Trekking Couple Circles Planet Three Times In 424 Days

by Chris Owen on

They started trekking the planet more than a year ago, promising to travel the globe bringing children in classrooms from around the world with them, virtually, as they visited scores of countries and continents. Now their journey is complete and Darren and Sandy Van Soye are back to tell about it.

The story begins in February 2012, when the couple from Southern California started on a global adventure to raise awareness about world geography and make the subject more accessible to children. Hoping to visit 50 countries on six continents in 424 days, they planned to share the journey with more than 700 classrooms representing 50,000 students.

“Our dream is to educate children about geography and world cultures so we’ve planned the ultimate trek around the world to do just that,” Sandy Van Soye told Gadling when they began. In January of this year after passing the 50,000 mile mark, they had stopped in 40 countries with another dozen or so to go before returning to the United Sates. At the time, they had already beaten their own projections with 850 classrooms in 20 countries following their journey online.

Now with their world trek complete, the Van Soyes have traveled a total of 77,000 miles or the equivalent of three times around the earth at its equator. Their trek is an impressive amount of travel in such a short period of time for sure. But how they went about it is even more interesting.Starting on January 28, 2012, the journey began aboard a cruise ship, Princess Cruises‘ Pacific Princess, a small ship, which proved to be an efficient mode of transportation.

“We used cruise ships to get us between continents so that we could see more of the world,” said Sandy Van Soye. Spending 97 days of the nearly 500-day trek at sea the couple racked up 35 ports in 18 countries. An impressive number but travel via cruise ship is not the fastest way to be sure. From San Diego, it took 29 days to reach Sydney Australia, normally a 16- or 17-hour flight. But along the way, they visited Hawaii, American Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand.

After a seven-day trek in Tasmania, the team boarded another cruise ship, Ocean Princess to travel near Australia’s eastern coast, along the way visiting the Great Barrier Reef, the city of Darwin, Bali, Indonesia, and Ko Samui, Thailand, before arriving in Singapore. At each stop, they selected travel plans that would show students following along the natural beauty and unique people they encountered.

On land for the next eight months via a series of multiple day hikes, they visited 27 more countries in Asia, Europe and Africa before boarding the Pacific Princess in Rome. That Mediterranean sailing crossed the Atlantic Ocean, sailing up the Amazon River all the way to Manaus, Brazil.

Two months on land took them through 4,600 miles of South America before the final leg of their trek a voyage on Star Princess in Valparaíso, Chile, for their fifth and final cruise home.

Of all the places they went, which was their favorite? Kenya because of its rich culture and natural beauty

“It is a place that kids (have) heard of, so it was a pleasure to go there and talk more about it,” said Sandy of their visit to three Kenyan schools, one in the Maasai Mara and two in the Samburu region.

The biggest surprise along the way? Riga, Latvia

“There was just so much to see and do here and, though it is a capital city, it was relatively inexpensive,” said Sandy.

In addition to a lifetime of memories, the Van Soye’s trek produced a library of 60 four-page education modules for teachers available as supplements to existing classroom materials.
Also, their Trekking the Planet website contains free articles, quizzes, more than 70 documentary videos and a summary infographic: “Trekking The Planet: By The Numbers.“

So is that the end of the road for this couple? Hardly.

Driven by the fact that nearly a third of U.S. young adults cannot locate the Pacific Ocean on a map, Trekking the Planet hopes to help educators change these statistics with future geography-oriented projects.


[Photo credit – TrekkingThePlanet]

F-18 Fighter Pilot Takes Dreamliner For A Spin [VIDEO]

by Chris Owen on

Piloted by an F-18 fighter pilot, we see just what the Boeing Dreamliner can do when put to the test. Stretching the aircraft and pushing it to the limit of its ability, the pilot guides the 787 to climb and soar at a degree and rate that passengers (hopefully) will never experience.




Boeing has been working to get the 787 Dreamliner back in the sky after two battery-fire incidents in January forced the FAA to ground all 50 of the 787 models operated by commercial carriers worldwide.

