Category Archives: Trip Reports

Border Crossings: South Africa to Namibia

Trip Reports, ,
a sign with text on it
My first trip to Africa started out in South Africa. We travelled overland to Namibia and some days consisted of long hours driving on dusty, bumpy roads.
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We did a group tour with GAP Adventures (now known as G Adventures). I’m not really a fan of group tours but for a place like Africa I feel that they make a lot of sense. It was also nice travelling with like-minded people.
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After about two days on the trip, we were on our way to Namibia. There wasn’t much to see during the drive. On occassion we might see a nice rock formation or a gazelle if we were lucky. That didn’t really matter much because everyone was excited to get to Namibia.

Continue reading Border Crossings: South Africa to Namibia →

A Swim With the Coney Island Polar Bears- Brooklyn, NY

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a man holding a sign on a beach
While out for dinner last night I came up with a great idea for something to do on New Years Day. Since the weather has been so nice in NY recently, I figured it was time to join the Coney Island Polar Bear Club for their annual New Years Day Swim!
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When I brought it up to my wife, she thought it sounded like a good idea since I’ve wanted to do this for a while now. Also, when else is it going to be 50 degrees in January in NY?

Continue reading A Swim With the Coney Island Polar Bears- Brooklyn, NY →

Happy New Year!

Trip Reports, ,
The Colosseum

Last year my wife and I spent the holidays in Italy. (I mentioned here why we are at home in NY this year)

For New Years Eve we hung out by the Colosseum in Rome. It was probably one of the best New Years celebrations that I have ever been to. While I don’t usually like fireworks, it was pretty amazing seeing the fireworks over the Colosseum and Arch of Constantine. Continue reading Happy New Year! →

Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial- Gloucester, MA

Trip Reports,
a statue of a man holding a wheel
Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial

While on a trip around New England, my wife and I spent a night in Gloucester, Massachusetts. We knew of Gloucester from the movie “The Perfect Storm” and ended up staying in a dumpy yet interesting motel where the movie was filmed. (that’s a story for another time)

Gloucester is America’s oldest seaport, has an active harbor and is home to Gorton’s (they sell seafood- mainly known for fishsticks and the famous fisherman in the yellow coat).

We had read about the Fisherman’s Memorial and decided to walk around by the waterfront on Stacy Esplanade to go check it out.

a flag on a pole by the beach
Flag lined walking path

The esplanade has a nice walking path and a grassy area separating it from the street. It also has great views of Gloucester Harbor. During the day you will see people walking around, relaxing on the benches, going onto the small piers and checking out the various monuments and plaques along the way.

a sign on a stone wall

This plaque tells the story of Gloucester fisherman lost at sea. It says “With this memorial, we commemorate the lives and the legacy of those who died at sea while fishing”. It also has some stats regarding men and ships lost at sea.

a plaque on a stone wall

There was a couple of these plaques close to the Fisheman’s Memorial that list the names of all known fisherman lost at sea. These plaques were added to the esplanade in 2000. They are organized by year and names continue to be added.

a close-up of a leather book

The  Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial is also known as the Fisherman at the Wheel statue. It has become a symbol of the city. The statue is modeled after a prominent Gloucester fisherman. It is 8 feet tall, made of bronze and was made by English sculptor Leonard Craske.

a man jumping in front of a statue
Nice place for a jump!
The memorial is a cenotaph sculpture- an empty tomb/ momument built to honor people whose remains are elswhere. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
Here is another interesting memorial plaque that was attached to a pretty big rock. It is dedicated to men who established coast guard aviaton.

