Tops of 2010

Hey yall,
Here are the top things of the year. Now, some of these may not have been created this year, but they entered my life this year and for me that is what counts. Without further ado:

Travelling Techniques and Levels of Understanding Cultures 101

What is your purpose for travelling? Seriously, post a comment with your reasons for travelling. I believe that for many travellers, one of the main reasons you travel is related to understanding another culture (or should be :) ). This post is to walk through the types of travelling and the various contributions of understanding.

Merry Christmas

A little holiday cheer for you from one of my favorite TV shows:


I heard there is no Christmas, 
In the silly Middle East.. 
No Trees, no Snow, no Santa Claus, 
They have Different Religious beliefs.. 
They Believe in Muhammad, 
And not in our Holiday.. 
And so every December, 
I go to the Middle East and say.. 

Hey there Mr. Muslim, Merry Fuckin' Christmas 
Put down that book 'The Koran' 
and hear some holiday wishes. 
In case you haven't noticed, 
It's Jesus' Birthday 
So get off your heathen Muslim Ass 
And fuckin' celebrate. 

There is no holiday season
In India, I've heard.. 
They don't hang up their stockings, 
and that is just absurd.. 
They've never read a Christmas Story, 
They Don't know what Rudolph is about.. 
And that's why in December, 
I'll go to India and shout.. 

Hey there Mr. Hinduist, Merry Fuckin' Christmas 
Drink egg nog, and eat some Beef 
and pass it to the Missus 
In case you haven't noticed, 
It's Jesus's Birthday 
So get off your heathen hindu ass, 
And fuckin' celebrate. 

Now I heard that in Japan, 
Everyone just lives in sin.. 
They pray to several gods, 
And put needles in their skin.. 
On December twenty-fifth, 
all they do is eat a cake.. 
and that is why I'll go to Japan, 
and walk around and say.. 

Hey there Mr. Shintoist, Merry Fuckin' Christmas 
God is gonna kick your ass You infidelic pagan scum. 
Incase you haven't noticed, 
There's festive things to do 
So lets all rejoice for Jesus 
and Merry Fuckin' Christmas to you. 

On Christmas Day, I travel 'round the world and say.. 
Taoists, Krishnas, Buddists 
and all you atheists too.. 
Merry Fuckin' Christmas.. to you
_______________________________

Alter to Rio

After a 1 day layover in Manaus, which isn't much to write about other than it's hot and dirty, I got back on the boat. This boat was a bit nicer, less crowded, and bigger than the last. I boarded for Santerem to continue by bus to Alter do Chao. The trip was only 30 hours and I only met one guy who spoke English. Lots of time to write and be by myself. The dude's name was Daniel, Swiss, and luckily he spoke Portugese too. This allowed me to sleep on the boat for free that night even though it was docked and go into Santerem.
Santerem was also not much to write about. It did have a Santa Claus house up and some nice dock bars. Other than that, eh. I took the morning bus with Dan to Alter and was pleasantly surprised that the Lonely Planet book didn't lie this time. Oh, and funny thing about the bus - they have turnstiles in them that you must (trust me, I tried to go out the back and got yelled at and had to have a guy pass my bag over and stalled the bus a bit) exit through. There are plenty of Pousadas but only one hostel. Thankfully, the place, Amberque do Floresta was bad ass. I hung my hammock for $8 a night. It also had a very social and sharing environment. The owner had to leave a lot and we all kinda shared in greeting people and telling them the prices and showing them around and making sure the place was cool. It is definitely the best hostel I've stayed at yet.

