Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Dirt biking killed the mountain bike star
Went out on the trails tonight -- the Anthills, nearly out my back door. The rootiest trails around. Riding a mountain bike is very different than riding a dirt bike, which I've been doing a lot of lately. Years (almost decadeS) of mt biking definitely helped me get started with dirt biking. The main carryover skill is choosing a line. As you ride, you constantly scan the trail just ahead and choose a line you want to ride, hopefully avoiding bad roots, bumps, puddles, flaming logs, etc. Yes there are flaming logs out there in the National Forest. But go back to the mt bike and things are different. Riding dirt bike has made me cautious. You don't want to drop the dirt bike. The mt bike, you can be more aggressive leaning into corners, and you don't have to worry about falling over -- the bike weighs 26 lbs versus 280 lbs for the dirt bike. Dirt bike has longer wheelbase. The handling is different, causing me to steer less than needed on the mt bike... Roots: a problem with dirt bike. You don't want to hit a root at the wrong angle, i.e. while turning at all. Big knobby tire + mud + root + turn = slide! Not the case on mt bike. Tires are grippier and much, much softer, and weight of rider+bike system is far, far less. This means on a mt bike you don't slide when going over roots at an angle. Mt bike has no rear suspension and much less travel = much bumpier ride and more standing up when riding over obstacles. Anyway, dirt biking has messed with my mt biking skills. But that might not matter much since the trails here in Houston are getting overgrown -- it must be spring. Soon the spiders will claim the trails, and I'll stick to the gym or the bike paths until late November (frost = spider death).
Today I rode the Anthills and got frustrated with my decayed skills. So I crossed Buffalo Bayou at Dairy Ashford and rode the "high road" on the north side out to the Beltway. I was hauling butt! It was nice to crank, I normally ride at a la-de-da level, I realize upon reflection. Hopefully this new intensity is back to stay. The Klein is easier/more fun to ride fast. Bike paths are not built for drop bars and down-tube shifters, and poor brakes to boot. Too many evil, lurking Rabbits of Death.
The frontispiece photo is some Art I made in high school. Normally all my attempts at art/craft are epic failures. This one turned out pretty cool! I have a T-shirt stamped with this image. Can you figure out what it is?
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Free Music Floweth
About three years after my friend Sara recommended it, I gave Last.fm a real gosh-darn honest-to-goodness try. And I love it. My dilema is that I have no music-playing apparatus in my house. I used to have a couple of old Sony speakers hooked up to my terribly slow HD-DVD player -- hit "open" about 15 minutes before you plan to start viewing a movie -- but it wasn't a satisfactory setup. You've got to change CDs every 40-60 minutes, which means you have to pick a new album to listen to. I'm not that decisive. I can't decide what to listen to next. Ok, how about an iPod dock? In theory, that would be great. You can create playlists and you don't have to wait for the HD-DVD tray to open, you don't have to change disks or be decisive. Problem -- you either have to create playlists, which sounds a lot like being decisive -- or you can just push "random". Problem there -- dwelling on my iPod are many things besides songs. Chapters from Atlas Shrugged, a relationship self-help disk, and numerous sound clips recorded by me on various trips. Also, you might want some upbeat cleaning music. So you start with the Pixies, "Debaser". Then the next song comes on, and it's Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now". Last, I tried the FM radio. Commercials, poor music, static. You understand the problem.
Last.fm is the solution. Type in the name of a band you like, hit play, and you're done. Last will typically start with a song from the band you choose, and go from there, in ever-widening musical circles, while staying more or less in the same genre/mood level. No commercials. The only two slight annoyances: after an hour or so of inactivity, Last.fm stops playing and asks if anyone is home. Problem #2, the playlists don't seem that dynamic: typing in, say, Guster, tends to give you the same list of songs in approximately the same order. This may just be a fluke since the sample size is very small (only the second time I've tried "Guster" as a band seed). On the ne plus ultra side, Last.fm doesn't seem to have the hiccups associated with streaming from, say, KXCI or other local/regional stations.
So hook up those Harmon-Kardon Soundsticks to your underutilized laptop, and you've got a cheap home stereo, ready to go. No need to drop $800 on a new stereo. Those HK's are pretty good, too, and will be perfectly adequate, even in a large room, if you're used to hearing your music on a 4-speaker Subaru system.
Last.fm is the solution. Type in the name of a band you like, hit play, and you're done. Last will typically start with a song from the band you choose, and go from there, in ever-widening musical circles, while staying more or less in the same genre/mood level. No commercials. The only two slight annoyances: after an hour or so of inactivity, Last.fm stops playing and asks if anyone is home. Problem #2, the playlists don't seem that dynamic: typing in, say, Guster, tends to give you the same list of songs in approximately the same order. This may just be a fluke since the sample size is very small (only the second time I've tried "Guster" as a band seed). On the ne plus ultra side, Last.fm doesn't seem to have the hiccups associated with streaming from, say, KXCI or other local/regional stations.
So hook up those Harmon-Kardon Soundsticks to your underutilized laptop, and you've got a cheap home stereo, ready to go. No need to drop $800 on a new stereo. Those HK's are pretty good, too, and will be perfectly adequate, even in a large room, if you're used to hearing your music on a 4-speaker Subaru system.
Sunday, April 04, 2010
Dirt Fever
To be Continued...
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Painting Complete
The painting is done. It's far from perfect but it's pretty good. Next comes granite countertops - probably. Those will have to wait until after Christmas. Countertops, sink, fixture, cooktop, vent hood.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Arizona, Nov 2009
Sat - Drive Houston, TX to City of Rocks State Park, NM
Sun - Silver City, NM, Drive to Tucson, U of A, Summit Hut, Fry’s, drive-by of the old homestead, Erik and Sara’s
Mon - Frank’s for bfast, Tanque Verde wash hike, Drive up Mt Lemmon, hike Sunset Trail, Drive to Gate’s Pass, hike Yetman Trail
Tues - Frank’s, Drive to Supes, hike Peralta Trail, Camp at Tortilla Flat on Canyon Lake
Wed - Walk and drive Globe, Set up camp at Oak Flat CG, Hike Haunted Canyon
Thurs - Drive back to Tucson via 77/Winkelman/Oracle (beautiful!), TG dinner
Fri - Hike Deception Mountain w Erik, Eat leftovers, play Scrabble, watch Golden Girls
Sat - Walk around U of A campus, Visit with Marcus and have lunch at his house, drive to Columbus, NM
Sun - attempt to collect xenos at Kilbourne Hole, drive back to Houston
Photos here
11/21/2009 -11/22/2009 Saturday-Sunday
Left home on Sandfield at 6:45 am. Drove west on I-10. Made a few brief stops for potty and fuel. Darkness fell, made it to City of Rocks State Park, north of Deming, NM. A decent place – towers of tuff. A bit hard to navigate at night. Had a small fire, read a bit of The Time Machine, then slept. Cold but I wasn’t too cold – uppermost 30s F. Got up a little after 6 am local time – 7 am Houston. It was light. Snapped some photos. It was pretty. Packed up quick and stopped off at the bathroom on the way out for a quick shower (gotta love NM state parks). Drove into Silver City, NM. A neatish hippyish town with lots of narrow one-way streets. Found the “old town” and stopped at a GLBT coffee shop, they directed me to Vickie’s, where I went and had a good breakfast. Wish I had more time to explore, seemed like a neat town and a good starting-out point for lots of adventures into the mountainous area just to the north. Boogied down 90 to I-10. Was sooo happy to be in Arizona. Had huge smile on my face for hundreds of miles. Familiar mountains, profiles. Fascinated by old, dying, dead, decaying towns – e.g. Lordsville. Why dead? When hayday? Didn’t seem too far from border into Tucson. Was a little early so stopped at UA. Then drove by old Weymouth house, then Fry’s for a bottle of Grey Goose vodka, then stopped at Summit Hut and got sun hat and Superstitions map. Met guy (manager?) who knew Rivendell and had a Riv-built bike in back (I was wearing a Riv shirt). Erik and Sara’s – great to see them, Sabkha very happy to see Russ, amazed they remember each other and are instant best buddies. We chatted for quite a while and drank some PBRs. Erik and I then set out for a walk with the hounds. Talked about our business ideas and risk analysis. We saw a solitary javalina. Nice to be in AZ and around the cacti, saguaro. Feels like I never left. Tucson seems a lot smaller compared to Houston – it doesn’t take long to get around, everything is closer than I remember. After a nice dinner and more chat we all sit around dining table with our laptops type type typing. I was planning to visit Globe, AZ, and see if I could live there. I’m thinking if I don’t come out to AZ I should try to get a job in San Antonio or Dallas. Useable water. Closer to mountains.
