Blog du Wren

Bumpy Road to Alasqua

The Al-Can highway has much myth and lore associated with it, at least in my mind, Being that far away from services with wilderness that close at hand could lead to all sorts of fiascos. For the 2011 Chautauqua tour, all of the fiascos occured before leaving the inhabited land near the border.

Fiasco #1: I've now run away with the circus 4 times. A solid 3 of those have come complete with bus fiascos*. The bus fiasco this time went like this: our bus was supposed to leave Eugene Oregon Thursday morning to meet many of us in Bellingham on Thursday evening. About 5 hours after they were supposed to leave, I got a call saying "once they install the driver's seat and find some side mirrors to install, they'll be on the road". This means the bus hasn't been actually driven in a while which can't be a good sign at all. It turns out it wasn't. On attempting to pull out of the garage, the brakes locked up and wouldn't let go. It took 2 days and lots of hand wringing before things were fixed and on the road north. So while the tour was only 24 hours behind schedule (before even starting), we also lost a valuable day of work on the bus (installing bunks, properly packing, etc.)

Fiasco #2: I cross in and out of Canada frequently enough to forget that it can be an issue for some people. In our case, the "some people" happened to be one of our drivers who had a minor infraction 30 years previous regarding an anti-war protest. In Canada, however, it wasn't so minor, I guess. So at 3 in the morning, we were told that while the bus, truck, and 38 of our 39 members could pass, one of the only totally integral people for the drive to Alasqua couldn't. A switch of border crossings and a little sweet talking later, we averted that potential deal breaker.

Fiasco #3:The majority of the Al-Can highway doesn't really have cellphone reception. That doesn't sound like a big thing but when it has becoming so completely ingrained in our culture's planning, it can be an issue. In this particular case, our caravan got slightly separated due to an unscheduled pee break. The drivers of the uHaul didn't know of the upcoming only turn of the whole trip, so they missed it. We were on the edge of cell phone range and thought that, if they didn't get the messages we left, while we might end up in Alaska, our stuff might end up in Quebec. Again, after much roadside conference, hand wringing, plan B-ing, and more, the issue was resolved when someone came running out of the bathroom (with pants still mostly down) announcing excitedly that contact had been made. Two hours later, the caravan was reunited and back on the road.

While perhaps "fiasco" is a strong word for these events, it sure felt pretty extreme, although it was probably compounded by the lack of sleep*. And, aside from a few close calls with hitting moose or bears in the road and almost running out of gas 14,239 miles from the nearest gas station, the rest of the trip was fiasco-free! With the trip behind us, now we have the rest of tour to look forward to! Stay tuned!

Wednesday July 27 2011

File under: circus, travel

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Financial Breakdown of Turkey-Greece-ExYu-Paris Trip

If frank talk of money feels a bit taboo to you, you might want to skip this post. In it, I break down the costs of my most recent trip to Turkey, Greece, the Western Balkans, and Paris. The reasons for this are two-fold:

Using a similar format/criteria as my last financial breakdown post, I am able to quantitative compare travel costs
For perspective travelers to these areas, I thought it could be helpful to have some real-life numbers to help in your planning (keeping in mind that I'm a budget travel so your numbers might differ.)

Overall, I'm really pleased with the way the numbers turned out. I was shooting for $50/day not including plane tickets, and came out at $55/day with plane tickets. In fact, interesting to note, on a cost/day basis, a trip to the much more expensive Europe* was cheaper per day than my trip to Mexico/Belize/Guatemala last year. I attribute this to duration of stay, having a few friends to stay with along the way, and finding a food-and-lodging-included volunteer opportunity.

Like it or not, money is a big part of travel. And while I try not to think about it too much while on the road in order to not take myself away from being in the moment or enjoying once in a lifetime experiences, I think it is important to check in with the numbers. And with numbers like these that could conceivably be similar to what it costs to live here in the U.S., it is nice to know that at least financially, my next epic trip doesn't need to be that far away.

