Rhode Island Red

Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

This is a picture of my grandparents from the 50s heading up from Shenandoah Valley in Virginia to Acadia National Park in Maine for one of the rare vacations they enjoyed after retirement as Virginia farmers.

Pictured in the tourism sign are a Rhode Island Red, a popular breed of chicken and an Anchor, used as a symbol of the area since the Europeans came in the 1600s:

http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/seals/ri_seal.htm

Everest Base Camp Trek in Himalayas

WikiTravel has a detailed description of what looks like one of the world's coolest mountain treks - a walk to the Mount Everest Base Camp. After watching the drama of discovery channels "Everest Beyond the Limit" I was wondering if you could trek up to the base camp even if you were not planning to head up any further. I'm not clear if the one described here is the same as that in the show because there appears to be more than one "Everest Base Camp", I think because the mountain can be climbed from different sides which are in different countries.

Unlike the Everest mountaineering folks I'm not very keen on the extreme risks and agony of the trip all the way to the top, even though it appears to be an easier climb than I'd been thinking thanks to the pre-climb roping and ladders that are placed there at the beginning of the season by some of the expedition sherpas. The series made me think that endurance and luck with weather and the large number of other climbers that can clog the route - rather than technical prowess - was the most important characteristic of those that made the summit.

Following is excerpted from WikiTravel:

DAY ONE - Lukla airport (about US$113 from KTM) to Monju (2800m): Pass directly through the village of Lukla and follow the path to Namche. The first village after Lukla is Chheplung, and further down the trail, you will pass through Ghat and Phakding. Both these villages have a good selection of lodges and restaurants and are conveniently located for taking a meal break.

If you still have enough stamina, it is advisable to press on to Monju (about 90 minutes to two hours from Phakding) to spend the night as this will give you a good start for the steep ascent to Namche the following morning.

DAY TWO - Monju to Namche: After passing through the Sagarmatha Park entrance (1,000 rs for overseas visitors), the trail passes through the village of Jorsale and then along the river. You will cross two bridges before beginning the steep ascent to Namche, which can take up to three hours to complete. Be aware that there are no tea houses or lodges on this path, so ensure that you have ample water to get you to the top. In addition, you are now heading into a high altitude area, so take it easy. Even the fittest people are prone to altitude sickness.

DAYS THREE & FOUR - Namche Bazaar (3440m): It is recommended to take an altitude acclimatization rest day in Namche. Although no more than a village, the Sherpa capital has two museums, several internet cafes, and, at last count, two pizza houses and three cafes (locally known as bakeries), so there is much to keep you occupied during your stay here. Namche also has two official money changers, so it is a good place to stock up on local currency for the days ahead (NB: Lodges and restaurants in Khumbu only accept Nepali Rupees).

During your acclimatization rest day, you might like to visit neighboring villages. Khumjung (3790m) is over the hill directly behind Namche, and takes about one and a half to two hours to reach. There are several sights in the village (See listings below) and a few lodges and eateries. Khunde is a short walk from Khumjung. Getting there: Take the Tengboche trail, then at the top of the hill above Namche, near the huge mani stone and just past the bank, head straight up the mountain - the wider path to the right goes to Tengboche. After a steep climb, you will arrive at an airstrip. Cross this and rejoin the path at the other side. After a short distance you'll pass a stupa. From there, take the paved path down the hill. Soon you will see the playground and school buildings of Khumjung Hillary School. Thame (3750m) is a more traditional village that is about a two and a half hour to three hour walk from Namche. Getting there: Leave Namche on the path that passes the ochre colored Namche Monastery (Namche Gompa). From here, it is a relatively flat walk that takes in some very pleasant scenery. The first hamlet on the route is 'Phurte,' identified by the forest nursery, and then 'Tesho.' The water that runs through 'Tesho' comes directly from 'Mount Khumbi Yui Lha' - the most sacred mountain to the Sherpas - so there are several retreat huts built into the niches here. Thame is the next village on the trail, and a good place to take lunch. Thame has a few lodges and is home to one of Khumbu's oldest monasteries. This trail is also the traditional route to Tibet, so don't be surprised to encounter caravans of yaks led by long-haired Tibetan merchants on your walk.

