Starting in Edinburgh

The process of determining which destination marathon to tackle next has been a challenge. I'm looking all over the world, but a few places seem to be rising to the top. Out of them all, the one that seems to make the most sense is the Edinburgh marathon in Scotland.

Beyond being one of a few obvious choices, this marathon gives me the ability to return to London and stay for a few days. That gives me the chance to walk up to my favorite, the Prince of Wales Pub in Chelsea. Add to that a nice train ride between London and Edinburgh and the chance to use my library membership at the Chelsea and Kensington branch and the trip really begins to take shape.

I decided to look up some more detailed race information. The image below is of the starting location of the race. It certainly doesn't look like much now, but add the expected 30,000 participants and fans and you've got quite the event lined up for May in the northern U.K.

The Old Man in the Prince of Wales Pub

I had been in London for about 5 hours, intentionally trying to get lost and had more or less succeeded when I happened upon a little old pub in Chelsea. Satisfied that it was time for a pint, I walked up the steps of the Prince of Wales pub at the corner of Old Brompton Road and Empress Place. I tried to open both of the entryway doors to no avail. Just as I turned around to find another pub, and old man, whom I hadn't yet noticed told me that it would only be a moment or so before the pub opened. I'm sure he used a much more whimsical and creative phrase but it has since escaped me.

Shortly after, the doors were opened and the old man and I walked in. I found a seat at a table by myself and ordered from the bartender who was doubling as my waiter. After a few minutes and half of my first pint I wandered over to the old man who was sitting a few tables over. Eager to engage in a conversation with a Brit, I told him how impressed I was with the little bar and we engaged in some great chit chat.

The man had some serious health issues. Probably in his 70's, he had difficulty walking and spoke with a soft voice. I was still trying to get a sense of Londoners and wondering what they thought of me. After speaking a little bit about our respective countries' interest in "football" the man provided me with some insight into his existence. He said that his doctor had told him that if he didn't quit drinking and smoking he would die. To that, he told me. "This, this fag I can live with out but I'll be damned if I don't die with a pint in my hand". It was a simple quote but one that was more endearing than you can imagine.

For me this little anecdote sort of encapsulated my London experience, especially because all of my pictures were deleted. While most trips have pictures, this one is only memories. My adventure in London is now all in my head. I'll never forget that bar, nor the old man who sat outside with me waiting for it to open.

Because all of my pictures were deleted it was important to me to find the pub where I had such a fond memory. When I returned home I took it upon myself to find my favorite London pub. Despite walking around the city, lost, for just shy of 11 hours, I had a fairly good idea of where I had gone and I didn't think it would be hard to find. This goes to show that with a good sense of an areas geography and direction it's hard to ever really be lost. I recognized many of the places I went while I looked around London in Google Earth. I knew the pub was near Brompton Cemetery which, despite forgetting the name (as was the case with the pub) was easy to find. I looked everywhere to the north and the east but couldn't find my pub!

It was more than a year later before I happened upon the Prince of Wales pub in Chelsea in Google Earth just to the southwest of the cemetery. I've included a picture from Google Earth Street View below.



It's a very special place, very far away. I hope you get the opportunity to go there someday.

I enjoy hearing other peoples stories about travels. The personal side to trips are usually the most interesting to read about. I encourage you to write stories of your own travels on your blog. Be sure to let me know by leaving a comment. Check out some great take aways of Catholicgauze's trip to Saudi Arabia.

16 Marathons in Africa to Get Your Heart Pumping

Destination marathons are a great way to travel. Instead of simply counting down the days until your vacation, run and cross-train the time away. You'll end up in great shape just in time to enjoy some amazing places. With its deserts, jungles, mountains and beaches, Africa is a great place to consider for your own destination marathon.

To help you decide where to go I've assembled a list, map, and information on 16 marathons in Africa. If one of them catches your interest or you'd like more information click on the appropriate link below the map.

If you know of other marathons in Africa, leave a comment. If you've completed a destination marathon, or are planning one, let me know your story. Leave a comment here or better yet, write a post on your own blog. I'd love to hear about it!

Happy running!



