The Terracotta Warriors

As you all are aware by now, I'm an archaeology nut. I love it. Wanted to be an archaeologist as a kid, almost went back to school for it three years ago, and to this day can be found scouring the desert for artifacts on my vacations home. And per my previous post, I plan on visiting most of the major sites around the world in my lifetime. So naturally, the things that excite me most in this world are stories of new discoveries, or of those discoveries left to be found. I thought I'd blog today about one of my favorite archaeological sites; not necessarily for what has been found thus far, but for what is left to be found.

In 1974 near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China, farmers uncovered one of the most incredible sites ever found: The Terracotta Warriors. I could write an untold number of blog entries on the find (and if you want to read about it in depth, please click here) but in brief the first Emperor of China, Shi Huang Di, commissioned for a tomb to be built for himself that was of a scope larger than anything ever undertaken. Over 700,000 workers built a tomb for Shi Huang Di that included palaces, towers, homes, over 100 rivers of flowing mercury (thought at the time to prolong life), possibly the largest collection of jewels and relics of all time within the tomb, and over 8,000 life size terracotta warriors (not one alike), horses, chariots, and strongmen guarding the entrance. These terracota warriors are one of China's most visited attractions each year.

These existing discoveries are an amazing thing to visit, but what has yet to be discovered would surely be larger: Shi Huang Di's tomb. To date, no entrance to this tomb has been found. Much of what we know about it's contents come from the writings of an ancient historian, Sima Qian. He describes the lavish burial with priceless treasures quite meticulously. The archaeologists on this site largely know where to find the tomb as there is an unnatural 76 meter tall and 350 square meter wide earthen mound behind the warriors. Further, through remote sensing technology, the Chinese have found evidence within the mound of a 30 meter high building buried above the main portion of the tomb. It appears to have four large stair-like walls. Although there is evidence of a fire that struck this site in antiquity (likely started by a General five years after the Emperors burial), the contents of the tomb are largely believed to be intact. It would surely be one of the largest caches of history and treasure ever uncovered. Along with Atlantis, it could be argued that this is the single largest undiscovered treasure troves known from history. Wouldn't you love to be the one that first discovers the entrance? Read more...

Travel Disasters

As much as I'd like to believe that travel is always rosy, never a pain, and usually a good time.... as a world traveler, I know better. For as many times as my life has changed in a positive way because of the experiences I have been fortunate enough to have while abroad, there are just as many that didn't turn out as planned.... Or to be frank, just sucked. For today's blog entry, I thought I'd compile a list of some of the worst experiences I've had abroad. Please feel free to leave us comments on your experiences as well. And to be clear, I've often learned as much from these experiences as I have the great ones... So this entry isn't all bad, I'm a better person now for having gone through them.

1. While walking down the street in Florence looking at a map, my friend and I were stopped by an unmarked car of guys claiming to be police officers. They were demanding that we show them our passports. Knowing that they had no reason to request them, we refused. They began shouting. Again demanding the passports, I again refused loudly and told them the only way they'd see them is if they took us to the police station. Getting angrier, they told us to get in the car. Again refusing, I said we'd only go there by following their car. Defeated, they left. Close call.

2. Having missed our bus to Eilat, Israel from Cairo, we I was stuck in Egypt with several friends without a way into Israel for a week. Needing to be in Israel by that next day, we managed to get ourselves on board a bus convoy of armed men heading to the closed crossing point of Rafah, Palestine to pick up their stranded countrymen for reasons I still do not understand. A very nice man wielding an uzi offered us a ride to the crossing point, where we'd be on our own to find our way through to Jerusalem. Long story short, we sat in an old warehouse in Palestine waiting to get our passports back for five hours. We weren't alone though! We shared some crackers and Coca Cola with a sweet elderly nun until we were let through. Good times.

3. A buddy of mine became deathly ill while in Salzburg, Austria with an unknown ailment. Upon reaching a closed hospital, we managed to commandeer a wheel chair to get him to the ER. BEcause the staff spoke no English, we spent many hours trying to get him admitted. We finally did, and three days later he was out. Scary, but we met some sweet people in the process.

