Pre-Trip – Page 9 – Lives of Wander

April 15, 2008January 24, 2011

Data Mining

It seems we’re back in full swing here at LOW. This is because Theresa came home today with a stack of books about eight high, covering the full scope of South America. So it seems she was serious about her request to get things more organized once I got home. Anyway, stay tuned for plenty more updates and we get further and further planned. But that is not what I want to discuss today. I want help from all of you in internet-land.

We have decided to take a computer with us. This, in fact, has been decided for a while, but thinking about it again has been sparked by the current inability of our desktop computer to stay powered on. Like a teenager (in fact, that might actually be how old it is), it’s getting very touchy when you ask it to do anything. So its time to start looking for a new one. Anyway, having a computer with us will make blogging so much easier, Theresa will be able to do some freelance writing, and we’ll be able to look at our pictures as we go, and perhaps watch a movie now and again.

So as the technically inclined one of our little duo, it pretty much falls to me to figure this out. But I’m struggling to figure out what type of computer we’ll want to have, let alone a particular model. Here’s what we’d ideally like: an easily portable, incredibly durable, powerful, long-lasting laptop for a minimum of dollars. These, unfortunately, don’t exist, and we’re going to have to compromise somewhere. Let me lay out some of the options I’ve been researching for you.

Ultra-portable: These are all the rage lately, like the eee pc and the samsung q1. They’re tiny, shiny, relatively inexpensive, and … not very useful at all. They combine tiny screens with poor processors and very little memory, which, with the amount of pictures we’ll take and work with, probably won’t cut it. Combine that with a tiny and uncomfortable keyboard and I don’t think we’re in business.

12″ and under: Businessman love these workhorse type computers. Small and light, pretty durable, relatively powerful, but very expensive. We’re talking over 2 grand for a computer that isn’t much more powerful than our finicky desktop (though hopefully they have much less sass). A top of the line computer in this class probably would be our choice if money was no object.

14″ and under: Now we’re getting into the relatively larger laptops (though the MacBook Air technically fits in this category). Nevertheless, as we’re just backpacking around, size and weight is a big issue. These are the laptops that are more inexpensive and more powerful, but with every dollar you save you sacrifice a little durability and a little size. I’m a big fan of Macs now that I use one at work, so a regular MacBook is definitely in the running. Its funny to talk about Apple as a value purchase, but the basic MacBook definitely represents one to me. I don’t like the lack of an SD port though. The MacBook Air doesn’t have enough ports in general to make me happy, and frankly, I’d be scared to break the thing.

So not that that is a complete review, but I’m sure many of you out there know much more about this than I do. Right now the competition seems to be between a MacBook and a higher end 12″ or so laptop. We’re looking for something that will have a quality, long lasting battery, an SD slot (I know the MacBook doesn’t have this =( ), decent power, all the internet connectivity ports you can cram in, durable construction, and low price. Does anyone know the magic solution? Has anyone traveled backpacker style with a laptop? What did you find to be the most important factors? Thanks for all the input guys.

April 13, 2008January 24, 2011

Four Traits that Make Us Good Travelers

1. We don’t let a little rain (or snow) on our parade ruin the day.
While in Denver for the birthday celebration, we had free time on Friday, so we decided to head to Red Rocks, on the outskirts of town. It wasn’t a particularly nice day–overcast with a few flurries though the sun would break through brilliantly every now and then. However, once we got there, it was looking decent, so we decided to do a 1.5 mile hike. We weren’t wearing hiking clothes, nor did we have winter coats on us, but what we had was suitable for a short hike in cold but okay weather. Unfortunately decent turned to blizzard a few tenths of a mile into the hike. We could have turned around, but we didn’t. There were cool things to see…gorgeous rock formations, lots of mule deer, and interesting plants. So we forged ahead, laughing at the total ridiculousness of the situation but in general enjoying ourselves…even though Jeff ended up with a hat of snow by the time we finished. (At which point, the sun promptly came out and the snow disappeared.)

2. We have an uncanny ability to entertain ourselves.
One thing you’re unlikely to hear from either of our mouths is “I’m bored.” (Unless I’m lying on the beach.) If we’re not busy with a specific activity, we always find some way to be engaged and/or amused, whether it be discussing things we have read or heard or capturing our very best sides on camera.

