green tortoise
get quick answers from green tortoise hostel - san francisco staff and past guests .
lock in a great price for green tortoise hostel – rated 8. 4 by recent guests !
shal and i are going to visit sequoia and yosemite in september on the green tortoise bus .
green tortoise hostel accepts these cards and reserves the right to temporarily hold an amount prior to arrival .
what! ? a mega - sale on st. patrick' s day stuff? ! lucky for us everyday is green at the green tortoise! ! !
view of a modern green tortoise bus interior. lounge during the day and sleep lying down at night !
a complete guide to hibernating your tortoise written by the tortoise shop. booklet includes: the wind down, boxing your tortoise, waking up time .
green tortoise adventure travel, 494 broadway, san francisco, ca 94133. (415) 956 - 7500, urltoken .
the world famous green tortoise adventure travel began over 30 years ago, with a hostel on wheels and the realization that beautiful places, great food, and sociable people were the only essentials for gratifying travel experiences. the green tortoise hostels in san francisco and seattle are built on this fine tradition. the green tortoise san francisco and seattle hostels are created around a social communal experience .
supper’s on. well - fed campers make for happy campers and while traveling with the green tortoise there’s never a shortage of food .
ya know what the difference is between a savings bond and a green tortoise driver ?
he said, still channeling tommy chong .
entombed in this veritable hostel on wheels, i’m beginning to think my preconceived notions of the green tortoise might be a little off base .
. and as i was talking about this on the phone this evening, i was reminded of my early search for the green tortoise .
putting in the correct spelling resulted in all manner of matches, including the ticket selling (and presumably legal) green tortoise official website .
there was a time when the internet was young and a time when the green tortoise did not have permits for all the bus routes they were driving. i remember talking with a green tortoise bus driver about this perhaps 30 years ago and he explained that the legal permits for bus routes were so prohibitive, that green tortoise could not cover the permit cost, because they did not do enough cross country runs per year .
shared dormitory accommodations are provided by green tortoise hostels san francisco. guests have access to a shared kitchen and a large lounge with free foosball and billiards .
welcome aboard the green tortoise, fabled communal commuter bus turned adventure travel company. for 30 years now the tortoise has been chauffeuring shoestring travelers around north and central america on slow - paced adventure via routes less - traveled .
travel _ tortoise _ sh01. jpg meals on green tortoise are communal, as are cooking and cleanup duties. passengers wolf down bagels, salmon and cream cheese for breakfast after riding all night to get to yosemite... more
copyright 1997  2012 green tortoise adventure travel. all information on this website is subject to change without notice. please call us before you make your travel plans .
ferry building shops, farmers market and restaurants are just over half a mile from green tortoise hostel. fisherman' s wharf attractions are a 20 - minute walk away .
the green tortoise hostel has an age restriction and cannot accommodate minors (under 18 years old) in dorm rooms. minors traveling with adults must book a private room .
the quality and the make is quite good. however, the striations which are visible on the green shell of the tortoise in the picture are missing in the actual product .
the chemical engineer who quit his job is darren mehaffey, 27, of bracknell, about 40 miles southwest of london. he has been at the green tortoise since may 8 .
copyright 1997 – green tortoise adventure travel. all information on this website is subject to change without notice. please call us before you make your travel plans. tcp 8787 - s
meals are one of the many minor miracles of green tortoise travel. with so many hands helping prep, cook, and clean, the process is the picture of communal efficiency .
at the top of your chrome window, near the web address, click the green lock labeled secure .
at the green tortoise, we want to make your stay as easy as possible. take advantage of many free and useful amenities meant to relieve the stress of visiting a new city .
travel _ tortoise _ sh09. jpg 6 / 9 / 04 in yosemite / mono lake. from 4 - night trip on green tortoise adventure travel bus to yosemite valley, mono lake, hot creek geologic site and tuolumne meadows. the san... more
travel _ tortoise _ sh06. jpg 6 / 9 / 04 in yosemite / mono lake. from 4 - night trip on green tortoise adventure travel bus to yosemite valley, mono lake, hot creek geologic site and tuolumne meadows. the san... more
travel _ tortoise _ sh08. jpg 6 / 9 / 04 in yosemite / mono lake. from 4 - night trip on green tortoise adventure travel bus to yosemite valley, mono lake, hot creek geologic site and tuolumne meadows. the san... more
centrally located between fisherman’s wharf, chinatown, and all the public transit you could ever need, the green tortoise hostel is a cozy place to call home for anyone in san francisco. stay at the green tortoise and eat breakfast with a new friend, play some pool in our spacious ballroom, or chat with our fun front desk staff about the wonders of the city .