4. I slept for a night in the new Thailand airport once. For any of you that haven't been there, it's gotta be the worst airport in the world to be stuck in. In addition to the fact that you cannot go to your gate and must wait in the absolutely enormous central reservations area, there are metal benches, air conditioning kept at about -56 degrees, and the loudest cacophony of noises and overhead announcements you ever heard stretching into the wee hours of morning. A tip from me to you: At the far end of the airport there is a gift shop that has fresh, hot noodles for about $1 that are served 24/7. Those noodles definitely got me through the night. Read more...

I want to be 'cleared'

After standing in one ridiculously long airport line after another, it looks like someone had the entrepreneurial insight to make the process easier.....for a price. Clear, a credit-card sized card chalked full of all necessary personal information helps travelers quickly circumvent those annoying baggage check lines.

This is how it works. Apply to Clear, you must submit your personal information and agree to all the terms and conditions of the card. After your application has been reviewed then Clear, then you must attend a face to face meeting, where the company can verify your identity. After a $128 dollar yearly membership fee, you are ready to fly around the world hassle free,

Well almost. Obviously, anyone who has been behind the guy with 12 carry-ons, stinky feet and no idea what he is doing, really wants this card. But this service is only available in 20 U.S. Airports, and of that number some are only available in certain terminals.

In my opinion this service is not yet worth it for the majority of travelers, but chances are it might be soon. The service who has 175,000 members currently has made it the largest private sector registered-travel program to date. And in June, Delta airlines became the first major carrier to back the plan and the Air Transport Association (ATA) highly recommends a private sector business to enter the screening process, because " the money would be better spent improving security for everyone." Ouch TSA!!!

Personally, I love the idea of getting this card and easily getting through security. But not until the process is a bit more universal. I am so excited that finally private business are beginning to intercede in the mess of security screening that TSA cannot handle. Read more...

Vegas!

As I just returned form a sleepless weekend in Vegas, I thought I'd blog about some of the hotels/casinos to be found there with my thoughts on some of the best and worst the city has to offer.


My favorites:
1. Bellagio: Love this place. Great pool, great tables, nicest leather chairs in Vegas, and fanciest buffet.
2. Palazzo: This is the new sister hotel to the Venetian just built in January. One word: Wow. It's clean, well done, enormous rooms, and for the price, you won't find something nicer anywhere. On top of that, their pool area is a lot of fun. It connects with Venetian's pool (and Tao Beach) and provides hours of entertainment.
3. Wynn: Very similar to the Bellagio in that their furnishings, shops, and overall ambiance is top notch. I haven't explored this hotel a ton, but from what I've seen it's definitely in my top three. Steve Wynn is constructing a similar hotel next store named Encore that is due in December.
4. The Mirage: I know this one doesn't really fit with the others, but I like the overall feel and what they've done with the floor space. Lot's of room, well taken care of, and plenty to do.
5. Imperial Palace: If you're looking for cheap eats and tables, head straight to the IP. Their champagne pit tables, and rocking impersonators are worth the trip.

My least favorite:
1. Circus Circus: How this dilapidated casino is still up and running, I'm not sure.
2. New York New York: Most overrated casino on the strip. Crowded, and cheap knock-offs everywhere... Such potential.
3. The Palms: The only things this place has going for it are the eateries Nine and Little Buddha, and Ghostbar. Other than those, you may as well tear the whole place down. For a newer property, the casino is small, the decor lame, and the poker room looks like someone converted an old broom closet. Disappointing.
4. Las Vegas Hilton: Nothing at all redeeming about this place. It's a million miles from everything, and thinks it's a fancy place (not even in the realm of any of the places that are). Table minimums are way too high, boring decor, and charging way too much for where it's situated. Read more...

What is your favorite travel guide?

When I first starting traveling on my own, I bought my first travel guide. It is a 'Let's Go Spain' and honestly it is so beat up, ragged and over-used, but I cannot imagine throwing it away. I used it for a whole year to get around Spain and I literally brought it with me everywhere. Of course when I bought the 'Lets Go' version, I did it specifically because it had a plethora of information about hostels and low budget accommodations.

Now that I am considerably older and hostels don't hold the same place in my heart as they once did (perhaps it is the fact that you have to sleep in the same room as 12 strangers), I tend to stay away from the 'Lets Go' Travel guides. Since most travelers purchase books to read up on their destinations I am curious to learn, what is your favorite travel guide?

Here is the quick synopsis of some of the most popular versions:

Lets Go: A great option for those on a tight budget. I love the options they give because they find places at a great price that do not appear to be budget lodgings. Plus, they take into account younger travelers and their needs/wants, so this book always includes the best bars, trendy restaurants and other pertinent tips.

