Below is a description of nine dream vacations I would like to take. What would make them even better is to travel to each one in Business Class, my favourite treat on the airlines.
Vacation #1
American Friends - Clothed and Otherwise:
Travel to "Everybody's Favourite City" - San Francisco. Stay at the home of my dear friends Craige and Greg. Did I mention they live right next to the Napa Valley, and have a wine cellar stocked with fabulous vintages - woo hoo! Then we head up to the mountains to stay at stunning Lake Tahoe with their fantastic friends Dawn and Stephanie.
Next stop is the Great State of Texas, and the steamy, bustling, always fun city of Houston. My friends Bob and Bobby live in a great neighbourhood close to everything. We'll do Texas BBQ, chicken fried steak and all those other healthy Tex-Mex eating options. Maybe a side trip to Austin, or a night out a Houston's famous leather bar The Ripcord.
Then I am off to the New York area, to catch a bus to GNI (Gay Naturists International). GNI is 800 gay naturists gathering for 10 days of naked fun and sun in the Pocano Mountains of Pennsylvania. Included is accomodation, food and all the beer and wine you can drink (those of you who know me know that is not a good thing!). More info on GNI at http://gaynaturists.org/index.php
Vacation #2
Great Cities of Europe:
Five or six days each will be spent in six of Europe's best cities. They are so well known that not much of a desciption is needed. Coffee and croissants in Paris, bicycles and pot in Amsterdam (though not at the same time), mermaids and alternative cultures in Copenhagen, walls and gates in Berlin, castles and bridges in Prague (pictured) and ancient Hungarian baths in Budapest.
The plan for this vacation is not to try to see every attraction in each city, but to relax and take in the ambience and vibe of each place.
Vacation #3
Splendors of Turkey and Greece:
Fly into Istanbul and tour the sites of this crossroads of Europe and Asia. The call to prayer at the Blue Mosque, bustling markets full of weird and crazy things, getting luffahed within an inch of my life at a Turkish bath. I may tour the coast of Turkey in a gulet, a traditional wooden sailboat, complete with crew and food.
Then off a city truly steeped in ancient history - Athens. Tour the Acropolis by day, souvlaki and wine in a cozy taverna by night. On to some of Greece's best islands, including the spectacular volcanic caldera of Santorini. Nude sunbathing at famous Super Paradise Beach in Mykonos, then on to find an authentic Greek Island off the beaten path and chill (in the warm Greek sunshine).
Vacation #4
Great African Safari:
Fly into Harare, Zimbabwe, stock up on a few billion Zimbabwe dollars, and tour the country with my friend Amora, a Zim native. She'll drop me off at Victoria Falls, where I will join a GAP Adventure tour "Southern Africa Adventure", a 33 day tenting safari across Botswana, Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa. We travel by self-contained vehicle by day, set up tents by nightfall. Shopping for local produce in village markets, we cook many of our meals tentside. Highlights include Kruger National Park, 5 different game reserves, Blyde River Canyon and the Dradensberg Mountains. More info re this tour at http://www.gapadventures.com/tour/dllc
I will wind down from my safari with a relaxing 2 weeks in Cape Town, checking out the Victoria and Albert waterfront, Atlantic and Indian Ocean beaches and the nearby Cape region wineries.
Vacation #5
India - Temples, Camels and Beaches:
Fly into the chaotic sights and smells that can only be Delhi. Meet my friend Peter, and join a GAP tour "Roam India", a 20 day circle of Northern India. It includes a desert camel safari, the pink stucco city of Jaipur and of course the most romantic building in the world, the Taj Mahal. More info re this tour at http://www.gapadventures.com/tour/ahrh
We leave the tour at the second last stop - Varanasi, the most holy city of India. As Peter and I are both yogis, we shall be practicing that ancient form here, perhaps on the banks of River Ganges.
I bid Peter farewell, and head off to explore India further on my own, perhaps the most daunting part of the trip. I will have to check out India's famous rail system, and plan to make by way towards Mumbai (Bombay), then down towards the hippy hangout beaches of Goa. I may travel further south in India, or perhaps head over to Sri Lanka.
Vacation #6
Indochina Encompased:
Fly into that sweltering city of temples, floating markets and endless traffic jams that is Bangkok, Thailand. I plan on checking in to Babylon, a not to be missed place for gay men. It combines a beautiful but affordable hotel, with a gourmet restaurant, bar, spa, outdoor pool and infamous steambath.
