But you sometimes really do need to pack heavy. In that case, your carry-on gives a good amount of extra storage. Either way, you need to know what's the maximum size of bag you're allowed to bring. The good news is that I've done the research for you.

Their is no bad news.

What I've noticed is that although every airline has its own rules, they are all fairly similar. The rule of thumb is you are allowed 45 linear inches or 114cm, including wheels and handle. Linear inches are determined by simply adding up each measurement. For example 20 cm + 40 cm + 54cm = 114 is just as good as 21cm + 42cm + 52cm = 114cm. However, do note that no measurement is allowed being longer than the indicated limits. So you cannot bring in a bag that's 10cm + 10cm + 94cm = 114cm.

In terms of weight, your carry-on and its contents is usually allowed weighing up to 10kg or 20lbs. Remember that when shopping for your cabin bag, their weights vary widely.

Furthermore, I read some places that European airlines tend to have tighter limits. I've determined that that is not true. However, by far the best idea is always to check with the airlines themselves. I simply cannot guarantee that they will accept "But Juan said it was ok" as a valid reason to let you board with hand baggage that does not conform to their rules.

Here's a small sample of airlines' and the IATA's (International Air Traffic Association) size weight limits:

Air Canada
Air Transat
American Airlines
easyJet
IATA
Ryanair (it's a dense text, do CTRL + F with this wording "up to 10kg with maximum dimensions")

I hope this helped you. Please feel free to ask me any questions. And, I wish you great travelling!

-Juan

If you like the photographs and/or want to see more, please go to Tom's site, tomrobinsonphotography.com

Kiendlam has done what many of us wish to do, travel the world. We follow these travels through a nice montage of stop-motion photography. Which places have you been too? Which places would you like to go? Which places do you think should have been included?

I would have liked to have seen some sub-Saharan Africa. Also, the montage confirmed my desire to go to Jordan and Turkey, not to mention Thailand.

But as large as Japan’s 128 million strong population may be, most of it is concentrated in a small portion of the country, leaving vast mountainous areas wild and untouched by urbanism. A prime example is Yakushima.

Yakushima is a little mountainous island off the southern tip of Japan with a small population of 15,000. Most of the island is covered in wild forests of ancient cedars, and is protected as a UNESCO natural heritage site. These forests are home to the Jomon Sugi, famous in Japan for being, by some estimates, the oldest tree on Earth. The Jomon Sugi can only be seen on foot, through a difficult 10 hour hike that winds through Yakushima’s mystical moss-covered forest, beautiful ravines and steep mountain sides. Despite the difficult hike, every year thousands of Japanese tourists flock to the island in organised groups to do the hike and as a result, this part of Yakushima, the trail to Jomon Sugi, is actually quite crowded.

We started the hike late; most groups leave at 5am, whereas we started at 9:30. We actually had to lie and say that we were spending the night in a nearby mountain hut (Yakushima hiking trails are dotted with free mountain huts) just to get permission to set off from the parking lot. Along the way, we crossed several guided groups along the narrow trail. As the day wore on, we only crossed groups returning from the Jomon Sugi, as late as we were no one else was still heading up to the tree. Eventually we crossed the last group and had the trail to ourselves for the rest of the trip. We got to the Jomon Sugi in the afternoon and had the place all to ourselves. There in front of the 2 to 7 thousand year old tree, we cooked a late lunch, and enjoyed the majesty of this gigantic cedar’s presence. We could tell from the viewing platform, which seemed specifically designed to handle large crowds, that earlier in the day, this place would have been quite crowded, but we were all alone for the 30 minutes that we spent there. If you are equipped with headlamps and a GPS, and are experienced with hiking unknown trails at night, this is really the best way to see the Jomon Sugi. We didn’t actually have to hike at night, we made it back only just before sunset.

Away from Jomon Sugi, the island is completely deserted. The thousands of annual visitors seem to concentrate in organised tour groups on the trails to Jomon Sugi, and leave the rest of the island largely unexplored. We rented a car (the only way to see Yakushima, in my opinion) and got lost in its tiny narrow winding mountain roads. On the shore, we found large untouched beaches with absolutely no one on them. We made one of them our home, set up our tent and camped there under the stars for the rest of the trip. At night, we had nothing but clear skies and the full moon was so bright that it casted long shadows on the sand. Once the moon set, the stars were so bright and shooting stars showered the sky. In the mornings, we would wake up at dawn and swim in the soup-warm sea and watched the sun rise from the water. It was perfect. We had the beach, and in our minds the whole island, all to ourselves.

