Most days consist of WORK-HOME-REPEAT. I try to go to the gym a few times a week, and my band plays music every now and again. I see my friends when I can, though not as often as I should.
...but on most nights I am just reading a book, or wasting time on my laptop. I don't like crowds. I don't like noise. I can be around up to five other people at once before I want to go home and be alone.
I DO, however, like to periodically interrupt my still life with a little adventure.
I fully acknowledge that many of my friends travel more in any given six months than I have, (or will), in my entire life. Some of them live, (or have lived), in Europe (where another country and culture is only a short drive or train ride away)
...but I also acknowledge that many of my other friends would give almost anything to be able to travel, but just aren't in a position to be able to.
I don't have a ton of money, but, at the moment, I don't have a family to support. I have more than my share of good luck and I have a job that, after nearly 20 years, gives me a good bit of leave time each year. We also fly "standby" most of the time. When that goes good, we are flying "business elite" for a fraction the cost of a coach ticket. When it goes bad.. we are scrambling to find another way home and a place to stay the night. (This has happened a few times, usually in Italy.) Flying standby isn't for the faint of heart.
If I am camping, I am usually sleeping in a tent. If I travel, no matter how long I am gone.. I limit myself to one carryon bag. I do not check luggage. (Over three weeks is the longest I have done, but Peru, which was cold in the Andes and hot on the Amazon, was my greatest achievement in single bag travel.)
We travel fast, light, and on the cheap. It isn't for everyone.
You don't have to travel around the world to find adventure, of course. But if you get a über-sweet deal to travel cheap? Consider it strongly. I find it helps me mentally, physically, and spiritually to get out of my tiny comfort zone on occasion.
I created this post primarily for one reason... So I have one page I can go to where I can scroll through and remember my humble collection of little adventures. Sometimes I like to review these experiences to brighten my day. It is just one mans repository of feel-good stuff. I hope to update it for years to come... but if I never leave my house again, I am thankful.
THE EARLY YEARS
When I was young, I was lucky to have parents that would, in the summer, pile us in to the station wagon, National-Lampoon-Vacation style, and drag us all over the country. Meals were cold cuts at rest stops and in hotel rooms. It was a glorious youth.
By the time I graduated high school, I had been to Rocky Mountain National Park, the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave, Yellowstone, Teton and Yosemite.
I had seen the Sequoias and the Redwoods, the Royal Gorge and the Grand Canyon... seen the Ozarks, Ouachitas, Rockies, Sierras, Great Smoky Mountains and the Appalachians... been to the Smithsonian Museums, and the Colorado Museum of Natural History (now Denver Museum of Nature & Science)... stood on Civil War Battlefields and at the Little Bighorn... and had been amused at Disneyland, Disney World, Epcot, Opryland, a couple of Six Flags, Marineland, & Busch Gardens. Maybe Sea World. (I'm not sure... I got there eventually in any case.)
I still remember the sound of the freeway on the wheels as I slept in the back of the Oldsmobile. It was always an adventure and instilled in me a love thereof.
 |
| Gentleman, Autodidact, Polymath, Traveler, Ladies Man |
YELLOWSTONE N.P., WYOMING - May 22 - August 15 1988
- In the summer of '88... I worked in Yellowstone at the Lake Hotel. First as a dish washer, then as a short order breakfast cook. It was the year of the fires. There were days when all five exits were blocked by fire. I still remember standing on the roof of the lake hotel kitchen drinking coffee before my shift and watching the sun come up... a red ball in the smoke from the fires.
BEST MEMORIES
- my days off driving around the park. Learning how to use a camera on a Nikkormat FT-3 with a broken meter and slide film. Most of my pics were over- or under-exposed. I had no idea what I was doing... but some of my pics were the first things I ever had published in a magazine. ("Bugle".. the quarterly of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation) They werent great shots.
- Sneaking with my Assiniboin friend/coworker Leo past the "Do not pass - Bear in area" signs in front of the hotel to walk down to the creek, surrounded by bear tracks, and catch a cutthroat trout out of the creek with my hands.. bear style.
- traveling to Jackson, WY on a weekend off and rafting the Snake River with some co-workers.
OKEEFENOKEE N.W.R., GEORGIA - Autumn 1991
- a photography trip to the Okeefenokee Swamp with my photography school friend Carl. We camped at Stephen Foster State Park... rented a flatbottom boat... loaded up our cameras... and headed out in to the swamp.
