Tue, Feb 09 2010
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Published November 15, 2009 12:55 am - Eight months of hard work led to two months of fun for two area men who toured Southeast Asia from Thailand to Nepal. ‘Vagabond style’ Edgewood grads take off to see the world By WARREN DILLAWAY - Staff Writer Star Beacon KINGSVILLE TOWNSHIP — Eight months of hard work led to two months of fun for two area men who toured Southeast Asia from Thailand to Nepal.
Todd and Kevin Wheeler, both Edgewood High School graduates, decided to travel “vagabond style” with the added dimension of the Internet site couchsurfing.com. Todd is 20, presently living in North Kingsville, and Kevin is 24 and a resident of Gunnison, Colo. when not instructing Outward Bound trips from a base camp in Oregon from April to October. “People from all over the world offer up their couches. It is a great way to meet locals and get to know the culture,” said Todd Wheeler who is presently in North Kingsville with his parents planning his next adventure. A book entitled “vagabonding” completely changed the boys lives, Todd said. It explains how to meet new friends, live cheaply and safely while touring abroad. The brothers found jobs in the Fall of 2008 and went about the task of saving $8,000 for the adventure. They worked in a Max and Erma’s in Erie. In the application for employment Todd said he would work very hard because he was trying to save enough money to tour the world. The person in charge of hiring said he had never read such a declaration and hired him. The first CouchSurfing client was not able to meet with the Wheelers for several days so the pair had to make due after landing in Singapore around midnight. “We ended up setting up camp under an escalator on a cold floor,” Todd said. After several days in Singapore the pair decided to move on to Thailand. “We got a really cheap flight to Thailand,” he said. The Wheelers left Portland, Oregon, on Aug. 4 and returned to the states Oct. 4 leaving parents Corrine and Ron to monitor from half a world away. “We really looked at maps while they were gone,” Corrine said of monitoring new places like Phuket and Kohtao. She said Skipe messages were the only way to keep in touch and were often 12 hours off when the boys were able to find an Internet cafe. “We kept our ear cocked to the computer,” She said of listening for messages early in the morning. One of the couch surfing friends lived in Thailand and operated a “bar.” What the pair didn’t realize was what kind of establishment it was. Todd said there were a variety of characters in the bar that included prostitutes and other “shady” characters. One man made friends with Kevin and kept trying to by him a drink. When he refused their host went to Todd and suggested he take him up on his offer because he was a member of the Mafia. 
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