Overtime
November 1st was the anniversary of when we left to start our trip around the world. It’s hard to believe that it has been a whole year already. I’m very glad that we decided to extend our travels by 3 more months because I’m not quite ready to come home yet. We just arrived in San Sebastian, Spain (or Donostia as it is known in Basque), but we stopped in Mont St. Michel a few days ago on the way – see the photo at the bottom.
We’ve been doing a lot of driving to get down here and have had time in the car to reflect on the last year. We also read many travel books along the way, by current writers like Paul Theroux or Bryson, or those from the past like Mark Twain. I’m in the middle of his “The Innocents Abroad” right now and we got to discussing how little has changed in traveling since 1869. While many of the sights he describes are nearly identical today, his thoughts on guides, souvenirs, cultural quirks, and touts could have been written yesterday. And based on what we saw in Rome, it’s been that way for centuries.
However, there are some things that have changed for the better, and it’s certainly a little more comfortable and a lot more convenient to travel in the 21st century. Here’s our list of things that we are glad to have:
15. Quick-dry fabrics
14. Digital Cameras
13. iPods
12. Wheels on luggage – no way we could afford the porters for the trunks that Twain had
11. English bookstores – new or used, you can almost always find paperbacks in English
10. Airplanes – hate the airlines, love the jets
9. Airline Lounges – well, maybe we don’t hate everything about the airlines
8. Rental Cars – who needs public transportation if you have one of these? Although a nightmare to park, there is no better way to see a country
7. GPS – its fun to get lost in a country at times, but there’s still plenty of opportunities even with a SatNav
6. A good pair of walking/hiking/everything-everywhere shoes – even with #8, you won’t get far without these
5. US Passports – easy entry to almost any country, same as in Twain’s days. Everyone still loves America
4. The Sock Puppet – “Levity is good. It relieves tension and the fear of death.” The Terminator said that and he’s our governor now.
3. The Euro – even though it’s unconscionably high vs. the dollar, we don’t have to keep pockets full of lire, marks, francs, and pesos
2. ATMs – always open, almost always work
1. The Internet (and all that comes with it)
halftime
November 4th, 2009 at 12:57 am
Can you describe those shoes a bit more?
November 7th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Well I should first note that we are both on our 2nd pairs. I started out with a pair of Merrell Sirens, but walked the treads right off them. They were good looking shoes that worked on the trails, but I didn´t mind wearing around in cities. I went with Merrell Ventillators this time around. They are not as pretty, but give a little more support and have thicker/stiffer soles.
Eric started out with the Ventillators, but switched to a pair of Lowa shoes. They are much more heavy duty than his last pair, but he still needs a little more support after his ankle injury two years ago.
PS – Don´t get me started talking about shoes! Want to hear about my Kenneth Cole black flats?