Finding Pangaea

Good News for Trestles!

2008-12-19T10:12:00.000-08:00

Its good news this morning for environmentalists in California, the foothill-south toll road has been dealt a fatal blow. The Department of Commerce announced today that it would uphold the California Coastal Commission's decision! Basically, this means that it is illegal under both federal and state law to build a toll road through San Onofre State Park. In a release issued from the Department of Commerce, they "determined that there is at least one reasonable alternative to the project and that the project is not necessary in the interest of national security."

For those of you not familiar with the long disputed project, The TCA (Transportation Corridor Agency) proposed to continue highway 241 south from its current end at Oso Parkway to the I-5 near San Clemente. Here is a map for any one not familiar with the area. The highway's completion was touted as reducing the congestion on the I-5 and as an alternative for Orange County residents. However, the reality was that the proposed plan would have been built directly along San Maeto Creek. According to the Surfrider Foundation "the project would also result in the obliteration of Southern California’s last remaining pristine coastal watershed and substantially degrade habitat that is critical for the survival of at least seven endangered species, including the Southern Steelhead trout."

What I love most about this story is that opponents of the 241 continuation project did not gain momentum from this fact. Instead, popularity was generated from a Southern California institution. Surfing. The 241 extension road project would have directly threatened the world class surf break at and around Trestles. This simple fact started a grass roots movement of unrivaled popularity. Save Trestles became the battle cry and today it is these advocates we have to thank. They saved a beautiful region of our state from unnecessary desecration and I personally hope they take this day to celebrate their achievements!

Be sure to visit Surfrider's save trussels website, the non-profit that has worked tirelessly to win this fight. And if you are interested in reading the TCA's plan click here.

Monte Roraima

2008-12-18T10:15:00.000-08:00

So I was watching this show last night about a group of scientists that recently were assembled and sent to explore Monte Roraima in Venezuela. For those not familiar with random plateau's in Venezuela, Monte Roraima is one of the least explored places on earth. This table-top mountain, or tepuis, is thought to be the oldest mountain on earth having formed when Africa and South America split apart. Monte Roraima is unique in that it is nearly 9,300 feet tall and is almost inaccessible due to sheer cliffs on all sides. This is the point in this blog post where you all begin to drift as I write about random mountains in Venezuela.... Here's why this place, and this expedition, are fascinating to me: Monte Roraima's unique set of circumstances, and inaccessibility, have long made it a candidate for housing unknown, or even long extinct creatures. The thought here is that when this landscape rose from the ground, it's eco-system was essentially frozen in time, and has not been touched since. This place was what originally inspired Arthur Conan Doyle to write The Lost World in 1912 (the inspiration for Jurassic Park and King Kong).

So this random group of scientists set out to explore this place. There is this one guy who is a cryptozoologist. Yep, crypto as in hidden/secret, and zoologist as in animals. This guy was a "specialist" in lost/mythical or unknown-to-science animals. He basically walked around waiting for a pterodactyl to come flying down and eat him (local Indians talk about this species as one of many still thought to reside on the mountain) the whole episode. He was joined by a herpetologist, a couple of cave specialists, a random biologist, and a specialist in tarantulas. Long story short, they find a bunch of new creatures, but no dinosaurs or giant mammals.

I mention all of this because something fascinated me during this show. I began to notice that no matter how remote a tribe, no matter how remote a location, even those on opposite ends of the earth with no contact whatsoever with one another, every single place and tribe have stories of the same type of creature: An ape man. In the Himalayas, it's called the Yeti. In North America, it's been long referred to as (even Native American mythology tells of it) Bigfoot or Sasquatch. In Australia the Yowie, in Central America the Dwendi. In this area of South America, I can't remember what the local tribe was calling it, but essentially it meant "demon-ape." I'm not saying I am going to start believing in Big Foot, but there is something to be said for every ancient culture telling of literally the same creature: A giant bipedal ape/man thing. It's not even that bizarre really. After all, there was a creature that basically was this exact specimen called Giganthopithicus that lived perhaps as recently as 3,000 years ago in SE Asia. Who is to say something similar didn't live elsewhere, and even recently? So my question today is if anyone out there believes in Bigfoot?

To Go or Not to Go, That is the Question

2008-12-12T09:33:00.000-08:00

The more I get to understanding people's travel psyche, the more I begin to realize something: People are nervous about visiting most places. It's not uncommon for me to hear, "I won't travel there, it's too dangerous" many times a week in reference to places no where near the State Department's Advisory List. While most of the time I think their concern is off-base, the real question is, as travelers, what do we do with places like Thailand, India, Myanmar and Greece? We've all seen these countries in the news of late for various reasons and while not on Advisory Lists, instances of unrest in these destinations often creates an over-reaction from the general public.

So the real questions are:
Where should we be worried about traveling?
Where shouldn't we worry?
When do people need to just relax, put aside their anxiety, and just go?

Let me start with the obvious: Any destination engaged in some sort of international, civil, or insurgent-led war should be avoided. I think we can all agree that places like Iraq, Afghanistan and to some extent Pakistan are off-limits. Add to this the handful of countries that are so incredibly de-stabilized or lawless that one would be risking more than simply their belongings by traveling there, and we should add places like Somalia, Sudan, DRC, Zimbabwe, and largely Palestine. But what then?

One of my pet peeves is that if you watch or read the news, you'd think that every place on this planet is dangerous; anything international should be avoided:

Don't travel to Thailand, there are people that are protesting the government.
Don't go to London, they had those bombings,
Don't see the Louvre, the French hate us.
Avoid South America, they have all of those drug cartels.
Don't see China, it's near that crazy guy in North Korea.
Watch out for Peru, I saw that story about how Alpaca's will spit at you.
Definitely avoid Egypt, there are terrorists everywhere.
Steer clear of Southern Italy... all of those mobsters.
Don't go near the Mideast, Arabs hate us and will kidnap Westerners.
SE Asia is lawless. I heard that if you go most places there, you'll likely wake up in a bathtub without your organs.
Russia is crazy, after the collapse they lost all of their nuclear weapons, and they could be detonated at any time.
Never Indonesia; a tidal wave will sweep me away.
Nor Turkey. Crazy earthquakes, none of those buildings are built like the Japanese, they'll fall on me.

Ugh. My advice: Relax. Take a deep breath. Look around you. Realize our country has it's own dangers. There will certainly be instances of unrest, crime, natural disaster and pockets of danger anywhere in this world one travels. But ask yourself: How many crime reports do you see on TV here each day? How many streets exist in this country that you wouldn't walk down past dark? How many earthquakes/tornados/hurricanes/floods hit our country every 12 months? Would you ever tell someone not to come to America because it's too dangerous?

Make sure you do your research, and just go! Aside from the few places listed above, the countries in this world are overwhelmingly safe. The people there are overwhelmingly sweet, hospitable, and just like you. Buy a good guide book to steer you clear of the wrong parts of the city, avoid war zones, and just relax and enjoy yourself.

10 reasons to visit Bhutan

2008-12-04T12:39:00.000-08:00

I know it has been awhile since I have returned from Bhutan, but I could not help posting something else on this magical country. If you have read any of my other posts, you will realize that I am on the verge of begging the Bhutanese government to let me apply for citizenship. So here is my list of the very best reasons to make Bhutan your next vacation destination.

1. "You went where?" If you go to Bhutan, this is a question you will get frequently. And it feels fantastic. To go to a place that so few westerners have ever heard of proves that you have traveled somewhere unique. That, or American's abysmal lack of geographical knowledge. But, I am going to be optimistic and stick with the former.

2. The Bhutanese People. The sweetest, kindest and most lovely people. They are open and friendly and no matter where you are you will receive smiles with waves of 'goodbye' from the children. (Kids use goodbye as a welcome). So cute.

3. The Tiger's Nest. This amazing site is one of the most sacred monasteries in the entire country. Completed in 1692, it hangs on a cliff at 10,200 feet above the city of Paro. The proper name is Taktshang, which means "Tiger's nest", the legend being that Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) flew there on the back of a tiger. The monastery suffered several blazes from a butter lamp which had fell during the night, but its restoration has been completed and it is back to its former glory.

4. The Takin. What on earth is a Takin you ask? It is the national animal of Bhutan and has been described as a bee-stung moose. This animals association is intrinsically tied to Bhutanese religious history, more appropriately with Lama Drukpa Kunley otherwise known as the Divine Madman. He is credited with having created this animal by taking the head of a goat and attaching it to the body of a cow.

5. Paintings of well....male genitalia. It is not often that we see penis' painted on the side of building or on flags on people's home. It is quite a sight. The historical significance traces back to the Divine Madman, a favorite monk which lived from 1455-1529. This outrageous monk was known for his sexual exploits as well as his ability to help with fertility. He is a greatly loved symbol and these paintings are in reverence to him.

6. Monklettes. Otherwise known as little-kid monks. I hope this made-up term does not come across as disrespectful, they are just so darn cute in their orange robes.

7. Eme datse. The Bhutanese love their chilies. And for the adventurous, try their national dish, eme datse. It is a mixture of chilies and cheese and after eating the most miniscule amount I spent the next 20 minutes sputtering, coughing, sweating profusely and guzzling anything liquid in sight. It is very, very hot. Watching our guides eat this dish without the slightest sign of discomfort, the Bhutanese clearly are born without taste-buds.

8. You will not find a single McDonalds....anywhere. It is a blissful change from the everyday life of continual chain stores.

9. "Gross National Happiness". This is concerned the primary currency of Bhutan and significantly more important than Gross Domestic Product. And the feeling is palpable, everyone is so happy.

10. Druk Air. The best in-flight food you will ever have. And amazingly it is free.

7 Bizarre Holidays and Celebrations

2008-11-25T09:32:00.000-08:00

I was thinking today that there are some really strange celebrations/holidays around the world. This week is Thanksgiving, and despite all of our affinities and traditions for this holiday, one could just as easily argue that it is a quite bizarre and strange spectacle for those not from the States.

First off, most everything we celebrate on Thanksgiving is in some way, shape or form, inaccurate. The traditional story of course is that this was a celebration between Pilgrims and Indians in 1621. There are many sources though that clearly point to the fact that Thanksgiving was first practiced in 1619 in Virginia, or even as early as the late 1500's in Texas. Second of all, the food: Turkey? Cranberries? Pumpkin pie? Probably not, no and no. The only meat we know for sure that was eaten there was deer. Turkeys and cranberries are really an invention of the Victorians who prepared this food starting in the 1860's (along with Lincoln's Thanksgiving proclamation that actually set aside two dates for the holiday - one in August and the other in November). How about the funky dress then? You know, the Pilgrims in their black, with their big hats and strange shoes. Or the Indians with their feathered headdresses? Again, no, no and no. These are all later renderings by artists, but not historically accurate by any account. Nevertheless, I love Thanksgiving. It's a great day for family, food, and relaxation. I thought I'd post a list of seven of the most bizarre holidays/celebrations that exist elsewhere in the world:

1. Novgorod, Russia: Maslenitsa
This happy holiday centers around Lent, where in many Orthodox countries, the week prior is marked with a series of celebrations.... in this case a free-for-all boxing match in which there are no rules. In centuries past, the fight ended only when the participates were covered with blood and without clothes.

2. Bunyol, Spain: Tomatina
This one, though near and dear to my heart, is the epitome of strange. Near the end of August this city shuts down as the entire population embarks upon the world's largest tomato fight.

3. Brockworth, England: Cheese Rolling Festival
This traditional day, dating back to Roman times, competitors from all over the world run up a huge hill and then chase a 7 kg round cheese back down. The first who gets to it, keeps it.

4. Eastern Island, Chile: Tapati Festival
A week-long festival begun in the 1970s in an effort to drum up more tourism, Tapati includes a triathlon in which native participates run around the lake of the Rano Raraku volcano carrying a large bunch of bananas. Isn't there an easier way to draw tourists to Chile?

5. Several in Turkmenistan....
The once president-for-life Saparmurat Niyazov was a bit odd to say the least. When he wasn't renaming months of the year after himself and his mom, he was creating holidays. In 2005, citizens were given the day off so that they could celebrate melons, and April 27th was chosen as a national holiday to honor horses.

6. Tinku Festival: Bolivia
Each May thousands of Bolivian indians descend on the city of Macha to pick a fight with one another. The 600 year old pre-Hispanic Bolivian festival of Tinku sees villager engage in a slug fest that doesn't stop until blood is spilt on the ground. The blood is an offering to the earth goddess - Pachamama - to ensure a good harvest for the coming year.

7. Antzar Eguna (Goose Day): Lekeitio, Spain
Goose Day dates back at least 350 years, and involves a group of young Spaniards trying to decapitate a dead goose hanging from a rope in the middle of the town's harbor. No wait, it gets better.... the contestants have to behead the goose using only their hands and arms. They try this by approaching the dangling goose in a rowboat, grabbing its neck, then falling into the harbor waters. If one of the guys manages to hold on to the bird despite the best efforts to shake him off (by bystanders pulling on the rope) and also manages to wrench the head off, he wins, and the prettiest girls in town flock into his arms. Totally awesome.

The Tshechu Festival

2008-10-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

When I was in Bhutan I was lucky enough to be in Thimpu to see the Tshechu Festival. It was magical. The Thimphu Tshechu lasts for 4 days during which mask and historical folk dances are preformed in the courtyard of the Tashichodzong. Just imagine a sea of color, everyone dressed in their best clothes believing that their attendance will bring them good merit for the year. The history of this festival is ingrained in Buddhism (the country's main religion) and is in honor of Guru Rinpoche "the precious teacher". This Indian saint contributed enormously to the diffusion of Tantic Buddhism in the Himalayan regions of Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan around 800AD.

The Thimphu Tshechu lasts for four days during which mask and historical folk dances are preformed by monks and laymen alike. We were lucky enough to see it this year, the first year they held the festival outside as opposed to the old crowded courtyard that could accommodate only 25,000. The new area held 90,000 and although still crowded we had wonderful seats to see much of the performance and interact with people around us.

The best part of this entire day were the children. They gathered around us to have their picture taken or conversely to take pictures (some of my favorite pictures of the trip). We sat in the square playing games like 'rock, paper, scissors" and (a very, very, gentle) rendition of "slap hands". It was so much fun! These kids almost all spoke a few sentences in English and even if they did not gestures were enough.

This was one of my most fond memories of Bhutan and wonderful introduction into Buddhist life.

Willie and Microfinance, Part I

2008-10-17T11:09:00.000-07:00

I met William today. William or "Willy", also goes by ZZ as his appearance to the legendary front man Billy Gibbons is uncanny. He stopped in today and we got to talking for a half-hour or so. As it turns out, Willy has family in Maui having gone to school there and lived for many years, and is trying to find his way out there. Willy had a falling out with his family some years back as his addictions to drugs and alcohol raged.

Willy is homeless.

He'd like more than anything else to make his way back to Hawaii and show them that he's clean. That he's turning his life around. That he's trying to dig his way out. Trouble is, hitching rides may be easy, but getting across the Pacific is another story.

How much is a one-way ticket to Maui? He wondered.

I looked it up.

It's roughly $390.

I almost winced at the amount. $390 is a lot of money to anyone, let alone a homeless man. How on earth to raise the money he wondered? He had a plan.

Willie likes to surf. He hasn't lately, but loves the break here in San Diego - much like Maui, not as warm, but just as peaceful. He has two old boards that have fallen in disrepair. As I understand it, these boards are made by a legendary board-marker. I didn't quite follow who the maker was, nor did I fully understand as he explained their repair. My knowledge of anything surf-related is minimal, and that may be generous. Anyhow, with some work toil and repair, they ought to fetch almost $1,500 each with the right market. In Hawaii, the boards ought to fetch even more as Willie explained the market out there is a bit better than here. Does he have them fixed here, then pay to have them brought aboard an airline?

Depends on the airline's fees for the weight of the two boards. He says thinking out loud.

His next stop, he explains, is the surf shop down the street. They'll be able to give him a good idea of what is costs to transport surfboards. That's step one, but he's afraid the fees will be too high.

Maybe he sells the two boards to someone in Hawaii from here, and then has them pay the shipping? Not favorable, he muses, as people like to see boards before they purchase. He does not want to sell them here, as they'll surely not fetch half as much money as they will in Maui or Honolulu. This is a man who understands economics. He understands the buyer's market. He knows Craigslist is probably his best shot at selling to the largest population, for the cheapest price. He's weighing his options. This man is an entrepreneur.

Willie is working to save the several hundred dollars it'll take to have them fixed first. This of course will take him awhile.

First he has to get his VA benefits to come through.
Then prove he's clean to find part-time work.
Then get a bank to let him open an account, maybe take a loan.
He has no collateral though. And herein lies the problem...

The homeless, the poor, the weak, the disenfranchised, those that live in the "ghettos" are not stupid. They're not there because their incapable. Sure, some are unwilling. Some don't put forth the effort. But most of the time, poverty is as a disease: It cannot be shed. It leads only to further despair. These people don't have access to money. Heck, most don't have access to computers. Those living in the deepest ruts of poverty cannot get loans from banks. They cannot start the American (or any other countries) dream. They are limited.

In some ways, the truly poor are the ultimate travelers. They are the ultimate entrepreneurs. These poor souls live on what they can beg for. What they can produce with their hands. What they can produce by collecting cans, bottles,or work here and there. They can live for years, eat, sleep at night, with nothing. They can find their way from one side of the country to the other, for free. They, like Willie, use what they have to buy/sell for a profit. If Willie was loaned the money to fix his boards, could he make $3,000? Good question. Even if he could, could he be trusted to repay it? Good question as well. This is going to be Part I in a series of blog entries about our thoughts on microfinance:

What it is.

Where it is.

Why it works.

And why, with regard to poverty, it might change the world.

To be continued....

1491 - A Book Review

2008-10-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading 1491 - New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus by Charles C. Mann and wanted to take some time this week to review this robust and exhaustive study of the ancient Americas.

This review comes fittingly as today is Columbus Day; which as an aside, has to be the the most moronic and unhistorical holiday this country has. What really are we celebrating? Are we celebrating the year that a borderline traitorous European, certainly tyrannical, was the "first" to step foot on the Americas? And by "first" do we really mean "first wealthy, well-funded, European explorer"? As this book points out, the Americas were more populated, and in some ways advanced, than Europe of the same time period. Furthermore, to disregard Leif Ericson's (and probably countless others) landing here some 500 years earlier is questionable at best. But history needs a face, and being that Spain and Portugal ruled the world at the time, Christopher Columbus is that man.

But I digress, the book 1491, is phenomenal. In my eyes, Charles Mann provides one of the most exhaustive and well-documented studies of historical North and South America ever put to print. To capture the findings in this book in a single review would be near impossible, but to summarize I'll do my best. Mann's 1491 title serves facetiously as the account of the America's prior to European "discovery".

