My travel

Indiana Jones is sure to be a popular costume choice this year for Halloween, especially since the latest movie in the series was released this last May. To turn yourself into this popular adventure hero, you can purchase a costume at a store or, with a little creativity, you can create one yourself. In order to capture the spirit of Indy, here are a few essentials you’ll need.

The Indiana Jones Hat

The most memorable thing about Indiana Jones’ costume is his fedora. This hat has become such a strong symbol of Indy that makes it a must-have if you are planning a costume based on him. While an authentic Herbert Johnson fedora may be beyond your budget, you may be able to find a reasonable facsimile in a thrift store, or if you have a decent budget to spend, you can get licensed replicas from Stetson. Just be sure that the hat you choose is brown, has a tall, pinched crown, and a wide brim.

The Indiana Jones Whip

The bullwhip is a prop that is a must for any reasonably authentic Indiana Jones costume. While real bullwhips may cost you a small fortune, you may be able to find something similar at a tack shop or online. Just be sure that it’s long enough and authentic looking.

The Indiana Jones Leather Jacket

Indy’s famous leather jacket is a must. While you can get an authentic replica from Peter Botwright, who made the original, this may be a bit beyond some costume budgets. You may be able to find a reasonable stand-in jacket at a used clothing store if you’re lucky. It should be dark brown leather, and should be about waist length. If it looks aged and used, all the better.

The Indiana Jones Accessories

Besides that, a nice pair of taupe pants with pocket flaps on the back and a khaki shirt with chest pockets should help fill in the costume. If you can find an army green satchel, that will work for his shoulder bag. These can sometimes be found easily at army surplus stores, and sometimes they are very elusive. If you can find some light work boots for your feet (if you’re lucky, maybe someone turned in some Alden boots to your local thrift store) and a leather shoulder holster, your costume will be even more complete. And if you need a little help keeping the pants up, Indy’s belt was a standard military-style web belt. Both dark brown and khaki colored belts were used in the movies.

If you can gather some of these costume pieces together, you should make a very passable Indiana Jones this Halloween. Don’t forget to grow a little stubble and to add a few sweat stains to the shirt. That will lend a little authenticity to your costume. After all, adventure and danger is all in a day’s work for Indiana Jones.

Brendan Michaels is a freelance writer and editor. He publishes an informative costume resource at http://www.squidoo.com/my-indiana-jones-halloween-costume where you’ll get more great information about an Indiana Jones Halloween costume.

After hearing one too many stories of other people’s fabulous adventures in other countries, you’ve decided to take on backpacking! You head out to buy the latest guidebook and have decided on the ultimate destination and now the anticipation is building! But before you grab your pack and run out the door, here are a few things to consider that will make your adventure a bit smoother and relatively hassle free.

The most commonly overlooked or neglected item on the list is a plan. I have traveled many, many times without a plan or a route in mind. My trips were nothing less than amazing, but because I was not familiar with the geography and attractions I ended up retracing my steps many times because I passed by an important site or town without knowing about it. I even missed out on important sites because I did not have time to backtrack. Having a general idea of what you would like to see or where you would like to go will save you time and maintain general happiness!

Next concern is luggage. The most convenient, obviously, is a backpack. 60 liters is usually a great size, especially if you bring a daypack (highly recommended). This size is generally a bit larger than necessary (depending on your packing style), but if you plan it right, you’ll have a bit of room for those great finds you discover at the markets and shops.

Now because you have chosen backpacking, this generally means a few dodgy hotels, possibly some questionable transport methods and perhaps a few risky adventures. I cannot stress the value of Travel Insurance enough. I have had many experiences where my insurance has more than paid for itself, not to mention the fact that I had very big plans for the money I saved for this trip, and my health (lost baggage, delayed flights, etc.) was not one of them.

There are a few things that have come in handy in my 8 years of backpacking and I would never leave home without them:

First and foremost: earplugs. You never really know where you will be sleeping or what the situation will be, and these little gems will save you a lot of frustration.

Laundry Detergent: You cannot be sure when you will have a chance or want to take the time to do laundry. At least this will ensure that the essentials are clean!

A Travel Knife: Obvious, I know. But you can use this for more than you could imagine. Just remember to put it in your checked luggage, so it is not confiscated.

Finally, do not forget that budget traveling can be challenging. Keeping an open mind is essential, and indulging in the odd luxury is helpful too!

