Fish in a box, fish in a van
10 Thursday Jan 2013
Posted california, salinas, u.s.a., Uncategorized, Where
in10 Thursday Jan 2013
Posted california, salinas, u.s.a., Uncategorized, Where
in04 Friday Jan 2013
Posted by Jessie | Filed under california, san francisco, u.s.a., Uncategorized, Where
26 Wednesday Dec 2012
Posted idaho, u.s.a., Uncategorized, Where
in08 Saturday Dec 2012
I won’t tell you how I feel about the Capitol Building.
And greetings from Washington D.C. (in real time for once)!
Posted by Jessie | Filed under u.s.a., Uncategorized, washington d.c., Where
05 Wednesday Dec 2012
Posted belfast, ireland, Uncategorized, Where
inWe took a really good guided tour of Belfast city on a double-decker bus starting downtown. We first stopped by the Titanic Quarter which, at that time, they were still developing with plans to capitalize on Belfast port being the building site of the doomed behemoth. A couple of rusty cranes used in Titanic creation still stand. As our very charming Irish tour guide explained to us (in his seeexxxxyyy accent) – the Irish may have built it, but there was an Englishman driving. Heh.
Originally written about here (before the days of Instagram):
27 Tuesday Nov 2012
Posted arizona, tombstone, u.s.a., Uncategorized, Where
in21 Wednesday Nov 2012
Posted mexico, tulum, Uncategorized, Where, yucatan peninsula
inThere was one place at the ruins of Tulum where I couldn’t see other tourists. I could stand on the rocky bluff, overlooking a small, white-sand beach, and beyond that stretched bright and varied blues of the Carribean sea and sky.
An ancient Mayan watch tower stood out silvery-grey on the opposing overlook. Light ocean breezes helped cut the warm, wet air. A fat-ass iguana inched across a hot volcanic-looking boulder. With the hordes of tourists pushed out of my mind, I could imagine the history.
Tulum was a prime trade center, due to its location at the convergence of maritime and land routes. Ocean boats could make trips along the coasts, apparently from as far south as present-day Honduras and Nicaragua.
Cargo and shipping and trade and boats and ocean. 1200 A.D., 2012, 2200. We will continue to trade with one another, and that root in history and travel gives me the satisfaction I crave in my day job. Without this short moment of unobstructed view, however, I might have passed by in a swarm of tourists, nodding and admiring the beauty, but oblivious to my clear and specific connection to these remarkable ruins.
22 Wednesday Aug 2012
Posted fife, tacoma, washington, Where
in18 Saturday Aug 2012
Posted italy, Uncategorized, venice, Where
in13 Monday Aug 2012
Posted cancun, florida, florida keys, mexico, u.s.a., Uncategorized, Where, yucatan peninsula
in{No. I’m not in Cancún right now. But I am at my computer for tens of hours a day. My screensaver is a randomized slideshow of all my photos from the beginning of digital time, and I love it. Seeing the end goal (mostly the photos are of friends, travel and time off) helps keep me inspired through the mental fatigue of the 80-100 hour work weeks of salmon season.
The slideshow also gave me an idea I really like – pick one of the first three images that pop up on random and share the story with you guys. I promise it won’t be your grandpappy’s slideshow…except I know of a lot of pretty badass grandpappy’s, so perhaps it will be (assuming your grandpappy is or was a gypsy adventurer). Regardless – I’m excited to share some little travel fables, and I really hope you enjoy them.}
(Gran Meliá hotel room balcony)
Once upon a winter fishing off-season, I traveled to the Florida Keys to visit some dear chums. I had not been to the Keys before, but I didn’t think it unreasonable to pack my swimsuit and flip-flops.
Unfortunately, I timed my trip during the coldest ever weather in the history of all Florida. Iguanasicles were falling out of trees, marine creatures were seizing up in the really-not-that-cold water and beaching all over the place. (Seriously. No floating the Joe in Idaho for those weenie tortoises.)
We huddled up in blankets in the uninsulated beach house and watched movies for a couple days, but with an extended forecast for cold and my vacation minutes ticking away, I turned to Internet research.
Prices were decent, and very soon all three of us had booked a two-hour flight from Miami to Cancún, México (mine was $250 round trip through Expedia) and an ocean-view room at the Gran Meliá hotel (also from a discount website, I’m sure. Ashley and I know how to bargain shop.).
I don’t know how you cats travel, but my methods usually involve shared bathrooms, backpacks and bus rides. The less I spend per day, the longer I can stretch the trip. So perhaps this is not too surprising, but this hotel had the most splendid lobby I have ever seen. In addition to the obvious full jungle habitat, they have koi ponds in there!
(Gran Meliá hotel lobby. NBD.)
(View from the balcony of the room)
It was almost enough to make a man want to change his travel style. Perhaps if I could find myself a rich benefactor…
But for now, I must fund my own trips and to do so, I’d best stop living vicariously through myself and return to the late-night logistic-ing. Only one and half months left of this salmon marathon.