11/23/09 Monday
Got up and out of the house early. Went to Frank’s for Geoff’s special bfast. Then off to Tanque Verde Canyon. No one around. Unseasonably warm around here, about 10 degrees above normal, touching the high 70s daytimes. Sab and I hiked down the familiar trail into TV Canyon. Today I wanted to do all those hikes I daydream about. TV was what I remember, but it was a bit disappointing. It seemed small and bland and full of gravel. Maybe it is more full of gravel. It was a bit dry too – I guess a weak monsoon this year. We went to the pool at the almost-end. Why do I always go to the same place over and over? Human nature. There are many canyons nearby, or even downcanyon which I’ve never done, although I’ve visited TV probably 20 times. We didn’t see anyone. Back at the car turned and headed up Catalina Highway. Everything seemed pretty and friendly. Stopped at grocery store to get snack and cash back for the Catalina fee. Everyone seems more relaxed on the road and off. There is a lot more space. Things are a bit more ramshackle and naturalistic and it’s tolerated and liked. People line their driveways with stone; they let the desert run wild in their yards. In Houston if you let the jungle run wild – well, you don’t. Up Catalina, I had the same sensation of smallness and “so what”. It was just as beautiful as I always remember, but it all seemed compressed. A result of Europe, Japan, Houston? It didn’t seem as far up; it didn’t seem as scary. Up top we stopped at the Sunset trailhead – I’d never hiked it before. A half-mile or so in a weird little deserted cabin community, all brown with green metal roofs, it must be a Forest Service regulation. The trail itself was pretty but suffered the same trouble as many Catalina hikes – steep oddness. You’re up on top of a rather pointy mountain range. All the trails are up and down or on a steep hillside, which makes them all a bit uncomfortable. I didn’t really realize until this trip that much of the Cats doesn’t make really good hiking. It only seems good in the summer when it’s 100 degrees down in the city below. On the trail we saw a family from Houston. We stopped on a broad rock above a trickling stream, which was partially covered in ice. Up and walking again, another 100 steps and we were quite surprised to find ourselves at Marshall Gulch, where I’ve been many times. Didn’t recognize it “from the other side”. Got back to car around 3 PM, and had the feeling that we should do another hike, or drive up to Summerhaven, or something. But it’s all burned and desolate, which really does reduce the appeal. We headed back down the mountain, listening to NPR the whole way. NPR has become a good companion on this trip – stimulates the brain a bit, especially the daytime programming which doesn’t seem as lefty as the prime time news. Drove across town to Gate’s Pass and did a short hike up to Yetman saddle. Sabkha could barely walk due to tenderpaw, and she didn’t seem too keen on even getting out of the Subaru. But we did it, and again it felt small and short and not as pretty as I remember it. The view to the south along the backside of the Tucson Mts was really beautiful, as was the evening light which gave everything a somber feeling. I forgot how nighty it feels at 4 PM in the winter in AZ or NM. If you’re in a canyon, 3:30 feels like near twilight. Back to Erik and Sara’s the back way, over Picture Rocks Road. I want to live here, I keep thinking.
11/24/2009 Tuesday
Left not as early, maybe 8 am from the Fleshes. Detoured to Frank’s – a loooong detour – and had bfast and made some notes. Unplanned phone call to potential employer. Then reverted to original plan and headed up 79 to near Apache Junction, and out to Peralta Trailhead. It was later than I had planned to start – maybe around 1:30. Off we went up Peralta trail, which was steep and a bit rocky, def a bit challenging. Saw several other parties. Approached saddle at ~2.2 miles, at top of saddle was startled by a sudden, amazing view of Weaver’s Needle! Almost breath-taking moment. See photos – neat rock jointing and weathering pattern. Back down and scampered off through Apache Junction to 88 up toward the lakes. Set up camp at Tortilla Flat CG – just in time, since you need to buy a permit at the shop across the street and it closes at 6. Then headed back toward town to pick up a cell signal since I was expecting a call from B.M., who lives in PHX and whose mom was visiting. There was no message and since I was halfway back to Apache Junction, I kept going and got Taco Bell and firewood at Fry’s. Back at camp had a smoky fire and read part of The Time Machine.
11/25/2009 Wednesday
Up fairly early, tossed camp in car. Hemmed on which way to go, decided to go back to AJ. A hike left from the marina nearby that I’ve done before with Erin Gleeson. Back to AJ and toward Globe. Really pretty. Stopped at a mexi-café in Superior with all the cop cars out from – it was excellent. Chorizo, eggs, hash browns… even Kirkland Signature green tea. Up the road to Globe-Miami: absolutely beautiful. Rocky canyons, volcanic rocks but granite too. Windy road – would be super-fun with the Mazda. Would be super-fun period. So many trails, canyons, lakes… in Globe we parked at the bottom of Broad St, the main historic drag, and walked the street. It needs some sprucing up, to say the least. It could use more. Then we drove around Globe looking for the good neighborhood but failing to find any. Stopped at Chamber of Commerce and got a huge helping of literature and info that there is no good neighborhoods. Managed to insult the lady there at the same time, I think. Poor planning creeped in here – drove back out toward Miami, overshot turn-off for the Haunted Canyon hike I wanted to do, pushed on to Oak Flat Campground, set up camp, drove back and found HC road through BHP mine dumps. Once past the dumps a really neat, very remote-feeling area. Saw no one on the mine roads or forest roads. It was getting late-in-the-day spooky. Found trailhead and started off with low expectations. The trail was awesome. Vegatated and close down low, it opened up the higher we got into a delightful grassy saddle. Views into the next canyon – no roads, no nothing. Felt very remote. Footprints but no other signs of anyone else. Got a couple of mt lion scares on the trail – but nothing real that I actually saw. Poor planning again, we drove out back to Globe area to hit the Safeway for some food and beer, then back to Oak Flat. Note: big Safeway cheese bagel and a fifth-pound of sliced turkey make an excellent post-hike meal. Yum. The big bottle of Guinness was good too but the sandwich really took it. Had a nice hot campfire with wood collected in Haunted Canyon. Read more of The Time Machine and slept pretty good, although it was gusty windy.
11/26/09 Thursday
Up and out of camp, into Globe. Took 77 N instead of 80 toward TR Lake as planned. Whoops. But 77 toward Show Low is really, really lovely and beautiful terrain. Wow. Wow. Maybe my favorite place in the world. Turned around a little shy of Salt River Canyon, back to Globe then on toward Tucson on 77 S via Winkelman and Oracle. I never remember this route being so beautiful, with the rock and cacti and the mines and ramshackle homesteads. I continue to fall in love with Arizona. Daydreaming about [a job] in [an AZ town] the entire way back, building up my future potential life in my mind. Tucson around 11 AM, to the Flesches. They were around, prepping for the Tgiving dinner. I ran to store to get wine and cider. People began to show up close to 6 PM. The main crowd was Erik, Sara, Sebastian, and Jen, his GF. Me and the dogs. Later, Jennifer (new entymology PhD) and Mary T showed up. Good times were had by all. Food was good. After much food and drinking Erik started a fire outside. We stood around talking and dodging smoke for many hours. Eventually Seb and Jen left and then other Jen left, around 2 am. Erik and I stayed out there until 3:30 am.