Exploring the island was lots of fun too. The most impressive thing about Yakushima is the wildlife. The island is full of deer and monkeys both of whom are completely apathetic to human presence. It’s not that they are accustomed to humans and/or expect to be fed. Rather, it seems that they are unaccustomed to humans and don’t perceive us as danger. It reminded me of the animals I saw in the Galapagos Islands; there too, animals do not know or fear humans at all.

On the roads, in the trails, and pretty much everywhere outside the settlements, we crossed entire packs of monkeys, including babies gripping their mothers and dominant males picking fights. Families of monkeys fought one another right at our feet, ignoring us the whole time. Only when you get to touching distance do they shy away or bear their teeth in warning. Likewise, the Yakusima deer, beautiful miniature spotted “bambi” deer with gigantic eyes and furry antlers, also don’t seem to mind humans. They would block our path and refuse to budge until we got within 2 meters of them.

Through exploration we found large waterfalls, including one which is featured as one of Japan`s best. There I met a local man who showed me how to swim right up to the water fall itself. With snorkel gear he lent me, we dove deep under the current and swam up to the fall itself. Once up, it would crash upon us pushing us down and away from its danger. Fun!

After the waterfall, we watched the sunset while driving the windy coastal road, and eventually arrived to a tiny town, we had seen on the map. We had hoped to find dinner there, but quickly realised that there were no restaurants, just a couple of houses. Still, we met a family of fishermen who had a large outdoor Hibachi (coal BBQ) installation where they cooked the days’ catches. There, for a modest price they cooked up a feast for us under the afterglow and twilight. Other villagers joined us, and although nobody there spoke English the flowing Shochu lubricated our pseudo-conversation quite nicely.

Later as we made our way around the island, we discovered a magical Onsen, a Japanese hot water baths made from natural hot springs. This particular one was outdoors, dug directly into the rock by the seaside. At low tide, the sea recessed itself and revealed these baths carved in the volcanic shore rocks. We came there at night, when low tide coincided with the full moon and bathed under the stars. At our feet, waves crashed against rock and occasionally spilled into the dug basins, moderating their temperature perfectly.

We spent 4 days in this paradise, exploring its rivers, forests, waterfalls, mountains and beaches. Yakushima is one of the most beautiful places in Japan. If you ever have 3 or more weeks to explore Japan, make sure to include this island on your itinerary. But be warned, almost nobody speaks English there, but you will need reservations for cars and accommodation. Get someone to help you with that. Be sure to rent a car, it’s the best way to see the island. Keep an eye on typhoon forecast, and avoid the island when there are typhoons. Also, although we had nothing but sunshine on this trip, Yakushima is one of the rainiest place in Japan, so equip yourself accordingly. I brought my TNF Venture zip pants, which I keep with me at all times (they pack small) along with a rain coat. I also took my gore-tex TNF Alkaline GTX running shoes (reviewed here) (I had no room in my luggage for hiking boots) which worked fined. Lastly, be sure to arrive early and to start by visiting the tourist information center (one of the only English speakers on the island) at the ferry dock.

Happy travels!

Jean-Yves

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For more of Jean-Yves adventures:

JY in Japan: Climbing Mount Fuji - A Short Trip to Another World

Kayaking the Mangroves in the Florida Keys

Sailing in BC’s Channel Islands

Things started off in Phoenix. Phoenix is definitely a Southwestern town. Visually, it's pretty cool, I mean cactuses and palm trees: yes! Not only that, but it's surrounded by mountains. Yay! The thing I find frustrating about it is that it's super sprawled-out. I like to be able to stroll around town, walk and get lost to savour a city. Not quite possible with the world's second largest city by area (last time I checked). Regardless, we were on a road trip, we weren't going to stay there.

From Phoenix, we headed over to Sedona. We took the scenic route via Wickenburg, Prescott and Jerome. Lots of eye candy, especially on the way up to the plateau. Sedona was quite charming, what with its buttes and all. There was also a lot of new agey stuff. If you're into such concepts, you'll be quite pleased. If you're like me, you'll simply ignore such things. Lots of hiking to do. We took a little one to catch the sunset amidst the rocks and enjoy some of the moonshadow. It was here that I realized that I really have to come back and do some extensive hiking in Arizona.

