When I was in Colombia one of the engineers said that he had always wanted to motorcycle through South America, like Che Guevara. His ability to speak or to learn Spanish was limited (he was the engineer who tried to order helado con pariquita, rather than helado con arequipe) so, unless he found himself what our Brazilian colleagues called a "Long haired dictionary," the odds of him surviving such a trip were remote.
Last night I was thinking about that, and what I would like to do for my "Trip of a lifetime". I thought I'd like to bicycle from Barcelona to Rome, following one of the possible routes of Hannibal over the Alps. I might have some trouble talking my wife into that one (Hannibal did it on foot, and less than half his army died of dysentery, so our odds are great!) Anyhow what would you do? (or have you done?)
I know my aunt drives from Barcelona to Milan somewhat regularly, and she says it's a comfortable route. Not sure how hard it would be to do it by bicycle, though. I presume the Alps would be hell.
Me? My most daring trip was going to PA with the car's GPS broken and the car radio stuck on a 80s station.
Quote from: Savonarola on August 01, 2016, 09:03:38 AM
When I was in Colombia one of the engineers said that he had always wanted to motorcycle through South America, like Che Guevara. His ability to speak or to learn Spanish was limited (he was the engineer who tried to order helado con pariquita, rather than helado con arequipe) so, unless he found himself what our Brazilian colleagues called a "Long haired dictionary," the odds of him surviving such a trip were remote.
Last night I was thinking about that, and what I would like to do for my "Trip of a lifetime". I thought I'd like to bicycle from Barcelona to Rome, following one of the possible routes of Hannibal over the Alps. I might have some trouble talking my wife into that one (Hannibal did it on foot, and less than half his army died of dysentery, so our odds are great!) Anyhow what would you do? (or have you done?)
I once was in a car being driven through that area of the alps, and I had looked up the names of the passes that hannibal possibly used, and in the car ride was always trying to figure out what pass was what. I didn't tell the people in the car I was trying to see the path of hannibal--i don't think they would have understood. They probably just found it mildly odd that I was interested in the names of the passes for no apparent reason.
Sav, we probably would have been better traveling companions. :)
I once thought about travelling in Japan for a month by car and/or train. I love the place. It is beautiful, safe, convenient, civilised. The food is fantastic. I don't speak Japanese but we have been to Japan at least 20 times by now that we realise it isn't an issue. The problems would be that it is quite expensive, and that there isn't enough real differentiation among the different regions.
I always thought doing a long overland trip would be cool. Like Cairo to Capetown or driving the Silkroad from China to the Mediterranean or Black Sea or driving to Singapore. But most of those routes have places that I don't want to cross (South Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan...), so I rather fly over these countries. I like my adventures fairly well controlled. ;)
Anyway, I did a seven week long trip to South America over Christmas and that felt like a week too much. I guess I prefer to have multiple trips of various length to having a "trip of a lifetime".
Barcelona - Rome would be great for cycling, if in at least a somewhat decent shape beforehand. :P
My Belgrade-Copenhagen bicycle trip gave me a wanting for something bigger. I'd like to cycle in South America, my capability to learn Spanish was there 10 years ago so I would just need to tap into that again I hope. Starting by cycling around Andalusia next spring.
Quote from: Zanza on August 01, 2016, 09:28:43 AM
I did a seven week long trip to South America over Christmas and that felt like a week too much. I guess I prefer to have multiple trips of various length to having a "trip of a lifetime".
Yeah, in my experience 5-6 weeks is perfect.
Quote from: Liep on August 01, 2016, 09:29:23 AM
Barcelona - Rome would be great for cycling, if in at least a somewhat decent shape beforehand. :P
My Belgrade-Copenhagen bicycle trip gave me a wanting for something bigger. I'd like to cycle in South America, my capability to learn Spanish was there 10 years ago so I would just need to tap into that again I hope. Starting by cycling around Andalusia next spring.
That sounds nice.
Liep, you're probably the ideal person to advise Sav on what to do to build up to something like that.
Barcelona to Rome sounds like a perfect trip if you're into Roman history and what to immerse yourself in the sites and archeaology, whether traveling by car, train or bike.
Quote from: Savonarola on August 01, 2016, 09:03:38 AM
When I was in Colombia one of the engineers said that he had always wanted to motorcycle through South America, like Che Guevara. His ability to speak or to learn Spanish was limited (he was the engineer who tried to order helado con pariquita, rather than helado con arequipe) so, unless he found himself what our Brazilian colleagues called a "Long haired dictionary," the odds of him surviving such a trip were remote.
