David N. Townsend

Travelogue

These pages catalogue my many travels over the years. They include some background on my international interests, chronological lists of my major trips, and descriptions of some of the most memorable journeys. As my technology improves, I'll add photos, and I'll keep elaborating on the voyages themselves.

I'm not sure why anyone outside of a handful of family, friends, and colleagues (that's the third "gue" word on this page) might be interested in any of this, but with the Internet, you never know. Maybe I met you on one of these trips, and you've been trying to track me down ever since. If you're the one who stole my camera in Barcelona in 1980, or my other camera in Frankfurt in 1992, you can keep them, but please just send me the un-developed film; I lost some great photos. If you're a woman who sat next to me on a plane and has been searching for me ever since, sorry, I'm happily married now.

Maybe you just want to know more about some of these exotic locations. If so, I'll be happy to provide more insight, if you'd like to email me at DNT@DNTownsend.com .

• Background:  Brief background information on my travel interests and experiences. Pure bio.
  
  
• Before 1991:   Major personal trips, including Dartmouth Foreign Study in Toulouse and my first Honeymoon to France.  A lot of domestic travel around the U.S., with Texas and Washington, D.C. the leading locales. Some descriptive, journal entries.
  
  
• 1991:  My most intense travel year, as I initiated my international consulting practice.  Some 15 different international trips, many to Mexico, but also Indonesia, Finland, other parts of Europe.  The first Finland trip, including travel above the arctic circle to Lapland, remains my favorite experience, although there's been a lot of competition.
  
  
• 1992:  Down to 10 major trips, but to even more fascinating places: Moscow, Budapest, and Prague, just after the fall of Communism, plus Beijing and the newly opened Forbidden City.  I also spent time in the Cayman Islands and Acapulco, and returned to Helsinki. I also went back to Mexico on an official state of Massachusetts Mission, with Gov. William Weld.
  
  
• 1993: The pace of travel slowed, but included my first trip to the Philippines, which was the impetus for meeting my (2nd) wife, Jen.  Also a very special return to Mexico, with a magical visit to a country home in Malinalco. I also got back to London for the first time since 1980, and saw Vancouver, too.
  
  
• 1994:  Another intense year, including much major family travel as well.  The most incredible trip was to Turkmenistan, almost a journey to another century.  I went to Cairo, my first to an Arab country, plus 3 more visits to London and a return to Beijing. With the family, we spent 10 days in the Philippines, seeing Jen's old home and friends, as well as conducting business. We also went to both Disney World and Disney Land in the same year, and Jen and I hit the Virgin Islands.
  
  
• 1995-96:  As my international business ventures slowed, so did my travel.  In 1995, I spent a lot of time in Canada, and had only one project overseas, which allowed me to bring Jen to Paris in October. In 1996, my only major project before leaving to form my own company was in Costa Rica, which I visited three times.  One of my first major independent projects concluded with a conference in Geneva, to which I again brought Jen.
  
  
• 1997:  This year saw my first travels into sub-Saharan Africa.  First was a business trip to Tanzania in March, followed by another most fascinating experience, a trip to post-Apartheid South Africa.  A quick visit again to Geneva in October, then an even more magnificent return to South Africa in November. December included a business trip to the Bahamas, with Jen accompanying me again, naturally.
  

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