Rain By spratmackrel, November 5, 2008 available through Creative Commons via Flickr

It’s raining again, damn! It hasn’t stopped raining for days. Normally this wouldn’t bother me because I like the rain, especially on a warm day where even the most mature individual is tempted to jump into a puddle. Today, today is my last day in Rio de Janeiro and I’d like to say my upset stomach was over my uneasiness of leaving a place I’ve called home for four months or that it’s because I am returning home only to be handed a piece of paper that says I’m capable of teaching. Teaching, ha! You would have thought that 23 years of life, four of which backed by a college education, would have taught me not to do six shots right before I leave the bar, after I already reached that ‘feel good’ point. Lesson learned, at least for now, but their are more pressing matters, like the rain.

The gentle drops create a hum on the roof disrupted only by the sound of a cart being pulled across a puddle. I’ll miss that scent, reheated butter and caramel as the street vendor waits outside the school selling popcorn. I should get up, any other day I’d sleep off this hangover but then again my last day isn’t just any other day.

I fill my pockets with the last of my money, slip on my Havaianas and head out to the store. as I round the corner the bus that would any other day take me to the beach squeaks to a stop. Maybe I should hop on just so I can get one last look?

I keep walking tracing the jagged lines of the odd shaped stones that line the sidewalk. Even through the dingy smell of wet pavement older than the US I can smell the sweet potent smell of coffee. I’m almost there.

I’ll miss this, the tiny cup of a coffee the same size, but twice as strong as anything I drank last night. It’s only rival is the fresh baked roll whose crackle as I break it in half is like a lullaby that soothes my stomach’s cries.

I feel like I should do something more, as if the past four months count for not and only this moment will last eternal in my memory of my time spent here. Maybe I should have got on that bus or any bus, never to return so that the ending is merely the beginning of a new story? No, I have to go back, my passport is in my room. They wouldn’t let me cross into Argentina without my passport.

I begin to walk back home weighing my makeshift plan to runaway even though I know the furthest I’d go would be to the beach, if only to watch the waves splash on the shore from a distance.

I’m brought back to my present location by the rustling sound of an old woman digging through the trash bags. This is the hardest part about Rio, the homeless children and elderly. But there are too many of them and the money I have is too few. That is, until today I have some money not enough to exchange back to US dollars but enough for her.

Damn, of all my Portuguese lessons the only one that dealt with the homeless was to shy away from beggars not attract their attention to give them money.

Excuse me I say, “Licencia”, sounding more like I’m questioning myself instead of asking for her attention. She shoots up quick for someone so frail, her eyes big yet sunken like someone too scared to sleep peacefully at night. “I have some money for you, I’m leaving today…I don’t need it.” Did I say that right?

Her timidness quickly becomes defensive, the trash bag is the only thing separating us on this narrow sidewalk, her back against the wall my heals hanging over the curb onto the street. People begin to stare and the saltiness from the rain leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

I become nervous at the uneasiness of the situation, why do I feel this way if I’m only trying to do the right thing. I hold out the money, both arms fully extended trying to give it to her but she only shoos me away. Did I insult her? Her actions become more aggressive as her wrinkles attempt to tighten across her face. Do I just drop the money or leave with it, I’m not sure what I should do. I walk away.

I swear only a month ago she was sitting in that same spot asking for money, was it her or did I just insult a woman taking out the trash? No, I’m sure it was her or at least that she had no where to go, no place to call home, but why wouldn’t she take the money, what do I do now? Do I finish packing and go out frivolously spending my remaining Brazilian Real?

Walking too intensely focused on the rain to realize I was getting wet, I continue the day just as it has begun…

My stomach hurts.

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Lost Days of Rio is a post from: Monkey Brewster

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However there are a few shows that seem to embody what travel is all about, while other shows are more of a vacation exploration and more even still I have yet to figure out why they are on the Travel Channel. Cable, being what it is, I’m sure some of these shows are validated by the ratings they bring in and not for sticking to the main topic of travel. Let us look at the good, the bad and the ugly side of travel as shown on the Travel Channel.

