Jace’s travelogue

Pauper's Pockets uploaded on 3 April 2008

Pauper's pockets painfully purchase poor portions along the Carrer d'Olot in Barcelona on route to Parc Guell. Often the cheapest solution to dupe lunchtime hunger, a sandwich consisting of nothing but a French baguette and a slice of salami offers budget travelers a quick snack. Simply proceed to the walk-up window along the street and point to a picture of the sandwich of choice.

Cathedral of Santa Eulalia uploaded on 3 April 2008

Look up in the Barri Gotic uploaded on 3 April 2008

Death in the Afternoon uploaded on 2 April 2008

According to my Lonely Planet about 250 people require ranger assistance in exiting the Grand Canyon due to dehydration. Some don't even make it out. At the bottom of the canyon, I put the guidebook back in the pack and reach for the iodine pills that will purify the life-giving water for which my three parched friends and I desperately thirst. But, where are the pills? I can’t find them anywhere. My friends start to resign themselves to a slow, agonizing death. I eventually find them. And I also find a respect for the vast national park.

Venetian Carnival uploaded on 2 April 2008

Two revelers don masks as they descend the steps of the Ponte die Rialto in Venice, home to one of the world's oldest Carnival celebrations. Venetian masks are a centuries-old tradition that have been banned at times throughout Italian history.

54 Steps to Gaudi's Garden uploaded on 9 January 2008

Spanish Skies, Foreign Lies uploaded on 9 January 2008

Barri Gotic uploaded on 9 January 2008

My backpacking trip through Europe begins with a sojourn in the land of siesta, sangria and Cervantes. Disembarking in Barcelona, I make haste to beat nightfall to my lodging. Looking for a hostel along the old city streets of the Barri Gotic, I feel like an animal. Backpacking is zoomorphic. You become like the camel relying on the back for sustenance, sympathetic of the turtle, cognizant of his carried shelter. And upon my first night in a hostel, I learn that sleep habits adapt the traits of the nocturnal marsupial, attempting to sleep in a room with five other men all racing to the land of Nod.

The Streets of Barcelona uploaded on 9 January 2008

Backpacking the bricked back-alleys behind and between the buildings of Barcelona, I stepped into a bustling boulevard blessed by brilliant beams of sunlight silhouetting businessmen sidestepping begging bums and Spaniards bypassing souvenirs sold by sidewalk salesmen.