The Last Day

Today is our last day in Colorado. It is the third time I have had to say goodbye to a city what seems all too soon after arriving.  After three recent (and countless past) shots at this, I've found that it is the last day in a place that always seems the hardest.

It is a day that holds the responsibilities of preparing for the journey home (or in our case, moving to the next city). It is a day full of preparations like packing, checking in for a flight, checking out of the hotel, rounding up last minute souvenirs  mailing postcards, etc. It's a 'back to reality day' before you actually arrive back home.  It also, and more importantly for me, bears the burden of all the expectations left unfulfilled for that particular journey.

On the last day I often find myself anxious, excited, melancholy, and occasionally frantic to fit in just one more, ten more, things.  Every place, person, meal, or item that I didn't get around to enjoying for the rest of the trip now sits on the 'hoped-to-do' list.  Instead of being able to chose one or two things to enjoy on this day that should be able to be just like the others, I ponder and contemplate and mourn the missed things.  Sometimes I try to cram 20 things in to that day, other times I give up and waste it, not managing to chose a single thing to do.  Planning in advance helps, but you can't plan every detail of a trip or you leave no room for spontaneity and discovering new things.

I've gotten better about time management the more we travel.  We often start a visit to Phoenix with a calendar and a list of possibilities.  Emails go out, tentative events come in, we piece it all together like a complicated game of Tetris and by the time we leave we usually have something resembling a manageable schedule.  After our first few stressful but still satisfying 'wing it' trips, we started planning ahead a bit instead. As a result, we've gotten quite good at visiting Phoenix.  Applying this method to places that are unknown doesn't work out quite as well, but it usually helps me hit the hilights.  

In New York, the last day list was so long I couldn't figure out where to start.  One solution we've used in the past, and decided was the best approach for NYC, was resolving that 'we'll just have to come back again'.  Places that are so large, or important, and relatively easy to get back to often fall on this list.  Peru, however, is a 'less likely to return' scenario as it is cost and time restrictive being so far from our current home.  For this leg of the journey we were able to prioritize a little better, compromise between our travel companions in a more useful way, and accept that we may not have seen it all but still saw plenty of amazing things.  Do we want to visit again? - absolutely.  Will we actually make it back? - not sure.

Colorado offers a third perspective on saying goodbye to a place.  Two years ago we visited for the first time to attend our first ever Great American Beer Festival.  At that point we were still entertaining the idea of an eventual move back to the US and it was a toss up between Boulder, CO and Kirkland, WA.  We enjoyed the city, the beer climate, and had good friends there.  We enjoyed our visit so much we planned to return every two years to repeat the experience.  Here we are two years later, doing as we planned, but this time we really felt like we got our fill of the place.  We went back and visited the places we enjoyed last time, picked up a few more places that we missed out on, returned to the GABF, and shared plenty of good times and good meals with our friends.  I'm satisfied with our experience of Colorado and don't think we need to go back.  That's not to say that we won't be back at some point, but it's good to feel finished and satisfied with a place.  I've had to learn to let some old things drop of the travel list to allow space for new places to fit in.

In today's last day, our last day in Colorado, I've got a list of 'wanted to-dos'.  It's too big for the day, I know it.  It's OK if I dont' do it all, I know that too.  Today might be my last day in Colorado... not just for now, but forever.  I'm going to grab it, not waste it - seize the day and see what it brings.  Tomorrow is another day, and another city, another chance to get the last day right.  I'm getting better at this, the more we travel.  I wonder what the last day of the entire journey will bring?

Arriving in Cusco (part two)

We are welcomed in to our hotel through a tiny private wooden doorway that opens on to a larger inner courtyard.  Check in goes smoothly and after we drop our bags in the rooms we reconvene in the courtyard for our welcome drink - a cup of Coca tea.  The altitude here is a sickening 3,400 meters (11,200 feet).   It is literally sickening with an estimated 1 in 4 visitors suffering from altitude sickness.  Our ratio was a bit higher with 3 out of the 4 of us suffering from symptoms for days.  The coca tea and coca candies are a local (and yes, legal) remedy for the symptoms which are brought on by lowered air density.  It is a bit like having a horrible hangover without the fun night before hand.  I seem to have been having the hardest time adjusting out of our group with insomnia, headaches, and dizziness, in addition to my companions symptoms of shortness of breath, decreased appetite, and general fatigue.