11/27/2009 Friday
Slept in a bit, got up and cleaned up a bit around the Flesch palace and did some dishes. Around noon Erik and I set off for a hill/mountain near his house – Deception Mountain. It looked much closer and lower than it turned out to be. We set out cross-country – first in a wash and later across the hillside toward the peak. After several stops to rest and enjoy the views of Tucson we made it to the base of the cliffs that led to the top of the mountain. We poked around and found a scramble route that brought us nearly to the top. There was no going further without some serious fall exposure, so we called it good enough. After enjoying the peak a bit we headed down the trail that skirted the base of the cliffs. This trail eventually deposited us at an interesting little open-to-the-public chapel complex near the end of Scenic Drive. As the sun set we hiked back “home” through the desert.
11/28/2009 Saturday
Said our goodbyes and rolled from Erik and Sara’s around 9 am. Headed down to the U of A campus and walked all around. A beautiful place, lots of neat plants and pretty buildings. The desert-ness of the place makes it very unlike Houston, even when you’re in the city. Got coffee for the Fabs at the Chocolate Iguana and went to visit Dr. O at his rented house on the west side of town. Had a lunch of leftovers and chatted for a couple hours. Seriously considered staying another night. The early afternoon weather was wonderful, breezy and in the mid 70s, absolutely perfect. Finally I reluctantly got in the car and onto I-10, heading east. It seemed like it would never get dark but I new dusk was only a few hours away. I decided to skip to Chirichuas and head straight for Kilbourne Hole. Cut off I-10 to drive NM 9 through the beautiful, empty quarter of extreme southern NM. Came across a little state park (Pancho Villa) in Columbus, NM, which isn’t even a town, really. It rained most of the night. Next morning was remarkable as the rain let up but the clouds hung low draped across the plains and the isolated mountains. Some mountains surprising big, and make to look bigger as they were enshrouded in cloud. Lovely territory, at least right after a rainstorm.
11/19/2009 Sunday
Found Kilbourne Hole but couldn’t find the xenolith locality. Poor planning! Walked around a bit with Sabkha and tried a few places, but got anxious to leave and finally set off almost empty-handed. Back via El Paso… a long drive, arrived home at 11:30 PM. Felt good to be back in Houston.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Monday, December 07, 2009
Kitchen Refurb, Day One
The Workers arrived at noon today. At first I just wanted the cabinets repainted white. But I also want new countertops at some time in the near future. Countertop removal can ruin paint job, so countertops had to go, along with store, vent hood, and sink. Quite a change in only five hours!
Sunday, December 06, 2009
A Swamp Adventure
A cold, rainy Sunday afternoon is a rare treat in Houston. After a day full of chores and other work -- like working on the final paper to come forth from my PhD dissertation -- Sabkha and I frolicked over to the Barker-Clodine parking lot. It was in the upper 40s with intermittent light rain. We set off from the deserted parking area north through a flooded stretch of woods. Luckily I was wearing my waterproof hiking boots as we waded through about 3" of dark, spooky water. After 100 feet the woods opened up into a large field dotted with clumps of trees here and there. The field is occasionally mowed by the park service -- but lord only knows why. Occasionally in the past I've seen equestrians riding their equines around this field, but it certainly isn't set up as a track or anything. Regardless, it's a nice area to romp around. Due to the recent rains (and snows), the field was dotted with puddly areas a few inches deep. Sabkha ran around sniffing. I like the open field as a Sabkha play area because I can keep an eye on her and give her a zap if needed to bring her back in line. She tends to get into trouble when we're in thick woods where I can't see her. If she spots something and runs after it, I often catch this too late to halt her chase.
Without this in mind, we entered the thin woods at the edge of the field and struck out roughly to the north, in the direction of Buffalo Bayou, which snakes across the reservoir. The woods became increasingly thick as we weaved our way deeper among the branches. Sabkha bounced around ahead of me, sniffing everything and generally excited. This was her first time out and about since our trip last week to Arizona. She needed to let off some steam.
We came upon a drainage ditch that was filled with water and clearly drained into the bayou, although there was no discernible flow. As I examined the ditch and considered how to cross it, Sabkha saw something interesting in the woods on the other side. In a single leap she bounded over the ditch and was off at full speed. A few crucial seconds passed as I realized what was happening. I grabbed for the shock remote but it was too little, too late. Sabkha quickly passed out of audible range in pursuit of who-knows-what. I was left standing in the woods, suddenly quiet, alongside the drainage ditch. The dark, tannic waters magnified the submerged, rotting leaves and suddenly looked sinister. I was all alone in these woods -- this swamp -- where I've seen hoards of wild boars, coyotes, a huge bobcat and countless snakes. The rain began to fall harder and then came in cold sheets, and every breeze stirred the almost-bare trees, causing them to send a tinkling cascade of droplets to splash onto the wet ground. This sounded very much like an approaching dog pushing through the brush, but I waited in vain. Suddenly it seemed to be growing dark as I stood in place, calling over and over for Sabkha. "Sab!" "Sabkha!" "Sabber, come!". There was no sound apart from the wind and the falling rain. I checked my watch and decided to give her another quarter-hour: until 5 PM. Then I would start the trudge back to the field and back to the car. Maybe she would follow my trail back; maybe she would be waiting at the car; maybe she would be found the next day by a bicyclist along the path through the park. I continued to call, and just as the minute hand of my watch moved to point straight up and indicate 5:00, I heard the far-off but unmistakable sound of the jingling of dog tags. I caught the sound then lost it, doubting myself. Then I heard it again and was sure this time. Sabkha emerged from the brush, slinking, head down, pretending to be ashamed of herself for disregarding my commands. I scolded her but found my anger alloyed with relief at having her back alive and well.
With a close eye on Sabkha, we marched back through the woods to the open field. Now my jeans were drenched and sticking to my legs, making it difficult to walk. The rain continued and one got a sense that the water was rising, all around -- after all, this is a reservoir, it's designed to flood, I thought. We explored the perimeter of the giant tree-dotted field, then struck off at a diagonal back to the path and followed it back to the parking lot, where a single silver Subaru sat parked, still looking like brand-new from a few hundred feet away.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Travel Advice
Planning is key. Sounds backwards but isn't. If you don't plan ahead you don't know how to get around, when things are open, or how much things will cost. Once in Egypt we missed the "last bus of the day" by 10 minutes and had to wait 24 hours by the side of the road for the next bus. Dumb! A little planning and we could have saved 24 hours of sightseeing time. Don't need minute-by-min plan but a general idea, especially of how to get around (train? car? bicycle? when is the next train, and the one after that?) and where you are going to stay. My #1 rule of travel is: always figure out where you're going to stay in advance or at least by morning. If you don't have a place to stay that night you tend to have it on your mind all day, can't enjoy what you're doing. After having spent a few nights on the streets I always have sleeping plans nailed down ASAP for the following night.
The best way to travel cheap is probably to go by bicycle. Actually walking is probably cheaper but it is much, much slower. In Europe you can bike around and stay in campgrounds. Probably overall cost half or one third the cost of typical train and hotel/hostel travel. Plus you might tend to meet more people in campground vs. cooped up in hotel.
I've never done extreme cheap travelling.. except in Egypt. In fact, the top rule of cheap traveling to avoid developed countries. You can live and eat well in Egypt or Thailand or Vietnam for a few dollars a day, room and board. If you really want to see a lot of the world, and new things, I would stick to places like that. Get your vaccines!