All costs excluding international travel
Place	# of days	Money spent	Cost/day	Notes
Turkey	24	$840	$35	Just right! Cost per day helped by staying with a friend in Istanbul for 4 days.
Greece	12	$650	$55	Cost per day somewhat elevated due to costly ferry trips. If # of days per island was increased, overall cost per day would go down.
Albania	2	$110	$55	Prime example of short stay in a country leading to really high cost per day. Albania is actually really cheap and had I could have probably stayed double the time for only another $20 or so.
Montenegro	3	$150	$50	Actually slightly more costly than Albania generally.
Bosnia	16	$300	$19	These costs aren't representative of regular budget travel in Bosnia. I spent no money* for 8 days while volunteering at Most Mira Festival. Then for a few days before and after, I stayed with a buddy in Banja Luka who was an excellent host. Cost of regular budget travel in Bosnia would be similar to other ex-Yu countries, maybe $40-$50 a day
Croatia	7	$406	$58	Perhaps the most expensive of the ex-yu countries I visited, but not by much. Costs were also upped a little due to not traveling solo (therefore not eating PB&J 3 times a day.) But traveling non-solo is worth the slight up-bump in cost.
Paris	6	$545	$90	I'm pretty proud of these figures for my time in Paris. Having been warned it is crazy expensive, I was able to have an amazing time and still keep costs under double my daily average. Lodging accounted for half of per day cost.
London	2	$105	$52	London is a truly expensive city. I got away so cheaply because I was so generously offered a place to crash at a friend's house. Most of the budget went to either the tube or food. (I skipped all attractions that cost (Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, etc.)
New York City	6	$200	$33	Due to having a wealth of awesome friends there, my time in NYC is always not only wonderful but also relatively cheap, having to pay for only food and the subway, more or less.

International travel
Leaving	Arriving	Cost	Notes
Seattle, US	Istanbul, Turkey	$485	Includes a 2 day layover in NYC which not only saved cost but allowed me to visit friends there(!)
Marmaris, Turkey	Rhodes, Greece	$66	Inordinately expensive ferry trip. Less than 2 hours compared to 12 hour ride for half that on Rhodes to Crete.
Athens, Greece	Tirana, Albania	$36	Not the most direct bus, but the cheapest I found
Banja Luka, Bosnia	Paris, France	$100	Train to Zagreb, EasyJet to Paris
Paris, France	London, England	$57	8 hour bus/ferry ride. Other option was $125 2 hour train ride via the chunnel.
London, England	Seattle, US	$531	Again a layover in NYC (via Boston to NYC by Chinatown bus)

Overall
Total cost	# of days	Total cost/day
$4581	83	$55

Wednesday June 15 2011

File under: travel

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Passport Laundering

Here's a hint for anyone looking to travel internationally: don't put your passport through the washing machine the day before you plan on crossing 2 international borders. I know what you're thinking. "Any idiot knows that." Well, not this idiot so it would seem.

For a budget traveler like myself, having free reign on a washing machine while on the road ranks up there with getting a dorm room at a hostel all to yourself or a currency's exchange rate going in your favor the day before you change lots of money. In other words, it is an exciting event. So it can kind of be understood how checking one's pockets could be overlooked. Nevertheless, it is not something I intend to do again.

Luckily, passports are pretty hardy little documents. With the exception of a significantly curled and frayed cover and a washed out stamp or two, everything seemed in pretty good working order. I put a few soup cans on top to flatten it out while it dried, and it turned out looking almost passable. The RFID chip* was probably toast, but I counted that as a fringe benefit.

All my worries regarding crossing borders with a laundered passport proved to be unfounded. While I got a few strange looks (esp. from the U.S. officials), the majority of people couldn't have cared less. One guard even make some joke to the effect of "forgot it in your pants pocket on laundry day, eh?"*.

The worn and torn look actually lends a little exotic traveler credibility. So while still not advisable, it is nice to know that passports don't need to be perfect to be functional.