SOMEWHERE NEAR CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO - June 1992
- A trip with my dad and my brother. The stated goal of hiking for more than half a day was not achieved due to inclement weather ...(and the fact that we weren't exactly up to handling the hike physically. Who knew?) But the trip was fun and the area was beautiful.
 |
| Scott. Great Sand Dunes N.P. |
 |
| Miserable in a Sleet Storm w/dad. Good Times. |
ALASKA CRUISE & DENALI - May 15-26 1994
- My parents, my brother, and I on a cruise aboard Holland-America's MS Nieuw Amsterdam up the inside passage from Vancouver to Seward, Alaska... then a bus ride to Denali by way of Anchorage, then a Train ride back to Anchorage.
BEST MEMORIES
- Sitting on deck listening to music and looking for humpback whales. We eventually saw a few.
- Yakutat Bay, Mendenhall Glacier, College Fjord and Glacier Bay
- Kayaking Prince William Sound
- Halibut Fishing out of Sitka, Alaska... (once the sea sickness wore off)... We selected halibut fishing over salmon fishing because of the higher success rate. We caught nothing. Back at the docks, we noticed that the salmon fishers loaded their boats up. It is a much more pleasant memory now that I am off the boat.
- The ride to Denali park through Talkeetna via bus.... and the train ride back over the Alaska Railroad was nice.
GREAT EASTERN ROAD TRIP - May 25-June 3, 1996
- Drove to Atlanta to see my art school buddy, Perry and stay with him a couple of days. He showed me his comprehensive collection of signed books and prints by the great photographers of the 20th century. Then we went to the Georgia Renaissance Fest. (My second time to the Ren fest, I went once when I was in Art School.)
 |
| the Zucchini Bros |
- then on to Gatlinburg, TN, where I met up with a group from my church to camp and raft the Chattooga River.
 |
| Boats are for wimps |
- a impromptu trip to Arlington, TX when we discovered one of my newer friends, Dorothy, had never ridden on a roller coaster. Randy, Dorothy, Douglas and I set out to amend the travesty at once. On the first coaster, The Texas Giant, (back when it was a wooden back wrecker), two things happened; Randy lost his wallet, and we all were shaken into an immediate headache... we wandered the park looking for pain relievers as I recall... eventually found some, and after that had a capital time.
- the night we arrived at the hotel, Randy and I walked over to a small bar and smoked cigars while listening to people sing karaoke. We neglected to invite Dorothy because we didn't know her well enough yet. and assumed she wouldn't be interested. Now I know her well and regret the omission. She would have been a blast to have there. This is also the trip where Douglas and Dorothy first got to know each other. When we started the trip, Dorothy was mistakenly calling Douglas "Dustin"... 12 years later, we were both bridesmen at her wedding.
I don't believe any pictures were taken on this trip.
GEORGIA RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL - May 2-3, 1998
a road trip to Atlanta for the Georgia Renaissance Fest with Mike, Douglas, Donna, Angela, Stacey, Bob, and Steve G.
 |
| L-R - Steve G, Angela, Donna, Bob, Me. |
11 days hitting the highlights of the rocky mountain range via car... staying in tents in KOA campgrounds because none of us had much money. It was an epic trip.
BEST MEMORIES
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Teton National Park
- Rafting the Snake River out of Jackson, WY
- Seing lots of bears, and one wolf carrying the head of a cow elk back to its den as it crossed the river in Lamar Valley in Yellowstone.
- Driving "Going to the Sun" highway in Glacier NP
- Seeing the northern lights at the KOA campground east of Glacier NP near the end of the trip.
- Stopping by to see a white buffalo at the National Buffalo Museum on the way back home.
CARL in D.C. - Oct 15-18, 1999
- a quick trip to Washington D.C. to see Carl.
Solo day out to the National Zoo while Carl was at work.
Going to buy some fresh mussels and oysters and smoking them in a smoker at a get-together.
Visiting Carl's sister and her husband Gavin.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - Aug 9-12, 2001
- a trip to San Antonio with my then-girlfriend, Erin, her son, and her sister and brother's families.
Dinner on the River Walk, the Alamo, the Buckthorn Tavern, Sea World, and the San Antonio Zoo.
WAXAHACHIE, TX - May 23-25, 2003
- a trip with Anita to Waxahachie, TX for the Scarborough Renaissance Festival.
 |
| He's Henry the VIIIth he am. Henry the VIII he am he am. |
 |
| Fae Love |
 |
| Anita showing how tiny she is with Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 "Big Boy" #4018. |
NORTH ARKANSAS TRAIN RIDE - Oct 25, 2003
- a trip on the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad from Springdale to Van Buren and back through the Ozarks in the Autumn. The A&M follows the old Frisco line that ran just across the street from my Grandparents house in Springdale. I remember listening to the trains at night when I would stay with them in the summers. The open window... the box fan... and the sounds of the freight moving...
JACKSON, WY & YELLOWSTONE - August 20-30, 2005
- Teton, Yellowstone, Rushmore, the Badlands, and the Corn Palace. (OK... well... it was there... we were there...)