The Good

Anthony Bourdaine’s No Reservations – Who doesn’t like this guy? OK, well a lot of people, I’m sure Emerald would like to BAM! Anthony in the head but for those of us with a sardonic twist of humor, we love his commentary. You could say he is real, but what is really real anymore when the likes of Flavor Flav, dancing Kate (sans 8 ) and Eric Nies are all on the same plane of being famous (or brought back to fame for the former) for being ‘real’?

I digress, from my Bourdain’ish rant, that Anthony Bourdain depicts interactions and experiences that you or I could hope to come across if we simply hopped off the tourist bus and took a look around us to really see and experience the place we are visiting. He seems to get it, that travel is about the sites we see and the experiences we have in some distant land becoming, if only for a moment,  intertwined in the lives and stories of the locals.

Dhani Jones’ Dhani Tackles The Globe – You could chalk this up to a jock merely trying to show off his macho-ness around the globe but there is more to this show. First, on more or less an obvious but shallow scale, he’s Black -  if you watched the episode where he went to Senegal (which is in Africa) you would understand why this has such great importance. The connection to who he is and was forever linked to some far off land of spirits passed came rushing together in something that cannot be explained and I believe changed this man for life.

The world is so diverse and varied yet travel is depicted, dare I say it, white washed, that it is good to see someone different showing us their experiences across the world. Furthermore, Dhani really gets to know and interact with the locals training with them building a bond that reaches far beyond just making a good TV episode and that my friend makes a great TV show.

Zane Lamprey’s Three Sheets – Sure he goes around and gets tanked, yeah I know you don’t like it because, well you want that job. Don’t worry, you and me both in fact you could say this site is a bit Three Sheets-ish and we both share something greater than travel and alcohol combined – MONKEYS! Outside of those three awesome bits is the fact that Zane really gets in deep to explore where the drink comes from, how it is ingrained (hehe liquor – grain….get it….ahem) into their culture and sits down with the locals and lets them show him how it’s done. At the very least, this is a mirrored image of a few hostel goers you have encountered I’m sure of it, love it or hate it alcohol and travel are longtime bedfellows.

The Bad

Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods -I like Andrew Zimmern, not in a creepy stalker “we’re friends” kind of way but because he is a dork, I mean really dorky which goes hand in hand with travel and travel blogging. You can’t fake that kind of goofiness. Yet, just because I like the guy doesn’t mean I think he represents travel all that well. He is there to gross you out and he does it very well since he likes every rotted fermented blood and bile soaked thing he eats, grossing out even the locals. Andrew Zimmern depicts the other as an undeveloped uncivilized savage in his exploration of travel, that is the barbaric foreigner doesn’t have a working fridge and therefore eats these disgusting concoctions. Though often the locals are looking at him in horror as he eats some rare food that he had to go out of his way in search of for your viewing pleasure. I’m not saying that this is always the case, but the idea of it definitely sends the wrong message about travel, and will more likely deter someone from traveling because they can’t find anything edible in a certain country than inspire them to pack their bags and head out to explore wherever Andrew goes.

Those cultures that do eat such exotic items are merely served up here for entertainment and any historical/cultural significance is lost somewhere between Andrew’s teeth.

Ghost Adventurers – Is this even travel? Even if they are in some new and exciting location all I ever see is the night vision close up of Zak Bagans face in some basement. I’m not sure if this show is supposed to be scary or funny but it doesn’t really hit either. Not only that but they never catch anything except maybe a creaking door in the background and a shadow someone saw move off camera. I’d rather watch the Chow Down Count Down for the millionth time than another episode of this.

Samantha Brown – She used to be fun to watch, now I feel like I’m watching a Sex and the City travel spin off. Maybe it’s not her fault but the producers, either way after 10 years on the Travel Channel her way of traveling has certainly upgraded. If you can afford this lifestyle, sure there is nothing wrong with it, but for the rest of us who actually need to save to travel you won’t find us dropping a few hundred dollars at all the top shopping spots of every place we visit nor staying in a nice single suite hotel. That is unless the ‘S’ fell off the sign and we are staying at a very nice ‘ho tel’.

On the opposite side of things it is nice to see a women travel host, since this seems to be a very male dominated field. However I doubt she provides any real advice for your solo woman traveler, and thus seems to have its good and bad but still lands itself in the bad category. Sorry Sam, I still think you are adorable @(^_^)@

Here is a list of women travelers who you should follow.