We relax at the hotel until after sun down, each coping with our fatigue in our own way - napping, coca, writing, reading.  I have to admit, I'm not exactly sure what we've gotten ourselves in to at this point after the view from the cab to the hotel, and now this strange sickness that started with euphoria and some tingling sensations upon landing and evolved into something a bit more vicious.  We head out together in search of dinner and supplies and wander down the skinny street from our hotel to the center of town.   I'm not sure the name of our street but we've renamed it ourselves to the street of internets and dentists.   In a place with so much poverty, I'm surprised to find that every third or fourth business on our street is an internet cafe with another quarter of the businesses being dentists and the rest are tiny single room closet sized shops filed with what looks like boxes of whatever fell off of a truck and is on special for the day. 

As we walk along in the single stream of pedestrian traffic, with cars beeping their horns and belching black and grey smoke from their backsides as they pass, we start to notice a few dogs here and there.  After a few blocks and dozens of dog sightings, we realize that there is quite a large stray dog community in this area.  Every few doorsteps you can find one scavenging, napping, or wandering with a friend.  Most are unleashed and seem to have no interest in the people of the city.  They run in groups or saunter along alone carefully checking for traffic before crossing to the other side of the street.  Many are dirty from the dusty streets, some with matted hair, but none seem dangerous and in fact, they rarely interact with the people walking past.  They do not beg, they do not ask to be pet, they are just independently living here, another part of a busy and simple city.  

We make our way towards the city center, taking in the smells and sounds and sights along the way.  I had chatted with my best friend for a bit before leaving the hotel and we were trading stories and links about Cusco - me reporting what I had seen so far and her sharing what she was finding online.  From the photos linked on Wikipedia we thought we must be just outside the nicer tourist area of town. Once we arrived at the end of our street near the large outdoor market and one of the many churches, we spotted the long ancient wall leading to the gate entering the town.  I had just seen a photo of this online and it did not offer a clear perspective on what I was now seeing with my own eyes.  The refined and beautiful photo online managed to focus solely on the gate and cut out all of the poverty, life, and excitement along the streets and sidewalks at it's edge.  

This is one of the things I absolutely love about traveling - the perspective it provides.  Not only the way you look at a photo afterwards and have a complete understanding of the area, but the way it makes you reflect on your own place in this world.  It helps you appreciate things in a new light, gives you a chance to redirect your passions, to let go of your own struggles and find new ways to be helpful to others.  I imagine that all the time and money I have donated to causes in the past could go so much further in a place like this and simple acts of generosity and kindness can mean so much more here.  

I'm inspired not only by the things I have seen this week but also by the recommendations of friends who are conscientious travelers.  They pointed us at Los Ninos Hotel started by a Dutch woman who came to Cusco in the mid 90s and felt a similar pull to make a difference here so she decided to stay and help make a positive impact on the lives of children in the area. 

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Learn more about Los Ninos and consider making a donation:

http://www.ninoshotel.com/html-eng/accommodatie/accommodatie.html

Learn more about the joys of altitude sickness:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altitude_sickness

Learn more about Cusco and see some of the photos we were chatting about:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cusco

Arriving in Cusco (Peru)

Peru is changing me... either that or the altitude sickness is finally getting the better of me.

We arrived in Aguas Calientes this afternoon and I am writing to you from the patio of our modest room at the village that serves as the last waypoint before Machu Picchu.

This week has been eye opening for me.  Peru is not at all what I expected.  I have seen three different glimpses into this culture so far and I am moved and astounded by the things I have seen.  While Lima and Agua Calientes have their own distinct personalities, it is Cusco, where I have spent the last three days, that has had the largest impact on me.

