due south

-111 responses to “Something horrible has happened”

1. Brian says:

   September 25, 2006 at 12:12 pm

   Please don’t leave. Here is a link to the missing posts – http://72.14.203.104/search?sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&q=cache:http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.bootsnall.com%2FSarah%2BK%2F – Let us know if there is anything we can do to help get them back into the system – you should be able to cut and paste them.

   We apologize for this problem. There are now additional checks in place to keep it from happening again.

2. austen says:

   September 26, 2006 at 12:48 pm

   Bootsnall is a dumbname anyway, I say ditch it, or at least try to rename it Bootsnail.

3. Connie says:

   September 27, 2006 at 7:01 pm

   Give Brian another chance and cut and paste.

4. Connie says:

   September 29, 2006 at 5:11 am

   If you read the story about the origination of BootsnAll, it doesn’t seem dumb at all.

5. admin says:

   September 29, 2006 at 11:42 am

   Dude, bootsnail is hilarious! We still can’t find the old posts, but we’ll keep looking. Also, gotta keep moving forward, ya know. No looking back.
   -Megan

6. Connie says:

   October 1, 2006 at 4:05 am

   Naps: In Memorium
   August 15th, 2006

   There are many ways to make money for travel. When you’re a teacher and summer camp director, I think your best choice is looking after other people’s kids. In fact, this is what I’m doing right now, at this very moment. “But how can you be looking after other people’s kids and writing a blog post at the same time,” you ask? The answer is quite simple: kids nap.

   When and why did we stop napping? Whenever it was that we decided that it was time to stop napping, I think we should all go back to that moment in time and take it back! That was perhaps the stupidest decision we ever made. You may be thinking, “well, we just stopped needing them. Even if we tried now, we wouldn’t be able to do it; our minds would be racing.” I can tell you with complete certainty that this is not true. While putting the kids to bed just now, I came very close to falling asleep myself, except that I woke myself up by making a very loud grunting noise. Don’t ask me why. Were it not for that grunt, I would be asleep right now becoming well rested like the children. Alas.

   However, I shouldn’t complain because while I’m writing this blog post, I’m also getting paid — and what I get paid for one hour will buy me several nights sleep in a hostel in Guatemala. Score.

   -Sarah

   Posted in Travel, Preparations | 1 Comment »
   Tags: fundraising, money, jobs, central america, south america, Tag Index
   WMDs, Executions, and a good place to buy “Annapolis” before it’s out on DVD

   August 12th, 2006

   I didn’t buy anything at the travel bookstore today.

   I did, however, stay there long enough to learn a few things:

   1) I’m glad we’re not going to Panama, because apparently the United States government buried chemical weapons there and will not divulge their locations because they’re afraid terrorists will dig them up. This makes them impossible to avoid.

   2) I have a strong morbid streak that Sarah does not share. For instance, I want to visit the place where El Che was executed, and she does not. This could be because it made the list of the top 80 places you do NOT want to visit.* Who knows? I think she’s just chicken.

   3) There is a Latino market every Saturday at the end of our block. Ok, I didn’t learn that at the bookstore, I learned it on the way home. It’s one of the few times I’ve learned something from experience and not from a book. My horizons really are expanding.

   I didn’t buy a thing… but I learned so much. I really beat that system, didn’t I.

   -Megan

   *Don’t worry, Mom, Che’s execution spot isn’t dangerous, it’s just not that interesting.

   Posted in Travel, Preparations, Books | 4 Comments »
   Tags: Panama, Che, markets, Central America, South America, Tag Index

   A Fond Goodbye to the Adrenaline Pumping Through My Veins
   August 9th, 2006

   I spent last night reading my Lonely Planet Central America Guidebook and getting happy. I’ve been a gigantic ball of stress for the past week or so, thinking about all of the stuff that has to get done before we go, fretting about how we have to tie up all the loose ends of our life in San Francisco: sell our stuff, quit our jobs, break our lease, say goodbye to our friends. But in the midst of all that stress (and probably as a result of the adrenaline that the stress was pumping through my veins) — I got a lot of that stuff done. We’ve talked to the landlord and he’s giving us our security deposit, even though we’re breaking our lease. We’ve already sold two pieces of furniture (making $30 on a trunk that I got at a tag sale for $10). I’ve already quit my job; Megan’s getting ready to quit her’s. I’ve bought Loki (the cat) a kennel in which she will travel across the country into the loving arms of my mother/grandmother. It’s getting done. In fact, a lot of it has gotten done already. And sitting back last night and reading about where we’re going to be, what we’ll be seeing, what we’ll be doing, just made me so relaxed — which, as Megan will attest to, was not a state I had been in for a while.