The Ugly

Bert The Conqueror – To be honest, I’ve never seen the show and while I’d go out of my way to watch most of the shows in the Good category I can’t speak on the show itself other than it seems to be an attempt to grasp viewers by showing a big furry trembling man whimpering like a toddler. Although now that I say it like that I kind of want to check it out. If all else fails to reason this into the ugly category, simply look at that photo, pure terror is not sexy – but at least the Travel Channel has Samantha Brown.

Man V Food – Adam’s sex appeal can be debated another time because that is not the root of what I’m getting at but the pure gluttony as I become full just watching him chow down a steak 3 times the size of me. I wondered why he only visited restaurants in the  US until I realized that the rest of the world doesn’t boast its belly busters like the US. Throughout the rest of the world you are more likely to see a Kilogram restaurant, where you pay by the weight of your plate, instead of an all you can eat buffet.

Travel means something different to each and ever person depending on so many factors that what you or somebody else experienced before will never be more than a memory or the chasing of past experiences. That in itself could be reason why the Travel Channel doesn’t show real travel, because what is real at the time can never be replicated by anyone else no matter how many times they try to relive the experience they once saw on their TV screen. Yet, what does come across and what really makes people long to explore are the stories and impact that people share in their explorations of far away places to learn a little more about themselves.

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The Travel Channel: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of TV Travel is a post from: Monkey Brewster

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• New Brew Tuesday: Pisco
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• 10 Resolutions for 2010

It’s been almost 7 months since I wrote my 10 Resolutions for 2010 and around 9 months since my first post. It’s hard to believe that I’m still flinging topics left and right, especially since the main topic is travel and I don’t get to travel as much as I would like. However since I’ve started this site, I’ve ventured off to Peru,  completed some of my resolutions and booked a flight to Japan to continue some travels. Want to know what I’ve accomplished thus far? Well lets swing on down and see what’s been happening at Monkey Brewster.

Resolutions

Travel

I’m excitedly waiting for this December so that I can go to Japan. Yet, other than that and my motorcycle journey across the Midwest I haven’t accomplished too many travel experiences. Canada is still on hold until a friend gets her papers issued but I plan on spending time in NYC for New Years Eve and the polar bear swim off of Coney Island on New Years Day.

Graduate School

Well I’m signed up to take classes, and actually I start in a month….maybe. I’m more worried about my grant being refunded, since my job is paying for school: no job = no school. I was hoping to find out earlier, since my budget runs dry at the end of August but Congress is taking their good old time. I would make a fuss, but those are some serious poo flingers that I’m no match for.

Credit Debt

I’ve knocked off my main balance and minus a few large charges (like reattaching my muffler) I’ve pretty much kept it around zero.

Perfecting the Art of Poo Flinging

Yeah if my program gets cut, maybe I’ll go to Washington DC and learn from the masters.

Round the World

I’ve looked at jobs in interesting places around the world but more than anything else I’ve just been reading other blogs and getting a bit stir crazy. I’ve been told I’m crazy to want to move when I have the chance for a free Masters degree but I don’t know if I can wait till 2012. That would give me time to save money and really prepare but that may just be too far away for me and finding a job somewhere else around the world to speed up the whole process keeps sounding more and more appealing.

Bucket List

I haven’t been too successful completing anything off my list, but that could be due in part with the fact that most of the items revolve around travel. I did look into buying a unicycle but the only one I could find was almost $150 which for a rookie beginner seemed a little steep.

Alcohol

I’m proud to say I’m all over this one thanks to my New Brew Tuesday feature, I’ve learned so much more about alcohol that I am not simply a drunk monkey but a simian sommelier of sorts. I think that next year I want to start working on food pairings, so that once I learn the complexities of a drink I will then be able to match it with a dish.

Mini Clothes

I’m working on this but finding clothes, let alone one that can support my tail is more difficult than originally thought. Although, Japan has many oddities maybe they’ll have a mini clothing store.

Monkey Brewster Booster

I’ve been working on keeping it up and running and I’d like to believe that I’m getting up there in creating a successful blog. While I don’t seem to be matching the success as some of my fellow No List Bloggers I am slowly progressing. My twitter and facebook Fan page are doing well, but could use more attention. I eventually want to look into getting a unique theme, I love what Hop and Jaunt did for Nomadic Chick. Although, I am going to wait until I put up some ad space and find out about my whole job situation first, and then see what follows.

