Crooked Trails: Non-Profit Community-Based Travel, Educational Outreach, Community Development

I sold a cow today while drinking my morning coffee!

Fear not – Crooked Trails is not adopting a drastic new business model as a response to tumultuous economic times. It’s part of our fantastic new Seis Vacas para Peru Program where we’re turning cash into cows to help nourish the village of Usabamba in Peru’s Sacred Valley. We’re excited to share the details with you in this month’s featured story and invite you to join the momentum.

This month’s newsletter also beckons you to join us is Thailand, a world-class destination for a host of reasons, on one of Crooked Trails’ longest-running programs. A land where modern-day Thais and indigenous hill tribes intersect, the locals are really as nice as everyone says they are and amazing food is just the tip of the iceberg…

On the events front, I want to personally invite everyone in the Seattle area to join us for a very special set of engagements with Anuradha Koirala, founder of Maiti Nepal. If you’ve attended any of our screenings of “The Day My God Died” then you know how incredible and inspirational this woman is, taking on the sexual slave trade in Nepal and India. Check out the events calendar for details about the events surrounding Anuradha’s visit to Seattle. You can also read about our big adventure to Washington, D.C. to attend the AARP Convention, with generous help from many volunteers and the folks at Events Northwest.

There’s also a great round-up of all the social networks our wonderful Mia Reyes has been hooking us up with, so that the Crooked Trails community can stay closer connected than ever before. Join in our e-community and share the inspiration!

Happy Travels,
Angela Dollar
Crooked Trails Director of Operations

Quote of the Month

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure - self-determined, self-motivated, often risky - forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind - and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.”

Featured Story

Seis Vacas Para Peru – Six Cows for Peru

By Crooked Trails co-founder, Christine Mackay

Usabamaba lies at over 13,000 feet in the Sacred Valley of the Inca, high in the Peruvian Andes. This small, impoverished, rural village, close to the main tourist highway to Machu Picchu, is passed over by the lucrative tourist trade. Travelers by the thousands continue down the road to visit the Sunday market and buy one-of a-kind weavings in the nearby town of Chinchero. For the past 6 years Crooked Trails has supported Chinchero weavers Paulino Quillahuaman Llancay and his wife Vilma at their weavers’ cooperative and community based tourism project. Using the funds they have made from selling weavings and hosting guests, Paulino decided to pay it forward and build a boarding school and weavers’ training center for the children of Usabamba. With the help of Crooked Trails Board President, Tracy Klinkroth and an anonymous group of donors, over $25,000 has been raised and construction on the boarding school has begun.

This summer, at the beginning of August, I visited Chinchero on the Crooked Trails Family Program with my 4 year old daughter and saw how fast the adobe brick walls were going up. Excited about the project, Paulino invited our group to visit Usabamba to meet the children who would benefit from the boarding school. Upon our arrival, the president of the village came out to greet us. We brought tablets of paper, pencils and sharpeners for all the kids in the village. The president of the community made a very sincere thank you speech for the gifts, stating that every bit made a difference. However, I felt like these gifts were a small gesture, and so I asked the president point blank, “What do you really need in Usabamba?” “Nutrition is our biggest problem,” he answered solemnly. A glance at the children, waiting patiently in line, verified this fact. A buzz went through our group of travelers as we brainstormed for an answer. A donation of cows to meet their daily milk needs seemed a viable solution. “How many families live in the village?” I inquired. “Thirty” he quickly replied. “So, we need thirty cows?” “No,” he replied, “one cow can provide milk for five families.” “Then we need six cows total.” I asked. “Yes, six cows.” He smiled.

Six cows will change the health of this community forever. I looked at my group and everyone was beaming, the thought of “we can do this” on everyone’s mind. Steve Havas, a father traveling with his 12 year old daughter, was standing next to me. “Count me in for a cow,” he said, “and maybe Tess’s class can earn the money for another”. The president’s eyes radiated with gratitude as I said, “We will have 6 cows for you come October”. As we rumbled back down the dirt road to Chinchero, there was a lot of excitement in the group as we plotted how many cows this small Crooked Trails group could donate.

Seis Vacas Para Peru is based on what other organizations, such as Heifer International, have done so successfully. The idea is that giving a live animal to a family which can provide milk and manure for years to come is more beneficial than giving small amounts of money to buy limited amounts of food. With 6 cows, this small Andean community will be able to provide badly needed nutrition for their children and can raise more cows in the future.

