"Escapes from LA." flynboxes's Profile

Huh?? What's with the turtles? Well, they are Olive Ridleys that I helped release on a recent vacation to Guatemala. For a change I wanted to do something constructive on a trip and at least try to make a difference rather than wander around museums, parks, and try new or exotic foods. It was my 50th country I had visited which elevates me to what the sophomore level of traveler for those of you that are country counters???
Due to Guatemala's central location and 2 weeks of vacation time I could have easily gone down to El Salvador, Honduras and maybe Belize if I really felt like hitting the road? Maybe some other time..while I volunteer at home with a local land conservancy I felt it would be cool to give back a bit to some distant place. The impact I had in Hawaii Park and the ARCAS organization was minimal at best but I think the cumulative efforts of many can make an impact on a place and to those of you reading this please give it a try...you might like it. I know I would like to try it again in another part of the world..if you can throw in a quick cameo of a VT flag all the better.
Travel is full of cliches...everybody wants to be a travel writer and post quotes from St. Augustine etc...I know because I have done it myself. I think I caught myself the other day when I commented on a friends Kenya photos and noted that "Africa changes you"..real original huh??? A friend went to India and said the same thing to me. To clarify I think "travel" changes you. You don't have to go to Timbuktu or some remote village in Mongolia to experience this. Yes it is fun but at the same time it is not cheap..my retirement savings have been significantly impacted by my addiction if you want to call it that. The moments that generate the fondest memories in my mind do come from some far away places but a few also come from places surprisingly close to home like Sierra Nevada Mountain range in California doing something mundane as sitting in a boat trout fishing in the middle of one of the many small lakes up there..this is a place 5-6 hrs by car from home as opposed to 18 hrs in a jet and 8 hrs in the chicken bus.
I'm no historian..studied it a bit and like it but a bit lazy about getting into that much detail with it on my pages...unless it is something unusual in a unique place, then I may indulge a bit; P
Travel, travel, travel. People that are overly cautious live long boring lives.
Live yours. Get travel advice from locals or VT'ers with cool pages ; ), read local papers (most have online versions available). Outside of active war zones the world is surprisingly safe. The author Robert Pelton ( the Dangerous Places guy) tends to embellish a bit or use his literary license but at the end of the day his overall message is spot on. Some of the places with the worst reputations or negative press are often some of the most interesting places to visit.. VT member DAO has a great page on N. Somalia which is far away from the conflicts in Mogadishu or Uglyscots Sudan pages which I can personally vouch for. Yes situations change but if you do some homework you can reduce the risk quite a bit and see something that will stay with you for the rest of your life. It was a VT member dutchwindmill who's advice got me over my reluctance to visit Yemen..that ended up being one of the best trips I have ever taken and secured a special place in my heart for the country and its people.

Where I grew up.....

Home is Palos Verdes....30 min south of LAX. I know my intro or header say's Redondo Beach but that is just where I shag....well, actually a bit more than that ; P I was born and raised here..not much to do except hike, bike, swim and surf (surf Lunada Bay and you might come back to some flat tires and scratch marks on your car) try Bluff Cove and be a little respectful of the locals. New York Prick (Aka Trump) National is a great place to swim or take the dog to the beach. Trump has to provide public access to the beach below the course in order to operate there. Parking is limited next to the Pro Shop but free. The folks inside the Pro Shop/Club House are nice folks and you can get a good meal there along with a tacky hat to enlarge Trumps fat head even more. Anyway the beach is down to the left of the pic below..off of PV Drive South?
Want advice on LA...I know the major sites along with the airport fairly well but don't keep up to date on the shopping and bars up there...I am not a big drinker and hence do not know much about LA bars. Molly Malone's is a cool place and home of another band I like but aside from that place and the Rainbow Room and a few others my knowledge is limited but I can ask friends that live and socialize up there. If you are still reading here is what to expect in my pages...

Not asking for money..my kind of kids

Some of the coolest people I have met and stay in contact with are those I have met on the road. I have met some very kind strangers on the road. Not being 100% extroverted and the fact that most of my trips are solo I rely a bit on the kindness of strangers. The world has yet to let me down.
Have met a few writers, pilots, local business people etc...on the road.
Just got back from Minnesota where I attended a burial for a classy lady I met in Amsterdam 8 years ago..RIP Pat.
When I travel I do not hide the fact that I am an American and if somebody wants to mess with me they are not going to do so because I lied to them about not being an American. Americans like to say that everybody hates us..don't agree with that (Maybe G.B. but that's another story and even he has his fans abroad). Since I try and stay in contact with some people I've met I can also offer real time advice on places like Yemen, Mali, Amsterdam, Japan and Ethiopia (VT'er DAO knows the same person and others through).