As for my site as a whole, well my numbers are still relatively low, but the numbers are there and climbing. I’m going with a slow and steady wins the race mentality, except I’m a swinging flinging monkey and not a slow crawling turtle. I do however, hope to start reaching out to some of my favorite sites and earn a spot as a guest post. I have a list of nearly 100 topics I want to write about that is constantly growing, thanks to the inspiration and insight from sites like Gadling on keeping a moleskine. More importantly for those of you who do read my site and support Monkey Brewster I want to say thank you from the depths of my mini heart. It’s enough to make a monkey tear up knowing that out there in cyberspace you take the time to read up on my take of the world.

I have been featured on sites like Travel Blog Sites.com, as well as on Read Travel Blogs.com and Brendens Adventures.com top 100 list. I hope to continue to build up, share and develop my site so that one day I can become the King Kong of travel. But until then, I’m still flinging from the mild Midwest hoping and dreaming of bigger better things.

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Flingtistics: Resolutions & The State of Monkeying Around is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Random Posts Flung

• Why It’s Worth The Wait
• …And Happy New TSA Regulations To You!
• No Monkeying Around

Maybe the idea of travel appeals so much because my paws wander as fast as my mind does. Thus the idea of traveling blog came into mind, although instead of wandering to locations it would hopefully travel through internet space and land at someone’s screen for more than a second. My initial live journal site was no more than the occassional musings that crossed my mind, while I taught in Brazil. Sure it was also a way to keeep my family informed that I was alive, but more than that it was an outlet.

I’ve always considered myself a writer, not because I thought I was any good at it – clearly I’m no Hemingway. More so, I always thought I was a writer because I loved to write. I never really feared public speaking but my brain and mouth always seemed to be on different paces. Yet, on paper everything flowed out exactly how I hoped without words getting in the way. I was the typical angst teen, well typical in my mind, writing poetry and short stories that reflected aspects of my life, if only in my mind. I filled notebooks and binders, always wearing the mark of a writer, the smears of ink across my paws.

College seemed to steal that from me, or more so was a time where I gave up on writing. Writing became work, about history and studies of some pompus figure I was supposed to know every detail about. Yet, when I experienced travel, not a vacation trip to Disneyland, but real travel full of growth, doubts, loneliness and deep introverted thoughts brought on only by a long night of drinking as you watch the sunrise I rediscovered writing – I rediscovered myself.

Though, when the journey stopped – so did my writing. I still wrote on online forumns with the occassional blip of insights but as time passed on and the offers for jobs in far away lands failed to accumulate I seemed to loose my voice and drop my pen.

It’s odd how sometimes,  you can be too close to a problem that is obvious to so many others, becomes out of focus for you. Though through a gift of a writing pad and the discovery of the online travel community I began to write. What followed was staggered steps as a mesh of online technical know how and old fashioned writing developed into my own site. While I continue to find my voice, develope my skills and fine tune my writing I also enjoy the simple pleasure of someone reading what I wrote.

I’ve always wanted a hobby and I guess after chasing various aspirations I’ve come to the realization that it isn’t something that you want to do but something that you just do. There is always the hope of becoming great and memorable at something but the truth has a story that reaches further then we realize. Long before others cared and even after they stopped caring altogether, those who will be remembered for their gifts and their talents will continue to do as they always have done what comes naturally.

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Write Where I Need To Be is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Check out one of these related posts

• The Travel Channel: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of TV Travel
• I Wanna Be A Billionaire
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1. Be flexible while making travel plans – By being flexible with your travel plans, you can save a considerable amount on money. For example, you may have to pay relatively less if you fly on weekdays instead of flying on weekends. Opting for early morning or late night flights also helps you save a substantial amount on airfare.

2. Take advantage of last minute deals – Certain travel related websites offer last minute deals on flight and hotel reservation. You can take advantage of such deals by subscribing to the e-mail updates of such organizations. However, you can only take advantage of such deals if your vacation plans are flexible.

3. Try to avoid paying baggage fees – Most of the carries charge a fee for checking bags. However, you may avoid paying this fee if you limit your packing to only one small bag. It would also give you better mobility and in turn, help you avoid hiring expensive cabs. Some airlines also offer complimentary checking if the bag you’re carrying is smaller than the specified limit for carry-on-bags.

