Traveler's Pantry

Fantastic Finale: 24 hours in Egypt

2010-03-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

My flight from Mumbai to NY gave me a night layover in Cairo. Bonus! After failed attempts at navigating the bus system, I surrendered and hailed a cab to take me to the pyramids of Giza. Since it was my last day out in the world, I abandoned my usual budget-minded tactics (when else would I have a chance to see the pyramids?). I only arrived 30 minutes prior to closing and fought swarms of

Raj Yoga, a laser light show and the highest peak of Rajasthan

2010-03-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

All I knew about Brahma Kumaris before I arrived in Mt. Abu was that the meditation is done with open eyes. On our first day in Mt. Abu, we wandered into the BK museum (free) and gaped at the gaudy displays explaining human vices, the four ages of existence on earth and the problems facing the world today. Quite frankly, a lot of it didn't make sense. Before we left, we stopped in for the laser

8 seconds on a bus in India

2010-03-15T04:08:00.000-07:00

Join us for a short sample of a bumpy bus ride! Sometimes we get airborn, somehow Brian manages to read, for some reason I LOVE riding buses in India (bumps and all!). These bumpy rides lasted anywhere from 4 to 14 hours. If you missed the colors of Holi festival, click HERE.

Holy Holi!

2010-03-04T01:20:00.000-08:00

Holi EveIndians LOVE taking pictures of foreigners. Today I posed for the cameras of dozens of strangers. Only one of them asked my name, and a few even took pictures on the sly. Being a foreigner in India brings along a certain kind of celebrity status. Kids constantly yell "hello!", people generously offer their bus seat so I don't have to stand in the aisle on long rides, sometimes people

Hampi

2010-03-01T05:02:00.000-08:00

Arriving in Hampi is a bit like arriving on the set of the Flintstones. Hills of boulders jut up from every corner and palm trees dot the landscape. We took a motorboat across the river to the mellow side of town and stayed in a bright hut with a porch and hammock.The Indian woman running the place has the rare habit of saying "fuck" on a regular basis and allows her turkey and Great Dane to

Ooty, Mysore and Om Beach

2010-03-01T04:28:00.000-08:00

From Auroville, Brian and I took a mammoth journey involving 3 rickshaws, 4 buses, 1 train and 24 hours of our time. We finally landed in a hill station called Ooty. It's a kitchy holiday spot for Indian vacationers and home to the "first time in the world" thread garden, a lake for paddle boating, local souvenirs of homemade chocolate and Nilgiri tea and a rose garden sporting few flowers and

Utopia has a parking lot?

2010-02-15T04:55:00.000-08:00

None of us had the right expectations of Auroville. When our cab dropped us off from French-quaint Pondicherry, we all three sat still saying "No, we want you to take us to AUROVILLE." He smiled, commented on our first time and said "This IS Auroville." We had just arrived via a strip of ugly store fronts, trash piles and standard guesthouses, something we were used to seeing all over India.

Hi! I'm in India!

2010-01-26T06:43:00.000-08:00

India is full of contradictions. You can be walking down the street, holding your breath to keep the urine fumes at bay, and when necessity forces you to inhale, you find an abundant, pure and beautiful scent, sometimes unidentifiable, other times sweet rose or jasmine flower. It encompasses you in that instant, such that you cannot find any fault in India. Similarly, you'll find a hand-pulled

War History in Saigon

2010-01-18T04:51:00.001-08:00

Cu Chi TunnelsIt started out like any tour-bus nightmare. We didn't leave the city until an hour after departure time. The tour guide made terrible jokes into the silence of our sleepiness. She repeatedly elicited audience participation despite little-to-no cooperation. We stopped at the "happy house" - aka, the bathroom- after only an hour on the road. She informed us that we would have 30

Water time! - Nha Trang and the Mekong Delta

2010-01-17T01:14:00.000-08:00

Nha Trang sits on the south central coast, right on the South China Sea. I didn't plan to spend much time there, but ended up staying a few days. It's a lazy place with a moderate traveler scene.Aside from sunbathing and braving the choppy waves, I explored the surrounding area on foot and bicycle, taking in the Giant Seated Buddha,the Giant Reclining Buddha, the Cham Hindu temple, the rocky

Hue and Hoi An: getting central

2010-01-03T22:12:00.000-08:00

HueHue is much smaller than Hanoi, yet tourism seems to make up a larger percentage of the local economy. After ordering food in a restaurant, the server would often sit down at my table and try to sell me motorbike tours, silk paintings or bus tickets. Walking down the sidewalks was an open invitation for harassment ("excuse me! buy something!"). Each region has it's own special cuisine, and in

