Cedarburg, Wisconsin
Posted by creining | Filed under Travel
We spent the weekend in small, quaint Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Our accommodations were at the Washington House Inn in the historic downtown. We stayed in the Frederich Hilgen room 305. I spent some time choosing a room as they have such a wide variety. My other favorites were 210, 212, 214 and 216 (next time!). The Inn was neat because they had a hosted wine and cheese hour in the early evening and then a big breakfast spread that we opted to get delivered to our bed. Nothing beats sitting in a robe eating breakfast in bed. The shops downtown were great, our dinner at Anvil was spot on and spending the time on rest and relaxation was well worth it. I’d love to go back sometime.
Secrets to getting a hotel upgrade
Posted by creining | Filed under Travel
I like to travel on the cheap but the inner Donald Trump in me likes my hotel room to be as posh as possible. Enter asking for a room upgrade. Some of the tips I have found that can be used to manipulate hotels and resorts to my advantage are:
1. If staying in a hotel that has a loyalty program, join it! Besides a better chance at an upgrade you usually get some free stuff or vouchers.
2. Book directly with the hotel. There is little chance for an upgrade on that $35 Priceline bid you won.
3. Contact the hotel before you arrive with a nice friendly email that explains how much you are looking forward to your stay. If you are celebrating a special occasion – birthday, anniversary, engagement – mention that. It does not guarantee an upgrade but it helps. This should be sent to the Guest Service Manager or Front Office Manager.
4. If you get a reply with a promise of an upgrade reply immediately with a thank you. Follow up a few days before your stay with an email that casually mentions the upgrade and how much you are looking forward to your stay. Done!
5. If you are asking for an upgrade at the hotel desk keep these things in mind. Be nice. Smile. Be genuine. Mention the special occasion if it applies. Appearance matters – do not wear a velour track suit or other trashy+tacky outfit. It helps to check in late, say 7:00PM or 8:00PM because there is little chance of a walk-in that is going to want a special suite later that night.
6. Last, complain. Go to the room and check it out. Call the front desk and tell them that the room was definitely not what you were expecting from a (insert hotel brand) hotel and why. If your room does not meet the description then it is reasonable to request an upgrade free of charge.
Remember, an upgrade is not guaranteed. The only sure way is to fork over the money.
Trip to Paris
Posted by creining | Filed under Travel
We just got back from a wonderful trip to the City of Light! It was our first time there and I would say I had a lovely and fantastic experience. We flew on Aer Lingus, ORD through DUB to CDG. It was a good experience and I would fly with the shamrock airline again. During the flight we used some of the time to come up with a loose itinerary. We started with the itinerary that Rick Steves laid out in his invaluable Paris 2010 travel guide. It was the first time I had used a Rick Steves’ travel guide and I would highly recommend it. While in Paris I noticed quite a few people lugging this book around like we did. I think that going on a trip to another country without a decent travel guide in tow is penny wise and pound foolish! I was even able to check ours out from the library.
The days and times of our itinerary ended up changing a lot but in the end we fit everything in that we wanted to see.Here it goes:
Day 1 (09/24)
We left ORD in the early evening. It was pretty uneventful.
Day 2 (09/25)
We arrived at DUB around 7 AM and had a 4 hour layover before our flight to CDG. I took Euros out from the ATM. The terminal was dirty and filled with rubbish. People were drinking beer; we had coffee. Our flight finally left and we arrived at CDG in the early afternoon. We called the apartment manager Pierre to let him know to meet us soon. We rode the RER into Paris. Once we arrived at the station in Paris we took the Metro to the Saint-Paul stop near our apartment in the heart of Marais. We found our address and Pierre waiting outside. He showed us to our 5th floor walk-up studio apartment (tiny tiny tiny!) and how everything worked and we were left on our own in Paris. We got situated and then headed out to find some food. We found a place across from the Pompidou that Janie had written down before we left. There we ate, had a beer and then walked like zombies to bed!
