Archive for the 'Inspiration' Category

Ahhh … beaches

Jeff June 1st, 2008

We are now back from vacation.  Life starts again tomorrow.  We enjoyed our vacation to the fullest.  No thinking, no doing, no working, just relaxing on the beach.

Having grown up in Hawaii, I have quite high standards when it comes to beaches.  Smooth sand, hot sun, warm, clear water good for bodyboarding and with lots of marine life to investigate.  Well, Litchfield Beach was 4 for 5.  The water could’ve been clearer =).  The sand softly massaged your feet, the sun slowly baked you (and in some cases fried you to a crisp … just ask Theresa), and the water was a refreshing relief.  We saw alligators (on our river kayak trip), sting rays in the surf, washed up jellyfish, ospreys carrying off their catch, pelicans soaring by, scores of shells littering the beaches.  We had a great time playing in the surf, getting crushed riding the waves into shore.  There’s just nothing quite like a great beach.

So I’m really, really looking forward to the plethora of beaches we’ll happen across as we travel.  I’ve already noticed myself seeking them out in our borrowed guidebooks, in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru (to say nothing of the legendary Brazilian, Thai and Vietnamese beaches whose country’s guidebooks we have yet to look at).  I know that we won’t be able to take the time to relax at them all, but man, there’s no better place to recharge after a bustling city or a weeklong trek.  So here’s to hoping we find the time to settle in a few times at a cozy beach cabana and relax a day or two away.

This is your chance!

Jeff April 6th, 2008

Ok, guys, this is it. Now that I’m back state-side, the time has come to start planning an itinerary more specific than “we will be on this continent …” So what we need to know from all of you in internet-land is when and where you want to meet us for some adventure. Consider this an open invitation. We love having visitors and on the trip I’m sure we’ll be itching for the company. If you’ve been inspired by somewhere we’re planning on going and want to meet us there, let us know and we’ll try to fit it in our schedule (the general dates listed below are non-negotiable). If you want to read more on generally where we want to go, we’ve outlined it in our posts on:

Africa (Aug 2009 - Oct 2009)

Southeast Asia (Apr 2009 - June 2009)

South America (Nov 2008 - Mar 2009)

Nepal and Northern India (July 2009) - no post yet but consider us open to anything in the area.

So let’s have ‘em! (Greg, your previous four posts on the subject have already reserved you a spot for Machu Picchu … but when exactly?)

DVD Traveling

Jeff February 24th, 2008

Theresa’s post last week about interesting travel literature inspired some pretty good discussion, and got me thinking. Now, I’ve been known to read a book here or there, and usually enjoy the experience, but in all honesty, I’m not really a book person. I’m more of a movie person. I just absorb things in a more visual fashion I suppose.

So with that in mind, and with tonight being Hollywood’s biggest night, I thought I would put together a list of my favorite “travel movies” related to the areas we will be headed. I’ve also been trying to gather some others that I might watch before we go, but I’ll let you guys vet them for me.

Darjeerling Limited (India) - a fantastic little film by Wes Anderson about a trio of brothers on a train. Just my style.

The Last King of Scotland (Uganda) - the rise and fall of infamous Uganda dictator Idi Amin as seen through a composite Scotsman.

Hotel Rwanda (Rwanda) - one man’s struggle to save hundreds against the genocide there.

The Constant Gardener (Kenya) - a corrupt drug company ruins a diplomat’s life in Africa.

The only movies in and about Africa seem to be serious downers. Anyone got anything a little more optimistic? You know, that would make me excited about going there?

Some other ones I would highly recommend (but not where we are heading) are Everything is Illuminated (Ukraine), Lost in Translation (Japan), the Bourne series (freaking everywhere).

Here’s some others I was thinking about checking out before we left (in no particular order).

Out of Africa (Kenya)

Bridge on the River Kwai (Thailand)

Gorillas in the Midst (Kenya)

The Motorcycle Diaries (Peru)

The Beach (Thailand)

Blood Diamond (South Africa)

Cry Freedom (South Africa)

Hostel (ok, just kidding about that one)

Would you recommend/not recommend these? What would you recommend for me? What movies have you all seen that would fit well on this list? Are there any foreign films that do a great job of capturing the spirit of a country? And what movies capture the essence and the idea of travel best for you?