2. Frommers: Wonderful for travelers who are looking for mid to high priced accommodation options. Truth be told, this is now my favorite of all travel guides. I feel like their strength lies in describing a city before you arrive. They give a fair account of what to expect and especially the 'must-do's' that the region.

3. Eyewitness Travel Guides: I know so many people that swear by this book, because of the vivid pictures and maps included. I do admit that this guide includes more visual material than any other, but I think there is a big lack of content. I never find these books very helpful once you get to the location, plus I find the layout very confusing.

4. National Geographic Traveler: Obviously the photography in these guides are stunning, so be aware you experience might not be quite as beautiful. I love this guide because of the historical references it includes. These books tend to be a bit more expensive, but well worth it for a genuine understanding of the region in which you are traveling.

So what is your favorite travel guide? Read more...

Climbing Kilimanjaro

A dream of mine is to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. It's the tallest mountain in Africa at 19,340 feet (as a point of reference, base camp at Everest is about 17,700 feet), and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. Unlike most major summits in the world, "Kili" requires little to no technical skills. Basically, you can walk up. Now, although you won't need to utilize crampons and rope on your ascent, you certainly need to train. Most training plans call for 4-5 months of progressively more strenuous hiking, some form of high altitude acclimatization, and/or weights and cardio work. The climb takes anywhere from 5-10 days and requires daily hiking of up to eight hours. In addition, there are steep Park fees, and you MUST be with a hired guide. It's illegal to try to ascend on your own. Kili has six different routes (seven if you count the Western Breach), all with their own advantages/disadvantages. I thought I'd post a summary of these routes, as well as some helpful tips for anyone considering this climb. If you'd like to read on in more detail on these routes (including level of difficulty and days required), please click here.

Route Summary:

Marangu Route: This is the easiest route (often referred to as the "Coca Cola" route), and the easiest route up the mountain; it is characterized by the different zones of vegetation. This route will also have (by far) the most people. Trekking takes about 5 days to descend.
Machame Route: This is the route for experienced trekkers; can also be quite crowded though. The route takes up to 6 days to descend.
Umbwe Route: This is a great route to follow if you are looking to climb the mountain and get an insane workout in the process. The route has a very steep slope, and goes straight to the Peak.
Mweka Route: This is the most straight route, and is used by descending parties on the Machame, Umbwe and Shira routes. Can also be quite crowded.
Shira route: This route ascends through Shira plateau from Londorossi Gate, and is the most fascinating and scenic route on Kili. When I climb this mountain, this is likely the route I will take. The route provides great views of the Great Rift Valley, Mt Meru and Longido. it involves a drive to high altitude on the first day.

Technical Routes: There are two more technical routes on the Western part of the mountain: Breach and Lemosho, requiring much more climbing expertise.
Western Breach Route: This is for experienced mountaineers. It is the shortest winding through Shire Plateau, the glaciers, and Kili's dormant volcanic crater, and takes one to two days to the top with several tough sections up steep scree and some rock scrambling.
Lemosho Route: This route is the same as the Breach Route; it has steep scree leads to Stella Point (half way between Uhuru Peak and Gillman’s Point), but this route passes through Shire Ridge, which allows a bit more acclimatization.

General Tips:
1. The longer you give yourself on a trip, the better. The real challenge on this mountain is getting acclimated so give your body as many days as possible to do so.
2. Find a good tour operator with porters, experienced guides, oxygen (if needed), and evacuation insurance.
3. Don't pay more than $3,000-$4,000. You'll see some companies trying to charge 7-10K. Don't believe the hype - they don't have anything or anyone that is better than the 30 companies that do it for 3-4K.
4. Don't pay less than $2,000. Some companies will offer cheap routes up the mountain. Can they get you up? Probably. But, do you really want to risk getting up quicker, with 65 other people, and not as highly trained/insured guides? Probably not.
5. Be prepared for extreme cold at the summit. Yes, you can climb in shorts and a t-shirt towards the bottom, but the summit can be below zero frequently.
6. Educate yourself on altitude sickness. This is a very real threat, and one you should be familiar with before you depart. Know the symptoms, and be able to recognize them should you begin to suffer. Read more...

