Adventure Dispatches
Dispatch: Central America Day 4 -Tikal, Guatemala
We visted the ancient ruins of Tikal today, and I most definitely will get many photos up just as soon as I find a suitable USB port. Here in Flores, I’m on an outdated computer that is miraculously somehow running Windows Vista in Spanish, no doubt pirated, but it seems to be lacking an USB or other ports. When we arrive in Antigua tomorrow we’ll be staying put for the first time since our journey began. We’ll be spending a week there, giving me an opportunity to do a little more diligent work. I’ve got my radio recording equipment here as well, so just as soon as I get to that USB port, I’ll have plenty of photos and even sounds from Tikal for you.
Date: February 16th, 2007 |
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Dispatch: Yucatan / Tulum (Photos soon)
We touched down in Cancun at about noon today. Smooth sailing at immigration and customs, but we were starving, so we grabbed some terrible airport enchiladas specially made for gringos ($9), you’ll notice some ridiculously overpriced amounts in parentheses for the duration of our travels near Cancun and around the Riviera Maya. Next we caught a luxury bus bound for Playa del Carmen ($8 each) to save us the trip into Cancun town followed by a transfer to an equally comfortable second class bus ($2) that took us to the ruins near Tulum. But we weren’t interested in Mayan history just yet.
Date: February 13th, 2007 |
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Cochabamabe Conflict FAQ
For anyone planning adventure travel in South America, especially Bolivia: A South American blogger living in Great Britain has posted this great Cochabamba Conflict FAQ, that gives all the backgroud you could ever want on the month-long conflict there. The blogger isn’t exactly a supporter of President Evo Morales, so there’s certain to be another widely different perspective on the whole thing out there, but this is nonetheless a very useful read if you’re heading to South America.
Spanish readers can also check out how the conflict has spread to La Paz and Santa Cruz here.
According to GlobalVoicesOnline: “Overwhelmingly, the Bolivian bloggers hoped that the situation would settle down and many lived the day firsthand. Gabriel Iriarte summarized a phone call he received that day that demonstrates the levels of high emotions that ran that afternoon.”
Date: January 16th, 2007 |
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Photo Dispatch: Ice covers everything off Lake Geneva
Proving that a picture is worth a thousand words, although I find the word ‘DAMN!’ often sums up things like this pretty well, too. More pics can be found here. They’re from a January 2005 storm on Lake Geneva that suddenly brought 110 km/h winds. According to one newsreport (via Snopes.com):
“The cold did not save sailing ships moored in the ports of Léman. In Geneva, several boats sank under the weight of the ice. Several minor roads were closed, passage having been made impossible by the ice and the snowdrifts. In downtown Geneva, Servette Street was …
Date: January 7th, 2007 |
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AL Best of 2006 - Top 10 Readers’ Choice
The most popular item on Google News was “Paris Hilton” this year, but here at Adventure Logue, our readers’ have slightly ok, vastly different interests. Here’s the posts that you all seemed most interested in during 2006:
10. The Ultimate Adventure Itinerary? Top 10 bars of the world
9. Rescue Teams To Tackle Mt. Hood Summit / Winter Climbing Safety
8. Where Does the Dollar Do Best?
7. Touching the Void’s Simon Yates in person
6. Partitions: Travels in Pakistan - Eid ul-Adha
5. Gear Guide: Alaskan essential – Bunny Boots
Date: January 1st, 2007 |
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Dispatch: The great Cabana search
Wandering down the beach looking for a cabana, we have the beautiful cliffs and ruins of Tulum at our back, but we are more concerned with finding a room and getting our packs off our backs. The first few places are full with burn-outs and hippies, some giving us strange looks. Yes, we are backpackers. And yes, you are an end-of-the-road gringo who’s probably been here way too long. Oh, and no, you’re never getting that VW bus unstuck from the sand. What? No, I don’t think a rolled-up sarong is going to make a very good fan belt.
Date: February 13th, 2007 |
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Flare-up in Guinea: Dispatches
If you’re planning an adventure to West Africa any time soon, keep a close eye on the situation in Guinea, where simmering conflict could soon reach a boiling point. A peace corp volunteer has been following the situation in the blog, Black Star Journal.
For more information on the situation than you’ll probably ever need, check this link-laden story from Global Voices.
Date: February 11th, 2007 |
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Awesome Adventurer: Twice to the top of the world
Allow me to take a second to dole out some props to a fellow Taoseno, ski patroller, and rugged mountaineer, Dave Hahn, who recently tagged the summit of Everest twice in five months. As he points out, there are sherpas that have accomplished the double-tag in a week’s time, but I’m still pretty damn impressed. He writes all about it on GreatOutdoors.com:
It has been pointed out to me that climbing Mount Everest twice in five months time is noteworthy. I don’t quibble. After all, I worked hard to accomplish it… and “noteworthy” is ambiguous enough that I’m satisfied that those into trivia would duly note it while those with more important things to think about would rightly dismiss it. In any case, getting up twice was an oblique goal for me… by which I mean that climbing it each of those two times was my only real goal. Afterward, the linkage can be made and I’m happy to declare victory in that quest as well.
Date: January 12th, 2007 |
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NY Times: 25 most e-mailed travel stories of 2006.
I thought this was worth using a post on just to point out a few of my favorites in the Times’ list ofThe 25 Most E-Mailed Travel Articles of 2006.
# 1 is Affordable Europe for good reason, but also check out
3. The Ultimate Beer Run in the Czech Republic,
9. Iceland’s Ring Road: The Ultimate Road Trip,
10. Taking the Back Roads to Machu Picchu,
19. The Magnificent Obsession of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, and 20. Galápagos Unbound.
Date: January 1st, 2007 |
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Travelers Notebook: 24 Hours & $24 to Hanoi - Part 7
Last time in Travelers Notebook, there was a light at the end of the tunnel, but no bus to get us there, and it was raining and we were too broke to get a room for the night. But unless the title of this series is lying, I’ve got a hunch that our heroes might finally make it to Hanoi, in this, the final installment of 24 Hours & $24 to Hanoi. I’ll pick up the direct transcription of my notes where we left off in Vinh, on the side of the road in the rain at 3 a.m.
We wake up two hotel attendants hoping they will take credit. None do, we cannot afford to pay cash for room, man tells us a bus to Hanoi leaves at 4:30 a.m. Time for another bowl of Pho with duck meat from carcass on table. We meet a German resident of Vinh.
Date: December 16th, 2006 |
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