3. We get lucky more often than not.
We’re still waiting to win the lottery, so I guess we’re not the luckiest people out there, but we do seem to have luck on our side most of the time. Like when we managed to outrun the bus and make it aboard so that we could get to the Metro before it closed down for the night. Or the time we showed up at a sold-out Paul Simon concert without a ticket and were given two for free. Or the time the guy at the Phillies game handed us free tickets for seats 10 rows behind home plate. Or the time…

4. We have a knack for meeting *interesting* people.
Though I consider myself a fairly reserved person, I must look like a very open person, or else someone has pinned a “Please talk to me” sign to my back, and I haven’t figured it out. When I worked in Dupont Circle and ate my lunch in the park every day, I met everyone. I met the first black Grandmaster of chess. I met a really interesting musician named Raccoon who gave me his CD with the awesome song “Sandwiches” on it. And obviously, best of all, I met the Lord, at least that’s who he said he was, and really, who am I to disagree?

April 10, 2008January 11, 2011

Away for the Weekend

We’re off to Denver tonight to celebrate Jeff’s grandmother’s 90th birthday! She’s a pretty amazing lady. She has a college degree…a rarity among women her age…and she’s rather well traveled. In fact, she spent a number of years living in Turkey. We should all hope to have lives as enriched, fulfilling, and full of adventure as Farmor (the Swedish word for your paternal grandmother) has had. Anyhow, I’m not sure whether we’ll have any Internet access while we’re away, so you’ll just have to miss us for a couple of days. Hopefully, we’ll have a new post up on Sunday, but if not, one will come shortly after that, so keep checking back. Happy weekend.

April 8, 2008January 11, 2011

A Few Facts about Zimbabwe

Did you know that:

During Mugabe’s rule the average life span of Zimbabweans has fallen from 65 to 30 years, the lowest in the world? Mugabe himself is 84.

Mugabe was inspired by Gandhi’s passive resistance movement and once vowed to use similar principles to help his own nation gain independence? He has, however, killed tens of thousands of people in ethnic cleansings since taking power.

Zimbabwe, under Mugabe, has the highest inflation rate of any currency in the world? Current estimates put it at 100,000%. Money is virtually useless.

Zimbabwe was once called the “breadbasket of the world”? Since Mugabe began his program of forcefully taking farms from white farmers and redistributing them (primarily to friends and political cronies), 1/3 of the population has had to rely on the World Food Program to avoid starvation.

In 2005, 10,000 of the poorest Zimbabweans were left without a home when Mugabe had the shantytown to which he had has his administration relocate these people destroyed? One of Mugabe’s many palaces was only a mile down the road.

Zimbabwe has the potential to be a wonderful place. The marvelous Victoria Falls lies on its border. Splendid African wildlife roams its plains. The land is arable and has a history of abundant production. The education system was once one of the best in Africa. In the 28 years that Robert Mugabe has ruled, however, Zimbabwe has been brought to its knees, virtually destroyed by a man the world once thought would save it.

Things do not look good, but on April 2, there was a ray of hope, as word leaked out that Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change had garnered over 50% of the votes in the March 29 election. A run-off was supposed to occur within three weeks between Tsvangirai and Mugabe. It looked like regime change might be on the way. However, Mugabe, not surprisingly, has not been cooperating with the process. Official results have yet to be released, and Mugabe has cried foul in regards to the counting of votes. He has also begun to crack down harshly on opponents, arrest journalists, and instigate violence in order to derail a run-off.

The future of Zimbabwe is at a crucial point. We must hope that the pendulum swings in the right direction. We must also do more than hope. I strongly urge each of you to contact your congress person, your president, and the United Nations to ask them to do everything in their power to see to it that this election process can continue and continue peacefully.

U.S. Representative to the United Nations: Mr. Zalmay Khalilzad, usa@un.int, (212) 415-4000
The president: comments@whitehouse.gov, 202-456-1111
Find your representative’s info: https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml
Find your senator’s info: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

April 6, 2008January 11, 2011

This is your chance!

