Well we’re getting awful close to 2007 and so lots of sites are now trying to get you to think about where to spend your hard-earned dollars on travel and adventure in the new year. One of the first of these lists I’ve seen is this one over at Fodors that urges folks to get out and savor all sorts of outdoor fun, some of which is kind of lame (Be a Pirate) and some quite alluring (i.e. taking a train trip through Australia) The range is broad, but the Fodors folks do a good job assembling a fairly eclectic mix of ideas. As i say, they may not all work for you, but it’s a fine way to start making your own “Must-Do” list for the coming year.
Stop the Itching
I posted the how to get yourself out of quicksand post earlier this morning and it got me thinking about doing another post on something we all deal with when heading out of doors. Bug bites and how to treat them.
I am actually sitting here at my desk after a long, amazing week paddling in baja California. I am going to be posting a series of dispatches on the trip shortly, but in the meantime my arms, face and legs are covered with nasty, itchy bug bites. Why do these bites itch? Good question.
Yes, I had deet with me and yes I applied it liberally. But it didn’t seem to do much to stop the black no-see-ums that descended on us in a cloud. To make matters worse, I fell asleep the last night on the beach and left my head uncovered. So now I look like the victim of a small pox epidemic.
And so I can focus on writing and my work rather than itching, I was looking for something to ease the suffering, to help stop the scratching. Turns out (unless I’m wrong, of course) there really don’t seem to be a lot of great remedies out there. Calamine lotion, sure, but it really doesn’t do a great job and you end up with those lousy pink/white splotches on your skin. Whta about applying cold? That doesn’t last very long. Baking soda…maybe, but I doubt it. This site recommends covering yourself with scotch tape which sounds kinky, but rather dubious.
Does anyone out there have any good, functional recommendations? How to stop the itching?
Getting Out of Quicksand
There you are, crossing the dunes in some desert landscape, perhaps in Utah or Africa, and you stop to ponder the beauty of the place. But suddenly, you realize something is amiss, the world is rising before your yes. No wait! You are sinking, that’s what’s happening. You are sinking in quicksand.
A possibility? Probably not quite like I describe it. That came from a scene in Blazing Saddles or some cartoon I saw as a kid. The fact is, I’ve never really seen quicksand before and am not quite sure I believe it even exists…at least not as something that can consume you and kill you.
That said, I am always eager to help gadling readers help themselves. To wit: here is a fine little how to, a save yourself treatise on getting out of quicksand, should you be so unfortunate as to find yourself sinking as described above. The lessons taught in this little wiki might seem rather obvious (lesson 1: avoid quicksand. Ah, thank you, Dr. Einstein), but others are perhaps less so…for example Walk softly and carry a big stick, the idea being that you will test the ground in places where you believe there might be quicksand. Yeah, OK, maybe that’s pretty obvious too. Maybe the best idea is just to stay safe indoors.
Naw, me neither.
NG’s Adventurer of the Year Award
Some serious congrats out to two modern adventurers, Magellans if you will, who were recently awarded National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year award. The award went to Colin Angus and Julie Wafaei, a very hard-core couple of activist travelers. The pair pulled off a rather amazing feat, even in this day and age when it would seem so many of the great adventures have been thought of and accomplished. The pair circumnavigated the globe entirely on human power. they began their journey in their hometown of Vancouver, Canada, way back in June 2004 and then via canoe, hiking, biking and skiing made their way through tough terrain and some even tougher circumstances to accomplish their goal.
We blogged a bit about them earlier this year, but there is lots of information about the feat here ,as well as a sublimely cool video from some of their expedition here.
Banff Film Tour Kicks Off
The films are loaded in the back of the van and the engine is revving.
That means it’s time for the Banff Film Festival to hit the road and tour the world with its fine collection of award-winning mountain and outdoor films.
The schedule has now been inked and can be found here.
The tour begans appropriately enough in Canada and will pop around the Great White North the remainder of this month and most of January.
Those of us in the USA hoping to catch this amazing festival will have to wait until the van crosses the border and sets up shop in Bozeman Montana on January 19th. Then it is a three-month whirlwind tour through North America and then on to the rest of the world.
Me? I’ll have to wait until March 17/18 to catch it in Santa Monica. I’m sure it will be as great as it always is.