Skills for traveling. Rick Steves has a lot of good stuff, but his audience is frugal Lutheran middle-aged types. Also his focus is almost entirely on Europe, an expensive destination no matter what. So you have to take the advice that applies to you and ignore the other stuff. He is not a "shoestring" travel expert, and not an expert on the third world.
Other "rules": always get the best map you can, as soon as you can (Tourist office, usually at train stations); if you're lost, immediately ask for help (in friendly countries, at least); don't be afraid to ask a million questions about anything (like the food you're ordering) -- get good at acting things out, like chicken or fish; use a money belt; carry as little as possible (Rick Steves has a good list).
Travel can be pretty stressful sometimes. I don't know how you do it, but it's nice to have "break" days were you don't have pressure to go, go, go and see, see, see. Also it's best to stay at hotels for at least two nights at a time. Otherwise you only set your backpack down for 8 or 10 hours, which gets to be a drag.
Hmm, I think that's plenty for now. Stick to 3rd world and your money will last. Europe or Japan will cost you at least $50 a day, probably more like $75+ if you use trains and go for the sights.
Asia... I'd get a guidebook for each place you want to go. I guess Lonely Planet has the best coverage. It's worth the $20 or so per country - best purchase you'll ever make. Get the newest copies you can find.
Mostly if you stay "on the beaten track" you shouldn't have too much trouble. For example: If you fly into some main city, and you want to go to some temple, it will probably be in your guide. It will say "buses for the Umbagawa Temple leave from the east side of the city square, about once per hour. Most have a large blue sign.". Mostly if you show up in approximately the correct area, the locals will recognize you as a foreigner and guide you in the right direction, assuming you must be there because you want to get to Umbagawa Temple. Also, this is where it's very useful to know a few words of the local language. Even if you are nowhere near conversant, knowing "please", "thank you", etc, is very useful and pays dividends. So the night before your trek to Umbagawa Temple, learn the local word for Umbagawa, how to pronounce it, and maybe learn the local word for bus. Put the two words together and you will eventually get on the right bus. When you do, if you have even the slightest doubt as to whether it's the correct bus, be sure to ask the driver "Umbagawa Temple?" and open your guidebook and show him a picture of the temple.
Everywhere you go, you will find some English speakers. In places where not much English is spoken, they will often approach you, either to practice their English, because they like foreigners, or just for the novelty of speaking to you. Many people the world over know a few words of English. Once you know a few words of their language you won't have much trouble getting around.
If you're really worried about not being able to communicate some key piece of information, like "I cannot eat chicken", or "I'm allergic to peanuts", then take the time on the plane or in the evening in the hotel/hostel to write it out in local language, by referring to the language section in the back of your guidebook. Even better, most hotel front desk people in touristy hotels will speak some English. Have them write your question/concern in the local language, and you can flash the paper the next day when you need to find the bus or when you're ordering and want to avoid the fried monkey brain.
Finally, a relaxed attitude helps. If you can't find the bus to Umbagawa, don't get too worked up -- maybe explore the town instead, or head into the hills, or whatever. Backup plans are nice, even if just a vague idea. When my plans to rent a car in Fussen, Germany fell through, I was annoyed for about 15 minutes, but then I adjusted by attitude and wandered the lovely little riverside town, following a walking tour outlined in my guidebook. I ended up at a hilltop castle overlooking the city and listened to bells toll as the sun set. It was one of the highlights of my trip.
Lastly, wherever you go you will likely meet a lot of other travelers, especially Germans (they're everywhere) and Americans, Aussies, etc. Hostels are great places to share info in the evening. Whatever they did today can be what you do tomorrow -- except now you're armed with all their tips, how to get there, how much it cost, watch out for the monkeys they will pull your beard and steal all your food.
The best way to travel cheap is probably to go by bicycle. Actually walking is probably cheaper but it is much, much slower. In Europe you can bike around and stay in campgrounds. Probably overall cost half or one third the cost of typical train and hotel/hostel travel. Plus you might tend to meet more people in campground vs. cooped up in hotel.
I've never done extreme cheap travelling.. except in Egypt. In fact, the top rule of cheap traveling to avoid developed countries. You can live and eat well in Egypt or Thailand or Vietnam for a few dollars a day, room and board. If you really want to see a lot of the world, and new things, I would stick to places like that. Get your vaccines!
Skills for traveling. Rick Steves has a lot of good stuff, but his audience is frugal Lutheran middle-aged types. Also his focus is almost entirely on Europe, an expensive destination no matter what. So you have to take the advice that applies to you and ignore the other stuff. He is not a "shoestring" travel expert, and not an expert on the third world.
Other "rules": always get the best map you can, as soon as you can (Tourist office, usually at train stations); if you're lost, immediately ask for help (in friendly countries, at least); don't be afraid to ask a million questions about anything (like the food you're ordering) -- get good at acting things out, like chicken or fish; use a money belt; carry as little as possible (Rick Steves has a good list).
Travel can be pretty stressful sometimes. I don't know how you do it, but it's nice to have "break" days were you don't have pressure to go, go, go and see, see, see. Also it's best to stay at hotels for at least two nights at a time. Otherwise you only set your backpack down for 8 or 10 hours, which gets to be a drag.
Hmm, I think that's plenty for now. Stick to 3rd world and your money will last. Europe or Japan will cost you at least $50 a day, probably more like $75+ if you use trains and go for the sights.
Asia... I'd get a guidebook for each place you want to go. I guess Lonely Planet has the best coverage. It's worth the $20 or so per country - best purchase you'll ever make. Get the newest copies you can find.
Mostly if you stay "on the beaten track" you shouldn't have too much trouble. For example: If you fly into some main city, and you want to go to some temple, it will probably be in your guide. It will say "buses for the Umbagawa Temple leave from the east side of the city square, about once per hour. Most have a large blue sign.". Mostly if you show up in approximately the correct area, the locals will recognize you as a foreigner and guide you in the right direction, assuming you must be there because you want to get to Umbagawa Temple. Also, this is where it's very useful to know a few words of the local language. Even if you are nowhere near conversant, knowing "please", "thank you", etc, is very useful and pays dividends. So the night before your trek to Umbagawa Temple, learn the local word for Umbagawa, how to pronounce it, and maybe learn the local word for bus. Put the two words together and you will eventually get on the right bus. When you do, if you have even the slightest doubt as to whether it's the correct bus, be sure to ask the driver "Umbagawa Temple?" and open your guidebook and show him a picture of the temple.
Everywhere you go, you will find some English speakers. In places where not much English is spoken, they will often approach you, either to practice their English, because they like foreigners, or just for the novelty of speaking to you. Many people the world over know a few words of English. Once you know a few words of their language you won't have much trouble getting around.
If you're really worried about not being able to communicate some key piece of information, like "I cannot eat chicken", or "I'm allergic to peanuts", then take the time on the plane or in the evening in the hotel/hostel to write it out in local language, by referring to the language section in the back of your guidebook. Even better, most hotel front desk people in touristy hotels will speak some English. Have them write your question/concern in the local language, and you can flash the paper the next day when you need to find the bus or when you're ordering and want to avoid the fried monkey brain.
Finally, a relaxed attitude helps. If you can't find the bus to Umbagawa, don't get too worked up -- maybe explore the town instead, or head into the hills, or whatever. Backup plans are nice, even if just a vague idea. When my plans to rent a car in Fussen, Germany fell through, I was annoyed for about 15 minutes, but then I adjusted by attitude and wandered the lovely little riverside town, following a walking tour outlined in my guidebook. I ended up at a hilltop castle overlooking the city and listened to bells toll as the sun set. It was one of the highlights of my trip.