Sunday June 12 2011

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Out of Steam in London

London is a great city, I'm sure. It can't have been such a business, cultural, and historical center for all these years without having its charms. But for me, I just wasn't feeling it. After being on the road for over 2 and a half months, my travel tanks were running low on the fuel needed to get out and "do" a city, so I just couldn't give it the fair chance it needs.

I did a very brief taste of most of the required and enjoyed them. I loved that the museums (Tate Modern and National Gallery) were free without long lines, metal detectors, etc. And all the buildings (, , , Parliament) were spectacular*. I rode a double decker bus and took the *. But my heart wasn't in it. I did, however, have a great time seeing some old (and new) chums who were kind enough to put me up, talk circus, and send me away with a wonderful new bananagram-esque word game.

This abbreviated visit to London, however, was planned this way. I fully intend on doing the city up properly someday, when I have the time and focus required, and I didn't want to lessen my motivation by seeing too much. Just a taste to get me excited to come back. And it did just that. See you later, Britain Greater.

Sunday June 5 2011

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Big Paris Post

I had a really really great time in Paris. I also took some really great photos, thanks to a temporary upgrade of camera. So instead of weeding the experience down to fit in a normal sized post, or posting just the photos, I've put together this slightly longer than normal review of my favorite Paris attractions. I hope you enjoy.

Notre Dame
Being that it's located pretty much right in the middle of town, I passed by many times. Each time, I couldn't help but stop to admire this gorgeous . The inside is equally as impressive as the out, just as the way a good cathedral should be. , , and architectural embellishment is everywhere. If I lived there, I know I would make a habit of popping in, just to soak in the aura of the place. After all, entry is free!*

Versailles
Although not technically a Paris attraction, it is a short train ride out to this palatial palace*. This catalyst to the French Revolution is as overwhelmingly lavish as it is inundated with fellow gawkers. Luckily the site is more than the chateau. Our favorite part was the mother-in-law house on the back of the property. Much less crowded and, IMHO*, more tasteful, we were bummed we didn't come there straight off and spend the day enjoying the relative and the hidden surrounding.

The third part of the Versailles trifecta is the gardens (although more of a forest) with fountains, , and...geocaches!! Next time I come to Paris, I'll set aside a day for just lounging in the gardens, because, again with the magic word, it's FREE!

Sacre Couer
The only top notch Paris attraction that I had never heard of*, I didn't really know what to expect. But sometimes, this is a good thing. When I first saw this gleaming white cathedral and its hordes of Sunday visitors, I was quite taken. The surrounding neighborhood, full of street portrait artists, "Toulouse-Lautrec slept here" signs, and 3-card monty specialists, just added to its charm.

Louvre
Think of all the well known art in the world. I'd say about half of it, at least from a given time period, is in the Louvre. I guess, however, that isn't saying much because of the sheer size of the collection. Either way, it makes for an enjoyable afternoon of perusing vast halls of after spectacular work.

But almost more impressive than the art, at least to me, is the building itself and esp. it's courtyards. The outdoor courtyards are even (you guessed it) free, which makes for a great place to do a little .

Eiffel Tower
In my 6 day visit to the City of Lights, I visited this icon 4 times, which, I hope, indicates how much I like it. Most visits, we'd just sit in the park and admire it or stroll , both of which cost nothing. In fact, the thing that actually costs, ascending by either elevator or stairs, wasn't even as good as admiring it a step or two away, but suppose it's gotta be done.

Yes, this possibly most famous building in the world actually completely lives up to the hype, if you ask me. And the next time I return to Paris, a visit to its shadows will be up near the top of my list.

Thursday June 2 2011

File under: travel, France

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Things I Learned in Paris

One of the many fun things about traveling is learning, esp. learning about things you knew of before, but not so much about. So in the spirit of sharing, here are a few things I found interesting in my time in Paris. (To just tell you the trivia tidbits would be way too easy, so instead, I present it in quiz form.)