I was taught, as every other school child was, that the populating of this country was a direct result of individuals (likely of Asian-descent) crossing the Bering Strait some 12,000 years ago. In turn, these nomads gradually wandered as far south as Chile, gradually populating and creating pocket societies along the way. In turn, we're led to believe that the Americas (certainly North America) had a population of people existing mainly in small, nomadic bands; living sparsely on the land, and that, for all practical purposes, America was still a vast wilderness upon Columbus' "discovery". Further, Columbus "discovered" this sparsely populated, and very unsophisticated, land in 1492. Charles C. Mann makes abundantly clear that archaeologists and anthropologists in the last thirty years have proved nearly every aspect of those assumptions wrong (and in some cases, very, very wrong).

Here are a few random and ground-breaking discoveries outlined in detail throughout this book:
• In 1491 there were probably more people living in the Americas than in Europe (likely 10's of millions).
• At Olmec in 30 A.D., use of the zero has been discovered: An invention, widely described as the most important mathematical discovery ever made, which did not occur in Eurasia until 600 A.D.
• At the time of Columbus' landing, cities like Tenochtitlán (on Lake Texcoco, outside of present-day Mexico City), were far greater in population than any contemporary European city. Tenochtitlán, unlike any capital in Europe at that time, had running water, beautiful botanical gardens, and immaculately clean streets.
• The Spanish conquest and successful overthrow of empires in South America was likely due to the fact that the societies had been decimated by smallpox (introduced by Europeans and spread rapidly), in many cases up to 90% of the populations, allowing the conquistadorss to "win" so easily.
• The earliest cities in the Western Hemisphere were thriving before the Egyptians built the great pyramids.
• In many cases, the mathematical and scientific accomplishments of the Americas preceded those oft credited to European and Asian counterparts. These include many aspects of astronomy, the modern day calendar, farming, the wheel, plumbing, government and writing.
• The first paleo-Indian migration to the Americas could have occurred as early as 25,000-35,000 B.C. arriving in boats, not by foot.
• Large-scale pyramids, with surrounding societies, have been discovered in Peru preceding those built at the Great Pyramids of Giza by several hundred years.
• Pre-Columbian Indians in Mexico developed corn by a breeding process so sophisticated that the journal Science recently described it as “man’s first, and perhaps the greatest, feat of genetic engineering.”
• Native Americans transformed their land so completely that Europeans arrived in a hemisphere already massively “landscaped” by human beings.

Even the airport is amazing!

2008-10-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

So i have officially arrived in Bhutan, probably the most picturesque place I have ever seen in my life. We had a bit of an early morning flight (we had to be up at 2:15) which some might still consider night....I know I do. But even the flight here was so well worth it. Air Druk, the national airline and the only flights in and out of Bhutan, is a quaint little airline with the happiest flight attendants i have ever seen. We were able to see Everest out the side window of the plane, which only slightly worried me when all of the passengers on the right side got out of their seats to lean over everyone on the left side. Asians clearly have no personal space issues :)

Our landing was really spectacular, we flew in between a valley where the hills were so close on either side we could basically see into people's windows. Everyone on the plane was silent, just taking in the beauty. Upon arriving in what I cannot describe as the airport as any thing other than a monastery. I have never smelled crisper, fresher more fragrant air. This place has a silence to it I cannot describe. I don't ever want to raise my voice above a whisper so as to not destroy the ambiance.

Today we are off on a bike ride to a dzong in the hills. Not too bad........

Trinkets and Souvenirs

2008-10-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

According to trusty Wikipedia, a "souvenir" is a memento or keepsake or object a traveler brings home for the memories associated with it. Fair enough I suppose. The definition listed above though is a bit trite in my opinion. After all, the summary makes it sounds like a random peach pit someone might choke on in Madrid, could fit the definition. We all know though, this isn't the case. Souvenir's tend to be those really lame things you can find in gift shops around the world: T-shirts, local "cultural" items, shot glasses etc etc. They are all of those things one brings home from a vacation and shows off to friends. Half the time, the "souvenir" could probably be flipped over to reveal a "Made in China" tag despite where you bought the thing... I mention this because I have developed a sort-of fascination over the years with the "souvenirs" foreign cultures think tourists will want to buy, the gullible people that purchase them, and the real gems that exist in these locations.

For instance, the Egyptians think that the golden ticket for tourist purchases is alabaster. Could be anything, just as long as it is alabaster, and made to look pretty old. Really, if it looks to be any sort of ancient trinket, people buy it. I must say too, the salesman in Egypt are way up the aggressive scale. You practically have to spray yourself with skunk odor to get these folks to leave you alone. I love their approach too:

Random tourist: How much for the alabaster pot?
Random gift-shop owner: $320! Original! Bery Old!
Random tourist: I'll give you $4 for it...
Random gift-shop owner: Make it $4.50...

And off someone walks with their "1000 year old alabaster pot". Everything is always "original" in foreign destinations as well. I was once in Luxor, and was taken to "the finest hand-made alabaster shop in the country" according to a guide. We were driven to a two-story factory in the middle of nowhere that had the alabaster on the second floor. The first floor was were it was all made "original". As we walked up there was a scene on the left side of the shop that I found hysterical. Five men in traditional clothing were sitting around holding all of the right tools with huge uncut pieces of alabaster. As we got out of the car, someone yelled to them and they quickly scrambled to start chipping away at the alabaster, drilling holes in it, one guy was even throwing water over it. The moment we walked inside, they all stopped and left their stations to resume whatever they were really there to do.

Anyhow, Egypt has it's alabaster, Jerusalem their wooden ornaments, Thailand it's suits, Guatemala their rugs and on and on. I say this to point out that there are in fact, great souvenirs from the places we visit that are original, do show local craftsmanship, and are one of a kind. A couple of pointers:

1. Anything found in the hotel, restaurant, or monument you are visiting is not unique.
2. When you go to a market, notice that 95% of the stalls sell the exact same things. Look for the one booth in the whole place that has different craft, and that's a good place to start.
3. Try to buy your souvenirs in the most back-alley, out of the way places you can find.
4. Art is usually a great purchase with loads of local influence and originality.
5. If you are a cruise-taker, any shop within a half mile of where the ship docks has a 500% mark-up on very standard goods.

Best Food Abroad

2008-09-25T15:14:00.000-07:00

I love food. Like, really love food. Andrew Zimmern territory? Umm... maybe not that much. Can I be Gizmo, then Mogwai if I don't get my fill? Yes. Only the Gremlins midnight is more like my 9AM, Noon and 6PM feedings. Suffice to say, food equals good in my book. Naturally then, my travels invoke instant curiosity and excitement in me to seek out new and tasty cuisine.

I was talking today about my favorite culinary destinations in this world. After a bit of thought, I realized my two all-time favorites are Thailand and Spain. I'm curious to hear what other destinations people list amongst their favorites.

For me, Thailand is the surprise entry on my list. Not many people think of Thailand as a food mecca. And frankly, if you don't like spice, you probably won't ever list it as one of yours. That said, I can't get enough spicy food. In addition to the fact that Thailand has some of the freshest food dishes I've tasted, the balance of sweet, sour, salt, spiciness and texture are hard to beat. I love their noodles. I love their soups. I love their curries. I love the mix of influences - East and West - that build the dishes. Love, love, love.

And Spain? What can I say. The mere thought of tapas and sangria is enough to get my heart pumping. Calderos, grilled squid in olive oil & garlic, beef tenderloin & blue cheese, goat cheese baked in tomato sauce, perfect olives, paella, perfectly cooked meat, do I need to go on? It's also worth mentioning that any culture that sits down to frequent meals that surpass the two-hour mark, will always get high marks from me.

I can't write about food for too long, because I get hungry. So, I'm out for now but give us your thoughts.

Most polluted locations in the world

2008-09-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

Has environmental damage ever made you not visit a location? It is a big reason why I have never been to China, although I know it also contains picturesque locations filled with historical significance and a wonderfully kind culture. So I thought I would blog on some of the worlds most polluted cities and how they have found themselves in this position. This list is not in any particular order and there is still some disagreement which cities are more polluted than others.

Linfen, China: This city is the hub of China's coal production, and the smell of burning coal comes from both of legal and illegal sources. This city has a population of more than four million and located in the heart of Shanxi, from which the local population suffers from the ingestion of coal dust which causes a myriad of lung aliments as well as drinking water polluted with arsenic. (Source: MSNBC)

Sukinda, India: Located in the north eastern portion of the country this particular city is plagued by hexavalent chromium in drinking water. This type of chromium is a heavy metal used for stainless steel production and leather tanning that is carcinogenic if inhaled or ingested (Source: Time). In Sukinda, which contains one of the largest open cast chromite ore mines in the world, 60% of the drinking water contains hexavalent chromium at levels more than double international standards.

La Oroya, Peru: Mining in this area has devastated the local environment in the Peruvian Andies. Lead, copper, zinc and sulfur dioxide are the main culprits and all of which come from the lack of regulations from mining. 99% of children have blood levels that exceed acceptable limits, mostly due to American-owned smelter that has been polluting the city since 1922 (Source: Time Magazine). This particular plant is owned by the Missouri-based Doe Run Corporation.....(author side note: how do these people sleep at night when they know they are giving children cancer?) Sulfur dioxide emissions from the Doe Run plant sometimes reach 10 times the amount considered acceptable by the World Health Organization, and the annual mean concentration exceeds this level by a factor of two or three (Source: Oxfam)

Chernobyl, Ukraine: Not unexpectedly this city is still reeling from the ecological disaster that occurred in 1986. In Chernobyl, the report estimates 5.5 million people are still threatened by radioactive material that continues to seep into groundwater and soil 20 years after the nuclear power plant exploded there (Source: MSNBC).

Some other severely polluted cities: Dzerzhinsk, Russia, Vapi, India, Mayluu-Suu, Kyrgyzstan, Tianying, China

Travel Secrets

2008-09-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

Today's post may be a bit off-kilter, but I wanted to comment on a few things I've seen more and more of since joining the "travel community." Oh heck, let's just get to the point: There are some really annoying expectations people have about travel. Now before I put my foot in my mouth any further, I want to make the compulsory public service announcement that everyone (including me) has expectations from time to time about what a place ought to look like, how much it ought to cost etc. etc. that aren't quite on point. Fact is, often times travel reality is the opposite of what we expected. That said, there are some things the general public needs to know. As a side note, if you travel frequently, or have not been locked in a box for the last ten years, you can tune out now. For the unfortunate few that do not, or have been, read on:

1. You can no longer fly from LAX to Paris for $399. Yep, shocking, I know.
Oh, what's that?
"You did it in college?"
Well guess what? Ten years ago: gas was cheaper, our dollar was stronger, and supply greater.

2. You cannot stay on the beach in Thailand (specifically Phuket, Ko Phi Phi, Samui, Krabi or elsewhere) for $10/night. And no, there are no secret communities of backpackers that have occupied an otherwise unknown island where days are blissful, and everything is free.

3. Tokyo is insanely expensive. Yes, worse than New York. And no, there's nothing I can find for you under $200 in that city anywhere near the sections of the city you'd want to be near.
"But why?!"
"That's insane!?"
"It can't be true!"
Answer: It just is, yes it is, unfortunately it is.

4. If you are looking to get "off-the-beaten-path", steer clear of Europe.

5. The combination of 4-5 star, centrally located, and very very cheap rarely, if ever, exists.

6. In remote parts of this world, you cannot always just fly from place to place - you have to drive.

7. There are ATM's in foreign countries. I know, totally crazy. It's almost as if there are banks in countries other than our own.

8. You get what you pay for. Simple enough, right? If you want to spend $75 a night on a hotel abroad, don't expect much. Furthermore, don't write a review on Trip Advisor once you've stayed at that $75/night property that the valet was poor, breakfast incomplete, or room not very big.

9. Iceland is not covered in ice, and Greenland is not really green.

10. Cancun is dirty, gross, not very foreign, and chalked full of drunk college kids. It's not an ideal family vacation spot.

Top 10 reasons not to use online booking agents

2008-09-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

I am going to turn to this blog to express my utter outrage at online booking agents, Obritz, this is primarily geared at you. Although, I am not particularly fond of Expedia either. These are simply big, faceless entities who only care about booking airfare in mass quantities to make a profit. Their ridiculous regulations are formed to make the most money they possibly can, while at the same time providing the least amount of customer service possible. So to publicly announce recent Orbitz experience, and a particular evil manager named Jasper, I am going to tell you exactly why no one should ever use online travel agents:

1. They might not find it all that important to tell you a flight change has happened or that your flight has been cancelled. In what other business does this happen???? Could you imagine another company getting away with this nonsense? Well, they are not obligated to let their customers know if a flight has been canceled or changed.

2. You will NEVER get a refund. Ok...I guess I cannot say never, but almost never. They can screw up, admit they screwed up and still not refund you money.

3. Their 24 hour cancellation window is a complete joke. Basically, they have a window of 24 hours in which you can cancel your flight, 'free of charge'. What they do not tell you is it can take up to two months to get your money back! How is this even legal! They should have to pay for my credit card fees if they are going keep my money for multiple months.

4. Use Kayak.com. Period, they are the best. Find the best flights and then book directly with the carrier. Flights are often cheaper (no admin fees) that these sites charge.

5. If you have a problem, expect to be put on hold for a very long, long time. Customer Service is very important to me, if there is a problem all I need is someone to tell me it will be fixed. I hate the response, sorry there is nothing I can do it is our policy. Be prepared to hear this response to almost any question.

6. If you book a flight and it is comfirmed, be sure to watch you email. The word 'confirmed' is somewhat of an ambigous term for online travel sites. It can mean confirmed as Webster's defines it, or it can mean just kidding the flight is not actually valid. My advice, if you book a flight, be prepared to receive an email back saying, sorry the flight was not actually available.

7. Fees, fees and more fees. Be prepared to pay lots of fees, $5 service fee, $15 fedex fee, $15 for agent assistance, $150 change fee, etc.

8. No matter how much business you put through an online travel company, you are still no more important than the next person.

9. If you make a mistake, it will cost you. I think everyone has done it, accidentally booked the wrong flight time or day. Well, even if you call them within 2 minutes to try and correct the mistake.....too little, too late is your response. You will pay a $150 dollar change fee.

10. If there is ever a problem with an online booking, wether it was your fault or the companies, the process leaves you feeling, helpless, unimportant and very, very, very angry. Jasper....i sincerely hope you are reading this!

If you want to want a forum to complain, or just to read other's experiences here are few great websites for that: Orbitz-sucks.com or marketingshift.com

Super Rad Organization II...

2008-09-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

Hello loyal readers. Awhile back we profiled one of the many organizations (Invisible Children) that we make travel-related donations to for our clients. If you'd like to know more about how this program works, please click here. Today I want to draw attention to another one of our partners near and dear to our hearts: Surfrider Foundation. Like Invisible Children, Surfrider definitely falls into both Jessica and I's self-proclaimed "rad" category. This is an organization that started here in Southern California and has blown up throughout the country as a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 50,000 members and 80 chapters worldwide. Basically, Surfrider started as a bunch of surfers just wanting to make sure our beaches and waves are safe, clean and protected. Yes please.

Surfrider spearheads numerous projects, and if you'd like to see many of their recent successes click here, but I want to talk about one in particular today: their Rise Above Plastics Campaign. Now if you're like me, you hear facts about pollution etc all of the time and 99% are forgotten two seconds later. A lot of times I can't adequately understand or put into context the scope of the problem, and hence forget all about it. Jessica and I recently went to a Surfrider chapter meeting and were made aware of one of the most disturbing facts I have ever heard. Here it is (straight from Surfrider's site):

There is a section of the Pacific Ocean twice the size of the continental United States called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Within it, 100 million tons of plastic swirl in a vortex of currents. There is so much plastic in the water that it outnumbers zooplankton by six to one! This plastic ends up in the stomachs of marine birds and animals. In fact, one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die globally each year due to ingestion of or entanglement in plastics.

Twice the size of the U.S.!! I almost fell out of my chair. Worse still, this plastic dump was only the size of Texas four or five years ago. This situation has gone haywire; totally out of control. Surfrider needs help from each of us to help curb the madness. There's currently a member from their team touring with Jack Johnson (who backs Surfrider 100% and wants to get their word out to the masses), trying to educate the public. I was recently at a concert of his where he dedicated a song to Surfrider, and even wore one of their shirts throughout the whole concert (Save Trestles!). We donate a portion of any of our client's vacations that are coastal or onboard a cruise ship to Surfrider. Surfrider has a section of their Web site where you can pledge to help this massive problem with plastics, and get involved today:

- Using reusable bottles for my water and other drinks. By using just one reusable bottle, I will keep 167 single-use plastic bottles from entering the environment.

- Using cloth bags for groceries and other purchases. For each reusable bag I use, I will save approximately 400 plastics from being used.

- Recycling the plastic bags and bottles I already have. For every thirteen plastic bags I don't use, I will save enough petroleum to drive a car one mile.

Dark Star Safari

2008-09-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

Jessica inspired me the other day when she opened Pandora's box and wrote a book review on Lost on Planet China. The thing is, Jessica and I read a ton of travel-related books. In the last month, I've gobbled up two travel books, and two pseudo-travel books (micro-finance related... my new obsession). Anyhow, I thought I'd follow suit and record my thoughts on a book I just finished, Dark Star Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town by Paul Theroux.

Theroux is a well-known American travel writer and novelist who has published many notable books including The Great Railway Bazaar, Riding the Iron Rooster and The Old Patagonian Express among others. He is a fascinating writer, one of the many items I will explain later.

Dark Start Safari: Overland from Cairo to Cape Town, as the second part of the title suggests, is Theroux's account of his voyage from Cairo, Egypt to Cape Town, South Africa. An undertaking of this much geography is impressive, made more so by the fact that Theroux did so alone, and entirely overland. For those of you not familiar, the term overland is the traveler's way of saying entirely by bus, car or train (non-air); a popular form of travel in Europe, but hardly ever in Africa (as it is borderline suicidal - a point made evidently clear throughout the novel). Theroux offers a unique perspective on this trip, as in addition to being a traveler, Theroux was both a Peace Corps volunteer and professor in various parts of the continent in the 1960's. His perspective on the landscape and cultures of the countries he visits is refreshingly accompanied by a historical perspective dating back 40 years on the progress (or frankly, lack there of) in Africa.

Theroux's Safari is chalked full of the standard musings one would expect on such a journey: sites, sounds, people, near misses, food, adventure, history, poverty, deplorable conditions and politics. The story is a fantastic read on these accounts alone. However I was really impressed with this novel for its candid view of Africa; the miserable state of it's social/political/economic legacy, and a fascinating look at Theroux's opinion of the "charity" and "aid" that's been dumped into the continent over the last 40 years. This insight was particularly fascinating to me. The over-arching theme of course, and one I agree with entirely, is how on earth has so much money (a number well into the trillions of dollars) been dumped into Africa only to see nearly every major category of distress get WORSE over the years? How is this an acceptable situation? How has Africa become, in many opinions, the case study for why present-day "charity" is totally a broken system? Have people gone there with good intentions? Lives been changed? Sure, but study the facts: 10's of trillions gone, conditions worse. It's almost unbelievable. It's a Hollywood script: Corruption abound, bogus charity, money never reaching its source, kickbacks, despots and tyrants, "charity" workers in Land Rovers, and as bad as it sounds, the World Bank.