It’s amazing to think about how powerful and direct support can be. We can change the lives of a family in Usabamba immediately. Each cow will cost $450 US and this will also provide funds to pay a local community member to manage the project; making sure that the community members learn how to care for the cows and that donors receive updates on their donations.

When International Program Director Tammy Leland was in Chinchero three weeks later, she let Paulino know that we were already making progress and would surely get all 6 the community had requested. Paulino was thrilled and also recognized that there is more planning and management of the project that needs to be done before moving forward to ensure it is sustainable and successful. He is already talking to agricultural engineers who have volunteered to offer free workshops for the community members on animal husbandry techniques and teaching them all they need to know about growing the right food for the cows so milk production is high. After that they will buy the cows, train to breed them and in 6 years there will be 30 cows, one for every family. With these cows they can then provide nutrition for the families as well as design a business plan for selling cheese.

The initial reaction from those who helped brainstorm the project has already created waves of support throughout family and friends, and sharing this story now with you will only further ensure that this great project for Usabamba will be a success.

Needless to say, our little idea of helping the community of Usambamba is going to a higher level. Sometimes all a community needs to change the future of its members is a little help from the outside. The rest they can take care of themselves. They are taking this donation very seriously and will work dilligently to manage it. With our assistance, the health of Usabamba will change for the better starting this winter.

If you are interested in donating a cow to the families of Usabamba, please go to Crooked Trail’s Seis Vacas project page at: http://www.crookedtrails.org/project5.php. You don’t have to buy a whole cow for $450, you can purchase part of a cow. We won’t stop at 6 cows- if we get more money, we can buy more cows and jump-start the project faster. Once a family has completed the training and the project manager feels they are ready we will start buying cows for villagers. That fast, that simple! Holy cow! Please join Crooked Trails in improving the nutrition of the children of Usabamba.

Featured Trip

Whenever I’m approached for travel advice by people who are new to international travel, or those who want to experience something outside of the western world, I always recommend Thailand. There are so many elements to traveling in Thailand that make it an ideal destination: great tourism infrastructure and transportation options, amazing cuisine, a tropical climate, a unique and rich history paired with a vibrant current-day culture, and above all, some of the kindest people in the world. Thailand is not the sort of place you grow up dreaming about (my childhood fascination was France) but with the changing face of our economy and the shrinking of our world, I predict that tourism in Thailand will continue to boom.

The Crooked Trails Thailand program is, in my eyes, the perfect introduction to this magical place. For one, I think it is vital to visit both the north and the south if you want to get a well-rounded look at the country and its culture as a whole. Northern Thailand is renowned for its indigenous hill tribes that, sadly, have been largely exploited by the tourism industry. Crooked Trails offers a respectful way to visit these people that honors and supports them and their traditions – something many travelers seek out on their own in Thailand and rarely find. And in the south, our partnership with Andaman Discoveries allows participants to connect with villagers along the southern coast and help the continuing effort to rebuild their lives after the devastation of the tsunami. The opportunity to live and work with these wonderfully resilient people and see the hope and good humor with which they face every new day offers a valuable perspective on life.

In 2009, we are excited to be offering the Thailand program twice: February 7 – 20 and November 5 – 18. These are both perfect times to visit Thailand, as the weather is mild and it’s not monsoon season. Check out the projected itinerary below and when you’re ready to apply go to www.crookedtrails.org/apply.php

Thailand Itinerary 2009

Day 1
Leave home at scheduled flight time.

Day 2
Arrive in Bangkok late.

Day 3
Morning in Bangkok on Klong tour and afternoon train to ancient capitol city of Ayuthaya. Tour of the ruins.

Day 4
Morning free and in the afternoon we will take a private van to the Northwest of the country to meet with our Ngo partner. D

Day 5 - 7
Working with our partner NGO and their Community-based travel programs and service projects. Spending time with host families and learning about the tribal way of life. Days will be spent meeting youth and elders and the projects they are involved in, and participating in the daily activities of the home and the field. Time in the homes will be rustic and precious. Prepare to live simply yet fully. B,L,D

Day 8
Morning drive to Bangkok with an afternoon flight to Phuket & transfer to Kuraburi.