BEST MEMORIES
- Staying in a nice condo at the Jackson Ski area with my parents, my brother, and his wife.
- Going out looking for moose and eagles and finding both, including a very large bull shiras moose. There aren't as many moose in Teton and Yellowstone as there were when I worked there in the late 80's. The population is down 75% from that time, suffering a sharp decline in the winter after the 1988 fires, and with the subsequent reintroduction of wolves, they are much more rare than they were then... so it was lucky to find what we were after.
- going out looking for elk one morning with my dad in Teton park.
BONNAROO - MANCHESTER, TN - June 16-19, 2006
- My first hippie music festival. World Party, Ben Folds, Death Cab for Cutie, Nickel Creek, Elvis Costello & the Imposters, Beck, Radiohead, Gomez, Mutemath, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, Stephen Malkmus, Mike Doughty, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. We stayed in a local friends house... and it was good.
 |
| the gang |
Hippies. Hippies everywhere.
BONNAROO - MANCHESTER, TN - June 14-17, 2007
- finding a whole row of newly cleaned port-a-potties on the morning of the third day. Yes this is a good memory. In fact, it is a GREAT memory.
TEXAS DCI ROAD TRIP - DALLAS/FT WORTH - July 19-21, 2007
- a trip to the Denton/Dallas/Ft Worth area to the Drum Corps International North Texas Festival of Drums and Bugles w/ Donna, Douglas, and Dorothy (my 3 D's).
 |
the Phantom Regiment - one of my favorite corps.
The night was won by the Blue Devils with a score of 90.4 because of course they did.
|
- going to Dealy Plaza and having a look at the grassy knoll.
- a good exhibit of cubism at the Kimbell Art Museum; "The Mirror And The Mask: Portraiture in the Age of Picasso"
- seeing "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" in Imax at the Ft Worth Museum of Science and History.
- dinner at Sardines Ristorante Italiano.
PERDIDO KEY, FL - Aug 18-25 2007
- A trip to Perdido Key in Florida with the three D's for a week
BEST MEMORIES
- getting up before the sun, or anyone else, cooking myself some breakfast... then going down to the beach alone to watch the sunrise and fish for bluefish in the surf. Usually just me and the dolphins and an occasional heron. Just as it started to get too warm for me and I headed back to the condo, I would pass Donna on her way to the pool. where she would stay all day, then Dorothy would go walk the beach at night. Douglas left the condo a few times but the beach isn't really his thing. It was a good week.
- Listening to the autobiography of Quincy Jones on the drive down with Dorothy
- Driving up to see Douglas's Parents in Alabama.
- Going to Ft. Morgan with Douglas to kick around the old fort.
CARL IN DURHAM, NC - Nov 9-11, 2007
- A quick trip out to see Carl again at his home in Durham, NC.
 |
| Carl. Audiophile. Bicycle Enthusiast. Drinker of Beers. Cooker of Wings. |
- I have white water rafted the Snake River out of Jackson, WY (twice), the Chattooga in GA, the Yampa & Green rivers in Colorado and Utah, and even the Mae Taeng river in Thailand... but I have only floated the Buffalo River in my home state once.
I was out of my element a bit with the group I was with... but they were good people, and the river was beautiful. I remember sitting on the river bank alone at night watching fireflies by the hundreds on the other side. We also hiked the Lost Valley trail back to Eden falls. I was sick as a dog but soldiered on.
 |
| Eden Falls |
T.U.R.D. FALL RALLY (Texas Ural Riders Division) - HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS - Oct 2, 2010
I was taking the pic. Katya second from left.
MADRID, SPAIN - Oct 8 & 10, 2010
My first experience with international travel. Still one my favorite places. I love the vibe, the food, and the people. Put me down for Spain anytime.
BEST MEMORIES
- Walking in to El Brindis pub near the hotel and having a beer or two by myself to decompress while everyone else slept off the flight.
- Jamón ibérico. (Best meat in the world)
- Seeing some Goya and El Greco and "The Garden of Earthly Delights" by Hieronymus Bosch at the Prado art museum and Picasso's Masterpiece Guernica at the Museo Reina Sofia
- tapas at Meson del Champiñon (the Mushroom Bar)
- the La Torre del Oro Bar Andalu (the Bull Bar) at Plaza Mayor
- sweet vermouth at the Mercado San Miguel
- the bullfight at Las Ventas (Admittedly not everyone's cup of tea)
- late dinner at El Rincón de Jaén IV Taberna Andaluza where I first met Spanish Maria.
We took a day trip out to Toledo while we were in Madrid. Home of El Greco.
BEST MEMORIES
- random babyheads at the train station.