Amanda Rhyno writes on travel and travel related issues. For a wide selection of travel related information and advice please visit http://rhyno81.blogspot.com and http://rhyno8102.blogspot.com

While hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, I briefly met Smiley, a fellow thru-hiker. The following year he sent me an email saying he wanted to come to Southern Peru to climb the Arequipa area mountains, and was looking for a partner. He said he was an experienced climber but didn’t want to climb 20,000-foot mountains alone. He also needed transportation, which I could provide. I couldn’t remember where we had met, or picture what he looked like, but the name sounded familiar, and after a time of communication we worked out the time and details. Not too long before he was to arrive, I heard from another Summit Post member named Nathan, and he wanted to come down at the same time. Smiley was concerned that Nathan might hold us back because he was a “lowlander” but after seeing his climbing resume and discussing the situation, we all decided to give it a try and see how it would work together.

Nathan was able to come a couple of days earlier and we got in a couple of conditioning climbs, one on Chachani and one on Pichu Pichu. In spite of going right from the airport for the first one, and a headache from the altitude, he did fine. The following day we picked up Smiley at the airport and planned our attack. Smiley wanted to climb as many mountains as possible, but his big three were Nevados Chachani, Ampato and Coropuna, all over 6,000 meters, as well as El Misti which is just under that. We were thinking of trying Volcan Ubinas as a conditioning climb, but it had just been erupting so we chose Pichu Pichu instead.

Nevado Pichu Pichu - 18,586 Nov. 30th

On Friday morning we threw our gear into my 4×4 van and headed for Pichu Pichu. Nathan and I thought we had found a starting point when we were up there the day before, but after checking the information that Smiley had, we realized that we needed to drive around to the other side of the mountain. The approach road leaves Arequipa in the direction of Puno (it is actually the old road to Puno), going between El Misti and Pichu Pichu. Only a few miles out of Arequipa, just past the Misti turnoff, the nice paved road turns into very rough gravel, with lots of holes, rocks and curves. We got past where we had been the previous day and finally arrived at the turn for Laguna Salinas, which is somewhat between Pichu Pichu and Ubinas. There was really no good beta, and what we had was somewhat conflicting, so after looking at the mountain, we decided to chart our own route, going up the south ridge to what looked like the summit. The map showed a jeep road crossing the ridge and that looked like the highest and closest we could drive to the summit.

This whole area is around 14,000 feet or more, and is a very desolate landscape of sand and rocks, with clumps of prickly ichu grass, coral like mounds of green yareta, and some small scrub brush. After a three plus hour drive from Arequipa, we parked alongside the road at 14,900 feet and started the climb at 10:40 am. There wasn’t any trail but the surface was firm and easy to walk on, later it turned into more rock hopping but not difficult terrain. I was expecting a relatively easy day, having trained quite a bit and being used to hiking up to 15,000 feet. However between a combination of strength, being younger and energizer bunnyness, Smiley and Nathan kept me chasing them all the way up, in spite of both having severe headaches the whole time. When we arrived at the first peak, we realized that we weren’t on the top, so started following the rocky ridge to the true summit. There was a fair amount of third class and some fourth class scrambling on the ridge, as well as a cold wind, but we arrived at the summit at 3:40, five hours after leaving the car. There was no snow at all on the mountain, but with clouds climbing up on one side all the way to Misti, and Ubinas smoking on the other side, the views were otherworldly. Rather than take the ridge back, we dropped off the northeast side from the summit, slid down a sand slope as far as possible, and then angled downhill cross-country for the car. We finished in the dark at 7:10, and headed back to Arequipa to get a good night’s sleep.

If you want to read about another mountain we climbed at the same time, please see the Ezine article on El Misti.

Vic Hanson is the founder of Adventure Cotahuasi Tours, which offers pre-planned and custom adventure travel tours in Cotahuasi Canyon and other areas of Peru. If you are interested in your own adventure in Peru, check us out! http://www.adventurecotahuasi.com

If you would like to see this article with photos, please visit my page on summitpost at http://www.summitpost.org

The Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas is a member of the Voyager class of cruise ships. A series of cruise ships that feature all the same amenities that most cruise lines do, but also very many extravagant things that no other cruise line can boast

Once you board your first question might be, is this a cruise ship or a work of art? You will find that this cruise ship is a revolutionary masterpiece if ever there was one.

Not only does it sail effortlessly through the waters of the Caribbean, it contains some of the cruise industry’s most amazing features - a rock-climbing wall, a basketball court, an ice-skating rink and an in-line skating track. in addition, it has a five-story theater , a casino, a miniature golf course and a spectacular three-story dining room?

Sailing at 138000 gross tons, this ship is among the largest on the water, Of course, the ship’s major asset is its mammoth size, which affords all passengers areas for listening to live music, or sharing a quiet conversation. There is the open stack library, which has no specific hours unlike many other ships, rather this is open 24 hours per day. There are many areas such as pool side or the Solarium which are constantly busy, yet they are sufficiently large enough to accommodate those passengers who love aquatic activities and those who just want to relax.