Hanoi

2009-12-28T20:42:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I saw Ho Chi Minh's bodyAt the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex, even the most normal behaviors are against the rules. Take walking on the sidewalk, for example. Or carrying a bottle of water. Or crossing your arms in the chill of an air-conditioned building. Don't walk too fast or too slow or a guard will appear beside you to model the appropriate pace. Sunglasses must be removed before

Ninh Binh

2009-12-27T21:38:00.000-08:00

Before hitting the chaos of Hanoi, I decided to stop in smaller Ninh Binh for biking and boating. I biked outside of town to Tam Coc, a beautiful oasis of flooded rice fields, jutting limestone peaks and low-ceilinged caves to float through. I took a 2-hour boat tour and saw colorful birds, locals fishing and the embroidery work of the woman rowing our boat. Water CaveAfterward, I biked to a cave

Final Week in Laos

2009-12-21T02:44:00.000-08:00

Muang KhamI arrived in Muang Kham early enough to keep going to the hot springs, but decided to check out the tiny town instead. I walked over to the market and bought a sarong for the hot springs (modesty is encouraged). I was the only white person in town, and people make no efforts to hide their stares or laughs. I know they spoke about me when they said "falang." I sat at a picnic table in

Deadly Leftovers

2009-12-21T02:06:00.000-08:00

Phonsavanh lies in one of the most heavily bombed provinces during the US Secret War. While the Vietnam War got lots of attention, it took years before anyone found out about the simultaneous war efforts in Laos. Supposedly, Congress was not even aware of the military activity in Laos. Just 2 years prior to the bombing campaign, the US signed the Geneva Accord, which designated Laos as a neutral

Luang Prabang

2009-12-16T22:20:00.000-08:00

By far the biggest city I visited in Laos, the Unesco World Heritage city is home to 50,000 people. I spent a week in Luang Prabang, grateful for modern comforts such as hot water, electricity and ATMs. I climbed to the top of Phu Si hill where I checked out views of the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers, admired the hilltop temple and looked curiously at Buddha's very own footprint. Temples

This is Laos

2009-12-10T22:52:00.000-08:00

After crossing the Mekong into Laos, I was immediately aware how poor Laos is compared to neighboring Thailand. I shared a tuk-tuk with a family transporting huge sacks of food. A small girl with a disheveled ponytail wore a baggy, dirt-covered sweatshirt with the words "i love you" written all over it. Boils covered her tiny hands. A five hour bus ride (see A word on Lao buses) took me to the

A word on Lao buses

2009-12-07T23:07:00.000-08:00

Travel guides issue fair warnings about the buses in Laos. It's common for them to break down mid-journey or get a flat tire from extraordinarily bumpy roads. One might feel a certain sense of claustraphobia on even the smallest of journeys. I'm not complaining- I'm 4 for 4 in successful journeys, although on 2 or 3 of the rides we passed broken-down buses on the way, handing them supplies and

Pai

2009-11-27T21:28:00.000-08:00

We thought we outsmarted the guards. But as we hugged the bank of the hotspring, naked, squinting into the beams of two flashlights, we realized we were wrong. Thai's value modesty, so being caught naked is probably one of the worst farang faux-pas (farang means foreigner, and not usually in a good way). First we tried to drive in on our motorbikes, but they wanted to charge us 200 baht each.

Chiang Mai

2009-11-20T20:13:00.000-08:00

Khao Soi is a traditional northern Thai dish consisting of rich coconut curry soup, thick noodles, mushrooms, tofu (or meat) and crispy noodles on top. It's eaten with chopsticks, lime, fresh sprouts and pickled greens. Some eat it with whole cloves of garlic and hot peppers as well. I had my first introduction to the dish at Pok-Pok in Portland, and ever since then I've wanted to try the real

Prachuab, a Thai massage and November's full moon

2009-11-17T19:21:00.000-08:00

After such a slow pace on Bottle Beach, it only seemed fitting to make my way slowly back up towards Bangkok. I spent a night each in Surat Thani and Chumpon, port towns most commonly used as stopovers to the gulf islands. Next, I stopped in a tiny town called Prachuab, set in the middle of three gorgeous bays. I spent two lazy days there, maintaining the relaxed vibe from Bottle Beach. Not many