 

a rock with a plaque in the middle of grass

 

a plaque with a picture of a plane and a plane

 

Old Boots Sculpture- Cartagena, Colombia

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Before going to visit the Fort of San Felipe in Cartagena, I was checking out the souvenirs being sold outside. After making small talk in my very limited Spanish with some of the locals, one guy told my wife and I to go around the corner to see the “zapatos”. We weren’t looking to buy shoes but figured it was worth the five minute walk to see what the guy was talking about.
After walking to the back of the fort, this is what we saw:a girl sitting on a statue of a shoeThe sculpture seems to be a popular stop for locals and tourists. I hadn’t seen anything about it online or in my guide book but was glad this guy told us to go check it out. It definitely made for a fun photo-op!a man standing in a statue of a shoea woman sitting on a statue of a shoeThe sculpture was made to commemorate local poet Luis Carlos Lopez. He spent most of his life in Cartagena and wrote a poem to honor the city . Right next to the statue is a plaque with that poem:

A Mi Ciudad Nativa (To My Native City) a stone with writing on it

Jumping At The Equator- Kenya

Trip Reports, ,
a man jumping in the air
Side 1
While traveling overland through Kenya, many days would consist of long hours on the tour truck with not much to see along the way. We would stop a couple of times to use the bathroom and for a lunch stop.
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This day we had a bonus stop. We got to stop at the Equator for a photo-op! There was a small shop selling junky souvenirs but nobody was around to do the water demonstration.
(We’d get to see that later on during the trip while stopping at the Equator in Uganda)
However, there was a very nice double sided sign worthy of taking some pictures.
a group of people standing in front of a sign
Group Photo

I love to jump for pictures (for why I jump, click here) while traveling and immediately thought that this was the perfect place for a jump. I had to get pictures jumping on each side of the sign.

a man jumping in the air
Side 2
a man and woman standing in front of a sign
My wife and I

I also had to get a picture at the Equator with my wife and then asked if anyone else from the group wanted to join me for a jump. A few people thought about it but in the end I only had one person willing to give it a shot.

a couple of men jumping in front of a sign

This 15-20 minute stop ended up being a lot of fun and probably the highlight of the day.

That’s Different: Train Car McDonalds- Fall River, MA

Food, Trip Reports,
a fast food restaurant with a large sign

While traveling around the world I always like to check out McDonalds to see what interesting items will be on the menu that we don’t have at home.

While reading about things to do on a trip around New England, I came across a McDonalds that has a train car attached to it. I wasn’t interested in eating there but I had to check out this location. We planned the stop as a bathroom break.

The train car is usually used as a dining room and had some diner style booths inside but it was closed for renovations. The main part of the restaurant also had a train theme with various things hanging on the wall.

This was definitely one of the most interesting and bizarre McDonalds locations that I have ever seen!

If you want to check out this McDonalds, it is located at
44 William S. Canning Blvd, Fall River, MA

The Last Tarboosh (Fez Hat) Maker in Cairo, Egypt

Trip Reports, World Hats, ,
a group of people posing for a photo
My wife and I with shop owner

One of my favorite souvenirs to buy on a trip is a hat native to the country that I am in. It can be a traditional hat or one popular with locals.

In Egypt, the tarboosh used to be worn by every “effendi” (gentlemen) according to Lonely Planet. It was also worn by the military until 1950. I read in my guide book that there was one shop left in Cairo that makes the tarboosh. The shop is a close walk from the famous Khan Al-Khalili Market & right near Mosque- Madrassa of Al-Ghouri. It is located in the clothes & carpet market at 36 Al-Ghouriyya Street.

I was once offered a Fez hat for my collection but turned it down. All of the hats that I have were purchased or given to me in the countries that they were traditionally worn in.

When I read that Egypt had a Fez hat called a Tarboosh, I had to track down the shop that makes them. I want the real deal, not some touristy version!

Continue reading The Last Tarboosh (Fez Hat) Maker in Cairo, Egypt →

Visiting the Berlin Wall- Las Vegas, Nevada

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a couple of urinals in a public bathroom

I didn’t get to see the Berlin Wall when I visited Germany but got to see a section of it in downtown Las Vegas. The Main Street Station Casino has a section of the wall in one of the mens bathroom with urinals attached to it.

a sign on a wall

It was fun searching for the bathroom where the wall was located and now I can say that I got to pee on the Berlin Wall!

a man standing in a public bathroom
(No peeing was actually done for this photo but I did get to use the urinal earlier during the visit!)
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The Main Street Station Casino is located in downtown Las Vegas at 200 North Main Street. The bathroom is located on the main floor.