Armchair Traveling

Theresa February 19th, 2008

I read as if I’m starving. I don’t nibble; I don’t pick up a book and read a chapter or two and then maybe another chapter or two a day later. I consume voraciously, flipping madly from page to page, often completing an entire book in one setting. When I open a book, I’m transported to a new world that I’m reluctant to leave until I’ve read the last word on the last page. Stopping to go about my life in my world spoils the magic, at least a bit. If I’m busy, I usually end up neglecting books all together and turning to magazines and newspapers for a while. I can’t stand to put a book aside unfinished.

To me, reading is a way to experience a different life, to learn about another culture, to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Sometimes I have a moment’s glimpse into another country, sometimes a look at another time. Sometimes the places I travel to do not exist except for on the page and in the reader’s imagination. Regardless, I learn something new, something that affects the way I interact in the world and with other people.

Often when we prepare for trips, the kind that require luggage and plane tickets and hotel reservations, we spend a lot of time reading guidebooks. We learn opening and closing times, admission fees, bus schedules, and maybe a brief history of the place we are going. That’s well and good, and really quite helpful. But it doesn’t give us a true feeling for life in that country. That’s why I like to read books about the places I’m visiting. Sometimes I read nonfiction books, histories of people and events. But more often, I read novels and short stories. Though I won’t get a plethora of facts from these works of fictions, I’ll get a taste of what people believe, feel, care about. I’ll acquire tidbits of history and notes about problems.

As we prepare for this trip, I’ve set myself a goal of reading a book related to each of the countries we plan to visit. The book can either be about that country or written by someone from that country. Some countries aren’t difficult. India is currently very popular in the American market. Chile has turned out a wealth of excellent writers. Other countries I’m having a harder time finding books for. Here’s a look at a few books that I’ve already read, and a couple of books I hope to read.

A Sample of Books I’ve Read that Relate to Places We’ll Visit
1. In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin
2. The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (India)
3. The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder (Peru) [It's been a long time since I read this, however.]
4. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien (Vietnam)
5. Shake Hands with the Devil by Romeo Dallaire (Rwanda)

Too bad we’re not going to Afghanistan (The Kite Runner & A Thousand Splendid Suns), Pakistan (Three Cups of Tea), Congo (The Poisonwood Bible), Columbia (One Hundred Years of Solitude), Nigeria (Things Fall Apart), or Japan (Memoirs of a Geisha), since I’ve been introduced to all of them through rather excellent literature.

A Sample of Books I’d Life to Read Before We Go
1. The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin (Galapagos) [Before we rafted the Grand Canyon, we read John Wesley Powell's account of his discovery trip through the Canyon, and we found it interesting to see places he noted in his journal.]
2. The House of the Spirits or My Invented Country by Isabel Allende (Chile)
3. Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela (South Africa)

National Geographic Traveler’s Website offers an Ultimate Travel Library, which I’ve been using to get some ideas. But I need more suggestions. So tell me, what book have you read that you think I just must get my hands on before we leave? Leave your suggestions in the comments. (If you’re not sure where we’re going, feel free to suggest a book about any foreign land.)

Thoughts from the weekend

Jeff February 4th, 2008

The weekend was update-free here at LOW due to a trip down south, back to the alma mater, Rice University. It was the fourth biennial Rice Baseball Alumni Game. It’s always great to catch up again with all of the guys, seeing what they’re up to. New this time around was how just about everyone was now married and having children. Most of the guys I played with had pregnant wives or were already taking care of little ones (or both!). This is a strange duality to me because up here in DC, at 26, we are still considered very young to even be married. (On more than one occasion my ring has elicited a “weird …”.)

But as everyone was catching up, my future plans came up a lot when I mentioned I was finishing in the fall. (Theresa tells me I have to state this as a fact instead of saying “hopefully” or “if everything works out” or “I plan to.” I get the feeling she’s not interested in staying here too much longer …) And so I launched into our plans of world travel and exploration. Which got the same kind of response that I get when I say I’m married in DC. In all fairness, one kindred spirit had recently finished his own round the world trip (and we had a great conversation with him), so the response was not completely unanimous.