There is so much life here, so much poverty, and a vivid and challenging history.  As our plane came in low over the high mountain peaks I captured the first glimpse of a sprawling city much larger than I imagined.  We banked sharply left in the tightest u-turn maneuver that I have ever experienced so we could descend quickly to align with the tiny airstrip in the middle of it all.  Our flight was host to a school group, many of whom were flying for the first time.  Every bump and turn was met with screams of delight and awe starting from our takeoff in Lima.  When we landed gently on the strip of concrete in Cuzco the plane lit up with cheers and applause for what must have been the most amazing ride of many of their young lives so far.

After sorting a few common travel difficulties including one missing piece of luggage and an MIA driver, we managed to sort out our transportation to the hotel. Along the drive we were granted a closer look at theis larger than expected city.  I was surprised to find that the strip of buildings that ran along the main road and defunct looking train tracks were in a shocking state of disrepair reflecting a level of poverty that I did not expect to find in a large tourist destination.  Store fronts were dirty, the buildings falling down, inside the shells of the ground floor of each building were people sitting or standing near piles of things - fresh fruit, stacks of egg crates, hand woven clothes.  Each store had a mismatched selection of goods in small quantities, stacked on bankets, or on simple tables, the sight of which resembled some kind of indoor/outdoor flea market.

I started to have one of our reality check moments as we looked at each other and wondered where we were.  As we rode further through the streets on our way to the hotel, there were more of the same hardworking people, with dusty clothes and shoes, carrying blankets on their backs wrapped around bundles of sticks, or the days groceries, their babies, or their handcrafted goods.  The streets here are narrow, just wide enough for a single car to squeeze through and accomodate a single file flow of pedestrian traffic on either side.  When we arrive at our hotel, we have to jump out quickly, grabbing our bags and paying the driver in a single quick motion so as not to back up traffic.  Even though we tried to be quick, the honks of the cars behind us began to sound as soon as the break lights were lit.

To be continued...

NY - the first full day

Our first few days have been amazing and busy, chaotic yet full.  We have seen so many strange and amazing things already and are consistently amused any time we are walking down the streets here. We have fit in many of our top sites and have already visited with our friends in the area over the first 30 exhausting and fun-filled hours after landing.  

I was lucky enough to have a window seat on the flight and as we drew closer to landing the captain announced that Manhattan would soon be visible out the left side windows.  I started bouncing in my seat like a kid - "I can't believe we're finally going to see New York!!!".  I leaned my head on the window so I could see as far forward as possible, straining for my first glimpse of Manhattan.  It took about 10 more minutes before it came into view but I was in awe.  I've seen plenty of skyscrapers before but these were massive.  And there were so many of them!  First a smaller group appeared, then a larger and taller group, then a third group, across the water, came in to sight.

I was snapping photos while gabbing away, trying to identify things from the air - orienting what was within my sight with the map I've looked at so many times in the past month.   My first reflections were on the the buildings, both the quantity and height, then the compactness of the island, Manhattan is such an important place yet it is only 23 square miles.  We came in from the north so after the awe of the skyscrapers, I spotted lady liberty on her tiny island just next to Ellis.  She is dwarfed in stature when compared to the skyscrapers on the land just across the water from her.  The third thing I really noticed about the city was the stau (German for traffic jam).  Bumper to bumper, a constant stream of unmoving lights tracing lines across the bridges and and in the cities on both sides of the water.  After landing we would get a closer look during our 2 hour, 31 mile journey from Newark airport to our hotel in midtown NYC.

During the longer than expected, but fairly reasonable priced taxi ride to our hotel, the time difference had a chance to hit us and we decided we were exhausted.  I tossed my original plan of spending a late night out on the town for a more modest steak and a martini followed by a small stroll near Times Square, Broadway, and Rockefeller Center.



