I guess this makes it a tradition now.
- Celebrated New Years in Antigua Guatemala with some Quezalteca. Paid the price in the morning.
- Climbed the Mayan temple of Xunantunich in San Ignacio, Belize
- Waded across rivers and swam into the mouth of a cave to explore the ancient Mayan sacrifices in Actun Tunichil Muknal
- Dove over 100 meters into the ancient sinkhole from the ice age at The Blue Hole in Belize
- Explored one of the largest ancient Mayan civilization of Tikal in Guatemala
- Bruised my face getting hit by a car while a riding bike
- Visited the house where a young Martin Luther King Jr. grew up in Atlanta, Georgia
- Biked through Bogoto, Colombia on a graffiti tour
- Ascended over 3,000 meters while joining a pilgrimage to the top of Monserrate in Bogota
- Drank an aphrodisiac milkshake made of blended (live) crabs and alcohol on the streets of Bogota
- Consumed copious amounts of the most delicious Colombian exotic fruits
- Partied with some of the most beautiful women on the planet in Medellin, Colombia
- Scaled the crooked staircases wedged into El Peñón de Guatapé
- Licked BBQ sauce off my fingers at The Salt Lick in Austin, Texas
- Got my lime on in St. Kitts & Nevis
- Scuba dived through the hull of a sunken ship off the coast of St. Kitts
- Got blown into the ocean by the hot blast of air from a jet engine in St. Maarten
- Camped in the Appalachian Mountains along the Blue Ridge Parkway from North Carolina to Virginia
- Toured the house and plantation of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
- Stood in the very room where U.S. Bill of Rights was ratified in Richmond Virginia
- Honored the fallen heroes buried at Arlington National Cemetery
- Walked up the steps of The United States Supreme Court
- Toured Jefferson’s, Lincoln’s, MLKs, Roosevelt’s, The Vietnam, WWI & WWII memorials in Washington D.C.
- Hung out in George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon
- Saw the crack in the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia
- Taste-tested no less than 5 Philly Cheesesteaks
- Ran up the “Rocky Balboa” steps in Philadelphia
- Set foot inside the Independence Hall where The Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were adopted.
- Imprisoned myself inside the Eastern State Penitentiary in the cell next door to Al Capone’s
- Toured Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty
- Mourned at Grand Zero
- Watched The Book of Mormons on Broadway
- Climbed to the top of The Empire St. building in New York City
- Cruised on a ferry underneath the Brooklyn Bridge to the Figment Festival on Governors Island
- Partied with thousands of boricua’s in the streets of New York for the Puerto Rican Day Parade
- Gawked in the Guggenheim
- Relived my childhood in Bethel, CT
- Swung on a bench-swing while enjoying the sunset over Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont
- Sampled a new Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor at their factory in Montpelier, Vermont
- Heard a Who in Springfield, Massachusetts
- Broke into the dome of Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount-Royal to catch an awesome sunset over Montreal
- Talked my way into permission to take photos inside of the private library of Canada’s Parliament
- Dunked my head into a quarry 200 feet below me at the end of Canada’s tallest bungee jump
- Rode a bamboo bicycle through the graffiti-filled alleys of Toronto, Canada
- Stood behind the roaring water falls of Niagara
- Rocked out at the Rock & Roll hall of fame in Cleveland, Ohio
- Milked a cow and ate dinner with an Amish family in Millersburg, Ohio
- Survived a ferocious lightning/hail/wind storm in Jackson Center, Ohio
- Played games at Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Machines in Detroit, Michigan
- Cruised through the RV Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana
- Uncovered a top-secret SR-71B Blackbird jet
- Urbex explored a decrepit church in Gary, Indiana
- Watched the 4th of July fireworks explode over Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois
- Photographed Chicago’s skyline at dusk from alongside Lake Michigan
- Walked a lap in The Great Mall in Saint Paul, Minnesota
- Found one of the meanings of life in the Badlands National Park in South Dakota
- Laughed at the corniness of The Corn Palace in Mitchel, South Dakota
- Stared up the presidents nostrils at Mount Rushmore in Keystone South Dakota
- Sat in a Bison-induced traffic jam in Yellowstone National Park
- Waited for The Grand Geyser to blow in Yellowstone. Totally worthy it!