From there, we were off to Navajo County. We had rented a convertible Jeep. This really came in handy since it meant we could drive into the Canyon de Chelly. This was actually awesome since it gave us amazing views and allowed to drive through rivers and stuff. The canyon itself was beautiful. Also, another place I really want to hike. In the second picture, you can kind of get the effect of how steep the walls were. The darker parts are on the other side of the canyon. I'm actually really scared of heights, but the rock was really grippy. Yes, I know I cut a fine figure.

Next up was Monument Valley. This is actually in Utah, but hey, it was right next to Arizona. This where the driving got long, but cool in a way, as everything started looking really exotic, like Mars exotic. You'll have seen Monument Valley in a great many westerns. It is indeed quite impressive.

From there, we headed over to the Grand Canyon, but not before driving by Tuba City, which is one of my favourite city names. The Grand Canyon was well, grand. This was actually my third time. Every time I go, I'm like, "whatevs". The I get there and I'm more like, "goodness gracious, that is some engrossing eye candy cocaine." Thinking about it actually makes me a little sad, because I wished I had had the time to hike there. Ah, there's always a next time, right? Here's a small section of it.

Afterwards, we headed South to Flagstaff via the San Francisco Peaks. In late May, in Arizona, we actually got caught in a snow storm! Shows you how important elevation is with regards to weather. Luckily, the Jeep came equipped with an experienced Canadian driver no stranger to snow, me. It also made me realize how rich Arizona was in weather diversity.

Flagstaff was a fun little college town. We then headed over to Bisbee. Bisbee was a mining town in the wild west days. Still pretty decently preserved, it is charming and cute. We stayed in an incredible motel that was essentially a recreated trailer park from the 50s. All authentic. Must see. My girlfriend and I stayed in a converted bus, complete with a yearbook from 1961. Being surrounded by so many cactus, just made it better.

That was the road trip in a nutshell. All I can say to Arizona is "Wow"!

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Bar Harbour, Hiking and Micro-brews: Holidays for the Weary

Romania, a Latin Island in a Slavic Sea

The ride starts off pretty smoothly, as we bike through cute little towns and fields of green and vineyards. What we don't seem to notice is those protruding masses of rock in the background... Ignorance is bliss! But reality hits us pretty hard a couple of ks later, when the landscape starts to change and we start to sweat. It's on those days that I miss the Netherlands, or the land of the flat. TIP: When planning your itinerary, make sure to not only check the distance that you will be cycling, but also the inclination of the road which can put a whole new twist to your ride.

Slowly but surely, my dear cousin Myka and I start pedaling our butts off. We won't let the mountain beat us, although we sometimes feel like giving up (which involves throwing our bikes off the cliff). Cars whiz passed us and we get the occasional thumbs up from the window. At every turn, we wonder if the road will take us downhill, but we keep going up, up, up. André the machine even gives us a little help by pushing us in the back for a much needed little break. What makes things especially difficult from today as opposed to yesterday is the fact that we are constantly in the sun, with little shade for us to rest in. TIP: You can never be too safe; bringing two bottles on the trip is definitely a good idea, because you'll never know when the next stop will be! You can also add a squeeze of lemon for flavour.

Honestly, this has to be one of the most challenging things I've done in my life. But the reward is well worth with... a breath-taking view of El Port de la Selva, and the satisfaction of knowing that we pushed our limits (I say that now, but I was pretty much swearing all the way up!). We are on top of the world!

It took us hours to go up, and just a few minutes to get down. Myka finally got passed her fear of cycling downhill; maybe it's because we are too exhausted to press on the brakes... On the way towards the beach, we see some castles and gorgeous scenery. In the little port town, we put our feet in the sand and relax for a bit. But the ride isn't over... We still have an impressive hill to go up in order to reach Cadaques. Well, we've got to do what we've got to do, and continue biking...

Finally! We reach Cadaques. It's a very cute town surrounded by water and a cobblestone beach. But it's time for a break, and tomorrow we are off to Dali's house. We marvel at the view from our room, as we sit back and relax after the hardest day of our trip. After a little rest, our stomachs start growling with hunger. My sister recommended we go to Casa Anita, a seafood restaurant in the village renowned for its hospitality. Well, it was one of the best suppers of my trip! We ate all sorts of fish and had an awesome desert.

The next morning, we visit Dali's house... No words can explain how loco this man is, so here are a few pictures from his refuge.

After the tour, we are off again... This time, to Escalla!