I highly recommend that the adults arrange a night at Portofino’s. This is the $20 per person extra charge Italian restaurant. It was an outstanding evening out. And on this evening the dining room staff made sure the children were seated, served and accommodated to their hearts content.

If you want to learn more about cruising, including the 3 Free things that you must do to get the most out of your cruise, then you need to visit The CruiseGuy

The Great Barrier Reef is the perfect example of how man could never fully comprehend the stirrings of nature. In this natural underwater environment lies the greatest cornucopia of coral reefs, including the animated characters you may have been longing to see since the premiere of Finding Nemo. Every diving experience in the Great Barrier Reef is full of wonderful stories that could hardly be contained in a few words. The preceding paragraphs will discuss the exhilaration a diver is bound to experience from scuba diving in this natural wonder of a dive spot.

How ‘great’ is the Great Barrier Reef?

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world, with its almost 3000 individual reefs nestled underwater. The coral polyps of the reef system also brings to life the largest living architecture in a marine environment. Being a UNESCO World Heritage Site and regarded as one of the 7 natural wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef is an overwhelming natural resource that has also been exposed to the challenges of environmental degradation. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is just one of those institutions that operate to remediate marine -adverse human activities and lobby for the protection of this natural wonder.

Diving and Snorkeling for Everyone

Snorkeling and scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef is not just an eye-candy experience. A mere encounter of its bounties would make you realize that it is indeed worthy of preservation. The underwater section of the reef system is home to whales, manatees, turtles, seahorses, and mollusks. Meanwhile, fish species such as clown fishes, coral trout and red bass also spawn all around the coral reef. So make sure you are geared up with an H2Odyssey MS12 and SS12 Mask and Snorkel combo when scuba diving or snorkeling in the great warm waters of the barrier reef.

The large marine ecosystems of the site call for the services of boat facilities such as liveaboard cruisers that cater to the never-ending interests of both local and tourist divers. Perfect for scuba divers and non-scuba divers alike, liveaboards will conveniently ferry you to the reefs for a few hours of diving and snorkeling fun. Scuba divers can arrange for a trip with a range of glass-bottomed boats and underwater observation facilities. If scuba diving is your fancy, trust the Aeris Coral Buoyancy Compensator to sustain neutral buoyancy, support flexible movements and allow you to enjoy more of the natural beauty underwater.

Felix Tero produces web content for Scuba Suppliers, Inc. Get the scuba equipment that’s right for you at http://www.scubasuppliers.com

SeaDream yachting is different from big ship cruising. Unlike cruises, you will be pampered by SeaDream’s award-winning service and cuisine. You can be as active or as relaxed as you want to be while experiencing the ultimate in luxury, privacy and personalization.

SeaDream visits the intimate yachting playgrounds, harbors and ports where larger cruise ships cannot go. April - November in Europe and the Mediterranean and November - April, in the Caribbean

The personal touch on SeaDream Yacht Club continues with off-ship excursions led by officers and staff, giving guests the chance to snorkel with the captain in one of his favorite spots or accompany the chef on a shopping trip. Unstructured sailing in luxurious, intimate surroundings is the hallmark of SeaDream Yacht Club.

A rejuvenating experience awaits you at the SeaDream Spa. Discover the ultimate in Thai therapies and behold the secrets and luxury of their time honored spa treatments. Achieve pure bliss and tranquility in a sanctuary for you to relax, unwind, recharge and rejuvenate.

The SeaDream Spa is Thai certified and the only one of its kind at sea. Choose from an extensive range of spa favorites such as our Asian Blend massage, Javanese Lulur body treatment and Traditional Thai Massage.

The SeaDream Spa provides 8 massage therapists to ensure that all of your spa needs are being indulged as well as sauna and steam rooms for your use. You may enjoy some of the treatments on deck in the open air private massage area, cooled by gentle sea breezes (weather permitting). Yoga and Tai Chi sessions are also provided daily on deck or shore side when possible.

http://www.luxury-cruiseline.co.uk

The holy city of Amritsar is located in Punjab, India and is the spiritual and cultural centre of the Sikh religion. It’s the Number One destination for the non resident Indians (NRIs) and attracts more visitors than even the more popular destination of India, Agra.

Amritsar was founded by the Sikh Guru Ram Dass Ji and is famous for the magnificent Harmandir Sahib or the Golden Temple and the Akal Takht (the Throne of the Timeless God). The construction of the world famous Golden Temple with golden shrines was started by Guru Ram Dass Ji and was completed by Guru Arjan Dev Ji in 1601.

