The Traveling Widower

Tag: adventure

  • Yet Another Shutdown #@!!%!

    A long line of travelers waiting in an airport terminal near a security checkpoint. This was the start of the line in terminal E at the Houston airport (IAH)

    March 19th, 2026

    I seem to be jinxed on air and auto travel. This is the third time now that I’ve had one of my travel adventures during some kind of government shutdown. The last time, was Antarctica, and there was a good chance that my flights could have been cancelled due to the TSA shutdown. I lucked out on that one, after stressing out looking for alternatives to getting to LA for the international flight. Then there was another shutdown, where all the rest stops on the main highways were shuttered. That was difficult for anyone with bladder issues. And here we are again…..another TSA shutdown, and chaos at the major hubs. The one thing I REALLY DO NOT NEED on this trip is stress. Right.

    It takes two flights to get to Panama City from Sacramento – I opted to stay overnight in Houston, so flew in yesterday. That was an easy flight, until I tried checking in for the flight from IAH to Panama City. For some obscure reason, United would not let me check-in – apparently, I needed some document to prove that I was going to leave Panama, since I was flying back from Costa Rica. United had my reservations, but knew nothing about the National Geographic cruise. My first reason to stress-out on the trip. I called United, and they said I just needed to check-in the next day and everything would be fine. Sure. Do I look like someone that believes that foreign countries are paying the tariffs? The National Geographic travel agent was pretty sure that’s all I needed to do as well. That did not help either – I’m a glass half empty kind of guy. So I worried during the entire flight from SMF to Houston. And then I had to walk about a mile to get to the United check-in lobby, to try and get things worked out. This is a huge airport. Fortunately, I found a helpful agent who magically got me checked-in. Stress relieved. Another long walk and short train ride and I made it to the Marriott for the night. I really could have used a martini. I had gelato instead. Almost as good. 

    My flight for Panama City was scheduled for 9:30 the next morning, so I figured I’d start heading over to the international terminal (hey, I was traveling to another country….seemed like the right place to go). I checked the TSA site, which had a 15 minute wait to get through security, so I figured maybe leave around 6:45 to get to the terminal.  I woke up early for a change (sarcasm…I always get up too early), and headed down to the train station, to get to Terminal E. Baggage check-in was a snap, then I turned around to head to security. Yikes!! The line was endless. But wait….it got worse.

    Busy airport terminal with a long check-in line, displaying multiple screens and travelers waiting.

    As I moved along this first line, the entire mass of humanity waiting to get through security came into view. There were separate TSA Pre and Clear lines, merged together for some reason, but the all the lines seemed to be crawling along at the same speed. But at least they were moving. After a while, someone from Clear separated their customers from the TSA Pre line, so that moved us ahead a bit. Still a long line. What a mess. Not a problem for me since I had a lot of time before my flight, but I wound up letting some young woman cut in front, who only had a few minutes to catch her plane. I told her to look for kind people who would let her cut further ahead, but she was too shy. I would have done that. 

    A large crowd of travelers waiting in line at an airport terminal, with various individuals carrying luggage and wearing different types of clothing.
    A crowded airport terminal with a long line of travelers waiting in line, colorful decorations hanging above them.

    Eventually, I made it through after about 30 minutes or so. The main problem was at the TSA end – there were only two luggage scan stations out of about 15 that were staffed. Quite the bottleneck. A big thank you to the US Congress. The only good news is that everyone seemed to be taking this mess in stride (a slight pun, not intended) – most everyone quietly suffered. And nobody blamed the TSA workers, just our ineffective government.

    After all that, I looked down at my boarding pass and realized I was in the wrong terminal. My flight left from Terminal C, not E. So, I opted for the long walk rather than taking the train. I needed to stretch my legs. And like most airports, there was lots of cool and strange artwork along the endless corridors.

    An airport hallway with travelers walking, one with a luggage cart. The area features bright lighting, polished floors, and large windows providing natural light.
    A circular window featuring vibrant artwork of marine life, including fish and underwater plants, framed by intricate designs and patterns.
    Sculpture titled 'Lost in Thought' by Clara Hoag, featuring a head made of glazed and fired clay, adorned with colorful painted brick-like structures, displayed in an airport setting.

    I ended my airport excursion  at the United Red Carpet Club – international first class does have some useful privileges. On to Panama! It’s got to get less stressful once I get there.

  • Back to Back (to Back) Trips

    Electrocardiogram (ECG) reading displaying six leads: I, II, III, aVR, aVL, and aVF with waveforms indicating heart activity.

    March 8th, 2026

    The good news is I have been able to fog a mirror every morning since my inglorious return from Baja. My new Spanish phrase of the week when asked how I’m doing is “Estoy muy preocupado por mi corazon”. I did meet with my cardiologist this week, and it went relatively well. Sort of. There are no indications of what is causing my high blood pressure, BPM (beats per minute) and heart palpitations. But something is obviously not working the way it should. So I’ll be getting some tests and have to wear a monitor for a bit. We discussed my upcoming trips – he did not really want me to go next week, but understood my need and desire – I got nothing else going on in my life but travel – I’ll go absolutely bonkers if I have to sit at home. So, I promised to do the following (really, I actually had to say ‘I promise’):

    1 – No alcohol (that’s a hard one…they have great bars on the ships). I’ve been cutting back on wine for a while, so I’ll survive.

    2 – Stay hydrated – that was likely one of the triggers, the other being alcohol. They have hydration stations all over the ship, and I’ll be getting yet another nice water bottle. I’ll use it. 

    3 – Take a second blood pressure pill only if I have another incident. I’ll be bringing extras on this trip just in case.

    4 – Take it easy, especially on the activities. I’ll stick to easy trail hikes and zodiac rides, and avoid kayaking and snorkeling. Bummer. But I can focus on photography…not so bad.

    I’ll also bring my little Kardia device along for EKG’s, and maybe a blood pressure cuff. There’s a doctor on board, but I’d rather not advertise my little problem. They might send me home – once was enough.

    So the good news is that I will be going on the Panama/Costa Rica trip in 10 days, and have already started accumulating my stuff for the inaugural packing test. This trip will be easy to pack for, since it’s a tropical climate – no snow, temperatures in the 90’s, no heavy clothes at all. Plus, they have laundry service on the ship – I’ve started relying on that to reduce the amount of stuff I have to bring along. 

    Photography on this trip should be interesting – a mix of city shots the first two days in Panama City, landscapes all along the way, and birds and mammals (monkeys..but sadly, no Penguins!) in the nature preserves. And I’ve heard that the trip through the canal has some unique photo-ops, especially at night. I’ll be packing my usual kit for this trip – two Sony bodies, the big lens for wildlife, and the new 25-200 for everything else. Plus the magic monopod. Can’t wait.

    Hopefully, I won’t be introducing myself to the ship’s physician on this trip. OK…positive thinking, positive thinking. I’ve only got 18 days when I return from this trip, before I leave for the astrophotography trip in Moab. So I hope this one goes well.

    Peace