Write For Us!: Share Your Adventure Contest and Book Giveaway

By awayblog
11/10/2008

Comments (125)

For one week in December, Away.com will be turning over the keys to this blog to five adventure-loving readers. Tell us in the comments section, in 100 words or less, about an adventurous travel experience you've had (or an extraordinary destination that you've discovered). The world's your oyster, though bear in mind that the operative word here is "adventure."

We'll select the five best entries and ask each winner to write an expanded post for this blog, to be published next month. Need more incentive to enter? We will also send our five intrepid bloggers a copy of Riding the Hulahula to the Arctic Ocean: A Guide to 50 Extraordinary Adventures for the Seasoned Traveler, the latest world-roving adventure tome from National Geographic Books (check out an exclusive photo preview on Away.com here). What are you waiting for? Start telling your story now!

Entries must be submitted no later than Friday, December 5, 2008. Please be sure to include your email contact details as part of the Typekey submission profile required for submitting your entry in the comments section (this will not be displayed alongside comment, but will allow us to contact winning finalists accordingly). Click here to download the official contest rules.

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Comments

[Lance E. Helfers]

Why it pays to hike?

One labor day back in 2003 when I lived in Avon, CO I went for a hike. The hike ended up lasting 6 hours. I was trying to hike to some mountain lakes near Leadville, CO for some trout fishing. After this hike I now know to calculate the mileage on the map before setting out on an adventure. When I hit treeline 4 hours into it I walked past a patch of Porcini mushrooms. I knew that they were Porcini's from the cooks at the hotel that I worked at. Needless to say I filled my backpack and sold them to the hotel for $100. I didn't catch any fish, but at least it wasn't a waste of a trip.

Lance

[Melissa Newberry]

Tucked in the hills surrounding Virginia City, Nevada are century old mine shafts. While many have been long since abandoned, there is one that is still open to the public. The Chollar Mine offers tourists the opportunity to retrace the steps of the late 1800's gold rush. As you enter the mine shaft, there are three things you quickly become grateful for. One: the invention of electricity, two: an air duct that runs the length of the entrance, and three: this is only a tour. Well worth it, but will remain a once in a lifetime event.

[Nancy Robinson]

Every day is a feast to the senses in India. In the lush southwestern coastal state of Kerala,the diversity of opportunities for fascinating experiences is particularly keen. Kerala contains the largest agriclutural area below sea level in the world and offers custom trips through the tropical canals in converted rice barges, passing the spice plantations which first lured the Portuguese here and whose influence is still clear. Vasco Da Gama is buried in a Cochin Catholic church.
Train travel is equally thrilling. Trains run on schedule and offer a full range of classes.
Kerala is a kaleidoscope of colorful festivals, elephants in the streets, teraced tea fields in the eastern mountains, impressive game parks and gentle hospitable people.

[richard w. dennis]

“DUH!” “FUR!” “BAA!” --- “BLACK FOX!!”

This was the dialog from my excited companion as the black WOLF burst out of the snow covered sage and bounded across the road only yards in front of our moving vehicle. We recognized “Casanova”, #302 of Yellowstone’s Druid Peak pack. Casanova had eluded wolf watchers for several days and conjecture as to his whereabouts was running rampant. His location and direction of travel indicated only one conclusion – Casanova had been earning his name with a visit to the ladies of the Slough Creek Pack. Photographing his return highlighted our winter adventure in Yellowstone.

[5KMom]

If camping for a month through ten European countries with four children under the age of seven isn't an adventure, I don't know what is! Adding children to a trip automatically makes is more challenging, but with lots of careful planning and even more nonchalance when things don't go according to those plans, visits to historical landmarks, countless castles, and natural wonders can become unforgettable memories. I know we'll never forget climbing 700 steps up an Austrian ice cave with a toddler or arriving at our campground in Munich only to discover it was packed with revelers celebrating Oktoberfest. I also know we'll never forget the smiles, the laughter, the treasure of experiencing new discoveries together as a family.

[Gayle]

My most memorable trip was years ago. It was an all girl camping trip to Dillon Reservoir, CO. The 5 of us headed out pulling a pop-up trailer, which got a flat tire, having no spare, we spent about two hours getting it fix. Soon we were back on the road, but only to arrive at our destination after dark. It was very dark. We searched for a place to set up camp but it was hard to see anything. We finally set up the camper on a half-way flat area.

Very early in the morning, we receive a shock, a young man announcing he was a park ranger. I opened the door to see him standing there, and behind him, several vehicles with boats attached. The ranger asked us to move immediately, for we had made camp on the boat ramp. Embarrassing, but this was only the beginning of our adventure.

