Check-in wasn’t until 1pm so after checking our bags, we had enough time for a traditional English breakfast – eggs, sausage, bacon, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, toast – and a quick Wi-Fi stop at McDonald’s before making our way to Green Park for a walking tour of the city. We were met by our tour guide, Suzy, at 11am and spent the next few hours seeing the typical sights of London: Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Downing Street, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and Parliament among others.

Following the tour, we stopped at a pub near Trafalgar Square for a late lunch, including more traditional fare of fish and chips, as well as the first pints of the trip. Being a bit beat at this point, we made our way back to the hostel to check-in and enjoy a little downtime before heading out for the evening.

While checking our bags earlier in the morning, we let the attendant talk us into purchasing tickets for a pub crawl sponsored by the hostel. Being new to London nightlife, it seemed like a good idea. In hindsight, I’m not sure we saw the best bars London has to offer (perhaps quite the opposite) but it did make for a fun evening and served as a great kickoff to the trip.

Tomorrow we head to Liverpool via train. While we were never able to score tickets to Liverpool vs. ManU, we’ll find a pub somewhere to watch. I’m looking forward to meeting some proper hooligans and making the most of the quick stop.

Conrad is a buddy of mind that I worked with at a prior job, and is actually the one that originally introduced me to both Jeff and another one of my good friends, Jerry. Conrad moved back down to Florida about five years ago but during his time in DC, I spent most of my Friday and Saturday nights with these guys. With Conrad in Florida, we obviously don’t hang out as much as we used to but we stay in touch, and it’s given Jeff, Jerry, and me an excuse to head down to Jacksonville from time to time.

Earlier this year, talk kicked up amongst the four of us about a potential trip to the United Kingdom this September. Jeff and I both have birthdays in September, Jerry and I are both big soccer fans, and we hadn’t been down to visit Conrad in a while. As happens with a bunch of guys when a topic like this comes up, there’s a lot of talk and wondering if it will actually happen but it all became real when I pulled the trigger on four tickets to London for Sept 20-30.

We’ve done an excellent job coordinating our 10 days abroad via email. London was a no brainer. Liverpool was highlighted in one blog post as one of the “three must-see UK cities outside of London”. Scotland was highly recommended by several friends and would present some of the beautiful landscapes that Jeff and I have grown accustomed to during our travels.

With this being our first “big” trip as a group, it was great to see everyone carry their own weight in the planning department. I took care of flights, Jerry handled all major travel within the UK, Conrad booked accommodations, and Jeff found a tour package for our time in Scotland. After all was said and done, our itinerary looks like this…

• London: Sept 21-22
• Liverpool: Sept Sept 22-23
• Scotland: Sept 23-28
• London: Sept 28-30

As always, we’re trying to pack as much as humanly possible into each day. Highlights will include catching Liverpool v. ManU in a pub in Liverpool, Fulham vs. Man City live and in person in London, and hopefully catching a glimpse of the Loch Ness monster during our tour of the Scottish highlands.

Work has been tough as of late and with Fall activities ramping up, a nice break before they get into full swing is much needed.

With 10 weeks to go until the date of the ride, I’m in great shape from a training standpoint. I have amassed 262 total miles biked, which has included two rides of 50+ miles with another 95 miles biked over the course of Memorial Day weekend. (I had reached just 85 miles at this point last year.) This year I have also managed to recruit a few additional DC friends to join me and even found a few challenging hill routes to vary my standard ride on the W&OD which has made for a more enjoyable time training.

This year I will again set a goal of raising $1000 for Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG Foundation. While Gerald’s battle with cancer continues to be a successful one, much work remains in the fight against this disease. Cancer became the number one cause of death in 2010. One in three men and one in two women will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime. I would love your support in helping me reach my goal.

To read more about the LIVESTRONG Foundation and my participation, please check out my personal fundraising website. You may also head straight to the donation form to contribute.

While Gerald inspired me to accept this challenge, and I ride in support of his continued fight against cancer, he is not the only one in my life who has been affected by the disease. I will continue to ride in support of fellow Team Wannabe Riders Against Cancer teammate, Natalie O. I will be riding in memory of my Uncle Harry, Aunt Denny, and close friends Judy O and Carole F.

Thanks for taking the time to read. I do appreciate the support.

In just over six weeks, on August 20th, our team will meet again in Philadelphia to participate in the LIVESTRONG Challenge run/walk and riding events. On Sunday the 21st, I will make my 2nd attempt at conquering the grueling 100-mile course. While a bit behind where I would like to be, my personal training is well underway with two 50+ mile rides under my belt and a 75-miler scheduled for this coming weekend.

