Working at IgoUgo is the ultimate in armchair travel—we see the world through our members’ eyes from the comfort of the office, in all its fluorescent-lighted glory. Often, though, we’re so inspired (or so jealous) that we strike out in search of our own adventures. For some of us, that means going to extremes—all the more appealing if they involve words like impenetrable and adrift, with a buffet or two thrown in for good measure.
IgoUgo designer fallschirmhosen’s recent trip to Uganda was centered on a 7-day trek in the rugged Rwenzori Mountains, where he triumphed over bogs and altitude sickness. He traded in his coworkers for silverback gorillas, which came with the added bonus of watching fellow gorilla trackers slip and slide their way down a mountain (he called it “entertaining;” we didn’t). You just don’t get that kind of story material at the office.
Meanwhile, ext212 embarked on her own monkey-hike in Nicaragua, dodging scorpions, snakes, and, well, whatever else the monkeys threw at her. She climbed the Cerro Negro volcano and opted to slide down the other side without the aid of a mini-board. At least fallschirmhosen wasn’t there to laugh.
On their respective sides of the world, our two travelers embraced ecologically sound travel; as fallschirmhosen says, “when visiting Uganda, it is almost obligatory to be an eco-tourist.” In a departure from her usual Central America accommodations, ext212 spent a few luxurious nights in an eco-responsible bungalow, where she learned that “to enjoy luxury without guilt, we must learn to take care of Mother Nature and give back.” And our two traveling staffers’ similarities don’t end there: Both hikers compared the landscapes they visited to the moon, one of the few places yet to welcome an IgoUgo employee (or member, for that matter).
We at IgoUgo love the learning curves of travel—both vicarious and real—as much as our members do, and we’ll continue to check out new places and report back. Keep those ideas coming!