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?)

April 3, 2008January 24, 2011

Travel Take Two: Hawaii

Installment three in the Travel Take Two series reviews our 2005 trip to Hawaii. Jeff was actually born on Oahu and grew up in this tropical paradise until age ten, at which point he relocated to the much less ideal climate of the Pacific Northwest. When he got to college and began playing baseball for Rice, he was lucky enough to get to return to Hawaii for a week every year thanks to the fact that both Hawaii and Rice were in the same conference. I didn’t find this quite as cool, however, since the baseball trip to Hawaii always took place during the same week as my birthday. How fair is it that for my birthday Jeff got to go to Hawaii while I was left alone in Houston? So in 2005, we went to the fair state of Hawaii a month after my birthday as a means of evening the score…sort of. In total, Jeff has managed to miss my birthday five of the eight years we’ve been together, so he might owe me a few more trips.

Destination: Oahu and the Big Island
Date: April 8-16 , 2005
Travel Partners: We met up with Dave & Heidi Byrne and we also spent a night with the Krochinas. Both the Byrnes and the Krochinas are longtime Blackinton family friends.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

1. Hiking out to see flowing lava at sunset. The ground is ragged and we saw not only a lot of busted up hands and legs but actually witnessed an air lift of someone who’d hurt themselves on the hike, but the exertion was worth it. We arrived at the lava flow just as the sun was setting, and ate our dinner and shared a bottle of wine from Volcano Winery just a few feet from the insanely hot mass. The intense glow was amazing as was watching it creep slowly toward the sea. Also, a few drops of rain added a neat element as the lava would sizzle each time a drop touched it. And though I really wanted to touch it, Jeff convinced me not to. (Okay, I wasn’t going to. I’m smart enough to know it would melt my hand right off, but I really, really, really want to know what it would feel like (not the heat, duh, but the texture.) Making our way back by flashlight was also quite the adventure. At Volcano National Park, we also enjoyed hiking through lava tubes and standing on the edge of volcanoes (expect for the rotten egg smell). It’s got to be up there among the cooler National Parks in the U.S.

2. Encountering a sea turtle while snorkeling. This was on my list as something I really wanted to have happen, though I knew there was no way to make it happen. When we went snorkeling at the famous Hanauma Bay we didn’t spot any. However, when we pulled over at a small stretch of black sand beach on the Big Island and decided to throw on our snorkeling gear, lo and behold one of these gentle giants came by for a visit. It was very cool. We then went on to see them all over the Big Island, and I thought they were just as amazing each and every time.

3. Food. Malasadas hot out of the grease at Leonard’s. Is there a better breakfast out there? Then the shrimp at Giovanni’s truck up toward the North Shore was divine. I don’t know if I liked the spicy shrimp or the lemon shrimp better, but I can say with certainty that I’ve never had better seafood served straight from a truck. And Jeff would certainly object if I didn’t mention the shave ice, which comes with soft serve ice cream at the bottom. I think he had one a day. It’s not so much my thing, but I did enjoy a couple.

4. Visiting Jeff’s old stomping grounds. We visited the house where Jeff lived when he was little. The fruit trees were just as he remembered, and the strike zone he’d painted on the wall was still there. We also went by his elementary school and saw his name tiled into the mosaic outside the entrance. And we even got to catch a baseball game at the University of Hawaii, the place where Jeff developed his love of the game. It couldn’t have been more ideal either as the Rainbows were playing Rice, so we got to catch up with some old teammates and coaches.

5. Waterfalls. There aren’t too many ugly waterfalls in the world, so in general, I always love me a waterfall. The ones in Hawaii are particularly scenic and we got to visit quite a few of these wonders. On Oahu, hiking to Manoa Falls was fun…and wet…but the Big Island wins on waterfalls. Hilo has quite a few beauties as does the Waipio Valley.

THE LOWLIGHTS

1. Locking the keys in the car with the engine running. Jeff was so excited for his first shave ice that when we pulled up at the place, he managed to not only lock the keys in the car, but lock them in with the engine still running. Fortunately, he did have his wallet with him so we could go ahead and enjoy a shave ice while we waited for AAA to arrive. They had a heck of a time getting into the car, but eventually they did and all was fine.