Bottle Beach

2009-11-10T01:26:00.000-08:00

I will remember Bottle Beach. It will stick out in my head years later when I think of Thailand. It's not so much what happened there, what happened there was not much at all. It's the feeling of the place, the people of the place, the pace of life there.I arrived by way of as many methods possible. From Surat Thani, I took a minibus to a bus, a bus to a ferry, a ferry to Koh Phangan Island, a

Phuket Town, the Vegetarian Festival and two Thai beaches

2009-10-29T04:28:00.000-07:00

If you've ever seen the movie, the Beach, you might remember the scenes in a hotel called "On On" where Leonardo DiCaprio meets a crazy man who gives him a map to the secret beach. I hadn't actually seen the movie until after I stayed at On On my first night in Phuket Town (pronounced poo-get). Still, I should have taken fair warning when another traveler handed in a can of bug killer as she

Bangkok: My first week in Thailand

2009-10-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

After a sleepless night on the plane, I landed in Bangkok at 9:30am (4:30am, Europe time). The bus to Banglamphu took 2 hours due to traffic jams. As soon as I got off the bus, the sky opened up, drenching me and my pack with rain. I stood under a vendor's umbrella, but eventually gave in to the weight of my pack and looked for a place to stay. I drudged from guesthouse to guesthouse, looking for

I'm finally here

2009-10-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

It all started my freshman year of college. My friends and I went to "Taste of Thai" for dinner at least twice a week. We had a crush on our waiter and he told us all the lovely things about Thailand. We told him we'd visit someday.My senior year of college, I spent my time scooping up dog poop and walking high-end poodles on treadmills so I could save up to go to China. I even had my plane

Budapest

2009-10-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

by annieOur bus from Prague dropped us off in Budapest at 5:30am. We left our luggage at the train station and hit the town, finding a seat at one of the only open places in town- church. We arrived just in time for morning service and managed to stand when the congregation stood and sit when they sat. We struggled to stay awake, not only because we were exhausted, not only because the service

More on Prague

2009-10-03T13:07:00.001-07:00

by anniePrague is a place where you can meet people our age who grew up during communist times. Maybe their parents are still communist. The Velvet Revolution of 1989 got it's name from the smoothness and peaceful nature of it's process. After only 10 days of non-violent protest, the Soviet occupation withdrew. It was part of the greater resistance throughout parts of Europe.You can still see

Olomouc, on a whim

2009-10-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

by annie I have to tell you something. It's pretty gross. So I'll start from the beginning. We had two couchsurf hosts cancel at the last minute in Prague. So by 9pm on our first night, we still had no place to sleep. We showed up at a hostel, desperate, and fortunately scored two beds. We opened our room to find an overweight, middle-aged man sprawled out on a mattress in the middle of the

Prague Part I

2009-09-30T02:16:00.000-07:00

by annie As usual, we arrived without having done our research. It didn't really matter, though, because Prague is laid out with the tourist in mind. English can be found on signs and menus, guided tours plague the city, and pedestrian signs point towards the big sites. It's a great city to explore on foot, but the metro and trams are also easy to use. Within our first day, we walked along the

Kenmare- a vacation from our vacation

2009-09-27T00:30:00.000-07:00

by annie The passengers on our flight burst into spontaneous applause as the plane landed in Prague. They weren't clapping because they were excited to be in Prague, like I was, but because they were so pleased we arrived 10 minutes early. It was surreal for me, partly because the cheers roused me from a desperate sleep and partly because my sense of time has changed over the last 6 months

I heart baby goats

2009-09-05T06:10:00.000-07:00

by annie"This is so romantic, baby" says Brian as we're standing together in a goat barn in Ballingeary, Ireland, each with wellies (rubber boots) up to our knees, a scrub brush in my hand and a pitch fork in his. "There's nothing I'd rather do with my girl than shovel goat shit" he continues. He's being facetious of course. We grin, a momentary distraction from the weeks-old urine-turned-ammonia

Amsterdam

2009-09-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

by annieIt's September suddenly on a canal in Amsterdam. Boats quietly float by, their passengers looking up at me drinking fresh mint tea. An orchestra of church bells rings an elaborate melody. The cardigan is just right, but I know the sun will warm this city by mid-day. A small scooter boat glides by, a father and his two sons wearing bright orange life jackets and eating cones of ice cream.