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Tips for biking in Spain

Day 1 - Girona to Figueres

Day 2 - Figueres to Cadaques

Day 3 - Cadaques to Escala (with a stop in Roses)

Day 4 - Escala back to Girona

Velorution (my uncle's bike store in Sault-Ste-Marie)

André does Spain (my uncle's version of the trip)

Waterbreak!

Our objective: to reach Figueres in one piece. For a first day, it is pretty intense... With sweat beading on my forehead as we start our ascent, I wonder what I got myself into. As Myka and I take our sweet time going up, André, a.k.a. the bike freak, constantly whizzes past us and waits for us to catch up. Thank god for all the trees providing us some much needed shade! TIP: Don't hesitate to take breaks, especially on your first day, and take the time to rehydrate. I know it's pretty obvious, but you have to do it! Finally, after two hours of climbing, we reach the top where a beautiful castle sits.

Just as we think it will get easier, a local man stops us to let us know that there would be road construction on the way down and that we should turn around. After pedaling for that long, there is NO WAY we are turning around. After a group huddle, we decide to go ahead anyhow. I'm glad we did, because we met a hot Spaniard in spandex... oh yah, and the road wasn't that bad after all! Just a lot of gravel that meant we had to be careful not to wipe out with our loaded bikes. Going down is definitely more fun than going up!

The first hill (among many)

Castle on top of the hill close to Girona

After the speedy descent, our eyes are treated to wonderful yellow and green fields punctuated with speckles of red poppies. The smells of the country-side and the sun on our skin stimulate our senses, as our bellies start growling with hunger. Time for a pit stop!

Els Angels or Hells Angels?

Beautiful country side

We finally find a restaurant, and the food is delicious! Maybe a bit too delicious... Tip: I know it may be tempting, but overeating at lunch is not a good idea! Avoid a big meal and stick to high energy foods for snacks. It's better to eat often and in little quantities. We end up eating a full-course meal; entrée, main plate and desert! We feel pretty revitalized, but we'll regret stuffing ourselves later on when we're on our bikes... Ah well, we learned our lesson that day!

We ate way too much that lunch!

The afternoon ride is much easier, as the path is flat and smooth. We arrive in downtown Figueres in the afternoon for part one of the Dali Tour! The Teatre-Museu Dali... But first, time to rest! It didn't take much, one drink of cheap wine and the whole crew fell right asleep at 9 pm... TIP: Always check with your hotel  for bike storage. Most places will let you park your bike right inside, or even in your room.

That wine was terrible!

The next day, time to visit the museum! Dali is definitely talented... but also definitely bonkers! His museum is filled with weird concoctions of paintings, sculptures and architecture. I highly recommend visiting this crazy-house: you'll feel like a kid in a playground, in awe in front of such organized chaos.

Hanging on to the Teatre-Museu Dali

Climbing into the blue

Dali and his egg fetish

Here are some pictures inside the museum:

Is that guy taking a dump? I believe he is!

Baguette! Onh! Onh! Onh!

What? I can't smell you!

Hope you enjoyed this article! More to come...

- Véro Altitude

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Tips for biking in Spain

Day 1 - Girona to Figueres

Day 2 - Figueres to Cadaques

Day 3 - Cadaques to Escala (with a stop in Roses)

Day 4 - Escala back to Girona

Velorution (my uncle's bike store in Sault-Ste-Marie)

André does Spain (my uncle's version of the trip)

If you love the concept of relaxing in all-inclusive hotels, and the most you’ll walk is from your beach chair to the bar stool, then this trip is NOT for you! If on the other hand you are a decently active person who isn’t scared of the unknown, then I highly suggest going the route less traveled. Sure you’ll be stinky at times, your ass will be somewhat sore from all the riding and you’ll be so hungry you’ll feel like passing out. But it will be the trip of your lifetime. Here’s how it goes.

First, buy plane tickets for Barcelona. Yes, you heard: Spain. You know the country where you eat paellas and dance flamenco. Anyhow, just be aware that people from this region speak Catalan, but most speak Spanish as well. It’s a bit like Quebec French in Canada, but a little more exotic.