4. Negotiate on price and ask for discounts – While making your travel plans, always negotiate on the price and ask for discounts on hotel reservation and car rentals. Many a times, the organizations offer discounts on the prices listed in the websites or brochures.

5. Select a reliable package tour – You must be knowing that a package tour helps you save a substantial amount. However, while doing so, you should select a reliable travel agency. You should check whether or not the cost is all inclusive that covers food, lodging and transportation. By choosing a budget tour, you can enjoy a hassle free vacation as well.

If you’re making your travel plans well in advance, then you can schedule your vacation during the shoulder season. It is referred to the 2-4 week period either before or after a peak season. By traveling during shoulder seasons, you can experience a great weather as well as get other facilities without paying a high cost for it.

About The Author

Jason Holmes is a regular writer with Debt Consolidation Care and is also a contributory writer with other financial sites. His expertise is woven around various aspects of the debt industry and with his e-books he tries to impart to people the different situations and simple solutions to get out of difficult situations. Some of his works include e-books like ‘Credit Score The Quintessential Therapy for a Happy Pocket’, Take Creditors and Collection Agencies to Small Claims Court’ and, My Story- From Depression To a Smile’.

If you would like to guest post on Monkey Brewster, fling an email to monkey.named.cornelius@gmail.com with your proposal.

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5 Ways to Save Money on Your Tour is a post from: Monkey Brewster

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I know you are thinking one of two things, either, “Who doesn’t?” or the Austin Powers movie with your pinky next to your mouth. However, the point is there is a gray area that seems to be missing on the pathway to riches. The song by Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars sings of not only sharing but living ‘the good life’ which includes travel and celebrity fame that would allow him close interactions one of the most powerful individuals in the world, the US president. (Although in my book King Kong is way more powerful and would be killer on the basketball court)

Can we really have both? Is enough ever really enough that we can accomplish all the desire and have enough left over to share with so many others? Is this ideology left only to those without, because surely those with have never dropped off a Mercedes to me or anyone I know. That isn’t to say the rich don’t give to a charity on occasion, but clearly not in the amount expressed in the song.

So after wondering what some of my fellow tweeps would do with a billion dollars, I decided to ask…

monica530 of A Pair of Panties and Boxers “If I were a billionaire I’d buy a house, start my own NGO, donate some $$$ to charity & travel of course!”

OverYonderlust of Over Yonder Lust “If I was a Billionaire? Have a house in NYC, Tokyo, Barbados, and a few other places & set up a college fund for peeps.”

Ayngelina of Bacon Is Magic “If I were a billionaire I’d send @CandiceWalsh on an RTW so she could forget her worries”

(Candice was recently laid off from work, read more about her adventures at Candice Does The World)

travelmaus “Give up job,go back 2 school & finally do what I really want in life! & ya know all those charity things 2 ”
When I think of it, I’d want to do some of the same things as well. Take care of my college loans, pay off my family’s debt then help others. There are a billion and one things that you could do, and hundreds of lives that you could change, but would we actually do it?

Money has a way of changing people, or so they say. I don’t believe it is necessarily the money, but more so those around them who change thus making one cautious, defensive and possibly bitter or resentful of others who have possibly befriended them only for their money. Often those who win the lottery end off worse off than they had before they won.

So would everyone stand buy what they said, I’d like to think so and for a few good reasons too. Travelers seem to be more in touch with people than the average Joe (or Jane – and yes that automatically makes me think of Tarzan) Most of these people are more interested with the stories of the people they meet and how their lives are touched by the stories and kindness of strangers. When disaster happens travel bloggers are all about providing relief or catching a flight to volunteer for over a month. There are also examples such as Passports With Purpose which worked through the support of travelers to build a school in Cambodia last year and will begin working on building a village in India this year. (Donations will open up November 15th, 2010)

Why is this so important, because most travelers don’t have much money to begin with – I’m sure you are thinking big deal everyone is struggling now adays, but travelers tend to penny pinch a little more. We pride ourselves on living on ‘X’ number of dollars a day, staying in super budget hostels and finding discounts and freebies like free WIFI across the globe. Some travelers left their lucrative jobs while others never had one, yet almost all travelers have a sense of service even if we don’t always act on it.