We turned in at a reasonable hour Friday and then woke up earlier than expected the next morning (gotta love jetlag!) so we decided to meet our friends for the first Circle Line harbor cruise of the day. This three hour tour goes around the entire island giving a water side view of each city and borough that touches the waters edge along the Hudson, the East, and Harlem Rivers, including a jaunt further south to get a closer view of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.  

After the tour we decided to head to lunch at a restaurant that might be able to compete with my love of chicken and waffles called 'Burgers and Cupcakes'.  Their double thick bacon was more like a half inch slice of pork belly, fried crisp and amazing.  It was an affordable meal that definitely did not disappoint.

Later in the evening, after we parted ways with our other friends, the three of us headed off on foot to explore some of the interior sights of midtown by foot.  We went to the New York Library, Bryant Park, Grand Central Station before heading back to the hotel by way of Madison avenue.  I had a strange curiosity about it courtesy of my love of Mad Men but I'm not sure it gave me a clearer picture of the area as it may be the same place but the environment has changed since the 60s setting of the show.

We headed back to the hotel after an exhausting day and had just enough time to take a quick shower when one of our other friends in the city managed to finally catch up with us after an afternoon of missed connections.  What should have been the end of the day if we were sane humans, was the beginning of a third exciting part of our day.  We took a taxi to the East Village and headed off on foot to find a good meal and pint to catch up with a friend we haven't seen in nearly 4 years.

We first tried for a pint and wings but found a packed bar and a $10 cover charge to watch the UFC fight.  It was so loud in there, we couldn't even manage to get off a drink order before giving up and heading off for someplace more conductive to conversation.  We wandered for a bit, taking in a completely different part of the city.  The restaurants, bars, shops, and people of this neighborhood were justa as fascinating in a completely different way than the hustle and touristy bustle of Broadway, or the more business feel of midtown near the library.  It reminded me a bit of my college days in Tempe and for the first time since arriving, I could imagine NY as a place that people could actually enjoy living.  

After an interesting dinner of sushi and beef cooked over a small fire pit in the center of our table, we decided to call it a night.  It had started raining while we were inside which wasn't such a big deal but makes a huge impact on your ability to catch a taxi.  We ended our first full day with a 24 block hike in the direction of our hotel, attempting to flag a taxi the entire time.  Despite the conditions we passed many amusing things and even found the Stuyvesant park and neighborhood where HONY(*) seems to photograph many of his subjects.



In our over half hour walk in the drizzly rain a few hundred either occupied or off duty taxis rushed past us in the opposite direction.   We found 5 taxis with their lights on but it seems that wherever you happen to be waving your arm in the street, there is someone else at least 10 feet ahead of you who manages to catch the ride.  At the time I was exhausted and cold but even before we made it back to the hotel I was amused to have had the experience of attempting to hail a taxi on a busy, rainy, Saturday night in New York City.
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* HONY - Humans of New York
I have been following this photographer over Facebook for the past month or so and it has change the way I look at portrait photography.  Amusingly enough, after so many faces witnessed and stories read, as I walk down the streets of NY, the people have more depth for me, I can imagine their stories, and I'm curious about strangers as I never have been before.
http://www.humansofnewyork.com/


Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
http://www.circleline42.com/new-york-cruises/cruise-details.aspx?id=1

New York: Expectations

I'd like to find some kind of pattern for my writing about each place we visit but we'll see how that all pans out once we are on the road.  For each location I hope to start with a post about expectations.  The word 'expectations' sounds too lofty though, it leaves room for disappointment.  Really what  I would like to share with you the the things I'm excited about in each place, what I've dreamed of seeing, what I anticipate happening or feeling, or possibly just some fascinating things I discovered in my research.

New York - Hopes, Dreams, and Desires
Having been given ample opportunity to travel and explore over the past four years, the one place that many Europeans seem to ask us about is New York.  "How could we not have seen it?" they ask.  Well, the US is quite large and we are from the other coast.  It has actually been on my travel list for about 10 years.  After a coule of failed Christmas in NY attempts due to lack of interest by my other half, I have finally found a way to fit it in.