I have once again set a goal of raising $1000 for the LAF and would love your support in helping me reach this goal. To read more about LAF, my participation and to contribute to the cause, please check out my personal fundraising website: http://philly2011.livestrong.org/dascentral.

While Gerald inspired me to accept this challenge, and I ride in support of his continued fight against cancer, he is not the only one in my life who has been affected by the disease. I will continue to ride in support of long time family friend, Carole F, and fellow Team Wannabe Riders Against Cancer teammate, Natalie O. I will also be riding in memory of my Uncle Harry, Aunt Denny, and close friend Judy O.

Thanks for taking the time to read. I do appreciate the support.

Initially upon returning from my South American adventure, I talked with my buddy Jeff about a trip to Australia and New Zealand. However early in 2010, those plans changed when a friend of mine got engaged and invited me to attend his wedding in Mexico in early January 2011. Never having experienced a destination wedding, the Australia and New Zealand plans were shelved and my first international adventure with a larger group of friends was put on the books.

My previous trips with Jeff have been held at a breakneck pace as we try to experience as much adventure as possible in our time available. I already know this trip will bring a much more relaxed pace. I will trade the rigor and excitement of the fast pace for lazy days on the white sands of Tulum, Mexico. This will be a 5-day adventure that will involve a catamaran tour off the eastern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, tours of the ruins and underwater caves of Tulum, and of course, a wedding ceremony.

As an added wrinkle, this will be my first trip traveling with a significant other. I am hopeful she and I will have the same travel chemistry I have come to enjoy with Jeff.

Given the much shorter duration of this trip compared to my previous three-week journeys, I’ll probably be able to record the events in one additional summary post but I’m looking forward to the time away just the same.

Much more to come.

In just under three weeks, on August 22nd, I will once again be traveling to Philadelphia to accept the challenge for the 2nd year, however this year, I’ve somehow allowed Gerald to talk me into riding the 100 mile course. So far training has been tough given all of the recent heat in DC this summer as I’ve struggled to complete training rides of 60, 65, and 75 miles over the past couple of weeks.

The LIVESTRONG Challenge is an event wherein people from all over gather to participate in either a 5K run/walk or one of several different bike rides, a 10-, 45-, 70-, or 100-mile ride all to raise money and awareness for the fight against cancer. The LAF strives to inspire and empower those who have been affected by the disease and hopes to make cancer a national priority. The money the LAF generates is used to help close the gap between what we know and what we do in the cancer fight by providing everyone with better access to early screening and care, funding research related to survivorship. My goal this year is to raise $2000 for the LAF and to somehow complete the 100 mile course.

If you have a moment, and the means, please take a moment to learn more about my participation and contribute to the cause: http://philly2010.livestrong.org/dascentral.

While Gerald is the one who inspired me to accept this challenge, he is not the only one in my life who has been affected by cancer. In addition to supporting Gerald, I will also be riding in support of a
long time family friend, Carole F, and fellow Team Wannabe Riders Against Cancer teammate, Natalie O. I will riding be memory of my Uncle Harry, Aunt Denny, and close friend Judy O.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post. I do appreciate the support.

No sooner do we touch down in Rio does the guy in the seat across the aisle poke me and say… “You staying in Rio?”. Me: “Yeah”. Him: “Be careful where you go with the camera.” Referring to Jeff taking photos out of the window on the plane. We’d heard it was a dangerous place. Great way to start the trip.

Despite Jeff’s reports to the contrary, I did NOT wear my underwear for four days straight while waiting for American Airlines to find our luggage. A trip to buy new underwear did take place

If you ever travel internationally, strongly consider buying credits on Skype. $0.05 per min to US. $0.02 min on toll free calls. This was a life saver when we were trying to track down our bags in Rio.

Beer is readily available in most places in Rio. There is seemingly no open container law but there is a no tolerance policy when it comes to drinking & driving… any alcohol & you lose your license.

If you get a chance to visit Brazil, make sure you try a Caipirinha. It’s the national drink of Brazil. Sugar, Lime, Cachaça (liquor from fermented sugar cane). A lot like a mojito.

While waiting in line at Sugarloaf Mountain in the oppressive heat and sun, Jeff, a gentlemen from South Africa and I tried to huddle under a small piece of shade. The guy’s girlfriend (from Rio) laughed when she saw this and dubbed us the “Three White Men”.

Jeff and I are both fairly competitive. On the list of “Dumb Things Tourists Do”, add “seeing who can toss a half-full bottle of water the furthest in the air without dropping it”. We did this in the mostly deserted Pelourinho Square in Salvador at around midnight.

