Top 10: Most popular TRAVEL posts of the year (Unpublished #3 from Hong Kong)

A family trip to Spain:  One of our many, MANY yet-to-be-published overseas travel stories

From Hong Kong:

As explained last month in my Honorable Mentions compilation, this is Part 3 of a previously unreleased "Best of" series from January 2014, based on page views for my 2013 posts.  Yes, this series is an entire year old and these posts are from 2013.

Writing new content for this blog has taken a backseat recently to family time, ministry, leading hikes, the occasional climb, and traveling overseas.  Perhaps this unpublished series will help readers pass the time until I start blogging again.  If not, check back when I get home from Hong Kong in a few days!

As always, links look like this.  Here is the link to last week's "Top 10: Most popular non-travel posts"!  Only the 18 travel posts from that year were factored into this list.  So now, from January 2014, here are some brief reflections on each of my travel-themed Top 10:

10.  Bogota, Pt. 5:

Risky Business and the Musicology Hostel

Sometimes a travel post is nothing more than a plug for a Colombian hostel with plenty of character.  And characters.

A couple of earlier entries in this Colombia travelogue, covering my journey from the U.S. to South America, didn’t make this Top 10 list:  No Sleep ‘Til Bogota!, and also Bogota, Pt. 2:  Colombia, At Last

9.  Milan Epilogue

This journey that immediately followed South America began in Switzerland, continued in Italy, and was finally coming to a close when I met Ravil at the JFK airport.

More worthwhile, I.M.O., is the less popular "Italy: Killing a Day in Milan."  Stories and photos from my least favorite Italian city (I prefer the mountains and countryside anyway) included the can’t-miss sights of the Duomo cathedral and the Swiss/ Italian mountains.

On some years we frequently fly to Italy every few months, so I’m looking forward to seeing Houtan again on one of our upcoming Italian visits!

8.  Bogota, Pt. 3:  The Big Welcome Party

Though awash in criticism, this story was all clean, innocent fun.  After relocating to the next Colombian hostel, I edited and tightened up this post to clear up any misconceptions.

The inserted apology was probably overkill.

7.  Bogota, Pt. 4:  In Harm’s Way

And I thought that previous #8 post about the birthday party was controversial?  Public and private backlash on Facebook and Twitter was staggering after I released this story of fellow traveler Hector and me exploring a rough part of Bogota, Colombia.

Granted, our lives were put in serious danger multiple times (including a terrifying, unmentioned episode that I’ll share in person but would never release online).  But Hector and I knew what we were doing.  And God was certainly watching out for us as we shared a wonderful act of service together.

True story, with one significant footnote:  The only artistic license I took with this narrative was my intentional vagueness about Hector’s true identity (again, I’ll freely share the “real” version with anyone who asks).

In other words, a few extra sentences would've changed this story completely.  Choosing to omit this detail dramatically changed the original, inspirational narrative into a straight up life-or-death adventure… and it definitely was that.

6.  Noordwijk, Netherlands:

The almost daddy-daughter day trip

Three hours before departure, Mommy changed her mind about allowing Lil’ Lena to visit one of Daddy's friends in the Netherlands for the day.  I gave a rain check to my graciously understanding friend in Amsterdam and hit this Dutch beach town instead.

Thanks to my other well-traveled friends at the Flying Pig Beach Hostel, this relatively minor weekend getaway was one of my favorite trips of the year (after Rome and Venice, of course)!

But alas, there's just no substitute for an overseas daddy-daughter day trip.

5.  Northern Italy, Pt. 2:

Verona, Venice, and beyond

Before the year's end party in Rome, some clever friends surprised me for a most memorable weekend in Venice.  While the departure from Venice was downright catastrophic, the quick stopover in Verona beforehand was a joy.

The only damper on Carli's and my wedding facility recon for Robbin (which we never got around to anyway) and touristy Verona sightseeing was setting a sky high record for sleep deprivation.  Full flights had dragged out my U.S. departure for Italy by two full days, forcing me to cut out the en route get-together in Austria entirely.  Thus, I was a barely conscious zombie by the time I reached Verona.

I don't exactly remember falling asleep... But at some point that night, I woke up in Venice for the main event.

4.  Part 2-  Japan:  Golden Week in Osaka

Speaking of ever-evolving trip beginnings, this unplanned trip to Osaka was the fallout from the unfortunate events in Part 1- China: Shot down and the earlier teaser, China:  Beijing in My Sights.  No single factor was to blame.  My convoluted visa scheme was risky, I was brushed aside by my hopeful contact in China, and the standby passengers were all deplaned when our flight was declared overweight in Seattle.

