The Silent "I"

RIP Lonesome George, Last Pinta Island Tortoise

Lonesome George, the face of the Galapagos Islands conservation efforts, passed away yesterday.  He was well over 100 years old, and may have been around to meet Charles Darwin when he landed there in the 1800s.  He was the last of his sub-species of Pinta Island tortoises and marks the extinction of his kind.

We had the privilege of meeting Lonesome George on a trip to the Galapagos in 2006.  He was a friendly, albeit slow-moving fellow, who munched on greenery and seemed nonplussed by the amount of tourist attention being lavished on him.  At the time, his caretakers had introduced four female tortoises into the pen with him, but he didn't seem at all interested in mating with them.  He was a confirmed bachelor to his dying day.

We joined the Galapagos Conservancy on behalf of our son, largely because of meeting him and understanding the importance of preserving the unique, spectacular wildlife found in the Galapagos Islands.  Even though Lonesome George didn't leave any offspring behind, it is important that we do our part to preserve these islands for our own kids and their kids.

Farewell, Lonesome George.  You were truly one of a kind.

Our Ultimate Family Vacation: A Southern Hemisphere Tour

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You may have already guessed this, but we're a family who loves to travel.  We've been around the world and our 10 year old has already been to 25 countries, so a "dream vacation" is not as easy to describe as you might think.  Hawaii?  Been there. Japan? Done that. Egypt? Have the hieroglyphic T-shirt to prove it. 

I have my ideas about what an "ultimate vacation" means, and Frank and Alex have theirs.  So, when I was asked to write about our family's ultimate vacation, I had to be fair and poll our family members to find out what their "ultimate vacation" would entail.  As long as there's good food, interesting sights to see, and a comfortable place to sleep, I'm game.

As for specific places, Alex chose snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef; for Frank, it was a family trip to see penguins in Antarctica, a place he visited when he was a lonely bachelor dude; for me, it was a trek to the ancient ruins of Macchu Pichu.  Since we couldn't decide on one, we decided our ultimate vcation would be month-long trip exploring all three places, a big "Around the Southern Hemisphere tour" of the best places we could think of that we haven't visited yet.

Our best vacations have been ones in which our extended family has come along with us, so of course, we'd invite Grandma Chris, Grandpa June, and Grandma Jeanie.  Aunt Ruth and Uncle Ralph have traveled to Alaska and Northern Canada with us, and they're fun to have around, so we would invite them, too.  I'd also love for my 9 year old niece and 13 year old nephew to come along, so Alex would have some kids along to go exploring with.

After we've assembled our dream travel team, we would fly everyone from San Francisco to Cairns, Australia.  We would start our journey at a nice beach resort near the Great Barrier Reef that would offer up opportunities for snorkeling.  Ever since "Finding Nemo", Alex has wanted to swim with the fishes and take in the coral reefs.  After snorkeling with sharks at age 4 in the Galapagos, I thought he was over it, be he says no.

Next, we would fly from Sydney to McMurdo Sound, for a tour of the Antarctic research stations.  Alex is prone to sea-sickness, so we would prefer to fly in rather than risk the rough seas crossing the South Pacific.  If that's not possible, we could hop aboard a cruise ship in Buenos Aires, and hope for fair seas. Maybe we could get Dramamine to sponsor this leg of the trip.

In Antarctica, we would hope to visit penguin rookeries, see some incredible icebergs, and experience a completely different climate from Australia. If we're lucky, we might run into the crew of the Bob Barker and the Steve Irwin of Whale Wars fame, so we can tell them to keep up the good work (and compelling tv). 

After we've had our fill of cold-weather, penguins, and whales, we would cruise back to South America, and hop a flight to Peru, where we would hike the ruins of Macchu Picchu.  This was my pick for dream destinations.  I love visiting ancient ruins, and Macchu Picchu has long been on my list of "must see before I die" dream vacations.  We've seen the pyramids and the statues of Easter Island, so this would round out the list nicely.

Our vacation would have to take place in the winter, so we would take advantage of the holiday break and extend it a bit, and probably have to roadschool the kids for a couple of weeks. What better education could they have than a trip to some amazing natural and man-made wonders?

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?

Don't forget to enter the “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, for a chance to win your own ultimate family vacation. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

PHOTO CREDIT (Macchu Picchu): Beth Stern, used with permission.  All Rights Reserved.