such is the beauty of life aboard the green tortoise. with each day essentially offering a choose - your - own - adventure itinerary, passengers are allowed to tailor the trip to best fit their desires. the tortoise offers an ideal mix of opportunities for both shared experiences and solo wanderings .
while green tortoise still caters to the granola - fueled peace, love and music crowd (special trips are offered to burning man, the oregon country fair, and the high sierra music festival) — and please excuse the blanket stereotyping — it seems most green tortoise adventures aim to expand minds through organic slow - paced exploration, rather than the mind - altering substances people rightly or wrongly associate with the bus .
these three tortoise aliments can all usually be prevented through proper husbandry, diet and care. become familiar with your tortoise’s needs, and it will give you many years of enjoyment .
apparently, entanglements of this sort are part of the shared experience that is green tortoise adventure travel, where
woodstock on wheels ,
highway hostel
and
rolling commune
are more than just hype .
seattle green tortoise hostel, 1525 second ave. , seattle, wa 98101. (206) 340 - 1222, urltoken. dorm beds $ 21 - $ 22. 50; private doubles $ 53 - $ 55 ,
one of the most rewarding and enjoyable aspects of tortoise keeping happens when your charges have offspring .
i will highly recommend the green tortoise to waldorf teachers! i am so glad that one of your catalogs found its way to our school last fall! thank you so much for all of your assistance in planning our trip .
visit more of california and travel across the united states with the green tortoise adventure travel, located inside the green tortoise hostel, stop in and see where you can go in style in our legendary' hostel - on - wheels' sleeper coach bus trips. take trips to yosemite, down the cali coast, alaska, baja, burning man, and across the usa! check us out online for a complete list of adventures & trip dates for 2016 - 2017 .
but on this trip, passengers held out for the roadside denny' s - a sign, perhaps, that the green tortoise bus line has entered a stodgier era. yet even today, no one would ever mistake it for greyhound .
during its peak in the late 1980s, green tortoise had 50 employees and 14 buses, each with names that confuse or amuse, including luna, paris, max, diva, abio (short for abiogenesis), pawnee and starship .
green tortoise buses run all year, but are busiest during the summer. trips run about $ 45 - $ 55 per day, including most meals, and slightly more for alaska tours (the 28 - day tour includes airfare) .
at the top of your firefox window, to the left of the web address, you should see a green lock. click it .
since the beginning, green tortoise trips have included stops at hot springs, and most accounts include at least one instance of riders stripping to their smiles and having a soak - - if for no other reason than to rinse off the dust .
but those were the ’70s and early ’80s, when the green tortoise still rolled under the radar: unlicensed, uninsured, and like the times, a little less inhibited. it was then still a rolling, fuming vestige of the ’60s .
a friend and i planned to stay for just as couple of days and ended up staying over a week. when you step into the green tortoise hostel you' re welcomed with open arms. throughout our visit here, we felt a part of a little international sf community. i met some wonderful people during my stay, some of whom i' m sure will be friends for life. i' m so grateful to have had these experiences and made these connections, none of which would have been possible without the relaxed, vibrant and co - operative environment the green tortoise provides. the facilities, staff, breakfasts, activities (free dinners anyone ?) and famed sf vibe make the green tortoise the best hostel in san francisco .
as for some riders' claim that the green tortoise is a more congenial atmosphere, greene shrugged .
everyone' s practically lying on top of each other ,
he said .
i guess you could call that friendly .
& lt ;
today, green tortoise has a fleet of 10 buses - none less than 30 years old - and offers adventure tours to the grand canyon, baja california, oregon, western national parks and new orleans at mardi gras time. but, for many adventurous and economy - minded travelers, along with nostalgic veterans of the underground transcontinental bus era, the original 4, 000 mile - long (more or less) san francisco - boston run remains the essential, the '` real '` green tortoise .
keeping the tortoise in a proper enclosure with adequate heat, offering full - spectrum lighting and feeding a proper diet makes for a healthy tortoise. each tortoise species has its own set requirements for proper care, so being informed of your pet’s needs is important. reptiles magazine, books on your tortoise species, reptile clubs and online forums, such as those found on reptilechannel. com, are all are good places to obtain information .
travel _ tortoise _ sh09. jpg 6 / 9 / 04 in yosemite / mono lake. from 4 - night trip on green tortoise adventure travel bus to yosemite valley, mono lake, hot creek geologic site and tuolumne meadows. the san francisco - based, self - proclaimed
hippy bus
line turned 30 this year. spud hilton / the chronicle less
travel _ tortoise _ sh06. jpg 6 / 9 / 04 in yosemite / mono lake. from 4 - night trip on green tortoise adventure travel bus to yosemite valley, mono lake, hot creek geologic site and tuolumne meadows. the san francisco - based, self - proclaimed
hippy bus
line turned 30 this year. spud hilton / the chronicle less
during a recent trip to yosemite and the eastern sierra, i followed hippie guru kesey' s advice and got on the bus, ready to learn if the green tortoise at 30 - - older than most of its passengers - - can still be trusted .