DAY FIVE - Namche to Tengboche (3870m/12696ft): After a short but steep climb out of the village, the path levels off and you can enjoy a few hours of pleasant flat hiking. The first lodges you will pass are at Khumjung. Consider taking a break here. The Ama Dablam Lodge has some good food and the sitting area out front offers uninhibited views of Mount Ama Dablam. In addition, the lodge reputedly has the best selection of jewelry for sale in the whole of Khumbu, so if you don't plan to return this way, pick out a few light souvenirs - they will forever remind you of this sun-blessed place and the sparkling snow capped peak of Ama Dablam. After a short while, the trail descends to river level, and you will pass a few hamlets and cross some bridges. Then at the hamlet of Phunki Thanga (marked by its water driven prayer wheels), the trail ascends steeply. There are no tea houses or lodges on this stretch, so take some refreshment here and stock up on water for the one and a half to two hour climb to Tengboche. NB: Take it easy going up here. The air maybe thinner than you are aware!

DAY SIX: For those heading for Everest, the trail passes through the villages of Deboche (here, there is a small nunnery on the left - definitely worth a visit), Pangboche (3860m/12664ft), Dingboche and finally Periche (4240m/13910ft). All these villages offer food and lodgings. Pangboche (especially Upper-Pangboche, where the local monastery is located) is, however, probably the the most pleasant as it is surrounded by trees. So, if you decide to take the journey slowly, this is the best place to rest and relax. For those heading for Island Peak Trek and/or the Lhotse Glacier, your final destination will be Chukhung. As this is further than Periche, you will definitely need to stop the night in Pangboche or Dingboche.

DAY SEVEN: Whether in Periche or Chukhung, you will need to take a day to acclimatize to the high altitude. Take short, slow walks around the village, marvel at the peaks and dig out the book you bought in Namche, but whatever you do, don't push it at this point. If you begin to feel unwell, inform your guide or lodge owner and return as quickly as possible to a lower altitude.

DAYS EIGHT, NINE & TEN - Periche to Lobuche (4930m/16174ft): Spend night in this small village packed with tourists. Lobuche to Gorak Shep (5160m/16929ft): Gorak Shep has a small, usually frozen lake, but little in the way of accommodation (especially during the cold winter months). Therefore, you might want to get an early start, pass through Gorak Shep, visit Everest Base Camp (5380m/17650ft) and Kala Patthar (5643m/18513ft where locations near the peak offer very close, but unbalanced views of Everest) and return to Lobuche to sleep.

SIDE TRIP: The trail via Cho La (5370m) to the wonderful Gokyo valley with its glacier lakes and fine views offers some stunning scenery and is not as crowded as that to Everest.



Lonely Planet TV has a nice video by some folks who did this trek. This is the third of three videos about their pretty darn uncomfortable looking trek up to Everest Base Camp:
http://www.lonelyplanet.tv/Clip.aspx?key=90622AA914A7C989

Olympics in Vancouver B.C.

The Olympics being in eight days in Vancouver. Each year the online coverage of the Olympics improves and the Winter Games in Vancouver will have some superb online environments to watch, explore, and experience the games.

Although there will be coverage via Facebook and Twitter, I don't see a few cam pictures and text as the best way to experience the games, especially because many events only take a few minutes anyway so the advantages of "condensing" information down to a few snips make less sense than for, say, a speech where you may just want to glean a few tidbits.

Here is the NBC Coverage (NBC is likely to have the best and most Olympics content): NBCOlympics.com

ESPN Sports: espn.go.com/olympics/

Here is the official website of the Olympics: Olympic.org

CBS Sports: http://www.cbssports.com/olympics

BBC: News.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics/

Dirtiest Hotels in America

TripAdvisor.com has ranked the "top ten" worst reviewed hotels in the USA in terms of cleanliness, and CNN has the story.

Although customer reviews can be of dubious quality - competitors may even chime in with fake reviews to hurt another business - it's probably fair to say that if your property has hundreds of bad reviews you should seriously consider....changing things!

Traveling to Canada for the Olympics? Check your documents.