Day 3 (09/26)
We met our friends Kevin and Sonia around noon and had some falafel at Chez Marianne! Marais is known for its Jewish district and the accompanying falafel joints. We caught up over a typical relaxed and long French lunch and then headed towards a place called Angelina’s for hot chocolate. It was hands down the best hot chocolate I have ever had. It is like drinking a melted European chocolate bar. So rich and sensual. And the interior is splended as well. We then made our way on foot to Luxembourg Garden. Once there walked around, sat around, took some pictures, passed around a bottle of red wine. It was a bit overcast but nice to stroll around such a large and beautiful (60 acre) park! Next, we rode the Metro for the first time back to our apartment. For the Metro we bought the 7 day pass. However, since it was Sunday and the 7 day pass always activates on Monday we also bought a Metro ticket for the day. The 7 day Metro pass was a steal for how much we used it plus it also worked for the RER ride back to CDG when we left Paris. This is probably the only thing we would disagree with Rick Steves about. He recommends buying ten packs of individual Metro tickets.
Day 4 (09/27)
In the morning we went on a walk starting at Notre Dame. On a side note, I have to say our apartment location in Marais was perfect for us. It was central to everything and within walking distance to many major sights. It took about 10 minutes to walk to Notre Dame or the Louvre or the islands. Plus, Marais is really hip and trendy. It feels cobbled together but in a very cohesive way. When we arrived at Notre Dame we spent some time to take in the whole facade before we went inside to take in the interior. The whole church is amazing! As with most sites we saw in Paris, pictures do not do them justice. Being there comes close. Thinking about what it took to construct them comes closer. After the church we then walked across one of the many bridges crossing the Seine to Ile St. Louis where we spent time looking in boutiques and taking in the restaurants, ice cream shops and high rent apartments. This is where I bought and consumed the first of many baguettes on the trip! Next we crossed over to the Left Bank and wandered around, stopping at Shakespeare and Company Bookstore, looking at the Gothic St. Severin Church, walking around the Latin Quarter, crossing the river back to Ile de la Cite and walking by Sainte-Chapelle, past the giant Palais de Justice, the cozy park Place Dauphine, a statue of Henry IV and then crossing over the oldest bridge in Paris, Pont Neuf where we got on the Metro. Our next stop was the Galeries Lafayette. This is a department store that sits right beside the old classy looking Opera. The interior of Galeries Lafayette was amazing with a sensational dome. It is by far the most glamorous mall I have ever been to! But the real reason we headed there wasn’t the endless shopping it was to enjoy the great open rooftop deck with sweeping views of Paris. During the evening we enjoyed a cruise on the Seine. We used a company called Vedettes du Pont Neuf that started and stopped right at Pont Neuf. We sat up top on the boat and had a wonderful time seeing Paris from the river at night!
Day 5 (09/28)
This was the first day that we were headed to museums. Since we are serious sightseers we opted to get the 4 day Paris Museum Pass. We had tallied up what we wanted to see museum-wise and it definitely paid for itself and then some. Also, the other advantage with the pass is that you skip to the front of most lines which saves a lot of time. The only catch with Paris museums and memorials is that they all seem to be closed different days of the week; that’s why we found it helpful to come up with an itinerary to make sure not to show up at a museum that was closed for the day. We started the morning with the Orsay Museum. The museum is housed in an old train station that in itself is striking. Personally, I liked this museum better than the Louvre we had yet to visit. It is an Impressionism museum which I like. After we got our fill of Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin and a cool scale-model of the city we headed to the Rodin Museum. We wandered the gardens where Rodin’s greatest works are – The Thinker, Balzac, The Burghers of Calais, Gallery of Marbles and my favorite The Gates of Hell. Next we walked over to Rue Cler, a traffic-free street filled with cafes and shops selling wine, cheese, chocolate, bread and fruit. We bought some fruit, bread, cheese, wine and pastries and relaxed for a bit. We met up with Kevin and headed for dinner at Pho 14, a Vietnamese restaurant, in the 13th. After slurping down some pho we headed to his apartment for dessert that he had just made that day at his school Le Cordon Bleu. It was delicious of course! It was late but we headed to the Arc de Triomphe and walked up the 284 steps to get a night time view of Paris and the glittering Champs-Elysees.
