Well ladies and gents, this is the final Tuesday, and hence the final blog post of 2009. Blogspot is kind enough to keep track of how many posts you make, broken down by year and month. This will be my 40th post of 2009. Compare that to the 4 I made in 2008 and I'd say that I'm making serious progress towards my goal of making this a regular publication. A big thanks to everyone who's been reading, and a huge thanks to everyone who's left comments.
This year saw some of my usual camping shenanigans, but I also covered some new territory... quite literally in a few cases, most notably Iceland. That particular voyage marked my first solo vacation, and proved to be quite the experience! Shortly after that 2009 played host to my first stay in the fine Province of Quebec... sad that it took me so long to make that short trip. You have my assurance that I'll be back there, if only for the food. Motivated by the number of you who were reading up on those two trips it also saw the rise of The Weekly Post, which I certainly hope has become a regular source of Internet amusement for you all. We can't forget Jamaica either, way back in January. It was that trip that kick-started the serendipitous chain of events that led to me taking up Scuba diving as a hobby. Over the course of the year I've gone from someone who didn't know a BCD from an Octopus into a certified Advanced and Deep Diver. In that time I've also learned how to ride a motorcycle, planned some new trips, and made some new friends. It's pretty hard to say anything aside from - "It's been a good year."
Coming up for 2010, the new year will start with a trip down to the Dominican Republic just for some sun and sand. I know that Gray, Jay, and myself will be going down to the Smokey Mountains and the epic driving roads contained therein for a roadtrip adventure in late April. Beyond that? Well, I get a whole new batch of vacation days starting in July, at which point you can expect a whole new batch of crazy adventures to start up.
So, in closing, I hope that you all had a spectacular 2009, and I hope that 2010 is a fantastic year for all of you. Keep reading, and keep commenting, it's the fact that I can count on you all to read these posts that keeps me motivated. Also, you know how to get a hold of me, so be sure to let me know if there are any topics you'd like to see covered in the coming months. Whatever celebrations you have planned for New Year's Eve have fun and be safe. I'll see you all in 2010. Adventure awaits!
Tuesday 29 December 2009
Tuesday 22 December 2009
Who's Dream Exactly?
Boeing has been making the headlines recently with the maiden flight of it's new plane, the 787 Dreamliner. In following the stories I'm still a bit unclear on why people are so interested in this aircraft; is it really going to be a great plane, or are we just amused by any development cycle that is so fraught with delays (search Wikipedia for "Duke Nukem Forever" if you'd like to see another case of public fascination with a doomed project.)
For those of you unfamiliar with the harrowing saga of the Dreamliner, here's the synopsis. The plane just had it's maiden flight on December 15, 2009. That flight was scheduled for September of 2007. Yup, that's a seven at the end of that year. Ooops. While an often-stated delay did come in the form of a machinist's strike, that lasted less than two months, which seems insufficient to delay a project by two years. From the reading I've done here it seems like the problem was a combination of difficulties obtain materials for the plane, and an excess of work being outsourced. At one point Boeing was forced to buy some of the companies that they were outsourcing to just to exert enough control over the supply chain.
So we have in our midst now a plane that had, to say the least, a strained birth. However, it's here now, so why should we be excited? The two biggest talking points that I've read so far are that this is the company's most fuel-efficient airliner, and uses more composite materials than any other airliner currently in production. The composite material in question is a carbon fiber reinforced plastic that will make up 80% of the aircraft by volume. This make the aircraft lighter, while maintaining the necessary strength, hence the vaunted fuel efficiency.
This brings me to my next point. The aircraft is, by all reports, going to be quite fuel-efficient. Do I give a damn? I've heard a lot about the fuel-efficiency, but I haven't heard (nor do I really expect to) about the enormous cost savings that will be passed on to the traveller. Nothing about it being any quicker either. Thus missing the two greatest improvements to airline travel that I want: Cheaper and Faster.
Ah, but now I feel the need to follow in the footsteps of the Great Jeremy Clarkson, and after putting down this poor airliner for past four paragraphs, here's what I like about our poor maligned plane. That carbon fiber plastic body that I glossed over earlier isn't just lighter and as strong as traditional materials; it's lighter and stronger. That means that it can handle a greater internal pressure. Most commercial airliners pressurize the cabin to be approximately equivalent to being outdoors at 2,400m above sea level, but the Dreamliner will be able to handle a pressure which will give the feeling of being at a mere 1,800m altitude. Add in the fact that the composite materials won't corrode like their metal counterparts and you can now safely increase cabin humidity. The increase in pressure and humidity should result in a cabin that feels much more natural than your typical aircraft.
Something that I thought may be fun is that they've increased the size of the windows and raised them to a more natural eye level. As someone who loves watching the take off and landing I'm actually a bit excited about this feature.