One of the funniest moments of the trip… As Jeff and I are waiting to check-in at the Salvador airport, we hear a guy behind us scream as loud as he possibly can. The relatively small terminal goes dead quiet. We turn to see the guy arguing with an airline employee in Portuguese over what I assume is some flight dispute. He kicks his suitcase before grabbing his girlfriend’s hand and heading to the exit. Before he leaves the building, he turns and gives the entire airport the middle finger. Jeff and I got a kick out of re-enacting this throughout the rest of the trip.

Most music we heard in cabs in Buenos Aires was American. But it was random, older stuff like Gloria Estefan.

Everyone in Buenos Aires smokes.

In Buenos Aires, traffic lights turn yellow AND red right before a red light is about to turn green. This basically signals to cab drivers that they don’t have to slow down since the light is about to turn green. Makes for some exciting cab rides.

Jeff does a great impersonation of Arnold Schwarzenegger. “Get to the chopper now!” “C’mon Cohagen. You got what you want. Give these people air!”

American Sports Team Jerseys Seen: Lakers, Yankees, Cowboys

You learn a lot about yourself while traveling internationally for 3 weeks.  I learned that I am not good at skipping stones.

The only thing besides friends and family that I truly missed during the trip was working out and playing soccer.

16,622 miles traveled, 1800 photos taken, 23 days of vacation, 13 flights, 5 countries seen (Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile in addition to Brazil & Argentina), 2 new FB friends, 1 crush

Great times.

Our Aerolineas Argentina flight, my first ever in business class, arrived at 12:30am and after a short cab ride to Warren’s building, we found ourselves on the 21st floor which amazingly, was all Warren’s. The entire 21st floor. 4 bedrooms, 4 baths and an outdoor deck that provided a 360 degree view of the city. Jeff and I just looked at each other in stunned disbelief during our tour of the place. And not only had Warren scored seemingly one of the best apartments in all of Buenos Aires but he had also made some friends. Sitting on the deck enjoying a bottle of wine (or three) were three very attractive women from the US who happened to be staying in BA. Shortly thereafter, a Buenos Aires native named Diego showed up with another friend of his own.

Having our own bedroom and bathroom for the night, Jeff and I put our bags away and cleaned up before rejoining the crew. After relaxing on the deck for a bit, the group made it’s way out on the town at around 3:30am. Just another normal night in Buenos Aires. As we learned in Rio with Tati, having a native resident with us seemed to make all the difference in the world with regards to night life. Diego took the group to a trendy club unlike anything Jeff and I found on our own during our prior time in the city. Still no real English speakers to meet but having a group to hang out with and good music to dance to made all of the difference. After dancing the night away in the dark, laser light filled club, we were greeted by bright sunshine as we rolled home around 6:30am.

After getting in a good amount of sleep, Jeff, Warren and I woke up around 1pm. Our flight was at 9:30pm so we had plenty of time for a lazy lunch and afternoon before heading to the airport. A return to La Cabrera, site of our best meal on the trip, was the unanimous decision for lunch and it did not disappoint. We headed back to Warren’s to pack and made time to record an MTV Cribs-style video of his place. Again, incredible.

All set to go, we said our good-byes to Warren and hopped a cab to the airport. Before we walked in the terminal doors, I stopped to turn around and take in the final sights, sounds and warmth of South America. As we stood in line at security, I snapped a photo of a Tiger Woods Accenture ad that loosely translated said “What counts is what you do from here”. Ironic for Tiger but, while clichéd, also oddly fitting for Jeff and I as well. My second, big international adventure was over and I was already thinking about the third.

Can’t wait.

El Calafate sits about 350 miles north of Ushuaia and just south of Lago Argentino, the largest freshwater lake in Argentina. The primary tourist attractions in El Calafate are the massive glaciers on the lake so while the tours in Ushuaia were all about landscapes and hiking, our El Calafate itinerary focused almost exclusively on the glaciers.

Day 1 of our tour package had us in the VIP section of a large catamaran for a tour of Lago Argentino and the Upsala, Onelli, and Perito Moreno glaciers. Being two of the first people on the boat, Jeff joked that VIP stood for “Very Isolated Persons” but eventually it did fill up.

As we departed from the dock, what stood out immediately to me was the green-blue color of the water. The wind whipped up white caps on the surface of the lake but the size of the catamaran made for a very smooth ride. Before long, we were treated to our first glimpses of small ice chunks that had recently broken off from the glaciers.

Sadly due to the rapid recession of the Upsala Glacier, the largest in South America, and the number of icebergs separating our boat from a close up view of Upsala, our captain had to divert from our original course and instead took us to a different section of the lake that provided close up views of the Spegazzini Glacier. During our stop at Spegazzini a member of the catamaran crew broke out a large piece of ice that was supposedly formerly part of the glacier making for a classic tourist photo op for Jeff and me.