In addition to Theroux's candor, he writes with a certain poetic feel that is somehow reminiscent of a younger Henry David Thoreau. While Thoreau was magical at describing the complexities of nature and its relation to the human condition, Dark Star Safari's Theroux seems to tap into the complexities of Africa and its relation to not only humanity, but charity and strife. I mention this as there is, in my opinion, a void in contemporary travel writing of "good" writing. It seems that 75% of travel books published are your neighbors next store who have gone somewhere foreign and captured their accounts. Few classically trained (award winning) novelists exist in the travel writing market.

My only complaint with this novel is that Mr. Theroux frequently takes a "better than thou" approach to his critique and observation (often judgement) of both Africans, fellow travelers, and those there to "help". While he did teach in the continent, has some contacts there, and is in his elder years, he should not be so quick to assume his superiority. After all, he too, at the end of the day is just a traveler as well. Overall however, this is a fascinating read, and one I'd highly recommend to anyone wishing to be further educated on the continent, its politics, and history.

Airline safety video

2008-09-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness we are now going to be 'safe' on airlines!

Tikal, Guatemala

2008-08-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a couple of weeks in Central America (Guatemala and Belize) and will be posting various things in the coming weeks about the trip. I thought I'd start with the Tikal ruins as, for anyone that has been there will know, it was a breathtaking experience.

Tikal is located in the Peten region of Northern Guatemala, deep in the humid jungles of Tikal National Park. My wife and I spent an entire day there with our guide, Hannibal, who was born and raised in a small village bordering the Park. His wealth of knowledge of the area was amazing. As a brief synopsis, Tikal was the capital of the vast Mayan Empire peaking in about 200 AD (the site has been dated as far back as 400 BC in some areas). The Mayans were a highly sophisticated group of the Classic Period with an empire stretching throughout present-day Mexico (Chiapas, Tabasco, and the Yucatán Peninsula states of Quintana Roo, Campeche and Yucatán), and the northern Central American region, including Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. As to an idea of their size, the Mayan empires in and around Tikal are said to have been populated with over a million and a half people (larger than present-day Barcelona, or San Diego). The Mayans are known for having the only fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, incredible art, monumental architecture rivaling that of the Egyptians, and sophisticated mathematical and astronomical systems. Tikal has thousands of structures, most still buried beneath trees, foliage and 1500 years of jungle growth. Tikal was long known to have existed by locals, but was "discovered" by Ambrosio Tut in 1848 who was roaming the jungles in search of chiclero - or gum, from the local gum tree.

Having spent the day there, I was most impressed with the area known as the Acropolis, and all six temples (I-VI). The six step-pyramids in Tikal are enormous pyramids, some exceeding 200 feet. Many of these pyramids can be climbed; the most memorable being temple five which must be ascended by a small, vertical, wooden ladder over 18 stories high. If you're afraid of heights, there's no chance you should try this. At the top of the pyramid you can see out miles over the jungle canopy and can spot three of the other pyramids peeking above the tree line. The view is unbelievable.

Being the amateur archaeologist that I am, I was most intrigued by the nearly 23 square mile residential area that is yet to be excavated. I'd love to be a part of the team that someday can dive into the ruins and everyday lives of the many that lived in Tikal, and built it's mighty empire.

Finally, I was more than impressed with the extent to which the Guatemalan government has gone to protect and conserve the site. Truly, the Cambodian, Egyptian and Jordanian governments (among others) would serve themselves well to take a page out of the Guatemalans book to do MUCH more to preserve their respective sites. Sure, this site is designated a UNESCO site, but for those of you that read my post on the issue, you know that this does little to no good in my eyes and much more is necessary when it comes to conservation/preservation of these magical ruins. The Guatemalan's have gone further designating the 222 square mile Tikal National Park protected land. In addition, there are adequate signs and safety measures in the Park. The government has gone so far as recording (through two checkpoints at the entrance to Tikal) every driver's speed through the Park leading up to the site to prevent drivers from speeding, and putting the native animals (jaguars included) in jeopardy of being hit. Fantastic stuff.

Lost on Planet China

2008-08-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

I am going to transport myself back to my middle school days to Ms. Yates' English class and write a book review. I know people actually do this for a living and it is a highly reputable profession, but I can't help but think of standing in front of the class feeling pretty stupid for daring to criticize Steinbeck. Maybe that is why I only gave glowing reviews. So here goes.....

I just finished reading the latest and greatest book by Maarten Troost, the single most entertaining travel writer, ever. Yes, I know that is a pretty bold statement, but I stand by my opinion.....his books are so wonderful. On this blog, we have our favorite books listed and both this proceeding novels, Getting Stoned with the Savages and The Sex Lives of Cannibals are included.

In his new book, Lost on Planet China: The Strange and True Story of One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation, or How He Became Comfortable Eating Live Squid, Troost does not actually live in the location of which he is writing. This is a bit of a departure from the more in-depth style of description I was used to, but it did not make me like it any less. In fact, I liked it more. His ever witty remarks on the strangeness of everyday occurrences in China "Hell is a line in China. You are so forewarned" are expertly interwoven with a clear and accurate depiction of a nation full of contrasts.

The single most appealing aspect of Troost is simply his humor. The man can make a trip to the fish market the most entertaining saga you have ever read (see The Sex Lives of Cannibals). This definitely carries through in Lost on Planet China and with the oddities of everyday encounters I found myself unable to stop reading.

Hopefully Ms. Yates would have approved of this review!

The Joys of Culinary Travel

2008-08-20T11:40:00.000-07:00

I do not really love to cook. I love to bake, but then I have cakes, cookies and other tempting treats sitting around my house just begging to be eaten.....so I try to stay away from that as well. I guess that is why I find it so fascinating that culinary travel is on the rise. According to the International Culinary Tourism Association, culinary tourism is defined as "the development and promotion of prepared food/drink as an attraction for visitors." This definition seems to me the very reason why people go to Italy, but maybe that is simply because i don't have a desire to cook on vacation, but I do love to eat on vacation! Culinary travelers fall into two categories, those who go to cook and those who go to eat. I am definitely in category number 1.

Cultural understanding is intertwined with cooking, it provides insight into a region's community and history. There are a number of culinary tours out their to suit everyone's palate. French and Italian tours still remain the most popular, but pan-Asian, Middle Eastern and Central and South American cooking tours are gaining in popularity. One of the best ways is to find a tour which allows you to travel to a number of different cities, using local produce and cooking regional dishes. The key to a great trip is a great operator. Find tours with a cap on the amount of people allowed to attend, that way you will receive more one-on-one attention and guidance. Also, be sure to find out how intensive these programs are. Are you the type of traveller who wants to cook with time left over to visit other sites in the area? Or are you hard-core cooking master who wants to relish all the time they have with foreign chefs?

Whatever your preference, you will return with some great experiences and worthwhile cooking tips!

Where in the world is???

2008-08-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

Alright.....lets get excited because it is another installment of Where in the World is? Since we have had less-than overwhelming participation in the past, I will tell you how easy it is to win. All you have to do is guess where in the world this picture was taken and we will send you a $25 dollar gift card to Adventure 16!!!! Can't get easier than that my friends.

Good luck....... and think south

Extreme Adventure Travel

2008-08-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

I really love my job. I love it because I get to live vicariously through my clients as they travel all over the globe. I recently had a client book one of the most crazy adventure tours I have ever seen. It is a Mountain Travel Sobek tour, called 6 Continents in 25 Days! Raft Rivers in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America. Basically, it is 25 days of hard-core adventure travel based around rafting down some of the most spectacular rivers in the world. Mountain Travel Sobek describes the tour themselves as "Outrageous. Audacious. Unprecedented. Ridiculous".....how fun does this sound!

Another amazing adventure tour is offered by Wildland Adventure and called "Undiscovered Belize Adventure". This tour really makes a point of taking you outside the normal resort style stays for which Belize is so well known. Travel to the untouched Southern Toledo district and take advantage of the hiking, birding, caving, snorkeling on the Barrier Reef.....in short all things adventure.

10 days snorkeling, kayaking and hiking through Ecuador....yes please! Well that is what you will get in ROW International's Galapagos Islands Multisport Adventure trip. This tour was honored as National Geographic 50 Best Tours of a Lifetime and there is really no question why. This eco-tour (which we love) is a sea kayak trip through the Galapagos, which is a much more environmentally friendly way of viewing the archipelago, as most tours use small cruise ships. This tour is all about staying active which keeping true to ROW's philosophy of leave no trace travel.

Best travel quotes....ever

2008-08-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons why I love travel. There are equally many things that inspire me to travel. Photography is the most obvious. How many times I have seen a vibrant picture and said 'I want to go there!'. However, travel writing is another inspiring way to peak interest and let wanderlust take ahold of you. So I thought I would share some meaningful travel quotes and see if you are as moved as I am.

1. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” - Mark Twain

2. “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” - John Steinbeck

3. “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” - Henry Miller

4. “Not all those who wander are lost.” - J. R. R. Tolkien

5. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

6. “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” - Maya Angelou

7. “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” - Aldous Huxley

8. “Adventure is a path. Real adventure - self-determined, self-motivated, often risky - forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind - and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” - Mark Jenkins

9. "Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." – Miriam Beard

10. "If you look like your passport photo, you're too ill to travel." - Will Kommen

The Terracotta Warriors

2008-07-31T09:59:00.000-07:00

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?

Travel Disasters

2008-07-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

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.

I want to be 'cleared'

2008-07-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

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.

Vegas!

2008-07-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

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.

What is your favorite travel guide?

2008-07-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

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?

Climbing Kilimanjaro

2008-07-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

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.

One super rad organization

2008-07-10T12:35:00.001-07:00

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.

Protecting Our Marine Environment

2008-07-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

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.

Eco statistics that make me sad

2008-07-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

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)

In my own backyard...

2008-07-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

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.

More Airline Cuts

2008-06-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

I know there has been a flurry of airline related blogs recently, but I just could not help writing about this subject a bit more.

Honestly, at this point it has become funny. So US Air announced (well last week) that they are going to now charge for all non-alcoholic beverages. Aaaahhhhh, yes kids make sure you bring your money because nothing is free anymore! Now soda, fruit juice, coffee, and bottled water will all cost you $2 and the cost of alcoholic beverages will rise to $7. I would just like to briefly comment on the fact that a can of 'the most crap beer ever produced on the planet' (aka budweiser) will now cost you almost the equivalent to a 12 pack in stores.

Like I have said before the airlines are obviously struggling and need to do whatever then can to survive, but this just sucks. I am notorious for never having cash with me, I cannot imagine not even being allowed water on a 4 hour plane flight. This whole issue is just all the worse since we cannot even bring liquids on the plane anymore (a rule which I am sure the airlines are loving!)

I would like to pose the question as to what else airlines can charge us for? I laughed out loud at the suggestion of a yahoo blogger who thought pay- toilets could be in our future. Pretty soon those unprepared individuals are going to start hitting up their seat-mates for cash, "please man, I gotta go!"

Fun with translated signs!!!!!!

2008-06-26T12:31:00.000-07:00

I thought we all could use another installment of funny translated signs:

The Misconceptions of Tours

2008-06-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

One thing Jessica and I have learned over the last year or so is that people have a lot of misconceptions about taking tours as a vacation, or as a part of a vacation. Truth be told, I should raise my hand first, as I too used to have the same misconceptions. A couple of years ago I would have responded to tours by saying some of the following:

Why would I want to be ushered around with 85 people following someone waving a flag annoying everyone at every major site visited?
I don't want to be on a bus full of people driving around from place to place listening to someone on a megaphone.
Why would I want to have every second of my vacation planned.... I'm on vacation to relax!

While it is true that there are tour companies that run tours like the points mentioned above, 98% don't (thank goodness). In fact, I have been blown away by the different offerings of tour companies, their professionalism, expertise, access to behind the scenes locations, the structure of the tours themselves, and the ability to take such tours for an amazing price. I thought I'd list some of the finer facts of what tours have to offer for travelers while abroad:

1. Nearly every tour company has limits to the number of people allowed on each trip. Typically, the maximum number allowed on any given trip is between 6 and 15 people. Essentially we're talking about 3-4 couples or families. Furthermore, nearly every tour company has private tours as an option as well. This means private guides, transfers, meals etc for you or your group. And while most people think this is substantially more expensive, you'd be surprised how often the price is nearly the same or nominally more.

2. The level of expertise of local guides is a huge asset while traveling. How many times have you been to a historical site, museum, building, or archaeological ruin, and wondered of its significance and/or history? Having a knowledgeable local guide really enhances the experience as you learn infinitely more than you will on your own. And by the way, any reputable tour guide doesn't carry flags!

3. Most tours do not plan every second of every day. In fact, nearly every tour company provides as much free time as they do planned tours. It's typical that a standard tour has transfers, lodging, internal flights, some tours, some meals, and a few extras included in their packages but provide built in free days or portions thereof. Sure, you can find tours that will keep you busy the entire time your gone (some people prefer this), but by and large tour companies know people want to relax as much as they want to sight see.

4. Tours can be customized. Any time you are looking at a pre-set package on a tour operator's Web site, know that most tour operators post itineraries as much as suggestions as they do canned packages. If you want to take a trip that includes 90% of a trip online but without one day or activity, ask them to amend it. You'd be surprised how often trips can be changed (this is especially the case on private trips).

5. You don't have to take a tour for your whole vacation! If you like to explore cities on your own, and see adventure in getting from point A to point B, then a two-week tour probably won't make much sense to you. That said, why not hire a guide for a day in a region you want to learn more about? Or in a museum full of art you'd love to know the history of? There are plenty of options out there for every travel personality.

Falling in love with Granada

2008-06-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

Oh Granada how I do love you! You are the city in my dreams; ethereal, beautiful and brimming with historical significance. I feel like I might be cheating on Sevilla by this admission (since it was actually the city I lived in) but in all honesty it can not triumph the wonder of Granada.

Granada itself is located the Andalusian province of Spain nestled in the Sierra Nevada's. Over the centuries this location became vital for the kingdom, to ensure the fortified military complex could see any approaching armies. Sitting on top of the highest hill is the famed Alhambra, which can be seen from most parts of the city. The name Alhambra comes from an Arabic root which means "red or crimson castle", perhaps due to the hue of the towers and walls that surround the entire hill of La Sabica which by starlight is silver but by sunlight is transformed into gold. Within its palace walls have lived some of the most influential historical figures, such as Fernando and Isabella, Emperor Carlos V and much later in history, the author Washington Irving.

Within the city, an intricate grid of alleyways decorated with Moorish arches, still exists from Middle Ages where it was the site of the Great Bazaar of Granada. Now most of this portion of the city is filled with tourist shops, but there are still a good amount of old Moorish inspired tea shops. While sitting on cushions on the floor, you can order up infused teas or if you are bold enough try smoking from a hookah pipe.

The wonders of Granada are endless and I definitely recommend making a stop there when in Spain. It is so very worth it!

Euro 2008

2008-06-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

Although this may be stretching the limits of travel posts, I am going to chat about it anyhow.... I love soccer (at least the global version anyhow... not sold on MLS yet), and right now the Euro Cup is currently underway. I was first turned on to this sport while backpacking through Europe in 2000 during the Cup eight years ago. Those Europeans are obsessed with their teams, and it's contagious. Anyhow, love it. I've been following the action this year, and randomly came across the following video that I think is hysterical (and incredibly impressive) so I thought I'd post it for your enjoyment. So, here it is (bear with it as it gets better as it goes on):

Alternative Energy for Cruise Ships???

2008-06-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

Could it be possible? We have seen some people convert their cars to biofuel (used cooking oil as a source of clean burning energy) but can it be, Cruise Ships are now using this method?

Well...no, not really. But, one cruise company, Fred. Olson, a company out of England, is trying to get one step closer to this endeavor.

Fred. Olson has signed an agreement with Bio Driven of Canterbury, a start-up company which is involved in creating high-quality bio-diesel. Under the agreement, waste cooking oil from Olsen cruise ships will be collected and transformed through a carbon negative process into a clean and efficient fuel. Matt Grimes, Director of Logistics for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines said: “We are very excited to be working with Bio Driven, as we are always looking for ways to make our operations more environmentally friendly and to recycle our waste material, so this venture is a “win win” situation for everyone.”

Basically alternative energy is still in its infancy, but it is wonderful to see companies making positive steps. Since Fred. Olson produces about 40 tons of waste cooking a year, I think this is a much better use than simply dumping it. I wish more cruise companies would follow suit.

My Ten Funniest Travel Stories

2008-06-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

Every time I speak to someone coming back from a far off place, it's not long before we begin swapping stories about the hysterical situations we managed to get ourselves into. Now I'm sure there is some psycho-analysis behind my travel style lending itself to somewhat hysterical happenings, but friends, that's another story for another time. Let's concentrate. I want to hear stories from our readers about absurd, hysterical, or comical things they've seen/heard or done while abroad. And no request here at Pangaea goes without a quid pro quo, so to get started, here's my top ten list of weirdest or funniest things I've seen myself while abroad:

1. I once traveled around Norway in a yellow van full of 17 people. We're not talking about a bus here either folks; picture a standard size van, with enough body parts hanging out of the window to draw any stare within a square mile. This is not the end of the story though. My Dad was one of the unfortunate souls who was half in the van, half out. At a stoplight outside of Bislett Stadium in Oslo, a lunatic woman came from nowhere yelling God knows what in Norwegian. Upon reaching the van she grabbed hold of my Dad and spent what was likely the longest light of my Dad's life trying to pull him out the window. Ole, our only resident Norwegian, explained afterward that the woman was quite fond of my Dad's eyes. To this day, I've never seen a funnier look than my Dad's frantic face as he fought to stay inside that van.
2. Last time I was in Thailand with my buddy Coy, we arrived at a hotel and were told the rate for our room was $4 more than we had expected because the room, "included Bigfoot free of charge." Enough said, we'll take it.
3. I stayed in a hostel with a buddy of mine once and we were given a third roommate we later named "The Brazilian Stomper." He spent the entire night jumping from his top bunk onto the floor making the whole room rattle. After a minute or so passed, he'd climb back up into his bed and repeat the jump. This went on for hours.
4. I worked in Tokyo for several months, and loved to find the most bizarrely translated signs. One of my favorites was my trash can. Somehow "trash can" was mistranslated to read: "It's here. Let's Supreme Can!"
5. Along those same lines, while at a restaurant in Prague I saw a menu item (that wound up being a local river fish) that was translated to English as: "His wife in the garlic." Do you even need to ask if I ordered it or not?
6. While in Egypt we met a shop owner, who upon finding out my friends name was Dave, started yelling "Beckham!" Beckham!" He proceeded to close his store for us, sit us down on the floor, serve us tea and cigarettes (none of us smoke), and show us Roman artifacts unearthed on his Grandfather's farm. Classic.
7. There is a hostel in Interlaken, Switzerland that is named Funny Farm. I won't get into all of the reasons here, but suffice to say the name barely cracks the surface of how crazy this place really is. By way of example, the showers are located in the corner of a dance club on premises. Walking through strobe lights and dj's to get to the showers is bizarre. Having your fingernails and soap glowing under the black lights while showering is ever weirder.
8. In a random neighborhood in Tokyo on a morning run, I once made a run for it and hid in a tube slide thinking I saw a lion. Why wouldn't there be a lion in Tokyo? I was prepared to take kids out, push people aside.... It's every man for themselves when a lion is on the prowl in Roppongi. Made sense at the time.... Long story short, it was a freakishly large red dog shaved to look like a lion (mane, tail, you name it).
9. So out of sync from jet-lag, my friend and I went to bed at 4pm in Paris once. We woke in the morning, showered, and went for breakfast. After eating eggs, we noticed it seemed to be getting dark. My buddy asked a woman in front of a hostel, "Is it day or night?" Confused, she said, "night". We had slept two hours and thought a day had passed. Awesome.
10. Last time I flew to SE Asia, I brought Ambien for my buddy and I to sleep through the flight. We figured we'd take our Ambien with a beer to "cheers" the trip. Let's just say Ambien and a beer is not a good idea. We later found about a half hour of video footage on his camera with us rambling on about lasagna and bread (not served on the flight by the way) that neither of us remember in the least.

