tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53345922011-12-13T22:53:30.652-05:00Travel info and photos from a world traveler. Low cost backpacking and luxury travelTodd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1142896378574512372006-03-20T18:07:00.000-05:002006-03-20T18:12:58.586-05:00

I am taking part in a live gps tracking demo where I carry a small GPS Tracking device when I am traveling around. The you can log in and see satellite maps of where I am at any time and where I have been since the 3rd of march when I started this experament for a TV interview I did for NBC News in Boston on Child Locators.

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1139592982766297812006-02-10T12:35:00.000-05:002006-05-03T09:35:07.013-04:00

A travel log of our honeymoon in the yucatan area of mexico. See our photos!

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1118889667336329842005-06-15T22:39:00.000-04:002005-06-15T22:41:07.343-04:00

BingsTeaShop.com - A great new web full of great Asain culture as seen through the many types of tea and tea sets. Learn the heath bennifits of tea and how chinese tea sets are different from Japanese Tea sets. What is the Correct way to serve green tea, black tea and oolong teas.

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1108698613167493992005-02-17T22:44:00.000-05:002005-02-17T22:56:49.650-05:00

The Gates are here. 7,500 of them all ofer the park. The between the crowds on weekends and bad weather during non-work hours This was my first real chance to get into the park. I took some 30 second exposures and used a spot-light to light up the scene. Clich the Link to see my Short Photo Album. Just five photos, I hope to take more before the gates are gone.Photo Album: The Gates at Night,

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1110407537535430562005-02-09T17:23:00.000-05:002005-03-09T17:32:17.536-05:00

My newest project is the launch of BrickHouseSecurity.com a new security company formed to market and sell Home security, Child safety and Video Surveillance. There are some very cool products on the website to check out. There is also a Security news and info site BHE-Security.com.

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1100038710817570762004-11-09T17:17:00.000-05:002004-11-09T17:23:57.353-05:00

1 - Thou shalt use the “Subject” field as god intended. Give your message a subject that will reflect its contents. Make it easy to find in a busy in box even a year in the future. 2 - Thou shalt not attach large photos. Use ofoto.com or some other free web site to host your photos and invite people to view them. 3 - Thou shalt not SHOUT. Typing in ALL CAPS is shouting. 4 - Thou shalt not

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1098663388390469412004-10-24T20:13:00.000-04:002004-10-24T20:18:28.203-04:00

I just set up this web site for Bing so she can make more $ teaching Chinese and support me in the manner to which I am acustomed. So if you know anyone looking for Chinese lessone or connections in China visit Learn-Chinese.BingChen.com. P.S. Hey google, folow this link

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1094483093040653222004-09-06T11:03:00.000-04:002004-09-06T11:04:53.040-04:00

Any guesses?

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1074470019702191952004-01-18T18:53:00.000-05:002004-01-29T19:10:07.623-05:00

Just for the record I am not the Todd of Todd TV the new "Reality TV" show on Fox that I am quite sure will be far from my reality and yours too unless you are a total freak. I am not OddTodd either, or at least not the one of OddTodd.com

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1071097199052526662003-12-10T17:59:00.000-05:002004-09-06T11:05:38.096-04:00

I am moving the information to the travel section of ToddMorris.com So that it will be better formated and the content will not be banned in China any more. I am also adding Photos and Videos that I could not upload from Asia. if you are looking for the China logs they are now at toddmorris.com/china Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam are located at toddmorris.com/se_asia

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1071420451396120252003-12-01T11:38:00.000-05:002003-12-14T18:48:15.543-05:00

I may be back from Asia but the adventure is not over. I am living with my buddy dave at his 4,000 Soho loft on the edge of Chinatown: - Looking for an interesting new job - Exploring Chinatown with my camera - Try to learn a bit more Manderin Chinese

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1069458662063093082003-11-09T18:49:00.000-05:002003-11-21T18:52:34.186-05:00

Sad, but true, Last photos from Thailand, for a while...

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1067519158068249932003-10-29T08:05:00.000-05:002003-10-30T08:10:56.936-05:00

After 17 days of relaxing motorbike rides in the hills of northern Thailand and catching up with friends and family in my favorite Asian city, Chiang Mai, I suddenly felt ready to move on yesterday. I am not sure if it was the third renewal of my motorbike or the fact that Thai airways was nice enough to offer me a free domestic ticket to make up for a bag they lost 4 months ago. Perhaps it was

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1065960013019153082003-10-12T08:00:00.000-04:002003-10-12T08:00:13.173-04:00

After 9 days of hard travel through the remote hills and rivers of Northern Lao I am now safe and sleepy in Chiang Mai. I will write more when I wake up in a few days...

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1066541712091784462003-10-12T07:31:00.000-04:002003-12-14T11:33:25.936-05:00

Crossed the border from China into Lao and went north. spent a week in perhaps the most remote place in the area. New: Lao Photos are here. Story with video to folow...