- Smelled sulfurous gasses spew from the bubbling mud pits in Yellowstone
- Stood in the center of the universe in Wallace, Idaho
- Climbed rock towers in Frenchman Coulee, Washington
- Contributed my chewed gum to The Gum Wall at Pikes Market in Seattle, Washington
- Landed in a sea plane in a lake on the south-side of Kodiak Island in Alaska
- Played a game of chicken with a brown bear in Kodiak, Alaska. The bear won.
- Crossed the Arctic Circle on the perilous Dalton Highway
- Drove the Seward highway and discovered the diverse wildlife of Alaska
- Rode ATV’s through Denali National Park and caught a glimpse of Mt. McKinley’s summit
- Stood underneath the Alaskan pipeline
- Drank an apple-tini from an ice glass at an ice bar inside an ice hotel in Chena, Alaska
- Spooked a wild moose and her calf in Fairbanks, Alaska
- Feed some reindeer in North Pole, Alaska
- Hiked to a glacier in Juneau, Alaska
- Summoned my inner Homer Simpson at an old abandoned nuclear power plant in Elma, Washington.
- Watched glassmakers blow glass at the world renowned Museum of Glass on Tacoma, Washington
- Zenned-out at the Japanese Garden in Portland Oregon and then porked out Voodoo Doughnuts
- Hiked to the top of Multnomah, Falls in Oregon
- Kite-boarded and stand-up paddle-boarded on the Hood River in Oregon
- Got soaked from the spray of ocean water as it rushed into Devil’s Churn
- Climbed to the top of Smith Rock in Oregon
- Rafted down the Big Eddy Thriller rapids of the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon
- Stumbled my way through the pitch-dark Lava River Cave near Bend, Oregon
- Hiked to the top of Watchman Peak and watched the sun rise over Crater Lake
- Stood with giants at the Redwood National Park in California
- Experienced an extended deja-vu in Mendocino California
- Completed a 2-year 23,822-mile cross-country road-trip around North America
- Watched the Space Shuttle Endeavour fly over the Golden Gate Bridge
- Completed a 13-hour hike from the valley floor to the top of Half Dome and back in Yosemite National Park
- Dined on a 7-course meal at one of the finest restaurants in Lima Peru and attended a beauty pageant as a VIP guest of the bathing suit designer
- Scuba dove with hammer-head sharks, sea lions, octopus, sea turtles and more in The Galapagos Islands
- Swam in Tortuga Bay in The Galapagos Islands
- Climbed to the top of Sierra Negra and witnessed the most amazing sunset on my birthday
- Straddled the two hemispheres at the center of the earth in Quito, Ecuador
- Soaked in natural hot springs after experiencing the excruciating head pressure associated with altitude sickness in the mountains of Quito, Ecuador
- Pulled an all-nighter in Bogota Colombia and partied with some bohemian Colombians
- Relaxed with friends on the beaches of El Salvador
- Attended the opening day of the Space Shuttle Endeavour exhibit at The Science Center in Los Angeles
- Leapt out of an airplane all by myself and fell through a cloud.
- Helped out those in need by donating some old clothes and feeding the homeless on Christmas.
- Sweated profusely at my first Bikram yoga experience.
Authored by: Digital Knowmadd on December 31, 2012.
Filed under: Belize,Canada,Colombia,Ecuador,El Salvador,Guatemala,North America,Peru,Saint Martin,South America,St. Kitts & Nevis,Travel,United States | No Comments »
The size of this ancient city is remarkable. And the quality of the construction makes you wonder if our modern day civilizations have really progressed that far at all. Well, I guess we at least have cameras to photograph all of their hard work. That’s progress.
Authored by: Digital Knowmadd on January 19, 2012.
Filed under: Guatemala,North America,Travel | No Comments »
Belize marks the final country in Central America that I visited and Belize was a great way to finish it off. As the icing on the cake I decided I couldn’t just leave without seeing Tikal! So I hopped aboard another TropicAir puddle-jumper and touched down in Flores, Guatemala where I would kick off my exploration of the mega-Mayan city of Tikal.
Authored by: Digital Knowmadd on January 19, 2012.
Filed under: Guatemala,North America,Travel | No Comments »
Reflecting back on 2011 here are 99 of my top memories (in chronological order). Thanks to all that shared in the experiences!