2. Rain moving in shortly after our stargazing session began. Some of the best stargazing in the world can be done from Mauna Kea, and we were fortunate to be able to get a brief glimpse at the wonders of the night sky at this place where little atmosphere interferes with the view. I could have spent a lot longer looking skyward, however, had rain and clouds not taken over. We don’t have very good luck with astronomical events obviously.

3. Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. It’s maybe a little unfair to classify this as a lowlight. It was simply more of a disappointment. We had a good time snorkeling here, but it was a bit like being at an amusement park. We saw lots of colorful fish and some neat coral, but so many of the little unmarked beaches we stopped at turned up way better sea life. Additionally, despite measures to keep crowds under control (which I applaud), it still feels a bit crowded. I like my natural areas just a bit more natural…and off the beaten path.

LESSONS LEARNED

1. Sometimes it pays be on an overbooked flight. We flew to Hawaii for free thanks to Jeff’s willingness to be bumped from two overbooked flights, both on the same day. On his return flight to DC post-Thanksgiving, he volunteered to give up his seat in return for a $400 voucher and a seat on a later flight. Then when he got to his layover spot, he again volunteered, getting another voucher in return for flying just about one hour later (and now going back into the airport he preferred, since the first change had him going into a different DC airport). So if you’re on an overbooked flight and you have a flexible schedule, consider volunteering your seat. You could end up with a free vacation.

2. Don’t let preconceived ideas keep you from visiting somewhere really cool. I have to admit that before I met Jeff I really had very little interest in Hawaii. I didn’t know too many people who had traveled there, and those I did know hadn’t done much more than sunbathe on the beaches at Waikiki or vegetate at a resort on Maui. All I could think was that if I wanted to lie on a beach there were a lot closer options. Plus, I can lie on a beach for approximately 3.7 minutes before going insane from boredom. So fly the many, many hours to Hawaii for that, no thanks. But then when I started really looking into it, I found out that Hawaii had so much more to offer, and though we did spend a bit of time (3.7 minutes to be exact) being beach bums, we also visited cultural and historic sites, took a fun road trip all the way around Oahu, and enjoyed the natural beauty of this unique state on a lot of active outings.

3. Don’t try to do too much. As much as I wanted to go to Kauai, trying to squeeze three destinations into our trip would have been way too much. Even with just two destinations, we didn’t get to do every thing we wanted. But having an entire island plus some sites on other islands that I want to see just means we’ll have to go back at some point. Darn.

4. If you’re in a place with a ton to do, why waste your money on a fancy hotel? I have to admit that I was a little nervous when we booked a room at the Waikiki Prince for $50, especially considering the going rate for a Honolulu room a few blocks from the beach is a few hundred higher. As it turns out, the place was great–clean, safe, a little kitchenette, a parking place, free beach towels, and the friendliest guy ever at the desk. It wasn’t luxurious, that’s for certain, but if it had been, I would have felt guilty considering we hardly even managed to make it back to the hotel for sleep.

5. If you know people where you’re going, take advantage of their insider knowledge. Because Dave works at Mauna Kea, we were able to visit this volcano, which we wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise since regular rental cars aren’t allowed on the road that leads to it. We also got an insiders tour of the observatories and were able to hang around for some very awesome star gazing. Heidi also took us to a laie (Hawaiian temple) that we would not have known about without her. You can’t beat local knowledge.

6. Any time is a good time to travel. When we booked this trip for about 3 months prior to our wedding, people were confused, asking if we were also planning to do a honeymoon. Apparently not too many people go on big trips just prior to their wedding, but we had the opportunity and the time, so we said why the heck not. Honestly it was a very much needed break from all the planning. And thanks to the trip being pre-wedding all the lucky guests at the big event ended up with super yummy chocolate covered macadamia nuts. Mmm.

April 1, 2008January 24, 2011

What’s a Guy to Do?

