Name: Nik vWurzbach City, Country: Düsseldorf, Germany Sent

PLEASE install those very message/posting or I will only stop when I feel necessary because everything is free. Nobody should be deprived of the freedom of good thoughts. [...]

To call me and my best friends cowards and greedy is a free thought, but those postings can be seen insulting if you don't give your free arguments for that in a way that everybody can understand it.

It's strange of you to conclude that I only think about MONEY, especially if I travel around the world NO-BUDGET and my website costs more than I could bear, but I thank my sponsors for helping me out with that.

Yes, and I sometimes enjoy a cigarette but I don't promote smoking. I know it's bad and it is my own stupidity that I still smoke. But you should respect each others differences and not just call it bad "or you will miss your heaven" (another thing that has no logic without clear explanation). I don't understand where you get the thought that I am not patient? That's the only thing I have to be during my travelling. Yes, I drink too, but I am always the guest of some host, who of course might take me out for a drink. Is that WRONG? Is that immediately HELL?

It might be in your culture, but you have to respect differences between people. That's one thing to remain in peace with eachother.

Calling names and writing these statements only makes me disrespect you and your thoughts. You are free to give CLUES to be TRUE and HONEST, but do it in a respectful way so everybody understands.

Congratulations for your idea!

Editorial from a Romanian newspaper:

Why are Americans so united? They don't resemble one another even if you paint them! They speak all the languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations. Some of them are nearly extinct, others are incompatible with one another, and in matters of religious beliefs, not even God can count how many they are.

Still, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart. Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the army, the secret services that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed on the streets nearby to gape about. The Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand. After the first moments of panic, they raised the flag on the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and on every car a minister or the president was passing.

On every occasion they started singing their traditional song: "God Bless America!".

Silent as a rock, I watched the charity concert broadcast on Saturday once, twice, three times, on different TV channels. There were Clint Eastwood, Willie Nelson, Robert de Niro, Julia Roberts, Cassius Clay, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Springsteen, Sylvester Stalone, James Wood, and many others whom no film or producers could ever bring together. The American's solidarity spirit turned them into a choir. Actually, choir is not the word. What you could hear was the heavy artillery of the American soul. What neither George W. Bush, nor Bill Clinton, nor Colin Powell could say without facing the risk of stumbling over words and sounds, was being heard in a great and unmistakable way in this charity concert.

I don't know how it happened that all this obsessive singing of America didn't sound croaky, nationalist, or ostentatious! It made you green with envy because you weren't able to sing for your country without running the risk of being considered chauvinist, ridiculous, or suspected of who-knows-what mean interests.

I watched the live broadcast and the rerun of its rerun for hours listening to the story of the guy who went down one hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or of the Californian hockey player, who fought with the terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that would have killed other hundreds or thousands of people. How on earth were they able to bow before a fellow human?

Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put in a collection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit which nothing can buy.

What on earth can unite the Americans in such a way? Their land? Their galloping history? Their economic power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases which risk of sounding like commonplaces. I thought things over, but I reached only one conclusion.

Only freedom can work such miracles!



Name:_Robin_City,_Country'>Name:_Brian_City,_Country'>Name: Joey
City, Country: Hermosa Beach, CA, USA
Sent: 5.19 PM - 10/17 2001

Hi all. I just found this site today and i am quite impressed. Fantastic. I just read the reports for the last week or so. Intrigueing. Has Ramon found any romance in his travels yet? I realixe he is only in each place for a day or 2.. but you never know. So..?

Hello Ramon, your attempt has stimulated my adventurist spirit. Congratulations! I'd invite you if I had my own house. But as an au pair I live with my host family. Maybe I can do this when I come back to Turkey, can't I?

Hi Ramon

It is so rare when someone actually realises that, although some people are financially poor, they still have a happy life.

I have been showing some Belgians around, and they too were surprised when I told them some things. Electricity in the squatters' shacks, for example, is unexpected. I get the impression that the international media portray white South Africans as being a group of extremists that force black South Africans to live in squalor without basic amentities.