New travel document requirements will affect people travelling from the USA to Canada for the Olympics. Generally a valid passport should do the trick as well as special WHTI travel documents. If you are not clear on requirements you should read this and contact authorities to make sure you won't have problems returning to the US after the Olympics:

Returning to the U.S. after the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

Vancouver is expected to be a popular destination for U.S. citizens during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), U.S. citizens entering the the U.S. by air, land or sea from Vancouver or elsewhere in Canada must have a WHTI-approved travel document. Please allow several weeks for new document application and processing before leaving for Vancouver.

Arriving in the U.S. by Air
When returning home from Vancouver by plane you are required to present a U.S. passport, with these exceptions.

Entering the U.S. by Land
If you are a U.S. citizen driving, taking a bus or train back from Vancouver into the U.S., you are required to present a U.S. passport, U.S. passport card, enhanced driver’s license (EDL) or Trusted Traveler Program card. Some travelers may be part of the WHTI Special Groups in which case travel document requirements may be different.

Traveling to the U.S. by Sea
Travelers taking a ferry or small boat back to the U.S. from the Vancouver area must have a U.S. passport, U.S. passport card, enhanced driver’s license (EDL) or Trusted Traveler Program card. Some travelers may be part of the WHTI Special Groups in which case travel document requirements may be different.

The above information is for U.S. citizens on their way home from Vancouver or another destination in Canada. Canadian and Mexican citizens should access the appropriate WHTI information by clicking country of citizenship on the map on the home page.

Please allow four to six weeks to process your WHTI-approved travel document.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/

Winter Olympics in British Columbia, Canada

Here's the official olympic website for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and surrounding areas of British Columbia, Canada:

http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-tickets/olympic/

The ticket process is based on several factors designed to make it fair and offer opportunities to everybody. You'll probably find that popular events are prohibitively expensive in the auctions, so consider attending practices to get the feel of the Olympics and then watching the finals on TV along with the rest of the world.

Tallest Buildings in the World

Tallest Towers (below) are from Wikipedia list.

Tall building graphic From Burj Dubai website: (missing Shanghai WFC) http://www.burjdubai.com/the-tower/worlds-tallest-towers.aspx

Comparison picture of tall buildings from Info Please: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001338.html

Rank	Building[A][3]	City	Country	Height		Floors	Built
1	Burj Khalifa	Dubai	UAE	828 m	2,717 ft	160	2010
2	Taipei 101	Taipei	Taiwan (ROC)	509 m	1,671 ft	101	2004
3	Shanghai World Financial Center	Shanghai	China (PRC)	492 m	1,614 ft	101	2008
4	International Commerce Centre	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	483 m	1,584 ft	118	2009[C]
5=	Petronas Tower 1	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	452 m	1,483 ft	88	1998
5=	Petronas Tower 2	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	452 m	1,483 ft	88	1998
7	Nanjing Greenland Financial Center	Nanjing	China (PRC)	450 m	1,476 ft	89	2009[D]
8	Willis Tower	Chicago	United States	442 m	1,451 ft	108	1973
9	Guangzhou West Tower	Guangzhou	China (PRC)	440 m	1,444 ft	103	2009[C]
10	Trump International Hotel and Tower	Chicago	United States	423 m	1,362 ft	96	2009[C]
11	Jin Mao Tower	Shanghai	China (PRC)	421 m	1,380 ft	88	1998
12	Two International Finance Centre	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	416 m	1,362 ft	88	2003
13	CITIC Plaza	Guangzhou	China (PRC)	391 m	1,283 ft	80	1997
14	Shun Hing Square	Shenzhen	China (PRC)	384 m	1,260 ft	69	1996
15	Empire State Building	New York City	United States	381 m	1,250 ft	102	1931
16	Central Plaza	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	374 m	1,227 ft	78	1992
17	Bank of China Tower	Hong Kong	Hong Kong	367 m	1,205 ft	72	1990
18	Bank of America Tower	New York City	United States	366 m	1,200 ft	54	2008
19	Almas Tower	Dubai	UAE	363 m	1,191 ft	68	2009
20	Emirates Office Tower	Dubai	UAE	355 m	1,163 ft	54	2000