- trying to sneak pictures in the Cathedral of St. Mary of Toledo
- Ryan buys THE hat
BARCELONA, SPAIN - Oct 11-12, 2010
BEST MEMORIES
BEST MEMORIES
- Fat Tire Bike Tour. Seeing the sights. Culminating on the beach drinking good sangria at a Chiringuito.
- Chilling at the STOKE bar after the ride with Vanessa, Ryan, the tour guide, and those two Australian girls.
- seeing Gaudi's Architecture. La Pedrera... Parc Güell... the Cascada Fountain... and La Sagrada Familia
PARIS, FRANCE - OCT 13-14, 2010
BEST MEMORIES
BEST MEMORIES
- Fat Tire Bike Ride through the city at night, concluding with wine and cheese on a boat ride down La Siene.
- Notre Dame and the stained glass windows of La Sainte Chapelle. (Restoration Scaffolding notwithstanding.)
- Wandering past the protesters to see the Paris Opera house with Ryan. Looking for "Box 5"... the phantom's box.
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - Oct 15-16, 2010
BEST MEMORIES
- the Anne Frank House and an Organ Performance on the 1686 Duyschot pipe organ at the Westerkerk (Where Rembrandt was buried) w/Wheeler
- What happens in Amsterdam stays in Amsterdam.
BERLIN, GERMANY - Oct 17, 2010
In retrospect, be probably should have left Amsterdam the night before. As it was... we only had one evening in Berlin. It's a hard city to cram in to 5 hours.
BEST MEMORIES
- the forced march with Wheeler and Ryan to hit the Berlin Wall memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Reichstagsgebäude in the limited time we had... on foot.
- Then back to the hotel, where I dealt with a blister on my foot and had one quick beer with Wheeler in the hotel bar before heading back out (solo) to see the Berlin Festival of Lights while I listened to Judas Priest's Greatest Hits album on my headphones. (I didn't have any Scorpions loaded up.)
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - Oct 18, 19, 2010
BEST MEMORIES
- The old city, the Orloj (Medieval Astronomical Clock, installed in 1410), the Charles Bridge, the Cathedral of St. Vitus
- Mulled Wine with Vanessa in the square.
- Lunch at the Středověká krčma "U krále Brabantského" (medieval tavern). It is said that Mozart frequented it back in the day. (On an unrelated note,It is also said that aliens built the pyramids.) It was a fun place anyway.
- Somehow ending up in an Irish Bar while we waited to go catch our train. (and by "somehow" I mean "Ryan")
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - Oct 20-21, 2010
- The overnight train ride from Prague to Budapest was a memory.. though I dont think what we lovingly called the "Slovakian Shake-Down" was a good one, per se. We were woken up about six times for passport checks and the Slovak police decided some of us needed to pay a fee to be on the train passing through a little sliver of their country in the middle of the night. In cash. On the spot.
BEST MEMORIES
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - Oct 15-16, 2010
BEST MEMORIES
- the Anne Frank House and an Organ Performance on the 1686 Duyschot pipe organ at the Westerkerk (Where Rembrandt was buried) w/Wheeler
- What happens in Amsterdam stays in Amsterdam.
BERLIN, GERMANY - Oct 17, 2010
In retrospect, be probably should have left Amsterdam the night before. As it was... we only had one evening in Berlin. It's a hard city to cram in to 5 hours.
BEST MEMORIES
- the forced march with Wheeler and Ryan to hit the Berlin Wall memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Reichstagsgebäude in the limited time we had... on foot.
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC - Oct 18, 19, 2010
BEST MEMORIES
- The old city, the Orloj (Medieval Astronomical Clock, installed in 1410), the Charles Bridge, the Cathedral of St. Vitus
- Mulled Wine with Vanessa in the square.
- Lunch at the Středověká krčma "U krále Brabantského" (medieval tavern). It is said that Mozart frequented it back in the day. (On an unrelated note,It is also said that aliens built the pyramids.) It was a fun place anyway.
- Somehow ending up in an Irish Bar while we waited to go catch our train. (and by "somehow" I mean "Ryan")
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - Oct 20-21, 2010
- The overnight train ride from Prague to Budapest was a memory.. though I dont think what we lovingly called the "Slovakian Shake-Down" was a good one, per se. We were woken up about six times for passport checks and the Slovak police decided some of us needed to pay a fee to be on the train passing through a little sliver of their country in the middle of the night. In cash. On the spot.
BEST MEMORIES
- Nighttime walk across the Széchenyi Chain Bridge
- Gimlets by Wheeler in the upper floor lounge at the Budapest Marriott overlooking the Danube.
- Buda castle
VENICE, ITALY - Oct 22, 2010
The overnight train FROM Budapest was better than the one TO Budapest. We enjoyed music and Vanessa shared her Egri Bikavér (Bulls Blood) wine with me.