After about a week there, I join the GAP tour "Indochina Encompassed". I travel through Northern Thailand, then down the Mekong River by boat into Laos. After Laos, its the full length of Vietnam, from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Perhaps the hightlight of this trip will be one of Asia's most increadible sites - Angkor Wat. More about this tour at http://www.gapadventures.com/tour/atie
Vacation #7
Classic Overland - Bangkok to Bali:
This is a trip I have always wanted to take, and is a classic overland adventure. I used to have a book called Bangkok to Bali, but cannot locate it. Never mind, there are so many possible variations, I really don't need a book. I have been to this part of the world many times, so it will be familiar. I plan to return to some favorite places, and check out a few I have missed in the past.
I will start by heading down to the beaches of Southern Thailand, then cross over to the equally impressive beaches of Malaysia. I have not really spent much time in Kuala Lumpur, so I'll check that out again. The Petronas Towers were not even started last time I was there, so that should be interesting.
Another Malaysian city I have always wanted to check out is Malaka, an old Portugese trading post. Then it will be across the causeway to Singapore, a city I have been to many times. I have seen most of its sites, so I will just use it as a base for possible contingencies - Do I need a doctor, dentist or some important papers? Hopefully not, but if so, this is the efficient place to do it.
Then I will go to a place I cannot explain why, but I am drawn to it - Banda Ache, Indonesia. Gee, that sounds kinda familiar, you say. Yes, that was the spot the Boxing Day Tsunami hit the hardest, killing tens of thousands of people. I am not sure exactly what I will do there, but I feel a haunting desire to let the people know others care about their plight.
Then, I wll head out on some classic budget travel, the increadibly cheap accomodations and food of Indonesia. Down thru exotic Sumatra, across the world's most populated island, Java, then on to Bali and Lombok. The Gili Islands sound kind of intriguing, so will likely check them out too. Have not heard of the Gili's - more about them at http://wikitravel.org/en/Gili_Islands
Vacation #8
Aussie East Coast:
I plan on starting in Melbourne, but may go through Sydney first if I can get a flight on the new Singapore Airlines A380 super jumbo. Will explore the lovely Victorian architecture and charming trams of Melbourne. Check out the Sydney Opera House and Bondi Beach. Sun, sand and cute lifeguards on the Gold Coast. Then on to Brisbane where I will meet up with some great guys, David and John. Lord knows what crazy trouble those guys will get me into, but it will be fun!
I will continue up towards tropical Queensland, checking out islands, and yes of course the Great Barrier Reef. Will likely end up in Caines and/or Port Douglas, lounging under a palm tree, drinking a cold glass of Australian wine.
Vacation #9
Pacific Island Hopping:
Fly into the clean green country of New Zealand. Check out the sites of Auckland then head out to the countryside to see some of the natural sites made famous in Lord of the Rings.
Onward to bask on the beautiful beaches of Fiji. Snorkel in turquoise blue waters, and check out the smiles that the Fijian people are famous for.
Onward to that familiar welcoming spot, Pahoa, on the Big Island of Hawaii. I lived there for a brief period, and it is my yoga home. Will be sunning naked on the Kahena black sand beach, hopefully the spinner dolphins will come in one of the days. Will stay at my friend Peter's house, and be cooking my own meals. Will be doing lots of yoga at Kalani, with my wonderful teacher Kathy. More about her and Kalani at http://www.kalani.com/
In conclusion:
Well, it does not take a rocket scientist, or even someone who knows me well to realize that the above is not a list of dream vacations, but a general plan for my around the world trip starting August 2008. It is in the correct order, and all places shall be linked by my Star Alliance Around the World Business Class ticket. It should be interesting to see how the actual trip compares to the plan. I have tried not to overplan, and am open to all kinds of diversions, both good and bad. Stay tuned!
India - Temples, Camels and Beaches:
Fly into the chaotic sights and smells that can only be Delhi. Meet my friend Peter, and join a GAP tour "Roam India", a 20 day circle of Northern India. It includes a desert camel safari, the pink stucco city of Jaipur and of course the most romantic building in the world, the Taj Mahal. More info re this tour at http://www.gapadventures.com/tour/ahrh
We leave the tour at the second last stop - Varanasi, the most holy city of India. As Peter and I are both yogis, we shall be practicing that ancient form here, perhaps on the banks of River Ganges.