A lot of the guys (and girls) responded by saying they had never even left the country, and didn’t really understand why you possibly would. Now some of this comes from the typically Texan idea that nothing could ever be better than Texas, but it also was about security, family and comfort. It was pretty clear that we were currently on two different paths. Theresa likes to talk about wishing she could run two parallel lives … well this was it, exemplified. All of my Houston friends had married, settled down and were starting families. They had support networks of family, lifelong friends and good jobs (at least well paying if not completely satisfying). They knew which restaurants had the best steaks, and where to go for fajitas. They never got lost driving around the city, nor did they have to deal with the hassles of public transportation. Meanwhile, here were Theresa and I, who couldn’t wait to quit our jobs/finish our programs and leave all that comfort and security behind so we could run around the world with only what we could carry on our backs. Now who are the crazies? You have to admit, at times staying put makes a pretty compelling rational argument.

The point is, I guess, that it is all a matter of personal preference, and really has little to do with rationality. (This is probably much too tolerant a statement to put on the internet.) My friends would be happy staying right where they are, in the same house, in the same neighborhood, in the same city, the rest of their lives. They have no desire to wander. And there are times when I wonder why that isn’t enough for me too. But for whatever reasons, that just doesn’t cut it. I need to explore. Deal with getting lost. Have the enjoyment of “discovering” the best restaurant in a new place. Slowly and painfully come to understand a completely different culture. Befriend all the wacky and interesting people you meet. Survive the bizarre events that inevitably occur. And feel invigorated by it all. Because a routine just does not inspire me the way an adventure does. So, anyway, thanks for listening while I justify how I am. I hope it made some sense to you.

Now, all that being said, my friends, the ones perfectly happy to never leave their hometown, are exactly the ones we need to convince to travel. As a case in point, one of our friends didn’t realize there were not feeder roads off of every highway (Houston is pretty much the only city I know that envelops every highway with another two lanes of “local” traffic on each side). It’s both interesting and useful to be exposed to a number of different ways to solve problems, mainly that there are other ways. You start to see things from other perspectives. And if you still like things like “home,” you appreciate it more. So it enriches your hometown as well. I know when I travel, I appreciate all the little things I often take for granted when I return (everything from free public restrooms to a good hamburger to signs in English). So we did our best to convince everyone that it would be great idea to travel themselves. I think we convinced nobody. But whaddya gonna do? They all have little rugrats running around. That’s why we’re still on the rolling five year plan with kids. We still have too much wandering to do ourselves.

Happy New Year!

Jeff January 1st, 2008

Allow me to echo the sentiments of the rest of the internet/Western world and wish everyone a Happy New Year!

I, for one, enjoy the holiday, though not for the overpriced parties. It’s always a time of renewal, redemption, and hope. Anyway, as is the tradition, I had my period of reflection and self-assessment, otherwise known as the New Year’s resolution. There are two big ones, and everything else is trivial by comparison.

(1) GRADUATE!

(2) Get our trip organized and started.

Now both of these have smaller and more finite sub-resolutions, though I guess nothing is more finite that getting a diploma and getting on a one-way flight armed with just a backpack.

And should I meet my goals, New Year’s 2009 will be a lot different for us than New Year’s 2008. Our current best guesses put us somewhere in Africa. Who knows what we may find ourselves up to. On a beach? On a safari? Tracking gorillas? And what will we find to resolve then? And if we’re lucky, we’ll find ourselves celebrating “New Year’s” multiple times during the year. I’m sure there will be plenty of times we could use a little hope and rejuvination.

Spreading the Holiday Cheer

Jeff December 26th, 2007

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all our loyal readers (and lurkers)! Yes it’s a day late, but the big day is always a little busy. All in all, it was a grand day with family and friends. Santa must’ve adapted to the internet age and reading our blog, because we got a number of things to help us on our adventure. Sporks, duct tape, silk sleeping bags, a gorillapod, and a new compact digital camera all found their way under the tree at the Dowell’s (I’ve always been amazed at how Santa can find you even when you travel). In other exciting news, we now have corporate sponsorship to go gorilla trekking! Good news gorillas! Thanks mom!

