Wanderlusting - English

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.

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.

Historic Maps of Latin America

greg — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:05:15 +0000

For me, maps are little gold mines of information. I love to pour over them imagining what the place is like, or letting them remind me of my favorite parts of a trip to a specific area. As we spent our 9 months in the Spanish Speaking world the one souvenir we kept from every location was the local maps. I'm sure that in years to come these will be great for kickstarting our memories.

Historical Maps of Latin American Locations

Best Travel Coffee Maker: Aeropress vs. Primula Stove Top

greg — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 23:19:38 +0000

On our trip, Nikki and I were a bit concerned about coffee because we like the American style rich, strong, and somewhat sweet roasts. So, we brought along some coffee from the US but also found a couple of local places to get our beans for home brews (we also spent tons of time in the cafes of Argentina - it is known for its cafe culture, after all).

Primula 9 Cup Stove Top Coffee Maker

If you're from the U.S. and you are in another country, what country do you say you are from?

HeatherFife — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:46:44 +0000

* the U.S. of course! * Canada, always * I pretend I'm French * If pressured for a response I say I'm from the U.S. * This is a stupid poll question

The Mexico City Airport: Terminal 1? Terminal 2?

Brook — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:25:07 +0000

Hello all,

Because the Mexico City Airport (Benito Juarez, airport code MEX) opened a second terminal recently, I thought I would share a quick tip. The airlines that arrive at Terminal 2 are:
Continental
Delta
AeroMexico
Lan
Copa
Aeromar

All others arrive at Terminal 1. The metro (Yellow Line, stop: Terminal Aerea) goes to Terminal 1, and is very easy to find and take. You can take safe taxis from either terminal by buying a ticket at a taxi stand (not by answering one of the gentlemen yelling "TAXI!", they are not necessarily safe). I don't know Terminal 2 very well, but if you have to meet someone at Terminal 1, there are two international arrivals gates about 200 yards apart and very nearby is a restaurant called Freedom which is easy to find and a good spot to meet up.

Mexican Spanish Slang

Brook — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:48:12 +0000

Some Slang Used In Mexico
I don't know it all, but here are some of the slang words and uses I have picked up in Mexico. Some of them may actually used in other Latin American countries as well.

Güey- Probably the most used slang in Mexico. It is like "dude," and is used ALL the time (pronounced almost like “way”).
Pinche- fucking (adj.)
No manches- No way! Not to be used in formal situations.
No mames- No way! The cussword version. Definitely do not use this in formal situations. literally it basically means don't blow me.
Mamada- blow job
@- used when a word can be male or female, to represent both the “O” and the “A” in the word.

Spanish Tour by the Numbers

Nikki — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:48:59 +0000

Here's some vital stats on the old Spanish Tour:

Months: 9
Books Read By Greg: ~20
Books Read By Nikki: ~15 (he reads too fast!)
New Random Websites Launched: 1, 2, 3, 4
Wineries Visited: 29 (winery visits and reviews)
Breweries Visited: 1 (Stone!)

Countries Visited: 10

USA
France
Spain
England
Canada (we stopped-over in montreal, and had to clear customs, eh.)
Argentina
Uruguay
Argentina
Chile
Argentina
Bolivia
Peru
Chile
Argentina
USA