Climbing Kilimanjaro: Journey to the Summit
After preparing for my Kilimanjaro climb, here are some of the highlights from my trek. Day 1 – 4.3 miles/2,067 ft ascent (6.7 km/630 meters) 6:30 am Last hot shower at the hotel is not hot. There also isn’t any water. This is a most displeasing send-off. 7:30 Meet my fellow hikers: 2 Canadians and […]
Climbing Kilimanjaro
Tomorrow morning, I will begin what will be a, 49.8 mile (80.2 km), 7 day trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro. At 19,341 feet (5,895 meters), it is the highest peak in Africa, the tallest free-standing mountain in the world and will be the tallest mountain I’ve ever climbed — that is, if I succeed. According to […]
Observing Egypt
Last night I had a dream that I was working an election where no one, including candidates, were sure of who was going to be on the ballot until two weeks before Election Day, where no one knew what the ballot physically looked like, and most of the country still doesn’t know where they can […]
Cairo Billboard Greeting
This advertisement was the first thing to greet us in Cairo as we disembarked from the plane. It’s a billboard for Mobilini, a cell phone company here that quotes Obama speaking about Egyptian revolutionaries. The only problem is that, while the sentiment is positive, the quote doesn’t seem to be real. It seemed odd to […]
China: Reflections on the Great Divide
After nearly two months in China, Sasha and I have holed up in a hotel in Katmandu, Nepal where we’re taking advantage of some unfettered access to the Internet to catch up on the blog and wait for Sasha’s sister to arrive. We’ve gotten more questions about China and what it’s like from friends and […]
Barley Wine Break
After our time in Lhasa, we spent 4 days driving to Tibet’s southern border with Nepal, stopping at monasteries along the way. Tibet is a land of extremes. It has an average altitude of 4,500 meters (14,800 feet) – the highest in the world. Our bodies were particularly aware of this fact on the high […]
The Big Top: Everest Base Camp
Okay, so braving base camp on the Tibetan side isn’t as hard as it sounds. No week of climbing in the freezing cold needed. The Tibetan plateau is so high that the country is practically already on the snow level of Everest. To compare, if you’re on the Nepal side you’ll spend a week hiking […]
Never Argue with a Monk
When our guide said we should go watch the monks debate, we thought he was using the wrong word. But it turns out monks are the liveliest and most compelling debaters I’ve ever seen, even though I didn’t understand a word. As we approached the courtyard of the Sera Monastery, we could hear yelling and […]
Happy Birthday to Josh
Celebrating Josh with a Lhasa beer, that makes you a little more out of breath when you’re at 16,000 feet, and a yak steak (surprisingly tasty)! Happy birthday, my love. Lhasa beer…
Then Tell The World
The Dalai Lama said, “Go to Tibet and see many places, as much as you can; then tell the world.” Here it goes… Visiting Jokhang Temple and Potala Palace, the former home of the Dalai Lama, was the most difficult day of the trip so far. The palace was stunning. Perched on a hill overlooking […]
Climbing Kilimanjaro: Journey to the Summit
After preparing for my Kilimanjaro climb, here are some of the highlights from my trek. Day 1 – 4.3 miles/2,067 ft ascent (6.7 km/630 meters) 6:30 am Last hot shower at the hotel is not hot. There also isn’t any water. This is a most displeasing send-off. 7:30 Meet my fellow hikers: 2 Canadians and […]
Climbing Kilimanjaro
Tomorrow morning, I will begin what will be a, 49.8 mile (80.2 km), 7 day trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro. At 19,341 feet (5,895 meters), it is the highest peak in Africa, the tallest free-standing mountain in the world and will be the tallest mountain I’ve ever climbed — that is, if I succeed. According to […]
Oranges and Sunflower Seeds
Heading to Petra, waiting at the crazy port in Sinai with Egyptians, Jordanians and Palestinians for the slow ferry to Jordan. Without a word, men gave us oranges and sunflowers seeds. Women shepherded me in the right line for the ladies. Just another of the daily indicators about how wonderful people here are.
Observing Egypt
Last night I had a dream that I was working an election where no one, including candidates, were sure of who was going to be on the ballot until two weeks before Election Day, where no one knew what the ballot physically looked like, and most of the country still doesn’t know where they can […]
Cairo Billboard Greeting
This advertisement was the first thing to greet us in Cairo as we disembarked from the plane. It’s a billboard for Mobilini, a cell phone company here that quotes Obama speaking about Egyptian revolutionaries. The only problem is that, while the sentiment is positive, the quote doesn’t seem to be real. It seemed odd to […]
#1 United Employee
We were lucky to “bump into” United’s #1 employee yesterday in London at Heathrow airport, on our way to Cairo, Egypt. Bonus!
China: Reflections on the Great Divide
After nearly two months in China, Sasha and I have holed up in a hotel in Katmandu, Nepal where we’re taking advantage of some unfettered access to the Internet to catch up on the blog and wait for Sasha’s sister to arrive. We’ve gotten more questions about China and what it’s like from friends and […]
Totalitarian Time Zones
We just arrived in Nepal. As we crossed the border we set our watches and cameras back two hours and 15 minutes (UTC +5:45). Not sure whose idea it was to put them a quarter of an hour off from the rest of the world but we’re going along with it. Of course, that’s nothing […]
New Country. New Beer.
Everest beer on our first night in Kathmandu, Nepal. I think it’s Nepal’s version of Budweiser, but after the week-long haul across Tibet that, awesome though it was, left us exhausted and dirty, it’s hitting the spot. Beer first, shower second…
Barley Wine Break
After our time in Lhasa, we spent 4 days driving to Tibet’s southern border with Nepal, stopping at monasteries along the way. Tibet is a land of extremes. It has an average altitude of 4,500 meters (14,800 feet) – the highest in the world. Our bodies were particularly aware of this fact on the high […]
The Big Top: Everest Base Camp
Okay, so braving base camp on the Tibetan side isn’t as hard as it sounds. No week of climbing in the freezing cold needed. The Tibetan plateau is so high that the country is practically already on the snow level of Everest. To compare, if you’re on the Nepal side you’ll spend a week hiking […]
Never Argue with a Monk
When our guide said we should go watch the monks debate, we thought he was using the wrong word. But it turns out monks are the liveliest and most compelling debaters I’ve ever seen, even though I didn’t understand a word. As we approached the courtyard of the Sera Monastery, we could hear yelling and […]
Happy Birthday to Josh
Celebrating Josh with a Lhasa beer, that makes you a little more out of breath when you’re at 16,000 feet, and a yak steak (surprisingly tasty)! Happy birthday, my love. Lhasa beer…
Then Tell The World
The Dalai Lama said, “Go to Tibet and see many places, as much as you can; then tell the world.” Here it goes… Visiting Jokhang Temple and Potala Palace, the former home of the Dalai Lama, was the most difficult day of the trip so far. The palace was stunning. Perched on a hill overlooking […]