Battery testing complete, it is now up to the FAA to say when the aircraft can be retrofitted and returned to service. In addition to the 50 grounded planes, 20 more sit on Paine field in Seattle, waiting for delivery.

Uploaded to YouTube by user Wonkabar007, the video was apparently filmed at the Farnborough International Air Show in the UK last July.

The Kimchi-ite: A Tour Through Hongdae, The Center Of Korean Youth Culture

by Jonathan Kramer on

Seoul has no shortage of unique neighborhoods worth visiting and it is certainly not at a loss for places to go drinking. However, there is only one true place where the youth of South Korea go en masse for so many of their desires and that place is Hongdae. Taking its name from the Korean abbreviation for the local art university, Hongik University, Hongdae is a great place for restaurants, cafes, art, live music, clubbing, lounge drinking and shopping. There are neighborhoods all over the city dedicated solely to each of those activities, but none have all of them, nor at such great accessibility.

The streets of Hongdae are lined with an unbelievable concentration of great restaurants, cafes and fashion boutiques.

Exiting from Hongik University station‘s exit 9 will give you a face full of Korea’s different subcultures. University students wear trendy American-style varsity jackets. Musicians have their instruments strapped to their backs. Club kids will have their frameless glasses and cut-off jeans. Exit 9 is the launching point for everyone’s night and on Saturdays it can take minutes to walk up the short flight of stairs.

Rillakuma takes a breather on “Meat Street,” a block with over 30 Korean BBQ restaurants.

One block out of the station is the so-called “Meat Street,” a one block corridor with over 30 tabletop, fire wielding, Korean BBQ restaurants. Serving up the standard samgyeopsal, kind of a BBQ-style bacon, as well as most other parts of commonly eaten animals all to be dipped into the all too delicious ssamjang, a sauce of garlic, soybeans and chili paste that is unique to Korea.

Street musicians line the street between Hongdae Station and the main nightlife areas.

Venturing on from Meat Street will take you right past Hongdae’s famous street performers and buskers. Musicians, comedians and magicians all compete for pedestrians’ attention, but everyone knows Hongdae is the musician’s playground. More than just sidewalk space for one-man acoustic cover machines, it is a testing ground for Korea’s indie music scene, with many acts going on to sign major record deals. Bands have their own regular spots with dedicated fans cheering loud enough to be heard for blocks around.

People passed-out and drunk is not an uncommon sight in all corners of Hongdae.

Most people come to Hongdae for the nightlife. Reasonable prices give the area an advantage over Gangnam. Restaurants are packed with laughter as people pour each other shots of soju, Korea’s drink of choice that, despite rarely being consumed outside of the peninsula, is one of the most consumed liquors in the world. Bars become so dense that they stack one on top of another with a speed dating bar on top of a darts bar on top of a cocktail lounge in the same building.

The two versions of Hongdae Playground: on the left, the Free Market during the afternoon and on the right, the late-night hangout spot.

One of the best places to drink after dark, when the weather is good, is in the playground right across the street from Hongik University. Koreans and expats alike grab a beer from a neighboring convenience store or Korean rice wine from the Maookli Man’s push cart, take a seat on the bench or the graffiti covered jungle gym and just hang out, often accompanied by an eclectic mix of street music. Additionally, on Saturday afternoons the area turns into the family friendly Hongdae Free Market, featuring arts and crafts vendors as well as live music.

Afternoon window-shopping is fantastic with the latest in international design and fashion.

There is really so much more to Hongdae than what I’ve mentioned, such as dog cafes, amazing basement comic book shops, narrow streets with over 50 women’s clothing boutiques and a huge concentration of great Japanese restaurants. Hongdae is one of the best places in Seoul to explore, there’s always something new to see or do as it is constantly in flux.

Now is the best time to get to Hongdae and experience it all as the neighborhood is changing on what seems like a monthly basis. As the neighborhood exponentially increases in popularity, rent is raising, pushing out businesses that have been in the area for decades in order to make way for international coffee chain locations. Many of the smaller cafes and music venues that built the area’s reputation have been pushed to adjacent neighborhoods like Hapjeong in order to keep their heads above water. Regardless of corporate takeovers, Hongdae absolutely remains my favorite neighborhood in Korea and is accessible at any hour on any day.

