Owner: dontresist URL:http://dontresist.blogspot.com Join Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:30:58 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: A travelogue detailing the adventures of a few travelers as well as destination factoids, photos, and language learning. Site statistics:Click here
Ireland/London Photoroll 2007-06-23 02:00:58 I know it has been a while since I last posted, but I think it may best for me to post photos rather than write from my journal to the web. Below are an assorted number of photos that either Dan or I took on our trip.A dorm that we stayed at in London. Even though we stayed in a 28 bed room, the atmosphere and people we met were amazing.Shayla, myself, and Dan with the Tower Bridge in the background (London).Another picture of me, but this time standing on the bridge.On the London Underground subway system. I discovered there was a stop called Russell Square.In London, we enjoyed the musical The Little Shop of HorrorsDan holding our hitchhiking sign to get back to Galway.Now it is my turn."Beware of the Risen People" is a quote within the historical Kilmainham jail (Dublin).Dan readying h Read more:Ireland
Ireland: Day 5 (Killarney/Pubs) 2007-06-06 10:08:37 Today we said goodbye to Doolin and decided our next adventure lie in Killarney. We jumped on a bus, and settled in to our normal state of sleeping on our long ride to the pub packed town.When we took a 15 minute break in Kilkenny, Dan & I discussed why we slept so much on the bus rides. Dan suggested it was probably due to the slow rocking motion of the bus. While I still do not have a solid idea, I thought at the time that the sleep could be caused by the amount of Guinness we drink the nights prior to catching a bus. One suggestion I received by another tourist was that it could be the cause of jet-lag. While I like the visitor's suggestion much better than ours, especially my alcoholic one, I realized that this wasn't the case because we had already been in Ireland
for 5 days. Wh
Ireland: Day 4 (Cliffs of Moher) 2007-05-28 09:52:02 The size of the cliffs are amazing. I have yet to see something of its magnitude in my life. As Dan & I layed near the edge as well as we protected ourselves from the whirling wind, I thought that nature was on mysterious creature. How on Earth were these cliffs formed? Gigantic waves? Earthquakes? Wind? Maybe all or some of these contributed to its current form.After visiting the cliffs, we walked back to Doolin in hopes of taking a break. While Dan continued to rest, I decided to go on a run through the countryside. Once I returned, we went to a pub to try and listen to traditional music. While we listened to some traditional music at one of the pubs, we bumped into two Englishmen who were in the area for the Irish Open (golf tournament). We both had a great time talking politics, cultur Read more:Ireland
, Cliffs
, Moher
Ireland: Day 2 (Run/Guinness/Night) 2007-05-22 18:34:24 I started off the day with a run through Trinity College. Each building that I passed had a history, which the US could never match. I also noticed something else while I ran through the city and Trinity...there are not that many people that run in Dublin. Although I don't know why, in Portland there is someone running on the streets whether it be rain or shine.Later on, Dan & I visited the Guinness
Storehouse (where they brew the sweet black stuff). While it was interesting to see how they blended the barley, wheat, hops, yeast, and water, the true attraction was the pint tasting on the seventh floor (really the 8th floor since the ground level is considered zero and not one...they do this throughout Ireland
). The panoramic view of the city gave us a chance to see where we had gone or wa Read more:Night
Ireland: Day 3 (Bus to Doolin) 2007-05-22 18:30:54 Most of the day was spent on a bus from Dublin to Doolin. Although it was great to the countryside, I would rather have not watched from the seat of a bus. Once we arrived in Doolin , Dan & I took a break from the long ride and took a nap at the Rainbow Hostel which we decided to stay. After our short nap, we walked to the closest pub to have a bite and drink. At the pub, they had a live band which played some great traditional music (none of which I had ever heard before...I think Dan recognized a few songs). The rest of the night we drank Guinness and talked the night away with each or others that were near our table. Read more:Ireland
Ireland: Day 1 (Flight/Check-In/Pub) 2007-05-20 19:58:34 As Dan & I sat on the plane going from San Francisco to Minneoapolis, I wondered if we would be late for our next flight (going to London). Once we walked off the plane, we heard an intercom announce that we had exactly 5 min. to get our next flight which was London. At this point we stepped up our pace to a sprint to get to our terminal gate. When we arrived at the gate, the attendant mentioned that she was monitoring our flight and that she would not leave without us. Although we felt special, we were a little ticked off that we sprinted about a 1/2 mile to get to our terminal.After that we took our seats and shedded our clothing, we watched movies on the flight till we arrived in London. Once we arrived in Dublin, we checked in to our hostel, the Ashfield House. The place was well kept Read more:Ireland
, Flight
, Check
Ireland Trip: Dublin Ashfield House 2007-05-14 19:03:04 Yesterday, Dan and I booked our first hostel in Dublin
for two nights at the Ashfield House
. According to our Lonely Planet book, the hostel is a converted church next to the Temple Bar (around Trinity College). I'm excited about staying at this hostel since it is in the heart of a college community.Also, our flight is leaving tomorrow and we'll be in London the next day. Dan or I will be posting an article to give a quick re-cap as two Americans in Ireland
.