Reflections on Colombia

This is going to be short since the internet here sucks.
Colombia was not as scary as people think it is. In fact, I found it to be almost opposite of what it is made out to be. The thing is, the people saying it's dangerous or this or that happens, are people that habe never been. The people that I've talked to that have been, will pretty much agree with me. Sure some people got mugged at knife or gun point, but they were doing exactly the thing that would get them mugged anywhere in the world. That is, wandering in dark places alone late at night in the big cities in not good neighborhoods, some drunk. And, yes, bribes do eventually occur, but mostly if you have your own car and driving around the highways. But, the only time when I actually felt scarred was on the road cause of how crazy they drive.
Coke is everywhere. No, I didn't do any and I only saw it once. I wasn't seeking to do some, especially after what I learned that they have to do to turn it into cocaine. However, I was around people who had it in their possesion. And, after talking to ex-pats, sometimes they get paid with coke or were telling me just how prevelent it is.

When You See the Southern Cross for the First Time

My first night on one of the Amazon's tributaries was the first time I saw the southern cross. CSN's song (one of my favorite songs) came immediately to mind. Here are the lyrics, a lot of them I feel apply and I'll let you decide which ones you think do:
Got out of town on a boat
Goin' to Southern islands. Sailing a reach
Before a followin' sea.
She was makin' for the trades On the outside,
And the downhill run
To Papeete.
Off the wind on this heading
Lie the Marquesas.
We got eighty feet of the waterline.
Nicely making way.
In a noisy bar in Avalon
I tried to call you.
But on a midnight watch I realized
Why twice you ran away.
Think about how many times I have fallen
Spirits are using me larger voices callin'.
What heaven brought you and me
Cannot be forgotten.
I have been around the world,
Lookin' for that woman/girl,
Who knows love can endure.
And you know it will.
And you know it will.
When you see the Southern Cross
For the first time
You understand now
Why you came this way
Cause the truth you might be runnin' from
Is so small.
But it's as big as the promise
The promise of a comin' day.
So I'm sailing for tomorrow
My dreams are a dyin'.
And my love is an anchor tied to you
Tied with a silver chain.
I have my ship
And all her flags are a flyin'
She is all that I have left
And music is her name.
Think about how many times I have fallen
Spirits are using me larger voices callin'.
What heaven brought you and me
Cannot be forgotten.
I have been around the world,
Lookin' for that woman/girl,
Who knows love can endure.
And you know it will.
And you know it will.
So we cheated and we lied
And we tested
And we never failed to fail
It was the easiest thing to do.
You will survive being bested. Somebody fine Will come along
Make me forget about loving you.
At the Southern Cross.

Part 2, The Road to Medellin

First off, happy belated Thanksgiving. I spent last night dancing, yes dancing, the night away. Casa Kiwi is owned by a dude from Seattle, and he threw a little shindig for the holiday. There was a great band and there are some Colombians in the hostel who made me dance with them. And get this, they said that I am a good dancer, "better than many Colombians". Ha! The band wrapped up around midnight, but I decided to go to a club with some dudes from Chicago I met on a the Pablo Escabar tour earlier in the day. The club played mostly American songs from the 90´s.
Anyway, in the spirit of the holiday: I am thankful for all the great friends and family and all the support they are giving me. For 2010 being one of the best years of my life. For falling in love. For meeting new and interesting people. For being strong enough to pull the trigger on this trip. And for being on this trip.

Half an Update Post. The Road to Manizales

Sorry I haven´t written more, but the I´ve either been busy or the internet has been spotty and I´ve been unable to post. That being the case, this is going to be a long one.

Taganga and Tyrona

Today, I came back from Tyrona. Tyrona is an amazingly beautiful place. It looks like the opening scene from Jarassic Park, and in fact might be. I came from Taganga the day before by boat, which I recommend because its faster and takes you directly to the best spot in the park. I foolhardy walked the path to Arrefices. This path consists of 30% mud, and when I say mud I mean above your ankles and an odor reminiscent of shit. I wanted to see as much as I could but once I got to the end I really didn't want to walk back. So, I stayed at a place that was recommended by someone I met as well as the guide book.