With the official beginning of spring yesterday, complete with a Mariners victory, I got to thinking. About two things actually. One part of me wondered how I am going to do without baseball (or all the other major american sports to honest) for an entire year. I mean, a year of occasionally reading internet reports in the leftover internet cafe time we have will not satisfy my need for sports coverage. Argue if you want about the importance of such things, but they’re definitely a big part of my everyday routine. We have ESPN on as often as all our other TV channels combined. It’s ritualistic to watch football on fall Sundays, watch baseball late into the evening (Theresa likes it because it puts her to sleep), participate in the national phenomenon that is March Madness. Shoot, I’ve already missed that this year. I hate February solely because it is the single most boring sports month there is (it doesn’t help that it’s cold and miserable too). In fact, having not thought about it before, doing without my sports be one of the bigger changes I’ll have to deal with.

The other half of me started to think of ways to cope with this sports void. So I began thinking of all the sports and events I could attend while we were traveling. Here’s my top five:

1. Soccer match in South America. The bigger the better. Their reputation definitely puts my fanaticism to shame. Brazil – Argentina maybe? That might be a little too much. Anyway, I’m sure we’ll find plenty of opportunities to see teams the locals are nuts about, seeing how that’s just about everyone everywhere.

2. Winter League baseball in Venezuela. Hey, a man’s gonna get his baseball fix somewhere. And as a fan of minor league and college baseball, I love the purity of the sport when it’s not for the money but everyone is still ridiculously talented.

3. Cricket match in India. I gotta see what this sport is cracked up to be. I’ve never understood the thing, maybe because it’s like baseball but completely different with completely crazy names for everything. But over 250 million Indians can’t be wrong, can they? And I’m sure they’d say baseball is cricket’s messed up brother. I think I’ll try to attend a single day match, instead of one of these five day marathon test matches.

4. Rugby match in South Africa. Another sport in its homeland (though I’m sure my British and Australian friends would disagree). I wonder if Theresa will go to any of these at all with me? Maybe I’ll just make friends with the hooligans at the matches instead. I hear they’re great.

5. Elephant polo in Thailand/India. How could this not be totally awesome? My only concern, though, is how do you watch without the threat of trampling? As an interesting side note, in my research, I learned that DC has its own elephant polo team. Fascinated by the idea of many elephants stampeding across the National Mall hitting a small ball (and inquisitive about where they get said elephants … the zoo?), I went to sign up, only to be heartily disappointed upon reading this:

“At the very least, you must be able to travel as elephant polo is only played where elephants are to be found, i.e. Asia.”

Nuts! My hilarious visions thwarted! But, it does leave open the possibility of getting to play a game of elephant polo while we are on the road. And that is surely an opportunity I would have to take.

So sports fans, what sporting events have you guys seen and loved/loathed in other countries? Any recommendations of specific events coming up in 2008/2009? What would you imagine would be a great event to attend? Help a guy get his fix!

March 30, 2008January 24, 2011

The Places We Should Not Go

Take a look at the State Department’s Information Sheets for each of the world’s countries, and you may want to never leave your home. Should you leave the friendly (?) confines of the United States, you will likely be robbed, raped, stabbed, shot, and then buried in an unmarked grave. You may also be the target of a terrorist event, particularly in Europe, where, I quote “open borders…allow the possibility for terrorist groups to enter/exit the country with anonymity.” Even in countries that seem relatively benign, the alarmist State Department can come up with something for you to worry about. For instance, did you know that when in Austria, you “should be particularly careful not to leave valuables at [your] table while serving [yourself] from the breakfast buffet”?

Sure, the State Department has a responsibility to alert U.S. citizens to the threats that may face when traveling, but shouldn’t the warnings come with a reality check? After all, the same exact things are just as likely (if not more likely) to happen to you while you’re in America. In case, you weren’t aware our crime rate is relatively high, particularly in our cities, and our rate of gun crime is, in fact, much higher than it is in many other countries. A few months ago, my friend Jessica met a British guy at a restaurant here in DC who was absolutely convinced he was going to be shot while here. I’ve lived here nearly four years now and never once thought that, nor really ever felt even remotely unsafe. But, hey, if you look at the DC murder numbers without any context, you might be fearful too. Too bad the State Department doesn’t do an information sheet for the U.S. That would certainly be interesting.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not a laugh-in-the-face of danger kind of girl. I have no wild desire to go anywhere where my life would be in real danger. But as I plan this trip, I’ve been confronted with the consternation of figuring out what places are actually “dangerous.”

