Alaska and Canada Bicycle Trip First Leg -- Anchorage, Alaska July 3, 2001 I finally found a computer that I can use to send an update from Alaska. We just arrived in Anchorage after riding a four hundred mile loop through Alaska's Kenai Peninsula. So far, the riding has been absolutely epic with vast expanses of spruce and hemlock forest, fast flowing rivers, snowcapped mountains, hug ice fields, and glaciers. Surprisingly, the weather has … [Read more...]
Fjord Water isn’t Salty….Impressions of Scandanavia
I hadn't been in Sweden for one hour and I found myself sitting in the back of a police van, bicycle and all. Now, I am normally not that much of an outlaw but this time I had decided to buck all Swedish rules against riding on the freeway, when I got picked up by one of the cops. It turned out that Stockholm's international airport was a good forty five kilometers from the city itself, a perfect distance to put my airplane cramped legs to good … [Read more...]
Windhoek, Namibia
The last time I signed off, my brother Abdul and I had just arrived in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia by bus from South Africa. We decided to pony up some extra money and take a Greyhound type coach and survive the trip, as opposed to paying next to nothing on one of the ubiquitous minibuses but putting our lives into the hands of a crazed driver hell bent to make it to his destination in the shortest time possible. Our guidebook called … [Read more...]
Going Cal-ing in Ibiza
Every now and then, I'll combine English and Spanish words and come up with something that truly annoys my wife, who happens to be from Spain. These "Spanglish" concoctions are usually pretty cheesy, but I must say that I'm not the only one guilty of this. Spaniards themselves do it. For bungee jumping, for example, they've invented the word puenting combining the ing ending from English with the word "puente" (bridge) in Spanish to form a hybrid … [Read more...]
And That’s The Way It Is…
I am writing you from Chefchaouen Morocco. All the keys are reorganized on this computer so bear with me as it is very difficult to type. I am not looking at the screen just down at the keyboard. We arrived in Africa yesterday passing by the Rock of Gibraltar. Immediately as anticipated we were hounded by faux guides marketing to us with fear - telling us it was unsafe to travel in the afternoon because Moroccans become more dangerous in the … [Read more...]
Wacky Packi Northern Pakistan
The mere notion of coming to this country might send shudders up ones spine. But after my 2 months in Pakistan, the chills would be be because I'm so excited about the prospect of returning to one of the most beautiful countries one Earth. The initial excitement of entering the country via the dramatic Karakoram Highway subsides eventually, but a contentedness of being amidst the cool climes, stunning geography & welcoming locals sets in. … [Read more...]
Death Valley, CA – When to Visit
If you enjoy extreme high temperatures visit Death Valley in the middle of July, as historically that is the hottest time of the year. However the most comfortable time of the year to visit is in early Spring, like March and the first or second week in April. During these months the high temperature is often in the 70's and 80's. Fall can also be a nice time to visit but the high temperatures in September and October are a bit warmer averaging in … [Read more...]
Around the World on a Motorbike
I had the opportunity recently to meet Vladimir A. Yarets - he is 62 years old, and is deaf and mute. Whats interesting is he is traveling around the world on a motorbike. The photo above is of Vladimir and his bike when I met him like 10 years later in Germany! I first met him in San Francisco California. … [Read more...]
Chamonix, France – Calling
SIM Cards Prior to sim cards, phone cards were what locals and travelers purchased to make phone calls both in and outside of the country. These days sim cards can be purchased at any "tabacs" store, or most supermarches (super markets). The "tabac" is a store that sells a variety of things such as newspapers, cigarettes, books, gum, and phone cards. They are a very common store in towns. Old French phone cards are now collectibles. Many … [Read more...]
Europe
This article differs from a number of other travel articles on Dave's Travel Corner in that it is not written about a specific place, location, or destination. It is written from personal experience based upon numerous trips to Europe and is intended to give the independent traveler to Europe additional information about a diversity of activities or experiences across the continent. The initial countries we visited before writing this article … [Read more...]