Day 9
The villages on this last leg of your trip are developing Community-based Tourism as part of their post-tsunami recovery process. The trip you are on contributes to this process by helping them build cultural tourism experiences and the skills to manage tourism. The communities are proud of their heritage and traditional way of life, and keen to protect it through CBT. Starting from the CBT Guide Training Centre (TREC), we meet our guide and translator. Travel from TREC to the pier to take a long-tail boat to Tung Nang Dam. The island although not devastated by the Tsunami, suffered heavily from loss of fishing boats and fishing equipment.

It is a short boat ride to reach the island, where the villagers will welcome you and introduce you to your homestay family. After you have settled in and enjoyed your first meal you will be taken on a jungle trek to Eagle Mountain. The trek culminates with spectacular views of the mountains and Andaman Sea. You will descend in time to enjoy sunset on the beach. (B,L,D)

Day 10
After breakfast you will be taken on a mangrove exploration in row boats. You will gain a close up view of the amazing world of biodiversity hidden among the mangroves and brought to life through the expert knowledge of your local guide. You will row to the lunch spot, a beautifully positioned stilted house on the mangrove. (B,L,D)

Day 11
After breakfast you will be collected at the pier to be taken to Pak Trium. The original village was completely washed away by the tsunami along with two children. The villagers have rebuilt their homes on the mainland and are carrying on with daily life in a spirit of inspirational resilience. One of the initiatives to come out the disaster is a small but effective handicraft cooperative. The group makes tie-dye gifts and rice cake, and you will spend the morning helping them in their activities. In the afternoon you will be taken to the site of the old village to see the extent of the devastation created by the wave and then on to a krachang (floating fisherman’s home) for an early dinner. You will then join local fishermen in a night fishing excursion to Koh Kwai, if you manage to catch something you will be rewarded with a second dinner! (B,L,D)

Day 12
In the morning, you will be taken to a waterfall, where you can bathe in the pools and relax on the rocks. After a farewell lunch and your goodbyes we will head back to the hotel in Phuket- where you can relax and reflect. (B,L)

Day 13
After breakfast we will take a late morning flight to Bangkok. We will have the afternoon free for shopping and then all share in a fantastic traditional dinner. (B)

Day 14
Fly home and arrive the day you leave due to the time change.

Item this month: “ I love my country, but I think we should start seeing other people,” T-Shirt. (Various colors/sizes)

How To Win: As part of our new push to get the word out about Crooked Trails via online resources, we are announcing a new monthly giveaway for our ENEWS friends (big thanks to Beth Whitman for her advice)! If you have ever wanted to share the Crooked Trails story with friends but didn’t know how, and also win some cool stuff along the way, here’s your chance. Simply forward this ENEWS to interested friends/family and email Mia at (mia@crookedtrails.org) and let her know how many people you forwarded the email on to (this will be based off of the honor system) and whoever has the most people will receive our FREE monthly item! Who doesn’t love free stuff, and helping out Crooked Trails at the same time?

*Look for our monthly giveaways at the bottom of the ENEWS beginning next month*

Have you ever thought, “I love what Crooked Trails does, but I just don’t have the time in my busy schedule to help them out as much as I could.” Been meaning to tell friends or family about Crooked Trails but keep forgetting? Or have you ever taken a trip with us and wondered how you can still stay connected from the comfort of your home or office? Well here is a chance to assist us with spreading the word about what we do! Link up with us on some of our new social networking sites below, and share your passion for Crooked Trails with others.

As a small non-profit, it is difficult to match some of the major corporations marketing campaigns…and budgets. But by hooking up with our fans and friends on networking sites, we can easily share our mission and work with the whole online world, with the help of friends such as you! This is the perfect and simple way to show your support of our organization, and help us share our work with many more people than we would be able to do alone.

Become a fan on Facebook
Network with us on LinkedIn
Follow our moves on Twitter
Join our efforts for a just and sustainable world community on WiserEarth
Stumble upon the web and other cool things with us on StumbleUpon

Over the past few years we have seen an increasing age group being attracted to our kind of travel. As we began to do some research on the “boomers” travel industry we realized it shouldn’t have been a surprise. More and more, older travelers are asking for more meaningful travel experiences. Having already been traveling for years, and having seen the Riviera too many times, many older, wiser travelers are looking to get off the beaten track and give back.