I, for one, will immediately put any location in the middle of a war in the category of dangerous. But what about countries that aren’t at war, per se, but are led by men (yes, always men) who are more than a little unstable. Iran, for instance, or North Korea. Would I really be in danger if I went to either of these? Perhaps, I honestly don’t know. (Don’t worry, Mom, I don’t plan on finding out.)

And how about Venezuela, Columbia, or Bolivia? Columbia, interestingly enough considering all the bad press it gets, has a pro-American government, and I’ve heard nothing but raves about it from other travelers. The kidnapping/rebel thing is a little unnerving admittedly, but what are the actual facts on that? Venezuela and Bolivia both have socialist governments that aren’t exactly fond of America, but what have they actually done to cause us to be fearful of them? And come on, let’s be honest, they aren’t the only countries down on America right now.

With the exception of the most committed world politics junkies, most of us have fairly spotty knowledge of what is happening around the globe. Keeping up with our own lives can be trouble enough sometimes. And in the end, we’re forced to rely on the information we have at hand…newspapers, television news reports, the State Department website. At best, these sources are incomplete. At worst, they’re biased. So what’s a traveler to do? Best I can figure, you follow the news (but rely on more than American sources for a well-rounded perspective), talk to other travelers who have recently been to the area you’re interested in, trust your instincts, be smart, and for Pete’s sake don’t leave your belongings unattended while you gorge at the breakfast buffet.

So go ahead and tell me what you think. Where won’t you travel because of safety concerns and/or what causes you to deem a place unsafe?

March 27, 2008January 11, 2011

Planning the South America Leg

Yesterday, during our near-daily phone conversation, I mentioned to Jeff that once he gets home, I want to really dive into the planning and begin a full-fledged attack of the to-do list. Among the things I specified was forming an itinerary that is a little more toothy than our current itinerary, which isn’t much more than general time frames for entire continents. Though I don’t want to get obsessive and plan where we’ll be every day of every month, I do want something a little more concrete. We’ll need some specifics in order to book the framework flights we want to have in place before we depart, and I want to be sure that we don’t miss out on something we really want to do because we didn’t do any planning.

As I ranted about this, falling into one of my “oh my gosh we have to do this right now or everything is just going to fall to pieces” moments (don’t say I don’t know my own faults…), Jeff stepped in to remind me that while we’d at least laid out all the places we might possibly want to go in Asia and Africa, we hadn’t done the same for South America. I’m not exactly sure why it got neglected—maybe because our original plan had us stopping in South America last rather than first, maybe because it feels a bit more familiar than Africa or Asia—but it’s high time we rectified that. So here they are, the many places in South America that capture our imaginations and appeal to our sense of adventure.

Venezuela: Yes, yes, we know. Chavez is a loon, and he has a special distaste for America. It’s not the political conditions we’d pick if this were a choose-your-own-adventure, but damn if we can’t control everything. We don’t, however, consider the situation dangerous. Of course, things can turn on a dime, so we do have a bit of wait and see approach to whether Venezuela makes the final cut, but there are so amazing places there we’d love to see. Mount Roraima, otherwise known as the Lost World, tops our list. We both became obsessed with this wonderland of relatively untouched and unexplored nature thanks to a Discovery Channel production called “The Real Lost World.” (Watch it, and I promise that you’ll add Roraima to your must-see list too.) The only true way to explore it is on a challenging trek lasting a minimum of five days, which we really hope to do. Once in Venezuela, we’d have to hit Angel Falls, since it’s only the world’s highest waterfall, and both the Los Roques Archipelago and Parque Nacional Mochima look like good places to recover after a long, hard trek.