Santiago, Chile: Finding a Happy Place

February 11, 2004

We left Easter Island on February 10 and started back to California via Santiago Chile.  We arrived late in the afternoon, and Alex decided to have the worst temper tantrum of his life in the luggage claim area of the Santiago airport.  He tried to throw himself on the luggage conveyor belt, but we managed to stop him in before he was tagged and sent on his way to Lima, Peru.  Sometimes, traveling with a toddler is not all it's cracked up to be.

Santiago reminded me a lot of Los Angeles, a gigantic urban basin packed with buildings surrounded by mountains.  We checked into the Santiago Marriott, which was conveniently located across the street from a toy store.  It was Sunday, so Alex could do nothing more than gaze longingly out twentieth-floor window. 

Planning a Trip to Easter Island

If you're interested in visiting Easter Island aka Isla de Pascua aka Rapa Nui aka "The Navel of the World," be forewarned that it is far, far away from any main airport hub and it will take a while to get there.  Lan Chile flights out of Santiago, Chile leave twice weekly, stopping off in Easter Island en route to Tahiti.  Your choices for direct flights are either out of Santiago or Papeete, Tahiti.  Be sure to book your flights well in advance. 

Further, there are limited hotel rooms on the island, and no major American or European chains.  The hotels are locally owned due to laws preserving the rights of native Rapa Nui people in landownership.  When we were there, there was a big debate among the Rapa Nui elders as to whether or not to allow Club Med to build a resort there.  As far as I know, they didn't allow it.  Part of the island's charm is the vast expanses of unspoiled land and the ability to see moai around nearly every bend in the road. Most hotels would be classified as "motels" by American standards, or large bed-and-breakfast style guest houses.

Carnival of Cities Blog Carnival: November 4, 2009 Edition

We have great group of travel bloggers providing their expert tips and advice on traveling in this week's Carnival of Cities! Join our intrepid travelers as they scour the globe for interesting, fun, and just plain cool places to go and things to see.  I'll be your tour guide this week.

USA

Starting out on the East Coast, for all you baseball fans, Christian Carollo presents Back to Back: Philadelphia Phillies posted at Christian Carollo Photography. Christian documents last year's World Series winners and hopes for a repeat performance.  Will they or won't they? Yankee fans might beg to diffah (as we used to say when I lived in the Bronx), but the Phillies fans in Christian's photos look like they are ready to bring it home again.

Moving down to Maryland, Jennifer takes us down on the farm with Homestead Farm – Poolesville, MD – You Capture Autumn posted at Two Kids and a Map. You can feel the fall nip in the air with her photos of a lovely pumpkin patch and cute kids.

Traveling on south to Florida, Amy at The Q Family takes us on a tour of one of her family's favorite destinations with Disney's Animal Kingdom: The Condense Version posted at The Q Family Adventures Travel Blog. Amy also has some great tips for families traveling to Disney parks at the end of her post that you won't want to miss.

Moving on to the midwest, and my former home in Chicago, Illinois, Dominique King takes us Inside the Chicago Cultural Center at Midwest Guest. I never got to see this when I lived in Chicago in the 1980's, and it's definitely a must-see next time I visit.

Jack Norell reminded me of one of my favorite Chicago haunts in his post, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago over at Eyeflare Travel Articles and Tips. He has a gorgeous shot of kids meeting a polar bear that you just have to see to believe.  I'd love to take my son there.

Easter Island: A Music Video by Animoto

I received a free pass to try out Animoto, a website that turns your short videos and photos into cool music videos in a few minutes.  I've agonized over iMovie attempting to do things like this, but lack the patience or skills to complete anything.  With Animoto, you just upload your pictures, choose some music, and they do the rest. The video here took about 15 minutes to upload the pictures, set the music, and then wait for it to be created. The hardest part was figuring out what pictures to use.

If you sign up, you can do a 30-second video for free, but an all-access pass for one year to create longer videos is $30/year.  You can upgrade to an HD version to burn onto a DVD for an additional $5 per video, if you need it for a special occasion.  I'm thinking about doing one for my parents' 50th wedding anniversary next year.

If you sign up using this link, you can get $5 off an all-access pass, and I earn a discount off future purchases.

Also, if you want to see some other great travel photos, check out Delicious Baby's Photo Friday today!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary temporary all-access pass to try out Animoto, but no other compensation or incentive for writing this review or trying out the product.

