tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65155912011-04-21T21:32:41.769-07:00Travelogue of a self-described nomad.The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comBlogger391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1140120572296450542006-02-16T12:07:00.000-08:002006-02-23T10:09:54.053-08:00

Here's my bomber bike:

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1140120229191964732006-02-16T12:03:00.000-08:002006-02-16T12:03:49.190-08:00

I'm working on updating my older journals by adding new posts and linking images from the different locales.

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1140118651433387522004-06-18T11:13:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:11:29.886-08:00

I can't take credit for any of these photos. Richard Dunn took them and you can see more examples of his work in his gallery. I shoot slide film mostly and I haven't been able to find a quality scanner yet to convert them to digital.Rich and I took this trip in 2004 as a "training ride" before starting down the coast. It was a great way to work out the kinks, figure out exactly what I do/don't

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1140119294659426372004-06-16T11:44:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:12:51.096-08:00

These pictures were taken around Deception Pass. Aside from the heat it was an enjoyable ride.Thinking back, I didn't know much about touring ... so these first few days out bring back fond memories and are special because of that.

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1110931947046589962004-04-13T02:24:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:30:53.666-08:00

Today is my last day in Thailand and will be my final The Nomad Speaksuntil I begin my travels again somewhere else.I spent last week in the town of Pai. It was exactly what I had beenlooking for. Pai (pronounced "bye") is a small town, maybe 500people, with no real tourism to speak of. There are other farangaround, but the locals happily allow them to blend in instead oftrying to hit them up

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1110931842423147312004-04-01T22:47:00.000-08:002006-02-23T10:31:31.563-08:00

This trip to Thailand should be called "Finding Artit." If you recallfrom my last "The Nomad Speaks," Artit was the guy I met and took a quicktour of Old Bangkok with. He invited me to stay with him and his familyin Chiang Mai during the Songkran Festival.While in Southern Thailand I was trying like mad to contact Artit.I was getting conflicting answers from the locals about the phone

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1110931748870750462004-03-24T23:19:00.000-08:002006-02-23T10:31:50.256-08:00

I wanted to fill you in on my latest travels. After a few months ofwasting away as a liftie/ski bum I was getting anxious to take anothertrip. I found a good price on a ticket to Thailand from Cathay Pacificso I jumped on it. I've been here since March 17th and I fly back onthe 14th of April. I was limited to 30 days travel because of theticket restrictions.On arrival in Bangkok, I looked

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1110413184800659662003-10-03T16:06:00.000-07:002005-05-25T07:45:29.533-07:00

This is the final installment of "The Nomad Speaks." I'm in Istanbul, Turkey where I've been hanging out for a few days. It's an easy place to stay. Practically everyone speaks English, Latin character set, cheap (and tasty) street food and the people are super friendly. The only confusing thing is the Turkish lire. One million = 1 USD... trying to count the money is time consuming because

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1110413141821081322003-09-30T22:11:00.000-07:002005-05-25T07:45:45.616-07:00

I know I'm breaking the rules here with the frequency of updates, but Iwanted to write about my experiences in Bulgaria while they were still fresh.There will only be one more "The Nomad Speaks" after this. I'm ending myjourney in Istanbul, Turkey this weekend and flying back to America to visitfriends and family before figuring out what to do and where to go thiswinter. I'm currently in Veliko

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1110413067653935032003-09-24T16:03:00.000-07:002005-05-25T07:45:57.973-07:00

I realize it hasn't been very long since the last "The Nomad Speaks" but since I made it through the heart of the Balkans unscathed, I wanted to let you know my experiences. Ok, not totally unscathed... I seem to have picked up a bug, probably from food/water in Skopje, that has been playing havoc with my digestive system but I'll spare everyone the details. :)I had an incredible, albeit brief,

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1110412938313728292003-09-15T21:01:00.000-07:002005-05-25T07:46:08.930-07:00