One super rad organization

So I get a lot of grief for using the word rad, but I think in this case you will have to agree with me on my word choice. Here at Pangaea, Chris and I have begun a program in which we are able to give back to some wonderful charitable organizations if our clients take a tour or cruise. Basically, we donate a portion of each trip to organizations that give back to the communities where they travel. The idea is easy and the impact is evident.

So we thought we would highlight each of the organizations we work with to give a better description on their work. This is where the "super rad" comes in. The charity is called Invisible Children and the story of their organization is purely inspirational. "In the spring of 2003, three young filmmakers traveled to Africa in search of a story. What started out as a filmmaking adventure transformed into much more when these boys from Southern California discovered a tragedy that disgusted and inspired them, a tragedy where children are both the weapons and the victims.

After returning to the States, they created the documentary "Invisible Children: Rough Cut," a film that exposes the tragic realities of northern Uganda.s night commuters and child soldiers.

The film was originally shown to friends and family, but has now been seen by millions of people. The overwhelming response has been, "How can I help?" To answer this question, the non-profit Invisible Children, Inc. was created, giving compassionate individuals an effective way to respond to the situation."

The charity was founded in September 2004 in the wake of a documentary of the same name that chronicles the hardships of children in northern Uganda. The organization was first designed to raise political and social awareness toward the crisis in northern Uganda among Westerners, and now also serves to bring aid to children living in the war-affected area. Since its inception, Invisible Children has helped to educate hundreds of thousands of people about the effects of the war and has also started two successful development programs in northern Uganda. These projects include the Invisible Children Education Program (ICEP) and the Invisible Children Bracelet Campaign (ICBC).

You can support Invisible Children on their website, or buy the film of the same name. Read more...

Protecting Our Marine Environment

Keeping with our recent eco-statistics posts, I thought I'd present two issues today: Some stats on the damage cruise ships do to our oceans, and some interesting points regarding off-shore drilling. Now, some of you may be scratching your heads as to why I'd present these stats while being in the travel business. It's simple: Both Jessica and I are travelers, want to promote it and take part in it, but we want to do so responsibly. For this reason, we have created a program that reinvests money in eco-friendly, sustainable, and conservation-based non-profits. We give money from every trip to help protect our world. You can read more about this program, here.

Our statistics on cruise ship pollution are well-documented on our Web site here, so please check the link out when you get a chance. To start with offshore drilling, I received an interesting e-mail from a partner of ours (Surfrider Foundation) today regarding offshore drilling. In our quest to lower the price of oil this is a pretty hot topic, and Surfrider pointed out the following:

Regarding calls to restart coastal drilling:

1. Lifting the moratorium will not provide immediate relief from high gas prices.
If the moratorium was lifted it's estimated that it would take about a decade before any oil could even be extracted. And it's safe to assume that drilling might reduce gasoline prices by merely 6-7 cents per gallon. Obviously, this would not have any effect on prices at the pump this summer or anytime in the near future. But it would affect the coastline you love.

2. Drilling for oil offshore threatens the coastal & marine environment, recreation and coastal economies.
Increased spills and industrialization associated with drilling offshore will result in devastating damages for coastal and marine environments for decades - not to mention putting your enjoyment of the beach at risk! Although improved technology may limit the likelihood of catastrophic spills, there are still hundreds of thousands of documented "small" spills in areas heavily used for oil drilling. In one study of a proposed drilling site it was predicted that over the next 40 years there could be up to 870 spills of 2,000 gallons or less - that's over 1 million gallons from just one site.

3. Increasing oil production worsens global warming.
You and I both know that global warming is threatening our planet, our coasts and us. And fossil fuel consumption is a major culprit. It is time to look for alternatives not further our addiction to oil.

Now I'm not sure it's as simple as these points make it out to be, but at a macro level the point is this: Coastal drilling does substantially more harm than good. Drilling does unimaginable harm to our coasts and oceans, and the places we love to visit. As with cruise ships, the solution is not necessarily to just not partake, but rather look for ways to give back and promote legislation that protects these environments. There is a great example of a company working with such legislation for cruise ships called Blue Water Network. They, like us, are seeking to not stop people from taking cruises but to work with governments to pass legislation holding cruise ship companies accountable for how they dispose of their waste. If you'd like to read more about this, please see the following article. Read more...