One tiny suitcase....too many products

2008-06-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

Now that United Airlines announced that they will also be charging for checked bags (ugh), I thought we all could use a lesson in how to avoid paying additonal fees and carry on your luggage. Now I do not think men suffer from this same affliction, but I always check bags because of that annoying 12 oz liquid regulation. I never buy hair/face/ make-up in sizes small enough to bring them on the plane. But now companies are getting smart and offering travelers small size options (in clear containers) so they will not get hassled at the x-ray line. Or if not hassled, have all your neatly packed items riffled through in public.

1. Grab and Go- Portable products for men. Again, men have it easy when it comes to the amount of beauty products they need to haul around, but this is still a great idea for packing light and checking everything.

2. Drugstore.com- Has cleverly added all travel size items on one page so you can buy them all at once. Now you may ask, why not just so the the regular drugstore and buy the travel size items? Because, pert-plus is just not a good option for me.

3. Clinique- Has a great, travel simply set, with only the basics. As long as you are not planned to go to a gala ball, this is all the make-up you need.

4. SKS- makes travel containers so you can just add your personal products into TSA sized containers. I am never this organized to do this before time, but it is not a bad idea.

When Good Ideas Go Bad

2008-06-14T11:43:00.001-07:00

Have you ever seen an idea, proposal, law, or entire company that has the unfortunate distinction of being a good idea gone bad? You know what I'm talking about here: A great idea to start that wasn't quite carried out all of the way, or thought through entirely... I stumble across these once in awhile and I happened upon one this week that I thought I'd share. This week's good idea gone bad revolves around UNESCO's World Heritage list.

For those of you not familiar UNESCO's World Heritage List, it is a UN entity that (according to their Web site):

Seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.

Sounds good to me. Basically, sites that we all love to visit such as the Great Wall of China, the Great Barrier Reef, the Pyramids, and 848 other sites around the world (to see the full list, click here) are named to the list and protected. Cool. No brainer. Here's the problem though:

The UN has created this list (good), but doesn't provide any funding (real bad). Think about this one for a second: These sites are instantly recognized as the "it" places to see in countries around the world when they are named to the list. Every year, new sites are listed, announced, and generate a tremendous amount of buzz. Hmm.... in turn, tens of thousands of new people flock to these areas that didn't know about them beforehand. No funding + thousands of people = damage to historical sites. Or as travelport puts it:

UNESCO Sites: Even more ironic is the mounting concern that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is actually speeding the demise of the planet’s most venerable places by designating them World Heritage Destinations. World Heritage status carries with it no funding, but brings an onslaught of tourists that many of the 830 sites “of outstanding value to humanity” are unable to sustain, especially the ones in developing countries.

UNESCO's mission statement about "protecting" these areas lists eight bullet points on how they plan to accomplish such "protection". Six of the eight points listed start with the word "Encourage". So here's my news flash: As much as I'd like to think that states, countries, and governments will automatically fund sites that UNESCO "encourages" them to protect, we all know better. And until UNESCO starts funding these newly (and existing) named sites, I'd just assume not name them at all.

Pack Less. Weigh Less. Pay Less?

2008-06-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness when I saw this new 'advertisement' for Derrie Air, I was alerted at the beginning that it was a prank. I have a tendency to believe almost anything and most likely I would have been all excited until someone explained it to me.

Luckily, it looks like I am not the only gullible person out there. The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News ran ads about this new fenom airline that describes itself as the "world's only carbon-neutral luxury airline, where you don't have to choose between living the high life and saving the planet". Can you see why I got so excited??!!

This fictitious advertising campaign created by Philadelphia Media Holdings and was meant to prove to its clients the power of visual media while basically making people laugh. With advice such as, "The magic comes from our one of a kind "Sliding Scale"—the more you weigh, the more you'll pay." or "Nine out of ten scientists agree"

Truthfly, I was more interested to learn about Dick, the owner and mastermind behind Derrie-air (no pun intended). In his youth Dick lived off a diet rich in Mississippi fish and thus "This unusual diet flooded his brain with Omega-3 fatty acids, to which he credits his remarkable business acumen."

F-ing brillant. This is really marking at its best!

Gambling While on a Cruise

2008-06-12T15:16:00.000-07:00

I have a quasi-fascination with how many entities in this country have managed to circumvent the bans on gambling in the United States. The most well-known example of this is of course the casinos that can be found on Native American Reservations. Other examples include riverboats, online gambling forums that are "based" in other countries (though accessible here), venues with fast horses and greyhounds, random places in Nevada and New Jersey, and the ever-popular cruise ship. We often get a lot of questions about gambling while aboard cruise ships, so I thought I'd highlight some of the finer details here. First off, if you're wondering how US cruise ships manage to have legal gambling, the answer is simple: Because you're in international waters (though most don't wait until they are)... Here are some random facts for you on how these casinos differ from everyone's favorite playground, Las Vegas.

1. With all due respect to Charles Barkley and John Daly, there are no high limit rooms/tables on cruise ships. If you want to lose a fortune, you'll probably have to do it in $5 increments (though I guarantee you it can be done).
2. Forget about perks or comps. If you do succeed in losing that fortune, unlike Vegas, you're not going to get your room comped. At best you may get a handshake from a pit boss, but that's about it. That's not fair, you say? Well, here's why Vegas comps things for their high limit winners/losers: Because they don't want you to go to another casino. On a cruise ship you don't have that option, so unless you threaten to jump overboard and swim for Monte Carlo (side note: not advisable), you're out of luck.
3. Most boats (if not all) are on a cash basis. I say that because most things on board you can just have charged to your room, but that's not the case in the casino. You'll have to pay cash to play.
4. Dealers are MUCH nicer and MUCH more patient than at other gambling establishments. For those of you like me that have nearly had your hand lopped-off at a craps table for not holding the dice or betting correctly, you'll appreciate this difference. Gambling on cruise ships is seen more as a form of entertainment than a revenue producing affair for the ship, so dealers are more willing to explain things, take their time, and have an overall better temperament.
5. Most cruise lines allow you to gamble at 18 rather than 21 (and the ones that don't will usually let you if you're with someone 21 years or older).

On other random note: Disney is about the only major cruise line without a casino (die to it's family-oriented cruises). Good luck at the tables!

Good vs Bad- the question of all inclusive

2008-06-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

So I just returned from four days in Cabo...I meant to blog everyday, but somehow laying by the pool with a fruity cocktail seemed to triumph finding a computer and blogging. I blame the delicious frozen concoctions.

So I thought I would do a little re-cap for you all. We ended up staying at Dreams Los Cabos, a very beautiful all inclusive resort where the staff could not have been kinder and the rooms all had ocean views. Well to be honest, we could see the ocean from our room, but I would not necessarily qualify it as an 'ocean view'. However, it hardly mattered as the rooms were enormous and we did not spend much time in them anyway. I cannot give this resort enough praise.

Now, I must admit I had never stayed at an all-inclusive before. I know that some people seem to love the atmosphere and others might find the seclusion too stifling. So I thought I would help out anyone who is considering the pros and cons of staying in an all inclusive resort.

The Good:
1. Makes sticking to a budget very easy. Additionally, you have a much better idea of how much you are spending before you go since all meals and drinks are already included.
2. The drinks just keep on coming!
3. If you are going with a big group there is no need to hassle over the bill.
4. If you want total relaxation, you do not need to leave the hotel.
5. You can order room service all night long.
6. Lots of activities: volleyball, water basketball, cooking classes, drink making classes.
7. Did I mention everything is free?

The Bad:
1. These hotels often are very secluded so if you like to go exploring, hotel location often makes it a little difficult.
2. Depending on what type of all inclusive you stay at, the restaurants can be very limiting.
3. Sometimes these resorts have very strict rules (like all bars close at 8 pm) so before you book be sure to read the fine print.
4. Choice of destinations can be limited, if you choose an all-inclusive you will most likely be limited to Mexico or the Caribbean.

Travel Junkie

2008-06-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

I think I might be a travel junkie. They say the first step is admitting it, so there you go, I'm addicted. In fact, I may have a problem. Hmm.... A travel junkie, huh? Yep. That's right, full-blown addiction here folks. I'm talking raging veins when I'm away from it, a tendency to not stop thinking about it, and it's certainly a vacuum for all things financial. Am I alone here?

The last trip I took out of the country was Thailand/Cambodia early last year and it seems like an eternity ago. As my next trip can't come soon enough, I typically fall into a predictable pattern of the next best thing: Being frustrated that I'm not away traveling, looking at trips online, imagining I am on them, having my excitement level go through the roof, realize I'm dreaming, getting frustrated that I'm not traveling. And so the pattern continues. Yes, these are the tales of a travel junkie.

Now at the moment I seem to be full-blown in the middle of the cycle where I am imagining myself on some of these trips. Since this travel addiction has me here, I figure I'll just go ahead and take you all down with me and share some trips out there that have piqued my interest. Warning: You may read about these trips and in turn become frustrated like me that you're not there. This is my attempt to warn you.... hence removing any responsibility I may have for said travel fantasy behavioral swing...

- Machu Picchu Mountain Lodges Trek; Wildland Adventures
- Hidden Monasteries of Tibet; Wilderness Travel
- Namibia Explorer; Ker & Downy
- Passage to Indochine; Asia Transpacific
- Futaleufu River Rafting; Bio Bio Expeditions

Packing 101

2008-06-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

After re-reading all of the conversation sparked by my American Airlines post last week, I thought I'd write another entry to talk about a class that should be taught in every grade-school around the world: Packing 101. Recent moves by airlines, and my experience traveling, has taught me two things: One, the airlines will continue to try and find ways to nickel and dime travelers, and two, people don't know how to pack. I mean seriously folks, how many times have you been at the airport and seen the couple pushing 12 bags towards check-in? Or how many people do you know that get away for the weekend and can't seem to find a way to bring less than three bags? What do you people possibly need that requires so many bags?

I know this is tough for you excessive packers out there so you may need to sit down: It is possible to get away for two, three, or four days with just a carry-on. Okay people, deep breaths... get a paper bag if you need to... it can be done. Here are some helpful packing tips to avoid having to pay (certain) airlines, and/or chronic back pain later in your life:

1. Roll your clothes: Sounds a bit odd I know but your clothes are going to be wrinkled anyhow, why not save space? Plus, what hotel, condo, or home doesn't have an ironing board? This method is a great way to save a ton of space. Try it. You'll be surprised.

2. Limit yourself to two pairs of shoes: Unless you've got a black-tie event to be at, you should be able to get by with two pairs of shoes for a long weekend. I can't tell you how many people I've traveled with that bring three or four pairs of shoes along and then just wear one pair for three days. I know folks, you want options, and if you want to pay for an extra bag be my guest, otherwise this is an easy way to save the most space.

3. Use extra space: Make sure you take advantage of all those cool side pockets and containers. This space is great for underwear and socks once you're done packing. Also, make sure to use the space inside of your shoes for odds and ends, as well as the pockets on the outside of the bag.

4. Know your limits: The standard carry-on bag dimensions allowed by most airlines is 45", or a 22" x 14" x 9" bag. Make sure you've got a nice bag that uses every inch of it!

The comfy traveler

2008-06-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

I am lucky enough to be blessed with the gift of sleep. What I mean by this is I can pretty much sleep any where or at any time without a problem. But I am aware that most travelers are not so lucky and have a very hard time becoming comfy enough to get in a quick nap. My boyfriend is a perfect example of this.... I call him 'high-maintenance sleep guy'. So due to the fact that I am leaving for Cabo tomorrow (insert high pitch squeal of joy here) I thought I would showcase some good products for making travel as comfy as possible.

1. The cabin cuddler- you might look like a giant swaddled infant, but these things sure are comfy! I am always freezing on plane rides and these keep you so warm. Plus you don't have to use a airline blanket that probably has not been washed in two years.

2. For those of you fearful of all the germs lurking on a plane, this is a good investment. Its called the plane sheet and it is literally just that. Plus, I love the patterns!

3. And who wants to use those old outdated neck pillows? Why not just go all out and have a pillow in the shape of a monkey? Technically it is made for kids, but still.

4. Magellan's self inflating seat cushion. Not for people just out of hemorrhoid surgery, this pillow alleviates pain in your lower back caused by continuous sitting.

I'm Never Flying American Airlines Again....

2008-06-05T14:32:00.001-07:00

As Jessica alluded to the other day, American Airlines (AA) is now going to start charging $15 to their passengers for checking a bag.... (Head shaking). I saw this last week and thought to myself, Well, I'll never travel with them again. That was until today when I decided to change my stance to be: Not only am I not going to travel with AA again, but I'm going to tell others not to, and make fun of them as much as possible. This all came about today as AA released the following idiotic statement of the year:

American Airlines says its new $15 fee for a first checked bag will affect fewer than one in four customers and won't lengthen lines at boarding gates..

I actually re-read the statement to see if there was a footnote that stated the PR rep. for AA was actually a small child, or an otherwise ignorant human being who had never been to an airport. Unfortunately there was not, and I was left to break this insane statement down for you. This just in: Not only will AA charge you $15 to check one piece of luggage, their incredibly intelligent analysts actually think only one in four people check luggage, and this move won't lengthen lines..... Have they actually ever been to an airport? Don't they realize that those desk clerks lengthen lines two-fold already when they don't have an extra procedure to perform? Between security and decreasing flights, lines are out of control as is. I'm pretty sure AA's next brilliant announcement will be that their "analysts" are positive that by adding this fee, people won't attempt to bring larger bags on the plane. Uh, right....

My other favorite component of this AA release is that their PR people must have been sitting around saying, "I know! Let's compare what it would cost to ship a piece of luggage as a way to justify the charge." Right.... I guess that would make sense if people didn't already know that you have plenty of room to take it on the plane at no extra cost to the airline. I think their PR folks are doing a great job over there. I hope they gave them a discount on the charge to at least $10 per bag.....

When rocks fall

2008-06-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

Today we have a travel story from our guest blogger, the wonderful, talented and very handsome Mitch..........

Driving a rental car in a foreign country is something everyone should try at least once. It’s a great way to get out of your comfort zone, visit places rarely seen by tourists, and find out once and for all if you suffer from road rage.

Last October, I had a blast driving a car around the Dordogne region in southwest France. I was able to set my own pace and see quaint villages that public transportation rarely visits. Renting a car gave me the opportunity to cram in as many destinations as possible each day. I call this phenomenon “turbo travel.” On a side note, Chris agrees with me that Rome can in fact be seen in a day.

Halfway through my trip I’m driving through a small town somewhere in France. The surroundings are beautiful and I can’t believe how blessed I am to be in Europe again. I see a sign at the base of a cliff with a caution sign indicating “Beware of Falling Rocks.” I don’t think much of it and keep driving along the winding roads. Two minutes later I hear a loud bang followed by the sound of broken glass behind me. I turn my head around and keep driving, unable to see what had happened. Inexplicably, I forget about the incident until I’m getting into my car 3 days later. Above the passenger side door I see a huge dent I know that no rental car agent would miss. Ah…so that’s what the noise was. The car was damaged, I had purchased no additional insurance, and my French was nonexistent on a good day. Somehow, after checking the car out, the agent told me everything looked okay. I couldn’t believe my good luck.

Despite my close call I still feel that renting a car is the way to go. I wouldn’t drive around Paris but in the smaller towns you’re afforded much greater flexibility. That being said, just watch out for falling rocks.

Top Ten Archaeological Trips

2008-06-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

By now you all know how much I love archaeology, ancient ruins, and the destinations in this world that are home to these magnificent places. Several years back I made my own top ten list of these destinations and promised myself that I'd do everything in my power to visit them. Several of these sites I have already visited, several more are scheduled, and a few more I hope to see later in life. I thought it would be interesting to list my top ten list with my thoughts on each. Obviously there are hundreds of worthy candidates, and I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on any sites they think should be put into the list. So without further adieu, here is my dream list:

1. The Pyramids, Egypt: The Pyramids of course are probably the most well-known site in the world. And really, this entry should just say "Egypt." The Pyramids are incredible, but you also have to include Luxor, The Valley of the Kings/Queens, Memphis, The Sphinx and Abu Simbel. This is a check-mark for me as I have been to Egypt (and am dying to go back).
2. Petra, Jordan: In terms of "take-your-breath-away" rankings, this may be #1. For those of you that aren't familiar with this place, it's in Southern Jordan and consists of an entire city carved out of rock. There is some debate around when this city was built, but what is known is it belonged to the ancient Nabataeans. Most well-known is the treasury as you exit the siq (was profiled in Indian Jones and the Last Crusade), but fewer people realize that the treasury is just one of a hundred different parts of the city. I think the most spectacular place is the Monastery at Petra (you have to climb over 800 carved stairs up the canyon to get there). I have also had the good fortune of exploring this site as well.
3. The Colosseum, Rome: I think everyone is familiar with the Colosseum; an amazing feat of construction in the old city area of Rome. I was able to visit this site in college on a 3-month backpack trip around Europe.
4. Angkor Wat, Cambodia: Wow. I think of all the places I have been, this may have been the most incredible overall. This site is in the jungles of Cambodia and is as immense a complex as I have ever seen (you really need no fewer than three days here). First built in the 12th century, this fabled lost city is an architectural masterpiece combining Hindu and Buddhist influences.
5. Machu Picchu, Peru: Nestled in a natural setting on the eastern slopes of the Andes lies Machu Picchu, the Incan Empire's defining piece of architecture. The complex was built around 1450, and not re-discovered until the early 1900s. I have not been to this site yet, but promised to see it for the first time with my sister, so hopefully I can make that happen soon.
6. Mayan Ruins of Central America: I grouped these Mayan sites together because there are so many I'm not sure I can separate them. That said, the most incredible examples are Tikal in Guatemala, Copan in Honduras, and Chichen Itza in Southern Mexico. The Mayans are known for their elaborate and highly decorated ceremonial architecture, temple-pyramids, palaces and observatories (all built without metal tools). This massive civilization lived from 2600BC - 300AD. I am planning to see both Tikal and Copan in August.
7. Great Wall, China: Built and maintained from the 6th century BC until nearly the 16th century AD, this construction is over 4000 miles long and at its height was manned by over a million men. This construction (along with possibly the Pyramids) is my leading candidate for the most spectacular accomplishment in all of history to present-day. The sheer size of the Wall is almost not comprehensible. I have not yet been to the Wall, but will someday plan to visit the Mutianyu Great Wall sections and the North Pass of Juyonggua.
8. Old City Jerusalem, Israel: The Old City of Jerusalem only covers one square kilometer, but packs more history into its space than perhaps any other place in the world. In addition to it being the historical epicenter of the three major religions, the number of archaeological sites are almost too many to list: The Western Wall, Temple Mount, Holy Sepulchre, Dome of the Rock, and The Cardo ... just to name a few. I spent some time here a few years back and feel like I barely scratched the surface.
9. Teotihuacán, Mexico: This often forgotten site can be summed up in one fact: At it's height in the 1st century AD it was larger than any city of the same era in Europe.... including Rome. I have not yet been here, and haven't planned a trip yet to do so.... Anyone want to come with me?
10. Mesa Verde, Colorado: This is the wild-card of the group, but if you've been here you'll know why I've included it. Mesa Verde was built by the Old Pueblo people (Anasazi's) that thrived in this region from 600AD-1300AD before mysteriously disappearing. The most well-known complex here is the Cliff Palace: A multi-story apartment complex built into a 325-footlong, 90-foot-deep, 65-foot-high cliff. The building had 200 rooms and 23 underground ceremonial rooms (kivas) used for social and religious rituals. There are 400 other cliff dwellings in the National Park as well. I climbed up into this site as a kid and it alone sparked my lifelong fascination with lost cities and archaeology.

