Tag: adventure travel

I once had this job… Intro

I once had this job… Intro

You know when you’re with a group of friends, maybe sitting around a campfire, or on a patio on a warm evening, and someone starts talking about travel? And there’s invariably someone who has a crazy story, maybe about traveling in West Africa during a coup attempt, and getting mistaken for a mercenary? Or about visiting a Soviet collective winery in an old double decker bus, with a group of Swiss marxist students? Or maybe about appearing in court in Sudan to convince the judge that, ‘no, my scared out of his mind friend here wasn’t really trying to change money on the black market, it was just a terrible misunderstanding’?

Well, more often than not, I’ve been that person. Over the years, people have told me, ‘you need to write this stuff down!’ So here goes…

My desire to explore emerged early. At age two, my mother left me to nap on the porch of our house (as all good Irish mothers did, since, come snow, rain or shine, kids needed ‘fresh air’!). At some point, I unbuckled myself from my stroller, climbed the 6 foot gate, and dropped carefully to the street below. I was free to explore! Several hours later, my distraught mother and grandmother found me half a mile away, happily holding a big mug of sweet, strong tea made on an open coal brazier, listening to the ‘roadmen’ as they entertained me, between filling in potholes with asphalt heated over that same coal brazier. “We knew someone would come looking for him eventually Missus”, they said.

That was how it all started – my desire to explore and travel! Check back for further installments…

Driving from Ngorongoro Crater floor back up to the rim
Driving from Ngorongoro Crater floor back up to the crater rim, Tanzania
Exploring Angkor Wat

Exploring Angkor Wat

So this is a post with a mission. I had wanted to visit Angkor Wat for many years, and finally got to do so in 2008. I was amazed at the sheer number of Khmer temples around Siem Reap; the architectural variety – from the step-pyramid like Phimeanakas (reminiscent of a Mayan pyramid) to the temple of Angkor Wat itself with its five soaring towers; and the artistic themes – from the fluid bas reliefs of Apsaras (dancers) at the Terrace of the Leper King, to the cobblestone-like carved lingams in the river bed of Kbal Spean. Now my daughter, living in Thailand for a year, is about to visit and asked me for some pointers.

There is so much to see in and around Angkor Wat – where to start? I definitely did not get to see it all in the few days I was there. So here, very briefly, are some of the places that touched me most. Click on the photos below for more details…

Yet another thing to consider when planning a trip…

Yet another thing to consider when planning a trip…

For me, planning a trip is fun. Excitement builds as the departure day approaches, and there is always a last minute rush to get everything done before heading to the airport to embark on a new adventure.

Researching authentic places to stay, deciding which interesting towns or villages to include on your itinerary, figuring out which activities to check out when you get there – all fun! Getting shots and visas – not so much!

And now? As part of your initial, pre-trip research, you can check out the Global Peace Index to assist in deciding which countries to visit.  A handy color-coded map let’s you see at a glance that whole areas of the world are “green” (as in go), or “red” (as in maybe not!).

Global Peace Index
Global Peace Index

The 2011 Global Peace Index Key Findings attest that, for the 3rd straight year, the world is a less safe place. Of course, your reaction to this report may be influenced by where you live. If you live in Iceland or Japan (per the report, the 2 safest nations), then traveling anywhere else can by definition appear a little scary. However, if like me you live in the USA, which ranked 82nd of 153 countries, you can in theory travel to over half the countries in the world, and be safer there than you would be at home. Although, no matter how adventurous you may be feeling, it would still be smart to avoid Iraq and Somalia, at 152 and 153 respectively!

Traveling Solo…

Traveling Solo…

I got a call last week from a friend taking a sabbatical: 2 months in Mexico, then almost 3 months in Europe – I was jealous!! However, while she was excited about her pending trip, she was also nervous. She had never traveled for such a long period, and was also concerned by the idea of traveling alone.

So I told her I had recently met lots of single females traveling in Guatemala. Many were traveling for months at a stretch, and all seemed to be enjoying the benefits of solo travel: from the reality that people find you more approachable as a solo traveler and are more likely to engage you in interesting conversation, to the fact that if you want to stay longer in a beautiful spot, you just do it – no discussions with fellow travelers required!

I also gave her links for some great resources for solo travelers, such as Boldy Go Solo, and a great article from Rick Steves (guidebook author) on women traveling alone. Lots of good, common sense, ‘trust your gut’ advice that is actually applicable for any traveler!

Yellow House, Antigua

Yellow House, Antigua

On our recent trip to Guatemala, we passed thru the incredibly scenic town of Antigua a couple of times: just after we arrived we spent a couple of nights there prior to heading up to Lake Atitlan. Then on our way from Lake Atitlan to Flores, we broke the journey in Antigua, spending another night there.

The colonial city of Antigua, Guatemala
The colonial city of Antigua, Guatemala

Since Antigua was our first stop in Guatemala, we wanted to book somewhere in advance, especially since our plane was arriving into Guatemala City in the evening, and we knew we’d arrive in Antigua well after dark. My daughter liked the description of Yellow House in the Lonely Planet, and we found some pictures and an email address that actually worked at guatemalastory.com. Once we had the right email address, we got a prompt and friendly response confirming our request for a room.