[Shameda Saffee]

Bar none.
As wildfires burn in Santa Barbara, memories flood into my mind from eighteen years ago, as we sat high above the Pacific level and gazed into a crimson/gold sunset glowing over still waters.
Fragrances of lemon and orange broke the quiet of dusk, as our horses clip clopped around narrow ledges cut into the mountains.
I dared not look over to my right where the earth fell sharply downwards from mountain to ocean and inches of rock and soil kept us steady on horseback.
Making our way back to the ranch was literally a piece of cake compared with the introduction upwards to the mountain top.
Looking at my 7 year old son, I smiled, knowing he would have this memory of adventure.

[Lisa Bogart]

Terms such as "Cold War", "Soviet Block Countries" and "The Iron Curtain" have all but disappeared from current international news, but it wasn't very long ago that all of these terms were used regularly. This mostly Eastern European group of countries were bleak, not on the top 10 of anyone's vacation lists and very difficult to gain permission to travel there. I got my chance in 1985 to visit the country then known as the Soviet Union: the mother of communism. I was ecstatic!

I had long been intrigued by Russian and Soviet history, and traveling with a group was the only way most visitors got to see any part of this vast country.

The adventure officially got off to its start with a transfer in Helsinki from the beautiful FinnAir jet, to the rather ratty and aging Aeroflot plane destined for Moscow. Broken seats and seat belts, and meal service of mystery meat served on divided tin trays were the introduction to this grand adventure.

[Michael Stephens]

Tourists are encouraged to buy dynamite in Potosi, Bolivia. People go there to tour the 400 year old silver mines, and we were asked to buy gifts for the miners. We could purchase crackers, dynamite, 100% proof alcohol (Yes, for drinking), or coca leaves (a mild stimulative drug for tired miners to chew). Miners demonstrated the use of dynamite in the mines. Afterwards, there was dynamite left over, so our tour guide set off an explosion on the hillside for our entertainment. Bolivia is a beautiful Andean country, but it has a dark side, some dark history.

[Michael Stephens]

The day after we toured the silver mines in Potosi, Bolivia, a transport strike was declared. Fearing for our safety in volatile Potosi, our tour leader arranged for 3 small and inconspicuos taxis to transport our group to Sucre, the judicial capital of Bolivia, reputed to be safer. We left early in the morning, but ran into road blockades. Angry strikers began throwing rocks at the taxis from atop the hillside. Our group was forced to go offroad in the beat up old taxis, on dirt tracks, fording creeks and up steep mountain paths where we had to get out and walk, the taxis being too heavy. After numerous delays, and frustations encountered at additional blockades, we arrived via a tortuous mountain backroad to Sucre. We finally had to get out and walk the last 2 miles or so, as strikers blocked all traffic into town. Bolivia is for the adventurous.

[Katalina]

I am a person addicted to optimism. When backpackers and other travelers talked about the unruliness of Bolivia-- a country filled with half hazard roadways and chaos-- I heard an opportunity for adventure. I heard an opportunity to discover surprises; surprises that I soon found to be some of the most beautiful and majestic natural landscapes in all of Latin America. Your adventure could entail exploring the world’s largest salt flat, discovering Incan ruins on the Island of the Sun, or trekking through the Amazonian Jungle. Folks, I do not lie, all of this awaits you in Bolivia.

[Andy and Donna Fierlit]

The most exciting trip we have had was our recent one to South Africa. My wife Donna has physical limitations and is confined to a wheel chair.We explored the beauty of the Cape Town area . The real excitment came when we stayed at the Jacakalberry lodge located in the Thorny Bush reserve. With the help of staff and our ranger we where able to take evening and early morning drives to see and travel among the homes of the Big Five. The beauty of a female leopard, the chasing of a herd of elephants through the bush,watching a giraffe drink at a waterring hole,traveling in the dark with a herd of Cape Buffaloes,only seeing their shadows,tracking a Rhino by the warmth of its dung,this made for a most exciting holiday.A very remarkable feat for a person in a wheel chair.

[Mona]

I completed my 4 open water dives while an vacation in Mexico and wanted more of a challenge. I decided I was going to go half way around the world and rid myself of the dreaded Minnesota winter for 2 weeks by going to Palau and immerse myself with intense diving on a live-aboard. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but what a scary, fantastic trip of a life time it turned out to be.

[Sidney]

On Easter weekend, 2005, my wife and I took my son to Gulf Islands National Seashore. We chartered a boat out to Horn Island, where we intended to back-country camp for three days. We would be on the island alone. The first day was great; we explored a bit and played on the beach. That night, however, we ended up being evacuated during a raging Gulf storm and running before a water spout in an open-top Zodiac boat. It was exciting (if a bit terrifying) to live through and a great story to tell to friends and family.

[Angie Fuhrmann]

Discovered in 2005, only one hour away from my town in the Southwest, hides a canyon of enchantment. Green moss carpeted the walls of the canyon and ferns dripped water droplets on my head as I repelled past them. Between setting up anchors, sandstone arches peeked at me from around corners as I swam through the countless slots, and the icy waters stunned me into a dream-like state. At the end of the 12 hour day I was scuffed up and smelled like a skunk, but knew it was worth it for the magic I had experienced.

