30 May 2008
Egilsstaðir is located on Iceland’s east coast. The town and the surrounding area are home to some of Iceland’s most beautiful landscapes. The town was established in 1947 as a service center for the region. It has grown a great deal over the years and is now the largest city on the east end of the island.
06 May 2008
We left our hotel in Georgetown and traveled though the city by cab. The drive was very surreal. We saw cows standing next to pumps at a gas station. We crossed the worlds longest floating bridge, which seemed to be metal plates not joined together in any particular way, held up by various floating debris. At one point we drove along the dykes that separate the ocean from the city. Apparently the Dutch only like to make settlements below sea level. We also saw farmers drying their rice on the shoulder of the road.
04 May 2008
We left Shanklands eco-resort and traveled up the Essequibo river by boat. We arrived at an incredibly small airstrip. Our boat captain dropped us off and then sped away. One thing about traveling in Guyana is that the people are not very forth coming with information on itineraries. Although we had no problems, being dropped off at a jungle airstrip where the only structure is basically a bus stop with a windsock on top can be a little disconcerting. We waited a little while until an incredibly small plane arrived.
24 Apr 2008
Moody’s Namena is a one-resort island, owned and operated by Tom and Joan Moody. The resort consists of six bures that sit a top the islands cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Each bure or Fijian cottage is an hexagon with double doors on three walls that lead onto a wrap around porch. So, whether you are on the deck or laying in your king size bed you always have a fantastic view, and at night you have the ocean waves to lull you to sleep.
22 Apr 2008
My trip started at 7:00 pm in NYC. I boarded a plane for Salt Lake City that was supposed to arrive around 11:00 pm, but didn’t get in until 1:00 am. Since I was going solo and the route I was taking is a one-way trip I had to hire a shuttle from the base to the trail head. If you need a ride arrange it before you go. At the end of the article I provided a list of authorized shuttle providers. I had to meet my shuttle at Lee’s Ferry which is about an hour and a half outside Page Arizona, so I picked up my rental car and started the six hour drive. On the way I stopped at the BLM station to pick up my permit. You can get the required permit online at: www.blm.gov/az/asfo/paria/. I finally reached Lee’s Ferry at 9:30 am and started the two hour drive back to the Wire Pass trailhead. This timetable is a little extreme. I recommend spending the night in Page or camping in one of the nearby campgrounds before you start backpacking, rather than traveling for nineteen straight hours.