Apparently they've also been playing around with a variety of technologies, including placing sound absorbing materials in the engine air inlets, to reduce the total noise, which should be nice for passenger comfort as well.
So there you have it, a new plane that fails to address my big concerns of speed, cost, seat comfort, banning children and fat people, and improved cuisine. However, it still sounds like a step in the right direction. Now for the internet's most dangerous question: what do you think?
For those of you unfamiliar with the harrowing saga of the Dreamliner, here's the synopsis. The plane just had it's maiden flight on December 15, 2009. That flight was scheduled for September of 2007. Yup, that's a seven at the end of that year. Ooops. While an often-stated delay did come in the form of a machinist's strike, that lasted less than two months, which seems insufficient to delay a project by two years. From the reading I've done here it seems like the problem was a combination of difficulties obtain materials for the plane, and an excess of work being outsourced. At one point Boeing was forced to buy some of the companies that they were outsourcing to just to exert enough control over the supply chain.
So we have in our midst now a plane that had, to say the least, a strained birth. However, it's here now, so why should we be excited? The two biggest talking points that I've read so far are that this is the company's most fuel-efficient airliner, and uses more composite materials than any other airliner currently in production. The composite material in question is a carbon fiber reinforced plastic that will make up 80% of the aircraft by volume. This make the aircraft lighter, while maintaining the necessary strength, hence the vaunted fuel efficiency.
This brings me to my next point. The aircraft is, by all reports, going to be quite fuel-efficient. Do I give a damn? I've heard a lot about the fuel-efficiency, but I haven't heard (nor do I really expect to) about the enormous cost savings that will be passed on to the traveller. Nothing about it being any quicker either. Thus missing the two greatest improvements to airline travel that I want: Cheaper and Faster.
Ah, but now I feel the need to follow in the footsteps of the Great Jeremy Clarkson, and after putting down this poor airliner for past four paragraphs, here's what I like about our poor maligned plane. That carbon fiber plastic body that I glossed over earlier isn't just lighter and as strong as traditional materials; it's lighter and stronger. That means that it can handle a greater internal pressure. Most commercial airliners pressurize the cabin to be approximately equivalent to being outdoors at 2,400m above sea level, but the Dreamliner will be able to handle a pressure which will give the feeling of being at a mere 1,800m altitude. Add in the fact that the composite materials won't corrode like their metal counterparts and you can now safely increase cabin humidity. The increase in pressure and humidity should result in a cabin that feels much more natural than your typical aircraft.
Something that I thought may be fun is that they've increased the size of the windows and raised them to a more natural eye level. As someone who loves watching the take off and landing I'm actually a bit excited about this feature.
Apparently they've also been playing around with a variety of technologies, including placing sound absorbing materials in the engine air inlets, to reduce the total noise, which should be nice for passenger comfort as well.
So there you have it, a new plane that fails to address my big concerns of speed, cost, seat comfort, banning children and fat people, and improved cuisine. However, it still sounds like a step in the right direction. Now for the internet's most dangerous question: what do you think?
Tuesday 15 December 2009
My Pack
My cousin recently asked me for advice on a backpack to buy for travelling. Of course, I don't have a great wealth of experience in this area, so I can only really discuss the pros and cons of my current pack. That said, I've been wanting to do a review of my current pack for awhile now, so this is a good opportunity to post some pics so you can all see what I've been lugging around.
I've been using a Pangea 75 from MEC.
The "75" refers to the pack's capacity, in this case 75 litres. Here's a couple pictures showing the front and back of this bad boy:
You'll notice from the back shot that the suspension system is quite rugged, which is something you're really going to want. Pay special attention to the "belt" on this pack. The straps are very wide and well padded, and it allows you to comfortably shift a lot of the weight of the pack off of your shoulders and on to your hips. The back pad is adjustable top to bottom, which is why I highly recommend actually going into MEC if you're planning on getting a pack. The pros there can help you to adjust the pack to fit you perfectly before you leave the store. It's also important to note that we're all built differently, and it may not be possible to adjust a pack to fit your specific body type. For that reason it's a good idea to have a few packs in mind when going into a store. Your favorite pack on paper might not turn out to be your favorite pack on your back.
A feature of this backpack that I'm really keen on is the fold-away suspension system, illustrated here:
I can just fold up the suspension system, cover it with this zippered flap, and voila, my backpack is now a duffel bag:
This is particularly nice when you're planning on flying with your backpack as you don't have to worry about loose straps getting caught in things and damaged after you've checked your luggage. Checking your backpack at the airport segues nicely into the next nice feature of this pack, the removable day pack.
That nice part on the front with the awesome flag on it just happens to zip off.
That's handy for camping when you want to bring a few things on a day hike without having to bring your whole pack with you. It's also nice when flying because you can use it as your carry-on luggage.
