Clear for takeoff! En route from O'hare to Frankfurt!

The Big Trip

After being staffed as a freelance consultant nearly non-stop over the past 5-6 years, I decided it was time to for an extended vacation. So, for the next 3 months (90 days) I will be traveling between the Middle East, Africa, Europe and maybe Asia. The first stop on my trip is to Israel. Airfare was the primary reason for starting in Israel, it's win-win because it's a place I wanted to go. I have some friends scattered throughout Europe and the Middle East, so visiting each for a short time throughout the trip will be the primary driver of where I will go. When I go to a certain location will largely be determined by travel time (if by train) and cost (if by flight).

Decisions, Decisions!

The hardest part if the trip is deciding what to bring. Since I'll be hopping around on trains and planes space is limited. Everything I bring has to fit on my back. So, I went with a luggage system that has both a 22" carry on and a detachable day pack (displayed below). It also has backpack straps and rollers.

Above is my daypack and contents. It's part of the Eagle Creek 22" switchback backpack system. So far I really like it. I'm bringing a lot of tech stuff. My Canon 5d mark iiii w/ F4 24-105L, MacBook Air, Kindle paperwhite (international service is free), and the ipad. I really wanted to bring my 12-24 lens to get extra wide shots, but a single lens will have to do. Other stuff includes a couple of universal power adapters and USB changers. Amazon had a universal USB charger with 4 ports capable of charging the ipad for $6 shipped! Also have a USB battery brick which will act as power for the ipad. I'll have some overnights in trains so I'll always have power. Also has to pack a small SIM card cutter since I'll need to swap SIM cards on my phone every few days when I enter a new country. I've got google voice configured to work with the iOS app Talkatone, so calls and texts will be free given wifi or data. I was a little worried about whether or not my iPhone was unlocked. My iPhone is through Sprint and while they said they unlocked it, I couldn't confirm the fact before leaving the states. 

Luggage System

I'll post a photo of the 22" carry on later. Since European carriers are more strict on bag sizes, I opted for the 22" over the 25" to avoid any issues that might come about in smaller planes. I used the Eagle Creek Switchback 22" luggage system that included;

Eagle Creek Travel Gear Pack-It Folder 18 - great folding board and wrap that keeps collared shirts from wrinkling. Also holds pants. It's amazing how much you can fit in this thing 3 button down shirts, 2 t shirts, and 3 sets of lightweight cargo pants. The wrap makes it extremely easy to bag the bigger bag, as you simply insert the different packs into the bag and they just fit. There is no way I could've fit everything without this packaging system.

Eagle Creek Travel Gear Pack-It Wallaby - great toiletry bag. Has ample room for all the TSA stuff and a hangar for use in a shower.

Eagle Creek Travel Gear Pack-It Cube - great for socks, boxers, etc.

Eagle Creek Travel Gear Pack-It Tube Cube - great for rolled shirts, a large sized quick dry towel, swim trunks, and other essentials.

Other Cool Gear

A few cool things I found on Amazon and at Moosejaw (think REI but a bit smaller)

Travelon Laundry Soap Sheets - these sheets are like those listerine breath strips. Maybe 3 times the size which is still tiny. Anyhow, they make doing sink laundry very easy and cost no space.

Camelbak All Clear Purifier Bottle - this water bottle includes a UV filter. Provided the water is clear, this filter will pretty much kill and viruses, bacteria, etc. It's more meant for drinking from streams outdoors, but I'm sure it will come in handy once I'm in Africa. A bit pricey at $76, but if it keeps me from getting poisoned from the water it will be well worth it.

BESTEK Universal adapter travel charger usb - this little guy is the size of an apple MacBook charger and can charge 4 devices at once. Includes power tips for all countries. Best of all, it's $6!

New Trent IMP120D iCarrier 12000mAh  - awesome USB power brick. Has 2 USB outputs. (It can charge two things simultaneously) and even fully recharge a dead ipad. Can recharge an iPhone about 5 times before needing a charge. The only thing I don't like about this device is the charger adapter. A lot of these USB bricks can use a USB power cable. I imagine it would take a long time to charge using a USB cable put the option would be nice. Steep at almost $70, but a promo code will get you a second one for half off or a free USB brick with half the power.

Scott-E-Vest Fleece 7 - a convertible jacket vest with a ton of concealed pockets for a passport, wallet and other electronics.

Pentax WG-II GPS P&S - A rugged point and shoot camera that is waterproof up to 40 feet (great for most recreational dives) and has GPS...allowing all my photos to be encoded with a location. The camera isn't as small as I'd like, but it has a nice carabiner clip. The only thing I hate about this camera is the charger. It's not small nor compact. The charger takes up as much space in my baggage as the camera.

Saying goodbye to Chicago and my mom for 3 months!

Departing from O'Hare
I have a single stopover in Germany for a couple of hours. There was a last minute snafu with my seat. I had originally booked an aisle and was reassigned a middle seat. Yikes! The folks at the gate were mighty kind and helpful, hooking me up with a window seat near an extra exit row (no seat in front). The seat was occupied, with the occupant putting up a little resistance to the flight attendant. Aside from a few dirty looks throughout the flight from the former occupant, all was well. The flight is 8 1/2 hours on my favorite type of aircraft...a 747!


Frankfurt (FRA)
Since I had a few hours to kill in Franfurt, I left the international area and walked around and outside. The terminal area of Frankfurt is old school and very cool. Also interesting are the smoking cubes inside the airport people go to smoke. They are somewhat effective, because I could only smell the odor of tobacco and not the smoke itself. Interesting idea. What I wasn't prepare for was the seperate security and terminal area for flights going to TLV. I actually made the mistake of going through the regular security area. The TLV security lane was thorough but went quickly. The pat down I received was something. These guys are much more...uh...complete than back home. Plus they smile.

I love the analog arrival/departure boards...the clank sound is so nostalgic.

Smoker lounges in Frankfurt.

Tel Aviv

Ben Gurion is the primary airport for Israel. The airport reminded me more of a train station than anything else. The architecture is very classic and there's a lot going on. After getting off the plane I was immediately pulled aside questioned by security for about 5 minutes. I was asked some pretty simple questions like why I was traveling alone, what my intentions were, etc. When asked what my connection to Israel was, I simply responded 'Jesus Christ'. The guy started cracking up. I guess they do have more of a sense of humor than is reported.

Arrival courtyard in Tel Aviv.

After arriving at the airpot I headed to the Post Office in one of the shop areas. There, I could purchase a SIM card for my phone. I really only cared about getting a data plan. Israel has a 3g GSM network.
I went with an Orange (cell provider) big talk data plan that ran around 30 bucks for 3 gigs of data - including the card. Speeds are pretty good for 3g, almost 10mb/second. Guessing it's an HSPA+ variant.

Train to town

Connected to the airport is the train station. Since public transportation is a critical part of a town's culture, I felt riding the train was a must. For around $4 I can get pretty close into town and cab it from there. Ends up the train saved me $60 or so in cab fair since traffic was bad (it was approaching rush hour). The trains were huge, with each car being a double decker with two floors. You have to pay extra for reserved seating, which I opted for. You aren't assigned a seat number...so I'm not entirely sure what I paid for.

Security is tight on the trains. Not the x-ray machine to board.  This was the stop in town, where I exited the train. There was no checkpoint at the train station inside the airport. 

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