Day 6 (09/29)
Starting the day with the massive Louvre Museum was probably a good idea. After a while the large crowds and sprawling space got to me. The art at the Louvre hangs like wallpaper. I can say I saw the Mona Lisa. However, it was almost disappointing after all the hype. It’s tiny, behind plates of thick glass and everyone is snapping pictures with their flashes on. I stood there for awhile and I think she grew on me but it was far from my favorite at this museum. I saw most of the famous works here – the Venus de Milo, the Parthenon Frieze, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, The Marriage at Cana, Psyche and Cupid, two Vermeer’s and the Napoleon III Apartments. After escaping the Louvre, a walk through the Tuileries Garden with its pretty gardens and fountains was great to clear the mind. At the end of Tuileries sits the Orangerie Museum. Personally, I found this museum much more enjoyable than the Louvre. The main attraction is Monet’s Water Lilies which are 8 huge 6 foot tall canvases that wrap you in his garden at Giverny (see Day 7). It was lovely! The other part of the museum houses works by Monet as well as Cezanne, Renoir, Matisse, Picasso and one of my personal favorites Modigliani. After partaking in enough museum action for the day, we headed back to Notre Dame to climb the tower. We climbed and climbed and reached the facade between the two towers and then on to the top of the south tower, 400 steps total, for a spectacular view of Paris and the gargoyles that overlook it! After the climb down we stopped by the Deportation Memorial that is dedicated to the 200,000 French victims of the Nazi concentration camp. We walked back to our apartment to meet Kevin for dinner. After trying with no luck to find a few different restaurants that Janie had written down we ended up at a creperie because it was there before us and we were hungry. It turns out that the creperie, Creperie Suzzette, in Marais, was fantastic! We all had galettes (buckwheat dinner crepes) which were unbelievably good. We headed to the Eiffel tower next. We hung out at Trocadero Square for a bit which overlooks the Eiffel tower. It was a pretty happening place and we watched as the Eiffel Tower glittered in the night. Janie and I headed over to go all the way to the top but it was closed by that time (22:30) so we planned to try the next night.
Day 7 (09/30)
After being crammed into Paris with 11 million people (the highest density of any city in Europe and twenty times greater than New York City) it was time for Giverny! Giverny, fifty miles west of Paris, is where Monet and his family lived. We took a train to Vernon (literally stepping on to it as it was leaving which was great because the next one was in 2 hours) and then took a bus from Vernon to Giverny. The weather was overcast when we left Paris but when we arrived at Giverny it was sunny and warm. We ate a lovely meal at a flowery restaurant across from Monet’s house then ventured inside. The gardens there were absolutely stunning! Flowerbeds after flowerbeds of beautiful plants. Across the road was the water garden which is what I envision when I hear the word Monet. It is all weeping willows, water lilies and Japanese bridges. It was enjoyable to wander the gardens, seeing what Monet saw, smelling the flowers, hearing the birds chirp, and feeling far away from Paris. Next, we wandered through Monet’s house which was pleasant and then caught the bus back to the train station. After our train ride back to Paris we relaxed with a bottle of red wine before heading to the Eiffel Tower. This time we were good all the way to the top. It didn’t take long to make the ascent all the way up and Paris positively is the city of lights from that view! It was phenomenal! The Arc de Triomphe looked tiny. And Sacre-Couer didn’t look like it was even on a hill. Unbelievable. The top of the Eiffel tower is a must see. We had a late meal of pizza and beer at the excellent and cheap Restaurante Sant Antonio on the Marais square.