- Shared life goals and dreams with great friends at the Sanctuary of Truth in Ancient Siam, Thailand
- Smobbed through traffic running from the police on some janky scooters in Bali, Indonesia
- Scuba diving in the Gili islands of Indonesia
- Whitewater rafting down the Telaga Waja River in Bali, Indonesia
- Got buzzed off Luwak coffee in the hills of Ubud, Indonesia
- Listened to the chanting and watched the traditional Kecak Dance at the Uluwatu Temple in Bali, Indonesia
- Bungee jumped a BMX bike off a platform into a pool below in Bali, Indonesia
- Witnessed traditional Thaipusam rituals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Smelled the Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Made $100,000,000,000,000 (that’s one-hundred-trillion) Zimbabwe dollars in Malaca, Malaysia
- Kayaked through the waters of Halong Bay, Vietnam
- Saw Ho-Chi-Minh’s body in Hanoi, Vietnam
- Nearly got run over by hundreds of scooters in the street of Hanoi, Vietnam
- Saw dogs heads for sale (presumably to be eaten) in Hanoi, Vietnam
- Got fitted for a custom tailored suit made in Hoi An, Vietnam
- Hiked through the MySon Relics of Hoi An, Vietnam
- Celebrated Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) with a spectacular fireworks show in Nha Trang, Vietnam
- Rode a red-eye sleeper train from Nha Trang to Saigon, Vietnam
- Shared beers (with dirty ice from a burlap sack) with some old Vietnamese men that didn’t speak a lick of English in the streets of Saigon, Vietnam
- Crawled through the underground Cu-Chi tunnels and fired an AK47 used during the Tet Offensive in Saigon, Vietnam
- Witness the effects of Agent Orange at the War Remnants Museum in Saigon, Vietnam
- Hiked through Angkor Wat during sunrise in Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Watched the sun fall from atop a temple in Angkor Thom in Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Donated to the Cambodia Landmine Museum Relief Fund to help them remove more active landmines from the Cambodian/Thailand border
- Got tickled by fish that ate the dead skin off my feet while I sipped on a glass of wine in Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Road a horse through the old rice fields of Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Toured the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida
- Drove my RV on the famous Daytona Beach in Daytona Beach, Florida
- Ate a feast at The Wilkes House in Savannah, Georgia
- Peered through others peoples prayers at the smallest church in America in South Newport, Georgia
- Took a bike ride around St. Simons Island, Georgia
- Boated out to the start of the Civil War at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina
- Went rock climbing in Charleston, South Carolina
- Relaxed in the shade of the giant 400-year old Angel Oak Tree outside of Charleston, South Carolina
- Sat on “A Bench By The Road” on Sullivan Island, South Carolina
- Hollered in Spivey’s Corner, the “Hollerin’ Capital of the Universe”
- Deciphered the original Rosetta Stone at the British Museum in London, England
- Straddled the international dateline in Greenwhich, England
- Walked through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France
- Climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
- Listened to hymns at Notre Dame in Paris, France
- Road bikes and dominated baguettes & babies in Versailles, France
- Picnicked on the grounds of Marie Antoinette’s old Palace of Versailles in France
- Saw Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa at Musée du Louvre in Paris, France
- Avoided paying for an overpriced ticket to Moulin Rouge in Paris, France
- Ingested a “Mother of Pain” currywurstspezialitäten (1,000,000 on the Scoville scale) after signing a liability waiver in Leipzig, Germany
- Witnessed the atrocities of Hitler’s concentration camps in Auschwitz, Poland
- Participated in a scavenger hunt through downtown San Francisco, California
- Launched a new version of MFI new hobby of kiteboarding in the Outer Banks of North Carolina
- Retraced the path of the Wright Brothers first 4 flights in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
- Marveled at the Bodies exhibit in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Witnessed an amazing 4th of July fireworks display in Savanna, Georgia
- Tried smoked rattlesnake meat in St. Augustine, Florida
- Witnessed the final launch of the Space Shuttle program (STS-135) in person in Titusville, Florida
- Flew my first international flight as a pilot in a Cessna 172 from Florida, USA to Freeport, Bahamas
- Snorkeled in the crystal clear waters from a catamaran of Icacos, Puerto Rico