The change in destination sent me headlong into Japan's Golden Week. The festivals and parades were exuberant. And it was all worth the hassle for the opportunity to bust out some wingman magic for my eligible bachelor buddy, Xia.

My Japanese coworkers later objected that chaotic Golden Week is the craziest time of the year to fly standby to Asia.  But it came down to flying to Osaka or flying home.  On that note, flying home from Osaka was one of the most unbelievable "non-rev" ordeals I've ever encountered.  The best twist: getting my passport yanked in Guam. Long story.

And that's why there's definitely gonna be a very belated Parts 3 and 4 on Garth's Blog to conclude this saga.  Trust me, the rest of this story is too outrageous to pass up.

3.  Switzerland:  A Protest in Lausanne

The Swiss protest photo above is the first pic that I ever "live tweeted" from a news making event.  Merely a week after my "In Harm's Way" incidents in Colombia (see #7 on this list), I wasn't in a rush to get caught up in any more excitement for the month.  But then this happened.

Kathy and I hadn't seen our buddy Sebastien since the dancing, sailing, swimming, and snorkeling at Club Med in Turks and Caicos Islands several months earlier.  After landing in Zurich, I hopped a train through the Swiss Alps to Lausanne.  Seb gave me some suggested sights to see while I waited for him to get off work.  Before sightseeing, I made sure that I could navigate my way to his flat and also to our meeting spot, the nearby Church of Saint-François.  All was peaceful.

All hell had broken loose by the time I returned to our meeting spot that evening.  Throngs of protesters had overrun the church courtyard and the surrounding streets.  The collective shouting* made it impossible to hear a phone conversation, so Seb and I attempted to locate each other with a mish mash of emails, texting and Facebook.

*Fortunately, there were no gunshots this time.  Kathy and I nearly peed our pants when deafening gunfire broke out during the earlier protest that we saw in Argentina.  The nerve of those guys!

By the time Seb showed up from work, the crowd had moved on.  I excitedly told him what had just happened as we left the scene to kick off our night.  Other than my pics and a video clip, he had to take my word for it.

The next day's stop was, you guessed it, another Italy trip.  But that was completely unrelated to my second most popular travel story of the year...

2.  Northern Italy: Confrontation in First Class

My tweet from the JFK airport taxiway was elaborated on here, in this short story about the alcohol-related incident that forced our plane to return to the gate.  It was hastily composed on my Note phone as my water taxi cruised through the canals of Venice.  And it is disgusting.

Consider this a cautionary tale about excessive drinking before flying... as well as a warning to anyone in the airline cabin service industry who is prone to gag reflex.

And the #1 most popular travel post of the year (and nearly all time) is...

1.  Leaving Bogota:

Hiking Mt. Monserrate and Scaling the Wall

Other than a questionably prudent but climbable side excursion (referenced in the title) that I discovered, the pilgrim's path up Colombia's Mount Serrate is not difficult nor dangerous in the least.  In fact, anyone in decent shape should be able conquer the high altitude and run up to the peak.

Lingering too late at the touristy summit, however, can lead to problems.

Since trail access is shut down before dusk, running back down may be the best option to slip through the gates before they are locked for the night.  In this case, though, there were some non-runners making their way down who needed a hand.  And you know what they say, leave no man (or woman) behind.

As I was assisting some older ladies on a steep stretch of trail, the gates below closed for the night.

 Lowering fragile bones over the side of a trail and then boosting them back up the other side was the only thing I could think of to get us back to the trail head.  Surely there was a better way?


Previously unknown fact: 
A single photo of Hector, the violence-prone star of #7's "In Harm's Way," is subtly buried in the #1 post.  That's probably the closest I'll get to publicly revealing the truth about Hector's identity.  Any guesses as to which one he is?


Thanks for taking the time to revisit these travel posts, readers.  The current adventure in Hong Kong is almost ready to be published.

Stories from our family's more recent and upcoming overseas travels are coming soon!

China: Beijing in My Sights

Beijing is in my sights! This is not a declaration of war on the People's Republic of China. And certainly not on the capital city of Beijing. This is the first day of my extended weekend in China!

My legal restrictions to remain within Beijing city limits should allow me to visit minor sections of the Great Wall...but not the biggies like this one.  Photo credit: cescassawin/ www.freedigitalphotos.net

3:30 a.m. was a familiar time for me to leave the house for PDX airport this morning. But a plane ride, not a Jeep drive, will mark the end of my Delta shift today.

I was warned to expect some possible resistance tonight in Seattle due to the, um, complex nature of my attempted entry into China. The details won't be divulged here, but suffice it to say that everything I'm attempting is 100% legal and ethical. And if I actually pull this off, tomorrow morning I'll be strolling through Tiananmen Square and into the Forbidden City!