I'm currently in Mostar, Bosnia-Hercegovina. I arrived last night (Sunday) by bus from Split, Croatia. In the last "The Nomad Speaks" I was just finishing up my tour of Slovenia visiting a few towns on the Adriatic coast.Everyone I spoke to, locals, other travellers, guide books reported that Croatians weren't as friendly as the Slovenians. My first visit to Croatia was to the port city of

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1110412860563619152003-08-26T18:55:00.000-07:002005-05-25T07:46:20.266-07:00

Today I'm in Koper on the Adriatic Coast of Slovenia. In the previous "The Nomad Speaks" I was spending my final days in Budapest. I tried a Turkish Thermal Bath one morning. It's several large pools filled with water from the thermal springs below. I was a bit disappointed as the water only reaches 37-38C. I stepped into the sauna which was 70C! I only lasted about 30 seconds before I had

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1110412702146873552003-08-14T21:33:00.000-07:002005-05-25T07:46:34.486-07:00

Szia! The Nomad is currently sitting in the Ami Internet Cafe in Budapest, Hungary. Budapest (or BP as it is affectionately known) is split in two by the Danube (Buda on the west bank and Pest on the east). Pest is mostly city while Buda is mostly residential and much quiter. It's a wonderful city with a wide variety of architecture; old Turkish architecture next to Gothic next to Communist.

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1110412418408155692003-08-05T18:58:00.000-07:002005-05-25T07:46:48.486-07:00

Ahoj!To pick up where I left off, I departed Praha and headed to Plzen where I met a nice older guy named Zdenek who helped me find a cheap bed for the night and walked me around the city. I visited the cemetary where Industrial Age Czech superstar Skoda is buried along with the guy who wrote the Czech national anthem. Zdenek also showed me Meditation Park where Pedrovsky did some work, and

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1110412030876031752003-07-30T15:46:00.000-07:002005-05-25T07:47:00.673-07:00

Dobry den! Just dropping a note to anyone that cares. I'm currently inPraha (Prague), Czech Republic. I flew into London Heathrow on Thursday(25th?) and took a bus to Dover, slept in the station and took the ferry toCalais, France the next morning. Eager to get out of expensive WesternEurope, I took a train to Brussels, Belgium down to Couvais (close toChimay), back to Brussels for the night.

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124825834241594822002-07-22T15:30:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:19:26.953-08:00

We made it! Wonderful walk today ... nothing hurt. Even though my feet were numb, it didn't matter because I felt so strong and so excited. The day went by too fast. I've never been so happy and sad. Part of me wishes we could turn around and walk back to Edale.The walk to the top of Au Chope Cairn (2382 ft.) was great. Windy, wet tough climb to the top where the trail just drops off.

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124825417421757452002-07-21T17:27:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:17:22.353-08:00

Full English at the garage down the street. Steep climb at the beginning through wooded areas, rocks and mud. Fun! Beautiful walk along the hills, with perfect weather (wet and cool temps).Stayed at the Uswayford Farm, halfway between Byrness and Kirk Yetholm. Only 12.5 miles to go ... I can't believe it!

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124825237821682282002-07-20T22:29:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:17:38.793-08:00

We had breakfast at the co-op in the morning. It was a long, wet walk into Byrness. I enjoyed every minute of it. Lots of forests nestled in the valley ... rain, mud, slugs ... all the things that make life worth living. We stayed at the Youth Hostel and ate at the Byrness Inn down the road.

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124825065562413642002-07-19T22:20:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:17:54.506-08:00

Great walk today. Left Once Brewed Youth Hostel with a full belly. Walked along Crag Lough (impressive!) and farm land (not impressive).Rain throughout the day. I was a muddy mess by the time we reached Bellingham.The caretaker was quite a character. Thick Northern English (Southern Scottish) accent and he loved to tell stories. He's 77, married to a woman that's 35. They've been married

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124824794477615252002-07-18T20:19:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:18:15.340-08:00

The owner of the Tea House promised us breakfast at 8:30 AM ... half an hour before opening and she definitely delivered. With just her preparing four fulls, we were eating by 8:40 and had great service.Painfully hot day today!Visited Thirlwall castle ruins ... early 14th century. Walking along Hadrians Wall was pleasant. Took a few photos. Stopped by the Twice Brewed Inn/Pub for a few

