Adventure Traveler Stories

It is December 7, 2009. If you, like me, have not yet started shopping for the travel enthusiast in your life (or anyone else), here are a few suggestions I’ve culled together. Some are popular this year, so you might have seen them listed elsewhere. Others might take a little time and planning, but hey – you’ve got 2.5 weeks. All are, naturally, awesome. In no particular order:

For adventure travelers: Gorillapod (and Gorillatorch)
Maybe I live under a rock, but I hadn’t heard of this flexible tripod until a friend mentioned wanting to purchase it for her boyfriend, a budding photographer—I think she started the trend. It’s compatible with point and shoot cameras as well as DSLRs, and there’s no questioning its functionality. This seems to be THE gift to give this year. Buy at joby.com.

For the semi-adventure traveler who really just doesn’t want to be cold: J. Crew Sherpa Puffer Jacket
Amenities: Goosedown. Poly shell. Detachable hood. Standing collar. Zip front with snap closure. Chevron channel quilting. Long sleeves. Pockets lined with polar fleece. Interior drawstring. Fully lined in sherpa. I’m wearing it right now! (Select colors on sale—check in-store, the dove grey is marked down to $99.) Buy at jcrew.com.

For the literati: The Cities Book
I never thought people actually liked coffee table books, but I’ve found myself intrigued by one as of late—Lonely Planet’s The Cities Book. Beautiful photography and tons of information. Buy at Amazon.com.

For the artistic soul: Art! (Make or buy)
My greatest achievement in life has been an arrangement I dubbed “the map wall.” In my first apartment, I had a bunch of framed maps and real and fake antique prints. I’d pick these up in Europe, here, online, wherever. The maps were actually Cavallini wrapping paper. The sheets are large, and look amazing (and expensive) framed. Once you buy the paper or a print, framing can be done pretty quickly if it’s just the frame and plexiglass. (Another idea I like is commissioning a photographer for an image of a loved one’s favorite place or view. I might do that this year, so it’s a good thing my mom doesn’t actually read my blog posts.) Buy at www.cavallini.com/wrap.html.

For actual art constructed by artists, I’d recommend stopping by SFMOMA’s Artists Gallery. For the holidays, select artists are selling miniatures for $95 or less. I picked up a stellar photo by Don Ross of 500 Club, near where I used to live (see my previous post about seeing the beauty in your own familiar surroundings). His other mounted photos were also taken, I believe, in and around San Francisco. See http://www.sfmoma.org/pages/artists_gallery.

For a very lucky person: a trip
This One Day Surf Clinic, held in various locales on the Pacific Coast of Northern California, is perfect for kids, and there are many, many more trips on ekoVenture.com to be found for all ages!

I'm having a bit of an Eat, Pray, Love moment. Actually, one of two, the other being the fact that my idea for a parody book has been usurped and published (and looks like comedic gold). Now, I am unashamed to admit that I have not read the book, despite once having had a woman follow me around Borders trying to get me to buy it (her publisher, maybe?). Anyway, I was talking to one of my friends the other week about wanting to do yoga in some exotic place, like India. Lengthy pause over the line, followed by "You do know that is a third of the plot to Eat, Pray, Love, right?" (I didn't). (OK, are we starting to get the impression that maybe some of my ideas aren't actually all that original?) This got me thinking -- why should I feel the need to go someplace else to delve into my own spiritual practice?

For me, I think the answer itself lies in my surroundings (and this is how you can tell that I have not mastered the control and meditative absorption for which yoga strives). My yoga studio in San Francisco is in the heart of the Mission district, located on a corner that serves as a hub for public transportation, hosts a significant homeless population, and is otherwise loud, kind of dirty, and very, very urban. Yet, by the time you climb the five flights of stairs, you're welcomed into a sanctuary of peace, respite, and utter calm far removed from the city outside. I adore this juxtaposition and the incongruity it creates. In Palo Alto, where I lived for many years, yoga studios have the same components but lack the soul. Instead of floor to ceiling windows gazing out upon a cityscape, you're surrounded by mirrors that scrutinize your every pose. I interpret yoga's goal of mindful awareness as not the act of striving for perfection in your practice, but becoming instead an intelligent thinker, a person conscious of everything around him or her, environment included. I'm attached to the Mission in no small part because of this studio, and I can certainly see how doing yoga in a foreign (or our own) country could create a strong bond with the place. If you're embarking on a similar quest and in search of the appropriate destination, here are my suggestions:

For immediate gratification (or a very generous Christmas gift): Yoga and Wellness in the Caribbean: Christmas - New Year Holiday 2009

The Holy Grail of yoga-abroad trips: Yoga & Meditation Package: 18-Day India Tour

Lastly, if you are me, then you would love: Yoga and Digital Photography One Week Program

Breaking news: we are in the midst of a foreign invasion on our home soil, and centers of mass public transportation are being targeted. I refer, of course, to the large-scale multi-media campaign launched by the Canadian Tourism Commission. They got me into their clutches weeks ago, and you’re sure to follow (assuming you exit at the Montgomery St. BART stop).