Lastly, wherever you go you will likely meet a lot of other travelers, especially Germans (they're everywhere) and Americans, Aussies, etc. Hostels are great places to share info in the evening. Whatever they did today can be what you do tomorrow -- except now you're armed with all their tips, how to get there, how much it cost, watch out for the monkeys they will pull your beard and steal all your food.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
San Francisco - September 2009
As part of Andy's Weekend Travel Series, I decided to visit the San Francisco area. I've visited the Bay area more than any other place in the US. My first big trip away from home was out to visit my aunt and uncle in Santa Rosa, about 45 minutes north of SF. On that trip I remember paying "only" $300 for a flight from Grand Rapids, Michigan to SFO -- and that was after a special voucher from a local grocery store. Fast-forward about 15 years and I paid a post-deregulation price of only $220 direct from Houston on Continental. Friday afternoon I left work and drove straight to the airport. The flight was uneventful (and completely packed). Picked up my $10-a-day rental car at SFO and -- wouldn't you know it -- they gave me a sea-foam-green New Beetle. Despite completely ignoring his directions, I eventually arrived at my cousin's house. He lives in the residential neighborhood of Ingleside, just a few miles southwest of what you'd think of as San Francisco. Chris' apartment is cute, spacious (but full of plants), and commands an impressive over-the-rooftops view of houses marching up a large hill to the south. To the west, on clear days, you can "just see the ocean". The entire back of the apartment is a dine-in kitchen add-on with essentially a wall of windows. Not a bad setup.
After a night on El Coucho motel, Chris and I hit the streets in his sporting late-model dark-blue Toyota Corolla (but it needs an oil change). I realize I tested the neighborhood by leaving my wallet and cell phone in plain view on the front seat of the Beetle. We headed toward Cliff House, on the Pacific Coast, and I marvel at the row of houses facing the boulevard along the beach. South of the Presidio on the Pacific coast, there is a narrow, sandy beach backed up by an area of low, wind-swept, bonzai-like, dark green shrubs. Beyond these shrubs is a nearly-always-deserted boulevard (I guess it's highway 1?). Just on the landward side of this boulevard is an endless row of 3-story houses, standing side-by-side and facing out to the ocean, many with gigantic windows for eyes. Inside these windows are the rich people who can afford a view out over 10,000 miles of ocean. Talk about the edge of the world. Here, we live our lives in our condo on the beach. Over there is nothing until you hit China.
We parked by Cliff House and strolled along a jogging trail that apparently connects to the Presidio. There were seals a-barking and plenty of dogs off-leash. I learn that San Franciscans aren't really the eye-contact, hello-how-are-you and smile type of people. There was plenty of fog, and the associated groves of gnarly, wind-swept trees for the fog to dwell amongst.
Eventually it starting raining a little (Chris referred to this as a "torrential downpour", but he clearly has not visited Houston), so we glanced in the direction of the Golden Gate and the eponymous bridge and trotted back to the car. The Golden Gate Bridge lost none of its splendor by having its top half shrouded by the fog.
Back on the road, Chris showed me around various parts of the city. Eventually I complained about hunger so we stopped and got some gigantic hamburgers. Then we stopped at the elusive, trendy and back-alleyish Blue Bottle coffee shop. Just the fact that I've visited the place will probably cause them to go out of business. The shop is run by a particular type of person referred to as "hipsters". More on that later. The brown Beetle was outside the Blue Bottle.
We drove around SF more and finally found Coit Tower (yah!).
San Francisco-ey neighborhood:
Back to Chris' then we headed north on The 101, bound for Santa Rosa.
The fog lifted a bit - only very slightly - and it was possible to see more of the Golden Gate Bridge. And some pointy rocks adjacent to the bridge. The drive to Santa Rosa was uneventful. California used to seem so different than everywhere else when it was the only place I'd been outside of Michigan. Now that I've been all over the US it doesn't seem quite as foreign. Santa Rosa is still a beautiful town, but it seemed like some of the shine had worn off since my first visit about 12 years ago. The same cannot be said for my aunt and uncle's house. They've done a huge remodel and revamp, with a new open-format kitchen and a huge sunroom addition. I've always loved their simple and functional house, and it's even better post-remodel.
On Sunday morning we drove a windy hilly road over to Napa valley and indulged in a castle tour topped off with some wine tasting. I'm sure if you are a wine fanatic you will know this place.
The weather was cool, lovely and foggy. The whole crew came out for the Napa Valley trek -- cousins JP and Chris in addition to aunt D and uncle J.
Sunday evening I drove down to Napa to visit my friend Cari, who was preparing to move out of her apartment, which happened to be the same place she was living during my previous visit, some five years before. It was a brief visit since she had work the next day. On Monday, I attempted a local Napa hike but got sketched out by lots of undergrowth blocking the trail and the fact the first mile of the trail passed some type of prison facility. Jumped back in the car and cut across the scenic and marshy northern reaches of the San Pablo Bay. In Houston, a marsh is a swamp and it's a stinky, steamy place. The marshes of San Pablo Bay had a fresh, open feel to them, with the golden hills of Marin rising in the distance. I turned south on the 101, aiming vaguely to hit some of the parklands I knew existed in the Marin headlands area, just north of the Golden Gate. When I saw a sign for the Marin County Civic Center, I hopped off the freeway to see this well-known Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building.
After exploring this quirky and interesting structure, I set off to find some redwoods before I had to bid California goodbye. I wound up at Muir Woods, which, in typical California style, didn't have enough parking and was crowded even on a Monday midday. The trees were spectacular, but I do like some solitude with my nature, so I must recommend coast redwood groves farther to the north.
Back to the airport on 101, which brings travelers right through the center of stop-light-choked downtown San Fran. Back to Houston.
After a night on El Coucho motel, Chris and I hit the streets in his sporting late-model dark-blue Toyota Corolla (but it needs an oil change). I realize I tested the neighborhood by leaving my wallet and cell phone in plain view on the front seat of the Beetle. We headed toward Cliff House, on the Pacific Coast, and I marvel at the row of houses facing the boulevard along the beach. South of the Presidio on the Pacific coast, there is a narrow, sandy beach backed up by an area of low, wind-swept, bonzai-like, dark green shrubs. Beyond these shrubs is a nearly-always-deserted boulevard (I guess it's highway 1?). Just on the landward side of this boulevard is an endless row of 3-story houses, standing side-by-side and facing out to the ocean, many with gigantic windows for eyes. Inside these windows are the rich people who can afford a view out over 10,000 miles of ocean. Talk about the edge of the world. Here, we live our lives in our condo on the beach. Over there is nothing until you hit China.
We parked by Cliff House and strolled along a jogging trail that apparently connects to the Presidio. There were seals a-barking and plenty of dogs off-leash. I learn that San Franciscans aren't really the eye-contact, hello-how-are-you and smile type of people. There was plenty of fog, and the associated groves of gnarly, wind-swept trees for the fog to dwell amongst.
Eventually it starting raining a little (Chris referred to this as a "torrential downpour", but he clearly has not visited Houston), so we glanced in the direction of the Golden Gate and the eponymous bridge and trotted back to the car. The Golden Gate Bridge lost none of its splendor by having its top half shrouded by the fog.
Back on the road, Chris showed me around various parts of the city. Eventually I complained about hunger so we stopped and got some gigantic hamburgers. Then we stopped at the elusive, trendy and back-alleyish Blue Bottle coffee shop. Just the fact that I've visited the place will probably cause them to go out of business. The shop is run by a particular type of person referred to as "hipsters". More on that later. The brown Beetle was outside the Blue Bottle.
We drove around SF more and finally found Coit Tower (yah!).
San Francisco-ey neighborhood:
Back to Chris' then we headed north on The 101, bound for Santa Rosa.
