October? Has it really been that long? There’s so much I’ve been planning to talk about here but I’ve been really bad about getting around to it. I don’t think I’ve even mentioned my New Mexico vacation, or finished writing about my All You Can Jet trip. There’s a few months of my Where I…
This Saturday was full of fun bike riding. I headed down to the Loop before 8am and was amazed to bike across the river and turn left onto Wacker Drive with no traffic to worry about. REI was having its annual garage sale for members (something I joined before RTW #1 back in 2004), and…
Can you believe this year is the 25th anniversary of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? To celebrate, Chicago’s Groupon put on a showing of the film in Wrigley Field. For $10 my friends and I sat in the bleachers Saturday night, while others picnicked on the outfield. Before the game we all broke the Guinness Book…
I’m not sure anyone could resist the urge to travel after watching these wonderful videos. MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo. LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo. EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.
It’s hard to believe that it has already been a year since I was on the first Meet, Plan, Go! panel in Chicago. Two of the women who attended Chicago’s talk last year are already on their own RTW trips. Katie cornered me after the event let out last year because she’d never met anyone…
This summer a friend of mine started a new monthly, women-only bike ride in Chicago. Luckily, we start close to my house and ride for an hour or so before stopping for dinner and drinks. The ride is on hold for the winter, but anyone who wants to join up in the spring should check…
Every Spring I tell myself that this will be the summer that I take advantage of all of the festivals Chicago has to offer. Say what you want about our winters, but Chicago has more than enough going on during the summer to make up for the snow. Once again, it’s August and I’ve only…
Last week I had my first couchsurfers at my new apartment. Despite the title, neither is from Helsinki although they both live there. Dima was born in Russia and Dagmara in Poland. They were brave to stay in my un-airconditioned apartment during the worst heat wave in a long time, and to bike through Chicago…
A few years ago I spotted a flyer on a street light near my apartment advertising the first Slow Bicycle ride. Unfortunately, it was the day before but I looked up the group and made sure to make the next ride. It was on this ride that I first met John and Garth, two of…
Today I tested the strength of my basket with a 24 pack of Old Stlye (and a bag of guacamole ingredients not pictured). I thought it was the perfect picture of summer for the LGRAB Games. The games require you preform only four of the following tasks: on vacation? rent a bike and go for…
This was my second year attending New Belgium Brewery’s traveling bicycle festival, Tour de Fat. The day starts early with a meandering bike parade followed by carnival acts, fun bicycles to try out and, of course, beer drinking. More photos of the Tour de Fat are available
Chicago is a big sports town and is blessed with two professional baseball teams… and two sets of baseball fans. I was raised by a mother who spent her 20’s living on the Northside so, naturally, I was raised a Cubs fan. Unfortunately my best friend is a Sox fan but when his wife asked…
Once again, my 4th of July was spent at my best friend’s place for grilled hot dogs, watching the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest and illegal firework-watching in a park nearby.
The “Where I Slept” series will return, I promise. In the meantime I’ve been working and recently spent a week in New Jersey. Despite walking by a PATH station to NYC twice a day I never made it to Manhattan. However, I did manage a new cartwheel in front of the financial district and new…
Often times flying internationally means leaving at odd times of the night but I’ve never seen an airport this empty. I only hope that this video doesn’t mean a further crackdown of rights for the rest of us. STUCK from Joe Ayala on Vimeo.
Sorry for the lack of updates lately, travel friends. I’m in the process of moving this week (only down the street, alas) and have been out of town on business. Sure, I’ve visited 50 countries but last week was the first time I’ve ever been to Ohio. Exciting!
Bekopaka, Madagascar | 20 May, 2007 | $63.47 (hotel, guides, transport, & food on river trip) Our first day back on the road was a long one, bringing us to the ferry crossing at Bekopaka at dusk. Cars were loaded onto the barge in the water and we jumped onboard, dandling our feet over the…
Antsiraraka, Madagascar | 18 May, 2007 | $63.47 (hotel, guides, transport, & food on river trip) Once again, I woke up to little kids giggling outside my tent. Sunsets and sunrises were some of the most impressive I’ve ever seen here. After some more time in the canoe, our third day, we climbed atop the…