Is a beach just a beach?

2008-05-31T13:05:00.000-07:00

Its no secret that San Diego has gorgeous beaches, but I have to be honest I do not take advantage of them as much as I should. Chris and I work about 2 blocks away and sadly, I almost never walk down to appreciate it. So the other day when I was telling a friend how I will be leaving for Cabo next week, they said "leaving one beach and going to another?"

So it got me thinking, is it true that what I can experience 2 blocks away is the same as flying to Mexico to spend time on an identical beach? Does it take a vacation to actually slow down to enjoy our daily scenery?

I suppose in the most simplistic terms, it is mostly the same. There is sand, water and sun, but besides that, I maintain it is completely different! I believe there is much more to travel than just scenery, it is about the overall experience. It is about that small cafe that does not exist anywhere else in the world. Or the conversation with the taxi driver that remains with you for the rest of your life.

However, that being said, I definitely understand my friends point, some people like to travel to experience the different. If your home is in the desert, the ocean is a wonderful reprieve. Personally, I think there is a time and place for both. I am super excited to be on the beach and relax, but a trip to the mountains is always welcome. So the question is what type of travel do you prefer? Do you always seek out the different, always prefer the same or do you enjoy it all?

Some Real Travel News....

2008-05-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

Most of the time I find "travel news" pretty boring. Go to any travel section of a major news source and you'll find the oh-so-trite headlines of such scintillating things as "London's Happening Side", "Best Summer Getaways", or "Best New Hotels". Blah blah blah. And so travel news goes: The same articles recycled each season and highlighting all of the same places. I mean, who doesn't know that Hawaii has great beaches? Anyhow, enough with my rant and on to the real point: In my opinion, this week there have been three really interesting stories that truly embody interesting travel news.

As you are all aware by now, adventure travel (in its many definitions) is fascinating to me. I love when the travel envelope is pushed so to speak; partly because I always wish it were me doing it, and partly because that envelope is so hard to push nowadays. As per an earlier blog entry of ours alluded to, there aren't too many unconquered or great adventures left. So the first two articles that I am going to cite certainly caught my eye this week:

1. 16-year old attempts to be youngest to sail solo around the world: Umm.... RAD. This kid's itinerary alone is enough to make me jealous for the next week and a half, not to mention the incredible undertaking. I'm not sure what is more amazing: A solo sail around the world, or the fact that he's 16. 16! I could hardly be trusted to operate a broken down vehicle at 16, let alone a 36-foot sailboat with expensive (not to mention complicated) equipment, in the middle of high-seas, with no other human being onboard. By the way, my favorite part of this story is his Mom's proud declaration with her arm around her son that, "He's already got a gallon of teriyaki sauce." I'm pretty sure that's the least of his worries...

2. Man to spend 300 days alone on an isolated island: A French guy plans to spend 300 days with nothing more than a swiss army knife and a camera on an isolated island in the South Pacific. Crazy? Probably. But none the less, a pretty cool thing to try that certainly isn't seen nowadays. As a side note: I've been reading bloggers all day downplaying this by saying it's not a big deal, it's for publicity, it means nothing because humans used to live off the land, etc etc. Are you kidding me? Go back behind your keyboards and keep thinking that.... None of you could last two days in similar circumstances. Look I don't care if any of the above are true, if I guy can live on the land for almost a year with just a knife, it's pretty frickin amazing.

3. "Uncontacted" tribe spotted in the Amazon: This one could be my favorite of the week. This tribe was spotted by a plane (that subsequently had arrows fired at it) in search of finding tribes like this one: untouched an unspoiled by the modern day. The best part of this story is that Survival International and other such groups will not allow people in to see the group, and are trying to protect them against loggers encroaching on their territory. Pretty cool. It's kind of a weird catch-22 where on the one hand it would be interesting to watch a documentary on a group not previously seen before, but the other (stronger) emotion I have is to let them be, protect them and let them live as they always have.

Where in the world is???

2008-05-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is time again for our favorite travel game here at Pangaea...... Where in the world is? Its fairly easy, but just in case, here are the rules.

1. Take a good look at the photograph above.
2. Take your best guess as where in the world the photograph was taken and post it.
3. If you are the first to get it right, receive a gift certificate for $25 dollars to Adventure 16.
4. Jump up and down with excitement.

Random Travel Facts

2008-05-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

We are always stumbling across funny and/or interesting travel facts here, so I thought I'd post a few here for all of our readers enjoyment:

1. Indonesia is the world's biggest archipelago with over 17,000 islands.
2. The most densely populated country is the Netherlands.
3. The Hawaiian islands are the most isolated group of islands in the world.
4. In Australia, a hurricane is called a willy-willy.
5. There is a Chinatown in Shanghai.
6. A pound of bread is consumed by the average Italian on a daily basis.
7. The Tokyo Zoo closes down for two months every year to give the animals a break from the people.
8. Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump.
9. Kansas City has more fountains than Rome.
10. Icelanders consume more Coca-Cola per capita than any other nation.
11. According to Turkish tradition a stranger at one's doorstep is considered "A Guest from God" and should be accommodated accordingly.
12. The time system in Ethiopia is different than the rest of the world: 6 am is the start of the day.
13. 200 million people in China live on less than $1 a day.

Off beat travel news

2008-05-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Has anyone been following the recent trend of super random travel news recently? I keep coming across these articles and I could not resist sharing them with you. Just a little fun to get your Memorial day weekend going.

1. Frontier Airlines will now charge more for passengers checking antlers. Yes antlers. Apparently during hunting season some people feel the need to bring animals antlers on a plane. Frankly, I think its unfair I can't bring on a bottle of water, when someone can basically bring on an newly dead animal carcass. Plus....eeeewwwwwww.

2. A Homeless man in Missouri is found sleeping on a plane after slipping past security guards. Well isn't that just f-ing great.

3. New Zealand pilots ran out of gas in a airplane, but were able to make an emergency landing in a open field. The plane came to abrupt stop directly next to a sign reading, "Jesus is Lord." I so wish I had a picture of this.

4. Two employees from Pinnacle Airlines in Pennsylvania are facing charges after taking a little 'jaunt' into the woods after dinner. The police Sergeant relayed the information by saying "They told the officer they wanted to go do it in the woods, essentially," (USA Today). The couple were discovered when individuals in the neighborhood summoned police, saying they had seen a naked man and an intoxicated woman. The police later found the man, hiding behind a shed and wearing flip-flops and a watch. Where do you begin with this one? Do you make fun of the Police Sergeant who said 'they wanted to do it'.....'do it'....is this Police Sergeant 6 years old? Or is it better to envision this guy horrified behind a shed in his birthday suit and flip flops? Ahhhh, this is just too good.

The Global Bean

2008-05-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

Today I have an announcement to make: I love goats. I love goats because those crazy four-legged creatures probably first discovered coffee, making me forever in their debt. The discovery of this brilliant elixir is said to have come from Ethiopia where a goat-herder in the 7th or 8th century noticed some strange behavior from his goats after they consumed some red berries from a local tree. One account states that my now favorite four-legged creatures acted in an exuberant manner, skipping, rearing on their hindlegs and bleating loudly. Oddly enough, that's the same behavior I display every morning at about 7AM when I crack my first cup. And by the way, I can bleat with the best of them. Anyhow, long story short, those beans were roasted, and coffee was born.

I mention this because coffee is one of very few items that is a truly global mainstay. There is hardly a place on this planet that you can go and not find some form of coffee being enjoyed by young and old alike. Many naive Americans may think that coffee was born with Starbucks, but long before our Seattle invention coffee was being enjoyed all over the world. I thought I'd use this blog to talk about the global consumption of coffee, and the many ways you can expect to drink it on your next vacation.

To start, if you had to guess what America is ranked in per capita/per person coffee consumption (in kilograms) what would you think? While it's true that our country as a whole drinks more coffee than anywhere else, on a per person basis were #22 (source: International Coffee Organization)! We drink about 4 kilograms of coffee per person per year. It's nice to know that Finland is more addicted than I am; they lead the way with over 11 kilograms per person, a number I am determined to achieve.... Most of Europe in fact is well ahead of the States on a per person basis. As a side note, for those of you that have traveled through Europe and know that the servings come in the equivalent of a shot glass, you'll start to realize just how many bite size servings are being consumed over there. While in Europe, you can expect to drink coffee in much smaller portions, and often as cafe au lait: half-coffee, half-milk (mostly in France). While in Austria, you will typically find two-thirds dark, one-third regular. And all over Europe, expect to find a stronger, bolder blend.

While in Africa, particularly the birthplace of coffee Ethiopia, you'll find brews that are a bit more acidic as coffee is often brewed with lemon, orange, and/or ginger. Much of Northern Africa and the Middle East serve a very dark, bold brew as the coffee is served and consumed with the grounds. Having been through the area, I can tell you that a mouth full of grounds at the end of your cup will almost instantaneously invoke the aforementioned skipping and bleating. Good times.

Many areas of Asia that have long been tea drinkers are consuming more and more coffee as well. One source (Talk About Coffee) states that as many as one third of the people in China consume coffee outside their home. Wow. While China and Japan enjoy more of the traditional Starbucks blends, countries like Thailand and Malaysia also serve very heavy bold blends. By the way, if you are ever in Thailand and someone says the coffee is "unique strong" run from the place like it's on fire. You won't sleep for two days after that stuff. And let's not forget about Central and South America, home to the three largest exporters of coffee: Brazil, Columbia and Mexico. Coffee is as much a staple of the diet down there as it is here.

A bit of advice from me to you: Drink coffee, and love goats.

A Belizean Bus

2008-05-22T12:38:00.001-07:00

I have this very vivid memory from when I was a kid. I was on a bus with my brother and parents in Belize and even at eight I remember thinking, oh good God. The bus was at least 20 year old and there was masking tape holding on one of the headlights and a big crack in the front windshield. Inside were mostly locals traveling with baskets, chickens, I think I even remember a goat. The bus was so packed full of people and their goods I had to sit on my dad's lap and I remember being too close to a man standing with his butt in my face. To top off this little adventure, during the trip a giant basket fell on my head from its insecure position above me.

The image of my family and I on this trip came rushing back to me today as I read this headline "American Airlines plans to charge its customers for all checked luggage". Now, I want to say that I don't blame the airlines for taking necessary steps to try and save themselves from bankruptcy. Yes, I miss my mid-flight meal and hate having to buy a $12 dollar sandwich, but I can at least understand. However, this new measure makes me more than skeptical. What do they think people are going to do? People are going to attempt to bring everything they can on the plane with them. Now, they might not let on a goat, but I bet planes are going to start looking more like that Belizean bus.

I don't know that I would stop flying American after this announcement, but it will certainly give me pause. I think what is hard for most of us to stomach is having all our amenities taken away from us that we have gotten accustom to. Personally, I would rather see a slight rate hike than be hit in the head with a piece of luggage falling from the overhead compartments. As someone who has had this happen, it is not pleasant.

Southeast Asia - The New Backpacking Scene?

2008-05-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

If you're like me and had the good fortune of spending some time in college "backpacking" through foreign countries, chances are you traveled through Europe. It made sense as well: Europe was the "it" destination with easy train travel from country to country, mostly inexpensive locations to visit, and a strong dollar to lean on. It used to be that a flight from just about anywhere in the States to Paris or London was no more than $500, a three-month Eurail pass could be purchased for close to $750, and places like the Czech Republic could be navigated for no more than $25 a day. Oh, the good ol' days.... With the depreciation of the dollar against the Pound and Euro, the rising gas prices, and the inflation of goods in Europe, those days are long gone. Nowadays a flight will run you closer to $800, a Eurail pass $1500-$2600 (depending on age), and our old cheap cities like Prague are closer inline to a Paris. Enter Southeast Asia: The new destination for backpackers looking for the same adventure and getaway we were once able to find in Europe.

One could argue that SE Asia is really a "new old" as Lonely Planet, a guidebook targeting backpackers and low-budget travelers, wrote its original volume (Across Asia on the Cheap) targeting the area. SE Asia has long been a mecca for backpackers from around the world, but is just now stepping out of the shadow of Europe as SE Asia can now boast the same benefits Europe used to be able to offer: Great internal transportation on the cheap, unlimited adventure, and a cheap place to vacation.

To discuss the area a bit, SE Asia's backpacking circuit is predominately Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. After those Golden Four come the Indonesian Archipelago, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. A few points to highlight:

- While the flight over there may cost you a bit of money, once there you can live for $15-$25/day in most spots.
- Unlike Europe, SE Asia does not have the same network of trains. While overnight trains in Thailand are quite nice, in most places the trains are quite dilapidated. What Asia lacks in trains though, it more than makes up in budget airfare options. Airlines like One-Two-Go, Thai Air, Tiger Airways, Pacific Airlines, Nok Air etc. offer flights as cheap or cheaper than any type of train transportation in Europe. Having done it myself, it is not difficult to show up at an airport and buy a seat on a budget airline the day of for $100 or less.
- Contrary to popular belief, crossing borders in this area is not all that difficult (with the right visas). There are a variety of trains, buses, taxis and ferries that shuttle across most of the region's international borders.
- The food in SE Asia is exotic and delicious and the region boasts some of the best street food in the world for less than 50 cents.
- SE Asia is home to just about anything you'd like to see: Gorgeous beaches, fascinating history and archaeology, unexplored forests, river travel, culture beyond your wildest dreams, wildlife, and big city nightlife.
- The hostel properties are on the rise in the area, and cheap accommodations are never far away with a little research and preparation.
- While I'd always recommend to check the State Department's country advisories before traveling, SE Asia is really quite safe. With the exception of a few places in the Philippines, and the very southern tip of Thailand, the area is great for travel. That said, researching your route is very important in this part of the world as you shouldn't be veering off the beaten path without guides or locals.

Volunteer Travel - Would you do it?

2008-05-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

So, I would like to take a poll. Since I think Chris and I might be the only two people that read this blog, the results might be a little misleading, but regardless, I would like to find out how many people would take a volunteer trip?

For anyone who has not heard of volunteer travel or do not know what it entails, let me break it down for you. Basically, you travel to the country of your choice where you work for a specified amount of time on a volunteer project. The nations and projects are extremely varied so that participants can chose a program which they are passionate about. The participants are required to pay for their flight, accommodation and sometimes food and are (obviously) not paid for their work. In the past, volunteer travel has mostly been regulated to church groups or medical teams, however volunteer travel has become a more mainstream form of travel.

The advantages to volunteer tourism is the unique way of giving back. Many have described the experience as life-altering and extremely rewarding. The only real question would be, would you use a week of your vacation to travel abroad and volunteer? I know that some people would have a hard time with this prospect. Personally, I love the idea and plan on going sometime next year, but not everyone has the flexibility I do.

So would you?

Can cars be green?

2008-05-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

We are starting to see the terms hybrid car, electric car and solar car more and more these days and it got me thinking: Is there such a thing as a truly green car? What exactly do these terms mean? These questions, and the fact that the gas station down the street from me now has 87 octane gas selling for the bargain $4.19/gallon, prompted me to look into the answers. To start, here is a link to a useful article explaining the differences between gas-powered cars, electric-powered cars, and the combination of the two - more commonly known as hybrid vehicles. With the soaring oil prices these days, the thought of finding a car that is capable of driving 35-55 miles/gallon is pretty appealing. There are some very helpful sites and blogs out there that are really breaking down the advances in the hybrid industry, as well as comparing what is available on the market. Here are a few links of note:

1. Hybridcars.com: This site has a few nice features including a database that compares hybrid vs. non-hybrid cars, a robust research section covering topics from the environmental impact of cars, fuel options and buyers guides, as well as the latest technology coming to the forefront in the industry.
2. The Green Vehicle Guide: This site is housed within EPA's Transportation section, and covers the greenest vehicles and their emission ratings relative to gas-powered cars.
3. The Green Rating: This is a site Yahoo advertises that ranks vehicles on a scale of 1-100 (measuring their environmental friendliness). The site goes on to rank the top 100 cars by that green rating.

In addition to hybrid cars, we are starting to see smaller vehicles here in the States that have long been staples of the road in Europe, and other high-priced gas countries. The first of these vehicles to cross the Atlantic was the Mini Cooper. Most recently, and my personal favorite, the Smart Car has been introduced. While safety ratings for these cars could be an issue, I imagine more and more of these energy-efficient cars will be brought to market. I hope the days of the huge Hummer's may be coming to an end....

Duty free?

2008-05-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else ever taken a moment to think about how absolutely bizarre duty free goods are? I mean, we walk by these random places in the airport all the time.... we get hit in the knee by the once-a-trip random cart on the airplane selling things and we never think twice. Well I'm that type of guy who looks at these types of things and thinks: What the heck is "duty" anyway? Are they saying it's my "duty" to buy duty-less goods? Is "duty" free? Where did the "duty" go? It's all so confusing I'm not sure I can take it. And another thing, who originally sat around a table and thought "duty" free goods could only include Toblerone chocolates? I mean, I'm no chocolatier, but there's gotta be some chocolate in this world that is better than Toblerone.