Here’s a list of essentials that you should bring if you are going in May-August:

• Bike bags (2 ideally so that the weight is equally distributed)
• Waterbottles (2 small ones so that you can have one on your bike and a spare in your bag)
• Bike shorts with a chamois (YES! This will save your ass. And don’t wear undies under your shammy.)
• Bike gloves
• A good pair of light socks
• Sunglasses, hat and sunscreen to protect your skin and your body from heat stroke
• Synthetic shirt (preferably with a zipper so that you can adjust to the weather)
• Good running shoes for riding
• A light waterproof jacket
• A change of clothes for going out
• A sweater as it can get pretty cold at night
• Toiletries (I love Dr. Broner’s Magic Soap)
• DO NOT OVERPACK!!! You can wash your stuff every night and synthetics will dry in a jiffy.

Our bike clothing proudly hanging

Once in Barcelona, you’ll want to grab the bus or train to Girona, which is about an hour away. A good time to go is in May, as the flower festival is quite amazing during this time and the weather isn’t too hot nor too cold. If you are like me and are too lazy to lug your own bicycle around, you’ll want to find a good rental place. I highly recommend bikebreaks for the excellent service (thanks Dave!) and good selection. Check out the prices and models on their website. Also, don't be afraid to ask for directions specifically for bike touring; the best place to do so is at the store. We even had a very practical map holder on the handlebars! If you are not that adventurous, you can always go on one of their awesome guided tours (so you don't need to worry about getting lost and simply enjoy the wonderful view!).

André, Myka and Véro in front of bikebreaks bike shop

The Girona Flower Festival

The Girona Flower Festival

The Girona Flower Festival

Once your bike is loaded and you’re all suited up, you're ready to go! Stay tuned for more tips and adventures...

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Tips for biking in Spain

Day 1 - Girona to Figueres

Day 2 - Figueres to Cadaques

Day 3 - Cadaques to Escala (with a stop in Roses)

Day 4 - Escala back to Girona

Velorution (my uncle's bike store in Sault-Ste-Marie)

André does Spain (my uncle's version of the trip)

My product recommandations

• Oakley Flak Jacket XLJ glasses

• Icebreaker Rush Tank

• The North Face Verto Jacket

• The North Face Dusties shorts (with chamois)

• Icebreaker Multisport Superlite Micro Socks

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Day 1 - Girona to Figueres

You’d rather travel comfortably and not go off the beaten path? Guided tours in private coaches, hotels and restaurants are on your vacation plans?  Well the rolling bag is especially made for you. A luggage is ideal at the airport and in hotel elevators, but that is pretty much it.

Let’s start this over. You’d rather travel comfortably, but you are thinking of walking a couple Ks left and right to visit interesting tourist attractions, go see other untraditional sites and more authentic places? Camping is not an option, but hostels or B&Bs are more than acceptable? Then the backpack becomes an interesting option for you.

Forget the myth that heavy bags will give you a back ache, because a well adjusted bag that is well packed will become an extension of your body (just swing by our store to talk to one of our customer service reps to make the best choice. You can also read our buyer's guide here). On the other hand, moving a rolling bag even on only a kilometer can be a pain. The littlest crack will make your handle vibrate; walking on worn-out asphalt, on a gravel road or simply on a side-walk.

As I mentioned before, wheeled bags exist for airports and hotels, and that’s it. Backpacks on the other hand are made of lighter and lighter materials, are ergonomic and have a number of accesses (front and on the sides) that would make many luggage jealous. Forget huge expedition bags! The majority of travelers opt for volumes of 30 to 50 liters, limiting overweight and allowing them to respect the carry-on in airports. Backpacks are often less heavy than rolling bags. You can bring back more souvenirs without being scared to pay the price for surcharge.

What’s more, there exists backpack cases that allow you to protect the shoulder straps and slings when traveling by air (the Osprey Airporter LZ), so no more worries. For people that find these cases too one-dimensional, a rain cover can perfectly do, and it’ll even keep your clothes dry.

Finally, are you of those that love to leave for the adventure? You are the type to choose a destination first and letting the rest happen? Camping is your first option and you plan on including a short or long hike in your travel activities? You probably haven’t even considered the wheeled luggage. For you guys however, I can recommend a bigger bag such as the Baltoro 65 (70 for Fall 2010 models) and the Deva 60 for women from Gregory which are perfect for backpackers. Models such as Miura, Axios de Arcteryx, Kestrel from Osprey or Alteo from The North Face can perfectly fit your need.

So now it’s your turn to choose which category you fit in. On my side, I have known for a while now… And don’t forget, if you need advice, don’t hesitate to come talk to our friendly staff in store or on the phone, they’ll help you pick your battle. And if you've choosen the right side, backpacks, click here to read our guide on how to choose the right one!

