Tag: travel

Am I a creature of habits or just a prisoner to my rituals

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I wake up straight away when the alarm goes off

I never hit snooze or go back to sleep

Leaping out of bed wide awake

Perhaps a legacy of working ten years as a first responder

My first task is taking my daily medication

Counting the pills and identifying each one individually

Disregarding the fact that I had carefully preloaded them into a weekly container

Then its off to hunt for my favorite mug

Tea does not taste the same in anything else

I watch the kettle heat up close to boiling

Switching it off before 190F for my green tea

I always make a second cup for the wife even if she is still asleep

If the dishwasher has run I always unload the top tray first

The bottom tray is next with the cutlery last

I put them in the cutlery drawer like little soldiers standing to attention

Knives are first in followed by forks and spoons

The dishwasher is always reloaded in reverse order

If its a bike riding day I will pump up the tires next

I always pump up the rear tire first

I imagine the front tire would eject the air if inflated before the rear

All my riding gear will have been neatly laid out the night before

No need to hunt for anything in the morning

Next up is my protein shake

I line up the ingredients in the same order every time

Allowing myself a few minutes of browsing while drinking the shake

Now its time to load my drink bottles on the bike

The front bottle always in the holder first

Clipping on the rear flashing light before the front

Next is a quick shower with its own set of ablution rituals

I always shave my face before shaving my head

It seems like the essential order of grooming

Now its time to get dressed for riding

My left foot always greets the first sock

Not sure why because my right foot is dominant

My right leg is always first inside my shorts or pants

Once ready I wait to the same exact same daily time before opening the door

It would not feel right to be a minute early or late

Wheeling my bike outside into the fresh air

I always take a few breaths to meditate before riding

My right leg swings over the bike to mount up

I have never tried mounting from the other side

My left foot clips into the pedal first soon followed by my right foot

Next task is to verify all the sensors have connected to the bike computer

I could not imagine myself riding with a sensor was missing

Once rolling I change the gears up and down and test the brakes

My helmet rear view mirror must be perfectly aligned

I never start a ride without all these “pre-flight” checks

Before coming to a stop I always unclip my right pedal

Leaning the bike to the right as my right foot finds the ground

I would probably fall off the bike if I tried to stand on my left foot

Pushing off with my right foot when moving again

The end of my right bike shoe is almost worn away from starts

My left shoe is unblemished

My conscience is seriously blemished by all these OCD rituals

Cycling with a data screen

Ian Hunter1 Comment

I rode my bike today

A 35 mile ride alongside fields of corn in the eastern shore

I rode with four other experienced local riders in a pace line

With a slight tailwind we rolled along at 20mph on a beautiful Friday morning

Occasionally we sprinted at 25mph

Its very rewarding to train in a group and chat along the way

Camaraderie is priceless and it makes for a fun workout

Upon returning home I hit the “end of ride” button on the bike computer

It responded by telling me it was a high intensity workout and that I should recover over 36 hours

I cleaned up my bike and hung it on the wall like a piece of art

Its carbon fiber frame is ultra light and very strong

Sensors monitor my speed, heart rate, cadence and power

The bike computer automatically uploaded the ride into an App called Strava

Soon I was pouring over the recorded ride data

Comparing my speed, heart rate and power exertion to similar training rides

My times on specific segments showed I was trending faster

A deeper analysis from AI in the App gave me more detailed fitness analysis

My phone has become my personal trainer

It even congratulates me when I train hard

My thoughts wandered back to my first bike back in the 60’s

A heavy steel frame with no bike computer

The only data collection was the time on my watch

Training intensity was measured by the post ride aches in my legs

I had no trainer back then, real or virtual, but I still enjoyed riding

Today my ride analysis even tells me how much carbon I saved the planet by cycling

