No Fly Nöel 2018
December 27, 2018
2018 was an interesting year for travel. We stayed close to our 20 trip goal (miraculous), but still managed to hit Argentina, Africa, the Bahamas, New Zealand, and Australia, not to mention a bunch of domestic travel. From the highest winery on the planet, to walking on the Serengeti. Pretty not bad.
Here is the trip-o-meter for 2018.
Because of all of the international flying, we racked up lots of United frequent flyer miles. It will be interesting to see how this goes in 2019 now that we are finished with the silicon valley corporation (whose travel policies, frankly, sucked). Our best bet is less Germany and more Europe this year, but we shall see. We may miss Nuremberg, but we won’t miss the reason for going there!
2018 was our first trip in international First class. Here is our report.
The United lifetime ticker stands at 1,736,206 miles. Yowza. Hopefully our 146,879 miles will keep us in Global Services next year.
Sadly, our love affair with Kimpton is over. Kimpton just became too IHG too fast to retain any loyalty. Oh well, we will miss our great industry friends who I am sure we’ll see from time to time.
Just remember the rule! NO PLASTIC SHOWERS!
Knobs Flat Cabins in the Heart of Fjiordland
November 24, 2018
After a day packed with adventure in Milford Sound, we drove off over the mountain and through the tunnel to the other side just as the sun was going down. Turns out that spending dead turkey day in the southern hemisphere is a good thing!
Leaving Milford Sound
The drive to Knobs Flat is around 45 minutes. Though the cabins are rustic, they are perfectly suited to the environment. We cooked a very late dinner at 10pm (which included a fake Thanksgiving turkey).
Unconsumed, but present
The great people at HQ allowed us to stash groceries purchased in Te Anau for a day while we stayed at Milford Sound. We stopped in on our way to Milford Sound. This was a very good plan.
Headquarters
A morning hike to the waterfall is recommended. The trail itself is wild with a log creek crossing, lots of moss, notched trees, and drippy bushes.
Cabin 1 on the left
Sadly, we did not snap any pictures inside the cabin. So the shower and the little kitchen will go undocumented. Such are the hazards of a high adventure day.
The drive to and from Te Anau is gorgeous.
We stopped by Te Anau for a fantastic super fun jet boat ride and some delicious Indian food at Radhas.
NPS highly recommends the Knobs Flat cabins. Four showerheads and a waterfall hike!
Glamping in Tanzania with African Environments
October 9, 2018
This posting is cross-posted on apothecaryshed.com
During our 15 day trip to Tanzania in September, we saw some remarkable things about as up close and personal as you could get. We hiked over 70km in four national parks. And we stayed in tents. But don’t let that last bit fool you, we were “glamping.”
So what, exactly is “glamping” anyway? That’s the subject of this posting. There are 92 pieces of media in this posting.
If you are going glamping, you will need a truck
This is the passenger seat. Just for the record.
On the way to our first tent, we did a game drive for a few hours and saw many things. Including an albino baboon. But that’s another posting.
Without further ado, our first tent in Arusha national park.
The tent in Arusha
These tents have multiple rooms, double beds, and non-plastic showers.
This bed is better than a thermarest pad
Of course, readers of noplasticshowers are going to want to know about the bathroom area. There was a chemical toilet. And some sinks that drained directly outside.
Sinks without water
Mirrors in a tent?! Dang.
The shower also had no running water. It was somebody’s job to put 3.5 liters (not quite enough, that is) into the dispenser just before a “glamping shower.”
Those little handles control the water flow.
The shower from outside
Home for a couple of nights
Then there was the food situation. Just great. Really. No camping food here. Fresh fruits and veggies. Great chefs. Delicious.
Our first lunch. This is a theme we will return to.
Of course, some lunch spots were better than others. Like, say, this one. No bees and only one land shark sighting.
The fig tree in Arusha is famous. This is a staged video.
Lots of stuff happened between camps. By the time we got to Ngorongoro crater we had seen elephants fighting, black hippos, and more. See this posting for all that nature stuff.
Driving between parks
The roads in Tanzania vary widely. This one, recently completed by a Japanese engineering firm was all shiny and new. We stopped for gas. That’s because in Africa, the cars take gas, just like ours.
Gas station. Mostly familiar.
We’re here for the tents, though, and so tents it is. These tents are manufactured in Arusha. They are sturdy and must weigh several hundred pounds. Fortunately, whenever we arrived, they were already set up. Oh, and the best part about the tents? The views.
Another cushy double bed
In the morning, hot coffee was always delivered here. Just outside the door, er, flap.
There was a lunch, this time close to some bees.