Brazil: Famed for its wild Carnival, tiny bikinis, beautiful beaches, Amazon river and rainforest, and, of course, the girl from Ipanema, Brazil is a country of extremes. Obviously, we have to spend a little bit of time at the beach, though which one is a good question. In the March 2008 issue of National Geographic Traveler, Stanley Stewart detailed his search for the perfect spot on what was deemed “the five thousand mile beach.” That’s a whole lot of sand! Fortunately, I deemed every spot he visited a good spot to unroll my beach towel, so I don’t think we can go too terribly wrong. Then, as I posted previously, Amazon and Brazil are synonymous in my mind, so I’m not sure we can leave without venturing into the jungle or down the river. Finally, we’d be remiss to ignore Rio de Janerio. (What’s that song about Rio? I always somehow manage to sing the ‘Rio de Janeiro’ part of it to the tune of ‘Meet the Flintstones.’ Odd, I know, but I can’t carry a tune to save my life.) The question with Rio is whether we try to arrange our schedule to be there for Carnival. Many claim it’s one of those things you just have to do if you have the opportunity, but I’ve often found those things to be the things I most want to avoid. What would you do?

Ecuador: Long before I knew about the Galapagos Islands, I knew about Ecuador, thanks to a priest we had for a brief period at my elementary school named Father Joe (last name unknown). He usually lived and worked in Ecuador, and because he was cool (and not old and dull like the other priests I knew), I decided Ecuador was cool. And I was right. You can’t argue that the Galapagos Islands are anything but awesome. Penguins, humongous tortoises, seals, all kinds of birds, and the world’s most famous boobies. If that’s not cool, I don’t know what is. Though dwarfed by the Galapagos, there are other cool things in Ecuador, including Quito and the supposedly awesome market in nearby Otavalo, and opportunities to explore the Amazon jungle.

Peru: One of the world’s most stunning architecture sites is located in Peru, and it was built thousands of years before the “starchitects” of today. (Thanks, Gregory, for that reference.) Machu Picchu sits atop our list for our time in Peru, and we definitely want to approach it by foot. Whether that is on the famous Inca Trail (which is now heavily regulated and must be reserved in advance) or on one of the alternate trails remains to be determined. Cuzco sounds like much more than just a jumping off point for this trip. That’s good news since we’ll probably need at least a few days there to acclimate to the altitude. After Machu Picchu, next on our list is every grade school student’s favorite lake—Lake Titicaca—where we’d like to visit its islands and perhaps do a homestay with a local family. Colca Canyon and the Amazon (again) round out the sites that have really stood out to us.

Bolivia: I once had a penpal in Bolivia. He wasn’t Bolivian, but was rather an American guy I played soccer with in the alternate years when his family wasn’t doing missionary work in this South American country. I don’t know if he ever told me all that much about the country itself, and the last time I saw him he was driving an ice cream truck. Good story, huh? Anyhow, if there’s one thing drawing me to Bolivia, it’s the Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, a place where land and sky are often indistinguishable. It’s a crazy Salvador Dali landscape brought to life. If we’re feeling particularly ballsy, we may also want to try biking “the world’s most dangerous road,” although I have to say that goes against my very nature. And as with Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru, Bolivia offers opportunities to see the Amazon jungle, and as a bonus feature also visit the Pantanal. (If you never voted in our Amazon poll, you still can register your opinions about where and in what way we see this wonder.)

Chile: For being such a skinny country, Chile certainly has a lot to offer. Thanks to its stunning snow-capped peaks and glacier mountains, some compare Chile’s Lake District to Switzerland, and I have to say that I love Switzerland. With waterfalls, volcanoes, and hot springs to accompany the peaks and lakes, there’s really very little to complain about, especially if you throw in the highly-regarded wines and some fresh seafood. Chiloe Island offers some interesting kayaking opportunities, and though it’s highly unlikely we’d make it to Easter Island due to costs and time restraints, I can’t claim that I’m not fascinated. Finally, there’s Torres del Paine and Tierra del Fuego in Chile’s Patagonia, which just might be the area I’m most excited about. The beauty is phenomenal, the environment terribly fragile, and the opportunity for active pursuits abundant. Hiking either the circuit or the “w” route in Torres del Paine is sure to be a highlight. And I’d love to see all the wildlife I just watched in the National Geographic special “Eden at the End of the World.” Those elephant seals are crazy! And who doesn’t like penguins?