Ooga Booga I'm in Colombia

I feel like I've been here a lot longer than I have. Tomorrow will be five full days, but it has felt longer than a week and every time I look at what day it is I think my watch is broken. Like in Central America, time here moves slower. Things get done when they get done (for example, my payment for dinner has been sitting on the tabpe for 10 minutes. I haven't received the bill yet either) and you'll get heckled if you are caught rushing around. Add that to the fact that I don't have any "solid" plans and no wonder it feels like forever; I'm moving at their pace.

Reflections from Central America

I`ll likely try to do some sort of relfection after I`ve been somewhere - something other than just a recap of what is going on and more geared to what I felt, how I am feeling now, and any insights I can come up with.
Central America was such a blur, each week in a different country, that I don`t think reflecting country by country was possible or fair to the country. So, this is kinda just a general cover of the last three weeks.

Brothers Home, Cartagena Here

 I know it`s been a little while since my last post. Quite frankly, I really haven`t felt like posting. That is mainly due to the fact that I`ve been more interested in meeting people and spending time with Dan and Ed.
Here`s a brief recap of what has gone down in the last week:

We've Landed, Bocas del Toro

Hey yall,
We are in Bocas del Toro now. We left Boquete this morning at 8, caught a school bus to David (1hour), another small bus (with a dog in a bag on top of the bus) going through Amiente (4 hours, with bathroom/snack stop), taxi, water taxi, and bam! We're here. I'll get to Boca after Boquete.

In Panama, Specifically Boquete

Hello everyone,
My brothers and I made it to Boquete today. We had a little hang-up leaving Pavones. Both Ed and I screwed up our alarms and we "missed" the bus at 5AM. I say missed, because we weren´t at the stop, but judging by our experience trying to catch the next bus I´d say we didn´t miss much. After realizing that we missed the bus, we went back to our hostel (Carols) and slept till check out time. The next bus was supposed to come at 12:30, but we knew it wasn´t going to make it into town cause of the road being washed out. We walked up to where the water had washed out the road and there was a crew working on it. One of them recognized us from the night before and told us in Spanish that there was no way the bus was going to come down that far. Thankfully, for only $10 their buddy would take us to the bus stop that the bus is supposed to go to. My Spanish is lacking, and communication has been really fun in Pavones because there aren´t to many English speakers out there. In particular, the language barrier was fun today, because we couldn´t tell if we were going to get out of Costa Rica.

Bets on Weight Changes

This is a short post. I had a few people taking bets on whether or not I´ll gain wait on this trip or lose weight.
Feel free to take part in the bets by posting comments below. Some things to keep in mind:

Update From Pavones Costa Rica

Hey everyone.
I have a little down time at the moment, so I figure I will post some brief updates.

My Last Day in Belize OR Military Roadkill BBQ

Immediately following my last post it was brought to my attention that I didn't leave till Friday. Almost immediately following that realization, while still attempting - mostly unsuccessfully - photos I've taken thus far, a couple was talking to the manager of the place I was at. They were looking to do Catacombs, which as you'll remember was something I had wanted to do. It seemed almost as if fate were playing a role. The manager turned to me and asked if I wanted to go and I said yes.

Last Day in Belize (non traveling)

Well, it's my last day before exiting Belize for Costa Rica and Panama with my brothers!!!
I guess I'll start with describing my last couple days, then move to some observations, and maybe if I feel like it some general where I'm at mentally/what I'm feeling thus far.

Thoughts From San Ignacio

Well, I made it. It was my first time taking a bus system in a poor country and it is a little crazy to say the least. Not to mention that it was insanely cheap. $3.50 US to get here. It's a bit different than Caye Caulker, but I like it. In some way it feels more comfortable. Doesn't hurt that I got my own hotel room this time cause it was only $2.50 more than the hostel. Don't get me wrong Caulker was cool, and if I wasn't doing tours here, I'd probably not spend more than a day, but the city makes it a little easier transition. However, it's way more muggy and hot though than the coast.

