i should log off » transportation

Three Great Day Trips by Ferry

Jillian — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:56:00 +0000

Sure, plenty of the world’s major cities have great boat tours. Usually involving some sort of lunch or dinner, these mini-cruises taken in the sights and potentially the sounds of a city. There’s nothing like the skyline from the water people say. Me, I prefer full day trips by boat, places where a ferry takes me that aren’t just sightseeing tours. Places that are a destination in and of themselves, if only for a day.

Seattle – San Juan Islands

Take an easy day trip from Seattle to the San Juan Islands. A popular destination for sea kayaking and whale watching, the islands are actually home to a resident pod of Orca whales. The archipelago is actually comprised of over 170 islands, some of which just have one or two trees! Popular Friday Harbor is also home to the Front Street Ale House, a local brewing company that serves a long list of its own brews, including Ale Diablo.

If You Go: With the public ferry from Seattle you can access six of the islands. Friday harbor is a good first stop, from there you can book whale watching trips, rent kayaks or go to the whale museum.

Istanbul- Princes’ Islands

When you first get off the ferry at Büyükada (big island) you’ll find the island crowded. The small downtown area hosts several shops and restaurants and in the summer local tourists are out en force. We bought supplies for a picnic and headed up the hill through the streets of Victorian homes to a park. No vehicles are allowed, so all the traffic is on foot or in carraiges. The islands are so named because royalty throughout the centuries were exiled there, starting with the Byzantine period through the Ottomans. Today it’s a lovely break from the hustle and bustle of Istanbul. There’s a small swimming beach, but avoid going at the height of the day when it’s assured to be crowded.

If You Go: There are fast and slow public ferry’s from Istanbul. Do NOT forget to check departure times and be there well in advance. The last ferry’s fill up quickly and sometimes you can be out of luck. Also note that the ferries are often cancelled due to high winds or storms, so check the weather report before you go!

Naples- Ischia Island

Naples is chaotic, crowded and dirty and yet it’s hard to resist spending at least a few days exploring the destroyed ancient cities of nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum. From Naples, it’s a nice daytrip to the volcanic island of Ischia. Less touristy than Capri, it’s known for thermal pools and gardens. Most tourists spend their time “taking in” the waters, but there is also a castle and beaches to visit.

If You Go: From Naples catch the ferry from Napoli Beverello. It will probably make three stops, check with the captain or crew to find out which one is best for you!

Photo Credit: San Juan Islands and Princes’ Island via IShouldLogOff and Ischia via flickr user Chiara Marra under a creative commons license.

What’s your favorite mode of travel?

Jillian — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:44:41 +0000

Planes, trains and automobiles. Traveling requires some mode of transportation, even if it’s just your feet. For 21 months we transported ourselves around the world. Let’s just say we became intimately aquainted with the semi-cama buses in South America, the back seat of a Land Rover throughout Africa and the upper bunk of trains in Asia. I can honestly say I love riding the rails, there’s nothing better than falling asleep, comfortably in your own bunk and waking up in your destination. It’s a bit like magic. Although I’m used to them at this point, buses are my least favorite. A great cultural experience, but a slow, dusty and often frustrating way to go. The few boats we were able to take were often a welcome relief. There’s just something about being out on the water that puts you in a good mood.

How do you prefer to travel?

After surviving the worst bus ride ever, we booked a flight back from the Amazon jungles near Rurrenabanque, Bolivia. When this little thing landed on the grass runway I wasn’t even phased, just thankful we weren’t getting back on a bus.

Now this is what I call a sleeper bus. We took a bus from Almaty, Kazakhstan to Urumqi, China to avoid an epic train journey. Our bus was filled with Kazak women heading to China for some sort of tax free holiday shopping spree. We were thankfully taken under the wing of two sisters who helped us order food at the rest stops and navigate the border. This was the first bus we had ever seen with bunk beds- it even came with heavy blankets. We slept like babies that night, despite the pot holes!

Heading to the Amazon our transport looked like it would barely survive the journey to the boat dock. I think we stopped twice to refill the radiator with dirty water from a stream. Surprisingly we made it to the boat. Shocking.

There’s no better way to see SE Asia than from the back of a motor bike. We enjoyed our three day journey around Laos so much that we’re considering getting one of these bikes now that we’re home. Of course the journey came with the requisite mud vs. bike obstacle course, but despite spinning out of control a few times, we were good to go.

Although we tried to whitewater kayak as much as we could, we never used kayaks to go great distances. Nevertheless an epic boat journey up the Nile would be incredible!

There aren’t very many transportation options crossing into Ethiopia from Kenya. Basically it’s this cattle truck you see below.

That wasn’t happening, no matter how hearty we thought we were. Thankfully, our friends allowed us to join them in the back of their Land Rover, Kaspuuurrr.

Tuk-Tuks! I love these little rickshaws. Besides the motorbike, these are my favorite way of getting around Asia. The one pictured below is from Wadi Halfa, Sudan – if you look closely you can see the driver hiding out inside for shade. Welcome to the Sahara Desert!

Photo: Double Decker Bus

Jillian — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:22:45 +0000

I’ve been on a lot of buses, from London to Patagonia buses seem to be the way the world travels. London’s double decker varietals are somewhat of a tourist attraction in addition to being transportation around the city. Double decker tours seem to have sprouted up in every major city around the world- the familiar red domed roof often replaced with open-air seating.
Interestingly enough the British aren’t the only ones with the double decker buses for transportation purposes, we traveled on two story coach buses in Argentina and Peru – they were some of the nicest buses we booked tickets on!

In the words of British statesman William Gladstone, “The way to see London is from the top of a bus.” After all, what’s more iconic than the London Double Decker?

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series

IF YOU GO: There’s loads to do in London besides ride the bus, but I’d definitely try to include one or two bus trips on your journey. Strike up a conversation with someone or just look out the window – buses often go through neighborhoods you’d never find on your own. London is a popular tourist destination so don’t forget to book a hotel in London before you go.

Photo Credit: Flickr user Metro Centric via a creative commons license