Wanderlusting - Lusting for Wandering and Stories of Travel Adventures

Do I need a passport for my baby?

greg — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 19:21:33 +0000

In case you are, for example, the parents of a child and you are taking a trip I have created a handy website to help you determine if you need a passport for that child.

It's called: Do I need a passport for my baby.

I hope you enjoy it. I enjoyed making it. I didn't enjoy learning about this new policy while in line to get on a flight because it meant I missed the flight and had to stay home in Denver instead. Denver is nice, but not as nice as being on a trip.

Hiking El Pital - The highest peak on the border of El Salvador and Honduras

greg — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:26:39 +0000

In 2006 we went on a trip to El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. On that trip we "hiked" El Pital, which is mostly about taking a bus to a mountain pass on the side of the mountain and then maybe a 2 hour walk up the road to the top of the mountain.

Bus to El Pital

I don't remember the exact name of the town where we found the bus, but it should be relatively easy to figure out. We started in La Palma and took the early early morning bus to another town. Then we had a little food from a pretty nasty pupuseria while waiting for the bus up the hill. The mountain pass had a tiny shop where we bought some potato chips and similar things.

Salar de Uyuni vs. Global Lithium Needs

greg — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:58:47 +0000

The Salar De Uyuni, one of our favorite parts of our 2008 trip in Bolivia, is now at risk of serious changes. It seems that 70% of the world's known reserves of lithium which is of course an important element for all of the lithium-ion batteries in the cellphones, ipods, cameras, and laptops that people take on their trips to the salt flats to document their trip.

We've posted a ton of photos of our trip to the Salar De Uyuni, here are some of the best. I post these at the request of the site Save the Salar who are also on twitter. They want the world to know about the beauty of the salar and the risks it faces.

More Mexican Spanish Slang-- cursing in el DF

Brook — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:36:12 +0000

After my first post on Mexican Spanish Slang I wanted to share this blog I just came across that is devoted to swearing in Mexico City.

http://swearindf.blogspot.com/

It's a compilation of some very slangy curse words that made me laugh and laugh. The author provides mini-dialogues with translations to really give you the idea. Very good stuff.

Going abroad: Do I need a converter or an adapter?

greg — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:27:01 +0000

I frequently am asked "when going abroad, do I need a converter or an adapter or both?"

What is a power converter?

A converter takes energy from the wall in one format and turns it into another. So, in Argentina the power is 220-240v, 50 Hz, AC. That means the voltage is 220 to 240 and it comes in 50 alternating cycles per second. For comparison the United States of America is 120 volts at 60hz. You can see different standard power measure from around the world at http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm

Now, will that work for you? Most electrical products should say in tiny little writing something like

Input: 100-240v, 50-60hz.
Output: 6.5-18.5v, 4.6A max.

Slum Tourism in the Developing World

Nikki — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:45:22 +0000

One of the new trends in travel is tours of the ghettos and slums to get an idea of how large portions of the developing world really live. There were several tours offered in Time Out Buenos Aires to visit the villas de miseria or more politically correctly: villas de emergencia in the outskirts of town.

Highlights of San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

Nikki — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:55:24 +0000

San Cristóbal de las Casas is a charming colonial town nestled into the green mountains of Mexico's southern state Chiapas. Home of the Zapatista uprising of 1994, the feeling in town these days is much more refined than revolucionario. A few things to check out:

Mexico City Highlights

Nikki — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:49:44 +0000

Although we didn't see nearly as much as we hoped with museums and events closed for swine flu, here are some great things to check out in Mexico City.

Any trip to Mexico City should start by reading David Lida's First Stop in the New World: Mexico City, the Capital of the 21st Century. The book is chock-full of fun facts and interesting insight into a fascinating city.

Doorways in Latin America

Nikki — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:26:37 +0000

The doorways found in Latin America (and Europe) are so much more exciting than ours... Below are a few favorites from our travels.

México, DF

Uruguay, Colonia Suiza

Uruguay, Colonia del Sacramento

España, Briones

Mexico City's Centro Histórico and the Zócalo

Nikki — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:23:19 +0000

View of the Zócalo

One of the quintessential sites of Mexico City is its main central plaza called the Zócalo. The Zócalo provides a gathering place and center of transit for tourists and locals alike. Here is a view from above, with a fun column detail demonstrating typical architectural design.