keep staying like you are. i' ve done a lot of other trips around the world but green tortoise us still my favorite company! the food, the drivers, the itinerariesand the bus, of course! i just love your buses .
at green tortoise, mealtime is not an afterthought! our mostly vegetarian gourmet meals are made from the freshest ingredients. whether you' re a master chef or new to cooking, your participation during mealtimes will satisfy both your cravings for good food and good times .
the green tortoise offers affordable adventure bus tours to the best destinations the usa has to offer: including yosemite, the grand canyon, alaska and more! our overland holidays and backpacker tours include wilderness adventures, camping, and trekking in america' s best national parks .
it seemed wrong taking a yellow cab to catch a green tortoise (and it doesn' t do much for your backpacker street cred), but i did it anyway, as most buses leave at night from a dimly lit alley behind the transbay terminal in san francisco .
in fact, the only two donning any tie - dye are two older guys from san francisco. i quickly learn that they’ve been on the bus before, and as i try and fall asleep i can hear them recounting adventures of green tortoise past, waxing nostalgic about wilder times .
jeff greene, greyhound' s san francisco terminal chief, said the tortoise is no threat to the major bus company .
the tortoise shop © 2002 - 2018 terms & conditions | privacy & cookies * | website by created by sowden digital .
gifford and other archaeologists found more from the tortoise this past july, along with the slaughtered remains of a giant ground sloth .
please note: the green tortoise hostel has an age restriction and cannot accommodate minors (under 18 years old) in dorms. minors traveling with adults must book a private room. if you have any questions about this policy or would like to explain your circumstances, you must contact the property directly .
three nights a week, travelers get what amounts to free dinners. on wednesdays, huge baked potatoes are served, complete with sour cream, margarine, salsa, olives, onions, scallions, cheese and cilantro. it' s especially on those evenings that the ambience of the green tortoise sparks up .
in 1995, the green tortoise (which eventually bought out the grey rabbit) runs 11 buses, with models from 1954 to 1971. no alcohol or smoking of any kind is permitted on the bus. the company is above - board, tax - paying and insured, and all passengers sign an injury waiver .
travel _ tortoise _ sh01. jpg meals on green tortoise are communal, as are cooking and cleanup duties. passengers wolf down bagels, salmon and cream cheese for breakfast after riding all night to get to yosemite valley. 6 / 8 / 04 in yosemite / mono lake. from 4 - night trip on green tortoise adventure travel bus to yosemite valley, mono lake, hot creek geologic site and tuolumne meadows. the san francisco - based, self - proclaimed
hippy bus
line turned 30 this year. spud hilton / the chronicle ran on: 08 - 22 - 2004 after a leisurely soak in a thermal swimming hole, passengers pose for pictures and relax while clothes line - dry at hot creek geologic site, south of mono lake in inyo national forest. less
the green tortoise thrived in the late 1980s, operating with more than 50 employees and 14 busses. today, the adventure travel company employs two dozen drivers, some seasonally and others full - time, to pilot its 11 land yachts. and then there are the two hostels, one in san francisco and another in seattle, which, if our trip was any indication, funnel a steady stream of foreigners on any one of the tortoise’s 20 different trips .
a complete guide to rearing healthy horsfield and mediterranean tortoises written by the tortoise shop. booklet includes: accommodation, diet and hibernating techniques .
it has its roots in san francisco, where it began in 1974 in an old school bus whose founder drove a load of friends from san francisco to boston. the enterprise expanded and, in 1996, the green tortoise took over the old forest hotel here, which had a reputation for drug dealing and was shut down .
woohoo! the hostel of all hostels! green tortoise is all you could want from a cheap place to stay in san fran. comfortable rooms (even the dorm rooms), nice bathrooms, free breakfast, and a surprisingly great location. at first i was a little turned off by the neighborhood, but i ended up having a fantastic time exploring the area and found some great restaurants and bars. the staff is very nice and almost paranoid about security, so i always felt safe and comfortable leaving my stuff in my room. if you' re on a budget and want to stay in the city, i would highly recommend green tortoise !
despite the calculated discomfort of sleeping with 40 strangers, most tortoise diehards smirk at the thought of greyhound. tortoise drivers seem to relish a rivalry with the bus - line king, honking at the buses they passed, laughing at one that broke down by the side of the highway .