1. What is the river that bisects Paris, and how is it properly pronounced?*

2. The popular Paris attraction, which, in French is known as La Joconde, is known as what in English? hint*

3. There is a smaller (but still largish) Statue of Liberty on an island near the base of the Eiffel tower. Was it made before or after New York City's statue of the same name?*

4. Moulin Rouge translates to what in English? hint: it's not "skimpily clad dancing girls"*

5. Who designed the famous at the Louvre (and, for bonus points, what other famous monuments has he/she designed)?*

6.For how many years was the the tallest building in the world: 0 years, 21 years, 41 years, 61 years?*

Tuesday May 31 2011

File under: travel, France

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Paree

After a couple months spent travelling is slightly lesser known parts of the world, I now find myself in Paris, where there's a famous monument, museum, or building on every street corner. And to tell you the truth, I'm enjoying it much more than I thought I would. Versailles, the Eiffel Tower (twice), Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, Notre Dame (twice) done so far, with the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, possibly the Pantheon, and much more to go.

Friday May 27 2011

File under: travel, France

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A Country Divided

Bosnia and Herzegovina is the official name for this country that I've been hanging out in the last couple weeks, although it seems that most people call it plain old Bosnia. But the duality implied in the name is well placed, as I have learned. Politics, geography, language, and more all seem to come in sets of two.

The country is divided into two states, the Federation* and Republic of Srpska*, each with its own territory, its own political system, and even its own alphabet. Republic of Srpska generally uses the Cyrillic alphabet on street signs, etc. while the Federation uses Latin characters. They both spell out the same words, mind you, but in different alphabets.

The whole alphabet thing is pretty intriguing, but the thing that really gets me, that really makes this duality thing so hard to ignore is that they have two different versions of each denomination of paper money, one with a representative of the RS and one from the Federation. They have the same value, and can be spent exactly the same, but it is just that the country couldn't agree on who to put on their money.

I try hard not to judge this duality that is rather impossible to ignore. I know there are years of history behind it, and it is much more complex than I can imagine. But I can't help but wonder if this duality is sustainable. If I return to this area in 10 years, will I have to pass through passport control in going from Banja Luka to Sarajevo? Or maybe it will get all worked out through a charismatic leader that everyone can get behind.

However it pans out, for this trip, it has made for an eye opening experience.

Tuesday May 24 2011

File under: travel, Balkans

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Ask a Vela Lukan

I'm here in Vela Luka, Croatia, another sister city to my home town of Anacortes. (Previous coverage on sister cities here.) I thought what better way to find out about the town than to take to the streets. Special thanks to Horge for acting as translator, photographer, and motivator!

What do you like best about Vela Luka?

Healthy living and there are good jobs here. ~Svjetislav, parks maintenance worker	It's not so touristy here. Just a real town with real life. ~Lynny, bike trip leader	I dunno. I guess I'm used to it and my friends are here. ~Ivan, waiter	The sea and the sun. ~Andres, parks maintenance worker

Wednesday May 11 2011

File under: travel, Balkans

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Dubrovnik the Exclave

Dubrovnik, Croatia is geographically very interesting. To get to Dubrovnik from any other part of Croatia, you have to drive through Bosnia (albeit a span of about 10 kilometers). That chunk of land is detached from the rest of the country, much in the same way Alaska is detached from the lower 48*. These separated chunks, I learned, are called exclaves. In the case of Dubrovnik, it is a pene-exclave because theoretically, you could take a boat, without leaving Croatian waters, there. This geographic anomaly, which is somewhat rare, is something I've always wondered about. Now I've got a name for it. How many exclaves can you think of?

Speaking of Dubrovnik, it's awesome. Narrow [carless] , wonderful , , , and more. To wander through the town, grabbing a slice of pizza or and scoop of ice cream, discovering all the back alleys was my main activity. But I also got out for a hike up to a (while tempted, we did not take the ), checked out some of the parks, and plotted how my visit will go next time I come back to Dubrovnik. Yes, folks, it is just that awesome.

Fun and learning—all and all, not a bad way to spend a couple of days*.

Tuesday May 10 2011

File under: travel, Balkans

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