11 days near Dinan, France

2009-09-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

by brianStephen, who owns a rental house in Vire, agreed to bring us back to Dinan. Having a free ride, instead of trying to sort out the bus situation, was a fantastic break but it also meant we would be helping Stephen prepare his rental for the new arrivals. Annie busied herself with vacuuming, while I cleaned windows and cleared cobwebs. We then ate something and waited for the new

La Brindelliere: three weeks in Normandy, France

2009-08-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

by annieOn the outskirts of a village called Gathemo, and a 10-minute drive from Vire, sits our helpx host site, La Brindelliere. I arrived a week before Brian and worked alongside an Australian couple, Eli and Denny. It was a nice calm after bustling through cities for the last few weeks. In addition to housing our hosts, Kevin and Jennie, this is home to 2 pigs, 1 dog, 6 cats, countless grown

Paris

2009-08-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

by annie I took a posh elevator to the 19th floor of an apartment building a few minutes walk from the Eiffel Tower. My couchsurf host, Rolland, greeted me mid-shower in a towel and shampoo saturated hair, and led me to his grandparents' flat. They were on vacation and I would have the massive

Girls in Berlin

2009-07-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

by annieIt's been a year and a half since I last saw Christine. Since then, she and Jonathan have travelled the globe, inspiring Brian and I to do the same (their blog: http://blogs.bootsnall.com/seeingspain/). Christine and I recently reunited in the Paris airport before heading to Berlin for LadyFest 2009 (http://www.ladyfest.net/). We stayed with her friend, Clara, who welcomed us into an

Generosity Defined: 13 nights, 4 hosts and countless strangers in the UK

2009-07-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

by annieMeet Frances, a teacher and mother of two living in Hackney (London). She´s tired from a long week of teaching, yet still finds the energy to make dinner and take me on a walk through the nearby marshes of her neighborhood. Within minutes of meeting each other, we´ve moved beyond small talk. I sleep on a pull-out sofa in their living room. Her young daughter, Ruby, braids my hair and

From Meknes to the Coast and Onwards to Marrakesh: a Month in Morocco

2009-06-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

by annieMeknesMeknes is an hour bus ride east from Fes, and is also one of Morocco's five imperial cities. We planned to stay for a couple of days to check out the city and the nearby Roman ruins, Vouloubilis. We ended up staying much longer because I suffered from intense heat exhaustion, fevers, chills and travelers illness. We finally made it out to Vouloubilis and nearby Moulay Idriss, a

Fes, Plunging Head-First into Moroccan Culture

2009-06-16T04:31:00.000-07:00

by annieEvery Thursday night, single and divorced women gather on the bridge near the watermill to throw food into the stream below. They believe a genie lives under the bridge and make offerings so she will grant their wishes, usually involving a husband in the future. They burn candles and dried flowers in a corner and Adil scoffs at their beliefs. He believes in God, he tells me, but not

Photo Journal- Nador and Fes

2009-06-12T03:57:00.001-07:00

by annieWe arrived in Morocco after a long border crossing in Melilla. Since then, we have been completely overwhelmed by the culture, the sights, the sounds, the tastes, the smells, the people, the heat, and Moroccan life. Every little experience seems worth posting and I need to sift through hundreds of meaningful moments before posting a coherent update. In the meantime, I posted some pictures

Vomitous Voyage: the Midnight Ferry to Morocco

2009-06-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

by annie*Disclaimer: This is one of those gnarly, only-funny-after-the-fact stories that I chose to include because it was part of our journey and now laugh about. If you don't like gruesome stories regarding bodily functions, this one's not for you. I suddenly felt as if we were no longer in Spain as soon as we stepped in line to check in for our ferry to Morocco. The lines were stuffed with

San Pedro- an Oasis

2009-06-06T03:27:00.000-07:00

by annieFrom Purchena, we took a bus to Almeria and then another bus to Las Negras. We had to stock up on food, because the beach of San Pedro is only accessible by boat or long hike. We waited out the siesta until the stores opened back up and were pleased to find.... peanut butter!!!! It's really hard to find in Spain and normally expensive when you do, so I was happy to find it affordable.

a week in Purchena

2009-06-06T02:17:00.000-07:00

by annieWe took a 2 and a half hour bus ride from Valor to Almeria, where we would finally meet our British hosts Sandy and Phil. It was about 7pm when we arrived and were approached by Sandy, a self-described hippy. She's a lovely lady who loves living in nature and has done quite a bit of traveling herself- taking along two of her children when they were young. She's been living in Spain for 9