Argentina: I’m really not much of a city person, as witnessed by this list and our Africa and Asia lists, but I have to admit that I’m excited about visiting the cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires. After a few months on the road, I think it will be an excellent spot for regrouping and recharging. I also plan to eat some serious steaks while I’m there. My mouth is watering thinking about it. On the way south from Buenos Aires, I’d like to visit the pampas, stay at an estancia, and meet a gaucho…maybe even ride a horse across the Argentinian plains, though I have no horseriding skills even having grown up in horse country. I think I have been on a horse once, and I certainly didn’t do any galloping. Rounding out the itinerary is, again, Patagonia, with Los Glaciares National Park the biggest attraction on the Argentinian side of the Andes.

So what do you think? I figure we have about 20 weeks in South America, which once upon a time seemed like a long time, but now seems like nothing. Given that, where would you go? And what sites would you move to the “maybe next time” list?

March 24, 2008January 24, 2011

Vad handde i Lappland (Part 3)

Wednesday morning I took the bus back to Kiruna, checked back into my hospital, and hopped on a bus over to Jukkasjarvi, home to the famous Ice Hotel. The outside was less impressive than I would’ve thought. I guess I was expecting to see a gigantic ice city rising out of the river. Those were probably unrealistic expectations. Instead, it was a gigantic ice city with a regular set of support buildings completely surrounding it. Not as dramatic an appearance.

But the inside was far more impressive than I ever imagined. I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves.

The rooms were amazing (each of these photos, save the last one, is an art suite). The central hall in the last photo was an endless hallway of ice sculptures. The next highlight was the Absolut Icebar, also in the hotel. I had to check it out and have a drink. I can’t remember what they called my drink, but it was Absolut with Lingonberry Juice. Quite tasty, a delicious color, and drinking out of an ice glass makes all the difference.

And while it was all so cool, I couldn’t find any reason to actually stay here. I could just pay an entrance fee during the day and walk through the entire hotel, every room. Then I could go back and sleep in my warm, cozy room. Or I could pay a lot more, have to deal with other people walking through my room all day, and then freeze all night. It just doesn’t add up. But I’m glad enough people want to do it that they can building them, because it is truly a sight worth seeing.

Here’s where I maybe got a little crazy. I decided to walk to the airport the next morning, about 5 miles, for my flight leaving at 6:50 AM. Given the circumstances, it was a little nuts, but the reasons were two fold:

1) I still hadn’t seen any northern lights and this was my absolute last shot.

2) A 5 mile taxi ride would’ve cost me ~$60. I don’t know any where in the world that is that expensive. London maybe?

Anyway, after staying awake until midnight looking in vain out both sides of the building to the sky for any signs of green or red, I arose at 3:30 AM, donned four layers and my backpack, and headed out into the cold. While I was immediately hopeful about the faint light to the east, I quickly realized it was the earliest hints of the sun. I was already out of luck, no northern lights. The biggest goal of my trip was a bust. So sorry guys, no northern lights pictures out of me. But to quell the uprising, here’s some.

So there was nothing to do now but just keep walking, I was already up with time to get to the airport and I sure wasn’t paying the $60 for now a 4 mile ride. I guess I’m just stubborn like that. It actually wasn’t a bad walk at all, it wasn’t too cold (though I think my four layers of clothing had a lot to do with that) and I got to see a gorgeous sunrise. There were three things I found funny on my walk:

1) I actually passed a guy about halfway there in the middle of nowhere. And he just walked by, as if he saw crazy foreigners with backpacks walking out of town every day at 4 AM. My “hej” wasn’t even answered.

2) The last two kilometers were along the airport access road, that only went to the airport. Even so, no one stopped to offer a ride. I hadn’t expected anyone to, and at that point in my odyssey, I probably would’ve turned them down, but I did find the whole thing kind of funny.

3) This awesome sign at the airport. It tells you where to park your dogsleds.

So with that, my trip came to an end. To do a quick “Take Two” type recap:

Highlights: dogsledding, Ice Hotel

Lowlights: no northern lights

Lessons Learned: hospitals can be cheap and nice places to stay, trains can be simpler and cheaper than flights+taxis+hotels (it took me the same amount of time to get to Abisko in the end and it would’ve been cheaper on the train), and northern lights are hard to see