arnotify » Travel

Totaled

arno — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:43:00 +0000

Death Valley: the driest place in North America. Less than 50mm (2in) of rain water each year. For now, an ironic bit of trivia. It’s early. The dawn has not risen yet, but the air is a comfortable 27C (80F). Silence. Not a bird or insect around. Nothing alive, it seems. A strange, numinous beauty permeates the landscape. [...]

A Trip to Death Valley

arno — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:20:50 +0000

Next week is Spring Break and this time around rather than boarding a random airplane in search of adventure I have a meticulously planned itinerary for a week in Death Valley.

Amsterdam

arno — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:37:00 +0000

Amsterdam I’m in Amsterdam for a few days to get acclimated to my new time zone before catching the direct flight from Schipol to Kilimanjaro airport. At this point my body is thoroughly confused as to which time zone it’s supposed to be in. Eartlier this month I was in Asia, last week in Finland and a [...]

All packed and ready to go

arno — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 09:00:00 +0000

I’ll carry you to the end of the world Early this morning, as I was making my way to the airport I ran into a neighbor while waiting for the elevator. After exchanging a friendly greetings she observed: “You look like you’re about to climb a mountain”. Grinning, I replied: “As a matter of fact…”. I’m a [...]

The beginning is near

arno — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:48:00 +0000

The time to depart is nearing. I suddenly came to this realization last Sunday when I calculated that I had to start my Lariam now. I had to carefully calculate which day of the week I should pick for my weekly dose to avoid possible interference with side effects of AMS while climbing Kili. Lariam can [...]

Travel Immunizations

arno — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:54:00 +0000

When traveling abroad you’ll want to make sure you have the appropriate immunizations based on your destination, the activities you plan to participate in and your health history. If you plan to hike Kilimanjaro, where the closest hospital is in Nairobi, a country away, you will need to make different preparations than if you only plan [...]

5 Tips to Find Cheap International Flights

arno — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:48:00 +0000

I've booked (most of) my plane tickets for my upcoming trip to East Africa. Still have to figure out how to get to Zanzibar. I'm debating between a Kilimanjaro-Zanzibar flight, or traveling overland to Dar es Salaam followed by a ferry ride. In the meantime, a few tips for cheap international air travel.

A Hike to Duck Lake

arno — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:02:00 +0000

Barney Lake viewed from Duck Pass Trailhead: Coldwater campground near Lake Mary, Mammoth Lakes; 9,050? (2760 m) Distance: Arrowhead Lake 1.25 mi 9,660? (2,944 m) Skelton Lake 1.5 mi 9,915? (3,022 m) Barney Lake 2.7 mi 10,203? (3,110 m) Duck Pass 4.7 mi 10,797? (3,290 m) Duck Lake 5 mi 10,427? (3,209 m) Altitude gain: 1,747? (532 m) Duck Lake is the largest of lakes in the Mammoth Lakes Basin. The hike to [...]

Kili or bust

arno — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:31:00 +0000

As Colin Thubron explains, the reasons for the traveler to get on the road are many, and often mysterious, including to the traveler himself. So it is with me: without understanding why, I’ve decided to attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. One reason might be that I enjoy traveling for the adventure of it, the joy of [...]

“You go to see what will happen…”

arno — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 02:42:00 +0000

A hundred reasons clamour for your going. You go to touch on human identities, to people an empty map. You have a notion that this is the world’s heart. You go to encounter the protean shapes of faith. You go because you are still young and crave excitement, the crunch of your boots in the [...]