsteps once a year. The village has not yet determined what our project will be this year, but in reality, just hanging out and being Nepali for a week is enough! We will help shuck corn, grass cutting, the rice harvest, haul water, play with the kids, milk the cows and volunteer in the school. It’s a week to relax, have no agenda, to explore and share. Imagine that! No computers, and no commitments other than to rise, shine and share your life with your host family. More than likely we will be spending time working on something with the school as there is still so much work to be done with the grounds; as we get closer to departure we will narrow down the work project. Travelers who want to explore the Himalayas further can opt for a trekking extension up to Tengboche, the highest monastery in Nepal.

And, I’m excited to tell you that we are offering a second trip to Nepal this year!

We’re thrilled to have been invited to a new village this winter. Our newest partner community is called Badel, and we’ll be working on building the upper secondary school there in partnership with Three Summits, a charity climb in the Pacific Northwest that will raise the needed funds. Here the daily schedule will revolve around the school construction project, working alongside the locals. You will be living with a host family and eating Nepali style; dahl bhat, twice a day, every day… Badel is located in the lower reaches of the Solo Khumbu Valley, so after the homestay service project we will simply start trekking north towards Everest. By the time we get to Lukla, where most people fly into to start their Everest Base Camp trek, we will already be acclimatized and strong and passing them all by on the trail to the tallest mountain in the world.

We’ll be offering the Chandeni Nepal Program in October, lead by Christine Mackay founder of Crooked Trails. Our Badel Nepal Program is offered in December and will be lead by Jwalant Gurung, owner of partner company Crystal Mountain Trekking and founder of Three Summits. Either trip will offer participants the unprecedented opportunity to live in a Nepalese village for a week, learning, sharing and helping; we hope you’ll choose to join us on one of these journeys.

Feel free to email me at chris@crookedtrails.org to talk about traveling in Nepal, and be sure to visit the website to download the program itineraries or apply for one of the programs – we’re enrolling now!

This month we continue looking at how you can travel safely with an interview with Cameron Strong, president of our long-time trusted travel insurance partner, CJET Global Insurance.

We asked Cam to help us separate fact from fiction regarding the need for travel insurance, what kind of coverage you can get, how it would help in recent travel emergencies such as natural disasters and political disputes, and more. Read on for highlights from our discussion.

What do you tell people when they ask – do I really need travel insurance? What are the top 3 reasons to get it?
Absolutely, I always purchase travel insurance each time I travel internationally. Travel insurance very inexpensive (usually runs 5-7% of trip value) so it is simply not worth the risk of not be fully protected from the unknown incidents that happen when one travels.

The top 3 reasons for travel insurance are:

1. Protection from the high cost of emergency medical evacuation all the way back home. Most travelers don’t realize this is not included in their domestic medical insurance policy.

2. Trip cancellation & interruption protection for amounts the traveler has prepaid which are non-refundable

3. Emergency Assistance Services (which is available 24×7 via a collect call anywhere in the world) is available to assist the traveler when they need help with a medical or legal situation.

What are the most common claims you see? How often are these claims covered?
The most common claims are trip cancellation or interruption followed by lost baggage or personal effects.

Trip cancellation & interruption claims are almost always paid as long as they are included as a “Covered Reason” for trip cancellation and interruption (listed in the contract/policy/certificate) (and should pre-existing medical conditions apply, the traveler purchased their policy prior to their final payment date to qualify for a waiver for the pre-existing medical insurance exclusion).

With the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, a lot of people have been asking us about natural disaster coverage. If one of our travelers is in, say, Peru and an earthquake occurs, what does your insurance cover?
Should an earthquake occur, trip cancellation or trip interruption benefits are available (up to the trip value) based upon inclement weather where the traveler’s common carrier is stopped services for at least 24 hours.

How would travel insurance have helped someone stranded at a European airport due to the Iceland volcano interruptions? Or how about those who were recently in Bangkok during the protests?
If a traveler was stranded in a European airport due to the Iceland volcano here are a couple of possible scenarios:

-If the traveler was stranded at a European airport (connecting flight) upon their returning home from their trip, their “Travel Delay” benefit of $150 per day (up to $1,000) would be available.

-If the traveler was stranded at a European airport (connecting flight) upon their initial travel to their destination, their “Travel Delay” benefit of $150 per day (up to $1,000) would be available, and their “Trip Interruption” benefit would also be available.

Under the Trip Interruption benefit, they would be eligible to be reimbursed for amounts they had prepaid which were non-refundable up to 150% of their “Trip Value” which they stated when they enrolled.

Travel delay benefits are also extended for those experiencing a “civil disorder”.

What are some of the things your travel insurance policies cover that people may not realize, beyond the usual emergency evacuation and that sort of thing?
Overlooked benefits include Rental Car Damage; Travel Delay greater than 6 hours; Missed Connection of a cruise or tour departure as a result of a cancellation or delay of an airline flight of 3 hours or more due to inclement weather; Baggage Delay more then 24 hours; Emergency Assistance; Supplemental Medical Coverage

If I have a health insurance policy at home through my employer, will this typically cover me overseas as well for medical costs?
Every medical insurance policy is different, so the traveler needs to read through their domestic medical insurance policy and also contact their insurance carrier with any questions they may have on coverage while traveling internationally. Some definitions of coverage for an “emergency” can be quite restrictive (such as to be eligible for benefits the condition must “threaten life or limb”). Such restrictive definition language in a domestic medical insurance policy leaves the traveler unprotected except for the medical benefits provided in their travel insurance policy.

