“I believe penguins are the answer to world peace.” — Heidi Krajewsky, resident ornithologist (bird gal) aboard the MS Expedition to Antarctica
Our challenge to you: read this, enjoy the photos, check out the video — and maintain a straight face.
South of the Antarctic Circle: Gray Skies, Blue Ice
Life's journeys play host to the constant battle of expectations and delivery. Antarctica was no different except that our expectations of it were within inches of the stratosphere given the mystique and the cost of the trip. However, we did not carry a must-see checklist outlining this bit of wildlife or that bit of landscape, this scene or that moment. We could not really quantify our desires — we had simply hoped to be overwhelmed.
Then, on that first Antarctic morning, we stepped foot off the gangway of the MS Expedition and into a zodiac. It was clear that we were about to be blown away — but in a way that none of us had quite expected.
Travel to Antarctica: The Drake Passage, From Killer Waves to Killer Whales
A journey to Antarctica from Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost point of South America requires crossing the Drake Passage, an infamous body of water that serves as a rite of passage for those who seek the seventh continent. The seas are notoriously some of the roughest in the world.
Why Paraguay?
Despite all the itinerary changes we made during our Latin American journey, we never took Paraguay off the table. Maybe that’s because we knew virtually nothing about it. We hadn’t met anyone who’d been. That few others traveled there was an indication that we should.
So why visit Paraguay?
To Antarctica or Not?
The other day we were chatting with some friends over dinner about travel and the topic of Antarctica came up. Perhaps it was the martini and red wine combination (it was a long day), but I got fired up as I considered the possibility.
Until now, Antarctica seemed like a far off dream, the stuff of speculation only. But could we – or rather, should we – try to make it a reality?
Bolivia: Travel to Love or Travel to Learn?
“The folds of Bolivia’s beauty – and its contradictions and struggles — defy a story line.” — Our thoughts in Bolivia, First Impressions
Bolivia may defy a story line, but it sure does beg a visit.
How to Travel the World Together Without Killing Each Other
“I don’t know how you guys do it.” — Many of our readers
“Sometimes, we don’t know either.” — Us
On Valentine’s Day, couples around the world are thinking of ways to spend more time together. Then there’s us: almost not possible.
Vilcabamba, Ecuador: Conspiracy Theories in the Valley of Longevity
“All the best stories are but one story in reality – the story of escape. It is the only thing which interests us all and at all times, how to escape.” — A. C. Benson
It had never occurred to us to ask, “Where do conspiracy theorists go for early retirement?”
Then we visited Vilcabamba, a little town in southern Ecuador.
Keep Peru on Your Bucket List: Here’s Why
Maybe you’ve seen the photos coming out of Peru over the last week or two: raging rivers, washed-out bridges, mud-buckled railroad lines, and tourists being airlifted from under the shadow of Machu Picchu in the town of Aguas Calientes.
We’re here to suggest — despite it all — that you keep Peru on (or consider adding it to) your travel bucket list.
From Bangkok to Buenos Aires, For the Love of Public Transport
You took the San Martin city train? Foreigners usually just take taxis here.
-– A local porteño, eyes wide, expresses shock at our opting to take one of Buenos Aires’ grittier public transport lines during our first week in town.
Taxi cabs are easy: they get you from point A to B directly and with relative efficiency. In a taxi you don’t have to deal with people leaning on you and accidentally hitting your head with a shopping bag; there are no unnecessary pauses, no large-crowd odor issues, and no long waits at stops.
But inter-city public transport does have its advantages. More often than not, we choose it over taxis whenever we have the chance.
We confess: we have a love affair with public transport. Here’s why.