Day 8 (10/01)
As our Paris Museum Pass was expiring this day we planned to visit two more museums. Before entering the Pompidou we ate at Dame Tartine which is just outside across from the playful fountain. I was surprised that I liked the Pompidou more than I thought I would. The building itself is interesting as it has sort of an exoskeleton with all the pipes, heating ducts, elevators and escalators on the outside. Personally, I enjoyed the Pollock’s, Dali’s, Picasso’s, Matisse’s and all the applied arts – chairs, tables, lamps, flatware. After heading out of the exoskeleton we went to the Cluny Museum. It is the National Musuem of the Middle Ages. I liked this museum the least of the ones we visited in Paris but I can say that the highlight were the excellent The Lady and the Unicorn Tapestries. These 6 tapestries were designed by an unknown artist before A.D. 1500 and depict the five senses with an extra bonus unknown tapestry thrown in. After our fill of museums for the day we went to Sacre-Couer. It was raining slightly which put a damper on our plans to have a picnic there overlooking the city (Sacre-Couer is Paris’ highest point). We took a stroll through Montmartre and then up to the church which was again, just like Notre Dame, impressive! There was a service while we were there which we stopped to take in for awhile. We headed to Place du Tertre which was still bustling despite the rain with people and the artists that are popular with tourists. It was time for dinner so we headed to L’Ete’ en Pente Douce a little ways downhill from Sacre-Couer where the food and wine were good and the atmosphere cozy.
Day 9 (10/02)
Our last full day in Paris took us in the morning to Victor Hugo’s House on the lovely place des Vosges. Hugo moved there after the success of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and it is quite an elegant and peaceful place. He wrote much of Les Miserables there. We met Kevin at our apartment and headed to Le Cordon Bleu where we were going to sit in on a class of cuisine cooking. The demonstration was wonderful and seeing that we had only eaten some pastries in the morning the smells and sights did not help the hunger pangs! The samples we ate were delicious! On a side note, Le Cordon Bleu is the same school Julia Child and Giada De Laurentiis attended. After hanging out with Kevin and some of his classmates afterwards at a cafe, we had to say goodbye and get some souvenir shopping done. After spending a few hours shopping we headed back to Angelina’s only to find it closed! So instead we opted for some light snacks and wine and beer.
Day 10 (10/03)
We got up at 6:30 AM to begin our long journey back to Madison. Au revoir Paris! We’ll miss you!
Some final notes
Where I didn’t note where we ate, it was either unmemorable, we were eating baguettes with camembert (we ate this a lot) or we were chowing on falafel. There was great falafel in Marais. I had it at least at Chez Marianne, L’As du Falafel (Lenny Kravitz’s favorite apparently) and King Falafel. Tasty, filling, and inexpensive. I also heard a story that if the manager of one of the falafel joints sees you patronizing a competing place he will refuse to serve you ever again. As for accommodations, we had a really hard time finding a place to stay. I wouldn’t recommend waiting too long to book a hotel or apartment. I would also recommend if it is your first time in Paris to stay in one of the first eight arrondissements. We originally wanted to spend half the trip on the Left Bank at the Hotel du College de France and the other half on the Right Bank at the Hotel New Orient. The hotels were full by the time we checked. We next checked into staying at an apartment. We found success through the agency Paris Cosy. I would also recommend checking into the agencies Lodgis.com, Vacation in Paris (I like this one) and Paris Best Lodge (I like this one too). And if you are comfortable with renting from an individual the sites roomorama, iStopOver and my favorite airbnb.
Trip to Alaska
Posted by creining | Filed under Travel
A maiden voyage to the Land of the Midnight Sun! I am super excited because I think I will be floored by the natural beauty!