Tucson: Crap-Hole or Paradise? 2007-05-12 16:37:46 Coming from the Northwest, I have been blessed with forests and a hearty amount of blossoms (These blossoms can be the devil rather than a beauty if you have allergies), while Tucson
on the other hand has been blessed with a scorching desert. My first impression of Tucson was that the town was a crap-hole. I had no idea that people would want to live in temperatures that neared the inside heat of an active volcano. Once I started meeting people and finding activities to do, I started to like Tucson a little more.In the arena of activities, I would suggest hiking or visiting Mt. Lemmon. The drive up the 9000 ft. mountain gives you four different ecological stratas (cacti, pine, sharp rock faces, etc.). If you are there during the winter, you can even go skiing or sledding during the da Read more:Paradise
Ireland Trip: Camping 2007-05-04 10:39:24 After discussing my trip with my advisor from Portland State, he told me a really cool story about camping in Ireland
. Here is an "unquotable" recount of the story: As he told it, he was walking down the road with another friend when he met this older man in the road. He asked the older man if it would be alright to camp in the green field off to his right. The old man suggested that the green off to the right wouldn't be the best, but he should try another one off to the left. The old man said that the one off to the left is owned by "McHannohan." He said that he would let him know when he went down to the pub. Supposedly, later that night my advisor went down to the pub to party with these guys and it was insane.The story my advisor told me has inspired me to bring along my tent an Read more:Camping
Ireland Trip: Lonely Planet Guidebook 2007-04-30 22:04:59 Although I always feel very touristy when I buy a guidebook, I find that the guidebooks such as Frommers or Lonely
Planet provide great insight to hostels, activities, and more. I primarily use Lonely Planet
(I'm not getting paid) since their material is more update to date. When I went to Japan last summer, I used a Frommers guide to find accommodations (particularly a capsule hotel) and discovered that the place had shutdown. I'm not sure who to blame, the hotel or Frommers, but I know that such an incident has yet to happen with Lonely Planet.As I was looking through the Lonely Planet Ireland
Edition, I found many new surf shops which provide lessons. One that I am quite impressed with is T-Bay Surf & Wildlife. It provides surf lessons and equipment for about $35 and is quite w Read more:Guidebook
Ireland Trip: RYANAIR 2007-04-30 00:49:23 The original idea was to fly in London (Gatwick), and then take the train/ferry systems to arrive in Ireland
. But Dan was discussing the trip with his family and one person suggested that we fly into Dublin since it's "dirt cheap." After doing some investigatory work, I found out that they were indeed correct.Currently, Ryanair is offering airfare (all taxes included) from Gatwick to Dublin for 10 GBP (or approximately $20 US). By flying into Dublin, we will be saving about $20 each way. I wish I knew about their cheap service earlier, since they are offering this special for all serviced locations. Hypothetically, we could fly from Dublin to anywhere in Spain for $20. If you're planning a trip to Europe from May to Oct, then you should get your tickets now since the deal ends April
Most Dangerous Roads (in the World!) 2007-04-29 23:42:30 While I was procrastinating (school work), I came across a link (Most Dangerous Roads
) which details with photos and descriptions the top five dangerous roads. They also detail more dangerous roads around the world. I expected to see cityscape roads in Mexico or in Costa Rica, but instead discovered the roads were risks I might never encounter.Actually, I am hoping some day to visit at least a few of the named locations since the roads appear, from photos, to be beautiful. Particularly, the road in Taiwan seems to be very interesting. Go check out the link to see roads in Bolivia, Russia, China, and many other countries. Read more:World