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124824124028564732002-07-17T21:04:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:18:34.220-08:00

Great breakfast at our brownstone B & B. We picked up the trail where we left it at the pub the previous night.It was a lazy walk through the pastures, up and down, through the valley until we reached Slaggyford.At first we setup camp at a caravan park (read trailer park w/lots of bugs). We walked 1.5 miles down the road to a pub and found another campsite at a farmhouse. Rich and I convinced

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124824431839225592002-07-16T20:18:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:18:49.846-08:00

No breakfast this morning ... too bad, I really needed the energy kick. A decent cup of tea would have been nice.Once again, another lazy walk. The past few days have been boring ... mostly flat walks dodging cow patties.We camped and ate at the Ye Olde Tea House and picked up some rations at the hostel across the street. There were no rooms available unfortunately. We have reservations at

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124823875966409852002-07-15T23:01:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:19:09.603-08:00

Incredible climb to the tops of Great Dun Fell, Little Dun Fell and Cross Fell. Windy, wet and foggy the whole time ... visibility was ~25 m. What a rush! 16 miles later we reached Eden Valley, Garigill.An American woman from Virginia helped us secure a bed for the night ... unfortunately it was a pricey B & B but it was nice to get cleaned up and sleep in a bed.

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124823618847519152002-07-14T23:56:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:19:43.736-08:00

Nice walk again today. Walked long the river Tees, crossed over at Cauldron Snout and under a reservoir. Steady climb up reaching High Cup Nick ... two scars forming a V shape valley ... impressive, then dropped into Dufton.Stopped at the Stag Inn/Pub, had a pint, lamb and potatoes. Stayed at a campsite just down the road. Brian talked the bar maid into serving us breakfast in the morning.

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124823133212028482002-07-13T23:47:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:19:58.573-08:00

Late start to the day. Cold ravioli from a can for breakfast.We've been trying to work out the remaining schedule to ensure we have enough time to finish. Our option is ... do 24 miles to Dufton or 9 miles to Langdon Beck. Gerry and Brian resisted the 24 miler. Gerry came up with a plan that puts us in Kirk Yetholm on the 22nd ... two days ahead of schedule, without doing the 24 miler. I

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124822817056117722002-07-12T22:39:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:20:14.813-08:00

I loved the atmosphere at Tan Hill Inn. Breakfast in the morning was great and always provides me with the much needed boost.It was a long slog across roadways before reaching the dirt trail of the Pennine Way again. Passed mile 128 (half way!) before reaching the reservoir. Military jets flying overhead (Tornados, F-16s, F-111s).Second day carrying Brian and Gerrys tent. It ways a ton and

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124822517458535602002-07-11T19:43:00.001-07:002006-02-23T10:20:31.090-08:00

Great walk today. This is the strongest that I've felt since starting the trip although I was still tired and sore. Lots of up and down. We saw some Swaledale sheep and walked through Wensleydale but didn't try the cheese.Rich and I broke away from Brian and Gerry for the first time. They wanted to rest three miles from our destination, but Rich and I felt we should push on ... since we were

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124822115195001882002-07-10T19:18:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:20:48.940-08:00

Full English breakfast at the Three Peaks Cafe. We signed the Pennine Way Walkers Registry.Long, hot walk into Hawes. Not a very pleasant day today ... too hot and too many cow pastures. We met two Welsh walkers and had a short chat with them. Afterwords we ate a delicious duck dinner and had a few pints. Camped at a converted train yard.

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124821874002116442002-07-09T17:34:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:21:07.486-08:00

Wonderful breakfast at the inn down the road. We walked above Malham Cove across beautiful fields and a small forest. Moved well across a tall peak south of Pen y Ghent.The original plan (for Brian and Gerry) was to head into Horton for the night, tackle Pen y Ghent the next morning leaving their packs in town and wild camp for the night. We persuaded them to hit Pen y Ghent the same afternoon

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124821525983489392002-07-08T20:21:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:21:23.573-08:00

Short, easy walk today. Again, we walked with Brian and Gerry. Nice pub at the end of the day ... good food and good ales. Massive limestone structures at Malham.I feel strong today and I'm hoping the next few days we'll be able to put in 20 miles each day. Before we started, we talked about being able to do 30 miles easy ... now I'm starting to wonder.I had black pudding for the first time.