Last night I was thinking about that, and what I would like to do for my "Trip of a lifetime". I thought I'd like to bicycle from Barcelona to Rome, following one of the possible routes of Hannibal over the Alps. I might have some trouble talking my wife into that one (Hannibal did it on foot, and less than half his army died of dysentery, so our odds are great!) Anyhow what would you do? (or have you done?)
A few years ago the bbc did a series following Hannibal's trail into Italy, three guys cycled there, but made it pretty hard work by having OTT deadlines.
Details and the documentary is probably on youtube:
http://www.historyextra.com/blogger-profile/wood-brothers (http://www.historyextra.com/blogger-profile/wood-brothers)
Programme was called 'On Hannibal's Trail', clips here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t6skb (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00t6skb)
Personally I think such a trip would be hell for a non-cycle enthusiast, I'd recommend you do it in a classic soft-top touring car and take as long as long as you need, several weeks if necessary.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rideandseek.com%2FMedia%2FDefault%2FTours%2FHannibal%2FHannibal-Barcelona-to-Rome-map.jpg&hash=6cc849a10774a5dbae8bfc74c04731c947afe328)
Quote from: Savonarola on August 01, 2016, 09:03:38 AM
Anyhow what would you do?
Travel through the US east coast, down to Texas, grab a beer with Valmy, get back home the same way. Just traveling, not much stopping, save for sleeping and eating, and maybe in North Carolina, if I can find the place where they shot the Last of the Mohicans final scenes.
I used to like driving. Hopefully, I'll get back into it one day.
I would like to do a group overland expedition, Alaska to Argentina, every state, country, province in between.
I would have said sailing around the world, but I get seasick. :x :(
I've always wanted to walk the Canterbury trail. Additionally, I'd like to walk from London to Hadrian's Wall.
Quote from: celedhring on August 01, 2016, 09:11:58 AM
Me? My most daring trip was going to PA with the car's GPS broken and the car radio stuck on a 80s station.
The horror :(
Outside of work, my most daring trip was from Abu Simbel to Cairo by bus (Abu Simbel to Aswan) and train (Aswan to Luxor, Luxor to Cairo.) Crossing the street in Cairo was probably more dangerous than that journey; but the journey sounds more romantic.
Quote from: Monoriu on August 01, 2016, 09:25:36 AM
I once thought about travelling in Japan for a month by car and/or train. I love the place. It is beautiful, safe, convenient, civilised. The food is fantastic. I don't speak Japanese but we have been to Japan at least 20 times by now that we realise it isn't an issue. The problems would be that it is quite expensive, and that there isn't enough real differentiation among the different regions.
I may do something like that. I loved my first visit to Japan. :)
As for trip of a lifetime... I've been looking at Patagonia/Antarctica stuff. Something like that would be cool.
Quote from: Savonarola on August 01, 2016, 01:33:40 PM
Quote from: celedhring on August 01, 2016, 09:11:58 AM
Me? My most daring trip was going to PA with the car's GPS broken and the car radio stuck on a 80s station.
The horror :(
Outside of work, my most daring trip was from Abu Simbel to Cairo by bus (Abu Simbel to Aswan) and train (Aswan to Luxor, Luxor to Cairo.) Crossing the street in Cairo was probably more dangerous than that journey; but the journey sounds more romantic.
That has always been a somewhat daring trip, but in 10 years when people forget that Egypt was once more stable, that will seem really daring.
Quote from: alfred russel on August 01, 2016, 01:37:20 PM
That has always been a somewhat daring trip, but in 10 years when people forget that Egypt was once more stable, that will seem really daring.
I was there in 2007, in the midst of the Mubarak era, so there really wasn't that much danger. However right when I landed in Abu Simbel (about 20 miles from the border with Sudan) the Sudanese teddy bear blasphemy case (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudanese_teddy_bear_blasphemy_case) was just getting underway and every British paper seemed to have a picture of a Sudanese mob led by a man brandishing a machete on its front page. Fortunately I was a long way from Khartoum, and the Nubians didn't seem to care much one way or the other.
I really don't know. In this day and age I can do any trip I want on earth and to say go to space would be cheating.
I guess if one of the more dangerous places could be safer? Travel around Africa or south America without fearing for my health. .. could be nice.
The old USSR too, despite a lack of Russian.