[Robbie J]

Byron Bay Australia: My ride south to Sydney came around the headland. A white sail grew closer as I wedged my backpack and a rum bottle into a garbage bag, placing it carefully atop my surfboard. Sharks were spotted that week, motivating my speedy paddle to the boat. Outside the breakers, I kissed my surf Betty's salty lips goodbye. The boat hovered offshore seemingly unreachable. Panic stricken I put my head down, sucking wind. I Clutched an outstretched hand that hoists me on board. Exhausted, I puke over the side, as the captain shouts "Mate,did you bring the rum?"

[simon ramsden]

If the celestial powers had travel-sense it would be deemed a sin to come to the Andaman coast of Thailand and not see the Hong Islands – an archipelago of towering limestone karsts jutting vertically out of the water and looming above us as we cruise the Phang Nga bay.

....

Fon moves with feminine agility and poise and is made to look even more graceful by comparison with me, her slightly superannuated Western male climbing companion. I seem to be not so much rock-climbing as rock-falling-offing - this thankfully doesn’t hurt, due to the soft sand cushioning my frequent falls.

[Snotty McSnotterson]

I traveled to the end of the world--thousands of miles away--just so the foreigners could make me a 'happy, traditional, American meal', which consisted of Kraft macaroni and cheese with sliced Vienna sausages in it. I was weighed in front of an entire airport; got stuck in a makeshift 'club', where one Mariah Carey album was played on repeat; and met my maternal grandmother, who had elephantiasis of the hand and foot. Western & American Samoa: the coolest/craziest place on Earth.

[Chase Neidig]

Uncurling my body from a balled up position, I gathered my belongings and stepped off the puddle-jumper plane at Dakar, Senegal. Sticky and blistering hot, my family and I had to quickly gain our composure and adapt to the West African climate. Unaccustomed to the region, we had to navigate ourselves through baggage and customs, and make our way south to the country of Gambia. Pursuing our final destination, we would have to deal with unheard languages, a locust storm and the uncertainty of whether or not we would even make it to the capital city of Gambia, Banjul.

[brad betts]

Springtime is turbulent for the American Southwest, teetering between hot desert and snowy, winter resort. On the third day of our trip, temperatures plummeted below 35. We trekked out toward Coyote Buttes' the Wave in Arizona, as first try lottery pass winners, first on a bumpy dirt road that rattled us to the core. Next, the rugged hike was plagued by strong unrelenting wind, kicking sand between our teeth and stealing our breath; an ominous storm threatened to wash out the road, leaving us stranded. The clouds held only long enough; the Wave, surreal, spectacular and devoid, like nothing else.

[Georgia Farinholt]

It's day 3 of our Okavango Delta horseback safari. Following wildebeest and zebra paths, we come to the edge of a shallow lagoon the size of a football field. Red lechwe drink tentatively from the water’s edge. "Up for a run?" our guide asks. “Hold on tight. And stick together, it’ll scare away the crocs.” We take off, grabbing mane and gripping with our thighs, bounding in rocking-horse motion through cold, knee-deep water that splashes our legs and leaves us breathless and ebullient when we finally reach the far bank.

[Ramy]

Note - this MAY be more than 100 words ;-)