Friday, June 18
Arrive Anchorage
Drive To Denali
Accommodations at Denali Cabins
Saturday, June 19
Denali Backcountry Adventure
Accommodations at Denali Cabins
Sunday, June 20
Time to explore Denali
Drive to Anchorage
Accommodations at Sheraton Anchorage Hotel & Spa
Monday, June 21
Denali Flightseeing Tour to Mt. McKinley
Chugach State Park and Flat Top Mountain
Accommodations at Sheraton Anchorage Hotel & Spa
Tuesday, June 22
Portage glacier
Drive to Seward
Accommodations at Hotel Seward
Wednesday, June 23
Kenai Fjords National Park Tour
Accommodations at Hotel Seward
Thursday, June 24
Exit Glacier Ice Hiking
Drive To Homer
Katmai National Park / Lake Clark National Park
Accommodations at Driftwood Inn
Friday, June 25
Time to explore Homer
Katmai National Park / Lake Clark National Park
Drive to Anchorage
Depart Anchorage
Packing for India
Posted by creining | Filed under Travel
I am taking a trip to southern India soon. The only things I will be bringing will be what fits in my Kelty Redwing 3100 backpack. Here’s the list of the stuff I am planning on taking with me:
Passport/Vaccination certificate with India visa
Travel insurance papers (Travelex)
GAP vouchers and dossier
Airline tickets
Global GSM/GPRS smartphone/charger
400 USD
Credit and debit card
Camera/camera bag/camera charger
India power adapter
Disposable reading material
Small notebook and pen
1 100 weight fleece
2 pair Prana shorts
8 t-shirts
1 sun hat
1 pair ExOfficio convertible pants
2 pair wool hiking socks
1 pair Chaco Z/2 sandals
1 pair sunglasses
1 small towel
16 pair underwear
Sunblock
Insect repellent
Headlamp
Daypack
Glasses
Extra pair of contact lenses
Saline solution
Eye drops
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Razor and shaving cream
Facial cleanser
Shampoo
Deodorant
Lip balm
Aleve
Band aids
Antihistamine
Imodium
Antibiotic (Ciprofloxacin)
Malarone
Hand wipes
Plastic Ziploc 1 gallon bags
Trip to Holbox Island
Posted by creining | Filed under Travel
I caught myself saying “what a hidden gem this is” every day that I spent on tiny Holbox Island near the northeastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. There are no cars, white sand roads and turquoise virgin beaches. The island is somewhat inaccessible and it’s not yet developed. It’s where mexicans go to vacation. And when you eat at a restaurant you feel like you’re eating in someone’s home. It’s very community-oriented and welcoming. Pure paradise in my opinion.
I usually do a lot of research before I travel to a new place and this time was no different. As usual, the TripAdvisor website was a great resource with the hotel reviews and the friendly folks on the forums who have a wealth of information and are happy to share their opinions and answer questions. The posts I found most useful were the one on locally owned businesses and one on how much cash to bring. Of course, there were plenty of other posts on hotels and their differences, how to get there from Cancun and what to bring.
I stayed at two different hotels while on the island. The first was Villas Flamingos which was down the beach about a 20 minute walk from the village and Holbox Dream which was essentially next to the village. Both were wonderful places with their respective pros and cons. My reviews for Flamingos and Dream on TripAdvisor. I would stay at Flamingos again in a heartbeat but a similar cabana hotel on the island is Villa Los Mapaches which I would enjoy trying next time (yes, I am going back).
The best meal I had on the island was at Los Pelicanos, an Italian restaurant run by an Italian guy named Luca. It was an absolutely amazing meal with top notch service. The risotto and tiramisu are world class. The food on the island was always good and fresh. As Holbox is a fishing village, the fish and seafood was always exceptional.
