Travel Tales – Page 3 – Thither & Yon

Expedition Poke-Everest, Day 4: to Tengboche

October 6, 2023

First Everest sighting today!! Starting location: Namche Bazar, 3,440m (11,286 feet) Max elevation: 3,860m (12,726 feet) Min elevation: 3,318m (10,884 feet) Ending location: Tengboche, 3,860m (12,726 feet) Total gain: 846m (2,775 feet) Distance traveled: 7.57 miles in 4:40 active time, 6:14 total time Average pace: 36’59” per mile Slowest mile: 45’01” Rain and clouds moved … More Expedition Poke-Everest, Day 4: to Tengboche

Expedition Poke-Everest, Day 3: Namche Bazar

October 5, 2023

Today is an acclimatization day in Namche Bazar. We did a 2.5-mile hike up to the Tenzing Interpretive Center, just above 12,000 feet, but otherwise our assignment for the day is to rest, explore the town a little, and practice breathing at this elevation. Namche is an incredibly cool town. The only way to get … More Expedition Poke-Everest, Day 3: Namche Bazar

Expedition Poke-Everest, Day 2: Bistari, bistari

October 3, 2023

Today begins the upward trek! Starting location: Phakding, 2,610m (8,601 feet) Ending location: Namche Bazar, 3,440m (11,210 feet) Total gain: 1,000m (3,281 feet) Distance: 7.8 miles in 5:01 active time, 6:48 total time Average pace: 38’35” per mile Slowest mile: 44’57” Getting out of town at 8am was a whole lot like joining rush hour … More Expedition Poke-Everest, Day 2: Bistari, bistari

Expedition Poke-Everest, Day 1: Get yourself a guide

October 2, 2023

Here’s the best and most reliable tip I’ll have to offer for this whole adventure: hire a guide. If you hire a good guide, you can stand back and watch the guideless-tourists struggle to communicate and figure out all the red tape while your guide jumps to the front of the line and just makes … More Expedition Poke-Everest, Day 1: Get yourself a guide

Expedition Poke-Everest, Day 0: I’m doomed.

October 2, 2023

“This is going to be a difficult hike for you,” our orientation guide said, looking at Dustin. “And it’s going to be an extremely difficult hike for you,” he said, turning his attention to me.

I wanted to be offended, but he was obviously not wrong. … More Expedition Poke-Everest, Day 0: I’m doomed.

Puerto Vallarta 2023: we learn to make chocolate

February 21, 2023

“Taste it now,” Lizzette said after the first grinding. I squinted at her suspiciously. I’d fallen for this once. Why would the ground beans taste any less bitter than the whole beans? But I did it anyway, because I’m all about the experience. … More Puerto Vallarta 2023: we learn to make chocolate

The Necessary Optimism of Baby Sea Turtles

February 11, 2023

“There’s another reason,” the guide continued. “This is a reason you never touch any sea turtle at all. Not the eggs, not the adults, and not the babies. Not even if you think it needs help. It’s the reason you see all our volunteers wearing gloves.”

Uh oh, I thought, thinking of baby birds again. … More The Necessary Optimism of Baby Sea Turtles

Canoeing and Camping in Voyageurs National Park

September 26, 2022

And then we found the real current. Between the current and the wind, we were suddenly fighting actual waves. My rowing muscles, which had been born only that morning, started to howl. As we came around the first knob of Mica Island, making progress against the shore at a rate of two inches per paddle stroke, I began wailing along with them. … More Canoeing and Camping in Voyageurs National Park

Voyageurs National Park: A visit to Kettle Falls Hotel

September 25, 2022

After all the (self-inflicted) stress and tears of planning this trip to America’s most Canada-adjacent National Park, the adventure itself went off entirely without a hitch, and it was a gorgeous, only slightly painful adventure. In this first installment, we make our way successfully to Kettle Falls. Or maybe one hitch? The night we spent … More Voyageurs National Park: A visit to Kettle Falls Hotel

Walking to Arlington National Cemetery on a Hot, Hot Day

August 12, 2022

And perhaps it was “only” two miles, but by the end of it I was carefully making sure to always stay within view of passing cars so that if I keeled over from heat stroke, someone would see me go down and hopefully call for help. … More Walking to Arlington National Cemetery on a Hot, Hot Day

Thither & Yon

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Category: Travel Tales