I'll never forget the face the security guard made when he looked at my passport. This was the first time for me traveling internationally since September 11th, and it's obvious that Logan Airport security hasn't heard the end of the attacks on their recklessness in letting three planes board normally that tragic morning. The guard looked at my passport, cocked his head back with a perplexed look on his face - almost as if to say how obvious can you make it for me? - realized I was still standing in front of him, looked up at me, and gave me a very knowing smile. After Dan and I were hurried into taking our shoes off and getting our belongings onto the x-ray machine's conveyor belt, Dan walked through the metal detector and casually along to pick up his luggage. As I walked through the metal detector, I was whisked - and not in the romantic sense - into a make-shift booth, where I was told I would have to undergo a "random security check". Dan told me after the fact that a different gentleman behind the x-ray machine held up my bag and asked a superior "Full or Random?". This time I knew enough to leave my macheti and nuclear secrets at home. So when the TSA officer asked me to sit down and raise my right leg, then my right, as he waved his metal detecting wand around my legs, I wasn't altogether worried.
Then came the standing portion of the test. I was asked to raise my arms out to the side and told that anywhere the metal detector beeps, i'll be patted. Then the wand went over my legs again. This time it beeped. The pants I was wearing are my jeans with the "carpenter" look that have the fake pocket in which, supposedly, carpenters put rulers or something. The gentleman asked me what was in my pocket. In the passion of the moment, i forgot that I had put anything in there, and asked myself out loud, "What is in my pocket?".
If you've ever put anything, especially something small, into one of those pockets then you know how hard it is to get your fingers in there and around whatever you've stored there. I happened to have several pieces of gum in my pocket. I pulled them out one by one, since there isnt' enough room in there for my fingers and gum. Then, I found the culprit. A different brand of gum from the rest that was enveloped in a metallic tin foil wrapper. Security threat averted.
The plane ride from Boston to Milan wasn't so bad. I struck up a pretty good conversation with Margaret -- the seventy-five year old woman who sat next to me, whose friend's son went to RPI, who was heading to Sicily from Milan, who had been wanting to go to Sicily for nearly 13 years and was so excited to finally be going, who wanted a red zinfandel but had to drink plain red wine because alitalia doesn't serve (and had apparently never heard of) red zinfandel, who isn't much of a reader but was reading this great book that a woman she grew up with in the 1930's in Lowell, Massachusetts had written -- sitting next to me. We talked a lot. Then there was the screaming child sitting directly across the aisle from me. Margaret had all kinds of theories on why that child cried the way she did. I didn't mind it too much. It's all ambiance to me.
Then there were the security guards in Milan. They were nice enough. They just had to go through my bag - twice - in order to figure out if I had any "cutters" in my bag. With an Italian accent it sounded like "gutters". No i don't have any gutters in my bag!! In retrospect, they were probably suspicious of my new-fangled AC adaptor-adaptor. I don't blame them, it does have a lot of metal on it.
At this point, i had been awake nearly 18 hours - barring a few fleeting hours in between childish screams and geriatric banter. I was getting a bit loopy. At one of the other gates there was a sign that said "Bari". I recognized the other destinations - Rome, Athens, Madrid - but i'd never heard of Bari.
"Hey Dan, where's Bari?"
"Barre? It's in Massachusetts."
It was about this point that I lost my mind.
"You mean all those people are lined up in Milan...to go to Barre, Mass?"
Probably not. It turns out Bari is a section of souther Italy. In the heel of the boot. I asked the attendant behind the counter. She seemed to enjoy sharing her knowledge of geographica with me. Of course, I couldn't help but feel like the dumb American.
We finally arrived in Brussels at 1:30pm - that's 7:30 am back home and in my head. We got to the rental car counter and asked the dude-guy for our car. He said we had two choices, a volkswagen golf, or a BMW 120. Retrospectively, we should have just saved ourselves the effort and taken the Golf.
"We'll take the BMW," Dan and I both responded after a moment of bewilderment at the thought of a rental car company even having a BMW.
"Is that a diesel?" I asked.
It is. I had read an article about this car not more than two weeks prior to our trip in Car and Driver. To say the least, I was excited. To say more, if this car was sold in the US, I would buy it in a heartbeat. It's a little hatchback (think z3 hardtop roadster only less falic).
I fell in love with this car. Good thing, too because we spent the next 3 hours looking for our hotel. Brussels is a lot like Boston, only more populated, with less square footage and narrower roads. Ok, none of that may be true. But the roads are very narrow. And most of the roads are circular. And we had a GPS device that kept telling me to turn right after I blew by the turn thinking the damned road was some kind of alley. There are also many other reasons other than my own inability to read a Belgian map - I just can't think of them right now.
Finally. We found our hotel. But not after we found a different Hilton (there are three in Brussels). We parked our car, went to our rooms, showered the nasty filghts off and went out for dinner. I had the Spaghetti Leon - pasta and mussels - at Chez Leon, a place that Christina, our Concierge, suggested. She told us that Muscles from Brussels does not actually refer to Jean Claude VanDamme, but rather Mussels - the crustacean. After telling Christina that in the US there are laws against speaking ill of the man who brought us Lion Heart.
I wish the story ended there, but it doesn't. I know this e-mail has turned into more of a rant than anything, but i'm just getting to the good part. After dinner, Dan and I tried to take a dry run to the office in Mechelen. We found it alright, but by the time we got back to the hotel, we had been awake for three hundred sixty five billion days. We parked the bimmer in the first spot we could find. That happened to be under a bridge for the commuter rail.
The next morning we walked over to the car after a nice continental breakfast of too-runny scrambled eggs. There we found, where the passenger side and rear windows were, two very large holes. Great. We'd have to wait about an hour untill National Rental car opened. After calling them, they suggested we contact the police, then bring the car back to the airport to exchange it for a new one. We left a police report with the only Belgian police officer who spoke English. He was nice enough, except for the few seconds he pointed the gun at Dan's face. It happened to be fake and we had discussed that before he weilded the gun in Dan's direction. Still, I wouldn't trust my own mother to point a gun at me. Even if I made the damned thing myself and replaced the trigger with a wet egg noodle.
After that it was off to the airport. A few stupid-Americans-don't-know-it's-a-bad-idea-to-park-under-a-bridge-in-Brussels glowers later, we were finally off to start our training at EMC Mechelen.