The transfer service was provided by VIP Holbox. Scheduling it was a bit difficult as numerous emails to them went unanswered. Eventually using a different email address for them worked and the service went off without a hitch. There was a pickup from Cancun (CUN) airport in an air conditioned van which went to Chiquila where we were handed ferry tickets for the transportation to Holbox where we were met and led to a golf cart taxi that took us to the hotel. As I am more comfortable with the ground trip now, when I return to the island I would either get a taxi at CUN to Chiquila or try the bus from Cancun to Chiquila. Also, there are a couple other transfer services from CUN, Cancun Transfers and Mexican Caribbean, but they were a little more expensive than VIP Holbox.
hotels at a discount, priceline.com
Posted by creining | Filed under Travel
In these tough economic times, it’s nice to save some cash on hotels. I recently went to Chicago for a weekend getaway and decided to try out priceline.com for the first time. I ran across another very useful site called biddingfortravel.com that provides strategies for bidding, information on which actual hotels are in the bidding zones and a forum where people post their hotels with price which gives an idea where to start bidding. I learned that using priceline comes down to understanding and using free re-bid zones. A free re-bid zone is a city area where the highest star level available is lower than the star level you are bidding for. So in my case, I was bidding for a four star hotel in the River North area of Chicago therefore I had free re-bid zones in Lincoln Park, Midway, O’Hare South, and Skokie Niles Evanston. I started a bid at $75 for River North. Not accepted. $85 with adding zone Skokie Niles Evanston. Not accepted. $90 with adding zone O’Hare South. Accepted. I got Westin Michigan Avenue. I thought this was a good first experience with priceline and I’d do it again.
Amsterdam trip recap
Posted by creining | Filed under Travel
My trip to Amsterdam was awesome! I found the city busy yet laid back, overrun by bicycles which I enjoyed to see, dense yet sustainable and absolutely beautiful. The fact that it was fall with the leaves on the trees falling added to the experience. Walking around the city felt like being in a fantasy land as the streets are lined with charming, tasteful and gorgeous canal houses. It felt like I was walking in a city where time had stopped decades ago. One thing I notice the more I travel abroad is how much we in the states are all about over-consumption and consumerism which are things I don’t associate with yet live with on a daily basis. Anyways, as this was supposed to be a relaxing vacation for me I didn’t have an aggressive itinerary.
My hotel was right by Dam Square so the first day (after finding my hotel and checking in) I started to explore the area nearby, walked through the Red Light District and ended up going on a canal boat tour at dusk which was peaceful with the lights from the canal streets reflecting off the water.
The next day, Thursday, I was planning on going to the Anne Frank Haus but when I got there there was a note posted on the door that said it was closed that day. So instead I walked down to the museum area and went to the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh museum. They were both excellent museums but the Van Gogh was truly great. I spent some more time in that area, relaxing in the Museumplein (museum square) before taking the tram back to centrum.
On Friday I headed to the Heineken brewery only to find that it was closed until October 20th. So instead I walked through the Albert Cuypstraat Market which is a very large market, apparently the largest day market in Europe. There was everything from fresh fish to vegetables to clothes to watches to luggage for sale, with more shops and cafes behind the street market vendors. I spent some more time exploring the area, the De Pijp.
Saturday I went to the Anne Frank Haus which I found really moving and would recommend as a must see to everyone visiting A’dam. I walked around the 9 streets area in Jordan, went to a flea market at Elandsgracht 109, walked up and down Nieuwe Spiegelstraat popping into some of the pricey art galleries and hung out in the Leinsplein area.
On Sunday I took the train to a nearby city called Haarlem. It was a lot smaller and therefore quieter than A’dam and I was fortunate to wander a lot of the city centrum streets without seeing anyone as it was Sunday and all the shops were closed. It was a relaxing time in an amazing old city and a perfect day trip. After getting off on the train in Haarlem I got a “Freebie Map to Haarlem” which had a suggested walking tour of the city which I did.
Monday, my last full day in A’dam, I went out looking to buy a painting (my tradition) after not finding one the previous days. I found a shop on Spuistraat that, peering through the window, looked like it may have something for me but alas the shop was closed. I was just standing outside this place when a van pulled up and a guy got out and opened up the shop! He was the owner and was just dropping some stuff off. He let me look around and I ended up finding a painting that I liked and after negotiating a price for it I payed and had a great new painting. I spent most of my day in this area, Spuistraat and along Singel, which I hadn’t explored before but found it to be quite enjoyable. And that, was my trip.