Click here to read my friend Max's conflicting opinion:

The greating was fantastic, my parents and friends were waiting for us and, even if we were exhausted, we stayed up late. I tried my best to get some rest since we still had a long road trip (about 600km or 8h) to head North, to attend my sister-in-law’s wedding. That party was thus just getting started…

I must add that after 2 years of living in Quebec, everything seemed rather small, but so much denser: cars, roads, even houses, everything!

The wedding was a sweet success! A real Romanian party, 18h to 6 in the morning, all included: dancing, food, drinks, happiness! For the doubters, here’s proof, an example of traditional Northern Romanian dancing

Next day, at around noon we went over to the newlyweds to congratulate them one more time and to prepare the itinerary for the trip we were going to do together. We decided to tour the central region of the country in order to check out the medieval villages and go through the southern Carpathians. To put things into context, the Carpathians are a chain of mountains shaped like a J in the middle of the country, North to South and South to West. [Editor's note: Funeral in Carpathia by Cradle of Filth would be a good soundtrack for this part.] We started from the North-East tip and we wanted to go through them via the highest altitude paved road in Romania, the Transfagarasan. It is closed most of the year because of the snow.

Monday morning we all hoped into the small red Volkswagen Beetle…and we were off!

First stop, Lake Ursu, created in 1875.  It is the largest helio thermal lake in Europe. That means that it is a salt water lake, but at the surface there is a layer of fresh water. Surgace temperature is around 25, but at a depth pf 1.5 metres, it climbs to 40c! It's also almost impossible to drown since the salt makes float without the slightest effort.

Second stop, and here's where legend takes over, is in Sighişoara, a fortified medieval town with german origins. It is also Vlad the Empaler's home town. You might know him as Dracula [Editor's note: This helps make the provided soundtrack that much more appropriate]. Everywhere you look, you can see fortifications and castles that inspire many a daydream into ancient times.

Next time, I'll tell you guys about how it went on the Transfagarasan and I'll introduce you to the Black Sea and its beaches.

Write you soon

Eugen

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I’m in Heaven or in Africa or in a Hot-Air Balloon – Share and Save

Another fine contribution. When's yours gonna be?

*** WARNING: Sensitive souls beware, this article contains explosive content***

Which is to say that the article includes speech fit for a sailor. On the flip side, appreciative ears may enjoy this article to a soundtrack provided by Sébastien himself. Have a good listen and a great read!

Véro Altitude

Flooded in Costa Rica

Hello my friends,

For those of you who assume that I’m tanning in the Sun, surfing through life surrounded by chicks in bikinis as you're stuck in a cold, wet fall: let me lift your spirits a little.

For two weeks now it’s been raining harder and harder with each passing day. I came down yesterday to see a friend I had been wakeboarding with this past summer in Santa Theresa, Costa Rica. It is such a dead season here that most of the shops and restaurants have closed for an indeterminate length of time due to the rain. It’s been pouring at least twenty to twenty-two hours a day. The sound of the rainfall is no longer soothing, and three of the four routes out of where I’m staying collapsed yesterday.

Beached Boat

I departed Nicaragua yesterday morning at 8 am. The border crossing lasted from 9 to 10:30 as our bus was searched top to bottom. We carried on until Barranca, where I was ejected from the bus in an incredible downpour. On the brightside, I narrowly avoided a five kilometre traffic jam where construction was underway further up the road. They’re developing a new auto route where they’ve blasted through the mountain and, as well organized as they are, the protective fencing on the cliff side was overlooked. So, with the recent rainfall (109 cubic meters this month as opposed to the usual 25), there have been massive landslides in several locations and others where the pavement has simply crumbled, creating impassable gaps in the road. Could someone please tell the Gods that we’re still 2 years from 2012 for Christ’s sake?

So there I am with my pack, my surf board and my guitar on the side of the road hoping for an empty taxi to materialize and take me down the other fork in the road to a sketchy little town called Puntarenas where I can catch a ferry. The hotels all rent by the hour there, and just yesterday morning a corpse was observed floating down the river, its head and feet missing. An enormous alligator recently emerged from the marsh due to flooding and, after having killed it and cut it open, some locals found a stomach full of human bones.