The Hardest Hike

2009-06-03T02:21:00.000-07:00

by annie Sunday at Fuente del Espino means pancakes and cava for breakfast and a day off from work. The Scottish apparently eat their pancakes rolled up like burritos with lemon juice and sugar or nutella or honey spread inside. And so we did, while sipping on cava with strawberries from their garden. Then we set off on the hardest hike I've ever done. Fuente del Espino sits at 1800 meters (

Fuente del Espino- a finca in the Sierra Nevadas

2009-05-28T01:51:00.000-07:00

by annie We arrived in Valor around noon after a windy three-hour bus ride from Granada. The bus dropped us off at a bar called ¨el Puente.¨ We sat on the terrace and had a beer while we waited for our hosts to pick us up. We thought we were waiting for a British couple called Phil and Sandy, so imagine our surprise when a guy called Ian approached us with a thick Scottish accent. We had gotten a

Granada

2009-05-27T05:51:00.000-07:00

by annieAfter two short days in Madrid, we hoped on a bus for a 5 hour journey to Granada, where we would stay with Brian's friend Juan. Juan greeted us at the city bus stop and walked us to his flat- a three bedroom apartment on the third floor, just near the center of town. Brian and I walked around a steep residential community before making our way to a quaint neighborhood that houses most of

How to make saffron rice

2009-05-18T11:25:00.000-07:00

by annieI meant to post this ages ago, back when we stayed with Alfredo. He taught us how to make saffron rice. You might find saffron to be a bit expensive and here's why: saffron is the dried stigma of a flower called the saffron crocus. Each flower only has three stigmas. The stigmas must be hand plucked and dried. The good news is that a little goes a long way and the results are yummy. Enjoy

you never know on the metro

2009-05-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

by annieHe introduced himself as James Bond. A young, scrawny guy with pimples and crust in the corner of his eye, he approached us on the Madrid metro. Spaniards need less personal space than we do, so his face was very close to my face.We had raced onto the metro after a late start, on our way to catch a bus to Granada. Standing in the aisle with our heavy packs, we must have looked alarmingly

The Peace Process

2009-05-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

by BrianBuilding an image in rock requires a lot of patience. I was lucky enough to have everything I needed at my disposal: a wall, on which to render the image, the requisite tools, good weather, and most of all, time. Here you can see the outline of the peace symbol, in paint.The best part of this adventure was that I didn't have any idea I was going to do it until just before I started the

Farewell Finca

2009-05-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

by annieWe've been living and working on this finca for a month now, and it's given us the chance to grow accustomed to the ways of living off the grid. We know to check the little green lights that indicate electricity levels before using certain appliances (luckily, it's pretty sunny here, so most of the time there is a power surplus). We've also gotten used to the compost toilet, with it's one

A Day in the Life

2009-05-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

by annieWe wake up each day on the finca around 10am, in a relaxed and mellow fashion. We generally pull on the same clothes we wore the day before, borrowed from our host, and head to the kitchen to make our breakfast. This is usually the only meal we cook ourselves; our host, Houston, cooks lunch and dinner and does all the dishes too!After breakfast, we head outside and start work around 11am.

The Finca- Day Four

2009-04-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

by annie After breakfast, I sat down on the floor to put on my boots. I tried to touch my toes. Instead, I touched my knees, and barely. My muscles were extremely tight, but less sore than yesterday. Progress! I felt a new peace about me today. Yesterday was hump day and three days must have been the magic I needed to overcome mental resistance to physical labor. I found a rhythm in my work today

The Finca- Day Three

2009-04-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

by annie I bend over, and with both hands, pull out an entire fennel bush from the root. Houston's land is full of fennel bushes, so I bend over and do it again. And again. Until I have 8 overflowing wheelbarrow loads full of fennel shrubs. It sounds simple enough- it is. And also tiring. Six hours of it goes by faster than you might think. Because while pulling weeds, I can think about

A Day in Toledo

2009-04-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

by annie We decided to conclude our time in Aranjuez with a day-trip to Toledo. We took the 8am bus from Aranjuez because it is the only one that runs between the two cities. Alfredo was up early too for his dialysis appointment. I found him in the kitchen dipping digestive biscuits into his milk and "cereales" (small nuggets that dissolve into liquid, I'm not sure exactly what they are). He was

Alfredo

2009-04-13T12:09:00.000-07:00

by annieWe learned about Alfredo from his girlfriend in Portland (Christina)- she's the receptionist for Brian's Chinese Medicine doctor, Dr. Lee. Although Alfredo isn't part of the networks we use to find work-for-trade, he needed help on some projects and was willing to host us.Even though Alfredo and I speak different languages, I feel like I've been fortunate to get to know him pretty well-