Last month Crooked Trails went out to Washington DC to celebrate the 50th anniversary of AARP and attend the trade show. Tracy Klinkroth, our board president, and I attended the conference and each day we dressed in a different country’s style. We had a wonderful time meeting people from all over the US interested in responsible travel.

Our new booth was designed by Jerome Healy, Tanya Test and the staff at Crooked Trails. Our booth was also made possible by a generous donation from Exhibits Northwest. We felt our booth was nothing short of sensational and it sure caught the eye of many prospective travelers.

The main thing I heard from passerbys was, “Now this is the kind of travel I am interested in!” We were also excited to be approached by large organizations about creating travel programs specifically for their clients.

We wish all of you who visited our booth a warm welcome to Crooked Trails and we hope to see you on a Crooked Trail some day.

By Mia Reyes

On the tail end of a whirlwind few months for Crooked Trails, one of the biggest and most impressive events we have ever attended was the AARP Life at 50 Expo in Washington D.C. While Crooked Trails has done an extensive amount of events in our ten year history; from speaking engagements at major travel expos to smaller intimate information sessions at travel clinics, Chris and Tammy and the rest of the Crooked Trails crew has seen their fair share of events, none have been as big as this. With over 35,000 attendees and speakers and guests such as Chaka Kahn, Paul Simon and Maya Angelou, it was certainly a crowd we have never been able to really reach, until now.

Our deepest thanks and gratitude goes out to Joe Shelman and Bill Evans and the rest of the team at Exhibits Northwest, without whose generous DONATION we would not have been able to make the kind of splash we did. As a small non- profit, it would have been impossible to afford the kind of tradeshow booth necessary for an event this size. Thankfully, our friends at Exhibits Northwest donated their time and the use of their amazing tradeshow style booth, and the results were amazing (please see pictures in Chris Mackay’s write up of AARP).

For more information on Exhibits Northwest and to see some of their outstanding booth setups for your next tradeshow or event, please visit www.exhibitsnw.com.

Crooked Trails Upcoming Events

Volunteer Tourism with Crooked Trails co-founder Chris Mackay

When: October 18th at 1:00 p.m.
Where: The Savvy Traveler Edmonds
Cost: Free!

Have you heard all the buzz recently about “voluntourism”? Learn about the idea of a vacation with a difference from Crooked Trails’ co-founder Chris Mackay. A pioneer in this fast-growing niche of the tourism industry, Chris has been designing unique volunteer programs in destinations around the world for over a decade. Learn more about this popular way of travel and how you can lend a hand the next time you leave the country.

Women, Wine and Wanderlust
When: Wednesday October 15, 6:30pm – 8pm
Where: Eileen Fisher Store, Downtown Seattle (Corner of 5th and Pine)
Cost: Free!
Join us for a night celebrating all things women! Crooked Trails, in partnership with Eileen Fisher, Beth Whitman of Wanderlust and Lipstick and Dama Wines will be presenting a night of fun, travel and fashion. Crooked Trails co-founder Chris Mackay will be on hand with a presentation about Crooked Trails’ work overseas, as well as how the company began with the vision and passion of two traveling women. Beth Whitman will share travel stories and tips from her new book, Wanderlust and Lipstick for Women Traveling to India. The wonderful ladies from Dama Wines will also be on hand sampling their delicious wines. And ending the evening will be a mini fashion show of Eileen Fisher’s traveler-friendly attire. This is sure to be a fun filled event, so grab some girlfriends and join us for an inspiring night of women success stories!
More information will be posted soon, but if you are interested in attending the event email Mia Reyes at mia@crookedtrails.org

A Special Evening with Anuradha Koirala and Screening of The Day My God Died
When: Thursday, October 16
6:30pm film screening, followed by a Q&A session with Anuradha at 7:45pm
Where: St Mark's Cathedral at 1245 Tenth Ave in Capitol Hill
Cost: $10 at the door

UPDATE: A Special Evening with Anuradha Koirala and Screening of The Day My God Died *please note – Anuradha has fallen ill and will not be able to attend this event, but we are still happy to host it in support of her

Anuradha Koirala is the dynamic founder of Maiti Nepal, an organization battling sexual slavery in Asia, where women and young girls are still being sold and trafficked. Ms. Koriala will be in Seattle from Oct 16th – 18th for special screenings of the film “The Day My God Died” in which her work is featured. This is a rare honor to meet with such a dynamic world figure.