[Sara]

The raging river roared below the road sending an intimidating glare to all of us on the ridge above. Slowly the guides began to meticulously piece together the boats, while I tightened my lifejacket for the hundredth time.
Before I know it the river engulfs the entire raft, the only sound I hear above the roaring river is the guide furiously screaming “PADDLE!!” I bunker down and use all my strength to dig the paddle into the powerful river; one missed stroke could land me right in the middle of the class IV rapids.

[Auddy]

I've had so many wonderful vacations. One of the most memorable, probably because it was also difficult, was to Peru. We took a train then a bus to Machu Picchu. We got there just as the "english" group was ready to climb up to Machu Picchu. I had a choice...put bug spray on my legs or go to the bathroom. I chose to go to the bathroom. By the time we climbed the steep path to the top, I had at least a hundred bites on my legs. It is a tough climb and if you aren't in shape it's even tougher!! The bug bites lasted for weeks but the memory of seeing Machu Picchu will last a lifetime!! Peru is the most colourful country in the world!!

[Ronda Woodall]

Campbell River on Vancouver Island is the starting point for amazing wildlife viewing! From zooming ahead of a roaming pod of killer whales so one can be in front of them as they glide thru the crystal clear waters of the sound beneath the Zodiac to "surfing" the waves in the same boat where the incoming ocean meets the sound waters at tidetime to seeing a grizzly meet a black bear in on old apple orchard on an Indian guided tour to their land - and that's the tip of the adventure iceberg here!

[Lori Ceier]

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife were doing sturgeon tagging on the Choctawhatchee River and I got a chance to go along.
After we caught one of the sturgeon, I got to hold it.
I put my arms out, and held the fish.
“Wow, this guy is kind of slimy,” I said.
They told me the slimy feeling was a natural defense mechanism that secretes from its skin.
I was amazed by the biodiversity in my own back yard.
I was in awe of this remarkable, ancient sturgeon creature; the boney plates along its body, sculpted in curved ridges.

[Werner]

The Bay of Fundy, the highest tides on earth and a sea kayak - could make for a interesting adventure! The guide had us sitting in a kayak, 30 feet from the water. Couldnt quite get it, but soon did as the water came rolling up the beach and within a couple minutes our kayaks were floating. Of course with these huge tides come currents, incredible formations from the massive amount of erosion as the water rises 40 feet in 6 hours and then drops the same amount in another 6 hours. Where was this adventure heading?

[Rob Howell]

Stumbling upon La Pileta Cave in Spain was the highlight of a trip with my wife and one year old daughter. Our guide was a gentleman who only spoke Spanish. No other lights, but the lanterns we held were used to light our way. The lanterns illuminated the awe inspiring sights around each corner and my daughter munched on Cherios and giggled in delight at the sight of stalactites, stalagmites and 10,000 year old paintings. Her sounds conveyed our feelings as well. The tour ended and the guide gave my daughter a postcard signed, "To my amiga." A wonderful memory.

[Lynda]

We decided to hire a private taxi driver in
Athens to take us to see the sights; but also to take us to where the locals eat.
Along the drive out of town, we stopped at a
local shop and ordered "pork-on-a-stick". It was very tasty, and was so-called "fast food". Along the way out of town to visit the mountains and seaside, we stopped along the road and our new Greek friend opened his trunk and pulled out some empty liter bottles.
We were introduced to two elderly ladies who
sold home-made wine out of what appeared to be very old and musty wine barrels. We took a drink of the wine which was the nastiest stuff we had ever had. Our taxi driver was very excited that he would have wine with dinner that night when we returned to Athens. Once we reached our destination we invited our new friend to join us for a lunch overlooking the beautiful sea. We tried several wines, and of course the Greeks are very fond of their
Ouzo. After lunch our taxi driver told us to go and look around the beautiful mountainside because "he had to sober up
before driving us back to Athens". I wondered if we were going to make it back in one piece because we had traveled through
some pretty windy roads and crossed over several bridges. We did indeed return safely; only to toast once again the events of the day with our new friend.

[Barbara Fisher]

I arrived at Perth's domestic airport on Christmas day, there was nothing open but a coffee stand and nowhere to change money or buy a phone card to call and warn that my flight had arrived hours early. True to my boyfriend's warning, the traditional Christmas day lightning storm was in progress. The air was hot and humid, and I was fast to learn the "Australian wave", shooing what I THINK were flies away from my face. After 21 hours of flying, it felt good to be on land, although I had misgivings about still being on Planet Earth - the lightning took on shapes and configurations I had never witnessed in Europe or North America, morphing into figure 8's and other patterns ("It's a LIGHTBULB!"). The vegetation, the birds, the quality of the air, all greatly resembled Earth, as if I had landed on a planet going to great pains to mimic Earth while not quite succeeding. I must have stood dumbstruck for an hours checking it all out, when my boyfriend arrived and finally pursuaded me that the airport was not the hightlight of the trip and got me into the car. Jet lag, wildfires, a tsunami, getting used to the local language (ENGLISH? HA!) and customs, and spending a week with my then-to-be in-laws were all taken in stride as I fell in love with Western Australia. Impossible to describe a sunset over the Indian Ocean on New Year's Eve and a beach all to ourselves: there was no sign of the Holidays except the star on the roof of one of our beach-front neighbor's homesand a surreally starlit sky in spite of a full moon, with constellations and a lunar landscape unfamiliar to my northern hemispere-trained eyes. Where Burger King = Hungry Jacks, movies can be watched from a lounge chair while you are served snacks (Jaffas anyone?), the people LIKE Vegemite, Christmas songs involve kangaroos pulling Santa's sled, Kath and Kim is actually funny, people punch sharks in the snout and the sea and sky seem to be cleaner than anywhere on Earth, you will feel like a very grateful visitor to a very friendly alien planet.

