Bjorn Holland got in touch as Project Pineapple was in it's planning stages. But for incompatible timing Bjorn would have joined the ride for part of the way. He too was and still is concerned about Cluster Bombs in Laos.
Here is a recent email from him. Look at his amazing journey that he continues on after his spell through Indochina.
Click too the Charity banner on his webpage:
http://www.panomoto.com/
Around The World By Motorbike
from Bjorn Holland
to rkinnear
date Sat, Apr 10, 2010 at 5:21 AM
subject Re: Around The World – News from Bjorn
signed-by gmail.com
hide details Apr 10 (10 days ago)
Hi Robert,
Good to hear from you! I got to say, I'm jealous for your location (Bangkok) – so close to some really great countries and fantastic riding opportunities! Especially Bali & Lombok must have been great. Did you go diving there?
Regarding cluster bombs: I had news from Handicap International in the UK that the UK government has signed a ban of cluster bombs just recently. So at least there's progress..
At the moment I'm in Cochabamba / Bolivia. I've got to say that after the rather boring straight roads in Argentina & Paraguay, I now really enjoy the off-road mountain-tracks here in Bolivia. It's a constant rumbling & rattling on the bike, as there's hardly any tarmac in this country. For the past week or so I followed the Che Guevara trail – which is basically the route he took after the revolution in Cuba, when he tried to set up Guerilla camps in Bolivia back in the 60s. I visited the place where he was captured, and also his original grave (next to an airport runway, where he was secretely buried for about 30 years before his body was sent back to Cuba).
As winter is closing in over the next few months here in S-America, I'll try to get into Colombia for some better climate and some more Spanish lessons. Literally every traveller I've met has been raving about Colombia, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing it myself.
Best wishes
Bjorn
PS: I've changed my blog a while ago into a "photo diary", which I update every few weeks.
http://www.panomoto.com/
Around The World By Motorbike
Project Pineapple
Remember, go to Archives for full story at bottom of picture column
SPECIAL UPDATE FOR AMERICANS
FOR NON AMERICANS PLEASE PASS ON TO YOUR US FRIENDS AND CONTACTS
PLEASE VIEW SITE
http://www.handicap-international.us/our-fight-against-landmines-and-cluster-bombs/in-brief/
AND FIND LINK TO
National Senate Call-In Day to Ban Cluster Bombs MAR 30
but keep up the pressure after this date
MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT YOUR SENATOR
ALSO for those who wish to make donations to Handicap International, a co-founder of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, and now widely recognized as a key international lobbyist on weapons of war, please got to:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/285080?m=96aaaf39
Be sure to contact your political representative too wherever you are.
PROJECT PINEAPPLE INITIATED WITH A MOTORCYCLE RIDE THROUGH INDOCHINA TO PUBLICISE THE CLUSTER BOMB ISSUE.
Laos was carpet bombed along the Vietnam border to wipe out the VietCong's supply lines, the multiple trails known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Now, the issue is still being swept under a diplomatic carpet.
The Iraq war opened on 19th March, 2003, with Cluster Bombs being dropped. I was in Laos walking through remote villages on a water well project when I got the news on my short wave radio. Those same villages were carpet bombed 35 years earlier and still living under the threat of 76 million unexploded Cluster Bombs.
Billions of dollars continue to be spent on Iraq but a mere 500 thousand dollars annually on clearing unexploded Cluster Bombs in Laos.
The Vietnam War ended on 30th April 1975 when the last ten marines were choppered out.
I used the Belarusian 125cc Minsk motorcyle to ride from Hanoi, Vietnam, through Laos and Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City between 19th March and 30th April representing respectively the start of Cluster Bombs being dropped on Iraq and the final withdrawal of US marines from Saigon.
Visits were made to various relevant projects and programs both for clearing unexploded bombs and supporting the victims.
Should you be in any of these countries it is worth
finding out what you can about this 'forgotten' problem. Rural children and adults are still dying and being maimed every day.
Please email any comments to : project.pineapple@yahoo.com
Remember to go to Blog Archives at bottom of Picture column for the full story.
See you around
Robert
SPECIAL UPDATE FOR AMERICANS
FOR NON AMERICANS PLEASE PASS ON TO YOUR US FRIENDS AND CONTACTS
PLEASE VIEW SITE
http://www.handicap-international.us/our-fight-against-landmines-and-cluster-bombs/in-brief/
AND FIND LINK TO
National Senate Call-In Day to Ban Cluster Bombs MAR 30
but keep up the pressure after this date
MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT YOUR SENATOR
ALSO for those who wish to make donations to Handicap International, a co-founder of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, and now widely recognized as a key international lobbyist on weapons of war, please got to:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/285080?m=96aaaf39
Be sure to contact your political representative too wherever you are.
PROJECT PINEAPPLE INITIATED WITH A MOTORCYCLE RIDE THROUGH INDOCHINA TO PUBLICISE THE CLUSTER BOMB ISSUE.
Laos was carpet bombed along the Vietnam border to wipe out the VietCong's supply lines, the multiple trails known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Now, the issue is still being swept under a diplomatic carpet.
The Iraq war opened on 19th March, 2003, with Cluster Bombs being dropped. I was in Laos walking through remote villages on a water well project when I got the news on my short wave radio. Those same villages were carpet bombed 35 years earlier and still living under the threat of 76 million unexploded Cluster Bombs.
Billions of dollars continue to be spent on Iraq but a mere 500 thousand dollars annually on clearing unexploded Cluster Bombs in Laos.
The Vietnam War ended on 30th April 1975 when the last ten marines were choppered out.
I used the Belarusian 125cc Minsk motorcyle to ride from Hanoi, Vietnam, through Laos and Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City between 19th March and 30th April representing respectively the start of Cluster Bombs being dropped on Iraq and the final withdrawal of US marines from Saigon.
Visits were made to various relevant projects and programs both for clearing unexploded bombs and supporting the victims.
Should you be in any of these countries it is worth
finding out what you can about this 'forgotten' problem. Rural children and adults are still dying and being maimed every day.
Please email any comments to : project.pineapple@yahoo.com
Remember to go to Blog Archives at bottom of Picture column for the full story.
See you around
Robert
One Reason for the Name Project Pineapple
Monday, April 19, 2010
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