First up after arrival is the immigration process. TripAdivsor says that this has recently (March and April 2012) taken up to 2-2.5 hours, but for us on a Tuesday morning in May 2012, it took 20 minutes. Some friends on a recent Saturday morning took 30 minutes, so not too bad at all. The key is to walk fast through the terminals to get as far ahead in line as possible. After 15 minutes of standing in the immigration line, the line had grown quite long, with people just arriving probably having to wait upwards of an hour.

After collecting the bags, we proceeded to follow the signs to “Coaches” where we got in line at National Express to purchase one way tickets to Gatwick North Terminal for 25£ each. Note that you can purchase from the machines with a regular (non-chip) credit card, but you need to leave it in long enough for the machine to read it.

The Gatwick National Express bus picked us up 5 minutes later right outside the terminal at stop 16. After showing the tickets to the driver, we loaded our bags on the bus and boarded for the 53 minute, ~40 mile ride to Gatwick – 2 minutes faster than the scheduled arrival time.

The airlines recommend 3 hours minimum for this transfer and we had 3 hours and 50 minutes from touch down at Heathrow to take off at Gatwick. Today it took us 2 hours and 10 minutes from wheels down at Heathrow to the gate area past security at Gatwick. Lady luck has smiled on us once again.

Traveling in your country and other countries opens your mind.

The money spent traveling is not an expense but an investment.

They [Big Oil] will make you think that you cannot live without it [oil].

The quote on Big Oil was in response to our surprise of how few people in South America have (or even need) cars. With plentiful inexpensive taxis, impressive intercity bus networks, and an efficient metro in Santiago, traveling around Chile and Argentina was a breath of fresh air (literally) when it comes to inexpensive, reliable, and sustainable transportation.

Finally, Teri introduced us to the concept of a traveler’s “honeypot” when Tiff, Greg, and I were talking about tracking shared expenses (i.e., who paid for lunch, the taxi ride, bus tickets, etc.). When paying for most things by cash as we were, consider having everyone who shares expenses to chip in the same amount to a honeypot, and pay for shared expenses from that bucket of cash. When the honeypot is dry, simply have everyone add the same amount more. We began using this tactic after Mendoza, and it worked great.

Travel broadens our perspective, enabling us to rise above the 6 p.m. news — and see things as citizens of the world. By plugging directly into the present and getting the world’s take on things, a traveler goes beyond traditional sightseeing.

When we travel today we have the opportunity to see history as it’s unfolding. With knowledge of the past, we can better appreciate the significance of what’s happening today. And that’s something a lot of travelers don’t give themselves an opportunity to do.

When I moved to California, I decided that it was time to get a decent bike that I could use to commute to work during the week and for rides along the beach on the weekends. After my experience in Holland, I knew that a Dutch bike would fit the bill perfectly… You sit high on a them, which allows you to see over traffic. The splash and chain guards keep you clean in your work clothes, and the front and rear lights help keep you safe when riding in the dark. I ultimately went with the 7-speed Delft Blue Batavus Entrada Spirit – it has all of the above “Dutch features,” in addition to internal gears and rollerbrakes, a dynamo that powers the front light, a built-in rear wheel lock, a rack to carry groceries (and sometimes friends who need a lift), and of course a bell. Also, for Christmas I got a nifty little Cateye Micro Wireless bike computer and have since logged 238.4 miles.

Yes, I’m quite fond of my fiets, and since it’s my main means of transportation now, I figured it was worth a post on the ol’ blog. Now I just need a Breakfast Machine like Pee Wee, and I’ll be all set…