Many individuals over age 64 do not realize that Medicare does not follow them outside of the USA, and their Medicare supplement may only offer limited benefits or nothing at all for care outside the USA.

One very costly service not offered by any domestic medical insurance is emergency medical evacuation “all the way back to the traveler’s home”.

When preparing for a trip, at what time should a traveler plan to purchase a travel insurance policy?
In order to be fully protected, I always advise the traveler to purchase their medical insurance policy on the same day as they make their initial deposit for their trip. One significant consideration for when a traveler purchases their travel insurance policy is the consideration surrounding a “pre-existing medical condition” for the traveler, travel companion or a family member back home. Most travel insurance policies have exclusion for pre-existing medical conditions. Many travel insurance will however waive this exclusion based upon when the traveler purchases their policy (usually on the date of the initial deposit of within 7, 10, or 14 days following the initial deposit). The carrier we use for vacation travel extends this waiver all the way to purchasing travel insurance at the “final payment date” to a travel supplier (for the amount that is prepaid and non-refundable).

Any other thoughts/advice concerning travel insurance for Crooked Trails travelers?
The majority of our business comes from referrals from our existing clients, please call us with your questions and advise. We enjoy talking directly with our clients to fully understand their needs and educating them on the nuances of travel insurance so they can make a wise decision and be fully protected with a policy that meets their unique needs.

We have extensive background experience in insurance and specialize in travel insurance and international medical insurance and are thus able to offer our clients “expert” advice.

One additional consideration is we can offer “group travel insurance” as a discount of 10-15% when there are 10 or more travelers who are traveling together as a group.

As a traveler yourself, what are the top 3 countries you’re dreaming of going to next?
There are so many places we have not experienced that we would like to visit, such as New Zealand, Antarctica, China, Indonesia, Africa, Russia & Eastern Europe just to name a few. So many places and so little time!

Cameron Strong, President of CJET Global Travel Insurance and fellow adventurer, can be reached at:
(206) 283-8737 and cam at cjetglobal dot net

Erupting volcano photo by coolinsights via Creative Commons

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. May your rivers flow without end, meandering through pastoral valleys tinkling with bells, past temples and castles and poets’ towers into a dark primeval forest where tigers belch and monkeys howl, through miasmal and mysterious swamps and down into a desert of red rock, blue mesas, domes and pinnacles and grottos of endless stone, and down again into a deep vast ancient unknown chasm where bars of sunlight blaze on profiled cliffs, where deer walk across the white sand beaches, where storms come and go as lightning clangs upon the high crags, where something strange and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you — beyond that next turning of the canyon walls.”

Generations of travelers, nature lovers and poets-at-heart have found inspiration, just as we did, in this quote. What quotes about travel and life have spoken to you?

The Deep Adventurer
You are: A cultural connoisseur who likes to see different facets of a country to get a fuller sense of its national identity

Your perfect Peru program: The Andes & The Sacred Valley
Dates: May 12 – 26
Cost: $2,884

Why it’s for you: From the artistic bohemia of Lima’s neighborhoods and the living history in Cuzco’s lively streets to the rustic, traditional lifestyle of the high Andes and the mystical Sacred Valley, this program is a study in cultural contrasts and immersive experiences meant to connect you to some of the many faces of Peru.

The Hands-On Helper
You are: A regular volunteer with a big heart to match your big world view

Your perfect Peru program: The Peru Service Program
Dates: June 23 – July 2, optional Machu Picchu extension July 2 – 5
Cost: $2,214 ($463 opt. extension)

Why it’s for you: You may be short on vacation time but you have no shortage of energy and enthusiasm to pitch in and make a difference! This program represents the heart of what we do and what you are interested in: a meaningful, immersive travel experience where you will live and work alongside local people, working to bring appropriate technology that will improve the health and livelihood of a traditional village well off the beaten track.

The Non-Cookie Cutter Family
You are: A parent who doesn’t like to book a typical them park vacation package

Your perfect Peru program: The Peru Family Program
Dates: July 7 – 17, option Amazon extension July 17 – 20
Cost: $2,621 adults and $1,725 kids

Why it’s for you: A village stay with an indigenous Quechua family, guided exploration of sites such as Machu Picchu, and a slower pace for those who need naptime make our Peru Family Program the perfect meaningful experience to share and remember forever.

The Nature Geek
You are: A National Geographic fan who has always dreamed of seeing the Amazon

Your perfect Peru program: The Amazon and the Inca
Dates: August 16 – 26
Cost: $3,033

Why it’s for you: Journey by boat deep into the Amazon for an unforgettable stay in a remote jungle lodge. Days are spent wtih extremely knowledgable guides and connecting with local indigenous healers and educators. Also includes a home stay in an Andean Quechua village where your host will show you how the weavers work with nature to create beautiful and useful crafts.

We are now enrolling for all of these adventures in Peru; click here to submit your application and join us!

Still not sure which Peru experience is the right one for you? Contact us to help you figure it out. We’ve logged years of travel time in Peru and will be sure to find the right match. And if we don’t have the perfect program for you, we can custom craft your dream itinerary!