The Great Solar Eclipse of 2017 crossed the continent, from Oregon to South Carolina, and gave millions of people the chance to witness one of the most awe-inspiring events in the natural world.

But you had to be within the "path of totality", a narrow band across the earth's surface several thousand miles long but only about 70 miles wide. Outside that band you would only see a partial eclipse, not a total eclipse.

And there is no such thing as a "partial total eclipse", despite the impression blogs and the news media might give. I honestly think that's why so many people misunderstand the utter beauty of the spectacle; they may have seen a partial eclipse in the past that was total somewhere else, and even though they weren't in the path the news kept gushing about it being a total eclipse, so they assume they must have seen a total eclipse and just didn't find it all that impressive.


Posted by Dan 08/29/2017, revised 09/06/2017

"They cancelled the NBA," Brad said, glancing up from his phone as we stood beneath a digital sign reading "Cancun," awaiting our boarding group. Brad had been warning me ominously about the inevitable cancellation of my upcoming race for over three weeks now, and yet each time I checked, the Ironman website still showed all races proceeding as planned. The pandemic had already seeped into nearly every country across the globe by now, but Mexico was thus far untouched. Maybe Mexico was actually the best place to be headed?

This was a trip I had been planning for a year now, our first international travel in almost a decade, and I had spent the last nine months diligently consuming podcasts, books and online courses in Spanish, determined to be a fluent speaker by the time we arrived. The Ironman 70.3 Campeche race was an excuse to explore a new country and immerse ourselves in a different culture, and I was eager for the opportunity to learn, and to experience a new place.

But that excitement had given way to unease. Doubts clung to us as we boarded the plane. Bundled appropriately for the Denver chill, we endured the entire flight with faces covered and gloves on, too nervous to eat or drink, tensing each time we heard a passenger cough or sneeze.

Once in the customs line in Cancun, the 85 degree heat forced us to shed our extra layers of protection. It was clear we were the only people there with contagion on our minds. People crowded close together in long lines while impatient children darted back and forth, anxious to start their tropical vacations.

We were relieved that the second leg of our trip was in the safety and privacy of a rental car, a six hour drive across the Yucatan Peninsula, bringing us to our destination on the Gulf of Mexico, just before midnight.


Posted by Kimberly 03/30/2020

Chiang Mai:
Chiang Mai was fun. We stayed for four days. It is much better than Bangkok.

Pai:
We travelled to Pai on the recommendation of fellow travellers, hearing only good things from people who we had reason to trust. We were not disappointed. Pai is a small town nestled in the northern hills of Thailand, very close to the borders of Burma and Laos.

The hills around Pai

Posted by nik 10/31/2008, revised 11/05/2008

Well it's been quite an adventure getting to this country! In a "quick" summary:

• Original flight was LAX to Sydney with a 4-hour layover in Fiji.
  
  
• LAX to Fiji flight was delayed to the next day, so I got put up in a great room at the Sheraton with overly-sufficient meal vouchers for the delicious hotel restaurant.
  
  
• Due to the late arrival in Fiji, no flights were departing for Sydney that night, so I got put up in a beautiful resort in Fiji, with yet again more meal vouchers than I could use.
  
  
• Finally got to Sydney, Neil and I had to sort out a place to stay (I guess most people sort this out ahead of time, but that's not our style). We found a house to stay in - $60 for a night, $175 for a week. Neil went with a week, since he needs time to sort out his permanent residence in Sydney.
  
  
• The place is an absolute dump! It's run down, about to fall over, mold growing on the walls, mushrooms growing out of the ceiling...It's actually quite amusing, but only because it's a temporary thing. We can put up with it with a laugh for a few days, but there's actually a woman that lives there permanently! I don't get it.

Posted by Whitney 02/23/2008, revised 03/08/2008