I bid Peter farewell, and head off to explore India further on my own, perhaps the most daunting part of the trip. I will have to check out India's famous rail system, and plan to make by way towards Mumbai (Bombay), then down towards the hippy hangout beaches of Goa. I may travel further south in India, or perhaps head over to Sri Lanka.
Vacation #6
Indochina Encompased:
Fly into that sweltering city of temples, floating markets and endless traffic jams that is Bangkok, Thailand. I plan on checking in to Babylon, a not to be missed place for gay men. It combines a beautiful but affordable hotel, with a gourmet restaurant, bar, spa, outdoor pool and infamous steambath.
After about a week there, I join the GAP tour "Indochina Encompassed". I travel through Northern Thailand, then down the Mekong River by boat into Laos. After Laos, its the full length of Vietnam, from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Perhaps the hightlight of this trip will be one of Asia's most increadible sites - Angkor Wat. More about this tour at http://www.gapadventures.com/tour/atie
Vacation #7
Classic Overland - Bangkok to Bali:
This is a trip I have always wanted to take, and is a classic overland adventure. I used to have a book called Bangkok to Bali, but cannot locate it. Never mind, there are so many possible variations, I really don't need a book. I have been to this part of the world many times, so it will be familiar. I plan to return to some favorite places, and check out a few I have missed in the past.
I will start by heading down to the beaches of Southern Thailand, then cross over to the equally impressive beaches of Malaysia. I have not really spent much time in Kuala Lumpur, so I'll check that out again. The Petronas Towers were not even started last time I was there, so that should be interesting.
Another Malaysian city I have always wanted to check out is Malaka, an old Portugese trading post. Then it will be across the causeway to Singapore, a city I have been to many times. I have seen most of its sites, so I will just use it as a base for possible contingencies - Do I need a doctor, dentist or some important papers? Hopefully not, but if so, this is the efficient place to do it.
Then I will go to a place I cannot explain why, but I am drawn to it - Banda Ache, Indonesia. Gee, that sounds kinda familiar, you say. Yes, that was the spot the Boxing Day Tsunami hit the hardest, killing tens of thousands of people. I am not sure exactly what I will do there, but I feel a haunting desire to let the people know others care about their plight.
Then, I wll head out on some classic budget travel, the increadibly cheap accomodations and food of Indonesia. Down thru exotic Sumatra, across the world's most populated island, Java, then on to Bali and Lombok. The Gili Islands sound kind of intriguing, so will likely check them out too. Have not heard of the Gili's - more about them at http://wikitravel.org/en/Gili_Islands
Vacation #8
Aussie East Coast:
I plan on starting in Melbourne, but may go through Sydney first if I can get a flight on the new Singapore Airlines A380 super jumbo. Will explore the lovely Victorian architecture and charming trams of Melbourne. Check out the Sydney Opera House and Bondi Beach. Sun, sand and cute lifeguards on the Gold Coast. Then on to Brisbane where I will meet up with some great guys, David and John. Lord knows what crazy trouble those guys will get me into, but it will be fun!
I will continue up towards tropical Queensland, checking out islands, and yes of course the Great Barrier Reef. Will likely end up in Caines and/or Port Douglas, lounging under a palm tree, drinking a cold glass of Australian wine.
Vacation #9
Pacific Island Hopping:
Fly into the clean green country of New Zealand. Check out the sites of Auckland then head out to the countryside to see some of the natural sites made famous in Lord of the Rings.
Onward to bask on the beautiful beaches of Fiji. Snorkel in turquoise blue waters, and check out the smiles that the Fijian people are famous for.
Onward to that familiar welcoming spot, Pahoa, on the Big Island of Hawaii. I lived there for a brief period, and it is my yoga home. Will be sunning naked on the Kahena black sand beach, hopefully the spinner dolphins will come in one of the days. Will stay at my friend Peter's house, and be cooking my own meals. Will be doing lots of yoga at Kalani, with my wonderful teacher Kathy. More about her and Kalani at http://www.kalani.com/
In conclusion:
Well, it does not take a rocket scientist, or even someone who knows me well to realize that the above is not a list of dream vacations, but a general plan for my around the world trip starting August 2008. It is in the correct order, and all places shall be linked by my Star Alliance Around the World Business Class ticket. It should be interesting to see how the actual trip compares to the plan. I have tried not to overplan, and am open to all kinds of diversions, both good and bad. Stay tuned!
