kzapanta's VirtualTourist Home Page

We are racing on Jan. 24th. What is it you say? Do you want to join in the fun? Scroll down to the first album and see! Look in the album 'Adventure Race' or click here.

Member TheTravelSlut, at the recent Perth meet, was dragging me along with all the fun she was having. And I might add how much fun my virtual self was having in this prime real estate. Thanks Ann!! NO ONE could have asked for a better host! TheTravelSlut's travelogues wi F /th her zane pictures is: TheTravelSlut's Australia travelogues Visit all her pages to see how much fun they, and we, all had.

My travel wish:
Go with new and old friends to somewhere I've never been before and have a friend local to that area take us around and plug us in like we were locals.

If anyone wants a local guide in So. Cal. or you need another ski buddy to go anywhere, give me a ring.

I love hearing stories of trips others have made and discoveries about themselves/the place/adventure they have done.

Any adventure outdoors is game for me.
Hiking and camping is the basis for a lot of things. Then you can go fishing, rock climbing, get lost, star gazing....

Some of the funnest things I have done while traveling:
Sledging, bungee jumping, meeting a grizzly bear too close for both our comforts, partying with fellow travellers like long lost friends, hang gliding, getting a ride from sea turtles, getting lost in the alleys of Venice, driving jungle backroads like in a rally race, eating local cusine, meet the most amazing people.

Please contact me if you like outdoor adventures too and let me know what and where you've been and maybe we can meet up and do that or something new.

I also like to snow ski, play tennis, photography, and take naps.

Happily married to a wonderful gal. Likes to travel too so thats a bonus. We like other seperate hobbies that keeps us out of each other's hair and gives us room to breathe.

No kids but got a new golden retirever puppy. 13 weeks old now and she is as much parenting responsibility I can handle. I actually have to come home at certain times, get a sitter or grandparents to look out for her while away, spend time training in hopes it would be fruitful someday.... But shes cute.

Lived in South Orange County in California most of my life. Great place to live but definitely has the "Orange Curtain" mentality, if you know what I mean you will laugh. Its a blessing to live here but by no means its perfect or what its made out to be in TV. It's great to go to different places in the world and see the real life and remember the important things.

www.earth.google.com
Satellite map of every foot of the world! This site is great for any traveller but absolutely mind blowing for the person who is a planner and wants to get as much info. and advanced intelligence on thier destinations as possible. Great for hikers since you can see in 3D the area you will be going to and shows all roads, hotels, restaurants, and much much more. Best of all its free.

www.travelzoo.com
Of course everyone knows about this, but still worth mentioning.

www.web-a-photo.com
This site is a great site for many users to access/edit/add pictures all in the same homepage. Props to Shaun in Australia for this one. We were in a Contiki tour of Europe and he set up our group site so each person can share their pictures with all the other travellers and keep contact. Its a riot what pictures all the others add to the album!

www.hostelbookers.com
For cheap traveling or backpacking through a country. Not just pure dorm type lodging either. Will show cheap hotels with private rooms too. Worldwide network of hotels and hostels. For more luxourious accomodations go to a different site.

www.azworldairports.com
Information about airports around the world. Go find connecting routes to get there or out, what airlines used in a particular airport and what services a particular airport you are looking for have.

In no particular order:

See and photograph the Big 5 in a safari conservation lodge in Africa.

Walk the great Wall of China, (and hopefully get to rock climb a secluded part of it) "check"

Go back to Northern Alaska in the winter and see the Aurora Borealis and a polar bear.

Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. To enter Petra on a donkey, try to better understand the different cultures and way of life that has been at war for generations

Japan. Everything just looks so new/different/interesting from the way of life in the states. Ski Japan "partial check"

Visit Machu Picchu and dip in the Amazon. "check"

Hike the highlands of Scotland drenched in rain.

Bike around the Norweigen countries and just hop one town to the next following the best idea of the day.

I need to go run with the bulls in Spain sooner rather than later!!!

Catch and release a fish bigger and heavier than me. Probably marlin, swordfish or alaskan halibut.

Do a road trip in a camper van with a buddy or two thru Central America ending up in South America .

Be inside Na Pali valleys and feel like in another millenium. New one

Go back to New Zealand anytime, anyway, anyhow.

I enjoy looking at the pictures members post about their trips. I'm a visual person and get the most "virtual trip" feeling seeing the pictures eveyone shares. So here's some of mine below.

I truly hope to share a drink and stories with you somewhere soon.

RexBebendi shared the website to this great site that takes your photos and makes a mosiac out of it.

http://imagemosaicgenerator.click42.com/

Photo taken from our balcony of our old house.