First Impressions

2009-04-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

by annieWe arrived in Aranjuez last Monday evening via bus, and walked to the train station to meet Alfredo and his brother Jaime. It was probably around 6pm or so when we arrived. We toured Alfredo's home and learned about our projects for the week- cleaning up the garden and painting his indoor patio bright yellow. Alfredo only speaks Spanish. I miss a lot of what he says and Brian does a great

ETA and Spain's socio-political baggage

2009-04-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

by BrianOur friend Jon's comment about ETA being a group of freedom- fighters as opposed to a terrorist organization prompted me to give the topic some more context. ETA- also known as the Basque separatist movement- has a long history in Spain's politics, which I was reminded of as we walked through a special exhibit in the Reina Sofia and in discussion with Breiana.During my first trip through

Madrid: A Summary

2009-04-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

by annieWe've written a lot so far on our time in Spain, but want to dedicate a post specifically towards our favorite parts of Madrid. Apologies in advance for the length.Museo Reina SofiaOn a rainy windy Saturday afternoon, we woke up late, ate at a vegetarian restaurant and walked briskly to the Reina Sofia where we took advantage of free admission. We perused the works of Picasso, Diego

Segovia and Madrid nightlife

2009-04-05T05:53:00.001-07:00

by annieWe knew before our trip that Walt Disney had replicated Segovia's Alcazúr palace in Disneyland. We were still somewhat surprised to find that the entire town of Segovia was a fairy tale. We spent most of Saturday there, along with many other Spanish and International tourists. It's a little more than an hour bus ride northwest of Madrid. We started the morning by sitting on the patio of

Chinchon

2009-04-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

by annieAbout an hour bus ride southeast of Madrid lies a quaint pueblo, Chinchon. We woke up "early" on Tuesday morning to catch the 10:30 bus. The landscape outside of Madrid reminded me of northern California, except green instead of brown. Upon our arrival, we quickly spotted a hostel and obtained a map of the village.We made our way through the narrow streets, gaping at the stunning stucco

One Sunday Night

2009-03-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

by annie"I'd rather be sitting in a gutter, glad that I followed my dream, than sitting in a mansion saying 'I would have, but...'" Peter is gushing support of our travel aspirations over and over again with comments like this, and I'm grateful for it. We're standing in a loud, smokey Irish Pub in La Latina, where we just heard a live jazz quartet. Peter is a friend of Ben's and knew us when we

Here We Go

2009-03-27T03:21:00.000-07:00

by annieWe were standing at the counter in JFK airport, staring blankly at the Swiss Air rep. "We´re closed" she said. "You´re too late to board." Our flight to Madrid was scheduled to leave at 9:55pm and we had arrived at 9. Apparently the subway ride was twice as long as we thought."They´re boarding your flight now, you´re too late" she repeated.A few shocking seconds passed before she told us

Brooklyn and Manhattan

2009-03-25T04:22:00.000-07:00

by BrianWe only had 2.5 days to spend in New York. Our quick trip consisted largely trying to see a few of the sites while running errands and seeing old friends and relatives. We were very lucky to have a generous and cordial host for our first couch surfing experience. Lenny had a comfortable (though squeaky) airmattress set up for us and ready to crash into once we arrived at his Brooklyn

New York, New York! by brian

2009-03-24T05:59:00.000-07:00

We've made it safely to New York and are now indulging in a lazy morning in Brooklyn. We'll write more later and tell of our time in Central Park, Harlem and other adventures.

Five Weeks and Counting

2009-02-17T21:18:00.000-08:00

by annieUnbearable instrumental remakes of cheesy 80s classics, almost unidentifiable, blare in my ear as I desperately wait for a pharmacist to pick up the line. This is probably my sixth call to Kaiser in the last month, a sure sign that I'm making my way through the pre-trip checklist. I underestimated the amount of time, money and energy required for long-term travel preparations, but I'm

Traveler's Pantry

2009-01-04T19:14:00.001-08:00

by annieRummaging through the pantry for a roll of toilet paper can amount to significant frustration. In our pantry, you might find a can of beans or an iron, a box of tea or a broom, a light bulb or a food processor. There are also plenty of other items stuffed in the back that you would have more difficulty finding, like toilet paper.Brian and I live in a tiny loft apartment together, with