The Cyril Duncan Siam Children's Foundation

Monkey Bum
Sunday, 27 August, 2006 10:09 AM
From:
"Cyril Duncan"
To:
“Caitriona Walsh”

Hya Caitriona Bum,

Long time no chat, how's the brain treating you, hope you are well. It's been so long since my last email, I've been to Zimbabwe and I'm now in Durban in S Africa. I was just after finishing up a surfing lesson on North Beach, I was at it for nearly two hours then I nearly died from exhaustion. It's the most strenuous thing I've ever done, even at the front of the beach where there’s white water the waves are still very big and the current is mad strong. At the moment the waves are only massive the biggest I've ever seen, seeing surfers coming out of a huge wave makes me wanna try to learn some more.

The diving in Dahab in Egypt was incredible, took me 2 refresh dives to grasp it all again but I battled through and had another 4 dives along the coast. You should go there for a holiday sometime I think it's only 300 Euros return to Sham El Shreick near Dahab. I enjoyed travelling through Egypt a lot, I tell you I owe you a big night out in Bangkok for the med kit..........God bless Imodium for the power Squirts........had a few code red attacks, I think it was the heat that did it to me as when I got to Johannesburg it stopped altogether.

Caitriona I'm certain there's African blood in you somewhere along the Walsh time line, you are part African. African people are the nicest I've met so far on my journey, I really like the African accent it's full of laughter and heart. I spent 2 weeks in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, I think 2 weeks was far too long, the great Falls are great but after that spending the rest of my time there was about as much fun as having a 2 week holiday in Baldoyle??? boring place Vic Falls. I fly to Johannesburg after where I actually really enjoyed, I went to the Apartheid Museum the first day and the next I went to Soweto(Area the Government gave all the coloured people to live close to the city so they can work there on slave labour). It gave me a deeper understanding of the country before I set out to travel through it.

I'm in Durban at the moment I'm gonna try surf again tomorrow and then head through the Garden Route till I get to Capetown, I fly to Delhi on the 20th. This is the first proper internet service I've had in the last while, all the others either are too slow or configured to go slow to cost you a fortune, sorry for not writing in so long. Gonna go now and chill as my fingers are about to fall off me, Durban’s mad dangerous too everyone I've come into contact to has warned me about the place. Hope you are well and please write soon as it would be good to hear from you......

Take care Cyril

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Howaya!
Saturday, 25 August, 2007 6:33 PM
From:
"Cyril Duncan"
To:
"Walsh Caitriona"

Hya Chuck,

Great to hear from you, back studying fair play to yea, how’s Smithfields and the new car........."Black Ford Puma", that’s a hot chick player mobile. I looked up photos of it on the net, it's a class looking car, fair play to yea. I didn't hear anything from Rachel, is she still here? I'd be more than happy to go out with her and have a few drinks. Yea I'm living with Brian Kenny at the moment and he is from Portmarnock, he was travelling through Africa before he arrived here and we met up at Garmon’s wedding and decided to travel for a while and now we're both working and living in Bangkok.

So many stories to tell yea, the apartment we're in is totally hip and the view of Bangkok is amazing (expensive......ahhhhh sure) I have a laptop/broadband/Playstation 3 and I even bought a kick ass motor bike. The first day I was in my school I fell in love with the kids I was teaching, it was tough at the start but I seem to be getting some good lessons in now, it's a private school, Christian also so I get a lot of time off at Xmas etc and the pay isn't bad also. I like Bangkok, I rang Poot today and I'll be meeting up with him shortly, I met his boyfriend at the wedding, the too of them are so fuckin hipppppp. I don't go out too much here, I love just heading out for a few beers/good food and just kickin back and relaxing. There's so much to discover in this city, great bars everywhere, some of the best food in the world...........I'm sure you know what I mean.

I don't think I'll be back in Dublin till April next year, I'm anchored into Bangkok and I like it here. In April Gen's getting married so I'll go home for that, I'll then go to London and get my Thai passport, return to Thailand and live here for longer. I want to work/save and travel around S America for a few months maybe live in Mexico for a while and teach/surf..........INTERESTED!!!!!!!!!!

I'm 30 now Caitriona, I won’t be buying property in Ireland, the only thing that would make me return to Ireland is education but I can do that here, the degree might not be as recognised as back home but it's still an option. I miss my family/friends it's a lot but that's it really, I love Dublin but there's something very depressing about the place.

I sent yea a photo of me on the Andamans, it's a photo of me/my girlfriend and my rucksack. Give me a call someday and please come over here sometime you know I'd love to see you again and catch up.................

Lots of love
Cyril
PS Here's a few of my photos I posted on the net.......see Cyril’s photos in the Travels Pages ..........I have a lot more, send me your Porto address and I'll send a CD

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Bagal
Sunday, 14 January, 2007 10:16 AM
From:
"Cyril Duncan"
To:
"Walsh Caitriona"

Caitriona,
When I read that letter I was on Havelock Island......I had to read the start about 3/4 times just so it would register in my mind what happened. I was completely shocked, that's the scariest story I ever heard off someone.......are you ok.....I get worried thinking about you there.......I hope your in a good place with good people. It's no joking matter, Jaysus!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You've had it all happen to you now Caitriona.......Camel Rodeo.......Bus Crash.........Hold Up!!!!! You should stop everything and become a stunt woman for Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. I'm just happy you survived the ordeal and live to tell the tale, you know what would happen to me, I'd curl up on the ground and start crying my face off while sucking on me thumb.

Anyhow's I had a great Xmas/New Years, Havelock Island is pristine tropical juice everywhere. On the Andamans each visitor is issued a one month permit which can be extended by 15 days. There are over 550 islands and only 26 are inhabited, Havelock Island is the most popular place to stay and home of one of the most beautiful beaches in Asia (Beach No 7). The island is totally under developed, each area is numbered still e.g. Village No 1/ Beach No 3 etc. but there is just enough tourists there to meet and kick back and have a good time. The Indian Government issued the permits to protect the islands from mass tourism etc knowing that the islands are probably one of the last of its kind on earth. There's a dive/lodging centre there where we made a cocktail bar for Xmas/New Years......it was a success and we got a days free diving and free drink all night. Word got around the island about the cocktail bar and a man well known on the island who's renovating his Guest House offered the two of us a 6 month contract to help design and set up his bar(The only bar on the island). It's impossible to get a 6 month contract for Havelock.......not even dive masters can get them so I might give it a thought.......he said I could come back at the end of this year if I liked........it's a great offer........but I'm think of going back to college very seriously.

Well there you go, I'm still a selfish bastard living it up while your putting your time to good use and helping others.......I gave it a thought visiting you and helping out for a few months too as I'll have a lot of time on my hands in Thailand. Gotta go.......look forward to seeing you in Thailand.......I'll be in Bangkok after the 4th of April as my visa's up then. Give me your mobile and I'll give you a call when I get there, take care of your self Caitriona and look forward to drinking and eating in Bangkok very soon.

Love Cyril
PS Couldn't write earlier as phonelines are constantly down on the islands, I'm on Port Blair the capital of the islands, flying to the mainland tommorrow.

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