- Whitewater rafting down the Pacuare River in Squires, Costa Rica
- Slept in a hammock at Rockin J’s in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
- Scuba diving in Bocas del Toro, Panama
- Took a private water taxi to Star Beach in Bocas del Toro, Panama
- Zip-lining through the tree canopy in Red Frog Beach, Panama
- Watched ocean-liners pass through the Panama Canal
- Performed my first “elevator jump” bungee jump into the fog above a river near La Fortuna, Costa Rica
- Soaking in the hot springs during a violent thunderstorm while lightening illuminated the silhouette of a volcano in La Fortuna, Costa Rica
- Went on a nature walk and saw sloths, monkeys, toucans, frogs, lizards, and more in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
- Spent the night on a converted oil rig in the waters of Semporna Malaysia
- Scuba diving in one of the Top 10 diving locations in the world in Spipidan, Malaysia
- Followed a Xmas parade down the cobblestone streets to a soccer game in Antigua, Guatemala
- Disconnected and relaxed along the shore of Late Atitlan, in Santa Cruz La Laguna, Guatemala
- Saw the ruins of Joya de Cerén in San Salvador, El Salvador
- Climbed the old Myan pyramids of Tazumal where the heads from human sacrifices used to roll down in Chalchuapa, El Salvador
- Roamed the colorful streets of Grenada, Nicaragua
- Hiked up and volcano-boarded down the black ash of Volcan Cerro Negro in Leon, Nicaragua
- Thumbed my nose at an antiquated embargo and traveled to Cuba
- Navigated precarious and unmarked roads in a rental car with a bent rim to Cienfuegos, Cuba
- Lived with Cuban families in “casa particulars” and learned about life in communist Cuba
- Listened to rumba music on the steps of Casa la Musica in Trinidad, Cuba
- Galloped on horseback across the Cuban countryside to a waterfall up in the mountains of Trinidad, Cuba
- Witness firsthand as Cubans lined up in a breadline (and milk-line) for their weekly rations in Trinidad, Cuba
- Sampled Cuba’s infamous $7.00 CUP ($0.40 USD) street pizzas in Santa Clara, Cuba
- Witnessed the final resting place and monument of Ernesto “Che” Guevara in Santa Clara, Cuba
- Stayed in a 5-star resort and relaxed on the white sand beaches of Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba
- Drank an overpriced, watered-down Mojito at La Bodeguia Del Medio in La Havana Vieja, Cuba
- Sipped daiquiris at Floradita Restaraunte Bar, Earnest Hemmingway’s old watering hole in Havana, Cuba
- Marveled at the communist propaganda throughout Havana, Cuba
- Photographed old school cars parked outside of the Capitolo in downtown Havana, Cuba
- Met the famous Cuban artist Leo D’Zázaro at his studio El Ojo Del Ciclón in Havana, Cuba
- Strolled down El Malecón while sipping on Havana Club rum in Havana, Cuba
- Watched kids playing stickball with a broom and bottlecap in the streets the Centro district of Havana, Cuba
- Shared a Xmas eve feast — Cuban style — with my hosts in Havana, Cuba
- Hitched a ride in a old “Yank Tank” with a Cuban, Mexican, and Lebanese to Playa de Este, Cuba
- Ate a Xmas day pig roast on the Santa MarÃa del Mar beach in Havana, Cuba
- Toured Partagas Cigar factory and bought some Cohiba cigars from shady factory workers in Havana, Cuba
- Walked through Necropolis Cristóbal Colón at sundown in the Vedado area of Havana, Cuba
- Swam from Playa de Cerado out to a reef and then scuba dove (because Cubans aren’t allowed on boats) in Ciamito, Cuba
- Ate a $1.00 CUP ($0.04 USD) scoop of ice cream at the state-run Coppelia in Havana, Cuba
- Photographed the murals and sculptures of Salvador González Escalona on Callejon De Hamel in Havanah, Cuba
- Celebrated the end of the year and the start of the next on Calle del Arco in Antigua, Guatemala
Authored by: Digital Knowmadd on December 31, 2011.
Filed under: Asia,Bahamas,Cambodia,Costa Rica,Cuba,El Salvador,England,Europe,France,Germany,Guatemala,Honduras,Indonesia,Malaysia,Nicaragua,North America,Orgish,Panama,Poland,Thailand,United States,Vietnam | No Comments »
While the trip to Cuba was AMAZING, it left me with a feeling of emptiness. I felt as if I didn’t fully experience the culture. Sure I traveled to remote parts of a forbidden island, lived and ate with local families, and visited one of my top desired destinations, but my lack of conversational spanish left a lot of questions still unanswered in my mind. Frustrating. So I decided to return to Antigua and resume Spanish lessons. I happened to arrive just in time for the New Years festivities which was added an extra splash of color to this already colorful city.
Authored by: Digital Knowmadd on December 31, 2011.
Filed under: Guatemala,North America,Travel | No Comments »