NYC is an American icon.  The biggest problem here is figuring out how much we can see in a week without over doing it.  Of course there are the classics to start with - Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, the Guggenheim, Broadway, and more. Then there is the food, the nightlife, the clubs, the cocktails, the shows, the history, the architecture...

The thing I am most looking forward to is having a map of the city in my head. There is nothing like the feeling of seeing a place you've traveled to in a photo or film and knowing that there is a tiny little restaurant around the corner that serves an amazing dish or that you should cut over two blocks for a more scenic stroll between there and the hotel you stayed at.

With such an overwhelmingly huge list of sites and desires for NY, I have actually had a hard time deciding what to do.  I expect that we may see a show or two (both on and off broadway if possible), maybe take a stroll down the Coney Island Boardwalk, and take a harbor tour to see Manhattan from the water.

The Statue of Liberty is a must see.  I'm not sure that I need to climb to the top but I would like to stand at the base, or at least see it from the water.  I have interest in seeing many of the more famous skyscrapers from the outside, and maybe the view from the top when practical.  I'm sure once I see my first view from the top of one tall building in NY, I will likely not need to repeat the experience with a slightly different perspective from the building next door.  I will, however, have to conquer the Empire State Building, and perhaps the Chrysler Building.

I would love to check out the nightlife over the weekend - this is always fun in a town that doesn't sleep.  I have interest in dining at one of the famous restaurants that are notoriously difficult to get reservations at but can't be bothered to put in the time, nor pack the fancy clothes for such an occasion.  Instead we will likely try out the tiny corner delis, have a real greasy slice of New York pizza, perhaps a hotdog on the boardwalk or from a street vendor, and check out a brewery or two.

I'm mostly over the idea of visiting museums but it seems a shame to pass up at least a quick walk through the Met, MOMA, and the Guggenheim.  When I was younger I dreamed of performing, or at least catching a show, at Carnegie Hall.  Since I spent so many years working in the book industry I would also like to see the McGraw Hill building though I'm not sure there is much to do there other than say I stood at one of the largest American publishing houses.  The NY Library is also on this bibliophile's list.  Because of all those silly police dramas I've watched, I'd also like to visit 1 Police Plaza so every time I hear a TV cop say "1PP" I'll have an image pop in to my head of the view from the street.

I want to stand in Times Square, to take in all the chaos and lights and people and life.  I am contemplating a stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge, or at least a meal at a tiny cafe at the base of the bridge with a view.  I want to sit on a bench in Central Park, or perhaps lounge in the grass with a book while people go about their normal busy lives around me.  FAO Schwarz is a dream destination ever since seeing 'Big' as a kid.  Even big kids can enjoy a bit of shopping at the worlds most famous toy store.  I will try to resist the giant floor piano though.

Who knows what the city will bring.  I know that there is way too much to accomplish in our short time there but I'm looking forward to seeing as much as I can without completely exhausting my travel companions.
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What's playing on and off Broadway right now?
http://www.broadway.com/

Chopsticks performed on the giant floor piano at FAO Schwarz (from the movie "Big"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETT3UHEEc1A

A booklover's dream and my first choice for hotel before I saw the prices:
http://www.libraryhotel.com/experience.html

I love it when a plan comes together!

The pieces are all falling in place and we might actually have everything prepared before we take off on this crazy adventure.  Sure, we still have a few important reservations to make.  There is packing to be completed and a couple of household projects to be wrapped up in the next week. Toss in some unexpected factors like surprise visitors, a last minute floor repair, and a bit of seasonal garden prep per our landlord and you've got a recipe for a full and potentially exhausting last week in town.

I've been so buried in the details of planning and organizing that this week is the first time that it has really started to sink in and the excitement has started to build.  We are actually doing this!  I can't believe we are going to travel for two months and see five continents, visit dozens of friends, see strange new cultures, be exposed to new languages, have a chance to brush up on our Spanish, learn all about the Outback, eat so many strange new things, finally see NY, explore ancient ruins, discover some new beers, share countless meals with friends, road trip to Mordor (or at least the shire), possibly witness the moon eclipse the sun, snorkle, swim, relax...  pfew.   I need to stop and catch my breath as this list is just the beginning of what I imagine the next two months will hold.