the green tortoise, named after a similar bus venture called the
grey rabbit ,
has since become a west coast icon, providing low - budget travel and social mixing to commuters and travelers. though it' s still going strong, with much or its early haphazard character intact, the business has been refined with the times .
our adventure bus tours are designed for fun - loving, independent backpackers who value cooperation. we invite all travelers, from the young to the young at heart, to contribute to the unique social dynamic that is created on every green tortoise trip. discover for yourself why our adventure camping trips have been attracting socially conscious travelers since 1974 .
the green tortoise san francisco hostel is a full service, fun, comfortable, and welcoming hostel. located in the north beach area (little italy), famous for entertainment, bookstores, and beat generation history. the hostel is close to chinatown, fisherman' s wharf, and public transportation that can take you all over the bay area .
the mating process begins with the male tortoise picking up on a female’s scent trail and following it until he ultimately reaches his target. then courtship begins .
green tortoise was founded in 1974 in san francisco by gardner kent, who is to the underground bus business what lee iacocca is to compact cars. '` i 'm the last of the hippies, but i was also a businessman with a new idea, '` said kent, 44, who usually wears long braids and as few clothes as he can get away with .
picking a reliable buddy is important on green tortoise, which has a reputation for leaving the occasional rider behind. during a recent 28 - day alaska tour, the bus lost track of a few passengers, including one who waved down a state trooper. when the trooper pulled the bus over and asked if they were missing anyone, the crew said they didn' t think so .
go team tortoise! when it' s time to cook meals or clean up the campsite, everyone is expected to pitch in and do their fair share to help out .
simply putting two tortoises together and expecting them to produce viable offspring is unrealistic, foolish and detrimental to the tortoise’s health. for example, an american redfoot tortoise would never in its life encounter a turkish ibera. they originate from completely different parts of the world and consequently are biologically alien to each other, each one carrying pathogens harmful to the other .
it' s the start of the summer tourist season, and backpackers traveling on the cheap from poland or japan or england or no - current - address are starting to descend here. welcome to the green tortoise hostel in downtown seattle, where $ 20. 50 a night — tax included — will get you a dorm bunkroom and all the eggs, toast, coffee and fresh fruit you can eat for breakfast .
travel _ tortoise _ sh08. jpg 6 / 9 / 04 in yosemite / mono lake. from 4 - night trip on green tortoise adventure travel bus to yosemite valley, mono lake, hot creek geologic site and tuolumne meadows. the san francisco - based, self - proclaimed
hippy bus
line turned 30 this year. spud hilton / the chronicle ran on: 08 - 22 - 2004 after a leisurely soak in a thermal swimming hole, passengers pose for pictures and relax while clothes line - dry at hot creek geologic site, south of mono lake in inyo national forest. less
tortoises severely malformed from mbd may never look normal. the misshapen shell may never appear like that of a healthy tortoise, especially if this has been a long - term condition .
green tortoise is an amazing hostel. they have a huge common area, with the most impressive kitchen i' ve seen in a hostel hands down. they have so many amenities and events that will keep you occupied for your entire stay computers to use and even a bicycle room to hold your bike. the staff is so helpful and are very knowledgeable about the city don' t hesitate to ask them any questions. the location is also very cool lots of bars and lounges and lots of options to eat. oh yeah green tortoise has free dinners monday wednesday and friday as well as free breakfast every morning 7: 30 - 10. adriana was super helpful. the chef is amazing and ben is one of the coolest dudes i' ve ever met. if you are considering this hostel just do it you won' t regret it !
the green tortoise is based in little italy at te broadway. you can reach within 5 min fisherman' s wharf and other attractions! great place which offers laundry ear plugs and so on for a smal charge (ear plugs for 1 $, laundry 2 $). you also have entertainment programs. nice way to meet locals and other guests just don' t let you stress by the organizer! would go again !
driver mark said he once parked the tortoise at the south bay terminal in boston when four greyhound drivers approached him. he was worried they would hassle him, but instead they asked to look around the bus they' d heard so much about. they called over their colleagues, mark said, until a crowd of greyhound staff were gawking at the unconventional tortoise innards .
green tortoise is a family owned and operated hostel started in the 90' s. we are all well traveled and try to bring to the hostel what all travelers are looking for, culture. we believe in atmosphere above all else. the hostel is laid back with few rules. we try to promote a sense of community and fun with our free dinners accompanied by live music, free pubcrawls, and daily outings into the city .
there are some 6, 000 hostels worldwide but only two green tortoises, the other being in san francisco. its main competitor in seattle is the nonprofit hostelling international on union street, part of a network of 110 such hostels in the united states .