[Michael Rhodes]

Way back in 1972 I was out in the middle of nowhere in the Yukon Territory working as a geology student prospector.

I had changed partners that day and when the new guy was brought in he brought a box of beer. I need to say, he was brought into our 2 man camp by helicopter and we were at least 200 miles from the nearest road not to mention the nearest town. Needless to say, after a long day of tramping around the hills looking for a mother load of something to make our employer rich, we sat in our tent drinking the beer. After a while he had to do the obvious and ducked out of the tent into our mosquito plagued muskeg.

It seemed he’d been gone a while when I heard “Mike, Mike,….get the gun”. Oh dear, this didn’t sound good. I scrambled to find the gun, the bullets, and where the heck was the bolt? I found all the components and timidly crawled out of the tent. My partner pointed up the hill at the enormous grizzly bear staring down at us from 200 meters up the hill. The sole question that reverberated through the air was “Do we shoot the bear (not likely) or ourselves”.

Fortunately, the bear decided we were too scrawny, or too little challenge to waste his time and wandered off.

[Morgan Whitehead]

“Have you ever had horse milk?” The question was asked plainly and without pretense by our host in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. “It’s kind of like……beer. It’s a national drink here.” Two hours later, we were sitting in a yurt (replete with linoleum flooring covering the ground and a racy perfume poster as the lone wall art) somewhere in the rolling Mongolian countryside with a local family and a cupful of horse milk strait from the churn by the table. Refrigerator? Not for miles. Scorching July heat? Yep. Two sips (no more) later I could say, “yes, I HAVE had horse milk!”

[John Moffat]

We were finally on the road. The sun was rising in early June, cutting through grey mats of San Diego marine layer, revealing another perfect day in Southern California. But we were turning our backs to the surf and sun for half a week; we were on our way to the modern Mecca of mountain biking: Moab. The Jeep was packed to the brim: our two well-loved mountain bikes, enough water to drown the Sahara, camping gear, clean clothes, and way too many bananas. After rock ‘n’ rolling across the desert, we hit the jackpot - endless mountain bike perfection.

[Jim Chumbley]

With the moonlight reflecting off of the chalky cliffs like streetlights, we ascended the fossil laden slope of Arroyo Blanco on Isla Carmen in the Sea of Cortez. At 5AM our goal was the east facing promontory, dotted with hollows carved by generations of indigenous worshipers. I nestled perfectly into one, unable to see the rest of the group. I wanted no distraction for the pending spectacle. A yellow-footed gull, a squadron of pelicans, and a trio of leaping mantas all heralded the arrival of our life star. The morning pastels softly escorted the night away. No words were heard.

[Charli Kerns]

It was such an innocent little trail. Who knew three and a half hours and 1900 vertical feet later, my friend Lisa and I would be standing on top of one of the peaks of Germany's Alps? Definitely not us. She and I were enjoying a day at the Neuschwanstein castle when we happened upon this little trail. We plodded upward until finally, the castle was out of view and before us stood the most majestic example of Nature's creation; land and sky, sea and mountains all joined into one before our eyes. Simply breathtaking.

[Jerrye Lail]

Just off the Florida West coast lies a treasure! Sanibel Island has history, beautiful shell laden beaches, great restaurants, breathtaking sunsets, miles of bike trails, and the Ding Darling Bird Sanctuary. No high rise buildings allowed, neither are fast food restaurants with drive thru windows. Just a few miles away in Fort Myers is the Edison Winter Home and the Henry Ford Home. This is where Raymond Burr escaped the Hollywood hoopla. This is the best place in the world to just relax and chill out - plus enjoy nature and history!

[Sam]

Nepal, the summit to heaven, one majestically stands atop the world. Up here, follow in the footsteps of the Great Buddha, from where he was born, to where he first found reason to question existence. With views so vivid, seeming that this is where God must have laid on his back to paint the sky, one may find the same enlightenment alongside stone giants, touching the celestial. Raft down majestic valleys, ride elephants tracking rhinos, or attain an understanding of your soul as you learn that there are no limitations as you summit the world’s greatest Titans, the Himalayas.

