So long, DC

We’ve had a great last few days in DC. Thanks to our friends Hope and Tom, we weren’t homeless between the time we sold our house and I got my passport. Actually, these may be some of the more luxe accommodations we’ll have in a while. Free wireless internet, laundry service, and great food within a block. That picture of slop you see is pupusas—one of the delicious foodstuffs we’ll be missing for about a year. Mmm. Hanging out with friends has been really fun, has helped us not freak out, and has also been a little bit sad. We’ll miss you guys!
-K

Mommy, where do pigeons come from?

One of the benefits of staying with friends is feeling a little like we’re on vacation, spending time in new neighborhoods, and soaking up the scenery and interesting wildlife. At Hope and Tom’s we’ve been observing the resident pigeons, Fred and Ginger, who live next to the back balcony. I don’t doubt Fred and Ginger have got a lot of love, but I don’t hold out too much hope for their happy family. They’ve been trying for a while, but 3 haphazardly placed twigs on a narrow ledge does not a nest make.

So far, Ginger (or is it Fred?) has laid an egg, which was quickly neglected and then disappeared. They spend a lot of time trying to lay another one, but it’s not looking good. For a really prodigious bird that constantly obstructs the sidewalks, it makes you wonder. For that matter, has anyone every seen a baby pigeon? I find it all a little mysterious, or perhaps suspicious. If someone could please send in some photographic evidence, I could breath a sigh of relief.
-K

Thanks Eleanor!

I am now the proud owner of a U.S. passport! I have to give thanks to the good people in Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton's office, who helped me cut through the red tape and talk to a real live person who was able to tell me what documents I needed to expedite my passport. More passport advice--if you have a baby in another country, make sure you register their birth with the U.S. Consulate. This piece of paper is really important down the road. Also, thanks to my mom and dad for scrambling through their files for all the other paperwork I needed to get this done. Now I've got one of the fancy new passports covered in eagles, monuments, and the moon landing, just so no one will mistake me for a Canadian. I'm undocumented no more, which means we're on our way out of DC. Toutalou!
-K

Oh Canada!

If you're thinking of traveling around the world, my first bit of advice is to get a passport. Now! Oops--you're probably too late already. You might want to just forget about your trip all together. I say this because I've been trying to get a passport since April. Hopefully I'll have one in the next few days.

For people who don't know my dirty little secret, I was born in Canada. Only recently has this made getting a U.S. passport nearly impossible (thank you Department of Homeland Security!) My other bit of advice is that you should never call a government office in Canada. Especially one that's located in Thunder Bay. Despite what you think you know about Thunder Bay from such illustrious films as Slapshot and Young Blood, the people up there are loath to answer their phones. I briefly considered a boycott of all things Canadian, but the thought of never watching Degrassi or the Littlest Hobo ever again was too painful.

Also, know that all bureaucrats love paperwork--bring it all--you never know if that high school report card will be the key to proving your citizenship after all.
-K

Sophisticated? Sure. Alpaca? Absolutely!

So our blog has a goofy name, but I assure you it comes from a place of inspiration (or lack of?) If you live in the DC area (and perhaps elsewhere), you may have seen the TV commercials from the International Alpaca Association that try to lure you from the rat race to a better lifestyle, i.e. raising alpacas. Maybe it was too many late nights watching those commercials during Iron Chef, but it got us thinking about leaving DC and trying something new, and probably not involving livestock. Our other inspiration for this trip was our friends Dave and LeeAnne, who just returned from a round the world trip. You should check out their fancy blog--some really amazing photos and writing. Anyway, when it came time to set up our website, all of our brainstorms about the name devolved into discussions of alpacas, David Lee Roth, Robert Evans, and George Goober Lindsey (due to some stress—see blog post, Oh Canada!-- we’ve gone really light on the reading list). We stuck with the alpaca theme, and I hope we see some along the way.

The Short Version

USA, the southern Route:

Leaving...........Location
26-Sep ............DC
28-Sep ............Asheville, NC/Smokey Mountain National Park
30-Sep.............Hot Springs National Park
3-Oct..............Austin
6-Oct..............New Mexico
8-Oct..............Phoenix
10-Oct..............Grand Canyon
13-Oct.............Bryce
16-Oct.............Zion
17-Oct.............Beatty, NV
18-Oct.............Sequoia National Park
20-Oct.............Yosemite
23-Oct.............San Francisco
24-Oct.............Redwood National Forest
25-Oct.............Eugene, OR
28-Oct.............Portland, OR
6-Nov..............Pilot Rock
11-Nov.............Los Angeles

International:
Date........Departing City.......Arriving City
11-Nov.............LAX...............Auckland, New Zealand
6-Dec..............Auckland..........Sydney, Australia
11-Dec.............Sydney............Bangkok, Thailand
Overland...........Bangkok...........Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam
5-Feb..............Ho Chi Min City...Tokyo, Japan
15-Feb.............Tokyo.............Hong Kong, China
20-Feb.............Hong Kong.........Johanesburg, South Africa
24-Feb.............Johanesberg.......Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Overland...........Victoria Falls....Tanzania
4-Apr.............DarEsSalaam, Tanz...London, England
8-Apr..............London............Istanbul, Turkey
21-Apr.............Istanbul..........Madrid, Spain
12-May.............Madrid............Buenos Aires, Argentina
Overland...........Buenos Aires......Santiago, Chile
22-May.............Santiago..........Easter Island, Chile
2-June.............Easter Island.....Santiago, Chile
6-June.............Santiago..........Portland, OR

**This is our itinerary as of February '08. Hopefully, we won't have to change it again!

Helpful Links

Travel Prep-Our to-do list
Travel Insurance
Shots, Vaccines, Pills, etc.

Forums and Blogs:
http://www.gothereandback.com
Our friends Dave and Lolo's blog. The ultimate source of jealousy and inspiration in 2007.

http://www.ultimate-trip.com/
Has some nice videos (esp. Nepal) of places that he has traveled.

http://www.travelpod.com/
The best of everything. Blogs, forums and general info.

http://www.thirteenmonths.com/index.htm
An interesting blog detailing a couple's travels around the world. It's a nice balance to the standard backpacker blog in that they did not try to do it on the super cheap.

http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/
Lonley Planet's forums. Great practical information and a good place to ask questions. Warning: Like most forums it has developed its own culture. If you are a "newbie" expect the usual forum-types screeching at you to "search the forum,idiot" "try google," etc. Don't be deterred. Keep reading and posting.

How to sites:
Packing and Gear ideas:
http://www.onebag.com/list.html
Wonderful down-to earth advice on traveling. I have used his packing list as my guide in my planning.

General Info Sites:
http://travelindependent.info/
Great for getting a sketch of countries. I've used it as a jumping off point for researching possible destinations. The site is also a solid clearinghouse of information from immunizations to what-to-pack lists. Check out the photography as well.

Lodging:
http://www.usservas.org/traveler.html
An interesting alternative to the hostel/tourist method. The organization works as a host-family setup with the overarching goal of cultural exchange and encouraging peace.

Healthcare:
http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/
Scotland's NHS site for travelers. Sure I'm not Scottish, but the site is really handy for malaria maps, advice, etc.