Quote from: Monoriu on August 01, 2016, 09:25:36 AM
I once thought about travelling in Japan for a month by car and/or train. I love the place. It is beautiful, safe, convenient, civilised. The food is fantastic. I don't speak Japanese but we have been to Japan at least 20 times by now that we realise it isn't an issue. The problems would be that it is quite expensive, and that there isn't enough real differentiation among the different regions.
Unusual .
One of the things I like about japan is that it really keeps its regional diversity. In spite of ugly temporary modern buildings everywhere .
Someday I'll get around to finishing up every prefecture.
Sailing around the world is the cliche (but still true) answer, but of course I don't know how to sail.
I've always wanted to ride the Trans-Siberian Railroad. So maybe that.
I sailed from San Francisco to the Galapagos to Easter Island to French Polynesia to Hawaii then back to San Francisco as crew on a 60 foot ketch. However, I was 21 at the time so it was wasted on me.
Maybe biking the Alp d'Heuz or other such Tour de France switchback climbs (even the Montvernier would be fun).
Quote from: PDH on August 01, 2016, 03:22:26 PM
I sailed from San Francisco to the Galapagos to Easter Island to French Polynesia to Hawaii then back to San Francisco as crew on a 60 foot ketch. However, I was 21 at the time so it was wasted on me.
Maybe biking the Alp d'Heuz or other such Tour de France switchback climbs (even the Montvernier would be fun).
Alpe d'Huez is a lot of fun, quite doable too.
Quote from: Barrister on August 01, 2016, 02:52:21 PM
Sailing around the world is the cliche (but still true) answer, but of course I don't know how to sail.
I've always wanted to ride the Trans-Siberian Railroad. So maybe that.
I've wanted to do that, and go across Canada by train as well. If I retire from the rail industry I'll do those in my retirement and tell the train employees how much better things were run in my day. ;)
Quote from: Savonarola on August 01, 2016, 03:56:45 PMIf I retire from the rail industry I'll do those in my retirement and tell the train employees how much better things were run in my day. ;)
We love that. :hug:
I've been told countless times that the old trains were much better because most things could be fixed by blocking a switch or kicking something. :P
Quote from: Maladict on August 01, 2016, 03:31:20 PM
Alpe d'Huez is a lot of fun, quite doable too.
Did Duez and Luez get mountains too?
Quote from: Liep on August 01, 2016, 04:06:51 PM
Quote from: Savonarola on August 01, 2016, 03:56:45 PMIf I retire from the rail industry I'll do those in my retirement and tell the train employees how much better things were run in my day. ;)
We love that. :hug:
I've been told countless times that the old trains were much better because most things could be fixed by blocking a switch or kicking something. :P
You'll be doing that yourself soon enough. ;)
But it is surprising (to me, at least) how often strangers will walk up to us when we're in the field and start talking about trains.
Quote from: Savonarola on August 01, 2016, 04:13:25 PM
Quote from: Liep on August 01, 2016, 04:06:51 PM
Quote from: Savonarola on August 01, 2016, 03:56:45 PMIf I retire from the rail industry I'll do those in my retirement and tell the train employees how much better things were run in my day. ;)
We love that. :hug:
I've been told countless times that the old trains were much better because most things could be fixed by blocking a switch or kicking something. :P
You'll be doing that yourself soon enough. ;)
But it is surprising (to me, at least) how often strangers will walk up to us when we're in the field and start talking about trains.
It's because trains are awesome like most aircraft, nearly all ships and 0.5% of cars.
My trip was travelling through Europe pre Wall coming down. I did a lot of hitchhiking and met a lot of great people. One of the highlights was hitching a ride out of West Berlin back to West Germany. Like PDH, I was too young at the time to truly appreciate the adventure I was having.
Quote from: merithyn on August 01, 2016, 12:33:46 PM
I've always wanted to walk the Canterbury trail. Additionally, I'd like to walk from London to Hadrian's Wall.
:cool:
I should do that, but I'm lazy. :bowler:
Quote from: merithyn on August 01, 2016, 12:33:46 PM
Additionally, I'd like to walk from London to Hadrian's Wall.
Along Hadrian's Wall maybe, but I can't imagine it's possible to find an entirely scenic route to get there. :hmm:
I'm holding out for a world cruise. Maybe with archaeological theme. Flying out to hard to access sites, of course.
I have absolutely no interest in doing it under my own steam, or even driving any distance. At least on a cruise I can do stuff or sleep for all the boring between sites stuff.