A brief respite

Finally, after 40 minutes of wringing my clothes out on the side of the road and the cursing of my fortunes as the world passes me by, I see a taxi approaching and flag it down. We strap down my board and drive off, wipers broken, of course. The lack of visibility made it about as safe as driving with about 25 beers in my system, not that I’ve ever tried, as far as I can remember. We come to a stop, you’ve got to be kidding; I succeed at fixing his fucking wipers, and we arrive in Punterenas 5 minutes too late for the ferry… awesome. The next ferry arrives 2 hours later as the sky begins to blacken. We’ve been crossing about ten minutes when the motor sputters off. We drift in the black tranquility without a sound. The looks on the faces of the others are all questioning “is this normal?”, “is this a joke?”. The motor sputters back to life, cool. We’ve been 2 hours in crossing. At this point I might well be spending the night on the deck. We arrive, at long last, in Paquera to continue by bus for an hour and a half. It’s a bumpy ride and the children are spilling their stomachs. The bus stops at Cobano, incapable of continuing along the haggard roadway. I find myself packed with the company of five others into a little taxi for another hour along the most miserable terrain so far. Car sickness is added to my sea sickness that hasn’t yet faded and then enhanced by the blasting air conditioning that is preventing the windows from fogging up. Every time I roll down the window for fresh air the driver shouts at me about keeping his interior dry. I he cares so much about keeping his interior dry why is the idiot driving cab in Cost Rica’s fucking rainy season? Despite it all, I have arrived.

The nose and tail of my board have worsened through yesterday’s journey. It could have been prevented if I had taken preventative measures and paid $10 in Nicaragua, but the guy wouldn’t lower his price and, too proud to lose in negotiation, I put it off. Now I’m looking at a bill upwards of $45 with the added damage, but it wouldn’t have been possible anyway since the resin depends on UV rays to cure properly. On the up side, the waves are disgusting thanks to tropical storms Nicole and Matthew.

So to recap, no sun, bad waves, very few tourists, and it’s going from bad to worse since its supposed to get worse before it gets better. There is rain absolutely everywhere. It’s impossible to catch even a single ray of sunshine. There are landslides from Mexico to Columbia. Long live the rain.

I’m really not sure what I’ll get up to the next couple of weeks. They’re calling for rain over the next ten straight days. As for the rest of the month, the predictions aren’t out, but I’m willing to wager that things will stay wet. Worst case scenario, I could catch a plane to the Caribbean Coast where things are a bit dryer, but there’s no good surf. In any case, I haven’t made up my mind. We’ll see how it goes.

Setting sun

Our beds are moist and far from drying.

I hope I’ve lifted your spirits. I’ll have to stop here as the water levels are quickly rising.

-Seb

*Facts taken from La Nacion newspaper

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And to the scenery, add the day’s plans : eat a hearty breakfast, loaf around and then hike up Mount Owl’s Head. Ooooh yeah, these are the days you savour like a fresh apple.

A whole bunch of bacon, eggs, fruit, yoghourt, toast and home fries later, we're stuffed. Now's not the time to go for a hike. A little digestion is imperative.

Once that's done we head on out. Owl’s Head awaits us. I rub my hands in anticipation of a good hike: blood flowing, lungs pushing, heart racing, sweat flowing.

We were a good bunch. 10 or so. We started together. The hill was steeper than we had anticipated. Starting cold is rough. Before long though, the body’s had time to warm up and things are enjoyable. But not for everyone. We lose a couple after the first steep part. They go back down. That’s also where the group splits in two. One’s heading straight up for glory and the other wants to enjoy a more laid-back approach. Whatever floats your boat, I say.

The route filled with glory proved to be nicely demanding. The terrain was tricky and steep. I hadn’t felt my heart beat like that in a while. I was happy.

Shortly after arriving at the peak, the second group joined us. We enjoyed the fine view before heading back down and getting ready for an evening filled with good food, good booze and good friends.

Like I said, it was a perfect day.

In Gaspésie it’s an obligation to eat seafood, provided that you like that sort of thing. Who doesn’t like to tuck into a nice big, freshly caught lobster? We do, and certainly took maximum advantage of our situation. We tried, with our feet in water much too cold, to coax one into the cooler, but it was in vain…. After only a few seconds, we decided, due to our numb, swollen-red feet, to go to the nearby fish store and pick a monster out for ourselves. The choice wasn’t difficult as there were only lobsters in the tank. We’ve tried to cook them in all sorts of ways and our favourite is on the grill. This worked out well as we had brought one along with us!