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124821266885942052002-07-07T23:17:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:17:05.996-08:00

Horrible camping facilities last night. Rustic toilet and no shower ... sniff, sniff ... it's been a few days now and I'm ripe!Great walk today ... very enjoyable. It was too hot and I got some sunburn on my hands and face, but the countryside was beautiful. We walked the whole distance with Brian and Gerry. The walk a slower pace, but I find I'm not as tired at the end of the day and they're

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124821034464764552002-07-06T19:11:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:16:43.763-08:00

We got a late start to the day ... Rich wanted to pick up some supplies from nearby Hebden Bridge. I picked up some maps and pastries. We left the hostel around noon and headed back to Stoodley Pike, down the valley past Hebden Bridge and slogged north over the hills.Rather uneventful day. Long walk in the heat. We caught up with Brian and Gerry heading down into Ponden. We camped in an

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124820662597717852002-07-05T22:14:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:16:17.246-08:00

Another wonderful breakfast and we headed for Mankinholes. The old lady caretaker of Globe Farm called ahead for us at the hostel in Mankinholes and arranged a room for us and our two mates.As we came to the M62, we found a sannie (sandwich) wagon. We stopped for about 20 minutes to scarf down a couple of black currant pastries and a spot of tea. We talked with a fellow from Manchester who was

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124820102863451672002-07-04T19:17:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:15:57.023-08:00

It was a soggy night with lots of midges. Clouds of them following me around. With everything dry, we started fresh around 9:30 AM.Lots of up and down on the way. Long slog north through a valley, over Black Hill, down the other side, up the next hill, etc. With all the up and down our change in elevation must be 200+m with every hill. This marked one of the many days that we crossed over

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124819697745033012002-07-03T20:49:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:15:35.806-08:00

We had a wonderful traditional full-English breakfast. Toast w/marmalade, fried tomatoes, beans, eggs, sausage and bacon. We left Glossup and caught the bus to The Grouse Inn where we started our journey back on "The Way" where we left off. We clearly found the point where we screwed up. Took a few photos and headed north to Crowden. The moors and peat bogs are impressive ... lots of grouse,

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1124819370436881582002-07-02T10:42:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:15:15.193-08:00

With an early start ... ~5:00 AM, we dried off our gear and developed a new game plan. Head into Glossop for additional supplies, find a warm place to sleep for the night and wait out the weather. A short bus ride into Glossup, exchanged currency, resupplied and found a great B & B for 22 GBP. Head out early tomorrow after breakfast and back track to the point where we lost the trail and head

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1117172353099757402002-07-01T22:05:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:14:53.553-08:00

After much confusion at the station (stupid Yanks!), we figured out the rail, which station we needed to start from, etc. The rail employees weren't much help either. Instead of being able to leave from Victoria Station, we had to take the tube to King's Cross to catch the Chesterfield line to Edale. Enjoying our posh seating in first class, we were quickly notified and bumped to our assigned

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1117170288071380642002-06-30T19:02:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:14:26.343-08:00

We are both eager to get started on "the Way." We walked to Tower of London, tubed to Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the Dali Experience Museum across the Thames.We picked up our rail pass to Edale (the start of the Pennine Way). Leave first thing in the morning.

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6515591.post-1117170153751009942002-06-29T21:58:00.000-07:002006-02-23T10:14:02.226-08:00

First day in, landed around 3:00PM. We (Rich and I) decided to stay in London on the 29th and the 30th, heading to Edale on the 1st. We are staying at the Grange City Hotel on Tower Hill (w/the Tower of London in our backyard). Somehow we managed a discount rate of 45 BP instead of the usual 350 BP.We walked across London Bridge to a pub for some salmon cakes and a pint of bitter.

The Nomadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12266925128958123223noreply@blogger.com