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Here's the offer - write me something amusing, interesting or a great suggestion and I'll pick the best entry from the last two week's of Guestbook entries and send something interesting from the road. I won't guarantee high value, but I will tell you a story about the item, and let you have something different of your very own - just for writing me! Hey, that's a pretty good deal!
I've come a little behind as I haven't seen any good gifts but I've choosen the winners, just waiting for good stuff. I've a pile of giveaway items set to go out as soon as I stop and can pack everything up.
So, its a good deal - go to the guestbook, write anything but make it interesting or helpful and I'll consider you as the next recipient of "Free Stuff!" from onwalkabout!
Giveaway
#3 - 2003/07/15 Tibetan style handicrafts abound in this area and Leh and those of Tibetan decent are known for both woodwork and metalwork. These Tibetan message balls, made of wood wrapped with ultra-thin sheets of copper in beautiful designs were a combination of both. Beautiful as well as very soothing as they are rolled around the shoulders, arms, legs etc. this is another handicraft from the area which seems a good giveaway.
The following guestbook entry is the winner of the third giveaway :
This entry has ID 24.
This user's email address is joyce@
Guest's Name: Joyce
Date Signed: Wed Jun 27 23:27:08 2003
Great pictures, i can see you have the perfect eyes to catch the wonderful
moment of these livefull people. good luck....let me see more of these
happy smile of around the world. joyce.
Reason this entry was chosen: First, you'll see that
Joyce is looking at my website at midnight and thanking me for bringing
her happy smiles of the Ladakhi and Indian people. Now on nights I can't
sleep, looking through pictures then bring a smile is something I can
also appreciate and am quite happy I could have brought a little beauty
to a late night. Secondly, Joyce has signed the guestbook twice bringing
me smiles as any notes in the guestbook are like Christmas presents while
on the road! I'm bending the rules a bit as the site was down for 10 days
from the beginning of July but that isn't anyone's fault but mine, so
I chose from the latest entries in the guestbook.
- Congratulations Joyce and thank you for signing the guestbook!
Giveaway
#2 - 2003/06/30 Everything in the area reminds one of the deep religious values of the area. In any direction are stupas, monasteries and seemingly anywhere on the streets you will see men and women alike with their prayer wheels turning. Every village has its 8-10ft tall prayer wheels people turn while waiting for the bus, the monasteries have their walls of wheels visitors and monks alike turn in sequence as they pass and of course there is the ubiquitous hand held wheel one will turn absent mindedly or while chanting "Om Mani Padme Hum." The prayer wheels large and small have the purpose of cleansing the soul, increasing merit and ultimately bringing the soul closer to enlightenment with their prayers. As they are everywhere around Leh, they seem to be a good item for a giveaway.
The following guestbook entry is the winner of the second giveaway :
This entry has ID 23.
This user's email address is alex.lin@
Guest's Name: Alex Lin
Date Signed: Wed Jun 23 02:30:18 2003
I guess I'm deeply buried in work -- took me two weeks to act upon receiving your mail.
Your site is as wonderful as your adventure. Take good care and remember to love
someone!
Reason this entry was chosen: The entry it self seems like poor Alex is in need of prayers due to this horrible workload so I figure giving the poor guy a prayer wheel to help him get through his days in the office with a few Om Mani Padme Hums would be the best I could do for someone who needs a vacation! If I can't give him a vacation, perhaps a gift of peace of mind and relaxation will be just as good. Besides, I did appreciate the reminder that even in all this beauty, I still need to remember those I love.
- Congratulations Alex and thank you for signing the guestbook!
Giveaway
#1 - 2003/06/15 This area of the Himalayas is known for its woolen goods which are famous throughout India for their quality and design. When one comes to Kullu or Manali the purchase of a shawl or blanket is almost mandatory with shawl stores being the most common store in the center of Manali. The wool is hand spun and hand woven in the villages around the Kullu valley and in Kashmir. I've chosen a normal woman's length shawl (here modeled by my friend Jo) as my first giveaway.
The following guestbook entry is the winner of the first giveaway :
This entry has ID 16.
This user's email address is an830girl
Guest's Name: Rebecca
Date Signed: Wed Jun 11 08:44:09 2003
How did you hear about this site? Kevin Patrick
Your photographs are absolutely amazing -- and as cliche as it sounds, you have inspired
me to leave the country, if just for a few weeks! The world has such beautiful things to
offer, all you have to do is get to them...thank you for sharing your incredible experience
with the world! Good luck out there!
Reason this entry was chosen: Since I didn't have any suggestions for me on this trip (which I would really like!) its incredible to have inspired someone to leave the US and see this wonderful world. On the day this entry was to be chosen, Paul and Jo (from Manali) and I were talking about how only a small percentage of American's have passports. In all my travels, it has been an unusual occurrence to come across Americans compared to Europeans, Australians or other countries. To have inspired someone enough to travel outside the US makes me feel like this effort is worthwhile!
- Congratulations Rebecca and thank you for signing the guestbook!