if you' re looking for a sterile, dull hostel that you can forget about the moment you leave san francisco, the tortoise isn' t it. time after time, our guests tell us that their favorite memories of san francisco are of the times they spent in the hostel itself, meeting and hanging out with other backpackers, enjoying nights in our ballroom, making friends while enjoying our free dinners (3 times a week), or dancing in the ballroom until all hours. if the sun comes up before you' ve gone to bed, you know you' ve had a good night at the green tortoise .
we wouldn’t expect chimpanzees to breed with gorillas, or hamsters to breed with mice, but it’s amazing how many people presume one species of tortoise should be able to successfully breed with another .
kent started green tortoise with a bus bought at a transit company auction; called '` the ark, '` the nearly 40 - year - old bus is still in service and has logged an estimated 6 million miles. from the beginning, kent decided to be different. he removed seats and put in foam rubber mattresses so passengers could stretch out. kent also traveled at a leisurely pace, stopping for sightseeing, swim breaks and picnics .
i was personally disappointed with the green tortoise hostel. it had some advantages. the breakfast was good. ummm thats about it. the problem i had with this place was that if they spent less time self proclaiming themselves as the best hostel around and more time looking at the standard of the facilities, quality of the rooms, cleanliness of the staff... then it could be a good place to stay. we had a twin room. the edge of the bed was about 750mm from the opposing wall. it' s a good job i didn' t pack a cat because there was no room to swing it. anyway, who can complain when it is so cheap? although i stayed in a whole bunch of hostels across california (and indeed the world) and the green tortoise, as much as i hate to say it, was the worst one. sorry .
from the sound of it, they’ve been on quite a few tortoise trips. they’ve done the “north - south commute, ” the now - extinct red - eye run along i - 5 between seattle and los angeles, been across the country and back a couple of times and have even been on the bus for the menagerie that is the tortoise trip to new orleans for mardi gras .
gravid (pregnant) females typically display unusual and unsociable behaviour. this should prepare competent tortoise owners that their charges are ready to lay. the behavioural changes are usually a combination of the following :
hi timothy e, it sounds like you took full advantage of our
all inclusive hostel
. i hope you were able to cook some great meals in our impressive kitchen and with our awesome chef. and did you know that breakfast actually goes until 11 on sunday so you have a
hangover hour
after going out to all the bars in our neighborhood. thanks for the review and looking forward to next time you stay with us! cheers, green tortoise
it' s basically a shot - gun operation ,
he said. greene, 28, once walked on board a tortoise and saw nothing more than
an old, dilapidated bus .
if neither of these methods work, then artificial induction is the only other alternative. take the tortoise to a competent vet and get her x - rayed. count the number of eggs that are present and then inject her with a hormone called oxytocin. one single shot of oxytocin is usually enough to make the tortoise lay within a couple of hours or bringing her home. in cases where the tortoise has been kept on a calcium deficient diet, a five day course of calcium injections are recommended prior to the oxytocin shot. this will help the tortoise to expel her eggs. after the hormone injection, place her in a box of soil and keep her warm. all of the eggs should be expelled within minutes of each other, if not take her back to the vet the next day and repeat the procedure .
we had a wonderful trip to bahia de los angeles! ever since we returned (and even during the trip), i (and the students and other adults) have been praising green tortoise! the trip far exceeded my expectations. i have led my class on numerous trips in the northwest and i have always been the one to plan the itinerary and the menu and to do the shopping and to supervise the cooking. this time all of that was taken care of !
conveniently located at first avenue and pike street, right across the street from the famous pike place market. the elegantly restored elliot hotel building, now home to the green tortoise hostel, boasts 30 newly - remodeled bunk rooms. the beautiful historical building has plenty of modern charms too, including: semi - private mediteranian style tile bathrooms, modern kitchen and large common areas. each bunk has a reading lamp, small fan, four point power outlet, privacy curtains, and storage locker .
there is a balcony overlooking a parking lot where guests can sit on warm nights. not long ago, a backpacker from korea painted the balcony' s metal tables, one with a tortoise smoking a pipe .
but at 8, 400 feet in inyo national forest, it was perfect weather for a lengthy hibernation. at 6 a. m. , wall - to - wall sleeping bags looked like giant red, blue and green larvae from a monster movie, waiting to hatch zombie backpackers .
respiratory infections (ri) are best diagnosed and treated by a veterinarian who works with reptiles. a thorough physical examination and detailed history from you the owner (asking where was the tortoise purchased, captive raised or wild caught, husbandry, diet, etc) is where the veterinarian will start. radiographs of the lungs and a blood panel may also be necessary to fully access how ill the tortoise is and to give a prognosis for treatment .