I often ponder if my riding is more enjoyable because of the added data

A few days ago I found the answer to this question

My bike computer shut down at the start of a ride because I forgot to charge it

I had to ride 35 miles blind with no data screen

Guessing my speed and selecting my gears by feel rather than data

I had no idea if I was exceeding my maximum allowed heart rate

It was basically like a pilot flying without any instruments

I felt robbed of data when I got home

Until I realized that my Apple Watch had silently captured my ride

Surprise surprise when I uploaded the data from my watch

I had ridden faster than usual and my heart rate was not excessive

Maybe I should take more breaks from riding with a data screen

Put some travel in your belly

Ian HunterLeave a comment

I have been so fortunate to travel extensively

exploring many places and seeing spectacular sights

tasting some incredible food along the way

the pandemic put a big damper on all travel

I had to find other ways to satisfy my travel urges

travel documentaries are fun but its not the same as being there

I seem to gravitate toward travel shows with a culinary theme

then the penny dropped

I can still travel around the world while staying at home

I just have to eat my way to different places

some nice fresh sushi sends me to Japan

moussaka magically has me mingling in Greece

nasi goreng has me noodling around Indonesia

swedish meatballs send me to Sweden

a rice and beans dish races me to Mexico

pho floats me all the way to Vietnam

pizza and ice cream puts me firmly in Italy

Irish stew with a Guinness has me shipped to Ireland 

kibbeh kicks me over to Lebanon

ceviche has me salivating in Peru

I can sip a fine port and be pondering in Portugal

a spicy chicken vindaloo curry whisks me off to India

magret de canard with a glass of Bordeaux makes me go to France

tapas takes me straight to Spain

moules frites has me mulling around Belgium

doner kebab delivers me to Turkey

poutine has me plodding around Canada

hot dogs heroically have me habitating in USA

Peking duck propels me to China

roast beef dinners religiously deliver me to England

haggis and a fine single malt heave me all the way to Scotland

pad Thai puts me perfectly into Thailand

dim sums deliberately drive me to Hong Kong

when my travel belly gets really big and pendulous

I check myself into solitary confinement for some dreary travel free dieting

Epic Journey

Ian Hunter4 Comments
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Seven weeks ago we set off on a long vacation

Starting on the US east coast

We took a trans-Atlantic cruise for 12 nights

The ship stopped in Bermuda and the Azores

Final destination was Lisbon

After an enjoyable stay in Lisbon we flew to Madeira

Meeting up with some close friends

We spent the next 10 days exploring the island

Great food, wine, scenery and super friendly locals

We then flew to London for a brief stay before flying up to Inverness

We met up with family and rented a car

Next chapter was the NC 500

A 500 mile drive along the north coast of Scotland

It took a full week to complete

Our final destination was the Isle of Skye

Another week of exploration with more family members

The journey back home started with a 5 hour drive to Glasgow

A short flight to Dublin followed

The next day we flew to Iceland

A far too brief layover before boarding our flight back to the US

It was hard to stay awake during the 3 hour drive home

We took a lot of photos and made many memories

What did we learn from this journey?

The best way to avoid jet lag is to cross the ocean by sea

Losing an hour every other day is much better than stepping off a plane and losing 6 hours

Bermuda seems to be stuck in a time warp

Once a place for the super wealthy to hang out and hide their cash

As the old money dies off, nobody has taken then opportunity to develop the island for sun seeking tourists

We just wanted more and mores of the Azores

Punta Delgada has not been discovered yet, go soon before the developers swoop in

Spending days at sea makes you appreciate the vastness of the Atlantic ocean

The early sailing explorers were so brave

Lisbon has a special place in our hearts

Our fifth visit revealed even more amazing history and culture

Port tastes so much better when looking out over Lisbon and eating local food

Lisbon has been discovered, no longer the quiet backwater we knew a decade ago

Madeira is a gem

A huge rock towering out of the ocean off the coast of Africa

Its similar to Hawaii but in the Atlantic

Spectacular scenery and super friendly locals

Madeira wine is nectar, it can send you to heaven on earth

We enjoyed Fado, traditional Portuguese music full of emotion

London is a huge city but the locals are super friendly

English beer is warm

Fish and chips is an additive English pleasure

Inverness is the gateway to the highlands

The NC500 attracts too many RVs

John O’Groats is always cold and windy

Its hard to keep your eyes on the road when driving through spectacular Scottish scenery

Haggis is a great breakfast food

Scotland is mostly mountains, lakes(lochs), rivers, waterfalls, sheep, deer, pubs, distilleries, castles, highland cows, single track roads and rain

Scottish people never complain about rain

It rains in Scotland almost every day but the locals call it mist

Its hard to find the bathroom at night after three weeks away from home in multiple hotels

Single malt whisky tastes truly amazing in front of a log fire in the Scottish highlands

The Isle of Skye is breathtaking

All whisky distilleries smell like malt

Its so easy to make whisky, the ingredients are: water, barley, yeast and lots of magic

Guinness in Ireland tastes amazing

Irish hospitality is hard to beat

Iceland is mostly black volcanic rock with puffs of steam rising up

Iceland has also been discovered so best to go in the shoulder season

Jet lag is much worse when flying westward

Yes we would do it all again in a heartbeat

Nothing more precious than spending quality time with family and good friends

Home sweet home is a welcome place after a long vacation

I am still confused upon waking each morning, what country/time zone/place am I in?

