More Amazing Travel Experiences15 more stories from one world traveller hoping to provide little

More Amazing Travel Experiences 15 more stories from one world traveller hoping to provide little inspiration for your next travel adventure. by Ian Usher (Please Note: these stories are based on personal experience only, and do not constitute any form of advice. Please make your own decisions, and take responsibility for yourself. I take no responsibility for any travel “adventures” that may result from trying any similar activities.) All material in this book is adapted from the book “A Life Sold” by Ian Usher or from the website www.100goals 100weeks.com Amazing Travel Experiences Ian Usher Copyright 2012 by Ian Usher Smashwords Edition Smashwords Edition, License Notes Thank you for downloading this free eBook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. If you enjoyed this book, please return to Smashwords.com to discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support. Contents Introduction Bonneville Speed Week Grand Canyon Poker in Las Vegas Hollywood movie actor Dia de Muertos Elephant Round-up March of the red crabs Easter Island Travelling low point Taj Mahal Shuttle launch Earthquake! Independence Day in New York A Life Sold Submit your own travel stories for publication…? More adventure travel books Excerpt from “A Life Sold” Introduction Hi there. My name is Ian Usher In June 2008 I put my life in Perth, Australia, up for sale on eBay! “What will you do after you sell your life?” was one of the commonly-asked questions in many of the interviews I did in the run-up to the auction. My eventual answer was to create a list of all the things I had ever wanted to do, places I wanted to see, and experiences I wanted to enjoy. Between August 2008 and July 2010 I travelled the world, with a list of 100 goals, and a self-imposed timeframe of 100 weeks in which to attempt to achieve them. This collection of stories and events is adapted from that journey, and gives an account of some of the amazing experiences found along the way. My hope is that these tales serve in some small way to provide a little inspiration for you, if you have things that you would like to get out there and see or do. My best single piece of advice for those looking for adventure, and in need of inspiration? Take the first step. Book your flight, order a book to research you plans, or invite a friend to join you. Whatever it takes to get you started. Because once you take that first step, it is a little easier to take the next step, whatever that may be. The third step is a little easier again, and so on. Just make a start, no matter how small. There is much more detail on my travels and adventures, as well as a more personal insight into the joys and challenges of travelling for an extended period, in my book, available in both paperback and digital format for the Kindle and other mobile devices. More details and links here:- “A Life Sold – What ever happened to that guy who sold his whole life on eBay?” There are also some other links at the end of this book, including an invite to submit your own tales of travel and adventure for potential inclusion in future similar publications, as well as details of other adventure travel books available from Wider Vision Publishing. In return for this (hopefully!!) interesting, inspiring and informative content, I would ask one small favour. When you have finished reading I would be extremely grateful if you could take just a minute to provide a short, honest review for it at whatever location you downloaded it from. Your support is much appreciated. Happy travels, Ian Bonneville Speed Week Crossing Nevada. Sunday, August 9, 2009 On the way down out of the hills I passed a very enthusiastic group of girls shouting about car washes, and decided that it was time to give the outside of the RV a bit of a clean. The girls from Castro Valley High School cheerleader squad did a fantastic job! Fuel for the next leg of the journey was the next order of business, and at the gas station I met Peter, who had a fantastic home-built motorised bicycle. The Schwinn bike had an 80cc go-cart engine mounted on the frame, and Peter told me he could get 80 miles per gallon, and 50 miles per hour out of it. I really want one of these. It would be the ideal transport to carry on the back of the RV, for exploring areas when the RV is parked up. Maybe one day... I got Peter’s number for when I get round to building one! I spent a few hours shopping for food and some DIY materials to make life in the RV a little more comfortable and practical. Susan had decided to join me for the trip to Utah, and I met her at the train station, this time with a surprisingly small bag, and the journey finally began. After an overnight stop at my favourite RV-friendly store, Walmart, in Roseville, California, we made good time this morning, and crossed into Nevada, stopping in Reno for lunch, and to wander around a few of the casinos there. We invested a dollar in one of the 