Here are some other interesting thoughts on the oh-so-bizarre duty-free goods:

1. I've now been told on numerous occasions that perfumes in the duty-free section are more expensive than at your local department store. Numerous studies also show duty-free cameras are typically $30-$50 more than your average camera store. Some sort of reverse duty I guess....
2. There is a limit every individual has on buying items duty-free. Of course there is... The dealers of these goods want you to enjoy Glenlivet duty free, but just not a whole lot of it. If you surpass your personal exemption total (differs for each country), some guy at customs on your return calls in the "duty" hound to come add back the savings. Awesome.
3. Technically the bizarrely named "duty" is the customs tax paid to import something into a country. This doesn't mean the goods are free of that tax for the buyer. This means the shops don't have to pay a duty to import their merchandise, and are suppose to pass the savings on to the buyer.... Anyone want to place a wager on how often that happens the way it's suppose to?

Do you have helmet hair today?

2008-05-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

Happy National Ride your bike to work day! Today is the day where company bike racks are full, people are a little more sweaty than usual and the earth is just a little happier. Since helmet hair is today's fashion statement, here are a few ways to make sure all your co-workers know you rode in today:

1. Just wear your helmet around the office all day and when people ask why, just say it is for their benefit.

2. Ride your bike around the office.

3. As you walk around, use hand signals to tell everyone which way you are turning.

4. What other hairstyle would go with my cool florescent bike shorts?

5. Clip a bell to your pants and if people get in your way, ding it loudly.

6. Purposely walk behind people and tell them you are drafting to preserve strength.

Any of these methods will give people the message that you did your part and rode your bike to work today. Good job!

Exploring Earth

2008-05-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

The other night I was watching a special on the fateful 1996 Everest season chronicled by Krakauer in his book Into Thin Air that took (among others) the lives of famed guides Rob Hall and Scott Fischer. For those of you that don't know the story, it is one of the most heart-wrenching modern tales of survival and adventure ever written. I mention this because for those of you that know me you'll know I have three vices: coffee, good food, and an obsession for adventure tales. Anything that is remotely related to discovery, borderline delusional adventure activities, or the capacity for the human body to survive near-death physical efforts, has my interest piqued. Anyhow, the show got me thinking about two things: The greatest adventure/exploration stories ever, and what (if any) modern day adventures are left?

To start, here is a list of what I consider to be six of the most incredible/fascinating adventure stories ever recorded:
1. Everest: The 1996 expedition, the Hillary/Irvine fateful attempt in 1924, and Messner's ascent alone and without oxygen in 1980
2. Lewis and Clark's exploration of the Western United States (and/or the trappers detailed in Give Your Heart to the Hawks)
3. Shackleton's odyssey in the Antarctic
4. Sir John Franklin's lost expedition to the Northwest Passage in 1845
5. The sinking of the whale-ship Essex in 1820, and the resulting survival story
6. The 14th century Moroccan wanderer Battúta's adventures as chronicaled in Travels

As for the last great unknowns and unexplored, here are my thoughts:
1. Everest still remains
2. The sub-glacial terrain of Antarctica (and sea life off the coast, see here)
3. The ocean floor (only 1% mapped)
4. The Northern Triangle Subtropical Forests of Myanmar
5. Regions of the central mountains of New Guinea
6. Parts of the Amazon (upper Orenoco)
7. The Greenland ice cap
8. The table mountains of southern Venezuela
9. Northwest Siberia

Advice Lists

2008-05-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

I may really age myself with this blog, but back when I graduated from college, in 01' (gasp) there was am email forwarding phenomena called 'always wear sunscreen'. As in most email forwards, it was often touted as being the speech read at Harvard in that same year, although I have not found any proof this is true. It is kinda like the email forward warning you of ever traveling abroad for fear someone will steal your kidney's and leave you in a tub of ice. Anyway.......besides the fact that someone embellished its purpose, I really love this forward. It popularity was based mostly on the pure simplicity and humor of the advice given.

Here are some of the more memorable quotes: "Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing gum. Real troubles are apt to blind-side you at 4 p.m. on an idle Tuesday." or more practical is, "Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone." And finally the best advice ever "travel".

Have you ever noticed, how most 'advice' lists have a portion about travel? Whether it is a cliche like 'travel off the beaten path' or 'make your own directions', people have always had a desire to experience other cultures or environments. So here is my small piece of advice for the day..... travel as much as you can!

Traveling "green"

2008-05-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

What the heck does it mean to travel green anyway? We get this question a lot around here, and it usually surfaces alongside some of the following comments:

- Traveling green? (Blank stare) I can't ride a bike to Europe.
- Green travel? Is that like only going to places with rain-forests and pine cones?
- Are you guys with the Green Party? Do you work for that Al Gore guy?
- Are you guys those people that go camp out in trees chanting "Mother Earth" as loggers try to fell conifer trees?

So for the record to the above, no, no, no, and finally, NO. So what does green travel mean then? Well, it can mean a lot of things but Jessica and I believe that we ought to minimize the harm we as travelers do on the environment through flights, car and train trips, hotels rooms etc. We also believe that rather than just visiting (and often jeopardizing) the places we travel to, we should give back to the local communities we all love so much around the world.

One solution: We think carbon credits are a great way to minimize the impact of travel on the environment. Sure, they're not perfect, but it's better than nothing. A couple of things to make sure you look out for with carbon credits:
1. Make sure that credits are going towards projects that can in fact, make a difference (not just reforestation efforts).
2. Make sure those projects aren't all in one place should (heaven-forbid) a fire wipe out the area etc - similar to the investment strategy of not putting all your eggs in one basket.
3. Make sure the company's records have public audits to show where (and in what amount) their money is spent. If you'd like to see an example of a company doing a great job at this, please click here. To learn more about Pangaea's program, please click here.

And lastly, our vision of the most important piece of making travel sustainable: Give back! What better way to protect the cultures and environments we as travelers visit than to invest in their development, protect their lands and resources, and ensure the beauties of this world are around and thriving for future generations.

Tips for the absent minded traveller

2008-05-10T12:19:00.000-07:00

I admit it, I can be a bit of an airhead. It is not that I am a stupid person, its more that I have inherited a family trait of leaving keys, sunglasses and other such items in extremely random places. So when I travel, I do try and make it a point to come home with the same amount of stuff I left with. So here are some pointers which have I have gleamed after years of embarrassing travel blunders.

1. If parking your car at the airport, write down where the hell you left it. I hope more of you out there can relate to this, you are hurried to get to the airport, you park and run inside with only thoughts of your vacation. Of course this was best documented in the Seinfeld episode with the fish, but believe me...I have been that bewildered girl walking around a giant parking structure with my luggage.

2. Add a gaudy piece of brightly colored ribbon to your bag. Because this is inevitably what happens; you buy some generic luggage at Costco which everyone and their brother owns and then cannot distinguish which bag is yours. I realize it is somewhat nerdy to have yellow ribbon on your bag, but truthfully it beats out inadvertently taking someone's bag and having them chase you down the terminal. This is just embarrassing, and yes, I personally know what it feels like.

3. If traveling internationally, put an extra pair of undies in your carry on. I will try and make this one as PG as I can, but airlines delays are bound to happen and wearing your underwear for multiple days is just really gross.

4. Don't fall asleep on public trains. I was once robbed by a very nice thief on a train from Krakow to Budapest. He was not nice due to the fact that he stole all my money, camera and even my change. However, he did kindly replace my wallet back into my purse with all my necessary credit cards, ID and such. How did someone manage to take my wallet out, steal only pertinent items, then replace it? Well, I fell asleep on a public train......not really my finest moment.

Top ten reasons to visit Japan

2008-05-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

I have a public service announcement: Japanese taxis might be possessed. Yep - certifiably, nuts. In fact, I'm not sure taxis there could possibly be from the same genus as those in our lovely New York City. Or Chicago. Or Los Angeles. They are a new species. First off, don't touch the doors. Nope, they'll open for you automatically. I half expected KITT to then greet me. KITT did not... Kazuki did though, and he had a suit on, he even smiled. Secondly, the cabs are spotless. They even have those doilies on the seats like you'd see at your grandmother's house when you were a kid. What is this? Automatic doors? Friendly drivers? A clean car with doilies? Nonsense. It can't be. They must be possessed.

The taxis alone are worth a visit. But if you plan to see more, here's 10 more reasons to visit this fantastic nation that I lived in for several months:

1. The toilets. There, I said it. What you ask could possibly be redeemable about a toilet? Well, try this: Seat warmers. automatic night lights, bidets (yes, that's plural), a dryer, automatic seat raisers, varied flush functions. Do I need to say more?
2. The sashimi: I guarantee you've never had fresher tasting, better fish in your life.
3. Tsukiji fish market: Any day you can peruse one of the largest fish markets in the world while being chased by frozen sea monsters on dollies is a good one in my eyes. Side note: Japan: Stop killing whales and cutting off shark fins. I don't care what kind of medicinal value it has.
4. Kyoto: Any city with 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites does not need an introduction.
5. Fuji-san: For anyone that has climbed the 10 stations of the mountain, you know its beauty. A well-kept secret though are the many natural hot spring ryokans you can stay at near the base.
6. Sake: Love this stuff. Try any Premium Ginjo. Kanpai!
7. Nikko: I fell in love with this city best known for its beautiful temple and Tosho-gu Shrine.
8. Shinjuku... At night: Picture Times Square on steroids and 50 times larger.
9. Business-people doing calisthenics in front of skyscrapers: Can you really beat 100 men in suits doing stretching routines at 6AM?
10. The people: Some of the most genuine, friendly people in the world.

Airline mania

2008-05-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

First off, lets all take a second to ooohhhh and awwww at our blog site changes. Golf clap for Chris.

Now, on to today's real question. What is your favorite airline?

As I prepare for my October trip to Bhutan (I know, you can be jealous) I am trying to find flights to Thailand. You would think that someone that works in travel would be familiar with the plethora of Asian airlines out there, but I have to admit that I was pretty astounded to learn how many of them there are. China Eastern, China Southern, China Air, Thai Air, Malaysia Air......who knew? So this got be thinking, what are people's favorite airlines?

Personally, I love southwest for national trips. Yes, I often feel like cattle being herded into a pen, but I find the staff is always fun and make me laugh with their goofy anecdotes about plane security rules. Plus, I love their milage plan I am always getting free trips or drink coupons which make any flight sooooooooooo much better!

For international trips I am a big fan of British Airways. I was a fan of Lufstansia until a recent trip to Germany where a rep at the Munich airport made me so angry I honestly thought of hitting her in the face. Well not really, but I have now transfered that grudge to the whole of Lufstansia and refuse to ever fly them, which seems pretty rational to me.

So what are your airline thoughts?

If you could go back in time...

2008-05-07T14:08:00.000-07:00

So here's a random thought I've been kicking around in my head today: If you could go back in time, what ancient civilizations or places would you visit? Jessica and I are always talking about our lists of places we'd love to see, our top destinations, or new "it" spots, but what if history and time had no limits? Here are my thoughts on the places/civilizations I'd travel to:

1. The Minoan Civilizations of Greece - 1500BC: The Minoan's were based on the island of Crete (and surrounding islands) and held power in the Mediterranean from 3000BC-1400BC. The Minoan's controlled much of the trade with mainland Greece, Egypt and surrounding islands during that period and are thought to have been one of the most powerful groups of the time period. It's from this dynasty that Classical Greece formed. This culture and civilization are shrouded in much mystery as two earth changing volcanic eruptions largely wiped them from the face of the planet (Thera in 1500BC and Santorini in 1600BC). The Minoan dynasty is probably the leading candidate for Plato's fabled tales of the Lost City of Atlantis.
2. Ancient Rome - 75AD: This is an empire that ruled for over 9 centuries, but if I had my way I'd go back between 50BC and 150AD - at the height of Rome's power. At this time, Rome lorded over much of Africa, all of the Mediterranean, extended as far north as the British Isles, and as far east as the Persian Gulf.
3. Mayan Empire - 900AD: The Mayan Empire stretched over much of present-day Mexico and northern Central America. The population density at this time was similar to Los Angeles today. The fall of this empire is one of the great historical mysteries, and we're left with some of the most fascinating archaeology and ruins in the world including the only complete Pre-Columbian writing system in the Americas.
4. Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon - 600BC: Babylon could be found in present-day Iraq and was one of the great military powers of the ancient world. In addition to its influence on the region that shaped the next 2000 years, Nebuchadnezzar constructed one of the seven wonders of the ancient world: The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. This society was so advanced that it even developed the first form of negligence law; a concept not rediscovered until the 20th century.
5. Ancient Egypt: Do I even need to say anything here? How about some random unknowns: The Egyptians were responsible for inventing black ink, ox-drawn plows, sails, paper, organized labor, hieroglyphics as an early system of writing, the 365 day calendar and Leap Year, lock and keys, combs, scissors, wigs, makeup, deodorants, toothbrush and toothpaste, cement, glass (just to name a few...).

A carbon neutral city?

2008-05-06T14:44:00.000-07:00

Here at Pangaea we deal a lot in carbon credits, in fact a good portion of our day is used discussing them. So this morning on NPR when I heard that a carbon neutral city is in the works, my ears perked up. That is until where I heard this city will be located in Abu Dhabi, then I almost crashed my car. Just kidding, but in all truth I was REALLY, REALLY surprised. For all of you non-geography people, Abu Dhabi is in the United Arab Emirates boarding Saudi Arabia and Oman and across the Persian Gulf from Iran.

I would not exactly pair the biggest oil producing region in the world with anything pertaining to environmental standards...but turns out I was wrong. The proposed city would be called Masdar City and will burn no gas or oil, so its contribution to greenhouse gases will be minimal. The entire city would be built towards the Northeast which will optimize the amount of solar energy that can be gathered in a day. Cars would also be banned within the city and instead something called a personalized transit system (PTS) would be used to get from place to place. Designers envision the PRS (which is very similar to a 6 person car) to run off solar and battery power.

The country has made this project city a priority to try and better position themselves financially when their oil runs out. I find this idea absolutely ingenious and really quite surprising at the same time. It is a very ambitious project which skeptics have claimed is impossible. What do you think about a city completely eliminating its carbon footprint?
For the NPR version click here.

Mmmmm... Beer

2008-05-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know, I know... You're wondering why you are reading about beer on our blog. I have a better question: Why wouldn't you be? For me, sampling new beer as I travel is as much a staple as trying new cuisine, or experiencing new cultures. I love arriving in a country and settling in at a pub with a cold beer and a map to plan my next move. Many years back I traveled to Europe for a few months with a very good friend of mine, and we made it our mission to drink a Guinness in every city we arrived in before doing anything else: Finding accomodations, eating, sleeping... you get the point. Anyhow, this philosophy coupled with my new favorite show Three Sheets inspired me to amass a list of some of my favorite brews. So, here they are in no particular order:

Guinness: An Irish stout. Best Guinness I've had: At a pub on the western side of the Sevilla Cathedral.
Caffreys Cream Ale: Another Irish brew. Unfortunately, my days of being able to pick this beauty up at the store are long gone as it is no longer available in the States.
Beamish Stout: One more Irish stout.... fantastic. Had a pint in London once with some fish and chips - best thing I did in that country.
Budvar: For any of you Czech Republic fans, you know that this is the real Budweiser.
Staropramen Granat: Staropramen's semi-dark pilsner. One of the best. Oh, and when you are buying them for 50 cents on the Vlatava River in Prague, it doesn't get much better.
Struise Pannepot : A strong Belgian Ale. Weird name, but trust me on this one.
Yebisu Black: This is a dark lager only found in Japan. Though not as good as Guinness, the fact that you can buy it at a train station and drink it with friends over a card game on the bullet trains is pretty neat.
1554: This Brussels Style Black Ale is my favorite from the New Belgiam Brewing Company in Ft. Collins, CO. Most of you are more acquainted with Fat Tire, another of their fine brews.
Delirium Tremens: One of my all-time favorites, this Belgian tripple has a nearly 9% alcohol content. The pink elephants on the bottles are a nice touch as well.
Pilsner Urquell Kvasnicový: This unfiltered Czech brew (Pilsner) is brilliant. By the way, the bottled version you may find at Von's is not what I am talking about here...

Love mom, love our planet

2008-05-02T10:46:00.001-07:00

With mother's day just around the corner, I thought it would be nice to provide some suggestions for some eco-friendly products. And by this, I do not suggest you go out and buy your mother some energy-efficient light bulbs, instead find something she will really love.

1. Not sure about you, but my mom still maintains a bit of her 'hippie' persona from her days of living in SF and doing God knows what at Jimi Hendrix concerts (love you mom). For many mom's going organic is like stepping back into a tight pair of bellbottom jeans, it just feels right. Organic candles (using soy instead and natural aromatherapy oils) is a fun gift that you mom can truly appreaciate. Not only do these candles have less toxins when lit, but use less chemicals to produce. Q Candles are some of my favorites (www.qcandles.com).

2. What mom does not want a great bottle of wine on her special day, especially when they can have one of the eco-friendly variety. These wines are created without chemicals using a biological sustainable method. Trader Joe's and Whole foods have great selections. Toast to mom and the fact that she has put up with you for all these years!

2. Let's face it, girls love flowers. We love the way it feels to receive them (maybe its the inner beauty queen in all of us). Why not give mom organically grown flowers this mother's day. Not only are you making a better choice environmentally, but you are protecting farm workers from working with dangerous chemicals. (www.organicbouquet.com)

So what are you going to give your mom next Sunday?

Where's Waldo?

2008-04-30T14:42:00.000-07:00

I loved those Where's Waldo books when I was younger. I recall with some detail holing up in my Grandparent's back room searching for hours for Waldo until my eyes would ache and my vision would blur. As a side note, does anyone start seeing those weird prism's out of the corner of their eyes when they haven't blinked in like an hour? I'm weird I know, but seriously, give me a Where's Waldo book, or an endless Excel document and it's only a matter of time before those prism's appear..... Bizarre. Anyhow, back to Waldo - For any of you not familiar, as you can see in the picture, Waldo was this guy in a candy cane-esque shirt who would travel to everyday places, or countries, and you'd have to find him in a dizzying array of people, objects, and distractions. Think of 5,000 similar looking people in a chaotic beach scene with dogs, lifeguards and just about any other thing you can imagine, all drawn into the span of a page and you'll get some idea of what the book was about. Great stuff. I mention this because we have started this feature in our monthly newsletter that is sort of along the same lines and it has become quite popular: Guess the Photo. It's really pretty simple, and we figured we'd add a version to the blog as well, so here are the ground-rules:

1. If you guess the location of the mystery photo below, first, you win.
2. The first person to write the correct answer in the comments section will be the winner.
3. The prize is a $25 gift certificate to Adventure 16.

Good luck!
P.S. As we have learned that our readers are better at this than we had anticipated, I have posted a tougher photo for this first blog installment!

vacation locations where the dollar does not suck

2008-04-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

The weak dollar is felt not only here in the US, but also for those travelers abroad. Europe is a perfect example of a location where American travelers can easily spend more than anticipated. However, there still are plenty of places where the dollar is still thriving and your vacation funds will not run out on your first day.

