"The Bible is a remarkable fountain: the more one draws and drinks of it, the more it stimulates thirst."
- Martin Luther
Wednesday, September 7, 2005
I need help, because I give up. I've been doing Internet searches for three hours straight trying to find particular pieces of information I didn't think would be so hard to find. I'm turning up nothing, so now I'm turning to you, dear readers, in the hopes one or more of you may be able to help me with a bit of research for my novel.
If you are more of a search engine wizard than I am or happen to be some sort of human trivia storehouse or just happen to know the answers to any of the questions below from personal experience or something you've read, etc., I'd be ever so grateful.
1. I'm trying to figure out how long a cruise between Cancun, Mexico (or any port on the east side of Mexico, really) and Caracas, Venezuela would take. This could be an actual passenger cruise ship or a cargo ship like, say, an oil tanker. If there's difference, it makes no difference to me; either one will do. I've even tried just finding the distance by sea and then finding out how fast a cruise ship travels in order to piece those two bits of info together. No dice on any of it.
2. I'm trying to figure out how long it would take to drive from Guadalajara, Mexico to Naco, Mexico (or any town on the Mexico-Arizona/West Texas border). How long would it take to fly that distance?
3. I have learned that in the winter, the Arizona desert can drop below freezing. How hot does it get during the day then?
I know these are shots in the dark, but any help would be appreciated. I'm not a stickler for perfect authenticity; like Stephen King has said, an author only needs a little bit of research to be dangerous. I basically want to approximate accuracy here. I don't care if it's exact, but I don't want someone reading the book who knows their stuff to suddenly say, "Hey, it doesn't take four days to drive that distance!" and slam the thing down in disgust.
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Comments on "Research Help":
2. Damon
- 09/08/2005 1:39 am CDT
A little Phoenix information:
http://phoenix.about.com/od/weather/a/averagetemps.htm
3. Thor
- 09/08/2005 1:41 am CDT
1. 20 knots for Carnival ships. There is no US/European-Venezuela or Cancun-Venezuela run to my knowledge. The only possible Venezuelean destination cruisewise ,ight be to Curacao (off the coast). Your best best is a cargo, tanker, or some private vessel.
2. Not sure exactly. But the roads are well developed from the border towns to GJ, so you can figure normal US highway speeds. Check Mexicana and AeroMexico flight tables for air travel.
3. No idea. All I know is that it's hot and humid here in H-Town :(
I can't wait to read this thing!
5. jen
- 09/08/2005 3:36 am CDT
I got nothing for you, except to let you know that an email will be headed your way with my review of Part 1. Generally, it's great and I have reached the point where I don't want to stop reading.
6. Jared
- 09/08/2005 3:42 am CDT
Thanks, Jen. Hopefully your review will help me figure out how to move the "don't want to stop reading" point to earlier in the novel than the end of Part 1. ;-)
Anybody else listening in, since Mysterium Tremendum is down, I am 100 pages into Part 4 and anticipate having a first draft of that part done by the end of the weekend.
---
Thor, yeah I figured out that cruises weren't going to Caracas anymore. Too volatile a place to visit. But I know they used to, and so I figured finding out how long a cruise between Caracas and Mexico took would be easier than finding out how long an oil tanker took to travel that route. My plot point will involve an oil tanker or other cargo ship.
Thanks for the Mexico travel stuff, too. I really needed that.
7. darrell vaughn
- 09/08/2005 4:10 am CDT
Cruise ships average about 22 MPH (20 knots) and its about 1800 miles from Cancun to Caracas.
8. Shrode
- 09/08/2005 4:41 am CDT
Hey Jared,
I'll bet just one call to a travel agent could get all three of those questions answered for you. (And it would take 5-10 minutes as opposed to 3 hours!)
9. jen
- 09/08/2005 4:51 am CDT
Well, in my defense, part of the problem is that I have had very little time to sit and read for a long enough period to get involved in the story. Crystal bouquet making is my top priority when I'm on the sofa these days. However, I've actually started getting up a few minutes earlier than normal to add about 15 minutes of reading time to my day.
10. Jared
- 09/08/2005 5:11 am CDT
Darrell, you rock!
---
Shrode, you're probably right, but I didn't know who to call at 9pm last night, and I'm a bit of a phone wimp anyway. I HATE talking to strangers on the phone. Always have.
11. Damon
- 09/08/2005 5:50 am CDT
Jared, how does one go about getting into your "guinea pig" line?
12. Jared
- 09/08/2005 5:57 am CDT
I posted a call for those interested in reviewing the book for me a few weeks ago. I'm sorry that I'm not sending the ms. out to anybody else right now, and even then I didn't sent it to everyone who asked. My deadline is next weekend, so I'm entering the final stages of composition/revision right now anyway.
I do appreciate your interest and your help here, though!
13. Damon
- 09/08/2005 6:07 am CDT
Comes from arriving late to the party. ;-) But FTR, I'm happy to have found this particular spot.
15. Alan
- 09/08/2005 9:59 am CDT
Jared:
The desert in Arizona can occasionally drop below freezing in the winter. I lived there for a few years, and the basic pattern is this. There is almost no cloudcover, so the heat during the day dissipates rapidly in the evening. During the winter, it would commonly be in the 40's in the morning (with occasional cold snaps down a little below freezing) but would usually warm up to 60-70 degrees by the afternoon.
16. Shrode
- 10/16/2007 8:23 am CDT
Hey Jared!
Did you ever get the answers to these questions? Do you want me to call a travel agent for you?
Oh, and by the way, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one that hates to call people on the phone. I hate it, hate it, hate it too. But for you...I'd do it. :)
Here is a link to explain how fast cruise ships go
http://www.cruiselineforums.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-2867.html