Easter Island: Where to Play

 

February 2004

When traveling with kids to any destination, it's always good to know what kid-friendly activities there are for the time when you're not touring interesting landmarks or watching locals run around recreating ancient rituals.  I think our son would be happy anyplace in the world where we could find a playground, a swimming pool, and a soccer field.  It seems as though wherever you are in the world, and wherever you find kids, you can find opportunities to play.  It's also a great way to meet local people and see how kids in other cultures are so much like kids in the US.

Our hotel, the Tahatai, had a small swimming pool, but Alex was entranced with the idea of swimming in the ocean after our day at Anakena Beach, one of the most gorgeous spots on the island.  We forgot his swimsuit that day, but swimming au naturel (for a three year old, at least) was not a problem.

We were able to satisfy his wish by going to a walled-off swimming hole near the hotel, right along the coastline.  There were retaining walls around the area, keeping the waves to a minimum and the water fairly shallow.  Alexander loved splashing around in the cold Pacific waters. Local kids took swimming lessons in this spot, so it definitely had the local stamp of approval for kids.

Easter Island: Of Cannibals and Caves

 

February 7, 2004

After trekking up to the cliffside ruins of Orongo, China took us on a tour of caves that had been used by the ancient Rapa Nui for ceremonial purposes.  One was down a steep, slippery path by the sea, and featured some amazing cave paintings.

The paintings were of some kind of bird, and were rust, white, pink and black.  The lighting inside the cave was not great, but you can see some of the outlines of the drawings in the picture above.

Easter Island: The Birdmen of Orongo

February 7, 2004

On our third day in Easter Island, Chile, our fabulous tour guide, China picked us up at our hotel for a day exploring another aspect of Rapa Nui Culture: the Birdman competition.  After seeing the modern-day version involving skimpily-clad men running around a lake carrying bundles of banana, we were interested to see some of original sites.

China drove us to Orongo, part of the Rapa Nui National Park.  Orongo was formerly a village set on a cliff with spectacular views of the Ocean, over looking a small island called Moto Nui.  The micro-island was famous as a nesting ground for the sooty tern, a bird whose eggs were prized by the early Rapa Nui people.  In the 17th to 19th centuries, European explorers wrote of a "birdman cult" in which young men would compete in a contest to see who could recover the first sooty tern egg of the season by jumping off the cliff at Orongo, swimming across shark-infested waters, stealing an egg, and then scaling the cliff without breaking the egg.  The first to do so would hold be crowned as Tangata Manu ("bird man") and hold a place in the tribe for the following year.  The Birdman competitions were held long after the moai-building ceased, despite any Hollywood representations to the contrary.

Shopping in Hanga Roa, Easter Island

This post is part of a retrospective on our trip to Easter Island for the Tapati Rapa Nui festival in February, 2004.

After our day seeing moai in various states of completion and decay, we spent a few leisurely mornings shopping in the town of Hanga Roa and visiting the Rapa Nui Museum.  The town was in walking distance from our hotel, the Taha Tai Hotel, and featured some nice restaurants and shops. I enjoyed shopping on a quiet little street at the Mercado Artisanal, which featured handmade crafts of -- you guessed it, moai big and small. 

The Mercado is actually an open air market with little grass tiki huts with various vendors selling key chains, magnets, statues big and small, and other goods.  When we visited, it was a lazy day with not many tourists. The people working the stands were friendly and charming. They forgave my poor attempts at Spanish, and many of them spoke enough English to be able to barter and complete a sales transaction.

I met a woman from Connecticut at one of the key chain vendors, who told me that she came to this island every year for the past twenty years, and it was her favorite place on earth. The island is not that big, so there's not a huge variety of things to do, but I could certainly see getting attached to it and wanting to return.  We go to Kauai every other year for the same reasons, but it's only a four hour flight from California.  I admired her dedication in getting here every year, despite the travel.

The shops in the Mercado had a variety of wooden and stone moai to choose from, from tiny to about the size of Alexander.  I wasn't sure how anyone would pack a 4 ft tall stone statuary in his or her luggage, but I guess they could ship it home to you at some exhorbitant rate.  I opted for the ones that we could fit in our pockets or in the spare spaces in our suitcases, which were already pretty full from our trip to Iguazu Falls.