BEST MEMORIES
- Lunch with Wheeler and Lex at the Ristorante San Stefano
- Eating gelato in a manly fashion.
BEST MEMORIES
- Dinner at Vitti Ristorante Pasticceria Gelateria under a bright full (or near-full) moon.
US (to waiter... upon noticing a noticeably drunk patron nearby...): "Do you ever stop serving to people who drink too much?"
WAITER (After looking confused for a second): "Oh... No no no no... You can DIE.. and still we will... as long as you pay."
- Trevi Fountain
- Angel Tours tour of the Forum and the Colosseum
- Angel Tours tour of the Vatican Museums, St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, lunch, the Pantheon, and the Capuchin Crypt with Dee.
- Dee buys gloves
- Not getting seats on our flight out of Rome. Scrambling to find a hotel. Randomly walking in to a little bar and having the owner insist on cooking a meal for us. A great night.
T.U.R.D. SPRING RALLY (Texas Ural Riders Division) - RUSK, TEXAS - May 13-15, 2011
YAMPA RIVER RAFTING TRIP- UTAH & COLORADO - May 20-23, 2011
BEST MEMORIES
- Hiking to see ancient Pictographs and Petroglyphs of the Fremont Culture
- shooting through "Maytag" rapids and Warm Springs
- running a class III-IV rapid in an inflatable kayak
IRELAND - Oct 13-16, 2011
We flew in to Dublin... rented a car at the airport... and headed west... then drove around the country for three days and then made our way back to Dublin.
BEST MEMORIES
-the Cliffs of Moher
- Last minute change of plans to get to Dingle, where we found a room at Murphy's and then went down to John Benny's pub, where Pauline Scanlon was playing.
- Driving the Dingle Loop and the Ring of Kerry
- Smoking my pipe on the bridge in Sneem and then having an Irish Coffee with my people in Riney's Bar
- Driving through Killarney park
 |
| Derrycunihy Wood has some of the last of the original forest that used to cover Ireland. |
- Breakfast With Donna and Jackie D in Killarney. (The black pudding from Sneem was particularly palatable, for a blood-based product.)
- Kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney castle (Yes.. I know how kitschy that is...)
- Dublin day walk w/Donna. Seeing the Book of Kells, and Grafton Street, and the Peterson Pipe Shop (Which for some reason I didn't do more than stick my head in to... *kicks self*)
- Dublin Pub Crawl with Irish Judi and her kids
- the barkeep at the Hairy Lemon Bar
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND, UK - Oct 17, 2011
BEST MEMORIES
- The train ride from Dublin to Belfast
- Enjoying a Magner's Cider in the lounge of the hotel. (Because that is all we did due to the pouring rain)
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND, UK - Oct 18-20, 2011
BEST MEMORIES
- Our Sweet Apartment
- Edinburgh Castle
- St. Giles Cathedral
- a walk up to the Calton Hill
- a decent Haggis Sandwich from a food truck.
- the Frankenstein bar. (an entire bar in an old church completely decorated in Frankenstein memorabilia? I'm IN.)
- Pushups in the street of Edinburgh late in the evening with Lex. (We were doing one for each curse word on this trip to try to clean up our acts a bit.)
- Trip with Donna to see the greenmen of Rosslyn Chapel. (The trip back was not so great as we inadvertently jumped on the slow bus instead of the express. I was nearly at full blown anxiety attack stage by the time we made it back. Being on a bus that starts and stops every two blocks for 15 miles is precisely the type of thing that will push me over the edge. *shudder*)
- Boys night out with Lex and Wheeler. (Which repaired the damage from the aforementioned bus ride.)
LONDON, ENGLAND, UK - Oct 21-25, 2011
BEST MEMORIES
- "Jack The Ripper" walk through Whitechapel
- Fat Tire Bike Tour of London (Are you seeing a pattern here?)
- ...Starting with the "Butcher's Breakfast" and a pint of Guinness at "The Cock Tavern" under Smithfield Market, followed by a trip the British Museum to see the Rosetta Stone, Assyrian Palace Reliefs from Nineveh, and Lindow Man...
- ...then over to the British Natural History Museum...
- ...and finally the Winston Churchill War Rooms.
OXFORD, ENGLAND, UK - Oct 23, 2011
BEST MEMORIES
- Taking the train down to Oxford to have a Pint in "the Rabbit Room" at "The Eagle and Child" where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams, and the other "Inklings" would meet.
TAOS, NEW MEXICO - June 22-26, 2012
BEST MEMORIES
- Taos Pueblo and Ski Valley
- Day trip to Los Alamos
- Relaxing at Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs
- Hot Air Balloon ride over the Rio Grande Gorge.
- Spontaneous stop at Caddilac Ranch on our way back across Texas before an all-night marathon drive home.