Denis does not serve honey near bees
Base camp with the Maasai includes solar panels
Our little panel pales in comparison
The Ngorongoro base camp was another two night thing.
This lion is checking the exhaust system
More lunch is in order.
Fresh
Product placement opportunity
Did we mention that lunch was great?
Lunch was at hippo-land. I counted 53 trucks.
After Ngorongoro, it was off to the Serengeti for a completely different thing.
You go, Denis!
Your faithful crew enters the Serengeti
Pre lunch yoga
Yeah, there was lunch.
More lunch
Our guide Denis was by this time a great friend.
The roads in the Serengeti get some serious use. And so they also get repaired.
Road repair happens
Our third tent in the Serengeti looked suspiciously similar
We arrived at sunset and were delayed when we came across a pair of mating lions less than a kilometer from camp. For more about the lions, see this posting.
The camp lions. We saw this pair 4 times.
Solar
Our tent was cushy
The common areas in the Serengeti base camp were all hipster and very cool.
Firepit. The sand had lion tracks in the morning.
The Living Room tent, charging station and location of cold beer
Stuff
The mess tent
Breakfast was also good
Hitchhiker. This guy forgot his towel.
Make sure that you make up some Pele Pele for every meal. It is best if it stews in the sun for a week in some vinegar.
Dinner setting in the Serengeti
Base camp was great, but our plan was to do some hiking. Actually, it turned out to be mostly a walk in the park.
The scariest thing we came across on foot was this.
Camp was set up each night. Two different camps within walking distance.
Serengeti field camp
Even in the field, there was wine.
Who needs civilization?
Our tent in the afternoon. Sweltering.
Reading
Sunset was spectacular everywhere we were. This view from a Kopfe was typical in its atypical beauty.
Sundown on the Serengeti
Though the walking camps were less cushy than the base camps, they were still pretty cushy. Like, they were all set up, there was no carrying in stuff in a backpack, there were field showers with warm water, and so on. Yeah. We’ve backpacked 65 miles in Montana. This was definitely not the same thing.
Home glow
Field camp 2
Oh, and even when walking the Serengeti…there was lunch. This time buffalo.
Hiking lunch
Grill
The guys tried to surprise us with lunch, but we had binoculars and a sense of what was up.
Lunch was trucked in
James was our walking guide
Everyone was armed, though they were not really paying much attention to their rifles.
Morning at field camp
Then it was back to base camp for a night.
Glamping involves chairs and a fire at sunset
We had another lunch. Just under these bees.
And holy cow. On our way to the Hadza bushmen, there was this cheetah. In a tree. Remarkable. Cheetahs do not climb trees.
Sometimes there were goats in the road
Fire at night in the Hadza camp
Denis was a very serious person
Even while hanging around in camp, the Hadza were busy. Making arrows.
On occasion, one must stop for onions.
Onion stop!
Street vendors. Read the signs.
Another lunch shot. Because lunch!
Our last camp in Tarangire was at a tent lodge. The lodge had power, running water, a bar, and a pool. There was net too. Talk about glamping!
Civilization
A pool
Of course we were still, technically, in a tent.
The luxe tent
Which had a view.
View from the lodge
Though the showers were not all that, they did have LOTS of hot water that did not stop after 2 minutes. Woo hoo!
Not the best shower in the world, but hot water.
Anyway, that is pretty much what glamping in Africa is like. African Environments makes everything incredibly easy and fun. If you’re a real camper (like we are), it will seem unbelievably luxurious.
More product placement. We cannot recommend this firm any more highly.
Arusha HQ of African Environments. Where we had…anyone? anyone? Lunch!
Our guide Denis Mollel made the trip outstanding. Best guide in Africa. Ask for him by name.
During our previous visit to the Graduate in Charlottesville, we figured “it will do.” So this time we tried a plus up to what the hotel calls a “suite.” LOL. Just don’t do it.
You can tell that this hotel used to be a Howard Johnson back when Howard Johnson was a thing (was that 1950?). The style is definitely improved, especially if you like shadow art appliqué. But that’s OK. The problem is that nobody blew out any walls to make any interesting non-hamster-cage rooms. Anyway, if you’re up for a hamster cage after a show, this is it.
Here our own personal hamster cage which we think was 624. It is a “suite,” though the term is stretched well past the breaking point.
bed
desk
window
The suite part of the suite is a little triangle (and we mean little), crammed arbitrarily full of various furnishings. Really? No no no.
through the magic door
no room for people
this is probably a hide-a-bed
chair
Anyway, don’t pay for a suite unless you have people in tow who might use the hide-a-bed. Other than the triangle, there is nothing going for this suite.
