The
greatest experience of our lives -- the whirlwind tour of the world -- is
coming to an end. From Amsterdam, we flew to Oslo, Norway. By the way, in case
you don't know, Norway is expensive. Really expensive. We were able to secure
two "economy airline" (Norwegian Air) tickets to Oslo on Thursday
night, May 2nd for under $250 collectively. We were then promptly charged more
than that for the cab ride to the hotel. Granted, the cab driver gouged us big
time. We were charged only a third of that for the ride back. But still, $80
for a cab ride to and from an airport....
We arrived
in Oslo late because we wanted to maximize our time in Amsterdam. I am somewhat
disappointed. I heard from the other competitors that Oslo is lovely. The hotel
alone warranted a few more hours of stay. It is called "The Thief"
and is a beautiful boutique hotel, right on the water, situated between office
buildings (on canals) and cruise ships (on the ocean). The breakfast buffet we
had the day after our arrival (and the morning we left) was outstanding. It's
hard to beat an eggs benedict station (with copious amounts of hollandaise
sauce on the side). But where else would you get pork belly cold cuts and meat
loaf pate for breakfast? Yum! (I just hope my friend Sherry Hall isn't reading
this.) Several of us have commented that while we had hoped the exercise
associated with walking everywhere would have helped our figures, the incredible
breakfast buffets, which we have experienced at every stop, flipped that
expectation entirely. I know that Bill Chalmers and his wonderful wife, Pamela,
the event directors, were always concerned that we got enough to eat, especially
when we ventured into areas not know for their fabled cuisine. Well, they made
sure of that, all right.
In all
seriousness, I could have made a lovely vacation out of this trek without ever
leaving our hotels. Our designations have been Shanghai, China, Ho Chi Minh
City, Vietnam, Phenom Penh, Cambodia, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, Kathmandu, Nepal, Doha, Qatar, Frankfurt, Germany, Amsterdam,
Netherlands (for us; for others, Hamburg, Copenhagen and Stockholm instead),
Oslo Norway and Toronto, Canada (with a brief stop by airplane through
Reyjavik, Iceland--so we could say we've been there, too). The hotels at each
stop, with the exception of perhaps two that, while nice, were uneventful,
could have provided sufficient entertainment for the duration of the stay in
each locale.
We met this
morning at the hotel in Toronto (a Westin which, while Westins are always
wonderful, seems a bit pedestrian given all the superb places we've stayed) at
8 a.m. to go over the last day's scavenges. Casey and I haven't been
competitive since Shanghai so we weren't concerned about the severity of the challenges.
We ultimately planned a helicopter ride by Niagara Falls but some logistical
problems with the carrier meant we couldn't accomplish this before our last
group meeting this evening. (Believe me, we've been excited so many times this
trip, and are so exhausted, the slight wasn't substantial.) I've spent a bit of
time here before so I planned lunch with some dear friends I haven't seen in
years. And Casey is doing at this moment what he has tried to do (and generally
successfully done) in every city -- obtain yet another tattoo. We will meet the
group at 4:30 p.m. for a final evaluation. Two of the duos are literally tied
for first place. What they accomplish in the few hours we remain in Toronto
will dictate who wins (and thus has a free ride in the trip next year, if Bill
and Pamela host the trip, which I sincerely hope they will--after many years of
these events, involving different cities and undoubtedly countless hours of planning
every time--I'm sure you can appreciate how exhausted they are--my fingers are
crossed).
Each of the
duos has gone their separate ways for the "scavenges" (with the
exception of the Littlepage entourage which has probably spent more time
together than any of them are particularly pleased about), so I can't honestly
say I've developed new friendships here. But in the brief meetings we've had
between venues and for the occasional group dinners and photos, I must say I
have grown fond of all of them -- not a single exception (except, of course,
Casey on occasion). I wish them all well in their endeavors. And I genuinely
hope to see them again -- perhaps somewhere new in the world to begin yet
another of these adventures next year. There is a sheet for the recording of
e-mail addresses being passed around today. Of course, we'll all fill it out.
And, of course, none of us will contact any of the others. And if we do meet
again next year, the hugs will fly with no one venturing an explanation as to
why the e-mail sheet was ignored. This was the adventure of a lifetime, shared
among extraordinary people, who made an impression on each other for a brief
period, and who will now go back to the lives they escaped for a fleeting
moment.
[Note: Over the coming days, I'll provide some anecdotes
about the trip and the places, for those who have yet to doze off.]
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