Every day is a beach day

Ian HunterLeave a comment

Warm sunny day

Head to the beach

Barefoot on the sand

Find a nice spot

Put down a towel

Umbrella for shade

Lay down and relax

Stroll on the beach

Dip your feet in the water

Feel the sand between your toes

Stiff breeze off the ocean

Sand starts to get everywhere

Open a sandwich for lunch

Crunch crunch sandy sandwich

Wipe the sand from your eyes

Sip a cold drink

Sip crunch sip crunch crunch

The wind speed picks up

Umbrella topples over

Sand pummels your skin

Time to head home

Drag stuff back to the car

Shake off the sand before entering

Car gets full of sand anyway 

Arrive home tired and roasted

Step into the shower

Sand sticks to your skin

Refuses to wash away

Scrub soap scrub soap scrub pain pain

Dry off with a fresh towel

Feel the burn from residual sand

Sand in the shower pan

Sand on the bathroom floor

The whole house has sand trails

Vacuuming does not work

Sweeping is ineffective

Give up and go to bed

Wake up with piles of sand in the sheets

No point going to the beach today

You brought the beach home yesterday

21st Century hitchhikers

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Hitchhiking was common when I was young

Ran out of money when leaving the pub

Get back home with just a thumb

We did it often as a necessity

Group hitchhiking was more difficult

We put the cute girl at the side of the road

While the rest of us hid in the bushes

I never had a problem hitching a ride

People took pity on poor students

You could hitchhike all over Europe

Meeting interesting people along the way

Somehow hitchhiking became less popular

Maybe it was due to safety concerns

Or the fact that minor roads were replaced with freeways

I suspect the Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie is to blame

America responded in typical reactionary fashion

Making it illegal to hitch a ride

Europeans are much more pragmatic

They made public transport more accessible

Low cost student rail passes across Europe

A better and more secure way to travel for students

Fast forward to today and look at the road

There are still young people looking for a ride

But they are holding a smartphone waiting for an Uber

Perhaps all the hitchhikers become Uber drivers

With so much traffic on the roads we need to change

Most cars have just a single occupant

Imagine a new version of hitchhiking

With an App to hitch a free ride

You build up points as a car driver

Picking up folks on the App looking for a free ride

You earn more points by picking up multiple riders

Spend your points by taking a free ride

Less cars on the road and lowers carbon footprint

Somebody probably just invented all this before I reached this line

I might hitch a ride home tomorrow

If you see an aging hippy please pull over

I am not a chainsaw murderer

Hopefully you are not a murdering driver

Cheeky Monkey Hitchhiking rules!