I'm horrible about sending letters but I have delusions of popping a note or two in the mail while we are away.  Let me know if you would like to receive a postcard from the road and I'll see what I can do.  Does anyone want anything from any of these places? Does anyone want to meet along the way (there's always room for more people to join!)?  These questions may seem strange at first but we have already collected a mix travel companions for various legs of the journey and have had a request to seek out a Maori flute even before we asked.

This will likely be my last post for the planning phase of our trip.  I'm not sure how consistant our internet access or free time will be but I expect my writing to switch gears and hopefully become more frequent.  From here on out this will serve as a kind of public travel diary of the things we are discovering and exploring along the way.  If all goes as planned, the posts will be a mix of photos, the unedited experiences we are having, and some plans and expectations before moving on to the next destination. Feel free to leave feedback, send us suggestions for things to see, or tell your own stories of the places we are visiting. You are a part of our journey as well and I'm excited to be sharing it with you as it happens!

Packing

I think it's hard enough to decide what to take when I go away for the weekend.  How *does* one pack for 9 weeks away?  And not just for 9 weeks in the same location, but for a variety of distinct climates and activities...

I'll need the things I take when I fly and all the things I would need for at least a week away.  I need hiking gear, beach gear, clothes for a night on the town, presents for friends. Speaking of presents - where am I supposed to fit all of the beers and souvenirs that I collect along the way?

Rarely will you use everything that you think you need on a vacation.  It is nearly impossible to underpack.  Overpacking, however, can be a huge burden.  We started tackling this problem together by thinking about how much bulk we really wanted to drag around from city to city and have come up with a plan.

I have faced a decent amount of packing logistics problems over the years but this trip serves as my greatest feat yet.  Fortunately I have picked up a trick or two from past vacations and have learned how to pack for any situation.  One of the best pieces of advice I was given a couple of years ago is to first pack what you think you need and then cut it in half.  Another useful tip, and the best place to start, is to create a packing list.

Our trip is still a few weeks away but there is already a small pile of essential travel items building in the guest room and a trip specific packing list growing on my laptop.  The goal is to have just one small rolling bag a piece plus a purse or backpack, basically a second carryon sized item that can be carried hands free.

Our normal packing goal is one pair of pants for every 2-3 days and a fresh shirt, socks, and undies for every day (plus one extra pair of everything, *just in case).  With long trips the formula is adjusted to account for how much time I want to spend in laundromats while we are away.  It just doesn't make sense to drag around 9 weeks' worth of clothes even if I hate doing laundry on the go.

Though some items are length-of-trip dependent, we always carry a single set of layers for unexpected weather - this includes a tank top, a thin long sleeved shirt, and long johns.  Other items like thick socks to fend against cold or a hat and sunglasses for cloudless days are also a good idea.  In addition to all the clothes, you can't forget toiletries, essentials (which vary by destination and occasion but include things like tickets, presents, sport equipment, etc.), and lastly a bit of entertainment - in our case usually a book, a game, and a couple of DVDs.

You'd be surprised how a few little things can make you feel at home when you travel.  After many summers traveling in Europe, a leg injury, and too many naps on the floor of the airport, I've started traveling with a few creature comforts.  I'm convinced that by traveling with my pillow, a thin cotton sheet, a travel fan, and noise canceling headphones, I can find comfort anywhere!

In the end, even with so many considerations, my final check list as I walk out the door is a simple one - tickets, passport, and credit card.  As long as we can get where we're going, get back home at the end, and have the ability to replace anything that we can't life with out, everything else can wait for our return.
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*So far our 'just in case' situations have included a full and unfriendly bird, falling in a river, ankle deep mud, broken heating in an arctic cold snap, broken AC on a long and overfilled train, and countless attempts to wear our meals.