The fog lifted a bit - only very slightly - and it was possible to see more of the Golden Gate Bridge. And some pointy rocks adjacent to the bridge. The drive to Santa Rosa was uneventful. California used to seem so different than everywhere else when it was the only place I'd been outside of Michigan. Now that I've been all over the US it doesn't seem quite as foreign. Santa Rosa is still a beautiful town, but it seemed like some of the shine had worn off since my first visit about 12 years ago. The same cannot be said for my aunt and uncle's house. They've done a huge remodel and revamp, with a new open-format kitchen and a huge sunroom addition. I've always loved their simple and functional house, and it's even better post-remodel. On Sunday morning we drove a windy hilly road over to Napa valley and indulged in a castle tour topped off with some wine tasting. I'm sure if you are a wine fanatic you will know this place.
The weather was cool, lovely and foggy. The whole crew came out for the Napa Valley trek -- cousins JP and Chris in addition to aunt D and uncle J.Sunday evening I drove down to Napa to visit my friend Cari, who was preparing to move out of her apartment, which happened to be the same place she was living during my previous visit, some five years before. It was a brief visit since she had work the next day. On Monday, I attempted a local Napa hike but got sketched out by lots of undergrowth blocking the trail and the fact the first mile of the trail passed some type of prison facility. Jumped back in the car and cut across the scenic and marshy northern reaches of the San Pablo Bay. In Houston, a marsh is a swamp and it's a stinky, steamy place. The marshes of San Pablo Bay had a fresh, open feel to them, with the golden hills of Marin rising in the distance. I turned south on the 101, aiming vaguely to hit some of the parklands I knew existed in the Marin headlands area, just north of the Golden Gate. When I saw a sign for the Marin County Civic Center, I hopped off the freeway to see this well-known Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building.
After exploring this quirky and interesting structure, I set off to find some redwoods before I had to bid California goodbye. I wound up at Muir Woods, which, in typical California style, didn't have enough parking and was crowded even on a Monday midday. The trees were spectacular, but I do like some solitude with my nature, so I must recommend coast redwood groves farther to the north. 
Back to the airport on 101, which brings travelers right through the center of stop-light-choked downtown San Fran. Back to Houston.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Globetrots
It's been a long time. And I've been around. Since I last posted a little over a year ago, much has happened. Mostly work, but also the Sister and her BF moved to Houston. Then a hurricane arrived (Ike). Sister and BF got jobs. I went on a field trip to SE New Mexico and W Texas to look at ancient carbonates and eat wonderful enchiladas and hot sauce in Carlsbad. Over Thanksgiving Sab and I drove out to New Mexico and camped and hiked our way up through the state. It was cold and it got dark early. Over Christmas I flew back to Michigan to visit the fam. Debi drove up and stayed at her time-share at Boyne Mountain, where I also spent a few days. We both hit the slopes and went to a fancy Christmas dinner at the lodge, which I quite enjoyed. Returning to Houston I was bumped from my flight and received a $500 voucher (not enough). At the end of January I met up in Salt Lake City with my friend Erik from Tucson. We stayed at a nice cozy suite hotel and hit the slopes for few days. It was Erik's first time snow skiing.
My $500 Continental voucher was burning a hole in my pocket so I began to shop for cheap flights. Eventually I chose to go to Munich at the end of March. I'd never been to mainland Europe (just the UK and Ireland). I spent about 11 days in southern Germany and Austria. It was a bit cold and rainy at times, but the sun set late enough to allow me full days. I started in Munich after a long annoying flight with three connections. A few days in Munich and I went south on the train to Fussen, gateway to the Konigschlossen. I stayed at a quaint and tidy lodge in Pinswang, Austria and, the next day, hiked over the mountains, through the snow and mist, to see Ludwig's castles. The most romantic of approaches -- thanks Rick Steves! After being unable to find a car for rent in Fussen I moved on the next day by bus and train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and rode the cog railway and cable cars to the top of the (German) Alps: the Zugspitze. A sprawling complex complete with email and restaurants sits on top. This took nothing away from the stunning, breath-taking, awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping scenery. I literally gasped with amazement when I stepped off the cog railway. After a day in uninspiring G-P I again trained to Salzburg, via Munich. Salzburg was a delight! Situated on a fast-moved, channelized mountain river, the city offers flat riverbank strolling and some craggy highlands right in the city. It's completely walkable and a joy to explore, with Mozart landmarks and wurst stands at every corner. In Salzburg I met up with my friend Erin from U of A and we enjoyed an evening at a beer hall, a bike ride out into the countryside (to see Sound of Music sights), and a trip to a salt mine on the outskirts of town. Finally I spent a day in Nurnburg, which was charming, but also housed a number of disquieting architectural relicts from the Nazi era.
Just before the Germany trip I'd been reassigned to a new group at ConocoPhillips. In April, the entire group had the chance to go on a trip to Minneapolis and Utah. Minneapolis / St. Paul is a lovely metropolis -- and is a city of bridges across the sizable upper Mississippi River. After a few days at a swank hotel in Minneapolis we flew to Salt Lake and spent some pleasant days examining the geology of the Book Cliffs. Our trip ended in Grand Junction, a place I want to live. Four geologists from my group rented a car and drove across the state of Colorado to Denver, straight through the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Twas a lovely week at work.
A week after this trip was Memorial day which I spent in Southern California. I flew to LA, picked up a car and headed out to Joshua Tree National Park. Spent a couple days there soaking up the desert beauty and snapping hundreds of pictures. Getting up at first light each morning I was able to pack in a number of hikes each day. Leaving JT I went north across vast expanses of the Mojave desert and over the color-striped mountains to Death Valley. The temperature reached a breath-robbing 110 F, but still I set out on a number of hikes through my beloved desert, reveling in the colors are bareness of the rocks. Picture-taking was good. Camped at the still-free campground just off the main highway out of the park. Following day, after an early-early morning hike up Mosaic Canyon, west again out of the park through some more remarkable scenery -- great expanses of craggy volcanic rocks jutting out high above wide salty desert basins. Over the next hill came a big surprise -- the scenery improved to a heaven-like level as I entered Owens Valley and the east front of the Sierra Nevada rose up before me. Like on the Zugspitze, my jaw hung open for some minutes. I've been to Owens Valley before, on what seems like a magic field trip about 100 years ago. I camped at the same place as we had then -- among the granite domes on BLM land just outside Whitney Portal. Hiked up to the portal in the fresh cold piney air with humongous white walls of glacier-polished granite blocking the sky on either side. Finally trekked back to LA, stopping off first at the Pinnacles near Trona, the only low point of a trip full of big highs.
Not long after, I got the travel bug again and began cruising the Continental website. I planned to take off the week of Independence Day, and I found a temptingly cheap ticket to Tokyo. After a few days of hemming and hawing I decided to go. I flew into Tokyo and took the shinkansen (bullet train) down to Kyushu. This trip was shorter and not as well planned as my earlier European excursion. Still, I had a nice time visiting Hakata, Nagasaki, Kumamoto and Hiroshima (again). Everywhere I found surprises but I also found a lot of uninspiring 3-story concrete architecture. However, what stands out are the endless miles of nearly cultivated rice fields; the green jungle hills of Nagasaki; the fog, rain and stinking mists of Onsen; the hot, milky waters of the public bath; the beauty of the sea off Kumamoto; the park/castle at said town; and the rivers of Hiroshima. Unfortunately it was the rainy season, which wasn't too bad, but on this trip I remembered a rule of travel: trains bring you to cities. If you want to get out into nature and hike and see the mountains, the US is a great place to do it, because you really need a car.
The end of Summer 2009 has been a bit slower for travel. My carefully sheparded vacation days (4 remaining) are waiting so I can take off Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks. Still, we get one flex day per month, and I used mine last weekend to visit friends and family in the San Francisco area, which I haven't visiting in about five years. More on that later.