While on a visit to the place, make it a point to also visit Ram Bagh and the Wagah Border. While Ram Bagh is a beautiful garden made on the patterns of the renowned Shalimar Bagh of Lahore, Pakistan; the Wagah Border is a place that’s at India’s border with Pakistan. Here, you can watch the interesting border closing ceremony. Regular taxis are available from the Golden Temple to the Wagah Border.

Amritsar is on the Great Trunk Road, and hence well connected by road. The place is well connected by rail and air as well. In fact, the pilgrim town is connected to even many international destinations, courtesy the swanky Raja Sansi International Airport. The best time to visit Amritsar is between October and March.

And oh, did I mention that while on a visit to Amritsar you must visit the Amritsar Massacre Memorial also? The Amritsar Massacre Memorial built at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar is the place where, before independence, several innocent and unarmed Indians were cold bloodedly butchered by General Dyre. Here, you can still see many bullet marks that remind you of the bestiality of the former colonial rulers.

http://www.toshaliresort.com

It will be very nice if you love outdoor activities and you can live in a town where enjoying nature at is best is just a few minutes away. Yes, there are a lot of towns which provides you a balance of comfortable modern living and excitement of different outdoor activities.

If you have your own family, these towns also have provisions for the best education, jobs, health, housing, arts, and entertainment.

Doing What You Love Where You Live

Living where you can play may be the best set up for anyone who loves the outdoors. The following cities have been cited by experts as the best places to consider if you want to be close to the outdoors:

Burlington, Vermont

Burlington is the largest city of Vermont. This city offers a year in year out array of outdoor activities. The city is located by the Lake Champlain and the water front was perfectly designed for running, walking, biking, or roller skating. The summer makes the environment excellent for fishing, sailing, or other water activities.

The drop of temperature during the winter doesn’t make life dull in this community. You and your family can go ice fishing, ice boating, cross-country skiing, and skating. The city also has Mardi Gras and Winter Festivals joined by locales and people from other cities.

If you are thinking of other essentials, there is nothing to worry about. The city has 6 colleges that you can choose from. Housing is very affordable. The local government also boasts of a very low crime rate.

Missoula, Montana

This spot in Montana offers you a rural sophistication with big-city amenities. If you plan to live simple and be surrounded by the wilderness, this is the place for you.

You’ll find nice restaurants, shops, museums, theaters, and a symphony around town. A few minutes from these entire buzz will bring you to millions of acres of greeneries. The town is surrounded by declared national forest, great wilderness, and recreation areas.

The forest offers you hiking, camping, biking, and white water rafting activities. There is also the Lee Metcalf Refuge where you can observe wild birds in their royal beauty.

Missoula is near the Clark Fork River and is home to the University of Montana. The health care set up is also comparable to the city standards. Winter outdoor activities also offer a hype since the weather may go below freezing point for around 6 months.

Laramie, Wyoming

Residents of Laramie enjoy the outdoor fun offered by the Medicine Bow National Forest and the National Grasslands of Thunder Basin. You can find amusement in skiing, snowshoeing, cycling, and camping. If you love fishing, the lakes along the plains and the mountain streams will offer you a lot of choices.

The Old West style town is also home to the University of Wyoming which caters to different sporting and cultural activities. The place doesn’t only offer chances for outdoor activities but also an opportunity to immerse to the old western style of living.

Hanover, New Hampshire

According to a lot of outdoor lovers, Hanover is haven to people who loves outdoor activities and adventure. There are literally hundreds of options for things to do in this town since there are hundreds of rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes which surround it. Imagine the fun that motor boating, sailing and swimming can bing.

The roads are well maintained and the towns also offer a combo of urban fun with a quiet village atmosphere. Hanover is only 2 hours away from Boston.

These places are among the best. The list of course goes on depending on the set up that you want to achieve. Outdoor activities are guaranteed all year round if you will move to or visit these places with your friends or family.

SpringFields army surplus store can cater for all your bush craft and camping equipment needs

El Misti - 19,101 feet Dec. 1st & 2nd

It was late when we got home from Pichu Pichu so the next day we slept in and took it easy in the morning. Besides the rest, we wanted lots of good food so we decided to stop at El Herraje Restaurant for lunch before heading to Misti. El Herraje has two locations in Arequipa, the one near the Cathedral is large, touristy and expects tips, a smaller one two blocks away caters to the locals and tipping is not expected. They have a grill special, with a choice of chicken, beef or pork, generous portion of fries and a salad for 7 or 8 soles - the perfect way to start any climb. Or to end a climb; we became regulars there during our time in Arequipa.