Check out previous “Kimchi-ite” stories on Korean culture, food and eccentricities by clicking here.

[All photos by Jonathan Kramer]

International Adventure Guide 2013: Baja, Mexico

by Kyle Ellison on

I once knew a man who said you’ve never looked freedom in the eye until you’ve raced through the Mexican desert at 100 mph while naked on the roof of a car.

While perhaps a little extreme, this raw sense of freedom and adventure has attracted adventure travelers to Baja since before the area even had a paved road. A trip to Baja means fishing for Dorado in a wooden panga beneath a sky that is vacant of clouds. It’s winding your way on sandy back roads with three surfboards, two cases of Tecate, and one hope for the perfect wave. It’s staring in wonder at whale sharks as they casually drift through bays that are cohabitated by manta rays and dolphins.

Baja is enchanting. Baja is raw. And it is unmistakably free.

One thing Baja is not, however, is dangerous, and it’s this misconception that continues to keep Baja off of the mainstream adventure travel map.

Instead, we would rather highlight the fact that Baja continues to be one of the best adventure destinations on the North American continent. From surfing to scuba and fishing to sandboarding, the entire peninsula is a desert playground you could spend a lifetime exploring.

Plus, with the media-induced security scares of the past couple of years, prices in Baja continue to be far cheaper than at many adventure destinations you could find in the western hemisphere.

While entire books could be written (and have been written) on the adventure possibilities of “La Baja,” here is a snippet of heart-thumping adventures to help turn your attention south.

Adventure Activities

Baja is crammed full of so much adventure you could pick any letter of the alphabet and find a list of activities starting just with that letter (Adventure racing, Biking, Cliff-Jumping…). For the sake of this guide, however, why not just pick the letter “s”.

Surfing: If you’re a San Diego surfer this isn’t news. Baja has been a surf outpost since Californians realized you could stand up on a board, and to this day it remains a dream destination for legions of surfers who are chasing waves. Although most surfers will elect to bring their own boards to reach remote destinations, places like Cabo Surf Shop in San José del Cabo will rent you boards to the tune of $27-$38/day, and provide lessons for $75.

Closer to the border in Baja Norte, the stretch of coastline from Punta San José to La Fonda is a favorite of the San Diego weekend warrior crowd, with Salsipuedes and Isla Todos Santos standing head and shoulders above the rest. For board rental and lessons in Baja Norte, check out K-38 surf shop between Rosarito and Ensenada.

Finally, for a legendary surf safari, consider making the trek to the remote outpost of Scorpion Bay in the town of San Juanico, located a six hour drive north from La Paz, a five hour drive west from Loreto, or an epic, 15-hour, two-day journey south from the U.S. border. You’ll have to pack your own boards with you since San Juanico is a village of only a couple hundred people, and although there’s a chance you could rent a board off of a fellow surfer at the campground, which fronts the surf break, it’s best to bring your own gear and be prepared.

Scuba Diving: Few bodies of water hold more of a romantic allure than the teeming Sea of Cortez, which runs along the length of Baja’s eastern coast. Steinbeck wrote of its bounty in his epic novel by the same name, Hemingway waxed philosophical of its beauty, and the famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau went so far as to name it as the “Aquarium of the World.” While the fabled Sea of Cortez runs for over 800 miles, the best place for accessing the marine environment is from the city of La Paz where the surrounding waters are all a part of a protected marine reserve. Fun Baja Diving and the Cortez Club run introductory diving excursions from $125, as well as a full range of certification programs for those who want to take their diving to the next level. As a bonus, the relatively-warm water temperature ranges from 65°-85° depending on the time of year.