   And it’s good that I finally let myself relax — because it’s the last day of my vacation. Tomorrow morning I start my new job at 8:15am. I’ll be nannying for a one year old little girl named Eva for the next two days. Next week I’ll be nannying for a 2 year old and a 4 year old. And after that I’ll (hopefully, if things go well tomorrow) be back nannying for Eva until we leave on October first. Here’s to hoping that I figure out what to do with kids under the age of 11.

   -Sarah

   Posted in Travel, Preparations | No Comments »
   Tags: Relaxation, Nannying, Children, Central America, South America, Tag Index

   The Capsule that Cares: Musings on Immunization
   August 7th, 2006

   At the moment, I am looking at a pamphlet entitled “Vaccine in a Capsule.” On the cover of said pamphlet, there is a capsule. The capsule is sitting on top of a refrigerator with its legs, yes, its legs, hanging over the side. The capsule’s arms, you heard me right, are outstretched as if to say “let’s get vaccinated! Come on down!” The capsule, or is that Mr. Capsule to me, is smiling and it (he?) has googley eyes. Oh, and he’s wearing white gloves — you know, to be sterile.

   “Mr. Capsule” is only one of several vaccines I took today. He’ll protect me from Typhoid. The others (although not personified) will protect me from Yellow Fever and Hepatitis A. Woot.

   I traveled over to the Public Health Building down by the Civic Center where there is an Adult Immunization and Travel Clinic. When I arrived, I filled out some forms and was told that I should eat something so that I wouldn’t be getting my immunizations on an empty stomach. They sent me upstairs to a very small, teachers-lounge-esque, quite depressing little cafe which, although located in the San Francisco Public Health building, served only particularly fattening foods. Go figure.

   So I spent the next hour trying to eat my incredibly large chocolate croissant while being lectured on horrible diseases and how to prevent getting them by a very nice and quite pretty nurse. I’m glad she sent me away with a lot of reading material because instead of listening to her, I spent the whole time worrying if it was rude that I was eating while she was talking — but she did tell me to do it — so — if it was rude, it’s her fault really.

   Behind my nice and pretty nurse, there was a picture of a little raccoon. He was incredibly cute until my nurse started talking to me about how rabies is 100% fatal and if any animals lick or bite you, basically you’ll die if you don’t fly yourself to a hospital immediately. The raccoon stopped being cute very quickly and I started thinking that the picture placement at the Adult Immunization and Travel Clinic was more than a little manipulative and perhaps even morbid.

   So that was my day. Now I just have to decide if I want to take the Malaria pills that might make you go crazy, the ones that will cost almost a thousand dollars, or the ones that will make me incredibly sensitive to the sun, give me yeast infections, diarrhea, bouts of vomiting, and a fever. I think I’m going with option C. Thoughts?

   -Sarah

   Posted in Travel, Preparations, Immunizations | 6 Comments »
   Tags: Immunizations, Shots, Vaccination, Central America, South America, Tag Index

   If only.
   August 7th, 2006

   I am printing gobs and gobs of documents so that I can produce them to the defense before an expert gives her deposition. First, however, I will copy them with a fancy copy-setting that adds little numbers to the bottom of the page so that they are recorded, accessible, and easily referenced. Chances are I will organize them into a three-ringed binder with color coded exhibit tabs at some point. Such is the thrilling life of a paralegal. I sit back, relax, do some printing and copying, and watch opposing attorneys hit each other over the head until one expert emerges as the most expert-seeming to potential jurors.

   All this, when I could be sipping pina coladas in a beach hut bungalow off the coast of Honduras.

   Or exploring the Mayan ruins of Tikal.

   Or boating down the Amazon.