Even when riding solo you are never alone

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I mostly cycle in a group

Its much safer and the camaraderie is great fun

Today the rest of the group were unavailable

So I did the ride to Key Biscayne on my own

I have done the same route many times before

It never gets boring

There is always something new to see

I left late to avoid the morning rush

Carefully negotiating heavy traffic at the start

Valet parking for breakfast diners at Sadelle’s restaurant

Expensive cars and expensive coffee and bagels

Next challenge was crossing the roundabout on SW27th

Miami drivers don’t seem to know the rules of the road

Ignoring the cars already in the circle and just entering at high speed

I see near misses ever time

Today I waited for a big gap before sprinting across

Then onto a deserted Tigertail Avenue

Slowing to let a flock of peacocks walk across

I swear one of them winked at me

The short section of South Bayshore thankfully had light traffic

I turned towards Alice Wainwright park on a quiet street

Passing the former homes of Madonna and Sylvester Stallone

Its has become a Billionaires row with huge mansions

Some of them have security guards parked outside 24/7

I must be stressful to be so ultra wealthy

Pedaling onto the Rickenbacker causeway

Breathtaking views of Biscayne bay and the Miami skyline

I pushed hard up the bridge hugging the cycling lane

Cars speeding by just a few feet away to my left

My only protection is the white painted line on the roadway

I wear bright colored clothing to make myself visible

My bike has strobe flashing lights front and rear

I worry that drivers may be distracted and veer into the bike lane

Its not just the Miami skyline that might distract them

To my right there is a pedestrian walkway full of joggers

Mostly supermodels in skimpy outfits plodding up the bridge

I tried hard to keep my eyes firmly on the road ahead

I sped down the descent at an exhilarating 35mph

Thankfully all the cars stayed in the roadway

After a fast ride towards the village, I looped back

Onto the safety of Virginia Key

No cars on this uninhabited section

Just bikers enjoying the sunshine and cool December air

A large truck passed me hauling a smelly cargo

Heading towards the sewage treatment works

I reached the rest stop at the beach

Unfortunately no model photoshoots were in progress today

The beach was deserted apart from the yawning beach patrol guys

Although devoid of any wild human activity around the beach

There was plenty of of natural wildlife to see

Its amazing how close you can get to animals on a quiet bike

Raccoons were out playing in the roadway

Scurrying away when they spotted me approaching

The massive iguanas stood their ground as I got close

Miniature dinosaurs claiming the roadway for warmth after a cool night

A flock of white ibis were running along the side of the road

Pecking the grass in search of sustenance

They totally ignored me as I pedaled by

One more loop of the key and I turned for home

The Peacocks were still wandering around Tigertail

Watching the construction of new large contemporary homes

Which are progressively taking over the old neighborhoods

More expensive cars for the peacocks to dance on

I sped round the surprising empty roundabout on SW27th

Soon I was back home and taking a shower

I reflected on the 30 mile ride

Even when riding solo you are never alone

Marina sunrise

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The marina was full of sailboats

All sleeping sound at night

Most of them on permanent moorings

A few were overnight visitors

They were the ones who woke up first

Chatting incessantly at dawn

Speculating if the sunrise would be special today

The long timers were not amused

Its only a sunrise

We get them here most days

Not worth waking up for

Keep down the chatter 

Some of use want to sleep more

The visitors ignored them

Wow look at that big sky

The clouds are lit up orange and purple

Lets turn to watch the sunrise

They were in awe of the spectacle

The rising orange sun floated on the horizon

Was it under the ocean all night

Did the sun just wake up too

Does the sun make these colors for fun

Is he in awe looking at us 

This could never get tiring

The sun rose higher and the colors faded away

Soon it was all over with dull cloudy skies

Wow that was amazing

You resident sail boats are so lucky

You should all we waking early daily to watch this

The residents were totally unfazed

Go back to sleep

It was only a sunrise

You need to rest more

We have a hard day of sailing ahead

The wind started to pick up

Chopping up the surface of the bay

A few early sailers appeared

Rolling down sails in preparation

The newcomers were excited

Oh we get to explore this bay

Maybe we will see dolphins

Lets see who can sail fastest

I will win today

The residents were not amused

Why do they let visitors moor here

They always wake up too early

Its was just another sunrise 

My sails are still tired from racing yesterday

A few hours later

All the visitors were away sailing

The remaining residents dozed

Peace at last

Thank goodness they left

I hope they all sink today

There was however one dissenter

I am glad they woke us early

Sunrise was truly incredible today

Things you only notice when crossing the pond

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Things that Europeans notice when visiting the United States

Everything is measured in ‘old’ units

Public bathroom doors have huge gaps

Meal portions are huge

People take food home from restaurants, frowned upon in Europe

American flags are everywhere

Service staff are badly paid and need tips to survive

Dwellings are so much bigger

Cars are bigger and guzzle gas

Everybody says thank you

Mail is left in the street in an open mailbox

Dollar bills of all denominations are the same size and color

Drinking age of 21 is the highest in the world

………………………………………

Americans notice these when visiting Europe

Hotel rooms generally much smaller

No electrical outlets in bathrooms

Culture is different in each European country- food, language, traditions, landscapes, architecture etc

Washing machines are smaller and dryers are not universal, people mostly air laundry dry

Stereotypes are not true, French people are typically friendly. Most Europeans speak English and are not offended if you don’t speak their language

Cities are much more walkable

Public transport is extensive and easily accessible

Most public toilets charge a small fee

Drinks are served without ice

People eat dinner later

Meals are not rushed and you have to ask for the bill

Food quality in Europe is excellent