Sportfishing: Anglers from across the planet have been descending upon Baja for years to take part in world-class sportfishing. Summer through fall are the best months for Dorado, and the yellowtail start biting from February through summer, making nearly every month of the year a prime time for baiting a hook. In Loreto you can charter a boat from Baja Big Fish Company from $175-$300, or, for a more low-key experience, charter a panga out of Bahia de Los Angeles from the fish lodge at Camp Daggett. In Cabo San Lucas, the focus switches from Dorado to marlin, and Pisces Sportfishing offers fishing charters from $445 all the way up through luxury yacht rentals. Note that if fishing in Cabo, it’s important to choose a reputable charter, as some of the lower-budget options have been known to fish in illegal areas. Getting stopped by the Mexican Coast Guard is never a fun fishing trip. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Hot Spots

Los Cabos: This should come as no surprise since every spring break college student, sportfisher, scuba diver, honeymooner, and margarita-lover in the northern hemisphere has at one point considered a trip to Los Cabos. International flights arrive at the airport between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, and all marinas for sportfishing or scuba excursions are within a 30 minute drive from most of the resorts. The best surfing breaks are located between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, or, for a real adventure, consider booking a multi-day diving excursion out to the remote Socorro Islands for the chance to dive with giant Pacific manta rays.

La Paz: Although there isn’t any surfing on the La Paz side of the peninsula, this tranquil capital of Baja Sur is the regional epicenter of scuba excursions and sea kayaking trips. Sandwiched between low-lying hills and offshore islands, the oceanfront stroll along the town’s malecón is the center of visitor activity. As an adventure bonus, the renowned windsurfing hot spot of “La Ventana” is only a 40-minute drive from the airport and city center. If staying in La Paz, however, dive and snorkeling excursions leave from marinas, which are within a short 5-10 minute taxi ride from downtown.

Bahia de Los Angeles: Unlike Los Cabos or La Paz, this legendary Baja Norte outpost is a long way from everything-it’s a ten hour drive from the California border. The drive through the desert is one of the main highlights of the journey, however, and once you get here the fishing charters are usually located mere walking distance from your thatched hut palapa. Since Bahia de Los Angeles faces directly east the sunrises here create a concert of colors, and the mountains, which form the backdrop of the village, are illuminated each morning in a radiant glow. In addition to sportfishing, you can also snorkel with migrating whale sharks during the months of June-October, and while “L.A. Bay” (as it’s known to many gringos) might not have the nightlife of larger cities like Los Cabos, this is a “hot-spot” where you come to for no other reason than to get away from it all.

Where To Stay

Los Cabos: If there is one thing the Los Cabos area isn’t short on, it’s hotels, and an affordable option, which is conveniently located a five-minute cab ride from the marina and center of nightlife is the Villa del Palmar resort in the heart of Cabo San Lucas. The sprawling swimming pool creates a family resort atmosphere, and the oceanfront location makes it an easy spot for a stroll down the beach into town. While not an adventure-lodge in and of itself, the location is prime for embarking on excursions from offroading tours through the desert to dolphin cruises or scuba charters. From $115-$300. Camino Viejo a San Jose KM 0.5, El Medano, Cabo San Lucas, www.villagroupresorts.com/resorts/villa-del-palmar-cabo

For the surfing crowd, Cabo Surf Hotel offers oceanfront accommodations at one of Los Cabos’ best beach breaks, although the rates are definitely higher than other places you can find around town. With only 36 rooms the hotel manages to retain its boutique nature, and the rooms themselves are modern and comfortable and gaze out towards the water and waves. From $250-$400. Playa Acapulquito, KM 28, 23410 San Jose del Cabo, www.cabosurfhotel.com

La Paz: For five-star resort luxury at affordable prices, the CostaBaja resort is literally walking distance from the main marina for snorkeling, sailing, and diving charters. Its convenient location by the marina makes it popular and busy option in town, and the standard-sized rooms gaze out towards the water where sunsets are offered up nightly. Although the resort is on the far end of La Paz it’s still only 15 minutes from the La Paz international airport, as an added bonus, anyone staying for four nights or more is eligible for free transport all the way from the airport in San José del Cabo From $150-$250. Carretera a Pichilingue, Kilómetro 7.5, Lomas de Palmira, 23010 La Paz, www.costabaja.com