There are three main trails up Misti. What used to be the normal one starts near the city dump and is considered quite dangerous due to the gangs of robbers that hang out there, waiting for climbers to return. The one on the northeast side is higher in elevation, and a shorter climb, but has a long rough approach drive between Misti and Chachani. The trailhead we used is on the south side; the turn off is near the village of Chigata, which is reached by the same road used to go to Pichu Pichu. It is still near enough to the city that it is not recommended to leave a vehicle parked there overnight, so my friend Lucho drove us to the trailhead. We got started later than planned because the road had been closed for a road race; one of the cars was still there when we went by, over the edge down in a canyon.

We had some trouble finding the trailhead as it had been years since I had been there and there are no signs for the multitude of roads, some of which dead-end in small canyons. Finally we found the correct road and at 3:15 pm we had our picture taken at the National Reserve sign (11,600 feet) and headed up towards the camp. We arrived at the first camp in 2 ½ hours, which is at 14,920 feet, but it was pretty full with another party and their three tents. We visited for a while and got some pictures of Pichu Pichu in the clouds, and then we went on (while being treated to a fabulous sunset!) to the higher camp at 15,420 feet. We arrived there at 6:30, feeling great and just in time to get our tents set up before dark.

Unfortunately Smiley had a bad night - a severe headache and breathing problems, with only a few hours of sleep. Thankfully the headache lessened at about 6:00 am so we got up then and were on the trail at 6:45. Most groups start by 3:00 am or before but knowing we would be climbing fast, we weren’t worried about the late start. Smiley was feeling much better, but I continued to lead, setting a slow (for them) but steady pace. At 9:15 we caught up to the group that had been camped below us, and after a short break, we went on ahead of them. After a couple of photos at the saddle on the crater rim, Smiley and Nathan took the lead for the last climb up the rim and reached the summit at 10:05, three hours and 20 minutes from camp. A few minutes later I joined them there and we visited with another group who had come up the backside, while enjoying the view and taking photos. Of course we got a good look at Chachani, where we would be the next day. On the way down, we took the traverse trail to the lower crater, which is still active. There we could look down through the sulfur fumes to the base of the crater where mummies were discovered a number of years ago.

One of the fun things about a Misti climb is the very quick slide down the steep volcanic sand; we were back at our camp in an hour and 15 minutes, where we dumped out shoe fulls of sand. After packing up, we continued the rapid descent, arriving at the trailhead at 1:50 for a total descent time of three hours, including the 40-minute stop to pack up camp. Total time from leaving camp in the morning until returning to the trailhead was seven hours and five minutes, which beat my previous time by two hours. Unlike the previous climb, there was no snow at all on Misti this time.

If you want to read about another mountain we climbed at the same time, please see the Ezine article on Chachani

Vic Hanson is the founder of Adventure Cotahuasi Tours, which offers pre-planned and custom adventure travel tours in Cotahuasi Canyon and other areas of Peru. If you are interested in your own adventure in Peru, check us out! http://www.adventurecotahuasi.com

If you would like to see this article with photos, please visit my page on summitpost at http://www.summitpost.org

We are living in a day and age where majority of marriages end up in a divorce and several times the reason for that divorce is cheating by one of the partners. So what makes a person cheat? What leads him or her to become unfaithful towards his or her spouse and take this route? Read on to discover some of the most astonishing facts on what makes a person cheat and save yourself from a possible heartache……

Adventure- Yes this is right. A lot of people do cheat on their partners just for the fun of trying something new and adventure. You see adventure is one of the most basic human needs and all of us need a change once in a while. But you see when the sense of adventure becomes more powerful than the sense of guilt your partner might have he or she ends up going out with someone else.

No fear of getting caught- This is another major reason why a lot of people try to cheat on their partners. They feel that they can sneak up behind their partners back and no one would even come to know about what they did.

Getting fed up of the relationship- This is the major reason why a lot of people out there end up cheating on their partners. You see sometimes the relationship loses it’s magic and does not remain as passionate as it used to be due to which one of the partners wanders out looking for someone else to spend time with. This is the reason why it’s extremely important to make constant efforts in the relationship to improve it day by day because if you let it slip it gets boring by default and you might end up getting cheated on eventually.

An absolute must know for you- This secret is an absolute must know for you no matter what. This is the grand daddy of all which would give you the ultimate power to become a magnet towards which every woman would be attracted. This is only known to a few and you are one of the lucky one’s who are being introduced to this shocking secret click here- Tell me the Secret