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—I’m a slave to advertising, and these ads are just my style. They feature clean, simple lines, saturated photos, and modern design. The promotion is witty too—a play on a typical subway map, with the final destination being some scenic Canadian destination, with young, happy folk frolicking about, or marveling at polar bears.

A couple days after I first saw the print ads, I also saw a concomitant TV spot. True cinema verite, shaky camera and all. It was like I was THERE, in that kayak as a seal playfully batted at the side…chills! So, is Canada all that those wily marketers make it out to be? Let’s investigate.

Well, this looks promising; the site map lists a plethora of activities from which to choose (http://us.canada.travel/sitemap). I present to you Exhibit A, a random selection in no particular order:

1. “Have outrageous fun at the Fringe.” (Bold promise.)

2. “Wrangle some hot couture in Calgary.” (Uh--haute? Do they not speak French up there?)

3. “Saddle up in Alberta’s cowboy country.” (You know what they say…Save a Horse…)

4. “Celebrate everything you can imagine, and then some.” (I’m so intrigued!)

5. “Learn to say “hello” in polar bear.” (I’ll hold them to that, but I’m aiming for polar bear fluency. There is also a “Learn to speak “moose”,” but please, polar bear is SO much more applicable to everyday life.)

I probe further:

Oh. My. Goodness. Number 1, in Edmonton, Alberta, features—I do not jest—performances by a troupe called Panties Productions. Is this really the image Canada wants to present to the world?! Particularly in conjunction with the following description of a chainsaw-juggling, unicycle-riding man simultaneously lighting his head on fire. His HEAD, readers! That is a crucial part of one’s anatomical composition! I’m morbidly intrigued.

Showcase number 2 is our shopping option. Wikipedia also puts me in my place: only 1.90% of the population is French-speaking. Duly noted, and hot vs. haute is excused.

Behind door number 3, we find trail rides in the Rocky Mountain range. Looks like good, old-fashioned fun; moving on.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating your description, laconic number 4. Turns out it’s Summer in Newfoundland, and they really do have a festival for everything under the sun.

Last but not least, numero cinco. Oops, Spanish, not Polar Bear. Take a ride on a tundra buggy, and see polar bears on the prowl…while you can.

Color me legitimately impressed. These are but five choices among many, and the depth and range of offerings is astounding. Well played, Canada. I’ll be seeing you soon.

It’s that time of year… summer blockbuster movie time! Last week, I was all about the new Star Trek flick, but as that’s not exactly travel-related (in the conventional, plausible, non-warp speed sense), I’m going to contain my excitement and move on to this weekend’s “Angels and Demons” debut. Naturally, this timely occurrence provides the perfect segue way into discussing a current Italian travel trend, the Angels and Demons tour of Rome.

Google led me right to “The Official Angels and Demons Tour: The Path of Illumination;” I squealed with glee as I read: “Following the Path of Illumination, solving puzzles and enigmas, discover the Altars of Science and decode the secret messages hidden in Bernini sculptures and Galileo texts.” http://www.angelsanddemons.it/

OK, my enthusiasm wilted a tad—if you’ve read the book, shouldn’t you already know the answers to said puzzles and enigmas? However, after continuing my online research, I learned that fewer than half of the people on a typical Angels and Demons tour group have read the book. To these people, I ask, why?

Further research informed me that this tour is hardly the Robert Langdon thrill ride I envisioned. If memory serves me correctly, our renowned hero, Harvard symbologist Langdon and his lady-foil race against time, battling Vatican politics, reading words forwards and backwards, thinking through the minutiae of particle physics, dealing with missing eyeballs… not to mention rediscovering the Path of Illumination, which, for those of you who have tried to make your way through the fracas that is Rome’s crowd of tourists and religious devotees, is no joke. Throw in some nuclear warfare and that is a full day, my friends.

The official tour is more like if R. Lang were to do all of the above at a leisurely stroll, with coffee breaks and an air-conditioned bus—which are nice perks, but where’s the adventure? For the steep price of 56 euros per person, I expect to break into the Vatican Archives, at the very least. Disappointed, I delved further.

Redemption! A treasure hunt: “On this unforgettable journey you will be Illuminati novices exploring the Eternal City in search of the four Altars of Science…Each team will be led by an Illuminati Master who will provide you with the tools to uncover the clues hidden within the artwork and architecture of this ancient city.” http://www.angelsanddemons.it/treasure_hunt.aspx

As far as team-building exercises go, this is unbeatable. However, one can easily seek out most of the stops featured on the tour without the heavy price tag.

Yet, despite my initial qualms, the tour has been widely reviewed online, and the results are favorable. I’ll admit that Dan Brown has hit many of Rome’s oldies but goodies, so the tour is comprehensive, and uses its four-hour time limit well. Also, some sites are particularly difficult to visit without the assistance of a guide.

Tour Sights: St. Maria del Popolo Church, St. Peter's Square, St. Maria della Vittoria Church, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Castel Sant’Angelo, “Il Passetto” (from outside). Report back to me if you go!