this was my first hostel experience and it was amazing. the staff was super nice, and the rooms and bathrooms were very clean. there were group activities each night to get a chance to meet new people from across the country and world. lots of cafés, restaurants, bars, and small shops nearby. green tortoise is within walking distance to a large part of the city, and they provide nice directions to many of the landmarks to visit. for the price and experience i would definitely come back here .
tortoises fed a diet low in calcium, or those who cannot absorb calcium well, usually first show a soft shell, especially if they are a juvenile. baby tortoises naturally have a semi - soft shell after hatching, but it usually hardeners by 6 to 8 months of age. in calcium - deficient tortoises, the tortoise grows, but the shell does not. this causes the shell to become deformed and often the tortoise looks too big for its shell. it become weak, and eventually has trouble walking, due to soft bones. the soft bones can easily fracture, causing further problems. if untreated, the tortoise will eventual die. this is often a slow, painful death .
archaeologists have been recovering primitive relics from the spring since 1977, when divers found the remains of a large, now extinct tortoise and a sharpened stake that may have been used by a hungry hunter to kill the animal 12, 000 years ago .
respiratory infections can be prevented in several ways. always buying captive - raised rather than wild - caught tortoises increases your chance of obtaining a health (ier) tortoise from the start. it’s not a guarantee, but your chances are much better .
while staying here the staff were really friendly and helpful with any questions i had. after leaving they showed care and compassion i have not recieved from any other hostel. i lost my towel while staying at the hostel and the staff went out of their way to make sure i got it back, contacting a friend to let me know they had found it and then taking actions to send it to an address that i could get it from. this shows the quality of staff at green tortoise and why i would definitely recommend it. it' s so nice to meet hostel staff that care .
i remember when there were 10 people dropping acid in the back of the bus ,
says mark christianson, a tai chi instructor from eugene, ore. , and long - time tortoise rider .
now, people are much more mellow .
i first took the tortoise in the early' 80s, when pot smoking and beer guzzling were still part of its selling points. i frolicked naked with strangers in natural hot springs and entered several substance - induced romances that continued for some time after the journey .
i think they' ve done a really good job retaining its character while being more professional ,
said andrew sutherland, 27, a frequent tortoise commuter between san francisco and seattle .
if they were incredibly flaky, i wouldn' t ride it .
though caltrans considers the tortoise (licensed with the interstate commerce commission) a
legitimate business ,
the company has had run - ins with the authorities. in 1993, the public utilities commission sent an undercover agent, posing as a student, on the bus to yosemite. afterwards, the company was fined more than $ 7, 000 for
administrative
offenses that included operating without an intrastate license, according to larry mcneely, a supervisor in the commission' s special investigative unit. nevertheless, the tortoise consistently passes surprise safety inspections .
we had been told to pick
buddies
to watch out for each other, so i teamed with ann and richard, a young irish couple on holiday; and earl, a soft - spoken gentleman from louisiana who had taken greyhound to san francisco to ride the tortoise .
tortoises in the wild usually have stronger mating urges during the spring, after hibernation, though until mid - summer. this is somewhat dependant on the tortoise’s geographical location. in some parts of the mediterranean coastline, tortoises can often be found mating at chance intervals throughout the year .
the consequences of a female retaining her eggs are unfavourable to say the least, so adequate nesting provisions need to be made when a female starts to display the gravid behaviour patterns. if any doubt that the female is pregnant or not, we suggest taking the tortoise to a vet and getting an x - ray done. this will also reveal the amount of eggs that are present, which is helpful to know in the case of any laying difficulties or if the tortoise decides to expel some eggs in an unplanned area and you need to go and find them !
unlike bird eggs, a tortoise egg has to be kept the same way up after the first few days of incubation. the yolk sack would smother the developing hatchling if it was turned upside down. therefore, before using any bird egg incubators, they have to be adapted so that they down mechanically “turn” .
due to dehydration or a poor diet (one high in oxalates found in some plants / vegetables), a hard “stone” of the material may be produced in the bladder. the tortoise attempts to pass this stone by pushing its abdominal muscles against the bladder. if the stone is too large, or the tortoise is too weak, organs rather than the stone may be passed out through the cloaca. in males, the phallus may be pushed out. male tortoises do not have a true penis. rather they have a phallus. this is a spear - shaped organ through which sperm pass when mating (urine is emptied from the bladder into the cloaca). if the phallus becomes dry or damaged when exposed to the environment, it may not be able to place itself back into the body cavity. if the animal continues to strain and is in discomfort, this becomes a medical emergency. take the tortoise to a veterinarian asap !
