[Bordermarch] from Sir Andelion / Dr. Miles Jones

[tessa]

Some of you will remember Sir Andelion du Axegarth.
This is amazing travel log was sent us tonight from our friend of nearly 35 years, 
Sir Andelion du Axegarth / aka Dr. Miles Jones.
Andelion du Axegarth was a founder of Pais Cumbre' (spell?) early shire, which became the Barony of Bryn Gwlad...

Dr. Miles Jones is a linguist specialist working on a book, The Writing of God, about connections with Jim & Penny Caldwell who found indicators for Mt. Sinai on the eastern side of the Red Sea, in Arabia...  Think on that... !  God's Mountain in ARABIA !
 http://splitrockresearch.org/content/123/Our_Story/Caldwell_Biography

Miles is also an educator's educator. He could teach in any university in Europe, but he chooses to work with kids in Texas.  "Jones Geniuses" are his elementary students who can work math quicker than many adults.  
 Institute for Accelerated Learning, Inc - Jones' Geniuses

Every few years or so, Simonn and Zane and I go to visit him, or he is a guest in our home for several days.
We love him dearly and are happy to share this communication with you about his journey with daughter Michelle, "Shell."

Happy reading,
Tessa



----- Original Message ----- 
From: Miles Jones 
To: benliz 
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2009 10:01 PM
Subject: from Miles


                  My daughter Michelle was very surprized when I tapped her on the shoulder in front of her hotel in Panama City.  I had left without finding out where she was staying.  Then my flight was delayed so I missed my connection.  Thank God for the internet.  Sent her an e-mail  message from a kiosk in the Miami airport telling her I had missed my plane and to send me her contact info  which she did.  I arrived in Panama City, no Shell, got a taxi, found a backpackers hostel.  Yes, we are backpacking.  Got on the internet, got her return e-mail and walked to her hotel arriving just as the van was letting them off from their last class.  Shell just graduated with an MBA in global management from Thunderbird and this was her final class taking place on site in Panama.  She was glad to see me show up in the middle of a foreign city.

                  Met a guy in the taxi who had a sailboat in the Caribbean.  Shell and I chartered it for $85 a day to sail around the San Blass Islands for a few days.  Had to get up a 5 am to take a jeep across the Isthmus of Panama.  It is only 35 miles across but after an hour you get off the paved road.  As the mountains get higher the rain forest gets denser, and of course the road gets rougher.  We forded a river about 20 feet across and 2-3 feet deep.  Then we entered the Kuna indian reservation, arrived at the landing, took a launch out to our sailboat the Blue Sky.  Breeze and Debbie, a nice American couple took us island hopping to perfect football field sized islands with a few dozen palm trees, white beaches, and emerald water all around.  They have been living in their sailboat all their adult lives.  Raised their son Joshua on the boat, home schooling of course, or perhaps I should say boat schooling.  He is now a marine biologist. 

                   We visited the Kuna indian community islands where ancient traditions meet the modern world.  Days spent swimming, scuba diving among the reefs and an old shipwreck, sleeping, fishing, eating, getting sun, playing volleyball and partying on the beach with the other sailboaters.  It does get hot of course but one only has to jump into the cool clear water to cool down.  A swim suit is about all the wardrobe one needs.  I was seriously considering never coming back when a couple off of another boat regaled us with stories of Peru and Machu Pichu, the next leg of our journey, and how fantastic it was.  

                  The launch picked us up in the morning just after dawn.  At the landing we discovered the river we had forded in the jeep a few days ago was now impassable due to last night's heavy rain.  We had to take the launch about an hour up the river through the rain forest to the crossing, an experience I had always dreamed of. A two foot caiman seemed stranded on a log.  Our boatmate said we would see lots and lots of them going south.  Our fellow back packers are of two varieties.  Those going south like us and those going north who have already visited South America and are returning with tales to tell and traveling tips and such.  That is one reason we stay in backpackers hostels, you get to meet more people, and it is much cheaper though often primitive.  Of course we could lug suitcases instead of backpacks and stay in more expensive hotels but then we wouldn't be going upriver through the rain forest in a boat with indian guides would we?  At the crossing we crawl out onto the mud of the river bank, spray ourselves with bug spray, then help the other travelers who don't seem to know the cardinal rule of travel in Panama - Don't go anywhere without bug spray! 

                   In the heat and humidity one quickly strips down to sandals, shorts, T shirt, and cap.  We are all the same in that way Americans, Swiss, Irish, Panamanians, Kuna indians - all sweaty and muddy in identical jungle attire.  The trip back across the Isthmus is a bit more exciting than the first time.  Not only the bobbing and weaving but also slipping and sliding.  The rain has rutted the road.  I am hanging onto the straps to keep from being bounced around inside.  The jeep gets a running start down the slope to go up the next one but often has to stop and shift into 4 wheel drive and chug up slowly as if we are being pulled by a chain.  There are occasional vistas through the forest of mist-covered mountainous jungle, a bewildering array of plants and trees many overlaid with vines as well.  This is the real feel of the rain forest, wet, always wet.

                  Upon our return to Panama City we went shopping for coats and gloves.  We leave tomorrow for Peru.  We are hiking up to Machu Pichu.  It will be cold there high up in the Andes.    I will keep you posted.  
                  Dr. Jones