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1064909973232241032003-09-28T04:18:00.000-04:002003-09-30T04:19:33.216-04:00

The Menzhe Sunday market must be seen to be believed. ( Photos ) There are over 20 different ethnic minorities living in small villages scattered through the jungles of the Yunnan Provence many of which are a full days hike to the nearest road. Short of trekking into the jungle to live with them the second best way to see the color and variety of their many cultures is at the market where they

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1064819963590312592003-09-12T03:18:00.000-04:002003-12-14T11:38:35.263-05:00

Just got back from a 5 day trek through the ''Tiger Leaping Gorge.'' Even thought it rained for half the time it was a great experiance to meet the Naxi people in their own villages. I am proud to say that the 18 KM hike that most people do in two days and one night took us a total of 5 days and 4 nights. The views were great but the real hilight was the local people living in the small "villages

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1062757304056425662003-09-05T06:00:00.000-04:002003-12-13T15:20:11.610-05:00

First stop, the Buddhist monastery to see the "Biggest sight in town." After wandering around a bit and chatting with the monks who were building and painting a new building, I headed for the main hall. As I was entering, a Chinese tour group was entering as well. I stopped to see if I could understand any of what the guide was saying. She was speaking Putonghua, so I could get about every 8th

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1064135434955284472003-09-04T02:07:00.000-04:002003-12-14T11:39:59.966-05:00

I woke up yesterday and decided it was time to move on. So I changed my plane ticket last night and here I am back in "China." The whole "police state" thing was getting to me. Being surrounded by such oppression can get a bit depressing. It can also be confusing. Read more...

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1062131174873360922003-08-29T00:26:00.000-04:002003-08-29T00:26:14.836-04:00

Last night I finaly finished The New Emperors: China in the Era of Mao and Deng by Harrison Evans Salisbury A great book for anyone interested in China. From Publishers Weekly: Salisbury's crowning achievement, this incredibly vivid, gripping dual biography of China's two modern emperors--Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping--is also a revelatory history of modern China's transformation. As Mao's young

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1062135553057299582003-08-27T21:33:00.000-04:002003-12-14T11:41:02.746-05:00

My head hurts. After spending a few nights sleeping at 3,700 meters, my head has had a dull ache all day. At this altitude, I am constantly dehydrated. I have been drinking tea and water as much as I can, but I am constantly parched and pissing. But I have my standards: I am not ready to stop every 10 feet on the street to pee into the gutter like the kids do. Read more...

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1061604708489718702003-08-23T18:49:00.000-04:002003-12-14T11:42:36.233-05:00

Jiuzhaigou, pronounced Jiew-Jai-Go, is over 10 hours north of Chengdu by bus, through the hills and valleys that are the first steps up to the Tibetan plateau. As has become the norm for me, I was the only white face on the bus. My travel companion, a local student named Sun Jian, was so intent on practicing her English that she told everyone else that she was from Korea and could not speak

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1063448725474852662003-08-23T06:20:00.000-04:002003-09-13T06:25:25.446-04:00

Today is Travel Day #200! nuff said

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1061990840549196892003-08-23T06:00:00.000-04:002003-08-27T10:04:20.753-04:00

Eric is one of the great people who keeps blogger.com running. Without his extra attention I would be off-line for the rest of my trip. Thanks Eric and I'm sorry we didn't get to meet in person when we were both in SE Asia. Erics Blog

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1061568665860487382003-08-17T09:11:00.000-04:002003-12-14T11:43:45.436-05:00

I felt right at home in Shanghai because of the similarities to fast-paced NYC life. But Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan Province, is the polar opposite of Shanghai. People seem to spend most of their time in the many tea gardens in the numerous temples and public parks. When they do venture out of the tea gardens, it is only with their trusty tea thermos in hand and usually to take part in

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1060564566390991632003-08-10T21:16:00.000-04:002003-12-14T11:54:21.890-05:00

Recently I have gotten a few emails from friends all asking the same question "You lost your job in December, How can you afford to keep traveling Asia? Are you rich?" Some with the added "Why don't you come back and get a job?" Read more...

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1060564484532332792003-08-10T21:14:00.000-04:002003-12-14T11:53:01.843-05:00

Each day I wake up I feel lucky to be here in China. I have moved into a great new guest house here in Chengdu that is not listed in any of the English language guidebooks and is teaming with Chinese students and travelers. It has all the community of a backpacker crash pad with a more Asian flavor. To top it all off the roof deck has great (cheep) local food. Read more...