When we could get close to the face of the glaciers, the captain would skillfully steer the boat back and forth while passengers would jockey for position along the railings looking to get the best photos possible. The boat would come to a stop for a bit and allow us to hear the cracking and popping sounds the ice makes as it melts. A few times we were lucky to catch a glimpse of large chunks of ice falling from the face of the glacier into the lake.

Day 2 in El Calafate took us off of the boat and directly on to the glacier for some hiking on Perito Moreno. After another early 6:30am wake up, an hour bus ride into the Los Glaciares National Park, and a quick 15 minute boat ride from one shore of Lago Argentino to the other, we were met by our crew of tour guides for the morning.

Our English-speaking tour guide, Cunni, kicked things off with an intro to the region, the glacier, and some educational information about how glaciers are formed. Not being a native-English speaker, Cunni had a humorous verbal tick of saying “yes?” at the end of every sentence but was a genuinely nice guy who ended up helping Jeff find good spots to take photos once we made it onto the glacier. So after some brief safety instructions from Cunni and strapping on our crampons, it was off to the glacier for a 90 minute hike.

Much like the green-blue water of Lago Argentino, I was blown away by some of the colorful blues seen during the hike.

Despite the dirty, brown look of the glacier in spots, the ice and water that melts away is actually quite clean. Jeff stopped for a quick sip of the running water and the group was treated to whiskey chilled by ice chipped directly off the glacier at the end of the hike.

Following the hike, we had a final hour or two to walk along the viewing platforms back on the north face of Perito Moreno and take in the final sites of Patagonia. It was here that we caught the most impressive images (and video!) of ice breaking off the face and into the lake.

Having seen our fill of glaciers and our time in Patagonia having come to a close, it’s back to Buenos Aires for one last day before heading back home.

Throughout the morning hike, Frasco would stop from time-to-time to talk about the local vegetation, the animal inhabitants, and the historical significance of the land. I have really come to appreciate the added information a guide on an organized tour provides. It’s certainly great to have the freedom of exploring a city or place on your own but you’re often doing little more than taking in the sights. While it adds a bit of cost to the trip, having the added information and knowing the significance of what you’re seeing makes for a more fulfilling experience.

The hike along the shore and through the park lasted about three hours and provided more majestic views of the Ushuaia landscape that matched and at times exceeded what we had seen the day before. While the air was a bit chilly, it certainly was not uncomfortably cold, and we continued our run of good luck in avoiding the rain. Towards the end of the morning, the sun broke through bringing the vibrant colors of the landscape to life.

Apparently still a bit tired and sore from the rowing the day before, Jeff made the call after lunch to skip the canoeing and to take the motorboat ride to Redondo Island. The remainder of the group was locked in on the canoe adventure so after seeing them off, we headed to the dock. Being by ourselves for the afternoon gave us the opportunity to stop at various scenic spots including the end of Route 3 which is a road that starts in Alaska, just a short 18,000km up the road. It’s also the southernmost point on the planet to which you can drive.

Once at the dock, we boarded a small inflatable motorboat called a Zodiac for a 30 minute boat ride across the clear, blue waters. Upon reaching the island, Jeff and I were greeted by an energetic and beautiful black lab(ish) dog named Rocky. Seemingly the friendliest dog in the world, we stayed for just a bit to pet him and enjoy the mutual affection before setting out on a hike of the small island.

About 15 minutes into the hike, we came to an opening in the forest near the northeast corner of the island that provided a view that rivaled anything else I had seen on the trip to date. In the foreground was the clear blue water of Ensenada Bay which separated us from the lush greens of the mainland and the national park. In the distance rested the snow-capped Andes. The sky was peppered with a few small clouds but not enough to hide much of the beautiful blue sky or block the warmth of the sun. I did everything I could to capture the view with my camera. Initially I was a little disappointed we opted for free time over the canoeing but in the end, I wouldn’t have traded that view and that time on the island for about anything else on the trip. As had been the case time-and-time again, things just seemed to work out for the best. I could have sat there for hours.

Following another 30 minutes of hiking, we made our way back to the dock, signed the island’s guestbook, said goodbye to Rocky and boarded the Zodiac for a quick 10 minute ride back to the mainland to meet back up with Frasco and the rest of the group.

Our tour over and our day nearly done, we spent our last night in Ushuaia enjoying dinner at a slightly more upscale restaurant before returning to Dublin for a few final beverages.  Tomorrow it is on to El Calafate and the second half of our Patagonia adventure.