$7 a night in Tayrona Park, Colombia

Don't stay in enough hostels.....I tend to like having my own clean toilet/squat hole. The good thing is that often you can find a hostel with private rooms for a few more bucks. Dorms are great for meeting cool people and being light on the wallet....I've spent time in a few including the hammock below. I try and avoid the chain hotels. For an 1/8 of the cost in some cities you can get the same great service (sans the pool/gym which I don't use anyway at a mom and pop joint...also in some places with disgruntled locals...blowing up a Marriott or Hilton makes for great news headlines....not an 8 room inn on the edge of town. I will stay in them for work but not when it is on my own dime.

Friendly/inquisitive locals in Wadi Hadramawt

Scary stuff huh.......Hey we have it in the US...ever been to Idaho or the backwoods of some southern states.....Is the US a bad or dangerous places as a result of the Oklahoma City bombing? Many places on earth have their share of bad apples. I think places like Yemen get a bad wrap as a result and not everything that goes pop over there is a result of terrorist out to topple America and the West.
Being the blonde hair, blue eyed geek that I am I can say that I feel safer in places like Damascus and Sanaa than I do in NYC and Amsterdam. One thing is for sure I don't have to worry about my wallet getting legs when I am in an Islamic country (Touristed places like Cairo are a notable exception). Arabs due to their nomadic heritage tend to be kind to travelers if you are aware of their culture. I have been invited into homes for tea in Sanaa, YE and Madaba, Jordan for example while wandering around these cities. These people often have fascinating stories to tell and maybe old pictures to show.

The hospital in Timbuktu

The good kind at least. You can get Hep shots for free at most free clinics in the US. Other drugs/vaccinations will cost you but it is cheaper to get them than to risk getting sick on a trip. I like Larium for an anti malaria since I am lazy and you only have to take the pill once a week and this mutes out any side effects I may or may not feel. You will hear people talking about anti malarials not working. While trekking in Mali a few months ago my guide got malaria.....we both got bit by mosquitoes so go figure......While I ended up visiting the hospital and a French speaking Dr. that only Abdou could talk to it was not for any bug/virus.
People including myself also like to take Cipro to kill any food bugs you might get. I like to try local food but my stomach does not like it as much. Cipro can knock down a number of things...keep in mind that a side effect of the drug is that it can weaken your Achilles tendon and if that goes out on you while you are trekking..it can be a big game changer......just like being tied up with Malaria in a hospital with no clean needles.
See a doctor prior to heading out to some places with limited medical care.
Be prepared to get sick on the road...most of my illnesses on the road have been food related..nothing like getting a fever in the middle of Africa or a case of the runs in a Damascus Souq..but as painful/uncomfortable as they were I lived to tell about it. Water is not even a drug but the lack of it can have a substantial impact on your health in tropical/arid places...drink plenty of it and avoid sodas during the midday heat.

Damascus....an underrated city.

I guess we all have our reasons.....I tend to get tired of the same old, same old.....Some people are perfectly comfortable never leaving a 50 mile radius from their home. Not for Me.....mom was a flight attendant so I sort of grew up on planes so to speak. She started showing me the world (where I needed a passport) when I was 8-9 yrs old. Most of the places I went to were beach destinations....Merida and Sydney did not do much for me when I was young so I always talked her into taking me to places like Fiji or to Cancun (way before it became overrun with Spring-breakers).....Now I am a bit older and tastes have changed. The Historical cities now interest me plus it is often a good way to stay out of the sun.....however a to Colombia reminded me how much fun it is to be out hiking in the fresh air or swimming in the ocean.
Travel has become my drug or escape depending on how you look at it. I guess I would call it, continuing education. I like to read but since I am also a visual person it is nice to actually see a place and meet the people.
I try to travel light..my home life is surrounded in computers, Blackberrys, etc....When I hit the road I take a little as possible. Have the laptop but you'll never catch me on the road with it as I try and avoid computers on the road unless totally necessary to book a flight. Other than that I'll take a few days worth of cloths, a book or two to read, journal for travel notes, Ipod (gotta listen to some tunes on long bus rides) and a pocket camera (now a Panasonic DMC-ZS10 with a Leica 16x zoom lens), and a cheap Timex watch...never travel with things I am not prepared to part with as I will not have a trip ruined by a thief/pickpocket. I only have 4 weeks of vacation each year so you probably will never see any travel blogs from me. Why waste time updating home/Facebook when I could be out absorbing more of my surroundings??

Joshua Tree

I've spent my share of time looking out over distant horizons....Every now and then I have to remind myself to look down a bit. Would not trade anything for the experiences I have had on the other sides of the oceans but being close to home is also a comfortable place for me. The US has plenty of open spaces and often the people you meet at or near them are just as interesting. Hey, this may be my own personal bias so please if you have not done so...check out your own backyard when you get a chance. I'd hate to be a Russian - due to the shear size of the place it would be difficult to see all of it...I remember how little I saw and this was after riding a train thru the middle of it.