Ireland Trip: Budget 2007-04-28 19:58:14 After I bought my airfare, I soon realized I had no idea how much my trip would cost. As soon as I looked at a few accommodations (hostels, B&B's), I realized my budget did not have to resemble a backpacker's wallet. A few estimations later, I calculated that my overall expenditure of the trip would most likely be in the range of $1700 to $2000. Below is a not so detailed list of what I will be spending my money towards.Plane Ticket - $540Accommodations - $400Avg. Cost Per Night - $25Food & Drink - $400Avg. Cost Per Day - $25Transportation - $200Activity Cost - $300Gas to San Francisco from Portland - $50Since I have never been to Ireland
, I can only gather my information from the Internet and guidebooks. Because of this, please give me some feedback since I do not have a realistic
Ireland Trip: Surfing 2007-04-26 19:28:37 Surfing?!?!? How is that possible in Ireland
? I thought the same thing once I heard about it. After doing some research, I discovered the island is quite good for surfing. During certain times of the year, some waves so massive that you need to be towed in on a jet ski, such as in a Dreamcatcher Productions film, "And then the wind died...".Although I am not going to be catching waves the size of those, I still want to catch some decent sized waves like I have done before down in San Diego. I have been emailing a few surf schools along the Irish coast to see how the waves will be during my visit in May. Most of them say it is a hit or miss occasion during May and June. Based on the advice they've given, I have decided that the best course of action will be to have a list of surf sh Read more:Surfing
Lost Bags. Lost Souls 2007-04-20 22:30:44 As a travelogue Lost Bags. Lost Souls
hits the mark perfectly. It is more than just a normal travel narrative in which two Americans decide to climb the 21,000 foot Kang Yatse are thoughtful, innovative, and fun to watch. After watching the episodes on their site, I am considering creating something similar for my trip to Ireland. Read more:Lost Souls
Ireland Trip: Planning 2007-04-20 20:24:47 Without saying much, my friend (Dan) tells me he is traveling to Ireland
this May or June. I chimed in that I would like to trek along as well. Soon after we conversed I jumped online to find ideas and airfare for the trip. With the help of Kayak and other airfare sites, I found airfare to London for $540 from San Francisco (I recently just bought the tickets for the both of us from Northwest Airlines).Both Dan and I have been doing extensive research for activities, places to go, and breweries to visit. A couple of activities that I wish to do before I come back home are to go surfing (I'll have more on this in later posts), visit a few brew tours, and bike for a few days. In particular, the brewery/distillery tours we know that we want to go on are:Jameson Whiskey (Midletown) (link
Back Again & Language Learning: Spanish 2007-02-04 22:23:53 After a drought of posts, I am back again with a rejuvenated enthusiasm towards writing about what interests myself. I am going to start my series of posts off with a rant about language learning.While I was away during Christmas break for school, I visited Costa Rica with a group of my friends from school. The experience of visiting another country enthused myself to learn a language (this time I am for real). I am hoping to learn Spanish
by using the Pimsleur CD Lesson program and by using various website references. As I learn Spanish, I will post new and interesting phrases, grammar, and vocab to keep myself striving towards my goal. The first word I am going to start my series off with is the verb to win, which in Spanish is ganar. The noun most commonly used on the other hand i Read more:Again
, Learning
Taiwan & Japan Photoset 2006-07-27 23:07:37 I just setup a Flickr photoset for the trip. There are currently 26 photos, but I plan on adding more later. Also, I am going to develop my black & white film soon. I will develop a CD of the negatives once they are ready and post them as well. The link to the photos is below.Japan
/Taiwan
Photoset
After Trip Reports...Soon 2006-07-19 16:51:08 Life back in Oregon is just as I left it with a few exceptions, but overall I am glad to be back. One thing that I am glad to have back is the temperate weather instead of walking around in Japan/Taiwan humidity. I am starting to write alot of short journals detailing events that myself or Doug ran into while we were on our journey. I will post the writing as soon as I get more free time on my hands. Also, I am in the process of sorting through the pictures I have taken and promise a link to the slideshow by the weekend.