1. Argentina- imagine relocating the French Rivera a bit further south and presto! you have Argentina. With its wide variation of chic hotels, great dining and nightlife, this is the perfect getaway for those looking to embrace the good life. Since the collapse of the Argentine peso in 2001, the price are still extremely reasonable for such a swanky location.

2. Latin America- smaller and lesser developed countries such as Panama, Costa Rica, Belize, Nicaragua are luring American tourists with excellent deals taking advantage of their immature currency and national debts. These countries maintain much of their original pristine beauty and many resorts offer great all inclusive stays on their breathtaking beaches.

3. Go Down Under for a real Australian experience. The dollar still fairs well in Australia and if you can afford the flight over, prices are quite reasonable upon arrival. Australia offers such a wide array of vacation opportunities for travelers, it really suits any one's needs.

43 Places

2008-04-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

There is a great Web site named 43 Places that I found awhile back that allows users to pick the 43 places they'd like to see in the world, read reviews about the places, and even add new ones. The Web site uses Flickr for their photos, and describes thousands of locales around the world. In addition to countries, cities, streets, and hangouts, you can even find tags such as "Hogwarts" and "Pirates of the Caribbean," for those of us that liken travel to a state of mind from time to time. Once you choose one of your 43 places you can read reviews from folks that have been there, see suggested destinations that are identified as similar, or places that are on the lists of people that also chose your particular destination. For instance, one of my 43 are the temples and pagodas of Bagan (in Burma). Similar tagged locations would be Mandalay, Ko Chang and Red Rock Canyon. The Web site is a great way to bring out the wanderlust in all of us, and even find new vacation destinations. For any curious readers out there who want to know which places in this world pique my interest most, I've listed my 43 places below:

Ko Pha-Ngan
The Tiger's Nest
Whitsunday Islands
Denali National Park
Teotihuacán
Chichen Itza
The Great Blue Hole
Copán
Palmyra
Mount Kilimanjaro
Tracking the Mountain Gorilla
Wat Phou
Mount Everest
Bagan
Cappadocia
Gonder
Namib Desert
Museum of Qin Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses
Varanasi
Machu Picchu
Galapagos Island
Borobudur Stupa
Patagonia
Palawan
Diocletian's Palace
Salar de Uyuni
African Safari
Tierra del Fuego
Kokoda Trail
Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park
Babylon
Istanbul
Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania
Thessaloniki
Ha Long Bay
Abu Simbel
Badlands National Park
Lhasa
Nosy Boraha
Ice Hotel
Cage diving with a great white shark
Jodhpur

Travel 'mis-adventures'

2008-04-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

Here at Pangaea we love to hear about some of the funny things that happen when you are abroad. Of course, with any trip some experiences which are annoying at the time, become HILARIOUS when you come home and recount the story. I seem to make lots of people laugh with my 'labrador ate my passport' story, although as my friends can attest, there were lots of tears when I could not make it to Peru! Here are a few funny stories which happened to some of our clients:

1. One couple attempting to navigate the Italian freeway system in a tiny european car were clearly not doing a very good job as numerous drivers honked, cursed in Italian and made lewd hand gestures. When the couple's young daughter asked why everyone was so mad at daddy, the couple told her everyone was just excited they were visiting.

2. After a very long flight to Australia a young woman was waiting at the airport for a friend who lived there to pick her up. In a mixture of exhaustion and excitement to be in Sydney she inadvertently left her bag on the sidewalk. Needless to say, by the time she realized her mistake the Sydney police had blown up her bag on the sidewalk!

3. On a trip to Japan, a businessman was surprised to find 50 people in nylon jumpsuits doing jumping jacks outside an office building for a pre-morning office workout.

4. Mis-translated signs are always funny!

Tell us about funny things that have happened on your vacation!

Pangaea Travel Offers Discounted Tours!

2008-03-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

Pangaea Travel is glad to announce that we now offer DISCOUNTED TOURS AND CRUISES! Okay, hold the questions - I'll break it down for you. This is the most simple program you have ever heard of: Find any tour or cruise online with any of your favorite operators, and if you let Pangaea book it for you, we'll give you cash.

Whoa, whoa whoa! What!? You ask.
Seriously folks, it's that simple.

Visit our site now, and you can check out some of our favorite tours around the world. On the right hand side you'll see how much money we'll give you per person if you let us do book the trip for you. Don't see a tour listed that you know you want to take? No problem, we'll give you cash for it as well for allowing us to book it.

Have we gone mad? Totally lost it?

Nope, we're just that good.

Oh, and don't forget, we'll make the whole trip GREEN at our own expense as well.

Wow, we're good.

My "to do" list

2008-03-18T20:12:00.000-07:00

A few years ago Chris and I were taking about his "100 things to do before I die" list. He had this elaborate list of all his special plans...one of which graces our website, where Chris is doing a handstand in front of the Pyramids. It inspired me to sit down and make my own list chalk full of the normal, #9. get married, and the ridiculous #34 take a picture with a penguin in South Africa.

I had a lot of fun taking the time to think about the things I really wanted out of my life. I admit that a large percent of what made my list is travel related items (i mean what can be more fun than fulling crazy travel dreams). However, I think it is also import to have some long terms reminders of what is important in life (other than getting hammered at Mardi Gras- #78).

I have included very adult endeavors, #2 buy a house and other not so adult endeavors, #87 Ride all the rides at 6 flags. I have added things I can do soon, #12 go a wine tour in Napa, to future aspirations #52 have a gold anniversary.

So, now I have to ask...what types of things are on your bucket list?

Pangaea According to Fox News.....

2008-03-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

For all of my Mensa friends out there, here's a question: What do Fox News, rising gas prices, and Pangaea Travel have in common?

Guess #1: Absolutely nothing. Ummm.... close, but no.
Guess #2: They are all rad. No. Clearly, Pangaea only qualifies as rad. Fox News gets a "neat", and rising gas prices... well, I don't really want to say what I think about that.
Guess #3: I'm not sure, but there was a news story on this last Friday. Bingo.

Yep, last Friday we had a brief feature on the local Fox News 6 station here in San Diego. Our green measures are being noticed! We think our eco-commitment and carbon offsetting initiatives are big news, and it's nice to see others picking up on it. To view the feature, please click on this link and play the video on the right side of the screen. To read more about the environmental incentives of booking with our company, check out our Web site.

Taking a cruise? A tour? Flight? Booking a hotel room? Let us book it, and we'll make it GREEN! It'll be the same price, and there's no additional charge... Why not!

What has been your greatest discovery while traveling?

2008-02-21T15:40:00.000-08:00

This question makes me envision Harrison Ford picking up the holy grail right after some guy's face melts off. Yummy. But besides all you treasure hunters out there, this question should be considered much more broad. In all the places you have visited is there a single treasure you hold dear? It does not need to be an object, it could be a feeling, a place, a personal awakening.

When traveling with a girlfriend, she told me one of the best discoveries was in the vastness of the world itself. I agree completely and believe that travel in itself a form of discovery. Each new location I am introduced to, I find something to relish. However, if I am forced to chose 1 paramount discovery, it has be human kindness. Whether it is the Frenchman taking an extra moment in broken english to explain the metro system; the the Spanish woman who took a picture for me even though she had never used a camera before; or the Australian woman who gave me a ride in Tasmania because I sat next to her on the plane. I will never forget any of these encounters and with each trip I always seem to find myself in new situations where human kindness overwhelms me.

Share some of your stories. What is your greatest discovery while traveling?

Where's off limits?

2008-02-15T15:42:00.000-08:00

Okay happy campers, today I have a question for you: Where's off limits?

We all have trips planned. However plausible, each one of us have one, two, five or ten places in mind that we'd like to see next (as an aside in case any of you are interested, mine go: Kili, Cappadocia, Gonder, Bagan, Great Barrier Reef, Copan, Maccu Piccu). The real question though is this: Where are the places that you want to go, but don't think you can? Maybe you think it's too dangerous. Maybe too far. Maybe you can't get in. Whatever the reason, what is it?

I'll let you in on mine. Actually, there are two: Babylon, Iraq and the Persepolis/Bam/Kharanak sites in Iran.

I'm a huge archaeology buff and the idea that the world hasn't discovered Iran and Iraq blows my mind. Most of the well-known ancient empires that are popular tourist destinations are the Meditteranean civilizations - Greek, Roman and Egyptian. The next in line seem to be the Mayan, Incan, Aztec empires of the south. The up-and-comers of late have really been the empires in SE Asia and India. The Babylonian/Persian empire was bigger than them all.

I've spent many an afternoon in the Oriental Institute in Chicago admiring their collection, and imagining what must be left to be found in Iraq and Iran. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers and Mesopotamian geography, gave rise to the most powerful ancient civilization ever, and for the most part no one knows anything about them. There are thought to be more ruins in number in Iraq and Iran than even the Egyptians. For obvious reasons, Iraq is off-limits right now because of the ongoing war. Iran though, contrary to popular belief, is quite safe. If it weren't for the Visa restrictions, I'd be there in a second.

So here's the question for you: Where are your off-limits places you'd love to explore, but for whatever reason cannot?

v-day and mini-vacations

2008-02-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

I will be honest.....I do not really care all that much about valentines day. Forget the chocolate, forget the fancy dinner and please do not give me an oversized plush bear of any kind. On the other hand, if my sweetie suggested a mini-trip, I would be all over it! A little quick trip to re-light the romance and enjoy a weekend with just the two of you. In the spirit of too many bad v-days, I thought I would give you my perspective on what I think a great romantic getaway entails.

1. Make it close, no need to drive for hours. Find a sweet little B & B far enough to make it special, close enough that you don't kill each other on the road-trip.

2. Don't skimp on the room. Its valentines day, which means more time should be spent in the room. So stay away from anywhere with the word motel in it. If possible, find a smaller place with a fireplace, fuzzy robes and room service.

3. Get active! Do something fun together, like a tandem bike ride or a hike and picnic. Concierge's are usually great about telling you where to go in the area.

4. Bring the camera and a goofy sense of humor. Some of my favorite pictures of my bf and I are when we were truly laughing, not just dutifully smiling for the camera. Do not be shy, ask people to take picture of the two of you in this fun mini-vacation!

New Logo+ Press Release

2007-12-13T14:47:00.000-08:00

Presenting.....our newest press release! Hopefully you will soon be reading about us in all types of travel magazines!

(La Jolla, CA) Pangaea Travel, the eco-active travel consultant, is helping turn travel tours and cruises green with their unique marketing programs including carbon-neutral and incentive-based travel. Travel accounts for about 12 percent of the human contribution to global warming, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The good news is an individual can offset -- if not eliminate -- their carbon footprint by making better choices, and in fact choices that can even save money.

Pangaea Travel Consultants, in partnership with Carbonfund.org, is offering clients carbon free travel worldwide for no cost and with zero inconvenience to the traveler. Uniquely, Pangaea's program offsets the carbon emissions for the traveler's entire trip; from the drive to the airport or pier, to the plane ride or cruise to rental cars and hotels etc. And with the negative effect travel has on global warming, right now carbon-free travel equates to guilt-free travel.

“Offsetting one's carbon footprint allows every traveler to become part of the solution to climate change by supporting the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions equal to their carbon emissions. The program supports carbon-reducing projects such as renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects. With our program, the traveler gets to choose" stated Chris Tharp, partner in Pangaea Travel. “In truth, carbon offsets can be more cost effective and practical than many other measures an individual can take. And I am unaware of any other travel company offering carbon credits for the entire trip and at zero cost to our traveler” concluded Mr. Tharp. “Another thing that makes us unique”, added Jessica Finley, partner in Pangaea, “is our approach to tour packages. We're so committed to carbon free travel that even if a person already has their tour or cruise completely planned, they can still call us to book their trip. With one phone call, we will issue them carbon credits for their entire trip and present them with more than $100 of gift certificates on travel apparel and accessories for a measurable added value” Jessica summarized. Pangaea believes that everyone has a responsibility to reduce their individual carbon footprint, and there are lots of ways to do so. They take this to heart in how they operate their business by using energy efficient light bulbs at the office, recycling, only turning on lights in offices in use, turning off computers and monitors when not in use, and have even offset the cost of their business operations for the year. “What can I say? It really is easy being green" stated Ms. Finley.

Pangaea Travel is uniquely positioned as an eco-active travel consultant focusing on custom tours and cruises. What makes their position genuine is their policy of providing carbon credits to offset the carbon footprint created by the traveler's entire trip, including plane, train, car, cruise ship, hotel, etc. They do this with no charge or inconvenience to their client. Pangaea specializes in adventure, educational and cultural travel, matching the tour or cruise with their clients individual travel preferences.

2007-11-15T11:21:00.000-08:00

"Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooooold out there today."

Jessica and I often find ourselves in a Groundhogs Day-esque conversation that goes something like this:

Random stranger: "So, you own a travel agency... that's great!"
Jessica and I: "Actually we're doing something different, it's not really an agency, we do x, y, and z"
Random stranger: "Oh.... I see...." (confused look)
(Pause)
Random stranger: "So what is it you do again?"

In honor of Bill Murray, or maybe because print lasts longer, we are going to lay out for all you loyal readers the niche we have created for ourselves and why we think it makes us unique... and frankly, just totally rad.

First off, if any of you are ever going to book a tour or cruise, come to us! Even if you know the cruise line you're going to take, when, where and how - we are your people. Here's why: If you let us book the tour/cruise for you, we'll share in the proceeds with you. Yep. We get paid by the cruises and tour companies to bring them clients. That means, if the cruise costs you $3,000 and you let us book it, it still costs you $3,000. *But* we'll give you money on the back end to outfit yourselves for the trip. What's the catch you ask? There isn't one.

Secondly, we got into this business to make a difference. We think the travel industry does a tremendous amount of harm to the environment, cultures and sites it visits. A round trip flight from Washington DC to Paris burns over a ton of harmful emissions into the atmosphere alone. Yikes. So, we've partnered with a number of organizations to do something about it. The first is Carbonfund.org. Moving forward, every client that books their trip through us will be receiving carbon neutral travel. What this means is, we will be purchasing carbon credits to offset the damage clients' trips are doing on the environment. When you travel, your plane, cars, trains, boats and even hotel rooms all release carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels which are causing the Earth’s climate to change and warm. These harmful fuels will have catastrophic results if we do not act to reduce them. What's better than Pangaea choosing to do this? Unlike other travel companies that claim to do this for their clients, we are offsetting EVERY portion of their trip (flight, hotel, cars/boats/trains) not just one or two pieces, and we are doing it at our own expense. That's right. We pay for all of it out of our own pocket. As if that's not enough, we've offset our annual business impact here at Pangaea.

Next, we will be also giving back to several leading global conservancies supporting various environmental causes. We will soon be posting the details of this program as well.

Lastly, we can do the simple stuff! If you want a hotel booked, an international flight quote, or a custom made adventure, we're here for you!

The Green Mile..... travel eco style!

2007-11-08T14:05:00.000-08:00

So the word 'green' is being used quite frequently recently. For instance, NBC is in the middle of their green week, I am actually really excited to see David Schwimmer and Al Gore team up and act like super heroes. Hilarious.

Since all you out there are travel experts, you probably know how detrimental travel can be on the environment. That is why the term eco travel or green travel has created such a buzz. However, there are a lot of disreputable companies out there that are simply jumping on the green bandwagon. Sooooooo......I (in my infinite wisdom) have created a great list of the BEST eco-tour companies for all your inquiring minds. Upon creating this list I have taken into account a few things, such as why the company is green and how they are green.

1. Natural Habitat Adventures: Love them. This company is a pioneer in carbon-neutral travel, they off-set all the carbon emissions created by their cleints tours. They also provide their clients with the ability to off-set their flights, so people may decide to pay a little extra money to off-set the majority of damage.

2. National Geographic Expeditions: This is the magazine's tour company arm and the same dedication to sustainable travel exists. They have won a number of awards including Outside Magazine's Best Trip award. Side note, I am dying to take their trip to Nepal and Tibet!

3. Adventure Life Journeys: A wonderful tour company which works with local communities to create sustainable travel with the local environments. They won Conde Nast's Green Traveler award in 2006 and there is no question why. This is simply a well run and committed organization.

Pangaea Travel Voted Best of La Jolla

2007-11-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

This week, Pangaea Travel was voted as having the best travel agents in La Jolla! Thanks to all of you that voted for us, and we look forward to many years to come. For those of you that don't know about us, please visit our Web site at: www.pangaeatravel.net.

We like to think that we are a lot different than other travel companies out there, so for all of you who are wondering what this means we thought we'd attach a list of ten things we are not:
1. We don't wear headsets; they hurt our heads and frankly, just look weird.
2. We've traveled the world to places that aren't limited to Caribbean cruises, and Baja, Mexico.
3. We don't sell packaged trips... Who wants cookie-cutter?
4. Neither of us are grumpy middle aged women. I promise.
5. We don't have 1984 Reading Rainbow travel videos playing in the corner of our store.
6. Not only do we say we care about the environment and conservation, we're actually doing something about it.
7. We believe tours of 150 people following a yellow flag waving maniac, should be outlawed by all governments.
8. We don't serve Kool-Aid, we serve Malbec and Rombauer.
9. Tacky travel posters are only good for starting a fire.
10. In fact, don't even call us travel agents, it just makes us angry.

Responsible Travel

2007-10-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

Pop quiz: Who has ever traveled with one of the following two people?

The first, is the "once on vacation, I take advantage of everything/everyone person." This is the type of person who may or may not be an otherwise responsible individual in every day life.... Point is, they go to some country not their own and suddenly think it's okay to litter, tramp on priceless archaeological ruins, and/or become some obnoxious shell of themselves. Yep, this is the guy/gal who gives all travelers a bad name; shortening the life of foreign attractions, and giving a sometimes unforgiveable impression of our culture to other cultures abroad. Thanks for nothing.

The second person is the "site conquering, spastic, list person." Yep, you all know this type. This is the person who the second they arrive in a foreign country is operating off of some invisible list, which apparently gives high marks for crossing off as many sites/destinations as possible (in turn, not actually experiencing any of them). This person is the type who having stood for mere seconds in front of the awe-inspiring site before them is trying to rally the group to head off to the next place on their list. Talk about frustrating. The worst part about this type, is they're also the ones that return from a trip and talk about their "amazing experiences" despite the fact that they didn't take a chance to soak any of them up, learn a thing about the cultures in front of them, or take a deep breath before trying to jam another site in before closing time. As an aside, this is also the person that claims to have been to about 40 countries until you find out that 38 of them are just airports on layovers. Same mentality I suppose.

So, I have a few public service announcements to these two travelers:
1. Eating at a McDonald's in another country does not constitue a foreign cuisine.
2. Staying at a Holiday Inn and taking tours in which you never step foot off an air-conditioned bus, does not constitute traveling anywhere, let alone experiencing culture.
3. Embrace different.
4. If you can't in your own country: Throw garbage on the ground, touch pictures in a museum, climb all over priceless artifacts, don't do it abroad either.
5. Checklists are only good for buying groceries.