“The Day My God Died,” an award winning documentary film narrated by Tim Robbins depicts the efforts to rescue and rehabilitate girls who have been sold into lives of sexual slavery in India. This is a film about courage and hope, and fighting back against a terrible scourge on the earth: sexual slavery.

Please join us for a very rare and special opportunity to meet one of the most inspiring women alive today. All proceeds from this event go to support the ongoing work of Maiti Nepal in Kathmandu.

An Evening with Anuradha Koirala: Intimate Screening and PrivateDinner
When: Friday, October 17 and Saturday, October 18
Film starts at 6:00 with dinner following at 7:30
Where: Seattle Area - Email for more info
Cost: $40 Suggested Donation

UPDATE: An Evening with Anuradha Koirala: Intimate Screening and Private Dinner *please note – Anuradha has fallen ill and will not be able to attend this event, but we are still happy to host it in support of her

Anuradha Koirala is the dynamic founder of Maiti Nepal, an organization battling sexual slavery in areas abroad where women and young girls are still being sold and trafficked. Ms. Koriala will be in Seattle from Oct 16th – 18th for special screenings of the film “The Day My God Died” in which her work is featured. This is a rare honor to meet with such a dynamic world figure. Her work was the basis for the Academy award-winning movie “Born into Brothels.”
“The Day My God Died” an award winning documentary film narrated by Tim Robbins depicts the efforts to rescue and rehabilitate girls who have been sold into lives of sexual slavery in India. This is a film about courage and hope, and fighting back against a terrible scourge on the earth: sexual slavery.

Following the film, you will be invited for a very special catered sit-down dinner with Ms. Koirala. This is sure to be a once in a lifetime opportunity you will never forget.

Experience Peru with Crooked Trails co-founder Tammy Leland

When: November 15th at 10:00 a.m.
Where: The Savvy Traveler Edmonds
Cost: Free!

Back by popular demand! Peru’s diversity is one of the greatest in the world for a country of its size. From the Amazon rain forest and arid deserts, to the cloud forests and high mountain regions, Peru has it all! Peru is also renowned for its unique culture heritage and artistic traditions which continue to thrive.

Tammy Leland, cofounder of Crooked Trails and part-time Peruvian resident,
will show slides, maps and photos and give you ideas of how to travel with a purpose in this wonderful South American destination.

ILEAP: Bringing it Home
When: November 15th, 6:30pm
Where: Phinney Neighborhood Center (6532 Phinney Ave N in Seattle)
Cost: $35 (includes beverage ticket). Purchase at http://ileap.eventbrite.com

Join Crooked Trails and iLEAP in bringing together Seattle's social enterprise community for a big night of fun! We are celebrating the 2nd annual iLEAP International Fellowship, a program that brings grass-roots community leaders from Asia and Africa for a 3 month program in social enterprise and innovation, leadership, and global networking.

The theme for the evening is 'Bringing it Home', signifying the critical approach that iLEAP takes toward supporting our global participants as they integrate learning and experience back into their lives and communities around the world. Live music will be provided by international recording artist and 2006 Earshot Jazz Vocalist of the Year, Rochelle House and singer/songwriter Tamara Power-Drutis. We will also be bidding farewell to our 2008 iLEAP Fellow from Nepal, Ram Pokhrel, who will be returning to build his integrated agriculture project in the Chitwan region. There will be food from Everest Kitchen and drink from local wineries, breweries, and Maker's Mark all available at the event.

JUICE : A Night of World Music to benefit Crooked Trails
Featuring DJ DMZ & DJ RHYTHMA

When: RESCHEDULING for 2009; look for a new date soon

Calling world music fans! Join DJ's Darek Mazzone (KEXP, Wo-POP) and DJ Rhythma who will be spinning the freshest tracks out of South America, Europe, and Asia at Seattle’s only modern global night. Come and shake your stuff with Crooked Trails’ finest and support our mission while having a blast – all proceeds from this show go to furthering Crooked Trails’ work.

Our Deepest Thanks Goes Out…

To the wonderful volunteers who have helped out this month:


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