Dinner was unplanned. We ended up at Himalayan Fusion down by the Pavilion. Dinner was pretty good (think Indian), while the bar was terrible. We ordered some extra gin shots to make our ginger-tinis into something we could at least catch a buzz from.
Then it was The National. Great show. Great seats. Great time.
The National on a Monday night in Charlottesville, VA
After the show we attempted to hit up Alley Light, but 11pm on a school night seems to be too late for them. That meant tequila at the Bebedero. Excellent cocktails.
In any case, we’re still on the lookout for a better place to stay in Charlottesville. Three showerheads and a hamster wheel exercise thingy for The Graduate.
The highlight of this trip to Argentina was an extraordinary visit hosted by Claudio Z. and Inez at the Uraqui winery guesthouse. Not only is the vineyard itself the highest in the world, the project that encompasses the winery (as one of three aspects) is a study in ecology, low-impact farming, local Aymara culture, philosophy, and raising little girls.
After fording the river in our rental car, we were warmly welcomed by Caudio who proceeded to walk us through his organic seed operation.
Uraqui winery guesthouse
The guesthouse serves as a base of operations for meals and hanging out. It’s huge windows overlook farmland and the river. The humahuaca valley is surrounded by majestic Andes peaks.
Though the rooms are simple (and we won’t even bring up the shower curtains for this entry), everything else is overwhelmingly magnificent.
Of course, we’re here to see the highest vineyard in the world and to taste the exceptionally good wine.
Usually Uraqui wine is not barreled. These barrels are for a friend.
Dinner included vegetables that we picked the afternoon of our arrival, high energy little girls flitting around like birds, a violin, a broken D string, potent conversation, and laughter.
We were up early the next morning to ascend to the vineyard and the “cellar.”
The elevation of the vineyard is 10,922 feet above sea level (see this article by Sorrel Moseley-Williams for detail from a wine expert). What that means is a very steep, four mile or so drive up over an Andes pass in a 4 wheel drive vehicle. The ascent itself is stunning.
We brought along coca leaves from the market in Tilcara (and used them to good effect).
Claudio says that the UV is the most extreme aspect of the mountain climate. The grapes he grows and blends on the property certainly make great wine.
After a brief visit to the vines, we climbed another 2000 feet (to 12,139 feet above sea level) where an old barium sulfate mine has been converted into a “cellar.” There is something pleasingly absurd (almost invoking the magical surrealism of Márquez) about a cellar being both above the vineyard by 2000 feet and close to the very top of the Quebrada mountain valley.
Claudio told us an incredible story about the naming of his wine, its label, and its current storage location. You’ll have to have him tell it to you one day.
A bottle signed by Sorrel
A tasting outside the cellar high in the mountains was in order. Incredible.
Uraqui which means “terroir” in Aymara, is a blend of Malbec, Syrah and Merlot. It is deep and flavorful.
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Overlooking its birthplace
The Andean mountain scene is stunning.
Eagle
After our morning tasting and adventure, we were welcomed for another communal lunch with the family which evolved into more philosophy with the help of some fernet and coke.
The national drink of Argentina
We said our goodbyes. And then it was off for an espresso pit stop in Humahuaca before heading back south to fly to Buenos Aires in a massive thunderstorm.
Forza
These memories will linger like wine on the tounge until we return for another glass.
Thanks Claudio
United Polaris Global First is a good thing. There is nothing to complain about at all, really. In fact, as we’ll see here, the pods in Polaris First beat the pods in Polaris BusinessFirst hands down. The real question is, is the price delta (on the order of $5000 to $10,000 for some routes) worth the plus up in service?
Lets find out.
Here is what a Polaris BusinessFirst pod looks like
And by comparison, here is what a Polaris Global First pod looks like
There are 8 First pods on the 777, and two sections of Business pods lined 6 across (versus 4).
Seat layout on the United 777 version 1
The first class pod is much roomier. It is both longer and wider, and it is easier to sleep in. Of course, sleep does not come easy on these flights!
The first pod also has lots of compartments for stashing your stuff. This appeals to my anal sensibilities. I like consolidating and stashing stuff.
The food is exactly the same. I mean exactly. Hint: get the thai chicken udon noodles and the garlic bread.
The service is also pretty much the same. Maybe one notch more attentive in Global First, which can at times be a bit over the top.
Bathroom access is, surprisingly, better in Business. That’s because on the 777 at least, you share the bathroom with the flight crew.
Oh, and the wifi is the same. It doesn’t work.
Bottom line? Polaris BusinessFirst is definitely worth the cash outlay, but Polaris Global First, being mostly the same is something to cross your fingers for and hope for that upgrade.