awake before the others, i searched for a hat that was likely in tortoise orbit (a mysterious gravitational field that collects all loose items until the end of the trip), slapped on more fleece, draped the sleeping bag over my shoulders and stumbled outside to help driver tim watch a kettle of water boil .
but then i got to thinking, “if this person is such a terrible speller, and i am only getting three hits from all of the internet, then perhaps we are combining our poor spelling and i am searching for the wrong thing. ” and when i checked, sure enough i had spelled “tortoise” wrong .
he confirmed my suspicion that driving the tortoise can be a blast, but it' s not for everyone. there' s a freedom to the job - - no suit and tie, no cubicle, plenty of creative people - - that appeals to free spirits who don' t have a lot of family commitments .
the tropical fish tank – eggs are half buried in a medium such as vermiculite, within small plastic containers and floated in the warm water. this is a reasonable method for soft shelled eggs, if the temperature is able to be turned up high enough, but the humidity levels are far too great for mediterranean tortoise eggs .
the first stop - - and arguably the most important - - was the safeway in dublin to buy food for the entire trip. on the tortoise, almost all the meals are prepared next to the bus, be it in a parking lot, a campground or roadside turnout. this is a working vacation: once the big propane burners are lit and the tables are up, the willing and able step in and, magically, onions are diced, jambalaya is stirred and, less magically, dishes are cleared and washed. according to a tortoise veteran i talked to, the ninth circle of hell is reserved for those who don' t pitch in .
tortoises that don’t have access to a suitable nesting area will not lay their eggs. furthermore, each year that an egg is retained, it receives an extra layer of calcium. this causes severe complications due to the eggs becoming larger, lumpy and over calcified, making any laying attempts difficult (egg binding). in addition to this, retained eggs will on occasions erode through the oviduct walls, cause peritonitis and eventually lead to the tortoise’s death. successful surgery has been employed in some cases, with the over calcified eggs being removed via a hole cut in the tortoise’s plastron. this unfortunate situation can be avoided by provisions being made for captive nesting .
finally, having your veterinarian examine the tortoise at the first sign of a respiratory infection really helps in curing this condition. waiting to see if the pet will get well on its own, or trying home / over - the - counter products, only prolongs the infection and lessens the chance for a full recovery. don’t delay treatments !
i head toward market street to catch a muni bus. i get on and watch as the city begins to wake. but the tortoise has uncovered my vagabond spirit and i don’t want to head home yet. i grab my pack, get off somewhere along the line and wander around the city, hoping the adventure can last a little longer .
captive - raised tortoises can also show these signs if they have not been properly cared for or fed correctly. this is less common than in wild - caught individuals, but nevertheless it is seen. be careful who you obtain a pet tortoise from. ask questions as to when it was born, past health history, diet fed, etc .
keeping the tortoise warm during treatment is also a necessity. the veterinarian may suggest keeping them indoors under heat and full - spectrum lighting until well. this may be a problem with large species, such as sulcata tortoises, which can weigh up to 125 pounds or more. something to consider when purchasing one of these as a cute little hatchling !
hi, my name is stella. i stayed in green tortoise for three nights. i had a great time there. i learned sharing, serving, and recycling there. i love their sauna and location. it is very closed to where i want to go. the city light bookstore, happy donut, and churches are in walking distance. if you love chinese food, it is very close to chinatown. however, it is a little bit noisy outside. you need ear plugs with you. i came for the exam. so, it is also close the testing center. even there are many striper clubs nearby, it is safe. many homeless people are around but i talked to them and they are actually very nice. staffs are very help. brandon, patricia, and chief are nice to me .
by the time these tortoises arrive at their destination, they commonly show signs of lethargy, ocular and nasal discharge, weight loss (a healthy tortoise should feel heavy for its size, like it’s shell is filled with water), with increased respiratory rates and wheezing. these ill tortoises will often refuse food despite being given proper care and an environment .
the company is clearly sensitive about its bohemian reputation. in the tortoise brochure, a note to journalists says :
we are not interested in any more
hippie bus' articles... . if you are only out to write a condescending
tee - hee, look at the naked' 60s hippies' story, you will be disappointed .
lyle is the son of tortoise founder gardner kent, who in 1974, while living at a sonoma county commune called star mountain, carted his family - - and a dozen or so strangers - - across the country in a hippie - fied, converted 48 - seat school bus that the family had used to ramble through central america the previous two years .
do not be tempted to interfere with the hatching process, unless it is plainly obvious that a tortoise is in serious trouble. some tortoises escape from the egg within minutes of puncturing it, others can take a couple of days. tortoises from the same clutch don’t necessarily hatch together either, it has been known to take up to three weeks between the first and last hatchling to emerge safely .