Moving On From Caye Caulker

Caye caulker was fun and super chill. It was pretty tough at first but things have improved. It definitely helped having Nicole's friend Leshea here, diving, and meeting people in the same place as me - just starting trips or nearing the end of long ass travel. There is a girl who has been traveling 8 years and teaches every now and then to supplement it, and Sam (Leshea's travel companion and friend) has done 6 or more year long trips. I can't say that that is my ultimate goal - to continue traveling like this for the rest of my life - and at the moment I'd say that I want to travel lots but maybe shorter periods of time like a couple months in one country here and there with someone.

In the Beginning

FYI, proof reading is not going to happen Becquerel it will cost to much.
So, to start this post, lets begin with Thursday. That was one of the toughest days of my life. I left a girl I love behind, I had a constant sense of dread combined with a terrible upset stomach and crappy feeling. I was barely keeping it together all day and that little voice that tells you not to do things wasn't inactive to say the least. What that told me is that I'm human, and what's more, that I need to do this. Just cause this is scary, just cause I feel all alone, these are the reasons I need to do this.

Thoughts and Feelings Pre Take Off

A co-worker of mine had an interesting idea on my last day of work.  She thought I should record my feelings before I leave so that I have something to look back on.  I know that I have shared feelings about the trip here and there, but I think she has a good idea to make an entire post about it so I can look back and see how they changed.

This Week Is Trying My Patience

There are several things to report as take off draws nearer.  The first is that I moved my bed and most of my shit out of my room at the Kirkwood house.  The second is that I want to upper decker my doctors office.

Strange Reactions to my Walkabout

In my opinion, I’ve had some strange reactions when telling people about this trip.  There are really only about four categories of reactions I get to the news.  “Where you are going?” obviously being the most common and not a strange reaction.  Sometimes I wish I just had a shirt with my plans on it so I could just point instead of going through the full list.  Plus, with that one, people might have some contacts for me to stay with in a foreign country.

So You've Got a Girlfriend

Well, who would have thought it possible?  I am speaking of course about the fact that I now have a girlfriend; Ivy.  As any romantic story goes, I met a girl who is different from the other girls I've dated.  I technically met Ivy on St. Patty's day at Lenys, but had been scoping her out quite a bit on the bus for months prior.  Then, after a few times flirting on the bus, we saw each other during lunch.  She, of course, imposed herself on me.  After she wouldn't leave me alone, I felt obliged to ask her out.  9 or 10 weeks of dating later, I realized that I had strong feelings for her, and could tell she did to, so I asked her to be my girlfriend. 

The First 6 Months are in!!!!!!!!

After all that crazy crap with my travel agent, I finally have my flights booked for the first 6 months.  Before I get into that, lets recap what happened and the reason to go with a travel agent.

Yellow Fever and Other Trip Updates

I received my Yellow Fever vaccination yesterday. Why didn't I get it with my other ones? It's a live vaccination, which means there is a chance I could catch yellow fever (yes, I understand the comical implications of what I just said), and it is required that you mustn't get another vaccination of any sort within 4 weeks prior and probably afterward. So this means that I just have 1 hepatitis shot left, which I'll get in a few months. Then, I'm all cleared. However, I will need to go back to my doctor to have him fill out a "Yellow Book." What this is is "proof", that I got vaccinated for my trip, and will be scrutinized by customs agents in most countries. I have to return to the doctor because I didn't learn about the Yellow Book until the yellow fever vaccination, and he didn't fill one out for any of the vaccinations I got. Plus, it'd probably be a good idea to get my blood type since I don't know it (crazy right?).

Vaccination fun

So I was at Goudy the other day...
I am mostly vaccinated for the trip now. I got six shots in one sitting, which meant that my arm was sore for about a week.

January update

So, I realize that probably no one is following this blog and that's fine because it's for me anyway. If anyone is, here's an update of what's been going on with me.
I went to Utah mid-January for 10 days. the skiing wasn't very good. they hadn't gotten snow in awhile and the inversion had decreased the snow pack quite a bit. So much so that I had to repair my bases twice within a few days. On top of that, it didn't snow at all while I there.