My $500 Continental voucher was burning a hole in my pocket so I began to shop for cheap flights. Eventually I chose to go to Munich at the end of March. I'd never been to mainland Europe (just the UK and Ireland). I spent about 11 days in southern Germany and Austria. It was a bit cold and rainy at times, but the sun set late enough to allow me full days. I started in Munich after a long annoying flight with three connections. A few days in Munich and I went south on the train to Fussen, gateway to the Konigschlossen. I stayed at a quaint and tidy lodge in Pinswang, Austria and, the next day, hiked over the mountains, through the snow and mist, to see Ludwig's castles. The most romantic of approaches -- thanks Rick Steves! After being unable to find a car for rent in Fussen I moved on the next day by bus and train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and rode the cog railway and cable cars to the top of the (German) Alps: the Zugspitze. A sprawling complex complete with email and restaurants sits on top. This took nothing away from the stunning, breath-taking, awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping scenery. I literally gasped with amazement when I stepped off the cog railway. After a day in uninspiring G-P I again trained to Salzburg, via Munich. Salzburg was a delight! Situated on a fast-moved, channelized mountain river, the city offers flat riverbank strolling and some craggy highlands right in the city. It's completely walkable and a joy to explore, with Mozart landmarks and wurst stands at every corner. In Salzburg I met up with my friend Erin from U of A and we enjoyed an evening at a beer hall, a bike ride out into the countryside (to see Sound of Music sights), and a trip to a salt mine on the outskirts of town. Finally I spent a day in Nurnburg, which was charming, but also housed a number of disquieting architectural relicts from the Nazi era.
Just before the Germany trip I'd been reassigned to a new group at ConocoPhillips. In April, the entire group had the chance to go on a trip to Minneapolis and Utah. Minneapolis / St. Paul is a lovely metropolis -- and is a city of bridges across the sizable upper Mississippi River. After a few days at a swank hotel in Minneapolis we flew to Salt Lake and spent some pleasant days examining the geology of the Book Cliffs. Our trip ended in Grand Junction, a place I want to live. Four geologists from my group rented a car and drove across the state of Colorado to Denver, straight through the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Twas a lovely week at work.
A week after this trip was Memorial day which I spent in Southern California. I flew to LA, picked up a car and headed out to Joshua Tree National Park. Spent a couple days there soaking up the desert beauty and snapping hundreds of pictures. Getting up at first light each morning I was able to pack in a number of hikes each day. Leaving JT I went north across vast expanses of the Mojave desert and over the color-striped mountains to Death Valley. The temperature reached a breath-robbing 110 F, but still I set out on a number of hikes through my beloved desert, reveling in the colors are bareness of the rocks. Picture-taking was good. Camped at the still-free campground just off the main highway out of the park. Following day, after an early-early morning hike up Mosaic Canyon, west again out of the park through some more remarkable scenery -- great expanses of craggy volcanic rocks jutting out high above wide salty desert basins. Over the next hill came a big surprise -- the scenery improved to a heaven-like level as I entered Owens Valley and the east front of the Sierra Nevada rose up before me. Like on the Zugspitze, my jaw hung open for some minutes. I've been to Owens Valley before, on what seems like a magic field trip about 100 years ago. I camped at the same place as we had then -- among the granite domes on BLM land just outside Whitney Portal. Hiked up to the portal in the fresh cold piney air with humongous white walls of glacier-polished granite blocking the sky on either side. Finally trekked back to LA, stopping off first at the Pinnacles near Trona, the only low point of a trip full of big highs.
Not long after, I got the travel bug again and began cruising the Continental website. I planned to take off the week of Independence Day, and I found a temptingly cheap ticket to Tokyo. After a few days of hemming and hawing I decided to go. I flew into Tokyo and took the shinkansen (bullet train) down to Kyushu. This trip was shorter and not as well planned as my earlier European excursion. Still, I had a nice time visiting Hakata, Nagasaki, Kumamoto and Hiroshima (again). Everywhere I found surprises but I also found a lot of uninspiring 3-story concrete architecture. However, what stands out are the endless miles of nearly cultivated rice fields; the green jungle hills of Nagasaki; the fog, rain and stinking mists of Onsen; the hot, milky waters of the public bath; the beauty of the sea off Kumamoto; the park/castle at said town; and the rivers of Hiroshima. Unfortunately it was the rainy season, which wasn't too bad, but on this trip I remembered a rule of travel: trains bring you to cities. If you want to get out into nature and hike and see the mountains, the US is a great place to do it, because you really need a car.
The end of Summer 2009 has been a bit slower for travel. My carefully sheparded vacation days (4 remaining) are waiting so I can take off Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks. Still, we get one flex day per month, and I used mine last weekend to visit friends and family in the San Francisco area, which I haven't visiting in about five years. More on that later.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
G35 versus 328i
Cars. Which one? It's a battle between the Infiniti G35 sedan and the BMW 328i coupe. A weird battle in some ways because they are quite different cars. I've driven incarnations of both; see previous post for comments about an extended test drive of the G. But let's start at the beginning.
Let's consider only cars, because I don't want an SUV. I want a compact or midsize sedan, powerful, quiet and pleasant (= luxury). How doth one judge a car? Looks nearly always come first. Reliability a near second (for me). Power, efficiency, handling. Value figures in prominently.
Of all new cars, which is the most beautiful? I think that honor currently goes to the Lexus ES350, which is a strikingly gorgeous car, only spoiled ever-so-slightly but its little bit of Camry-ness.
Where to from here? Who else has offerings in the $35 car entry-level lux sedan market? Almost everyone, so here goes. Audi? Nice interiors (I hear) but they're refined VWs, with the coarse engines to match. Acura? No way with the new chrome fronts, and they just never appealed to me.. fancy Hondas. Lexus IS? The 250 is underpowered, the 350 is expensive and both also rank as not-too-fun-to-drive and also have very small back seats.
I'm left with the Infiniti G and the BMW 3-series. I can't stand the rear end on bimmer's 3-series sedan, so it'd have to be the 328i coupe. First, the looks. The bimmer is a gorgeous car, simply astounding. Especially on the screen or the page. In person they can be a bit baffling, lovely one moment and funny and squashed-looking in another or from a different angle. Up close they have some details marring the perfection, such as the cutouts for the headlight sprayers. Putting those things aside, though, the 328i coupe is a car I drool over.
I stopped writing right there, because it's so obvious the 328i coupe is the car for me. Right? The problem is that the G35 has a bunch of little advantages that start to add up. First off, it looks good as a 4-door, and it's even a mid-size, with acceptable rear seat room. Four doors are handy, especially when there's usually a kid and a dog around. Second, it's got lots more power and is nearly 1.5 seconds faster to 60 mph (5.4 vs. 6.8 seconds, automatic transmissions). Third in the big-deal department, it's 6 or 8 thousand dollars cheaper when similarly equipped. Another way to say that is you get lots more for $33k in the G versus the BMW. To stay below $35k in the BMW coupe you get basically just leather as an option. Not even an automatic transmission. In the G for around $33k you get fun stuff like a 6-disc changer, XM radio, bluetooth, fancy auto-dim mirrors with compass and garage door opener, a spare tire, power front seats and a proper ipod connector. There are scads of the Gs sitting around on the dealer lot, whereas good luck finding the BMW you want, and good luck getting a price much below sticker.