So those were the key points that I was looking at when I got this pack. Something to consider when looking at a pack like this is that it's not perfect for all travel situations. For a serious expedition this pack is actually quite small; you can get packs in excess of 90L at MEC. Also, for the kind of vacation where you're checking into a hotel upon arrival and staying there for the duration of your visit a backpack is a bit unnecessary. The pack was great in Japan since we were constantly on the move, but for a more stationary trip you can get a LOT more gear in a regular suitcase.
Well folks, that's all I can offer in terms of backpack advice. It's been awhile since I've talked about travel gear, I hope you all enjoyed the read. Sorry it's so late getting up, I was playing around with the photos and didn't get it all uploaded in time before I had to leave for work this morning. See you next week!
That nice part on the front with the awesome flag on it just happens to zip off.
That's handy for camping when you want to bring a few things on a day hike without having to bring your whole pack with you. It's also nice when flying because you can use it as your carry-on luggage.
So those were the key points that I was looking at when I got this pack. Something to consider when looking at a pack like this is that it's not perfect for all travel situations. For a serious expedition this pack is actually quite small; you can get packs in excess of 90L at MEC. Also, for the kind of vacation where you're checking into a hotel upon arrival and staying there for the duration of your visit a backpack is a bit unnecessary. The pack was great in Japan since we were constantly on the move, but for a more stationary trip you can get a LOT more gear in a regular suitcase.
Well folks, that's all I can offer in terms of backpack advice. It's been awhile since I've talked about travel gear, I hope you all enjoyed the read. Sorry it's so late getting up, I was playing around with the photos and didn't get it all uploaded in time before I had to leave for work this morning. See you next week!
Tuesday 8 December 2009
Damajagua
Well my friends, we've got our trip to the Dominican Republic booked, and so commences our more in-depth research of what we'll do while we're there. Of course snorkeling and sitting on the beach top that list, but we're trying to find other forms of entertainment as well. It was while hunting around for activities being offered outside of our resort that Graydyn came across tales of Damajagua. This is a river outside of Puerto Plata with a series of waterfalls that people like to hike up and then swim down. Many tour companies will take you to this area so that you can enjoy the adventure of jumping off waterfalls. However, they also do their best to downplay the danger in this activity, and I feel that it's my civic duty as someone with a public forum to pass on the warnings that we were coming across in our search for information on Damajagua. I need not repeat the details, but will simply direct you all to a page created by the bereaved parents of an 11-year old boy who died at these falls in 2005:
http://www.adamvitaterna.com
That page lists another, more recent death, and the Trip Advisor forums are filled with tales of struggles, injuries, and terrifying close calls.
So, what's the point of all this, aside from giving fair warning to any of you that may find yourselves in the Dominican Republic? I think that there are two very strong lessons we can take away from here. The first is the value of research. This exactly the kind of activity that appeals to people like me, and had I found myself at my resort looking at a brochure of smiling people leaping from waterfalls into the turquoise waters below I would have signed up in a heartbeat! It's always a good idea to know the area you're visiting, and if at all possible have a good grasp on the activities you want to do before you ever leave home.
The second point that I see here is to keep in mind the economic situation of where you are going. We've become very accustomed to the fact that we live in a sanitized, bubble-wrapped world where attempts are constantly made to mitigate the smallest risk. Some might say that this has made us safe, but I think that it has also made us complacent. We have to remember that as we travel to areas hit hard by poverty that we can't count on local governments to monitor and regulate all dangerous activities. We also have to remember that in a 3rd world country our tour guides are probably desperate for the money, and that's never a safe situation. In the case of Damajagua I've notice a trend amongst people who have run into trouble; it was raining heavily for days before they went. An easy trend to spot, and so you would think that the tour operators would simply not allow people to go if the river was running at dangerously high levels, but that will not be the case if you're in a part of the world where those tour operators are relying on you going on this tour in order to feed their families that evening.
So where does that put us? In a dangerous situation to be sure. That's not to say though that we need to remain in our safe little Canadian bubble, it just means that we have to adjust our thinking a little bit. Learn from the tragedies of others that we can't always count on guides and tour operators to watch out for our safety, and remember that if you don't watch out for #1 nobody else will. If you find yourself half way through a tour staring at a raging torrent of a river, don't be afraid to say "No, this is as far as I go." You may be chided for turning back, but it's safety first, and you are always responsible for your own safety.
I know that was a bit of a grim post today folks, and I'll try to be a little more upbeat next week, but the lessons of others hit me hard this week and I felt the need to pass on those experiences. Have a good week everyone, and be safe.
http://www.adamvitaterna.com
That page lists another, more recent death, and the Trip Advisor forums are filled with tales of struggles, injuries, and terrifying close calls.