Eco statistics that make me sad

I am always overwhelmed by some of the environmental statistics I read, especially when it seems like this overwhelming problem will never be solved. However, when statistics are broken down into my daily activities I can actually see where my small effort can really make a difference. So today I thought I would share some interesting eco facts to inspire us all to make small changes:

1. If 10,000 people drink only organic beverages for one week, we'll avert 32 full cocktail shakers of pesticides from pouring into the environment. (Source: Ideal Bite)

2. The US has less than 4% of its forests left and equally devastating is that 80% of the total world's forests are gone. (Source: Bikeroute.com)

3. Recycling 1 ton of paper saves: 17 trees, 2 barrels of oil (enough to run the average car for 1,260 miles), 4,100 kilowatts of energy (enough power for the average home for 6 months), 3.2 cubic yards of landfill space, and 60 pounds of air pollution. (Source: Trash to Cash)

4. The U.S. is 5% of the world's population but uses 25% of its natural resources. (Source: Environmental Protection Agency)

5. If every household in the U.S. replaced just one roll of 1,000 sheet virgin fiber bathroom tissues with 100% recycled ones, we could save: 373,000 trees, 1.48 million cubic feet of landfill space, and 155 million gallons of water. (Source: Seventh Generation Company)

6. Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to operate a TV for 3 hours. (Source: Eco-Cycle)

7. Recycling collection and processing, and manufacturing with recycled materials employed
952,614 people in 2001, and paid $34 billion in wages. (Source: National Recycling Coalition, 2001)

8. The average American home contains more synthetic chemicals today than the average
chemical plant of 100 years ago. (Source: Windstar Foundation)

9. Globally, 58% of coral reefs are imperiled by human activity such as overfishing, sewage runoff, sedimentation, and dredging. (Source: Environmental Defense Fund)

10. Tropical rainforests in the Amazon store 75 billion tons of carbon dioxide in their trees and plants. When the forests are burned, carbon dioxide is released into the air. It has been estimated that 25% of total global CO2 emissions are from the burning of tropical rainforests. (Source: Rainforest Action Group) Read more...

In my own backyard...

I was reminded this last weekend that it is really easy to take for granted the places and sites we live in everyday when constantly looking abroad for the next "it" place. I spend much of my day trying to figure out when I'll climb Kilimanjaro, visit Bagan, or backpack through the Middle East again. As I drove home to Tucson, AZ last Thursday, I forgot what a beautiful landscape it becomes during the monsoons; as the sun sets over red tinted mountains, the mourning dove sings at sunrise, and that unmistakable smell of the desert after a short downpour.

There's probably no better example of overlooking what's right in front of you than this: I've never been to the Grand Canyon. Yes, I spent the first 18 years of my life in the Grand Canyon State, and I've never been there. In retrospect, a "vacation" always seemed to insinuate leaving the State or country. In turn, I never thought about visiting all of the amazing places the State had to offer as if it wouldn't really constitute having gone somewhere. Does anyone else do this? I must be mad.

So in an effort to begin to right-size my transgressions towards the great State of Arizona, I thought I'd give a shout out to several locations worth visiting if anyone will be passing through any time soon:

1. The Grand Canyon: It can't be listed among the seven natural wonders of the world alongside Everest, the Great Barrier Reef, and Victoria Falls without merit, right? Though, as stated above, I'm the last person to talk it up....

2. Kartchner Caverns: This one I can vouch for, and it's incredible. This cave is one of the few large cave complexes in the country that is unspoiled, and a living functioning cave. The cave is protected by the State, and apart of its own National Park. Tours of the "Big Room" are limited from October to April so as to allow the thousands of bats that reside there for part of the year, to do so in peace.

3. Canyon de Chelly: A miniature Grand Canyon with its own South and North rims, but the rock is even more red and picturesque. The Canyon is also home to some of the most spectacular Native American ruins in the country, within a landscape that is one of the longest continuously inhabited in North America.

4. Lake Powell: The Northern part of Arizona is home to an incredible area with over 2000 miles of shoreline, rosy sand beaches, and days upon days of canyons, blue water and ancient ruins.

5. Tombstone: In 1881, the likes of Doc Holliday, Virgil/Morgan/Wyatt Earp, Ike Clanton and others were a part of arguably the most famous gunfight ever: The shootout at the OK Corral. This site and the rest of the still original ghost-town can still be visited today. Need I say more?

6. Kitt Peak: For you astronomers out there, a little known fact is Tucson, AZ is home to Kitt Peak: The world's largest collection of optical telescopes, and some of the largest in the world. Read more...