I don't think you can call the G an ugly car. It's nice. But what it lacks, I think, is refinement. Car and Driver said it first, and it's a good way to differentiate the 3 from the G. It's an Infiniti, sure, but it's a Nissan. The 328 is the latest iteration in a long chain of car evolution from a company very much focused on the driving experience. Supposedly. But I think there is a lot to say for that. BMWs aren't gussied-up Minis. They are their own car. I visited the BMW dealer recently and their cars are something to behold. Sit in a G35 for a while and your impression is that they tried but they didn't quite make it. Still the darn car tugs at me. As a complete package it seems to offer a lot of value. Look at the ultimate "value" sedan: the Honda Accord. The top-end model, EX-L, retails above $28k. The G35 Journey with Premium is less than $5k more. And that makes sense because the G35 sits right there between nice econo-cars and real intro lux.
Let's consider only cars, because I don't want an SUV. I want a compact or midsize sedan, powerful, quiet and pleasant (= luxury). How doth one judge a car? Looks nearly always come first. Reliability a near second (for me). Power, efficiency, handling. Value figures in prominently.
Of all new cars, which is the most beautiful? I think that honor currently goes to the Lexus ES350, which is a strikingly gorgeous car, only spoiled ever-so-slightly but its little bit of Camry-ness.
Lexus gets the sheet metal right, and they really get the paint right. All the colors are great, but the white is particularly pearly and by far the nicest paint I've seen on a car. Problems: even Consumer Reports calls this car boring to drive. Also, it lists for around $32k but is only available as a $39k incarnation. On top of that I found the dashboard to be downright old-person-ish. A polished slab of wood with controls sticking through holes drilled by someone in shop class.
Where to from here? Who else has offerings in the $35 car entry-level lux sedan market? Almost everyone, so here goes. Audi? Nice interiors (I hear) but they're refined VWs, with the coarse engines to match. Acura? No way with the new chrome fronts, and they just never appealed to me.. fancy Hondas. Lexus IS? The 250 is underpowered, the 350 is expensive and both also rank as not-too-fun-to-drive and also have very small back seats.
I'm left with the Infiniti G and the BMW 3-series. I can't stand the rear end on bimmer's 3-series sedan, so it'd have to be the 328i coupe. First, the looks. The bimmer is a gorgeous car, simply astounding. Especially on the screen or the page. In person they can be a bit baffling, lovely one moment and funny and squashed-looking in another or from a different angle. Up close they have some details marring the perfection, such as the cutouts for the headlight sprayers. Putting those things aside, though, the 328i coupe is a car I drool over.
I stopped writing right there, because it's so obvious the 328i coupe is the car for me. Right? The problem is that the G35 has a bunch of little advantages that start to add up. First off, it looks good as a 4-door, and it's even a mid-size, with acceptable rear seat room. Four doors are handy, especially when there's usually a kid and a dog around. Second, it's got lots more power and is nearly 1.5 seconds faster to 60 mph (5.4 vs. 6.8 seconds, automatic transmissions). Third in the big-deal department, it's 6 or 8 thousand dollars cheaper when similarly equipped. Another way to say that is you get lots more for $33k in the G versus the BMW. To stay below $35k in the BMW coupe you get basically just leather as an option. Not even an automatic transmission. In the G for around $33k you get fun stuff like a 6-disc changer, XM radio, bluetooth, fancy auto-dim mirrors with compass and garage door opener, a spare tire, power front seats and a proper ipod connector. There are scads of the Gs sitting around on the dealer lot, whereas good luck finding the BMW you want, and good luck getting a price much below sticker.
I don't think you can call the G an ugly car. It's nice. But what it lacks, I think, is refinement. Car and Driver said it first, and it's a good way to differentiate the 3 from the G. It's an Infiniti, sure, but it's a Nissan. The 328 is the latest iteration in a long chain of car evolution from a company very much focused on the driving experience. Supposedly. But I think there is a lot to say for that. BMWs aren't gussied-up Minis. They are their own car. I visited the BMW dealer recently and their cars are something to behold. Sit in a G35 for a while and your impression is that they tried but they didn't quite make it. Still the darn car tugs at me. As a complete package it seems to offer a lot of value. Look at the ultimate "value" sedan: the Honda Accord. The top-end model, EX-L, retails above $28k. The G35 Journey with Premium is less than $5k more. And that makes sense because the G35 sits right there between nice econo-cars and real intro lux.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
1000 miles by bike, 2500 miles by car
Yah! I did it! Kind of...
Mileage: 1000.2
Days: 90+1
Remaining: 0
Average Daily Mileage: 11.1
I had planned to go to Colorado last week, or somewhere with Debi and Mary. But circumstances brought me to Arizona. Was it absolutely necessary? Not sure, but I got to see some old friends, hike some old trails, and take care of the old house for one last week. Got things (green yard things) whipped into shape for the closing this Saturday. As of the Friday before the trip, the 1000 miles riding was not complete. Sunday was the last day, and I'd be in Tucson. So I packed up the bike, drove to Tucson. Sunday the temp reached 106 F, followed immediately by an amazing monsoonal windstorm. No ride. So I took a mulligan and did it the next day. Rode out the old Rillito pathway to Craycroft then back the other way to wherever it goes west, then home and around the "block" five times to make it to 28 miles. I thought it a bit odd that I had driven my car 1000 miles in the previous one day, but ridden my bike 1000 miles in the previous 90 days!
It was good to be back in AZ, although I couldn't get over what a dump central Tucson is. Still, it has that special magic that tugs at the heart. The smell of palo verde or creosote or whatever that is in the air (*sneeze*)... the wonderful cool nights... the beautiful mountains. We (Sabkha and me and various friends) made the trip "up the mountain" four times for hiking. Sab was tired and got tenderpaw. But you could tell she was home again. Got to see Erik and Sara and their place -- very homey and tidy and nice. Russ and Sab rekindled their friendship.
What's the new challenge? I don't know. I'm taking a little time off. Probably something like another 1000 mile challenge. Right now I'm facing "clean and fix up the house" challenge. The downed pear tree (see previous post) still is not cleaned up. I'm unpacking from AZ. Also have various sell-house-related chores. Oh yes, and there is the small matter of getting a new bike or some reward for my mileage. This post is rambling a bit, but I need to wrap up a few things and get them down on paper / on screen.
I've been obsessing over two main things: 1) whether to buy a new car, and which one; and 2) whether to move out to Katy and to which house. I'm suspecting posts on these will follow, especially on the car, because I need to clear out my mind. It's full of car.
Mileage: 1000.2
Days: 90+1
Remaining: 0
Average Daily Mileage: 11.1
I had planned to go to Colorado last week, or somewhere with Debi and Mary. But circumstances brought me to Arizona. Was it absolutely necessary? Not sure, but I got to see some old friends, hike some old trails, and take care of the old house for one last week. Got things (green yard things) whipped into shape for the closing this Saturday. As of the Friday before the trip, the 1000 miles riding was not complete. Sunday was the last day, and I'd be in Tucson. So I packed up the bike, drove to Tucson. Sunday the temp reached 106 F, followed immediately by an amazing monsoonal windstorm. No ride. So I took a mulligan and did it the next day. Rode out the old Rillito pathway to Craycroft then back the other way to wherever it goes west, then home and around the "block" five times to make it to 28 miles. I thought it a bit odd that I had driven my car 1000 miles in the previous one day, but ridden my bike 1000 miles in the previous 90 days!
What's the new challenge? I don't know. I'm taking a little time off. Probably something like another 1000 mile challenge. Right now I'm facing "clean and fix up the house" challenge. The downed pear tree (see previous post) still is not cleaned up. I'm unpacking from AZ. Also have various sell-house-related chores. Oh yes, and there is the small matter of getting a new bike or some reward for my mileage. This post is rambling a bit, but I need to wrap up a few things and get them down on paper / on screen.
I've been obsessing over two main things: 1) whether to buy a new car, and which one; and 2) whether to move out to Katy and to which house. I'm suspecting posts on these will follow, especially on the car, because I need to clear out my mind. It's full of car.
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