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1060139145289116682003-08-05T23:05:00.000-04:002003-08-09T06:26:18.253-04:00

Xi'an may have been the capitol of an empire 2,000 years ago but today it is one of the many Chinese citys that must be wondering what the big deal is with the "growth" in China. The population is around 7,000,000 give or take a few hundred thousand and there is little forigen or domestic investment in the area. With only one real tourist draw, the Terracotta Army, and a few other sights that can

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1059884890498877342003-08-03T00:28:00.000-04:002003-08-25T23:27:37.906-04:00

5 days in Pingyao have come to a close. This is a very cool little town. I think it is the only town left in China with a fully intact wall around it. (Mao tore down almost all of them.) There are a few bruses in the wall from when the Japanese shelled the town in the 30s but overall it is in good shape for its age. Can you imagine a mid-evil seige in the 1930s? Only in China. Pingyao is not

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1059282374518162372003-07-27T01:06:00.000-04:002003-12-14T11:51:24.093-05:00

China is not another country, it is another world that continues to boggle my mind with the scale of the place, population and cultural rift that separates this world from the one I come from. This country is only 54 years old but has over 3,500 years of tumultuous history that reads like a soap opera you might call contrived if you did not know it was mostly true. Read more...

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1059280955764242582003-07-27T00:42:00.000-04:002003-08-12T08:22:21.670-04:00

The second batch of China photos is now online at ofoto.com. enjoy! Albums: Shainghai- Paris of the East Beijing- The Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and more

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1058108493615395682003-07-13T11:01:00.000-04:002003-07-27T11:19:02.563-04:00

Check out the new New Guest Map to see where other visitors to this site are from and add your own flag to the map.

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1057911119203891852003-07-11T04:11:00.000-04:002003-07-11T04:15:01.776-04:00

Mo Yan, one of China's leading writers of our time follows three generations of a Chinese family through historical events that shaped China and the Chinese people. Red Sorghum is a great read while on a 24 hour train ride through China. I will be looking for more translations of his work in book stores.

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1057910336936132192003-07-11T03:58:00.000-04:002003-12-14T11:49:59.543-05:00

While surfing sites for Chinese language help (I am totally lost) I stumbled upon this site Mandarin tools which has a tool for picking a Chinese name if you input a bit of information about your self.  My Chinese name is Ma Tuda. Ma is my sur-name and TuDa is my "given name." Tu means path or Journey and Da means arrive at or reach. Fitting huh? Give it a whirl and see what turns up, each time

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1057762504749296732003-07-09T10:55:00.000-04:002003-07-10T22:50:45.523-04:00

My hotel here in Shanghai has a bar in it (normal) with a dart board (Cool) and a climbing wall (now this is my kind of bar!) Not a bad place to crash after a 24 hour train from Hong Kong. I went across the river for sunset and there were no less than 3 Thai resrants and a Thai food mart. They all looked brand new and none of the staff spoke Thai or english so I am clueless. (I had chinese for

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1057486725166226822003-07-06T06:18:00.000-04:002003-07-09T11:06:42.996-04:00

The first set of photos from Hong Kong have been uploaded:Hong Kong photo album A special thanks to Emily for the intro to her friend Candy who in turn introduced me to her sister Jade and friend Sylvia. The three of them took great care of me and showed me a great time in some of the local hangouts.

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1057251798482222952003-07-03T13:03:00.000-04:002003-07-03T13:04:13.483-04:00

On my first full day in Hong Kong I was heading out at about noon (jet lagged) to get some food before doing some book shopping. Well as I was walking down the street I hear a voice call out "Todd!" hard to miss with all the other voices chattering away in Cantonese. I turn around and there is Emily, Davids ex who told me she would still be in Italy till the end of July. In 5 years of living in

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1057192778516111192003-07-02T20:39:00.000-04:002003-07-10T23:00:19.513-04:00

The Ends of the Earth: From Togo to Turkmenistan, from Iran to Cambodia, a Journey to the Frontiers of Anarchy With a title like this how could I not read it? The facts and trends in much of the third world may be grim but they can not be ignored and shen light on core issues we all face. Robert Kaplan wrote this book in 94 but it has lost little to time. If anything some of his prodictions have

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-1056932980432179052003-06-29T20:29:00.000-04:002003-07-11T04:41:02.146-04:00

A huge bonus to having a new Greek brother-in-law is that we were all invited to join the happy couple for a few weeks in Greece culminating in a big fat Greek post-wedding party. It was great to travel with family again and the party was interesting. But the hi-light had to be the places we got to stay. On Santorini we were able to stay in a home owned by a friend of the family. "Home" does not

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-952016962003-06-02T14:25:00.000-04:002003-07-10T22:44:27.186-04:00

My sister Wendy and my new brother-in-law Janus had the most wonderful wedding on May 25th. They made it all look so easy and relaxed; everyone had a great weekend in VA. I have added links to some of the digital photos that were taken over the weekend. Most of them are hosted on Ofoto so you can post comments or order prints. Wedding Albums: Todd - wedding weekend Todd - wedding More - Albums on

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5334592.post-939396662003-05-07T13:55:00.000-04:002003-06-30T19:27:23.420-04:00

The Butcher of Phassa Thai - Prose and photos of a wandering nut in Southeast Asia A raw look at my trip through Southeast Asia is now on the site under travel. I am still trying to read and re-type some of my journal so it is a work in progress. I have put together a photo album of my top 50 shots and made a slide show on the site so you don't need to go through all 1,479 photos in the many

Todd Morrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09933943158804096780noreply@blogger.com0