[Carol Davis-Khatri]

Hi. I'm from Brisbane, Australia.The last 10 years my life has been one exciting adventure after another. It started almost accidentally with a return visit to Nepal after a long 7 years break. I had loved trekking there and thought I would go back and take a few friends and go trekking with a nepali guide I had continued to correspond with over the years. I can hardly believe what has happened since. We have had many exciting adventures since- trekking to many exciting places like Everest Base Camp, Gokyo Lakes, the Annapurnas and many more.This year we had excitement plus in our first adventure in Tibet. We have been through blizzards, bushfires, high altitude passes, monsoonal rain,knee-deep snow,weathered illnesses and all sorts of mental and physical challenges and still have come out of it all with supreme exhaultation and love of life. We've seen a sunset over Everest and cradled nepali babies in our arms. I now have family there having married my nepali guide 3 years ago and am now able to show people an incredibly personal and rarely experienced part of the real Nepal and its people and culture.Together we formed a family trekking business called High Spirits Adventures and have been lucky enough to now have shown many friends this exciting and adventurous country.

[Teresa]

Sailing the southern Dalmation Coast from Dubrovnik to Split, Croatia in a small boat capable of squeezing into Adriatic nooks and crannies and island hopping along the way is a remarkable journey. The scenery is breathtaking; just like walking through a post card. The Croatian people are gracious, warm, welcoming and keep their country clean. You feel enveloped by life's goodness and one with nature. One of the most beautiful places on Earth - a must see/do at least once in a lifetime.

[Mephistopheles]

I have many, but I think the most satisfying one was opera at the Lyceu in Barcelona. So here we are, me and as my tennis buddies call him, Dr. Demento (they call me Maestro) at the Ramblas, where the Lyceu exists and they are about to have Macbeth by Verdi (I have sung the Banquo aria, Studio Passo mio Figlio, in the shower many times). I desperately want in but they don't have tickets, and then even the ones that I would have been able to get from scalpers are 150 euros....I have NO cash. While I am willing to pay whatever, Dr. Demento is very cheap (he even objects to paying .50 euros for a visit to the bathroom), so he is objecting to go in. While I am meandering, and trying to get myself into the performance, this VERY polished Catalan woman, with her equaly polished husband, hand me two tickets, seating next to them for the performance; six rows from the stage, smack in the center. In Spanish, I profusely apologize that I have no cash, she just shrugs it off and proceeds to enter the theater. This performance ranks amongst the best opera performances I have seen!!!!!!!

[Rob]

At 4am I staggered out of the Tashkent airport where I was swarmed by Uzbek cabbies grabbing at my bags. Minutes earlier, the customs agent had circled the substantial amount of dollars I declared on my entry form and yelled unknown Uzbek phrases to his colleagues. Had I been made a target? All I knew is that I had a 24 hour visa to get to the border of Tajikistan. I found a trustworthy face and followed him to the battered Lada. Puttering into the darkness, I fumbled for my seatbelt and pondered my fate.

[Debolin Sen]

Dateline Everest Base Camp was the biggest & the grandest adventure for its scale and magnitude – a journey which was full of excitement, expectations, apprehensions, nervousness, ambitions and guilt. Excitement of catching a glimpse of the mighty goddess, expectations of what all I would encounter, apprehensions of successfully completing the 18 Day trek (some unforgiving memories which needed desperate deletion), ambitions of setting a goal, achieving a dream & returning home victorious & guilt because I had forced it on myself at a time which was critical and sensitive (my wife was pregnant with our first child).

[Makram Samaan]

The East, Where everything is a Relationship

As soon as we arrived in our hotel,in Hanoi. We stood on the balconey for fresh air and relax after along flight.
Holly ghost? As we looked on the traffic in the square, our first impression is Cheos, and complicated one!
As I was concentrating with astonishment, there were no accident. God, what is the secret of the Vietnamese drivers?. More astonishing is that the traffic was compsed of 90% motorcycles amd 10% vehicles. The traffic in the Square looks like an intrecet fising net.

I went down to make sense of what may be senseless.
As I stood on the corner, observing the traffic pattern and concentrating on the Drivers, the traffic signals and how they cross crossing each other path, safely and no one accident?

I thought I formed a theory. "The vietnamese drivers look like that they give lip service to the traffic signals. But I found that they concentrate on the other driver and the front wheel progress or direction, while there is a smile, a wink, a hand wave or a head nod or shake, body language communication.

What seems from the Balcony as a complicated total Cheos, from my observation point was apperently a courtesy system of people in continuous passionate communication with each other.

I decided to put my observational theory in practice. On one of the Main and heavy traffic streets, While the traffic light was red for pedestrians, I began to cautiously cross the street. For my delight, the cars slowed down and stopped almlost a foot from my body. As I was looking at the Drivers to see their wrath on me. They were smiling winking and waving their hands for me to continue, while taking their hands off the wheel to give me the assurance of non driving and complete stop.