   Or even getting travelers’ diarrhea in a dingy hostel with hairy tarantulas crawling around in the shower.

   Better get back to work.

   -Megan

   Posted in Travel, Preparations | 1 Comment »
   Tags: work, trip-planning, day-dreaming, Central America, South America, Tag Index

   One Hike, Two Sandals, and a Beautiful Backpack
   August 6th, 2006

   Yesterday we went on a very long hike in part to prepare ourselves for the hiking that we plan on doing on our trip, but mostly just because some friends of ours asked us to go hiking with them. I discovered a couple of things about myself on this hike. Firstly, I’m exactly like my mother when it comes to hiking: I tend to walk very fast; if we’re on a hike, then we must be headed somewhere and why not get there quickly if we can? And secondly, I should buy some hiking boots because it is hard to get places quickly in my sandals.

   In other news, I bought myself a GOURGEOUS backpack, which will be my traveling companion while we’re on the road. AND, I got it for less than half of what it’s worth. Woot! Since we decided to go on this trip, I have been a frequent visitor at the REI Used Gear Sales at which the nice people at REI sell all the stuff that people have returned for a fraction of what it was worth originally. Some of the things are old or damaged, but some are beautiful, pristine, and new. For example, my new backpack was put in the Used Gear Sale because it was “too old to re-stock.” Now, it was very clear that the backpack had never been used before. It still had its tag and everything. But it had been sold several years ago and the buyer had promptly forgotten that she ever bought it. She must have let it sit in her closet for years before returning it. Anyway, point is, I got to buy an unused North Face backpack for less than half of what it was worth. And therefore, I win.

   Score: Me and my backpack: 1, Whoever it was that we were competing against: 0

   -Sarah

   Posted in Travel, Preparations | 11 Comments »
   Tags: hiking, backpack, hike, Central America, South America, Tag Index

   Phlebotomy schlebotomy
   August 5th, 2006

   I got poked today. So the doctor could test my blood. I don’t fully understand the reason behind it, but I feel super accomplished. And maybe a little faint.

   This was the first step towards getting vaccinated against those tropical diseases that we northerners find so troubling. Well, actually, the 3rd step. First, I called the travel hotline of my insurance carrier, where I was transferred to a chatty fellow who told me about driving down to Mexico in a van and partying on deserted beaches. After reminiscing about some girl and telling me what he’d do if he were my age, he took down my itinerary information. This took my whole lunch hour. About 45 minutes later, in my cubicle, I got a call from Anne the travel nurse, who again took my itinerary information and asked me several personal questions that you really don’t want to answer from a cubicle. It is a testament to my powers of obfuscation that I was able to conduct this entire conversation without alerting the office to my travel plans. (I have not yet given my notice, so this is a concern. Don’t tell.) She directed me to the lab, where I was poked. My blood will be tested for things like Hepatitis and Measles. Don’t ask me why. I just do what I’m told. Hopefully, on the 14th, I will receive my actual vaccinations, some antibiotics, anti-malarial drugs, and maybe a lollipop. There was no lollipop today.

   Fun fact: the people who take your blood are called phlebotomists. Yes, phlebotomists. This is the funniest blood-related word I know.

   -Megan

   Posted in Travel, Preparations, Immunizations | 5 Comments »
   Tags: vaccinations, immunizations, hepatitis, health, shots, Tag Index

   A picture is worth a thousand words… and at least $100
   August 4th, 2006

   Travel junkies like to tell you that you don’t need any material goods in order to travel and you shouldn’t spend any money on things before your trip. They are lying. Either that or they all already own the things that you will need and assume that the rest of us do to. Damn them!

   This is all to say that today I went out and bought a digital camera. I’ll be doing a lot of traveling and when one travels things often get lost or stolen. I figured that I should buy a cheaper camera so I won’t feel as bad when, inevitably, for one reason or another, said camera is no longer in my possession. That, and I’m cheap.

   So, I walked into CompUSA to find that all of their cameras were over $100. All except for one: the Vivitar Vivicam for $99. It actually seemed like a really great camera. It’s got 6 mega pixels and 3X optical zoom. Those things sound cool don’t they? The downsides were that the guy who sold it to me looked at me funny for buying such a cheapo camera and it’s only as cheap as $99 after rebates, before rebates, it’s $160.