after a full day in tuolumne meadows, we parked in groveland and wolfed down spicy stir - fry that tim seared in a wok the size of a space shuttle nose cone. there was a general attempt to remove (or cover) three showerless days' worth of grime and funk (the gods be praised for wet wipes) before indulging in a tortoise tradition: karaoke at the iron door saloon .
during reboarding, we discovered what tortoise drivers call
the miracle ,
the transformation of the interior from traveling mode to sleeping mode. benches became platforms, knapsacks were cleared from the overhead bunks and the two booths were mystically converted to upper and lower bunks. this would have been fine, except that most of the knapsacks, including mine, were stowed safely under the platform on which other passengers were already starting to sleep .
the veterinarian will first try to gently place the organ back inside. applying a hypertonic sugar solution (i. e. 50 - percent - dextrose solution) will draw fluid out of the swollen phallus through osmosis to shrink it. the organ is then lubricated (k / y jelly, a water - based lubricant is often used) and gently pushed back into the cloaca. a purse - string suture is then usually placed into the skin of the external cloacal opening to prevent it from coming out again while the tortoise recovers. the sutures are left in place for five to seven days. this usually works in cases that are seen early after prolapse. if the organ is too dry, or the attempt to replace is not successful, the phallus may need to be amputated under sedation / general anesthesia. the tortoise is fine; it just cannot reproduce .
like all tortoise travelers, prior to departure i received a catalog that details all the adventures the company offers. while flipping through the 40 - page catalog i was surprised by the breadth of trips — from three - day jaunts around california to month - long expeditions to alaska or guatemala. there are also cross - country trips following both northern and southern routes, beach adventures to baja, and a mardi gras gallivant to new orleans .
if you do happen to have a fussy layer, you could try another method which often seems to work when the more traditional greenhouse method does not. find a box that the tortoise fits quite snugly into and fill it with at least 12 inches of the same sand and soil mix. place the box in a completely dark room, and again hang a basking lamp above the soil to attain a steady 30°c, and then place her in it. do not have any other light source in the room other than the lamp hung directly above her and leave her quietly alone. incredibly, for whatever psychological reasons attached to this method, it hardly ever fails. however, be careful when using this method as the tortoise could overheat or dehydrate if left in the box for prolonged periods. if she hasn’t started laying within an hour or so, she’s not going to !
everyone helps cook or clean up for dinner on
our hungry tortoise ,
a stationary bus converted into a kitchen, with sinks, ovens, and cutting boards. a danish expatriate who takes care of the property helped us whip up baked fish, mashed potatoes, and garden salad for 50. due to light rain, we ate in a large cellophane igloo, which the bus crew dubbed
tps
for
thought provoking structure .
one single mating results in up to 30 eggs being fertilised, although these will not be laid together in one clutch. tortoise gestation is in fact quite remarkable with regards to the time scales involved, because the female can vary the length of the gestation period (from fertilisation to laying) depending on the environmental and nesting conditions. it is believed that tortoises can lay fertile eggs up to four years after mating, although fertility reduces significantly after each season .
for many, the trip' s highlight was a 3 - hour dinner stop at cow' s creek, a tortoise - owned piece of land in southern oregon that the company calls
our simulated state park .
in addition to a chicken coop, a pig pen, and a basketball court, the company built a sauna near a river bed where the bolder passengers strip down for a steaming, and later, a skinny - dip in the ice - cold water .
with representatives from most of the continents of this shrinking planet, practically each new story transported us to other parts of the world. as the night passed, we drank beer in german brew houses, were held up at gun point by georgian thugs in armenia, stood in the stands at a football match between australia and england, and traveled on the tortoise to alaska. although strangers just a few days prior, we were all friends now and acting a lot like family.
green tortoise adventure travel is an american long-distance tour bus company founded by gardner kent in mid-1973 and based in san francisco , california . it provides tours in north america , mostly within the united states . it operates a bus line , and hostels in seattle and san francisco . the company caters particularly to backpackers , both from the u.s. and abroad . 
green tortoise adventure travel is an american long-distance tour bus company founded by gardner kent in mid-1973 and based in san francisco, california. it provides tours in north america, mostly within the united states. it operates a bus line, and hostels in seattle and san francisco. the company caters particularly to backpackers, both from the u.s. and abroad.
green tortoise adventure travel is an american long-distance tour bus company founded by gardner kent in mid-1973 and based in san francisco, california. it provides tours in north america, mostly within the united states. it operates a bus line, and hostels in seattle and san francisco. the company caters particularly to backpackers, both from the u.s. and abroad.