What would you do if you were a billionaire?

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I Wanna Be A Billionaire is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Check out one of these related posts

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DaylandS, 'Stars Stripes and Sky Ambient Filter' June 14, 2008 via Flickr, Creative Commons License

Since starting this blog I’ve made a mini network of traveling friends whose blogs I follow and stories I read. More often than not they discuss a situation where their lifestyle was challenged or witty comebacks when someone asks you the same exact question the last person you mentioned your plans to had said. This has never happened to me before, I’ve had family ask if I wouldn’t be lonely and miss them but never someone outright challenging my quest to explore the world, that is until I ventured into Iowa.

As I was sitting at a BW3‘s chit chatting and getting egged on to try the Blazin’ Challenge I was discussing my current ‘Why not’ theory with my motorcycle trip and how it extended to me trying to swing my way out of the US eventually. I discussed the idea of becoming a Peruvian citizen and exploring South America and Asia flinging out whichever passport that would aid me along the way. Then it hit me, like a left hook you weren’t expecting, “Well that sounds unpatriotic.” The wording kind of made me take a step back, but before I could vocalize anything intelligent I merely uttered, “That’s because I’m not.”

Yeah, the blank stare of disbelief hit his face so hard I think I heard his brain stop for a second. Now I always new I wasn’t the most patriotic individual, which seems weird since I’m a licensed social studies teacher, but I really just have never been. You humans get so caught up on ownership of land that three feet of some line can cause hatred between people who are otherwise living similar lives. I’ve always been a go with the swing kind of monkey, and thought of myself as more of a citizen of the world. I always thought it was odd that people take such great pride in something they had no choice in, in a land where their historical ties can only go back a few generations. That is minus the Native Americans but of course, who generally have their own idea about the perception of owning earth.

Before I could explain myself further he snapped back with the, how great America is speech and how I couldn’t get ‘this’ anywhere else. I was kind of confused on what he was referencing as he pointed to his chicken wings. It wasn’t the wings but the restaurant, the brand the name that he was referencing. To me this was the worst selling point I’ve ever heard because to me, I can make a better version at home the true enjoyment of going out is the company and sampling various bits of alcohol without getting suckered into buying the whole bottle. Plus the world has so much more to offer than a BW3′s give me Ceviche on the beaches of Peru, a Salgadinho or one of those funny hotdogs they sell at Ipanema Beach in Brazil, Curry in India, a cafe in Paris, a taco stand in Mexico of ‘steak’ for less than a dollar or a hot waffle in Belgium. America, I’m sorry, is not exactly the king of all foods if you are not afraid to explore what the world has to offer, and I’m not saying you have to get all Andrew Zimmern about it but life is about watching the views, smelling the spices of life and tasting the culture out of a street vendor food cart.

I honestly tried not to challenge his beliefs because I understand that these things have importance to him and there was an aspect that I could tell I was missing, a part of the story that wouldn’t reveal itself until the next day.

As I was helping one of my friends move out of their apartment, I was asked why I ventured to Iowa City. This got me on my whole travel talk, that is until I heard, “Man, you really don’t like America do you?” First of all I was offended, I’m a monkey, not a man and secondly I never stated that I don’t like America I just haven’t seen enough of the world yet to compare it to anything else. Again, I did my politician deflect and when needed answer indirectly. Through these discussions I learned that my anti-American accuser was from Haiti which started to piece together why these things meant so much for him.

The point in which I was trying to convey is that it is not simply the place you are located at that will give you a happy life, but your perception of the life you are living and the company you keep that will matter more in the end than the shade of your passport. It isn’t about being un-American but pro world, and realizing that there are just as many things that connect you to your current country as it does to someone else on the other side of the world. Happiness is largely perception, I’m sure you can think of someone who has everything but is miserable and another who has nothing but is happy with their life and makes the most out of what they have. Every place has it’s pro’s and con’s but a newspaper story can’t tell you if you’d like a certain place. It is up to you to get out there and see for yourself, are you patriotic? Me, I’m not so sure and until I get to see the world I’ll never really know.

