Our Visit To Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Images and thoughts from Learning To Travel blog found at https://learningtotravel.com/victoria-falls

Our Berlin Wall Visit

This Berlin Wall post was originally published at Learning To Travel.

Visiting such a place always gives the traveler a reason to pause and reflect, to be thankful for the ability to travel. 

Wildtracks | Manatee and Primate Rehabilitation in Belize

Originally posted over at Learning To Travel. 

What I saw and learned about the Manatee and Primate Rehabilitation in Belize hosted and managed by a non-profit organization called Wildtracks so fascinating I just might have to come back.

Not only do they serve as the only rehabilitation center for these species in Belize, they also have an amazing and affordable volunteer program that lets them accomplish a lot more, while allowing volunteers the opportunity to get experience working hands on with these animals for 1 or more months at a time.

While we were there, we got to see a growing manatee named Duke. Duke is an Antillean Manatee who currently weighs in at about 200 pounds, but he’ll need to be closer to 350 before he starts the process of being released back into the wild. [Read more...]

Amsterdam Loves Bikes!

Originally posted here.

Lions Of Tsavo

Complete post can be found at Learning To Travel

The lions at Tsavo where the only lions we saw while in Africa but they did not disappoint! 

Packing List For Long Term Travel

Some of the most common questions people have had when they hear about our trip relate to how big my suitcase is and what I am planning to carry around the world. People get even more curious when I share that we are not planning to check any bags on our trip. So what is my packing list for long term travel?

And if you’ve known me since the days when I checked 2 suitcases to come home for two weeks at Christmastime, you might be even more interested.

Below is a pretty exhaustive list of my packing list for long term travel. I’ve also included the items I consider “group gear” that are in Daryle’s pack, like the first aid kit, camera, etc, since I think those are important to getting the full idea of what we have chosen to bring along.

After my first hike to our current cabin in Sayulita, I am already considering what I might leave behind when we head out at the end of the month. I’ll let you know what doesn’t make the cut.

My Packing List for Long Term Travel

In my Osprey Porter 46L (that’s equivalent to 2800 cu in for those not well-versed in liters), I am carrying: Read more now!

Slice Of Life In Belize

One of the great benefits of Couchsurfing or staying with locals in some other fashion, is the chance to do things tourists just don’t have anyway to know about or get to.

For instance, yesterday, we spent the day at a waterfall/swimming hole in the mountains, about 45 minutes outside Placencia. We are totally reliant on public transportation, so even if we knew about the waterfall, there’s no way we’d have gotten there. (There was definitely 4 wheel drive involved.)

Read more...

What is a Proper Roundabout?

What is a proper roundabout? Click here to find out!

Our African Safari

Tales from our African safari!

Zebra At Sunset In Kenya

Photo from a recent post over at Learning To Travel.

Tower Hill Sugar Factory in Orange Walk Town Belize

Took this photo of the Tower Hill Sugar Factory while floating down the New River in Belize.

Click here to read more.

Hiking South Africa's Robberg Nature Reserve and Marine Protected Area

Yesterday and today, we’ve enjoyed the first real hikes of our trip. Luckily the weather has been gorgeous and winter in South Africa has turned out to be quite nice. Its a lot like spring in Colorado, in the 60s and 70s during the day and around 40 at night. Interestingly, we’ve found that very few places here have heat. We’ve been lucky that our last guest house had a space heater and this one has an electric blanket. This is only the first month of winter here, so it seems a little overconfident to me not to even install heating, but it must work out.

Click here to read more about Hiking South Africa's Robberg Nature Reserve and Marine Protected Area

How To Eat Cheap While Traveling

Lesson 1:

• Look for where the locals eat.
• If the menu is in English and you are not in an English-speaking country you are probably paying too much.
• Eat street food.

We are in Flores, Guatemala and there are a lot of backpacking tourists and a lot of restaurants. We looked at some menus last night and we could easily have spent $20-$30 on dinner for the two of us, without even including drinks. 

Click to read more of How To Eat Cheap While Traveling

A Statue At Vigeland Park In Oslo Norway

As seen over at LearningToTravel.com

Swetsville Zoo In Northern Colorado

In this zoo you will not find any animals – you will just find a collection of sculptors crafted by Bill Swets. Creatures of all types, shapes and sizes, built from old machinery and random car parts. At sometime around 1985 he began making this junkyard art as a way to deal with insomnia, he would continue making them for ten years.

Click here to read the complete article on what we found at the Swetsville Zoo! 

Take Your Dream Vacation In A Year

Do you need a vacation? Have you been dreaming of travel? Is there a place you’ve always wanted to visit? Paris maybe? Or how about Rome? Considering China? Let’s not forget Australia. There are so many amazing places to visit but it seems so hard to ever get around to taking those incredible trips. Which is why you need to learn how to take your dream vacation in a year.

Sure there are many good reasons why it is so hard to take a dream vacation. The two main being money and time. Travel is expensive (or so you believe) and you don’t have the time to take any trips (or so you tell yourself).

A dream vacation is like any goal or project in life – through proper planning and preparation it is possible to travel anywhere in the world you want in a year. Have you ever taken the time to plan out your dream vacation just to see what exactly it would take to pull it off? Didn’t think so.

Click here to read the full article on how to take a vacation one year from today!

What Is The Best Travel Water Bottle?

No matter how far or how long a trip you are planning is you need to have a water bottle on your packing list. This can help save you from constantly having to buy bottled water and also be used with a purification system depending on where in the world you are. But which one is the best travel water bottle?

Finding the best travel water bottle.