BEST MEMORIES
- slipping off with Lexer for our first pisco sour while the tour bus we were on was stopped. Somewhere near the Casa Aliaga, the 480 year old mansion that is considered the oldest house in the americas.
- the Catacombs of the Church of San Francisco
- Ceviche at Pescados Capitales then back to the little bar at the hotel.
- Sitting and drinking coffee at HAVANNA at Larcomar with Ayoaka, then a walk down El Malecón
- dinner at Panchita
BEST MEMORIES
-Chewing coca leaves and drinking coca tea in a completely futile attempt to fight altitude sickness.
- Tour of Qorikancha and Saksaywaman
- Ollantaytambo. As our tour guide was standing with his back to the valley telling us about the site, I looked over his shoulder and saw two huge birds soaring up the valley towards us. I interrupted him to ask if those were, in fact, condors, and he turned around excitedly and said "Where"... then "Yes" and he turned and shouted to the other people up the ruins. "Condor!". They flew right over our heads as we stood on the ruins. I asked him later if seeing condors at Ollantaytambo was common, and he told me "I guided on the Inca Trail for over 20 years and have only seen condors seven times. It was VERY lucky". Seeing a wild condor was something I wanted to do when we were planning the trip... but I knew the chances were almost zero. The wingspan of an adult Andean Condor is between 8 and 10 feet. These were adults. Probably a mated pair.
- Train ride through the Sacred Valley.
- Machu Picchu at sunrise. It was too cloudy to see the sun, but early enough to be there before the crowds. A magical place.
 |
| I wish I had put someone in here so you could see this to scale. It is about 5 feet wide. It has to weigh tons. |
IQUITOS & AMAZON RIVER, PERU - Oct 21-25, 2012
BEST MEMORIES
- Early morning sitting in a hammock in the hammock Room listening to the rain, smoking a pipe, and drinking Nescafe. (NOTE: Dear Peru, Iquitos is nearly in Columbia. Why instant coffee? WHYYYYY?)
- Piranha fishing and bird watching trip up a tributary of the Amazon. Seeing a tree full of Hoatzin and a sloth.
- Seeing pink (Inia geoffrensis) and gray (Sotalia fluviatilis) amazon river dolphins. Listening to the sound of them responding to Lize's loud whistle through the hull of the boat.
- Rainforest canopy walk.
BEST MEMORIES
- out for some Cañas y Tapas w/ Maria
- the sand floor of the Areia Colonial Chill Out bar
- Return to Las Ventas for another bullfight
- the Prado, then sunset at the Debod Egyptian Temple, then some jamon and cerveza, a flamenco show, then out to the "Why Not?" bar before swinging by Chocolateria San Gines
- the Sorolla Museum, then dinner at Sideria Vasca Zerain
- La Tomatina
- a day trip to Segovia w/Spanish Maria.
- one of the best meals I have ever eaten at Restaurante José María
-then to the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso
- and back to Madrid for one final night on the town.
- the sand floor of the Areia Colonial Chill Out bar
- Return to Las Ventas for another bullfight
- the Prado, then sunset at the Debod Egyptian Temple, then some jamon and cerveza, a flamenco show, then out to the "Why Not?" bar before swinging by Chocolateria San Gines
- the Sorolla Museum, then dinner at Sideria Vasca Zerain
- La Tomatina
- a day trip to Segovia w/Spanish Maria.
- one of the best meals I have ever eaten at Restaurante José María
-then to the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso
- and back to Madrid for one final night on the town.
CHIANG MAI, THAILAND - Oct 12-19, 2013
BEST MEMORIES
- Wandering around the Night Bazaar
- Hanging with the tigers at Tiger Kingdom...
...then Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Temple...
...before heading back out to the night market again, then stopping by to get massages and to let turkish Garra rufa fish nibble on our feet.
- Day trip out to Mae Tang District. Elephants, waterfall hike... then a little rafting
- "Elephant Owner for a Day" at Patara Elephant Farm
SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA - Oct 20-22, 2013
BEST MEMORIES
- Our $28 hotel rooms were great. I would sit on the balcony and smoke my pipe and eat complimentary fruit early in the mornings.
- Hanging out on Pub Street for dinner and a couple of beers. There are two primary beers in Cambodia from what I can see. "Anchor" and "Angkor". There is no way to order one or the other without writing it down. You get what they bring you. It doesn't matter though. They pretty much taste the same to me. I also walked down to the book store and bought a (probably bootleg) copy of the book "Survival in the Killing Fields" by Haing Ngor to read.
- a boat trip out to Kampong Phluk on Tonle Sap lake to see the village and take a pirogue through the floating town and flooded forest. It was a bit of a rip-off (for cambodia) but still cheaper than a dinner date here in the states. I prefer to use my outrage more selectively.
