Hiking the Hayduke

by Erik Olsen on

I think it would be great to hit a hiking trail for days on end, to have long days stretch before you where all you
have to do is walk and camp. These guys are doing just that, and
posting along the way.

Mike Coronella and Joe Mitchell set out earlier this March to amble the
Hayduke Trail, and thus become the first end-to-end
travelers of a rigorous route which snakes through America’s southwestern deserts and the Colorado Plateau. The posts
are well-written and compelling, providing a glimpse off the kind of travails these guys face as they trudge across the
countryside.

Outside did a piece on these guys
as well.

Mt. Biking Whistler

by Erik Olsen on

Whistler Mountain Bike Park is one of the most advanced (and grueling) riding parks in the
world. I rode there several years ago before a couple of major improvements in the park, and had a few of the
best riding days ever. We had sunshine, the sweet perfume of pine trees and endless miles of single track joy. I
did take a nasty spill and almost lost my two front teeth (again…lost them playing basketball many years
ago), but when we hit the apres biking bars and kicked back with a few rum and cokes, we agreed this is a fine place to
ride.

Anyway, all that is a long single track ride down nostalgia lane. But what I really wanted to point out here was
this series of Web-based videos of biking Whistler. Good stuff. Well
cut and uplifting music. Even a few scenes of apres ride life.

Overland Through Cambodia

by Erik Olsen on

Two years ago, I did the boat
trip from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh and thought it was one of the most interesting trips I’ve been on. The floating
towns, the people on the river, the fishermen out there with their nets. Cambodia is one of my favorite places to
travel.

 

But getting there and getting around can be tough because it’s still a very undeveloped country. We flew into Siem
Reap because it was faster and we only had a few weeks there, but lots of people like to make the overland trip from
Thailand, which I’m told is fascinating and cheap. There are several routes (i.e. Poipet / Aranyaprathet, Hat Lek
/ Koh Kong) covered here, each with its advantages and disadvantages. And
this useful guide covers most of them nicely and
with timely detail. Good site to bookmark.

Photo of the Day: (5/22/05)

by Erik Olsen on

Couldn’t resist
this silly elephant photo once I
stumbled upon it during my morning browse. The photo comes from a site called “Around-the-World Travel with Dick and
Witta — 2005”, which is itself a source of some amusement. You see, Dick and Witta have retired and are now
hoofing it around the world. And they obviously have enough friends that they have put together
this site to chronicle their adventures.

Your Goooooooaaal for 2006

by Erik Olsen on

Here’s an idea for 2006 for hard-core soccer fans  who like to get their travel
planning done early: catch the  2006
FIFA World Cup, being held throughout
Germany from June 9 to July 9. Thirty-two national soccer teams will go head to head in 12 cities, beginning in Munich
and ending in Berlin. Matches will also be played in Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Leipzig.

 

Chances are the United States, who was eliminated in 2002 with a loss to Germany, will land a fifth consecutive World
Cup appearance…pretty remarkable when you think about how little interest there is in soccer in this country.

The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) draws for teams on Dec. 9, and the 3.2 million World
Cup tickets will be released in a series of sales periods. But be aware that buying them is a calculated risk (also,
they cost $45 to $130 until the final, when tickets are $155 to $776).

A good way to get tix is from a broker or agency, such as RazorGator
Inc. or TicketCity.com.