Before my year of travel I did a lot of research and shopping around for the idea vessel to carry H20 around in and the one I decided to go with is the Hydro Flask 21oz insulated stainless steel bottle. After more than a year of travel in over 20 countries I believe this to be a near perfect travel water bottle.

Living out of a backpack and constantly moving from one place to the next is hard on the body, the mind, and the gear. But this tough little bottle took everything I put it through very well. That is because it is made with 18/8 stainless steel. Honestly I do not know what the "18/8" means but it must have something to do with the endurance this bottle has.

And it is a "food grade" stainless steel which means you can put a lot more than just water in this bottle and it does not retain the flavor. For example if you have an early start to your day and you want to safely take some nice hot coffee with you this flask will get the job done without taking on any stale coffee funk. When the coffee is gone simply rinse it out, add fresh water, and you are good to go. 

Also because it is insulated that coffee will stay nice and hot but you will still be able to hold the bottle with burning your hands. (See what I mean by best travel water bottle?) Hydro Flask claims it will stay hot for 12 hours but I always drank my coffee a bit faster than that so we'll have to take their word for it.

Speaking of insulated... 

The company also claims that it will keep liquids cold for up to 24 hours. Again I never kept anything in the bottle for that long but I can say that when I was in tropical climates no matter how hot it was outside the water in the bottle always stayed nice and cold.

Bonus points for not sweating.

Again because of the vacuum insulated bottle there was no condensation on the flask. This alone is worth the price of admission. Not having the bottle get covered in condensation meant I could safely stash it next to my camera or electronics and not worry about.

Keep it clean.

No matter what I put in the bottle or what I did with it the water always stayed fresh and did not get that weird funk plastic bottles are know for. My years as an Infantryman taught me that "take care of your gear and it will take care of you." Because of this I washed it with dish soap when I could or simply rinsed it and let it dry when soap was not available. That is all I had to do to keep it clean.

How much does the best travel water bottle cost?

The 21oz bottle I used retails at $25.99. Yes you can find cheaper bottles but because a travel water bottle is so important to a trip I do not recommend cutting corners in this department. The bottle does come with a lifetime warranty so it is really a good value.

Final thoughts.

I travel very light and a lot of thought goes into everything that goes into my backpack. So I am glad that I discovered the Hydro Flask. I plan on taking with me on every trip I take because I truly believe it is the best travel water bottle.

And not only does Hydro Flask make the best travel water bottle they might just make the best beer growler. I have not got my hand on one yet but I plan to once I get back to Fort Collins. It is a 64oz stainless steel insulated bottle that looks perfect for keep my 90 Shilling fresh and cold. Check it out.

"The world is your oyster."

I believe that is true because I believe we are living in the Golden Age of Global Travel. At no time in human history has it been easier to move yourself around planet earth than it is right now. And with the future always being uncertain that could change at anytime.

So the time to travel is now.

I know you have a desire to travel. I know there are places you dream of visiting. Experiences you desire to have. The time to do all this is now. Not later, not someday, but now.

Why is now the Golden Age of Global Travel?

Travel is affordable, more affordable than you probably think.

Money is a common excuse for not traveling but with proper planning and research you will find that it is possible to find very inexpensive to fly to your dream destination. These days you can gain free flights though mileage and points programs without setting foot on a plane.

This is oftern refered to as "travel hacking" and here are a few articles to get you started:

The Ultimate Travel Hacking Guide

Travel Hacking Articles

And it is not just airfare that is affordable. Lodging, transport, and meals can also be insanely cheap these days. In fact for an American it is very easy to spend less per day while traveling abroad than the amount spent per day living at home.

Travel is safer than it has ever been.

Historically travel of any great distance was a very dangerous endeavour. But now we live in a time when you can safely take a flight from New York City to London on a daily basis. In fact it is so common we take it for granted.

It is a good time to travel because the world is at peace.

Though it may not seem like it when you watch the news mankind is experiencing a level of peace unlike any other time in history. Only a small percentage of the planet is restricted due to war or conflicts. Even Croatia now has a thriving tourism industry.

The world is waiting for you.

The well known saying "The world is your oyster," comes from the Shakespeare play The Merry Wives of Windsor. In it the character Pistol states, "Why then the world's my oyster. Which with sword I will open."

Pistol is stating that he has the tools and the means to pry the world open and pluck the treasure that is hidden inside it. You too have the means to to pry the world open and experience the treasure that is waiting for you.

So what are you waiting for? 

The time to travel is now!

7 Things To Take On Vacation

What to take on vacation? 

Every traveler and every trip is different but I do believe there are a few basic items that all trips and all travelers could benefit from. 

I put a lot of thought into my “must haves” and narrowed it down to this seven items:

1. A Smart Device – As you travel you will constantly have a need for new information and having a computer in your pocket is very handy. My device is probably my most used item on our trip.

2. Earplugs – Quality sleep is essential for health and sanity. A good set of earplugs has many times been the difference between a good night’s sleep or a long night of frustration.

3. Toilet Paper – You can’t always count on the bathrooms of the world having TP so it is wise to keep your own handy just in case.

4. Ibuprofen – A head or body ache will make a long trip longer. Keep these pills around to dull the pain.

5. Duct Tape – You already know how useful it can be but did you know it comes in travel size?

6. Headphones – For me music is right up there with basic needs such as shelter, water, and food. This means my headphones always within reach.

7. Universal Drain Stopper – Laundry must be done and on the road it is often done in sinks and showers but a stopper is not guaranteed so be sure to bring your own.

The Most Dangerous Risk Of All