- Sunrise at Angkor Wat...
- then back in to the car to beat the crowds to Banteay Srei. Since nobody was around, the "guards" were busy offering to let me in past the barriers for a closer look for a couple of dollars. I was careful.
- then on to Ta Phrom.
- then BACK to Angkor Wat for a closer look.
- then on to Angkor Thom before calling it a day.
BANGKOK, THAILAND - Oct 23-26, 2013
BEST MEMORIES
- Listening to a passably good cover band at "Country Road" in Soi Cowboy.
- Taking a tuk-tuk to Wat Traimit to see the golden buddha.
- Hopping a bus to Ko Samet Island to hang on the beach for a few hours.
BEST MEMORIES
- Taking a tuk-tuk to Wat Traimit to see the golden buddha.
- Hopping a bus to Ko Samet Island to hang on the beach for a few hours.
MR. COB VISITS - EUREKA SPRINGS & NORTH ARKANSAS - April 11, 2014
Charley on Daisy, Dave's Bike, and Katya and I.
(I was primpin when I shoulda been pimpin')
(I was primpin when I shoulda been pimpin')
NEW YORK CITY - Sept 11-15, 2014
BEST MEMORIES
- Flying in to New York City on American Airlines on September 11... because America.
- Doing all the New York-ey things.
BEST MEMORIES
- Plitvice Lakes Park
- Walking the walls of Dubrovnik. ("Kings Landing" for "Game of Thrones" fans)
- Diocletians Palace and the Cathedral of St. Duje in Split.
- Maria teaching us how to roll cigarettes. (I am not a real cigarette smoker per se... I am a pipe guy... but it seemed like a skill to learn.)
- taking a ferry out to Hvar
- driving up the coast... stopping in Trogir and Sibenik
- the Sea Organ and the "Greeting to the Sun" in Zadar
- Swimming outside the hotel in Zadar.
- Early morning at the dock in Lovran before the drive back to Venice.
- Having Maria join me in a final pipe as we strolled the streets of Venice.
MILAN, ITALY - Oct 21, 2014
- As we got to the airport in Venice, (flying standby as we usually do), all of the seats filled up immediately and we were stuck. We discovered that all of the Lufthansa pilots had gone on strike that day and the stranded Lufthansa passengers were getting any seat they could on any airline. It looked like we might have been stuck for days... so we took a bus to the train station, bought a ticket to Milan... and managed to get out the next morning. (Barely.) It was touch and go but in retrospect, a good time.
- Day trip to Delphi
- Going to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens to see the Antikythera mechanism
- Doing all the New York-ey things.
- Lunch at Carmines.
- Empire State Bulding
- Staten Island Ferry
- Federal Hall and Trinity Church
- two pipe and tobacco stores. Barclay Rex and Nat Sherman.
- Lunch at Katz Deli
- a couple of Broadway Plays
- a walk through Central Park
- American Museum of Natural History
- 9/11 memorial
- Coffee at Cafe Amrita.. a little shop near the apartment we were renting.
CROATIA - Oct 13-19, 2014
- Empire State Bulding
- Staten Island Ferry
- Federal Hall and Trinity Church
- two pipe and tobacco stores. Barclay Rex and Nat Sherman.
- Lunch at Katz Deli
- a couple of Broadway Plays
- a walk through Central Park
- American Museum of Natural History
- 9/11 memorial
- Coffee at Cafe Amrita.. a little shop near the apartment we were renting.
CROATIA - Oct 13-19, 2014
We met Spanish Maria in Venice and rented a car and drove around Croatia for a few days.
BEST MEMORIES
- Walking the walls of Dubrovnik. ("Kings Landing" for "Game of Thrones" fans)
- Diocletians Palace and the Cathedral of St. Duje in Split.
- taking a ferry out to Hvar
- driving up the coast... stopping in Trogir and Sibenik
- the Sea Organ and the "Greeting to the Sun" in Zadar
- Swimming outside the hotel in Zadar.
- Early morning at the dock in Lovran before the drive back to Venice.
VENICE, ITALY - Oct 20, 2014
- One night out for dinner and walking around after turning the car in at the airport.
- Celebratory Sprite con Prosecco at Al Mercà and then dinner.