I Love Tokyo 2006-07-06 05:42:55 I am sure that if I lived in Tokyo
for more than a month, then I would start to miss the wilderness. At the moment though, I am in love with how Tokyo runs. The subway systems are designed to perfection with people bustling through ticketbooths and entryways without confusion. Even though I can only speak a little Japanese, I have found the subways and rail systems in Tokyo to be fairly easy to navigate. I hope the US is able to adopt a similar transportation system in the future.Yesterday, we arrived in Tokyo a day early since we decided against climbing Fuji. The weather report showed that it would be raining until today, so we dropped our Fuji plans. When we arrived at the hostel I had overheard that a typhoon had been developing south of Fuji, which had brought in the rainstorm f
A Little More Laid Back Today 2006-07-04 02:27:42 After we took a 2 hour bullet train to Hiroshima, I wasn't sure what to expect out of the National Peace Museum (main reason for visiting the city). The information was amazing since they produced details history books in America don't usually provide. After the museum & standing in awe of the A-Bomb Dome, we took the Shinkansen back to Osaka. Later that night, we decided to go to a sushi bar (sushi goes aroound on a conveyor belt). The employees loved having us there. Our Americanism won each of us a free beer since they loved hearing us say cheers in Japanese (Kampai).Since we had been running on overdrive ever since leaving America, we decided that a laid back day was much needed for today. After leaving the hostel, we visited Osaka castle for a short bit & then visited a couple Read more:Today
, Laid Back
Unsure of Where To Go; Osaka? 2006-07-02 06:49:33 We left early in the morning to Mt. Koya. It took about 2 1/2 hours to arrive at the mountain. As we took the train to the temples, we passed rainforest type plants, towering cedars, and off & on fog banks. The area was very scenic to say the least. Once we arrived in Koya-san, we check in to the temple, Haryo-in. In the town, there were temples every twenty feet, gardens every city block, and cars driving by only once every 10 minutes (the bus). It was one of the quietest moments of my life.After a stroll through town, we headed back to the temple for our vegetarian dinner. I was suprised to see that my taste buds enjoyed the tofu, cabbage, and rice so much. We were served a similar meal for breakfast, which pleased my mouth just as much. Before eating breakfast though, we attend Read more:Osaka
Headed for Mt. Koya 2006-06-30 20:07:42 The previous day, we headed to Nara park. We had heard that deer roamed free all over the town. When we arrived, the deer were everywhere and they were very tame. We could pet them and even just sit with them if we wanted. Since the largest Buddha and oldest free standing wood temple was not far, we headed to that area. I didn't expect much since I had seen so many temples in the last 4 days, but the Buddha and temple were gigantic. It was well worth the trip to see both.After spending 4 days in Kyoto, I have found only one complaint about the city. It is very difficult to find a decent place to eat. Most of the places to eat are bars and they only serve grilled meat. I love meat, but every once and a while I need some grains and greens. Next, we will be heading to Mt. Koya, a Buddhis
Biking Around Kyoto 2006-06-29 02:49:06 Last night, we went to the Uji river to watch cormorant fishing. We were not able to fish, but we were able to watch from a boat. It was so close that I was able to pet one of the birds before it dived back into the water. After that, we took the train back to Kyoto
and had dinner at a small diner before crashing.After a long night of rest, we were determined to see more of Kyoto. Before arriving in Kyoto, we decided that the second day would be spent biking around Kyoto. Since most of the town is flat, the bike ride was not that bad. We traveled from the south to the east of town to the north and west. Along the way we visited the Golden Pavillion and other temples. When we were travelling from the south to north part of the city (Golden Pavillion area), we totally got lost and tr Read more:Biking
Days Since Last Post 2006-06-28 03:05:27 Sorry for not updating in quite a while. We have been too busy to access the internet. Anyway, we are in Kyoto, Japan. We arrived in Nagoya and stayed in a Capsule Hotel (Sauna & bath). It was kind of weird to go into a sauna and bath naked, but we eventually get used to it. The next day, we took a Shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto. The train was going atleast 150mph. We were zipping past mountains and unable to see things that were closer than 20 feet to the train (feels like the speed of an airplane).Kyoto, is a really old town with a lot of old classical Japanese style buildings (makes it really easy to take good pictures). The hostel we are staying at in Kyoto is really clean and nice. Since it was our first night in the town, we decided to head to a bar. The people there we
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