Note: The point of these brief, occasional weekend trips is to scout out places around the world where Kathy will feel comfortable visiting with our 19 month old Lena. As soon as we agree on a destination and the appropriate age for Lena, I can't wait to bring the family along for adventures that we'll never forget!


My fast paced travel style may not allow on-location Garth's Blog updates like those from Bogota, Colombia (link) last February. But stories from my current Chinese adventure (assuming I am granted entry into the country) will be shared here soon!  In the meantime, here's what I'm working on as I travel to Asia:

Coming this week on BlogSpot...

We conclude last month's story (link) from Milan, Italy!

And later...

Photos from the journey of Lena learning to walk!!

Home from Colombia, leaving for Switzerland

White washing my recent trip to Bogota (or alternate link) won't fool anyone... readers who have been keeping up with Garth's Blog know I had a few rough moments down in South America. But it was a fun 2 1/2 day excursion overall, made even more enjoyable by the fantastic friends I made along the way. And some of the best stuff was left out of this blog!

My hopes were to fly home from Colombia, pick up Kathy and baby Lena, and then fly them both to Europe last month for a week to visit friends in various countries.  It didn't turn out that way. Kathy decided that she wasn't too keen on studying for finals in the Business Elite cabin of an overseas flight. Concerning Lena, we each had differing opinions on her readiness to start travelling the world with Daddy.

Sadly, Kathy and I agreed that a second solo international trip was the way to go. A few of my friends scattered throughout Europe received my infamous "1-3 day heads up" messages, letting them know that I may be dropping by their neighborhoods. Based on their responses, I couldn't go wrong with any destination!

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My time in between continent hopping, spent mostly at home in the U.S. with Kathy and Lena, topped all of my international adventures in February and March.  Our family outings included playing at home, eating out, hiking, and soaking in some sunshine at Hazeldale Park:

Daddy slings around 17 1/2 month old Lena at Hazeldale Park

Mommy and Lena on the playground slide

Lena and Daddy on the playground swing set

Daddy watches as Lena explores the park on hands and knees

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That weekend, I drove back to the airport to make the most of my remaining vacation time.  Two days worth of Delta flights departed without me, forcing me to sleep overnight in my Jeep Wrangler parked in the PDX employee parking lot.

A couple days (and few cancelled tickets on other airlines) later, I finally caught a Delta flight to Atlanta.

My connecting flight from Atlanta to Zurich had plenty of open seats in all cabins.  Checking my messages onboard, I quickly jotted down my friend Sebastien's Lausanne address before the 767 boarding doors were closed.

Too excited to sleep for much of the Zurich flight, I studied, blogged, struggled through most of a chick flick, and poured over maps of Swiss hiking trails.

Coming next week on BlogSpot...

Unrest in Lausanne, Switzerland!

Leaving Bogota: Hiking Mt. Monserrate and Scaling the Wall

Taking the easy way down from Mount Monserrate, Colombia (The 17th century chapel in the background sits at the top, at 10,341 feet above sea level)

The final afternoon of my quick 2 1/2 day weekend in Colombia included a hike up Bogota's highest peak, a boisterous celebration at the top with new friends, and lowering a trio of older women down a wall to escape a locked gate.  Sound unbelievable?


Fortunately, the day did NOT include any more attempted muggings at knife point (click here for a link to "Bogota, Pt 4: In Harm's Way," and a reminder that everything turned out okay on Sunday night). On a side note, Garth's Blog readers with decidedly polarized opinions of my earlier antics may not be won over with this adventure, either.  Judge for yourselves.



Laughing at the local music video channel with my friends over Monday morning breakfast doesn't just sound culturally insensitive.  It was.  Ezra, Fancy, Carla, and everyone else in our hostel loft tried in vain to block out the TV's eye-popping inanity as we planned out the upcoming day.  For my take on the Musicology Hostel, check out my previous post, Bogota, Pt.5: Risky Business and the Musicology Hostel (link).

Knocking out all day Sunday with the harrowing events of "In Harm's Way" pushed my moonlight Mount Monserrate hike back to a daylight hike on Monday. Even more disappointingly, well researched plans to hike through the Chicaque region before flying back to the U.S. that day had to be scrapped entirely.

I should have known better than to make a second feeble attempt at a solo exploration. No less than four separate groups of wonderful friends from two different hostels bumped into me during the crosstown jaunt to Mount Monserrate. The diversions were energizing but also ate up a large chunk of daylight. Love those people, though!

A cable car glides up the side of Mt. Monserrate, sparing view-seekers the hike to the top

After lunch, one of these friends walked with me to the base of Monserrate but was deterred by the its modest height. We said goodbye at the trailhead so I could start running up to the peak.