   I hate rebates. I think everybody hates them. I can’t imagine how one could not hate them. You know that they exist because the manufacturers are counting on you to flake out and not collect your money. So that makes you try doubly hard to get that rebate check to your door. But they make it so damn hard, that most of the time, you just end up scratching your head and wondering how the date to collect your rebate came and went so fast. If this ends up happening to me, I will be the sucker who bought a Vivitar camera when I could have bought a Canon.

   Oh, and I also bought a $10 camera case, came home and found out that there was a case in the camera box already. And everybody here speaks English. This does not bode well.

   -sarah

   P.S. Since I’m new to this digital camera thing, does anyone know the best way to store photos while traveling? Can I plug my camera into any computer, or do I need to bring the CD that formats the computer to recognize the camera with me when I travel? And once I get my pictures onto a computer, then what? Are there websites that I can upload them to for free? Thanks for the help!

   Posted in Travel, Preparations | 8 Comments »
   Tags: camera, photography, picture, Central America, South America, Tag Index

   We’ve got the tickets to prove it
   August 3rd, 2006

   I have made a very long to-do list. Actually, I’ve made about ten very long to-do lists, all with the same things listed. I have a bad habit of writing to-do lists when I’m waiting in line, watching tv, or, you know, procrastinating. So, I have now written the same to-do list several times over. It always begins with the same bullet point: “Buy Tickets.” I’ve quit my job, I’ve started getting rid of furniture, but the trip didn’t seem real until today, when I crossed “Buy Tickets” off all of my many lists. Yes, it’s true; I am now the proud owner of several paper airline tickets that I am terrified I will loose.

   We went through STA because after a bunch of research it seemed like our flights would be a lot cheaper to book through a travel agency than on our own. And STA can easily get us youth fares because we’re both under 26. So, we walked into STA’s very trendy San Francisco office and bought a ticket from Tulsa to Cancun in mid October, one from San Jose to Quito in mid January (with a stopover for a few days in Panama City), and one from Lima to Miami at the end of March. We figured that we’d wait to buy our ticket from Miami to Tulsa (where our car will be) until we knew that we didn’t want to change the date of our flight back to the States.

   So, it’s official: I’m going on this trip. I’ve got the unemployment, the blog, and now the tickets to prove it.

   -Sarah

   Posted in Travel, Preparations |
   Tags: flight, airfare, travel agency, Central America, South America, Tag Index

   Preparations
   August 3rd, 2006

   I do not do anything without reading about it first. If I can’t read about it, it can’t be done.

   These are the books I’ve read in preparation for the most irresponsible thing I’ve ever considered doing:

   The White Rock by Hugh Thomson
   The Jaguar Smile: A Nicaraguan Journey by Salman Rushdie
   Chasing Che: A Motorcycle Journey by Patrick Symmes
   Understanding Central America by John Booth
   Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts

   I recommend each one. The White Rock is a great primer on the nature of archaeological exploration, the Inca, and modern South American life. It makes you believe there are still things left to discover.

   The Jaguar Smile is a meditation on communism and colonialism coupled with a fascinating and accessible history of Nicaraguan politics. It doesn’t whitewash the Sandinistas, but it does present a nice corrective to typical U.S. narratives about Nicaragua during the 1980s.

   Chasing Che is the most typical travel narrative in the bunch (recreate a famous person’s journey, encounter a crazy cast of characters and reach profound personal insights along the way, add words, stir and publish) that’s fun and quick.

   Understanding Central America gives a useful background on the history of each Central American country. Not beach reading, but invaluable.

   Vagabonding makes my crazy decision make sense. It’s a must read for anyone interested in the philosophy of long-term travel. I will probably discuss this book at length as my travels get underway. (For the record, I’m not a disciple of this fellow, though I found several useful ideas in this book. This is a topic for future discussion.)

   Fun fact: The daughter of Martin Chambi, the early Peruvian photographer, appears in both Chasing Che and The White Rock. Maybe I will try to meet her myself as she is obviously a central figure to travelers in the region.

   If anyone has tips for further reading, please pass them my way.

   -Megan