Upcoming Amsterdam trip
Posted by creining | Filed under Travel
I’m heading to Amsterdam in a couple weeks. I’ve found useful information at The Channels site and the Wikitravel Amsterdam page.
I am traveling solo, which I have never done before. I’ve flown to other countries before to meet up with someone but this will be a different experience. I’m looking forward to exploring, meeting new people, spending time with myself, contemplating, growing, becoming more self-reliant and confident and doing what I want when I want. I am really excited about this trip!
Also, I am typically a planner. Down to every last detail. With this trip however it was spur of the moment, sort of. I had wanted to go to Amsterdam this year after I finished my pilot license but wasn’t really committed to the idea. But I went ahead and bought a plane ticket 3 weeks from my departure date and I’m just gonna go. And I don’t really have a set agenda. Sweet.
Okay, well I do sort of have an agenda. But it’s much less planned than normal. When I arrive at Schiphol airport I’ll take the train which will drop me off right at Centraal Station. I will buy a museumkaart there and walk to my hotel.
I did look at a bunch of places to stay. I really wanted to stay at Hotel Brouwer but they are fully booked. Here’s the places I looked into and their ratings on Trip Advisor:
Brouwer #12, Bellevue #30, Kap #146, Corner House #185 and Museumzicht #214. I also looked at the Bulldog which is an “upscale” hostel but it was in the RLD which I don’t want to stay in and I just don’t feel like sleeping in the same room as other people anymore. It reminds me of the dormers from college.
The things I want to do are the Van Gogh museum, the Rijksmuseum, the Tattoo Museum, the Anne Frank House, the DutchFlower coffeeshop, shopping around the nine streets (negen straatjes) in the Jordaan area, wandering the flea markets Looier Kunst en Antiek-centrum (daily) on Elandsgracht 109, Beverwijkse Bazar (Saturdays), 16 miles Northwest of Amsterdam and Albert Cuypmarkt (M-F) in the De Pijp neighborhood, taking a canal bus tour, renting a bike for a day or two and riding the train out to Haarlem. And if I get bored I’m going to take the train to Belgium.
Packing for the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu – Revised
Posted by creining | Filed under Travel
Revised 5/30/2008, post trip. I updated the stuff I packed. I was pretty close, the changes are in italic below.
I am taking a trip to Peru soon where I will be hiking up the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. The only luggage I will be bringing will be what fits in my Kelty Redwing 3100 backpack. Here’s the list of the stuff I am planning on taking with me:
Passport/Vaccination certificate
Travel insurance papers
GAP vouchers and dossier
Airline tickets
Global GSM/GPRS smartphone/charger
500 USD
Credit and debit card
Camera/camera bag/camera charger
Disposable reading material
1 100 weight fleeces
1 North Face waterproof breathable shell
1 pair Prana shorts
4 t-shirts
1 sun hat
1 pair ExOfficio convertible pants
1 wool hat
1 pair North Face waterproof gloves
3 pair hiking socks would be nice to have another pair or two
1 pair hiking shoes
1 pair flip flops
1 pair sunglasses
1 bed sheet did not use, would not take
1 pair Patagonia thermal underwear
10 pair underwear
1 Nalgene bottle used, but could have reused plastic water bottle
Sunblock
Headlamp
Daypack
Glasses
Extra pair contact lenses
Saline solution
Eye drops
Toothbrush and toothpaste
Razor and shaving cream
Facial cleanser
Shampoo
Deodorant
Lip balm
Aleve
Band aids
Antihistamine
Antibiotic (Ciprofloxacin)
Multi vitamins
Hand wipes
Plastic Ziploc 1 gallon bags very useful, should have taken more
