The Pacific Coast of Oregon is incredibly varied, with an abundance of natural beauty. During the years we lived in Seattle, we never made the trip. Funny how you never visit the “tourist attractions” near the places you live.
A friend graciously lent us a Ford Escape while he was out of town, and it became our home for a 5 day / 4 night adventure. With the back seats folded down, it is the perfect size for sleeping.
With a completely flexible schedule we skipped the weekend to avoid crowds. As we were cruising through light traffic out of town on Sunday morning, the Northbound highway was already busy with people returning from their weekend getaways.
For as long as humans have roamed the Earth, we have yearned for and found meaning in something greater than ourselves. It may be found in an almighty being, in nature, or in a community. Philosophers and religions have attempted to define and explain what it means to feel connected or enlightened, but perhaps artists have captured the ephemeral feelings the best, in their sculptures and paintings and music and dance.
Ironically, feeling connected is a deeply individual experience. No two people express themselves the same when viewing a great piece or art, being overwhelmed by the urge to move to a beat, or feeling at home in the embrace of another. Expressing our individuality brings us closer
In the modern world, in the real world, individuality is not often appreciated. An employer may expect you to dress “appropriately.” Decisions are often reached by consensus or by a single person with power. Art and music may follow the puppet strings of a corporation with deep pockets.
At Burning Man, the real world gets left behind. In the vacuum that exists when the real world get tossed aside, individuality happens. Connectedness happens. Magic happens. And it is a beautiful
The sea was tossing and the horizon was blue in every direction. Everybody aboard was sick, slightly green in color and occasionally rushing to the bathroom or the nearest rail. 70 other boats jockeyed for position, their wakes adding to the turmoil. The boat captain started yelling in unintelligible Spanish, pointing aggressively towards us and the side of the boat in turn. Seconds later, we were face to face with a 20 foot long shark
3 times longer than ourselves, they glide gracefully through the water, effortlessly advancing at a speed that was difficult to mimic for long. Curious, several times they swam within an arms reach of us, as if to say hello to the strange creatures that have visited their world
ADO has a night bus from Belize City to Cancun, Mexico, with stops along the way in Tulum and Playa Del Carmen. Unfortunately information on this bus service is limited and (sometimes) contradictory. Even the website that ADO publishes for information is a dead end. (www.adobelize.com)
We asked several tour operators on Caye Caulker and received different information from each on departure times, cost, and duration of the trip. The only thing they agreed on was that they couldn’t sell us tickets
Hopefully this post will help future travelers take advantage of this great trip option, while minimizing hassle and stress.
Avoiding the numerous chocolate milk colored lakes in the middle of a road made of sand, we make slow progress towards the other side of town. A few super sized Americans on golf carts spray tourists and distracted locals alike as they charge forward at full speed, oblivious to the unhappy faces and wet and dirty people left in their wake. The mosquitoes are already out in force. Daily rain has provided unlimited breeding grounds. None of this matters though, we are on our way to our 3rd lobster dinner in as many days.
Lobster season opened a few weeks ago, and we’ve been stuffing ourselves with lobster omelets, lobster burritos, and grilled lobster. Lobster, lobster, lobster. It was available in anything and everything, and for ridiculously low prices. It was cheaper than fish, cheaper than pork, and cheaper than chicken. This is probably what heaven is like (although I’m certain heaven has lobster ice cream as well) (more…)
