Question: What does a guy do when he's planning a backpacking trip around the world, and he finds himself ahead of schedule in savings with 6 months to go?
Answer: He buys a Casio Pathfinder watch for $199 from Amazon.com. Why would he need such a watch? Just consider the following scenario, and you'll wonder no more!
Our intrepid hero is scaling Lhotse in Nepal, the world's fourth highest peak at 27,940 feet (8,516 meters). He periodically checks the Pathfinder's altimeter to ensure he is not ascending too quickly, thus decreasing his chances of contracting a potentially deadly case of altitude sickness. As he locks into memory his new highest height of 21,500 feet, he notices a drop in barometric pressure via the barometer, and corresponding drop in temperature via the thermometer.
As the winds pick up, and clouds envelope the mountain, our hero bivouac's (encamps) high up the mountain. In his dimly lit tent, he checks the time, thankful his watch has an auto backlight which turns on when he tilts the watch so he doesn't have to take off his warm mittens. A solar powered battery ensures watch functionality in case it remains overcast and stormy for the next 5 months.
Days pass, and concerns grow about avalanche risk higher up the mountain. The expedition is canceled, and our hero begins to navigate down the mountain using his Pathfinder's digital compass, as the well-worn climbing route has been covered by three feet of fresh snow. Thanks to multi-band 5 atomic timekeeping, he can be sure to rendezvous with his yaks at precisely the right time to carry his gear back to Kathmandu.
As for his Casio Pathfinder PAW1300-1V watch, it's a cool 28% thinner and lighter than previous models, so even after a 20,000 foot climb, it's no sweat off his back to wear it home.
So we're on a train to 
This morning I woke everyone up to go to the Uffizi (museum). When we got there, the wait in line was about one hour. (which wasn't bad at all since it was in the shade). Outside the museum were several copies of important sculptures (as well as originals like the Neptune Fountain), the most famous being Michelangelo's "David." I didn't spend much time looking at it, probably because it was a copy, and a detailed look would be inaccurate. It was the same way with the "Gates of Paradise" on the Baptistery. Inside the museum, I recognized many of the artists, but few of the paintings from my (art history) classes. "The Madonna of the Goldfinch" by Raphael was noteworthy, as several by Leonardo da Vinci. There were also several portraits that I recognized, including that of Bia Medici. She was portrayed beautifully against a blue background. "The Venus of Urbino" was there too. The museum itself was also decorated with ceiling frescoes. The two main hallways were lined with sculptures and busts.
We reached Como after a mad dash at the train station in Milan. As it turns out, we didn't even have to leave the train we were on originally. Since we didn't know this, we got off the train at Milan, went to the Information/ticket booth, waited in line, and then found out. This resulted in us running around the train station with our packs bouncing back and forth. When we got to Como, it was a twenty minute walk to our hostel. Once there, I found out that I was the only one with a Hostel Card, thereby getting the cheaper rate (15,000 lire instead of 21,000 lire, or $2).
We arrived in Menaggio, and immediately went to the hostel that was nearby. Unfortunately, it was booked for the night. We wandered past 4 star hotels and even a cinema and mini golf place, before finding a place to stay at a campground (Campaggio Europe). All except Bill waited till a bungalow was free (30 minutes), and then we moved in for the night at 75,000 lire for four people. Bill had decided earlier to go his own way (till 6:30 PM). Meanwhile, we went swimming in the lake, and hung out at our bungalow.
Charades 
After this burden was lifted, I led the group to the Accademia which housed 15th-18th century Italian Art. The place wasn't air conditioned, like I had expected. Therefore, I continued to sweat buckets while viewing the artwork of Carpaccio, Bellini, Tintoretto, and Giorgionne, among others. Though the "Tempest" was there, it didn't seem as impressive as its legend/history. The altarpieces were amazing to see up close. The glow of the gilded paint is definitely something that can only be appreciated in person. "The Feast at the House of Levi" was there too, and it covered the entire side of a giant room. Such a giant magnitude isn't even comprehendible from a slide or book.
We reached the beach after a one hour ride. Lido's main street had pink marble sidewalks from end to end. The street was also lined with gelaterias (ice cream stores) and pizzerias. We arrived at the beach a little before noon. The sky was cloudless, the sun hot. It was at least in the mid 90's. I knew I was going to have to be extra special in protecting myself from the sun. For this reason, I wore my hat (with 360 degree rim) at all times, except when in the water, my prescription sunglasses (in the water too), and plenty of sun block. When we left around 3 AM I had managed to survive the hottest part of the day with patchy sunburns on my face and legs. Except for a painful burn on my right ankle, I felt very lucky and confident. I don't think anyone else brought sun tan lotion.
Then we got back from the beach, we showered. There was a bathtub and detachable shower head, which only reached to the chest level of one's body. I showered kneeling down, and tried to get the hang of such a method. Eric had gone in before me and had sprayed the entire bathroom with water (he tried to shower standing up). The sink had a foot peddle you used to control the water. I assume this is so you don't have people turning knobs with their recently soiled hands.
It'd been several years since I saw my college friend Andrew (see Breathingplanet in my blogroll), and we had recently reconnected via MySpace. Since he was living in Brooklyn, I called him and we made plans to meet downtown. We ducked into Local 138, a random bar near the cross street we had picked. I ordered a couple of Strongbow ciders, my brother and Andrew beers, and we got into a variety of conversations as we caught up on the past few years.
Well it has also been fun hanging out down on the first floor of Bob's: $1 Heineken's is good with me (later I find out it is much cheaper to just buy them at the nearby supermarket). We ventured down to the Heineken Brewery this afternoon, but the tickets normally sell out by 11 AM so we decided to go tomorrow. We then went to the Vincent Van Gogh Museum. House of Arles, Sunflowers, and Wheatfield With Crows, among others were my favorites. We then went back to the hostel, where I went to the bathroom. I'm starting to adjust to my European diet, and I probably should start eating more to stay feeling well. Finally, Dave, Sam, and I went to the Magic Mushroom Gallery. They had lots of weird herbal drugs, like powder that you snort like cocaine. It was all legal though, and I guess there is a demand? We also went to one of the Sex Museums. It was a novel idea, I guess, but not too interesting.