If you’ll be windsurfing in La Ventana, Ventana Windsports has beachfront accommodations where hammocks and palm trees are a tempting reason for simply staying on shore. With only nine rooms the atmosphere is comfortable and laidback, and the mellow shoreline is a rustic getaway where you’re still treated to the comforts of home. From $65-$300. 7km off of Los Planes highway from La Paz, www.ventanawindsports.com

Bahia de Los Angeles: If your whole idea of coming to Baja is to escape the resort setting and just get away from everything, pitch a tent beneath a palapa at Camp Daggets and put your cooler and beach chair out in the sun. Situated a five-minute drive from the center of town (which, remember, is a ten-hour drive from the border), sportfishing and snorkeling charters depart from right here on the property. Laidback and rustic, this is as calming an outpost as you can get. Campsites from $10, casitas from $50. 2 km north of Bahia de Los Angeles town, www.campdaggets.info

Logistics

How To Get There:

By Air: Most visitors to Baja arrive by international airports in La Paz, Loreto, and San José del Cabo. If you are traveling to Baja Norte and will be in need of a rental car, there is an international airport in Tijuana which has multiple rental car agencies. Most of the direct flights into La Paz, Loreto, and San José del Cabo depart from either San Diego or Los Angeles, and the flight from Los Angeles to Los Cabos is approximately two hours. When booking flights, remember to note that the state of Baja Sur is one hour ahead of West Coast time and is in the Mountain Time Zone.

By Car: Many visitors to Baja Norte and those who will be spending an extended period of time on the peninsula will simply choose to drive their own vehicles into Baja. The San Ysidro border crossing between San Diego and Tijuana is the most heavily-trafficked border crossing in the world, and wait times at the border when heading north can often be over two hours, particularly if returning on a Sunday afternoon. For a more low-key border crossing, the Tecate border crossing is located about an hour inland from San Diego, and the drive through the Valle de Guadalupe passes through the heart of Mexico’s burgeoning wine country. This road will reconnect with MEX 1 (the Transpeninsular highway) just north of Ensenada, and the highway is fully paved all the way down to “the tip” in Los Cabos.

Understand that if you’re going to be driving your own vehicle into Baja, will be in the country for longer than 72 hours, or will be traveling further south than Maneadero (30 minutes south of Ensenada), you will need to fill out a $25 Tourist Card which can be obtained at the border crossing. Also understand that most major rental car companies don’t allow their vehicles to travel into Mexico. One company which does and that we highly recommend is California Baja Rent A Car which is based in inland San Diego and specializes in rental cars to Baja.

Driving Tips: The number one rule of road travel in Mexico is not to drive at night. Stick to the roads during the daylight hours and everything should be fine. Since the border areas can still be a little suspect, it’s best to cross with a full tank of gas and minimize your presence in urban stretches around the border (such as putting surfboards inside of your car if at all possible). The Mexican courts work differently than those in the U.S., and at all costs you want to avoid getting in any sort of accident since you’re often considered guilty until proven innocent. Shakedowns by police are common on much of the roadways, and while it really is the wrong thing to do to pay la mordida (the bribe, or literally, “the bite”), a $20 bill in your glove box will save you a lot of hassle of spending hours at the police station trying to call their bluff. For more information on police and bribes, be sure to read the Vagabond Tales column “How To Pay Off The Police While Traveling“. Finally, when the car in front of you is flashing its left blinker without slowing down, it’s indicating to you that it is safe to pass.

Seasonality: Although you can find adventure in Baja during any day of the year, spring, fall, and winter are the best times to be on the peninsula. Although the surf is better on the southern portion of the peninsula during summer, temperatures along the Sea of Cortez can swell to well over 100 degrees, and areas around Los Cabos can be prone to passing hurricanes. Winter is best for surf on the northern half of the peninsula, and since the winter temperatures in Los Cabos can stretch towards 80 degrees it’s a popular time of year with sun-seekers and snowbirds. As a best overall bet, May and June offer shoulder season rates with comfortable weather for outdoor adventure.