Thanks to you, all those who read your reports will be more enlightened. Yes, there is a history behind this, but the fact remains that this country is improving. People are getting running water, electricity, tar roads, telephones, etc.

Although financially poor, the squatters in this country have, in some respects, a better life. They have a freedom that cannot be understood or appreciated by most "non-squatters".

As for the act of offering transport to domestic workers, someone fed you wrong information. Many South Africans of all colours offer transport to their domestic workers, either to their homes, or to the train station or bus terminal. It has been like that for years, and will probably continue to be like that for many more years.

Once again, a huge big THANK YOU for showing the world what is going on here. Yes, there is crime, and yes, we do live behind locked gates and high walls, but it is only a very small pecentage of the population that is criminal. The vast majority of us are peaceful, respectful, and honest people, trying to have less month remaining at the end of the money.

Hamba kahle, Ramon, and we'll meet in Durbs!

Brian



Name: Robin
City, Country: Cape Town, South Africa
Sent: 10.56 PM - 10/16 2001

Its really difficult to write a message when Ramon is looking over your shoulder. Ok hes gone now, i can write what i feel, by the time he reads this he will far away where he cant hurt me. Jokes, Ramon, good luck with your travels and I wish you well.

Adventurous Dutchman

Got your telephone message, Ramon. Sunday is open. Just pitch or call for a lift from Stellenbosch if you need one. Cheers Patrick

Hi Denise,

sorry, I forgot to thank you for your gift. Thanks so much for your flowers and the seeds - they will take some time but we did sow them yesterday.

regards

Hi there Denise!

Dear Ramon

It was lovely having you as our guest and I learned a lot from you even though you are much younger. I was amazed at how you remember everything (as I do talk a lot as you have mentioned) you never wrote anything down during conversations but still managed to capture the essence of what was said. We want to invite you to feel free to call us anytime you are in the vicinity again. Ryan keeps asking wher Ramon is and why Ramon went to stay with other people. I hope you have a wonderful time in the Western Cape and that you will love it so much you would not want to leave for a long time. God bless.



Name: Denise Eysele
City, Country: Brackenfell , South Africa
Sent: 8.01 AM - 10/15 2001

Dear Brian

Thank you so much for the lovely gift you sent with Ramon for us. My son was thrilled as he loves boiled eggs and could not wait to use it. It now officially belongs to Ryan. Thank you once again you could not have chosen a more perfect gift.



Name: Arjan
City, Country: Houtbay, Cape Town
Sent: 7.10 AM - 10/15 2001

Hi Ramon,

Arjan
PS - have subscribed to your mailing list

I would advise as many people as possible all over the world, to do exactly what you are doing.

My boyfriend recommend your website for me.

Hi Ramon

Just read your post from Oct. 8th where you give us a taste of Cape Town, including your "communication challenge" with Ludo. I really love your writing, and I love the sincerity and honesty about life that comes through in your sharing of yourself and your adventures. I have a very full life, and I don't read most of the email newsletters I often get, but I am enriched by taking the time to read of you and your adventures. Keep it up.

Have invited you to THE KRAAL, you have to come. Am not sure if I sent the invitation correctly, hope so. Look forward to seeing you

Hi Ramon,

I hope you had fun while you stayed with me and that you are not as burnt as I am now!! and yes, I still have my job - joy!
Enjoy the rest of Cape Town and what it has to offer and may the rest of your journey bring you new and interesting experiences. Thanks again for the good time, it was really cool.
Take care and feel free to visit any time again!
Brian



Name: Bapa
City, Country: London, England.
Sent: 1.31 PM - 10/12 2001

Hi Ramon - Yo Dude!

Hope you are enjoying your visit to Sunny South Africa. But, may I ask if you will be staying with just white people? I think that because 90% of the population of South Africa is not white, you will not experience the real South Africa if you only stay with white people!! Sorry to criticize, but I think it is an important point...