Accra, Ghana
Luxor, Egypt
Tozeur, Tunisia
Tindouf, Algeria
Kigali, Rwanda
Moshi, Tanzania
Limpopo Province, South Africa
Durban, South Africa
Algiers, Algeria
Cape Town, South Africa
Tamarin, Mauritius
Namibia
Nairobi, Kenya
Zambia and Zimbabwe
Kampala, Uganda
Ghat, Libya


The lead up to my marathon:

In 2009 I decided to start training for a marathon. I had tossed around the idea of a destination marathon for some time and realized the time to act was now. A few years earlier I had come across the Christmas Island marathon, and this was where I started my internet searches. I was immediately intrigued at the thought of running around a small island in the Indian Ocean and the prospect of flying through Sydney or perhaps Kuala Lumpur.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any information on a 2010 Christmas Island marathon. A few more searches revealed the Namibia marathon through Across the Divide. I've already written a post about my experience in Namibia.

Two things have happened since I returned from Namibia:

1. The marathon bug bit me again
2. My last treatment failed to remove the Africa bug

Time for more research!

16 Marathons in Africa to Get Your Heart Pumping

Destination marathons are a great way to travel. Instead of simply counting down the days, run and cross-train the time away. You'll end up in great shape just in time to enjoy some amazing places on your trip. With its deserts, jungles, mountains and beaches, Africa is a great place to consider for your own destination marathon.

To help you decide where to go for your destination marathon I've assembled a list, map, and information on 16 marathons in Africa. If one of them catches your interest or you'd like more information click on the appropriate link below the map.

If you know of other marathons in Africa, leave a comment. And if you've completed a destination marathon, or are planning one, let me know your story, either with a comment or a post on your own blog. I'd love to hear about it!

Enjoy!



Accra, Ghana
Luxor, Egypt
Tozeur, Tunisia
Tindouf, Algeria
Kigali, Rwanda
Moshi, Tanzania
Limpopo Province, South Africa
Durban, South Africa
Algiers, Algeria
Cape Town, South Africa
Tamarin, Mauritius
Namibia
Nairobi, Kenya
Zambia and Zimbabwe
Kampala, Uganda
Ghat, Libya


The lead up to my marathon:

In 2009 I decided to start training for a marathon. I had tossed around the idea of a destination marathon for some time and realized the time to act was now. A few years earlier I had come across the Christmas Island marathon, and this was where I started my internet searches. I was immediately intrigued at the thought of running around a small island in the Indian Ocean and the prospect of flying through Sydney or perhaps Kuala Lumpur.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any information on a 2010 Christmas Island marathon. A few more searches revealed the Namibia marathon through Across the Divide. I've already written a post about my experience in Namibia.

Two things have happened since I returned from Namibia:

1. The marathon bug bit me again
2. My last treatment failed to remove the Africa bug

Time for more research!

Google Adds to Virgin Experience with Maps

Most international air carriers offer digital maps as one of the view options with seat back television screens. Google announced last week that a partnership with Virgin America will up the digital map ante by using upgraded terrain based Google Earth maps in their fleet .

I find digital maps on planes to be enjoyable and they actually help me pass the time on long flights. My first experience was on a USA 3000 flight to Jamaica in 2004. The ability to track, in real time, the plane's location was pretty cool. It also beat the heck out of the in-flight movie, Fat Albert.

A Delta flight from Detroit to London in 2009 was my first experience with an interactive flight map. I could zoom in and out as well as toggle between the flight track and flight data such as speed, distance traveled and time remaining until landing. Being able to track the plane's progress made the flight not only seem faster, but more enjoyable as I would think to myself things like "You are directly over the mid-atlantic ridge."

Most recently I flew about 15000 miles with South African Airlines. While they had seat back maps, which most international fleets now do, they weren't interactive. In fact, the map would rotate to another screen of some doofus telling me to do calf raises and toe raises about every 15 seconds. It was a tease. I certainly don't want to get deep vein thrombosis but I don't need to be reminded constantly when stuck on a plane for, during one stint, more than 18 hours. I longed for the ability to zoom in and out at the press of a button and to tell myself things like "You are entering Liberian airspace". Virgin America passengers will no longer have to endure the pain of substandard seat back maps. It's just too bad I don't live near a Virgin America hub.

Since I brought up South African Airlines, I would be remiss if I didn't show you the safety video. Anyone who flies SAA will remember this little guy.

Kayaking Just Got Better

The first time I ever used the Kayak.com search engine for flights, I found a flight for 700 dollars less than I was prepared to pay. Since then it has been THE place I look for the best flight and vacation prices.

Naturally I got the app for the iPhone and iPad and most recently for my HTC EVO.

After learning about Google's planned take over of ITA who is the data provider Kayak uses, I became worried that Google would push the upstart kayak right out of the market but kayak has outdone themselves with the most recent update to both the mobile apps (iPad in particular) and the full website.


The iPad app was completely redone to take advantage of the large screen. While the mobile app is nice, it feels very...mobile.