1 cent slot machines for very little return, and hit the road again. Tonight’s stop is another freebie in one of the well-appointed Nevada roadside rest areas. Goal 53 - Bonneville Speed Week. Wednesday, August 12, 2009 After he left school my friend Bruce travelled from England to travel around the States, and while driving across from the East Coast to the West, crossing Utah, he spotted several race cars on trailers travelling along Highway I-80. When he spotted a couple turning off and heading out onto the large expanse of salt he followed, and found himself at Bonneville Speed Week. Since he told me about that many years ago I have always wanted to come and see for myself. More recently I watched the movie “The World’s Fastest Indian”, which tells the story of New Zealander Bert Munro, and his journey to Bonneville glory, and this merely fuelled my desire to come, and today I have finally made it. We actually arrived yesterday, and saw a bit of racing, but really had no idea what was going on. After a night high in the mountains in Nevada at another small rest area the previous evening, we drove down into Wendover, just on the Nevada/Utah border, and refuelled, and found a great little information bureau, where I could access the internet and upload a couple of previous blogs and check email. Linda told us of the attractions that Wendover has to offer, and we went to take a look around. The salt lake is so big and flat that from a viewpoint above the town it is possible to view the curvature of the Earth, which is pretty amazing. Just out of town we also took a look at the airforce base museum where bomber crews trained for dropping the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombs that ended WWII. Also there was the plane that was used in the movie “Con Air”, which was fun to scramble around in. Eventually we headed out to the flats and were allowed onto the salt without charge, as we had arrived so late in the afternoon, and watched a few vehicles rocket past the pits at high speed, and wandered around the Impound area, where potential record breakers were stored for the evening. To gain a record, a vehicle must first qualify to do so on one run, by going faster than the old record. The vehicle then goes into Impound, where it can be worked on for a period of up to four hours. The next morning a further hour’s work can be done, then the vehicle has to consolidate the record-breaking run with a second pass, the average of the two runs being taken. This makes records hard to beat, because as well as one-time speed, consistency and reliability is also required. Last night we parked out on the salt along with perhaps another hundred RVs and campers, and watched “The World’s Fastest Indian” on the computer, and this morning were up very early to secure a fantastic front row parking spot at the start line. It is possible to sit in the RV and watch the amazing action. The atmosphere is fantastic, and everyone is incredibly friendly and helpful, and many people have been very patient in answering my endless questions. The whole style of racing is much more laid-back than anything I have ever experienced, as each run is against the clock, rather than other vehicles, and starting speed and early acceleration is not too important. Top speed is all that counts, and most people are here to try to beat personal bests. One of the most exciting runs to see was 71 year old Connie on a huge motorcycle, who beat her own personal best of 211 mph by a significant margin, achieving 229 mph. Apparently her 82 year old boyfriend also rides the bike occasionally! There are some absolutely incredible vehicles here, and just wandering around the start line listening to the engines fire up and the cars and bikes accelerate away is such a thrill. Already I have started wondering how I might make it back here, and what sort of motorbike I would like to bring to have a go on. “Certainly, you should give it a go,” one guy that I chatted to encouraged me. “First step is to pick up a rule book to find out what you would need to do!” That’s exactly what I did. Maybe one day I will be back here to race something myself, if finances ever permit! In the meantime I am very happy to be here as a spectator. Thanks to Susan for being my wonderful travelling companion on this goal. As always it is so much more fun to see things like this with someone else than to do so alone. And thanks also to all the people we have met here that have been so wonderfully friendly and helpful. Click here to return to Table of Contents * * * Grand Canyon Old river.... Friday, September 11, 2009 After leaving Monument Valley I crossed the border into Arizona, and drove about twenty miles south to Kayenda, where I finally turned west again, with the North Rim of the Grand Canyon as my destination for this evening. However, once again, there are many points along the road worth stopping and looking at, and plans had to change as I realised that I would never reach the North Rim before ... - tailieumienphi.vn