Will you be meeting Nelson Mandela? Maybe that would be possible, indeed it would be amazing!

And finally, will you be going to any other countries in Africa? Maybe you can portray a more positive image of Africa and her people than the negative image of this great continent we often have here in the West.

Peace dude!

Bapa.

P.S. Be sure and try the 'malawi cob', I think you will enjoy this experience very much dude! :)

To visit other countries in Africa I do depend on invitations from those countries. Until now: 1 invite from Ghana, Egypt, Namibi and Mozambique... That doesn't really make it possible to travel to these countries the way I do, I must say...



Name: Wendy Jervis
City, Country: Sheffield, UK
Sent: 10.25 AM - 10/12 2001

Hi Ramon,

Thanks for replying with such alacrity! I hear you and, as I wrote previously, as you gained the gentleman's permission I withdraw my criticism.

Good luck!

Read your latest report of Oct8, LOVED IT.

It was fantastic how you described your disagreement with Ludo and how you resolved it together. Excellent, RS.
Wonderful writing.



Name: Ramon Stoppelenburg
Sent: 9.35 AM - 10/12 2001

Dear Wendy,

I write about things that happen during my every day journey. The incident with Ludo is not written to be rude to him or to affront his way of communicating.

It's written as a situation and how it occured.

After all, there is no anger between Ludo and me anymore, be both learned from the situation. That's why I wrote it too.

I won't write about the good things only, as there are no bad things. Any person who invites me, gets me how I am and I write about all that.

Yes, I obtained Ludo's full permission to write the report like this.

Please don't feel offended that I don't write with the sugar-coating.

Dear Ramon,

Of course it is just my opinion but I think you have been quite rude to write in such detail about the intense personal discussions you had with Ludo Van Oostende.

I would feel different if you had been discussing world hunger for example, and you wrote about both point of views and the culmination of the discussion. That would be of interest to everyone.

In this case however, you were affronted by this man's poor communication skills and although you had every right to let him know that you were unhappy about it on a personel level I'm shocked that you have published the details on your website for all the world to see. If I was a future host I might have second thoughts about speaking candidly to you.

I feel you have taken an unfair advantage of your position and I'd be interested to know whether Will Ludo Van Oostende will get an equal and prominent space to reply if he feels he needs to respond to your report?

To clarify, I am not defending Ludo Van Oostende's actions but I am standing up to his right for a certain amount of privacy. Please Ramon, as an ex-host, I implore you not to abuse your position.

If you obtained his permission to write with such candour then I withdraw this criticism instantly.

Best wishes and good luck on your travels,



Name: Ramon Stoppelenburg
City, Country: Brackenfell, Cape Town, South Africa
Sent: 11.55 PM - 10/11 2001

First of all, thank you for all compliments and criticisms. They are one of the motivators during my journeys.

I will just continue this and my journey. I still have the feeling I have just started and I still have a long way to go.

Ramon I have been following your journey from the beginning and I admire your way of traveling.

What I like most of it all is that you share so much with us readers. It is a joy for me and you sometimes follow my favorite author Bill Bryson in his footsteps - hey, you are young!

I liked what this 'GI Joe' from the US posted below, why don't you become a politician. You do already understand a lot of people and differences and if you have been around the world you'll know lots more than any president!

Ramon, would you see yourself become a world politician?



Name: Ellen Schipper
City, Country: USA
Sent: 9.09 PM - 10/11 2001

I am enjoying your travels around the world. I met up with your website through earthlink.net. It is interesting to read the "outside" world's opinion in eegards to America's war against terrorism. It is especially interesting to read about the globalisation point of view and your explanation of the issue.

We don't read much about the rest of the world's opinion - I mean the average non-politician opinion.

People here are pretty much into themselves and lots of flags are waving. It would behoof the country if people would be less superficial and would be more interested in what the rest of the world has to say.

It is very interesting what the average person's opinion is.

Take care and enjoy your trip - please don't try to set a new world record and swim across the ocean!