In keeping with the spirit of the holidays, we’ve been putting a bit of money toward our charities of choice. You probably won’t be surprised to learn that we tend to support organizations that are effective in assisting the developing world. We want to share three of them that we strongly support with all of you:

Kiva.org: Populizing the nobel winning Grameen Bank (another great organization) microloan style of developing world investment, this organization allows you to loan money to entrepreneurs in places as far ranging as Tajikistan, Uganda, Bolivia, and Samoa. Most loans are about $1000 over about one year, though the brilliance of Kiva is that each loan is put together by many lenders loaning $25 each. And the best part is you get your money back (without interest naturally), so you can then send it to another entrepreneur in need a year down the line. We have recently completed our first two loans (a co-op in Ecuador and a soap maker in Sierra Leone) and have reissued the money to a restaurant in Uganda and a shopkeeper in Afghanistan, and added a beauty salon in Nicaragua and a general store in Peru). The site has a lot of social aspects, and you can easily track the progress of your loan and see it at work. The link up there is a referral link, but we don’t get anything else out of it other than the satisfaction of knowing how many people sign up and donate through us.

Doctors Without Borders: Most likely you have heard of Doctors Without Borders. This Nobel Peace Prize winning organization provides health care to those who most need it: people affected by wars, disasters, or simply lack of access. The doctors, nurses, and other professionals have the courage to give up everything and put themselves in harm’s way, and no regard is paid to politics, religion, or other such factors. The need for medical care is the sole determining factor for where Doctors Without Borders goes, and often they’re the only people to go to some of the world’s most needy and dangerous places.

Charity Begins: An organization that we’ve had contact with in the past that coordinates delivery of aid supplies to developing countries. You can help by donating goods, delivery time, or money. We plan on being couriers for them when we travel, so even if you’re not headed anywhere, maybe you can donate something for us or other travelers to transport. Check their website for a list of desired items.

Those are our favorites, and we’d love it if we’ve convinced some of you to support them as well. But we’re always looking for great causes, so what are some of your favorites? Who do you think does great work in the world (or even your local neighborhood)?

Life on the Loose

Theresa October 16th, 2007

In response to a recent post, my friend Megan left a comment with the lyrics to “Moon River,” which led me to think of songs that in some way inspire me, that capture in lyrics the way I feel or what I aspire to, particularly in regards to this trip and travel in general. Of course, this led to a far-reaching mental journey that transported me through space and time. Music is very powerful. Like smells, music has a way of taking us back, of capturing a particular moment or feeling, of reminding us of a special person.

As I pondered, I was transported back to a very specific place, Bear Creek Aquatic Camp, on the shores of Kentucky Lake. As a girl, I used to spend some time every summer at Bear Creek. In some ways, I think this camp, though still within the borders of my home state, really had a significant impact on the development of my love of travel and adventure. I started going there in fourth grade, so it was the first place I went without any family. It was a place of new routines, new food, new adventures. It might as well have been a million miles away from home. I did things there that seemed exotic and crazy to my ten-year-old self. I learned to windsurf, sail, and water ski. I challenged myself to a half-mile-long lake swim. I met new people, made new friends. I mastered the art of showering in a stall where the water was lukewarm at best and controlled with a pull string.

And I learned the lyrics to a lot of songs. And I remembered them. If you know me, you know that I can pull out lyrics to the most nonsensical and ridiculous songs at any moment without any trouble. Need a song about a crazy acorn, a girl sucked down a shower drain, a fly in a grocery store? I’m your girl. But not all the songs were silly. It was at Bear Creek that I was introduced to Bob Dylan, John Denver, and a slew of other folk singers. And it was in the fire circle at the point, looking out across the water to Land Between the Lakes, that I learned the song “On the Loose.” The first time I heard it, it spoke to me, and more than a decade and a half later, I still find that the words capture for me something that I otherwise find hard to put into words.

The chorus seems the most pertinent, summarizing in just a few lines a creed of sorts for the way I want to live. And I can’t hear the words without remembering those summers at Bear Creek: the smell of pine, the feeling of my hair in the wind as I cruised across the lake, the warmth of a campfire under a starry sky, the feeling of freedom, of unbridled joy, of absolute certainty that I could and would live the life I imagined. Life seemed full of possibility. As we plan this trip, life, again, seems that way.

On the loose to climb a mountain
On the loose where I am free
On the loose to live my life the way I think my life should be
For I’ve only got a moment
And a whole world yet to see
I’ll be searching for tomorrow on the loose