So, what's the point of all this, aside from giving fair warning to any of you that may find yourselves in the Dominican Republic? I think that there are two very strong lessons we can take away from here. The first is the value of research. This exactly the kind of activity that appeals to people like me, and had I found myself at my resort looking at a brochure of smiling people leaping from waterfalls into the turquoise waters below I would have signed up in a heartbeat! It's always a good idea to know the area you're visiting, and if at all possible have a good grasp on the activities you want to do before you ever leave home.
The second point that I see here is to keep in mind the economic situation of where you are going. We've become very accustomed to the fact that we live in a sanitized, bubble-wrapped world where attempts are constantly made to mitigate the smallest risk. Some might say that this has made us safe, but I think that it has also made us complacent. We have to remember that as we travel to areas hit hard by poverty that we can't count on local governments to monitor and regulate all dangerous activities. We also have to remember that in a 3rd world country our tour guides are probably desperate for the money, and that's never a safe situation. In the case of Damajagua I've notice a trend amongst people who have run into trouble; it was raining heavily for days before they went. An easy trend to spot, and so you would think that the tour operators would simply not allow people to go if the river was running at dangerously high levels, but that will not be the case if you're in a part of the world where those tour operators are relying on you going on this tour in order to feed their families that evening.
So where does that put us? In a dangerous situation to be sure. That's not to say though that we need to remain in our safe little Canadian bubble, it just means that we have to adjust our thinking a little bit. Learn from the tragedies of others that we can't always count on guides and tour operators to watch out for our safety, and remember that if you don't watch out for #1 nobody else will. If you find yourself half way through a tour staring at a raging torrent of a river, don't be afraid to say "No, this is as far as I go." You may be chided for turning back, but it's safety first, and you are always responsible for your own safety.
I know that was a bit of a grim post today folks, and I'll try to be a little more upbeat next week, but the lessons of others hit me hard this week and I felt the need to pass on those experiences. Have a good week everyone, and be safe.
Tuesday 1 December 2009
Faster Than Expected
Just last week I posted my plans to book a last-minute vacation for late January. The intention was to wait, possibly even in to early January, to see what kind of deals I could manage. That particular aspect of the plan has actually gone out the window. A week of research yielded some interesting travel options, and already some pretty good deals. As Graydyn began to do more research he found some likely prospects and began to worry that by waiting until the last-minute all of the good resorts would be scooped up and we would be left with a very cheap trip to somewhere sub-par. So, given his concerns, and the fact that we were able to find a 5-star for under a thousand, we booked our vacation this weekend.
We're going to be heading to the Riu Bachata in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic:
http://www.riu.com/en-ca/Paises/dominican-republic/puerto-plata/clubhotel-riu-bachata/index.jsp
That resort consistently came up at the top of lists of good deals in the 5-star range at various travel websites. I also have a certain amount of faith in the Riu chain of resorts, having spent a lovely week at one in Jamaica, and also having heard glowing reviews from co-workers about the Riu in Aruba. Getting a place with good food was a critical requirement for me, and reviews of this and other Riu resorts seems to indicate that food is something they do consistently well.
So, there you have it. We didn't really operate according to the original game plan, but as with all good plans, you've got to be willing to throw them out the window at the first sign that they aren't working for you. Our next step will be figuring out what to do when we get there. At this point I'm not entirely opposed to sitting in a beach chair with a drink for a week, but I have a feeling that I'll get restless as soon as I attempt that particular activity. With that in mind I've already started putting out my feelers for scuba diving, Graydyn's found a good snorkeling day trip, and I've got a bit of information on an interesting sounding hike. More on all of that as details become available. For now I'm just happy to know for sure that I'm going south this winter!
That's all for now. I'm sure that you'll hear more about this vacation as the date draws near. Have a good week everyone.
We're going to be heading to the Riu Bachata in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic:
http://www.riu.com/en-ca/Paises/dominican-republic/puerto-plata/clubhotel-riu-bachata/index.jsp
That resort consistently came up at the top of lists of good deals in the 5-star range at various travel websites. I also have a certain amount of faith in the Riu chain of resorts, having spent a lovely week at one in Jamaica, and also having heard glowing reviews from co-workers about the Riu in Aruba. Getting a place with good food was a critical requirement for me, and reviews of this and other Riu resorts seems to indicate that food is something they do consistently well.
So, there you have it. We didn't really operate according to the original game plan, but as with all good plans, you've got to be willing to throw them out the window at the first sign that they aren't working for you. Our next step will be figuring out what to do when we get there. At this point I'm not entirely opposed to sitting in a beach chair with a drink for a week, but I have a feeling that I'll get restless as soon as I attempt that particular activity. With that in mind I've already started putting out my feelers for scuba diving, Graydyn's found a good snorkeling day trip, and I've got a bit of information on an interesting sounding hike. More on all of that as details become available. For now I'm just happy to know for sure that I'm going south this winter!
That's all for now. I'm sure that you'll hear more about this vacation as the date draws near. Have a good week everyone.
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