Safety: As I mentioned in the 2012 article “I Traveled To Mexico And Came Back Alive“, Baja is comparatively safer than any urban center across America, and I would feel safer in a fishing village in Baja than an American urban center any day. For the doubters out there, the city of La Paz has a lower homicide rate than San Francisco, Sacramento, or Los Angeles, none of which are places I hear much chatter against visiting.

To say that Baja is dangerous is like saying California is dangerous because there are a few bad neighborhoods. Quite frankly, it’s ridiculous.

If you have concerns about the safety of Baja, it’s probably best to make your point elsewhere. I probably won’t hear you anyway over the sound of the wave breaking over me, or the hiss of my undersea regulator.

Want even more Baja? Read our article on 5 Classic Baja Outposts…

[Photo by Kyle Ellison]

Forget Paris, Try Lyon

by Megan Fernandez on

It was nighttime when I first pulled into France‘s second-largest city, by car, and the lights were on – a wash of royal blue shining up onto orderly rows of stately Renaissance buildings in ochre hues and reflecting in the river that bisects the city. Handsome was the word that came to mind. A masculine gold-and-sapphire answer to Paris’s ravishing, soulful beauty.

This was the postcard edge of Vieux Lyon, the old quarter of the city. Behind the grand, polished edifices lining the main avenue, a tangle of ancient, narrow streets delivers on the quintessential old-world European fantasy. At bistros called bouchons, people linger over slices of red praline tart, the city’s signature dessert. The same silver bikes roving Paris by the thousands slide through traffic. Graffiti is covered by pink tissue paper in the shape of a poodle.

Lyon, the gateway to the Rhone-Alps region, makes a fantastic alternative to the country’s famous capital for those interested in culture, food and enchanting surroundings. Located in the eastern part of the country, it’s reachable from Paris by the high-speed TGV train and the new budget service, Ouigo, which launched on April 2. (You can also rent a car and wander there via the chateau-rich Loire Valley.) Significantly smaller and more affordable than Paris, it’s easy to get around (by bike, streetcar or foot) and isn’t overrun with tourists.

Lyon isn’t Paris writ petit. It has charms all its own. These are the ones I’ve fallen in love with over the years visiting relatives who live there:Traboules
These 16th-century covered arcades and tunnels feel like secret passageways through the historic districts, and they are Lyon’s distinctive architectural feature. It’s said that the Allied forces used them to elude the Nazis during World War II.

Roman Ruins
Lyon was originally a Roman colony, and several ruins remain. The Pont du Gard (pictured below), one of the most spectacular preserved Roman structures outside of Italy and the highest Roman aqueduct in the world, is an easy day trip.

Trompe L’oeil Murals
Lyon elevates murals to high art. Of the 60-some murals in the city, the trompe l’oeil masterpieces are the biggest attractions. They cover entire sides of tall buildings, and some fool you into thinking the scene is real.

Public Bikes
Lyon launched the public-bicycle system that everyone associates with Paris – Paris’s Velib program is modeled after Lyon’s Velo’v. In fact, Lyon was the first European city to figure out how to make a municipal bike program sustainable.

Astronomical Clock
Inside Cathedrale Saint-Jean in Vieux Lyon, this mechanical wonder first constructed in 1383, and reconstructed in 1661, contains a 66-year perpetual calendar that will be accurate until 2019. It also includes the position of the moon, the sun and the earth, as well as the stars in the sky over Lyon.

The Shell House
Hidden along one of the alleys in the Croix Rousse historic district, best known as the center of the city’s famous silk heritage, seashells cover every inch of surface of a home and courtyard. There’s a no-trespassing sign, but it’s worth a quick peek through the fence.

Provence
Hilltop villages like Oppede le Vieux (pictured below) are only a couple hours away. Day trip bonus: stopping at French truck stops. My favorite one offered used of old-school fitness equipment like pull-up bars, and curvy concrete daybeds outside under trees.

[Photo credits: Gelinh, Damien (Phototrend.fr), Lorentey, Pug Freak abd Dominiqueb via Flickr, and Megan Fernandez]