You will need:

1- One frisky and very energetic lobster (it must move around with vigour!)
2- A well-sharpened chef’s knife.
3- A barbecue or a grill to put over the fire .
4- Tongs (to turn the lobster with).
5- A tasty garlic butter.

Directions:

1- Separate the pincers from the live lobster.

2- Put the lobster on its belly, with the tail nice and flat, and stick the point of the knife in its head. Then with an energetic and firm stroke, cut the lobster length-wise down the middle so you have two pieces. You will find this cruel, but tell yourself this beast can’t feel a thing.
3- Slather the lobster meat with garlic butter and put it meat side down on a very hot grill.
4- After about 5-7 minutes, turn the lobster shell side down on the grill.
5- At this time you can put the pincers on as they take less time to cook.
6- You’ll know the lobster is ready when the meat separates easily from of the shell. This will take around another 5-7 minutes depending on the size of your lobster.

Bon appétit.

*Translated by Judy Altitude

Enjoy the video and pictures. Perhaps it will help you push yourself to achieve some goals you've set yourself. I know one of my plans, other than finishing the AT with Mark Altitude, includes cycling from Montreal to Mexico. Not much compared to the entire world, but that certainly doesn't mean I won't be proud and happy with myself. Travel on!

So off we go to Burke, Vermont in the world’s sexiest traveling vessel, the Chevrolet Venture. Two guys, a dog, and a painting brought back from Vietnam. The aforementioned border guards apparently found my person suspicious and felt compelled to search our car. An empty ski box was violated, dog food was discarded like bio-waste and stern scowls were thrown around like Michael Jackson references a few weeks ago. It was like being in Super Troopers but without the hilarious laughter and mustaches.

So I zip back up my pants and in a few tender moments we arrive in East Burke, Vermont. Picture a mountain biking Mecca, wrapped in quaintness and baked goods, surrounded by lush New England mountains. Are you with me? Now add Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Yeah, pretty sweet, I know. Roll into the parking lot and brace yourself for copious amounts of spandex, COPIOUS amounts, with a symphony of shaved legs and squished up man-junk wherever you look. Sort of like walking in a rich neighbourhood, but without the Ugg boots, vintage sunglasses and attitude.

So we jump on our bikes and head up the hills. 100 miles of singletrack whisper sweet nothings into our spokes as we grind our way through the trails. Ever so often we are ejected from the dense forest into these enormous grassy plateaus above the town. From the beautiful vantage points you can count every yellow house for miles around. I would have done it too, but my riding partner wanted nothing to do with the idea. I counted three. We rode until our smiles hurt, until the sweat burned our faces, until the law of diminishing returns crept into my mind (and my lactic acid-filled muscles). There was the next day after all.

So two guys slept in the back of a small van on a mattress together- what? We may have accidentally spooned, but he started it. I regret nothing. In the morning you try to stretch out all the sore muscles and do it all over again. Like other pleasurable activities, the second time around you are tired, sore and frankly a little scratched and bruised, but man does it feel good to do it again. You can’t forget to use protection though; otherwise you can have an accident and damage your head, ahem. Back at the parking lot the ocean of lycra ebbs and flows, but we manage to make our way to the bakery where a chocolate mint brownie gives us the strength we need to drive back home in one piece.

I decided to head up North to ride along the banks of the Rivière-des-Prairies, which separates the Island of Montreal from the Island of Jesus, commonly known as Laval. I took the bike path that heads West and just pedaled. The more the ride progressed, the more I told myself I should head back. But louder still, I told myself: “Nah.” So further I went.

It was a perfect evening for a bike ride. Not too warm, not too cool, the only wind coming from my own movement. The sky was clear so rain was not an issue. Not only that, the midnight blue overhead reflected onto the river, with street lamps and house lights serving as the stars. It was a sleepy Sunday evening in the suburbs; I had the road to myself. From time to time, I worried that whatever distance I covered, I would have to repeat upon my return. But the sweet circular rhythm of my legs working in tandem with my fixed gear was a siren call for more. And further I went.

I had already been along this way, but never so far. The city had changed from urban to suburban to country. I could smell the country freshness! My perfect escape from the city was interrupted by a new development; the kind with lots of houses and few architects. That was my cue. I headed back to my place.

My return home was greeted by the pleasurable dull pain of exhaustion. I had ridden 72km on a whim, not bad. After a well deserved shower, I sank into my bed with a smile.

Juan Altitude