MILAN, ITALY - Oct 21, 2014
- As we got to the airport in Venice, (flying standby as we usually do), all of the seats filled up immediately and we were stuck. We discovered that all of the Lufthansa pilots had gone on strike that day and the stranded Lufthansa passengers were getting any seat they could on any airline. It looked like we might have been stuck for days... so we took a bus to the train station, bought a ticket to Milan... and managed to get out the next morning. (Barely.) It was touch and go but in retrospect, a good time.
 |
| To be fair... he crushed me the next year in the same hotel lobby. |
GREECE - Oct 18-30, 2015
BEST MEMORIES
 |
| Temple of Apollo at Delphi |
- Going to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens to see the Antikythera mechanism
 |
| the Antikythera mechanism |
| - chilling at the rooftop bar at the Electra Palace |
 |
| The Acropolis from the rooftop bar of the Electra Palace |
- Sitting before dawn on Kamari beach on Santorini beneath a three planet alignment as we waited for the sun.
 |
| Venus, Mars, and Jupiter. Waiting for the Sunrise. Kamari Beach, Santorini. |
- The Tropical Bar on the Santorini Caldera
 |
| Santorini Caldera |
- Jukebox day with the bluetooth speaker in the hotel room.
- Naxos in general. Sofia, the owner of the hotel, was an absolute sweetheart.
 |
| Chora Naxos seen from the Palatia |
- Going out to the Portara each evening with a bottle of Santorini wine to watch the sunset.
 |
| Sunset at the Portara. Chora Naxos |
 |
| ΚΙΤΡΟΝ ΝΑΞΟΥ (Kitron) in Chora Naxos on our last night. |
POLAND - Oct 19 - Nov 1, 2016
We flew in to Frankfurt Germany and then on to Warsaw, where we stayed with Lex's Polish friends. Now they are my friends.
BEST MEMORIES
- Due to a combination of jet lag and misallocated nap time, we both woke up at about 2:00 in the morning in Frankfurt, Germany. We wandered out in search of a beer or something to eat because we were wide awake. We tried the train station but it was dead so we walked down the streets towards the lights in search of a pub or something and accidentally ended up in the red light district. We had a beer on the street outside a little restaurant and then extricated ourselves.
- Our hosts, Mariusz and Agata, who let us stay in their beautiful house in Piazeczno... a small town on the outskirts of Warsaw.
- Mariusz' cooking, and their love for music. Agata's incessant smiling and singing. Mariusz dry sense of humor.
- Walking the dogs with Agata in Górki Szymona.
w/ Saba the Bloodhound, Foxy the Keeshond, Becky the mutt, and Agata the human.
- Coffee and football in the morning with Mariusz.
- The first party, at their house. Food, Drink, and live music by one of the bands Agata plays violin with.
- sitting and talking with Adam about movies after most of the guests had left. Trying to understand why the polish translation for the name of the movie "Alien" was "The Eighth Passenger of the Nostromo".
- Trip in to the Old Town of Warsaw.
- Hot Chocolate with Whiskey at Pijalnia Czekolady E.Wedel to take the edge off of the cold.
- Going to the Warsaw zoo to take pictures at the villa that Jan Żabiński and Antonina Żabińska used to hide Jews during WWII. We got there late and the zoo was closed. Mariusz talked us in.
- Taking a train down to Krakow.
- Tour of the Wieliczka Salt mines, which operated continuously from sometime in the 13th century up until 2007. The Chapel of St. Kinga, an entire chapel carved out of salt 331 feet underground.
- It is hard to put a tour of Nazi Concentration Camps under the heading of "Best Memories". They were an important part of my trip. It was not "fun". It isn't a "best memory" or even a "good memory". But it is an important one.
Auchwitz I Main Gate
Auchwitz I
Auchwitz-Birkenau (Auchwitz II)
- the old town of Krakow at night. Dinner at Staropolska. A very decent dark sweet lager called Książęce Ciemne Łagodne. No I can not pronounce that.
- The Second Party, at Witek's house. The duck was delicious. Wonderful people. Three of the guests were hearing impaired and we spoke no Polish, sign language or otherwise. We had no problems communicating.
- Going to see Wilanów Palace with Agata. It was built for king John III Sobieski, the "Lion of Lechistan", in the last quarter of the 17th century. Sobieski defeated the Ottomans at the gates of Vienna in 1683 and is rightly considered a savior of western culture.
- a wonderful visit with Agata's mother.
- a road trip up to Gdansk where we stopped to see several of the castles of the order of teutonic knights, including the largest castle in Europe, Malbork.
Guns at Kwidzyn Castle
Gates to Malbork Inner Castle
Looking Regal with Mariusz in attendance. Malbork.
Shenanigans in Gdansk.
Gdansk
- the Sopot pier on the Baltic Sea. Built in 1827.
- The Third Party, at Adam's house. It was a costume party where everyone was supposed to dress up as the title of a movie by the Polish Director Andrzej Wajda. We didn't take part in that because we had never heard of Andrzej Wajda at the time. But the party was most enjoyable.
- warm beer on a cold day at Kuchnia przy Stajni. (A restaurant at a horse training yard and stables which welcomes dogs. Sounds weird. It works.)
This has gotten long... the adventures of Steve continue HERE.