Outside the Arrivals hall at the airport, there were a number of shuttle (minibus) drivers with signs for Antigua, and soon ‘Henry’ had us loaded in his shuttle for the 1 hour trip to Antigua, where he dropped us right in front of Yellow House. We had an upstairs room with a hammock right outside, the shared bathrooms were clean, there were 2 computers in the lobby with free internet access, and more hammocks and comfy seats on the rooftop patio. All for $18 a night for a double room, which also included a huge breakfast – what a deal!

Clean, comfy, affordable Yellow House
Clean, comfy, affordable Yellow House

Yellow House also has dorm rooms, and we met and chatted with other travelers, many traveling solo for months at a time, from all over the world: Australia, the UK, France, Canada. Many of these travelers had just been to some of the places on our itinerary, so it was great to get ‘hot off the press’ feedback and recommendations.

The staff at Yellow House were also very helpful in booking shuttle and bus transportation for us, giving us tips on where to eat, and answering all our questions. So much so that on our 2nd visit there, it almost felt a little like coming ‘home’.

Tobacco Caye – how to really unwind!

Tobacco Caye – how to really unwind!

Kick back on Tobacco Caye, Belize
Kick back on Tobacco Caye, Belize

I’d heard that Ambergris Caye is expensive, and that Caye Caulker is laid back, but if you want to experience the Belize lifestyle at its unrushed best – head south!

Crossing into Belize from Guatemala, we took a local bus south to the small coastal town of Dangriga, arriving on a very sleepy Sunday afternoon, when the stores were closed, and just a few people ventured onto the hot streets. Heavy rain had swollen Stann Creek, and its muddy waters swept out into the ocean, turning the sea a milky coffee brown for several hundred yards offshore. At the Riverside Cafe, we negotiated passage to Tobacco Caye, a small, 5-acre island that sounded like it offered the perfect mix of laid-back R&R, and easy snorkeling access to Belize’s famed barrier reef.

heading out to Tobacco Caye
heading out to Tobacco Caye

A half hour’s boat ride from Dangriga, we reached Tobacco Caye. There are actually 6 different places to stay on the 5-acre island. We had heard that Paradise Lodge was a good place to stay, but in Dangriga we heard good reports of Tobacco Caye Lodge, and specifically that they served the tastiest meals!

Tobacco Caye Lodge bungalows
Tobacco Caye Lodge bungalows

Our bungalow was set just a few yards back from the water, with views out to the reef and beyond. It was clean, comfortable, and had a hammock and a couple of chairs on the front porch – perfect for watching the ocean, or kicking back and reading a good book!

View from our porch, Tobacco Caye
View from our porch, Tobacco Caye

And for dinner the first night? Fresh local lobster served in the tail! That’s when we knew for sure we’d made the right choice! We stayed 3 days, snorkeling right off the beach in the channel out through the reef, eating great food, chatting with other guests and the friendly locals, and hanging on that front porch with a good book! And on our last night, we were treated to some impromptu Garifuna drumming – with rythhyms that harkened right back to Africa!

Garifuna drumming on Tobacco Caye
Garifuna drumming on Tobacco Caye
Learning Spanish – a recipe for success!

Learning Spanish – a recipe for success!

Most of us already know, at least in theory, that the best way to learn a foreign language is by immersion, but in June 2009 I got to put that theory to the test when my teenage daughter and I enrolled for a week at Escuela Cooperativa Spanish School in San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala.

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Staying with a local family in the small town of San Pedro, set on the shores of Lake Atitlan, and spending 4 hours a day in one on one Spanish instruction tailored to your level of expertise ( or lack thereof!) proved a wonderful way to dramatically improve our Spanish in a very short amount of time.

Escuela Cooperativa classroom, San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala
Escuela Cooperativa classroom, San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala

While expanding my knowledge of Spanish well beyond its previous limit of ordering tacos, my teacher Luis and I discussed the history, geography, and social politics of Guatemala, all in Spanish. And my daughter was able to discuss everything from fashion to social customs with her teacher, Flory, as they worked together to review and expand her high school Spanish.

View of Lake Atitlan from Escuela Cooperativa
View of Lake Atitlan from Escuela Cooperativa

Outside of class, we got to practice our expanded Spanish with our very hospitable new ‘family’ – who were all quick to offer suggestions or corrections as we struggled to practice our new skills at mealtimes. Since we just had class 4 hours a day, we also had plenty of time to explore the small town of San Pedro, visit the nearby village of San Juan, kayak on Lake Atitlan, and even take a trip to the colorful market at Chichicastenango a couple of hours drive away.

While a 2 or 3 week stay at Escuela Cooperativa would have led to even greater improvement in our Spanish, we both felt that just one week made a notable difference, and our subsequent travels in Guatemala were easier as a result. Now I just need to find some good books to read, in relatively simple Spanish, to solidify my learning! Any suggestions?