Where in the world is.......

2007-10-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Have you let you mind wonder and thought about where in the world you would go if you could go anywhere? and I don't mean places like the playboy mansion (for all you dirty boys out there), i mean actual travel destinations. now to make this a true fantasy vacation some things cannot be a concern:

1. money is no option, no matter how extravagant the trip is.
2. your boss will gladly give you ample time off and smile while giving you the news.
3. a magic elf comes and packs all your bags. (is this just my fantasy?)

after much consideration, my dream trip would be to go on a private jet around the world. abercrombie and kent, has this trip which is 25 days long and stops at nine wonders of the world. this tour is so good, they have literally created two more wonders in the world. plus, it has all the right fantasy criteria: expensive....yes, very. exclusive...of course. possible.... not unless i marry a ailing billionaire.

the brilliance of this trip is you are able to see some of the world's most amazing places all in one trip. and lets be honest with ourselves, it is on a private jet people!

so my question to all of you...what is your dream vacation look like? do you want to spend a week getting private massages on a private beach, have a romantic rendezvous with your honey in the streets of paris, travel to peru and witness the majesty of machu picchu or maybe just eat your way through italy? let me know what your dream VK looks like.

A Table for Two...

2007-10-18T16:24:00.001-07:00

Someone posed a question the other day as to the most romantic place/city in the world. It got me thinking about my own travels. Now, for the record, I have never actually been out of the country with a girlfriend. So, the hypothetical Chris thinks the following....

Let's start with a short-list of places that aren't on the list:
1. The Prague train station. Seriously, is there a place in all of Europe you'd rather not be? I'd say the likelihood of seeing: A. A rat; B. A sketchy transaction; or C. Something transpire that will in short order put your life in danger, are all quite likely. In fact, if one were to ever bring a date/spouse/or crush into that station with hopes of anything romantic, you'd be quickly left on one of those unsanitary benches to debate what went wrong.
2. The gate/warehouse at the Rafah crossing point in Palestine: For all of you adventure seekers out there: If you'd like to impress someone with glorious new sites and experiences, let it not be here (unless you like sitting on foreign concrete with water dripping on your head).
3. Khao San Road, Thailand: Fake purses: Check. Tiger beer: Check, check. General mayhem: Check, check, check. Romantic evening on a patio of a local eatery: Abort.
4. A falafel stand in Luxor, Egypt: For any of you wondering what this romatic evening may look like, I'll give you a peak:
"I'd like two falafel's please. Can I also have one of those tables with a candle?"
Falafel man: "Those tables are plastic, and the legs are broken."
"Oh, in that case, can I get the tinfoil shaped into a little swan?"
Falafel man: "What's swan"
"Ahh, forget it"
(Your date gets run over by another mobile falafel stand making a bee-line for the crowd of people)
"Those are nice tire treads on your calf, honey"

Now for the romantic out there, here's a shortlist of some well-known and not so well-known places to take your significant other:
1. Koh Phi Phi Island, Thailand. Stay at the Phi Phi Natural Resort on the Northern-most part at Laem Tong. Ask for a bungalow near their private beach. Trust me on this one.
2. Venice at night. Any restaurant near the water. Enough said.
3. Petra, Jordan. Aside from the ancient city, stay in present-day Petra. When night falls and the musician's come out, soak the night away on the street with some Arabian tea and feta salad by candlelight.
4. Crepes at dusk on the back side of the Basilique Sacré-Coeur, Paris.
5. Quadra Island, British Columbia. Haven't heard of it? Find it, and take your significant other there with a backpack, canoe, and a tent. You'll never find silence quite like it.
6. Hypostyle Hall, Karnak Temple in Luxor (at night). Bring a sandwich and hang out at the base of the far columns.
7. Casita restaurant, Tokyo, Japan.

Where are your favorite overseas romantic or non-romantic places? Respond to the post and let us know!

reasons not to see the museum of torture

2007-10-11T16:20:00.000-07:00

our last day in prague was phenomenal. we visited the schloss (no, this does not refer to a part of the male anatomy) rather it is the german word for castle. we meandered through the city, making a 40 minute stop for coffee.....getting the check in czech is not easy. And finally ended up stopping at the museum of torture. this 'museum', is to say the least, disturbing and specifically designed for tourists. The three floor building houses replicas of some of the most widely used torture devises used in europe, with corresponding drawings and written descriptions in about 12 languages.

i wanted to vomit, dan on the other hand took pictures :)

not to say the museum is all bad.... you leave with certain hope that at least humanity has somewhat progressed since the middle ages. however, i don't think it is possible to leave without a certain feeling of revulsion of the thought of what people are capable of doing to one another.

anyway...back to the schloss. so we climbed up to the palace, which is still a working palace for the government, so much of it is not available to tourists. the church from the 13th century is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful in europe. it was breathtaking. it was only off-putting by the Japanese tour group in front of us and the german tour occurring behind us. tours can be a fantastic way to learn about the history of a location, but it is hard to feel the sanctuary of a church with chatty people in all directions. not to mention, japanese tourists really enjoying taking pictures. i kept seeing flashes every time i turned around!

after the church dan and I sat in the courtyard on a bench for a while, to simply digest the day. It was beautiful to sit in the shadow of this famous church as the sun went down behind us. moments like this one always seem to give me reverence for how wonderful europe is. there is no place in the world like it. i felt lucky to be able to share such a powerful moment with daniel. sorry.... reminiscing is making me somewhat cheesy.

on our way down, we took some goofy pictures and just had a great time. dan jumped up on the rampart wall ...I was convinced, with all his grace, he was going to fall over the other side. good thing he did not, because the fall was considerable and when my friends sarah's bf fell off a wall, well..... it did nothing good for their relationship! we also met a really funny guy from iceland. he was wearing a t-shirt in 40 degree weather and looked like he could bench a volkswagen bus.

that night we had our last dinner in europe (except the one in the munich airport, which frankly does not count). it was the perfect end to our trip.

one fine day in prague

2007-10-08T02:06:00.000-07:00

dan and i woke up early after our first extaordinarily uneventful night in prague. because our train did not get into the station until 10:45 pm the night before we ended up staying in a hotel WAY outside the city. After gettting completely ripped off for a taxi to our hotel, we made our way out onto the streets to have a look at the city. note: residential prague is not all that exciting. we never did find a place to go have a drink, so we eneded up buying a bottle of wine and drinking about half a glass in our room.

however, yesteday we did make the most of the city. we are still located on the outskirts which means our daily walk into the the old part of Prague is about 30 minutes, it is not so bad going in (as it is all down-hill) but coming back is another story. After a day of walking around and taking in the sites, we decided to take a tour in conjunction with a boat tour down the vltava. my original thought was it would be terribly romantic, a lovely dinner down the river complete with drinks.

however,it did not exactly work that way. first there were too many people on the tour, so there was not enough room on the bus. So we were moved to a regular van in the back seat for our initial tour of the city. the problem with this scenario was that you could not see anything which the guide was talking about! after about 20 minutes of this, i fell asleep on dan's shoulder. finally we get to the boat and embarked down the river. we missed all of the really beautiful parts right in the beginning becuase the guide was making us pay for the tour. Our romantic meal was a bit spoiled by the fact that our wacky vidal sasoon haired guide came to sit with us. He reminded me of prince charming from shrek.....he was quite taken with himself and his flowing blond locks. Dan had a complete laughing break down watching him eat a banana. the entire situtation was ridiculous.

so, to paint the scene, we are in a fairly small boat no longer than 24 feet long to 12 feet wide. we dock and this old man with an accordion gets on. he sits directly across from us and starts playing. immediately, we lose all ability to hear each other and all we can hear is the accordion. so we made a brief appearance on top of the ship, where it was about 30 degrees until I could not take the cold and we went back down. the rest of the boat ride consisted of us moving up and down until we could no longer stand it. i was so ready for the boat to dock at the end, i considered jumping off and swimming to shore!

all in all prague was wonderful and we have another day in front of us. funny stories like this one make the memories hilarious to remember.

oktoberfest...second time is a charm

2007-10-06T04:34:00.000-07:00

blogging in germany is harder than one might think. the f-ing german computers hate me. anyway....back to the real news! so after our first feeble attempt to experience oktoberfest, we decided to go back and this time is was so much better! as i have said before, i think a lot of things are fate and our random seating in the tent was one of them. these three woman sat down next to us and immediately began to speak to us in flawless english. not only that, but the younger girl just returned from a home-stay program in the united states....and where was she in the united states you ask? ontario, california. about 10 minutes from where dan and it went to college! she was telling us how much she loved montclair plaza (the main shopping mall in the area) it was crazy!

needless to say, we shared some radishes and beer. yes, radishes. a random thing to eat, but evidently part of the bavarian tradition. after that fun encounter, we headed off on some rides and then back to the lowenbrau tent where we sat on the second story overlooking oktoberfest, it was beautiful. dan was considerably intoxicated by that time which made the entire scene much more fun.

one interesting part about oktoberfest is all the traditional aspects which the majority of germans follow. for instance they have these cookies which are made from gingerbread and have sayings written on the front of them in icing. you wear the cookies around your neck.....well the girls wear the cookies around their neck. they say things like .....oktoberfest, i love you, kisses, etc. we referred to them as love cookies, although we have no idea what they are really called. dan bought me one which says ``ich habe dich sooo lieb``....we think this means, i have so much love for you, but in reality we are not all that sure.

so all in all...oktoberfest was rad.

neuschwanstein castle

2007-10-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

yesterday was simply amazing. i truly believe fate plays some type of roll in everything. perhaps reilly was supposed to eat my passport so i could not go to peru and instead i end up seeing
beautiful bavaria. we got up to go on a tour to neuschwanstein castle and when we got there, they
told us it was closed. however, dan somehow managed to charm his way onto the tour and by default
i got to go too. it was brilliant! the castle itself looks like it belongs in a fairytale. the
hike to the casle was almost better, directly through the german alps with scenic views of the
valley to one side and waterfalls to the other. our guide, valerie, was this hilarious british
woman and the best part was that she loved dan. he (of course) made some wise crack early on which
she thought was funny and he became her instant favorite. it was great because she gave us a lot
more historical information about the castle and king ludwig.

although i have greatly enjoyed munich, it made me really excited to get out of the big city and
see some of the smaller towns with less people. the weather has been fantastic, i feel as if i am
in southern california......but with more germans :)

Oktoberfest Take 1

2007-10-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

message from jessica:

so i think i might be getting old. our flght to europe was not as easy as i remember and lack of
sleep combined with german beer made the entire situation that much worse. after getting one
night sleep and a fair amount of coffee, i was feeling prepared to brave oktoberfest. i knew i
was in for an interesting time after seeing 50 year old men in lederhosen stumbling out of the
gates singing in german at the top of their lungs.

walking into the largest beer tent at the festival, schottenhammel, i could not have imagined so
many people in one collapsable tent. with over 500 tables surrounding a band in the middle, the
place was packed without a vacant seat to be found. those more rowdy attendees where literally
dancing on their seats or tables swinging giant steins of beer. speaking of the steins........the
waitresses carry about 15-20 steins at one time! and believe me, they do not take kindly to dumb
tourists walking aimlessly in their way.

after a short and kinda frustrating attempt to find seating, we ended up leaving and just heading
to a bar down the street. i am certainly not brave enough to ask a group of rowdy germans to
kindly move over and make room for the american tourists.

as for today, we are headed to neuschwanstein castle approximately, 2 hours outside munich. i will
fill you all in later about it. hope you are all well. cheers!

a message from daniel thomas.....

The highlight of my evening was a food and beer tour that took us to the oktoberfest museum where
we learned the history of the festival and sampled the different kinds of German beer. Working for
Yard House I was obviously intrigued at how beer is such a part of Bavarian culture. People
respect the tradition of beer here and, although there were several people who drank too much at
oktobefest, everyone was so happy. All I could keep thinking was how a festival like this in the
states would probably result in rioting and fighting. Here eveyone has too much reverance and
people are happy drunks! Anyhow, we ended the tour at the beer pub where hefeweizen was born and
my enthusiasm was shown in how fast by beer(s) seemed to disappear. We met a couple from New
Zealand and spent the rest of the night drinking and sharing stories with them. We found out that
they were going on a 'Ghost Tour' of the city to its supposedly haunted places. We decided to join
them. It was not scary. It went something like this: 'This used to be an evil torture chamber.
It's not here anymore but it was on this spot.' You know that when a tour is free and every German
walking by is mocking your guide it detracts from the horrific ambiance. After several jokes in
Jessica's ear about how scary the 'Puma` store she was trying not to ruin everyone´s
terrifying moment but couldnt stop laughing. So we did what any responsible American would do and
decided to sneak away from the tour with our new Kiwi friends and drink more beers. All in all...
a great evening.

Pangaea Travel Introduces.....

2007-09-14T11:11:00.001-07:00

tenth flight in ten days

2007-01-29T21:46:00.000-08:00

hmmm... somewhere between cambodia and tokyo, lady secret has crept in. righhhttt... lady secret. so confused here. note to lady secret: one cannot be a secret if posting on public blogs with a 'kis'. just a thought.

first off, our last sleep was a day and a half ago. we decided to test the theory that if tired enough, one can sleep anywhere. as our flight got in so late (another lovely landing), and next leg left early this morning, we attempted to sleep in the bangkok airport on benches. that went about to be expected. let's just say i was eating pork noodles at 3:45 this morning to pass the time - as was coy about 20 minutes later. we'll be heading for los angeles here shortly. i think we are both borderline delusional from lack of sleep. can anyone say ambien?

indiana jones and the temple of...

2007-01-29T04:26:00.000-08:00

when i was a kid i loved the indiana jones movies. i figured there was nothing not to like about a guy in a leather hat exploring the world in search of priceless artifacts, encountering every adventure imaginable along the way. in the last two days, we seemed to have found a way to live his life (minus the girl with i love you written on her eyelids... which i am inclined to still search for later). first of all, apologies on the late post, but in cambodia there isn't really a place to type (and according to the lady that sits next to the non-working computers it's because it is sunday...). anyhow, this country has been about the wildest place i could have possibly imagined. to get here, we boarded a plane with propellers. yep. as if the small plane wasn't enough, we had a four hop landing... and that was just the start. the customs official wasn't convinced coy was, well, coy. and believe me, you don't want to argue with a cambodian customs official. once past him, we got in a cab and realized quickly that there is no city in siem reap; only jungle, and huts on the road that people live in (and sell cold water and coconuts). it's not the type of place you would want to take a midnight stroll through (not to mention our already hightened state as we watched every mosquito carefully). we managed to get a hotel which was good (and believe me, hotels are literally the only things here... they are set-up like compounds). seeing as how we had been up since 3:45am, we figured hiring a driver to take us into the fabled lost city of angkor wat for the afternoon would be a good idea. side note: for those of you reading that think angkor wat is just a temple in the jungle, you are sorely mistaken. picture a city the size of tucson, spread out through jungles and waterways; only vacant and a thousand years old, and you'll start to have a good sense for what this place is like. and it's not like you're at the louvre either: no roped off areas, no supervision, you are on your own to explore and do whatever you want (except wander into the untrodden jungle as there are king cobra's and landmines... though apparently "all cleaned up"). this place is the most unbelievable place we have ever seen. we've spent two days exploring ruins that are being consumed by jungles, are ornately decorated, and more picturesque than any camera can capture. we climbed lost staircases to lookouts that are so vertical you have to climb with your hands. we've seen huts and old complexes completley covered in vines and tree trunks that are bigger than you can picture. it's like luxor, but without tourists, in a jungle, and ten times as big. there is absolutely no way to show everyone this in a picture, but here are a few to pique the curious mind.

khao san

2007-01-26T19:12:00.000-08:00

yesterday was classic. the plan: see the emerald buddha. reality: barely got away from khao san road. we asked five drivers yesterday to take us to wat phrao (emerald buddha and grand palace). we were 0-5. instead, the tuk tuk drivers just took us wherever they wanted us to go. we were in random neighborhoods, trinket shops, and everywhere in between. tuk tuk drivers aren't the classiest of folks. so, we had a blast on khao san road instead. today though we finally reached the palace. it was much much bigger than we had anticipated. hopefully the pictures will do it some justice. the emerald buddha was found 600 years ago by a monk. a lightning bolt sruck a temple splitting a section in the floor. beneath the floor, the monk found a buddha wrapped in plaster; which when removed, revealed the emerald buddha. apparently pointing your feet at the buddha is frowned on. and by the way, standing to look at it while not forward is tough. good thing we are excellent duck-feet-standers. we are biding our time a bit before we fly to cambodia tomorrow (we think we are at least). the plan there will be to rent mopeds and drive into the jungle. yep, mopeds + jungle = soon (sorry mom, we have no choice for alternative transportation). to our readers: thanks for the comments - they are a blast to read. jen: coy says to send the blog out to others via the blackberry.

pirates, a cauldron, and finally sleep

2007-01-25T18:29:00.000-08:00

apologies that our post is late, but yesterday was a real trainwreck. in retrospect, we should have read into our (non) wake-up call to start the day. as the sunset on our island paradise, it was alas time to head for bangkok. we decided to forgo our already bough train tickets from southern thailand to bangkok and opted instead to fly. $30 down the drain, but a better option as we would have had to try some pretty extreme overland travel. we were suppose to recieve a wake-up call at 6am yesterday to give us enough time to get prepped before boarding our wooden longboat. that didn't happen. instead we woke at 6:45 (our boat departed at 7:10 from the other side of the island) and basically flew around our little bungalow; packing everything and getting out the door in four minutes flat. we did manage to have enough time to see that our hotel reservation in bangkok hadn't gone through. 0-2 for those of you counting; we were once again homeless. we loaded onto our wooden longboat which took us to our large boat headed to phuket. the boat was broken and only drove the equivalent of two miles an hour. then, in some bizarre twist, we went about a mile offshore and stopped. two other boats of equal size appeared from nowhere and sandwiched us in (literally boats knocking against boats), like pirate ships bent on plundering our booty (for the record, our booty at this point is no more than a few granola bars and some video footage... my atm card doesn't even work). passengers were jumping from one boat to another and then they left. now we were overloaded (and quite confused). the next eight hours looked something like this: three hour boat ride of near sea sickness, a crazed scene at the dock trying to board a bus for the airport, a blown tire going 70mph which had us standing on the side of the road next to a giant black cauldron (note: thai taxi drivers change tires faster than a nascar team), trying to purchase a thai airways ticket, a coy/chris demonstration of how to eat insane amounts of food at burger king, a flight, another taxi into bangkok, and a trip to khao san road (maybe the craziest of all previous incidents of the day as it's like having vegas crammed into three hundred yards + merchants (mom: here are your cheap trinket salesman) + debauchary + lights. now it's present time and we are headed to the temple of the emerald buddha. go team.