The lung-busting altitude occasionally slowed my cobblestone trail run down to a brisk walk. Meeting fellow hikers on the way up also compelled me to slow down to match their pace as we chatted en espanol. Most foot traffic was heading downhill, though, due to the popularity of the funicular and cable cars that tempted visitors to bypass the uphill hike.

At times, the trail run seemed more like a cobblestone stair run.  Even the tamest sections were accommodated by, you guessed it, more stairs.  And many sections of these stairs were quite oversized.  Only on the downhill return run was it possible to lunge far enough to soar over an extra giant stair or two with a single leap (there were also sections of normal-sized stairs).

At 3,152 metres (10,341 feet) above sea level, the peak's panoramic views of Bogota and the surrounding mountains were stunning. The white 17th century chapel at the top was closed at that hour, but two restaurants and a snack bar served to remind visitors that this pilgrimage was also a tourist attraction. The warm empanadas and pastel de pollo paired perfectly with the hot cocoa.

Please note:  Cocoa was consumed, not coca. We've made it this far into my Colombia travelogue without a single joke about the C-word, A.K.A. Colombia's most infamous and unfortunate export. Why ruin this streak of cocaine-free blogging restraint now?

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For whatever reason, my stealthily makeshift (though not recommended) route to the top of Monserrate earlier had drawn the attention of several camera snapping tourists. Don't worry, nothing life-risking happened here. But climbing up over the ledge drew mixed reactions, many of them admittedly gratifying.  It was a relief to see amused expressions even on the guards' faces.

After that edgy (pardon the pun) entrance, excited strangers inexplicably lined up for me to be photographed with them. And with their girlfriends. And with various attendees of a gigantic South American Herbalife convention. And even with some lady's kid.  Maybe they thought I was somebody else?

Someone from the crowd snapped a few pics with my own cell phone (a couple photos are included above). Let's hope that the more outlandish photos will surface someday.  If any of you Monserrate hikers from Monday are reading this, please send some of those crazy pics my way!

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Lingering for so long with my new friends at the top of Monserrate led to a downhill sprint to beat the closing of the gates. Determined to avoid buying a ticket for the cable car, I started running down the trail. It was too late.

Note: This probably goes without saying, but the following is yet another example of inadvisable behavior.  Rounding a blind corner, I nearly trampled a few older ladies who were stopped, panicking, in the middle of the trail. A gate was blocking their descent.  Making the time-consuming hike back up to the cable car at the top would've been the proper thing to do, of course.  But it was improbable that, in their physical condition, they could still catch the last ride down anyway.

I hurdled myself over the protective wall on the side of the trail and hopped down to the ground.  It was barely more than a 10 foot drop, so I offered a hand to the trio of stunned ladies above. Reluctantly at first, they accepted my assistance and began to swing each of their legs over the wall.

Reaching up, I lowered the first two ladies down to the ground. The third lady's clothes got snagged on something.  She took quite a while to free herself.  At this point, we were all laughing at the absurdity of our dilemma.

Since the third lady was still securely stuck on the top of the wall, I quickly stepped away to snap this photo before returning to the escape effort.

After lowering everyone safely to the ground, I walked around the gate and hopped up the other side. Pulling the ladies back up over the wall was much easier to coordinate.  With the locked gate behind us, I ran ahead to scout out the remaining gates below. The women would have few problems bypassing them.

Stopping on the way down to gaze at sprawling Bogota, I discovered my Galaxy Note 2's panoramic photo mode.  That would've came in handy at the top of Monserrate.

I tore the rest of the way down the trail, slowing down only to visit with a local boy and some Spanish speaking maintenance workers who were calling it quits for the day.

How could anyone run past this boy's horse in the villa and not stop to pet him?

Feeling especially hyperactive, I continued running from the base of Monserrate and into the heart of the city.

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Saying goodbye to my new friends (and making newer friends) at the Musicology Hostel took quite a while. Many of us will be meeting up again.  A couple of friendly U.K. backpackers even "booked" me as a guide for a Mount St. Helens climb in June!


Significant setbacks tripped up the jog back into town, the bus to the Bogota airport, and finally an unplanned taxi ride. Suffice it to say that nearly every word in my meager Spanish vocabulary was put to the test in a heated, um, discussion about excessive fees.



None of that mattered. Just after midnight on Tuesday, my Delta 767-400 left Bogota for New York. The familiar tunes of Matt Kearney and Mumford & Sons quietly flowed from the speakers in the Business Elite cabin. I was headed home!


The next leg of the vacation would begin in a few days, starting in Switzerland.  Would I be able to convince Kathy and Lena to come along with me to Europe?

Coming next on BlogSpot...

Two domestic "intermission" posts with the family, beginning with the wedding of the year in Sunriver!

And then we continue our story in...

Switzerland!