The large screen on the iPad also allows for quick searches, a must when you are searching for more than just a single date or location. The history of searches, located in the center provides easy access to recent searches.

Search Screen


But it's the new Explore feature in Kayak which has not only raised, but redefined the bar for travel websites. Explore lets kayak help you find a destination based on cost, flight characteristics, timing and cost. I have been waiting for a feature that would allow me to ask "where can I go given these parameters?" Kayak.com has delivered. With the broadest set of search criteria, travel is possible nearly everywhere. This makes it simple to find deals, like 410 dollars to Bogota or 580 to Amsterdam.

World Map with Explore Dots


Once you zoom in on the map (a dream using multi-touch) the dots turn into the best available fare and you are on your way to a great vacation!

Montevideo


Thanks again to the folks at kayak.com and happy travels!

Choose Your Own African Adventure

Flying to Africa is expensive. But where are the least expensive places to fly in the continent?

As I search for the location of my next adventure I decided to check on the cost of flights in a given week from Detroit to all the African capitals to see if there was anything fascinating and worth mentioning. There certainly are some surprises; It also provides some information for people looking at the relative cost of travel to various African states.

Ever since I discovered kayak.com I've been doing numerous searches for deals on flights to Africa. (I use the term "deal" very loosely). After hundreds of searches I've learned a few things I thought I'd share with you.

1. Prices to Africa fluctuate significantly. I've seen prices go up and down well over $1,000 per week.

2. In general, buying tickets around 5 months in advance provides the lowest average price.

3. Thursday departures from the US seem to result in the lowest fares. My default, first search is a Thursday US departure and a following Saturday departure from my destination. In my Kayak account I use the three days before and after for both, but that never seems to make it much cheaper.

4. If you're comfortable with the price don't wait too long for nickel and diming. This is especially true if you are 4 months or less from departure. There is often a dramatic increase around this time that I wouldn't want to be caught in. (Last minute flights can easily get to 7,000 dollars.)

5. Set alerts from kayak.com on your travel dates to keep track of the price movement. Also, use their calendar to see fluctuations in best price fares at different times of the upcoming year and in months past. Keep in mind this isn't always possible since there aren't a whole lot of inquiries into flight pairings such as Detroit to Luanda.

For this project I picked November 4 and November 11 as travel dates from and to Detroit Metro Airport (DTW). I used kayak's flexible schedule with three days before and after, but as I said, this doesn't seem to alter prices noticeably.



I find it fascinating that the most inexpensive countries to travel to border the most expensive. Further, the fact that Libya's Tripoli was the lowest at $1,059 is interesting in itself.

The surprise on the expensive side has to be Mauritania. With the exception of Rabat in Morocco and Laayoune (which I used in place of a Capital for Western Sahara) Nouakchott is the closest destination for most of the US. However, Mauritania comes in at 6th highest with round trip airfare costing 2,337. Notably, Mauritania comes in right in front of Madagascar (2371) despite the nearly 5,000 additional miles needed to fly to Antananarivo. I've included all the results at the bottom of this post. Does anything unexpected jump out at you? Have you had any great flight deals?

Like this map? Check out previous nerd projects on:

Twitter and Africa
Google and Africa
Perceived US-African Relationship This one may need an update! :)

Here is a list of the actual results:

Sierra Leone 4,614
Eritrea 3,085
Chad 2,449
Central Africa Republic 2,424
Madagascar 2,371
Mauritania 2,337
Mali 2,195
Congo (Brazzaville) 2,190
Angola 2,178
Equatorial Guinea 2,124
Niger 2,109
Benin 2,087
Malawi 2,071
Togo 2,069
Burkina Faso 2,012
Djibouti 2,004
Gabon 2,000
DRC 1,972
Namibia 1,899
Rwanda 1,845
Zimbabwe 1,838
Burundi 1,838
Mozambique 1,823
Guinea 1,798
Cameroon 1,771
Gambia 1,759
Lesotho 1,745
Botswana 1,713
Liberia 1,694
Ivory Coast 1,627
Zambia 1,573
Western Sahara (Laayoune) 1,534
Tanzania 1,376
Ethiopia 1,363
Senegal 1,339
South Africa 1,322
Sudan 1,308
Ghana 1,255
Kenya 1,248
Uganda 1,201
Tunisia 1,139
Morocco 1,137
Nigeria 1,101
Algeria 1,089
Egypt 1,075
Libya 1,059

No flights to:
Swaziland
Somalia
Guinea Bissau