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That Sounds Unpatriotic is a post from: Monkey Brewster

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Lover.Kitty, 'Monkeys Thinking' June 27, 2009 via Flickr, Creative Commons License

While road trips are not an uncommon experience few have the privilege to enjoy the journey atop a motorcycle. The differences are subtle yet vast greatly at the same time. Completely exposed to the elements with no distractions I kind of picture myself as a modern cowmonkey (Not sure if cowboy would apply and cowmonkey sounds like a weird genetics experiment gone wrong but you get the point). I have my steed – a Honda Shadow 1300, my cowboy hat – a helmet and whatever other things that I can pack on the bike although my pack has a few electronics.
Among other bikers there seems to be a level of respect as a fellow rider. As I come across other riders I open up my paw and hold it out, slightly downward and they do the same. I’m not sure of the history or true meaning behind this because everyone has a different version of the story. I had heard this was first reserved for Harley riders but in time has opened up and become less stringent between Harley and other motorcyclist. It’s not like I haven’t had this done to me before but somehow on this long journey I feel I have earned the right as if I have entered this club of sorts of riders to initiate this gesture while passing others.

I’ve been in road trips where we start from Lake Erie and don’t stop until we hit the Gulf via the most southern tip of Texas. On those trips even with friends and a DVD player I’ve still found myself bored, fidgety and counting the hours we were on the road. Yet on my drives where I’m going for 5-10 hours at a time I’m never bored or tired even though there is no phone or radio to keep me entertained. In fact the earplugs muffle out the loud rushing sound that previously left me ears ringing, which leaves me with just the soft purr of the engine as I cruise along miles of fields intermixed with clusters of trees here and there. I originally wanted to ride to the coast but now that I’m using my dad’s bike I don’t want to run his to the ground, yet while I’m missing out on some sights I still feel as if I’ve learned and experienced so much on this ride. It is as if for once my body is wandering as much as my mind and I have found harmony in the process.

I know this sounds all zen like but being technically outside while I travel has given me time to think and a sense of serenity, really appreciating the journey. I’ll admit right before I get on the bike for the start of my trip I get that feeling as if I need to prepare myself for sitting in the car for hours on end, but once I get on the bike those feeling melt away and I am reminded that this trip will be nothing like that. The only aspects of my journey I don’t like is bugs…they hurt and I end up picking bug juice out of my fur at every stop. Yuck. The other time and only point where I wish I had a car is rain, because rain is painful and slippery which takes all the fun out of the ride. The air dry afterwords isn’t too bad though.

As in my post On the Road Again where I learned and shared the lesson of purchasing ear plugs, I have another lesson learned. Even through my fur sitting out in the sun for a 10+ hours will give you sunburn, sunblock because the way you hold the handlebars exposes the inside of your arms to the sun which usually doesn’t get that much. I now am the proud owner of a bottle of SPF 50 – lesson learned. hehe

Make sure to check back from my post on Iowa and eventually Minnesota.

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No Monkeying Around is a post from: Monkey Brewster

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DryIcons, "Movie Countdown", via Flickr, July 5 2008, Creative Commons License

If you have been following through with my mishap adventures you probably realize I’m moving out of my place and want to take an extensive motorcycle road trip somewhere in an effort to complete one of my resolutions and check one more thing off my Bucket List.  I bet you are wondering how far along I am to see if I’ve made any progress or if I’ve just sat in my hammock enjoying the nice weather and being a bum. Well the answer to that my friend is, yes.

I know, it’s an either or question but the answer is still, yes.

I pride myself in my ability to enjoy hammock time with my ukulele and a cold beverage even during my hectic move out schedule. However I have made some progress with moving, packing and selling things. I’ve sold my biggest items the washer and dryer (yippie) and have packed away a corner of things to be sold off during my garage sale that I’ve scheduled for next week. I still need to move all my furniture down to my brother and my mom got some vacation time from the Zoo so she can pick up my bed and dressers and put them back where I stole them away from when I went off to college.

As for the motorcycle trip well, that’s another story in itself. I have my license test Wednesday – wish me luck. My motorcycle however has not been cooperating the speedometer has been going all crazy bouncing back and forth between 20-70 mph when I’m really going 25 mph or at least it was. Now all of a sudden it is working fine, kind of a scary thought I’m not sure what’s going on since I’m no grease monkey.   The engine also dies out when I’m idle and I’m not sure why, I’m starting to doubt this thing can make it on a 1000+ mile journey.

