Adventure Travel Planning

Adventure to the Yucatan is Underway… sort of.

Hey all, sorry the posts have been a bit tardy of late. It’s been a wild time full of moving out of our house and preparing for Honeymoon advenuture ‘07. But we are finally on our way! kind of…  We’re in Florida now, visiting the in-laws and on our way to Cancun on Tuesday.  The last week has been a blur of the last things on our checklist: Traveler’s Checks, travel insurance and (ug) vaccines.  Fortunately, it only takes one trip to India to ensure that you’re likely to be protected against some of the nastiest tropical nasties out …

Date: February 7th, 2007 | No Comments

Adventure Gear Essential: The Water Filter

Two years ago, before a six-month trek around Asia, including two months in India and Pakistan, countries not quite renowned for their sanitation systems, I spent the better part of an afternoon in the San Francisco REI learning everything I could about water filters.

The filter is pretty much an essential item there. One report I read found that almost NONE of the BOTTLED waters sold in India meet the EU standards for drinking water. So I settled on the Sweetwater pump filter with a .1 micron filter and anti-viral drops to be extra safe. Our trip started in Thailand, and before we even got to India, the filter’s tubes developed something that looked like mold and our back-up iodine tablets had been contaminated as well. I ended up drinking that nasty bottled water for lack of another option and getting sick at least once while doing who knows what other damage to my guts.  Bottom line here: take extra special care of that filter!

Date: February 5th, 2007 | 1 comment

Where to Carnival this year? Rio and beyond…

Carnival is fast approaching this month, and preparations are being made round the world from Rio to New Orleans. We’ll be in Antigua, Guatemala, where the celebration is likely to be pretty low-key, but one of the few in that part of Central America, from what I hear.  But if you’re really look for a party and an adventure in one this fat Tuesday, where should you head?

As I mentioned, Rio and New Orleans are perennial contenders for best bash,  but there are other options.

Date: February 1st, 2007 | No Comments

Apocolypto for Real: Trekking the Mayan Backcountry

A few options for possible side trips on next month’s adventure to the Mayan Trail in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and beyond have come to my attention: One is the great mystery of El Mirador, a ruin accessible only by a two day hike or pricey helicopter ride in the backcountry of Guatemala. A short paragraph mention of the site caught my eye in a recent Conde Nast Traveler, and I had to know more.

Apparently what’s interesting about the site is that, unlike the Mayan atmosphere of Mel Gibson’s blunder Apocolypto, El Mirador appears to actually pre-date nearby Mayan ruins like those at Tikal, suggesting a different civilization altogether, or an earlier generation of Maya? Apparently it’s a bit of a contentious spot for those who study these things. While it’s not rumored to be as impressive as Tikal, it’s the mystery, the story and the adventure that are the draw. Will we have the energy for the trek or the cash for the chopper ride? A little too early in the game to say, but it’s on the radar. Here’s what an LA Times writer had to say about a recent trip to the site:

Date: January 30th, 2007 | No Comments

Adventure Planning: Flights to Florida and Latin America

So here’s our challenge: Find the cheapest way to get two people from the Rockies to the Yucatan with a week-long stopover in Florida. We’ve got around 500 bucks, 50,000 frequent flier miles and a $50 companion ticket to make it happen. Should be no problem, right? Those frequent flier miles will easily pay for one leg, and the 500 bucks plus the companion ticket should be plenty for the other leg. But, when your frequent flier miles are with Alaska Airlines and you’re nowhere near Alaska, it’s not so easy.

Date: January 22nd, 2007 | No Comments