Three weeks I roamed Vietnam and similar time in Thailand.I roamef these countries N,S W and East, I never seen nor heard a broadcast of any Auto Accident or Injury.

My Theory was Confirmed, Vietnamese drivers watch for each other, and their principal concern is each other safety, sharing the road and facilitating each other driving to their destination, may be late few seconds, but all will arrive safe.

The theory." Every thing in Vietnam is relationship" was confirmed in the restaurants.No one almost sit alone. When a customer comes , he/she do not chose the empty table, but they share a table where some one else is sitting. They start as strangers, at the end of their meal, they depart friends.

with all the technological progress to increase safety in America and the West, we have the highest per capita vehicle injuries and most serious to death.

My theory," The west lost its human relationships, and technology becmae the new master. Further, Competition not cooperation is the core of our culture. Then traffic became a war to become first." In Competition, one is the winner and the other is a loser.
In rrelationship, every one is a WINNER.

[Erin]

February in Costa Rica = the "dry" season, though today we were in for a weather annomally. Awaiting our flight to Tambor, the fog rolled in and the torrential rains began. Our flight cancelled, stranding 8 of us hours from our final destinations, we banded together, hopped in a taxi, drove HOURS to the ferry to cross to the Nicoya Peninsula, only to arrive on the other side to hear driver after driver refuse to take us any further for the roads ahead were awash with mudslides.

Thankfully ten days of restful yoga followed the adventureous journey to my final destination . . .

[Jen Davis]

Australia was the most magical and primitive places that I have experienced.

Arriving alone in Perth, I was touched by the Aussies' hospitality and friendly demeanor. However, I soon left the city-dwellers for more unpredictable residents of the Australian Bush. Hiking the 600-mile Bibbulmun Track, I survived the arid desert and passed through a land of towering and primordial trees before finishing my journey along untouched coastline and a turquoise ocean. I had more encounters with Kangaroos than people, but the emus, boars, tiger snakes, and dolphins kept me company and provided many lessons and memories along the way.

[william chaney]

Spring 2005.Tired of hauling asphalt in the ozark mountains near Branson.Three tanks of gas later looking up at the Statue of Liberty.Beautiful statue in a beautiful place.Not as magestic as on tv though.Anthony Bourdain says its not the destination.Its the journey.Down I-95 Washington D.C. is a history buffs dream.The Washington,Lincoln,Jefforson memorials.J.F.K and Tomb of Unknowns at Arlington.Robert DuVall said in the movie Broken Trail-From the sweet grass to the packing house were all just TRAVELERS in this world. Think about it!!

[Michelle Conley]

Our bike/barge trip during the height of tulip season was a true adventure. Living on a converted river barge was an adventure in itself, cruising the canals and glimpsing into the Dutch culture. However, the most memorable part of our trip was the bicycling through the countryside and polders of Holland and their many tulip fields. The sight of the first fields from the barge was spectacular and we were anxious to disembark with our bikes and travel through the colors of red, pick, yellow and white. There's nothing quite like sitting among acres of colorful tulips.

[simon ramsden]

People who climb such crags without permission will find themselves in very, very deep trouble, as rifles and exploding booby traps are used to guard these crags.

..

Prior to collecting, birds’ nest climbers pray and brush their hair. They are forbidden to eat island animals, such as snake, iguana and birds, because these animals belong to the island. In addition they are supposed to remain celibate (that’s the collectors, not the animals).

..

I was more fearful for the life of my leader than I had ever been before, or have been since. I was possibly about to become an involuntary landing pad for 80kg of hard-as-limestone Antiguan/Bristolian meat and gristle.

[solarcholo]

Real adventure is as humbling as it is surprising. Canoeing the Everglades’ lush southern coast, your most revealing encounter might not involve the turtles, birds, or hissing alligators at paddle’s length, but rather a renegade band of raccoons. Witness night one in our camp: every edible stolen save one variety of vegetable despised, apparently, even by burgling marsupials. (Turns out, zippered doors and opposable thumbs are both overrated). Sometimes, only running amok with a belt—wearing nothing but Fruit of the Looms and a Charles Bronson scowl—will restore proper Darwinian order. Final score? Raccoons: 11. Humans: Brussels sprouts for breakfast.

[note to ed: OK, true, raccoons are not marsupials, but we weren't so sure at the time--who's ever heard of a 'procyonid'?]

[Lily Yazdi]

We walked along the cobbled streets of old Istanbul, trying to take in as many of the ancient buildings and scenic views of the Bosphorus as we could. The four of us, and our daughter's two guests, were also keeping our eyes open for another vision - a place to EAT! We passed fantastic museums, 2000 year old churches, and the Grand Bazaar, but too hungry to explore, we trod on. Kebab? Too heavy. Donar? Not again!
Finally, the girls found what they had been looking for... the authentic food in the center of Turkey: El Torito!!!