What, you think I’m going to back out that easy? Ha! I fling in the face of danger, I peel doubt like a banana and toss it for someone else to slip on. I am taking this road trip one way or the other, that is once I figure out where I’m going. I have two options one is ride my bike and if it dies sell it for a bus pass home, this is not the most promising option. The other is to take up my pops on his offer to take his motorcycle which is a little more safe than mine.

Either way I have two stops planned out: visiting one friend in Jasper, Indiana and another in Iowa City, Iowa after that who knows. I plan on packing a small tent and boondocking it using Boondocking.org to help locate places to stay. I’m a little scared if I head towards Seattle which would lead me around Yellowstone since they have bears and buffalo and other big animals that poo flinging would’t affect in case of danger. But then again I could always find a motel and spend the money on a bed instead of beer, although I haven’t searched US hostels yet. Anyone know of any good US Hostel search sites?

I’ve had a lot of comments on where to go but I’m still unsure I’m kind of torn between Seattle or the Rio Grand Valley (south east Texas) I guess I’ll sort it out when I hit Iowa, unless you sway me one way or the other? What do you think? I have places I could stay in Texas but I’ve already been there, Seattle is new and I only have a ‘maybe connection’ about a couch to crash on there. Then again who knows if I’ll make it that far – or get lost along the way.

Do you have any exciting summer plans?

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The Final Countdown – Part 3 of Moving Out and Riding On is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Check out one of these related posts

• Motorcycle Mishaps or Homecoming Hindrances
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movingcompanies, 'Moving Boxes' on Flickr, August 25 2007 via Flickr, Creative Commons License

After reading through GotPassport’s post on their purging progress I realized something, I MOVE OUT IN 30 DAYS! By June 7th I need to hand in my keys to the zookeeper, err umm I mean landlord, and have the place shiny and new. Which means cleaning the walls from failed flinging experiments and figuring out where everything goes. Holy orangutan, that is not a lot of time and I haven’t even put away my folded laundry from Monday let alone pack up anything. The only thing I have packed lately is a few pounds on my belly, luckily I can just say I’ve gotten fluffier. To further complicate everything I want to take off on my random motorcycle ride somewhere by the beginning of June, so while I have till the 7th I really want to be out before Memorial Day weekend.

Crap!

Why am I moving, well my job may no longer be there come August and I don’t want to renew my lease just to loose my job and not get free grad school, really why else would a monkey stay in the Midwest – it’s cold and the bananas aren’t fresh. Luckily I have the opportunity to live with a friend, who happens to have everything and then some so in my effort to be more mobile I’m getting rid of my stuff and even some of her’s because well she has a few too many things also. Honestly between the 2 of us we have 3 coffee pots who needs that much coffee?

I have been slightly productive I’ve made a list of things I need to pack on my bike for the trip and scheduled my test to get my license. Although they only do the driving test on Wednesdays – why Wednesday I don’t know but those damn four wheel drivers get to take their test all week including Saturday at some places. I’d start flinging at the DMV, or is it BMV -what’s the difference, but then I’d get assault with a smelly weapon and they probably wouldn’t let me take my test.

The upside of things I have a younger brother Prometheus who is a poor college student unlike his cooler older brother the poor college graduate.  :-/  He needs a few things and it just so happens that I have a few things so I am going to hand off things like my couch set, my fold out couch, a kitchen table with bar stools (haha stool get it?), my coffee table and end tables, and other things that I don’t really care if he needs or not like my plates and dishes. Some of my other possessions are going back home since I stole them when I went to college like my bed and bed set while others are going with me, like my hammock, ukulele and home brew kit. That still leaves some big things like a huge TV stand, washer & dryer and a few vacuums that I need to sell or give away.

I’m not sure how this is all going to work out but I’m sure I’ll find a way somehow, although I probably should work on what needs to be sold. Luckily I have boxes to pick up this weekend so that I can get started. I just hope all this moving doesn’t cut into my drinking beer while lounging in hammock time.

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30 Days to Get Rid of Everything is a post from: Monkey Brewster

Check out one of these related posts

• The Final Countdown – Part 3 of Moving Out and Riding On
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