A-Train Adventures

Crash Test Dummies - Part 2

2010-05-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

Adam has posted part II of his account of our trials in Laos. The hospital was a real dive, not the facility we had hoped for in the least, although it far surpassed the first and Dr. Xax was there to save the day. Read on...

http://apharrison.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/the-crash-part-2/

Further update: We're all good. We parted ways with Adham in Pakse, Laos and aside from being sore after the sleeper bus from Vientiane, which was clearly built with the common Laotian sized person in mind (imagine 2 grown men in a bed smaller than a standard twin that jostled through the night), he seemed well on his way to a complete recovery. I'm still travelling with Adam and he's sorting out some wound infections here in Siem Reap, but nothing critical.

Crash Test Dummies!

2010-05-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Life happens. Some things hit you and you never even see them coming, but with a little luck you pick yourself up and move on. For seven of us travelling together to Nong Khiaw, Laos this is exactly what happened. We were on an exciting journey off the beaten path taking in the farmlands, the wind cooling our sun kissed faces, and the next second we found ourselves in a heap on the side of the road.

Adam has taken the time to put together a very well written account of the events as they unfolded so for anyone wanting the scoop, here it is. Part 2 coming soon... Thanks Adam!

http://apharrison.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/the-crash-part-1/

Oh, and FYI, I am perfectly fine and everyone is on the mend.

The Walking Wounded!

L to R: Adham - sprained shoulder, various contusions, stitched head wound, Hanna - various contusions, stitched head, leg and arm wounds, Joanne - broken collarbone, various contusions, stitched head wound, Adam - various contusions, stitched head and back wounds.

Photo by Me - sore ribs and a bruise on my elbow, lucky me!

Bangkok and Chiang Mai

2010-05-17T01:45:00.000-07:00

After island hopping a bit in Thailand it was time to race north for the border before over staying my 15 day VISA. An overnight bus from Chumphon dropped us who knows where on the side of the road in Bangkok at 4:30am where the pink taxi's notorious for overcharging and not using meters were waiting like vultures. Not knowing where we were and seeing no other options most of us were stuck paying the excessive fees to get where we needed to go. I headed for the train station, got myself a ticket on the next available train to Chiang Mai, and decided to explore a little of Bangkok.

The train station in Bangkok

I landed there on May day so it was pretty quiet as most shops were closed for the holiday. The flower shops and various markets were poking along though and it was pleasant to just walk through and observe with out anyone trying to sell me a ride, tour, or massage. I passed by numerous temples and parks and eventually made my way (not intentionally) to where all the Red-Shirt activity is going on. It was quiet, not much happening, and aside from the obvious military presence and barb-wire topped barricades you wouldn't have known anything was brewing.

A flower display in a roadside market in Bangkok

A barbwire barricade in Bangkok

The train ride to Chiang Mai was an overnighter through some beautiful countryside. Nothing like hot, sweaty travel to the rhythm of the rails!

Chiang Mai was a great town. I really liked its vibe. Lot's going on, but of a manageable size (some good used bookstores too!). Wanting to get in as much as possible with my 1 full day there I packed it in with a day tour. Got to see orchid and butterfly farms, several hill-tribe village folk, ride elephants through the jungle, cross a river in a suspended cage, river raft, ride a slow bamboo raft (or bamboo submarine as our guide put it).

One of many temple entrances in Chiang Mai

An orchid at the orchid farm

A karen longneck tribe woman weaving a scarf while her little one snarfs a banana

My elephant asking for more bananas, she wasn't always so polite with that snout.

The caged river crossing, weirdness.

This is how you hold an oar right. Suited up for the trip down the river.

Our bamboo raft captain, he was all grins and really sweet. Loved his hat.

The next day was my run for the border and I along with a french couple managed to make it out of Thailand, across the Mekong, and into Laos with 5 minutes to spare. Yippee!

Cruising across the Mekong with Thailand in the background

Under the Sea!

2010-04-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

Scuba April

So for those that don't know, I'm a self admitted water weenie. Sure I can throw down a cannonball or flip into a pool or lake every now and again with the best of them, but large open bodies of water, especially being under them, scares the snot out of me. I figured it was high time to confront this and in the best way possible, scuba diving in Koh Tao, Thailand. They say that the Ocean is most vast and undiscovered frontier left on the planet and the abundance of wildlife seen underwater in 10 minutes far exceeds what could be seen in 10 days in the forest (or something like that).

I signed up for a PADI Open Water course with New Way Diving in Sairee on Koh Tao. The bookwork was easy enough, the pool scary but confined, and the open water terrifying. After having a freak out and coming up just after going under in my first open water dive, I resolved to steel myself against my fears and try to get all zen like with my breathing. All with the help of my instructor Stefan, his heavily German accented instructions, and my dive buddy/assistant Anna. By dive number 3 I was nice and calm, by the time dive 8 rolled around I was doing the James Bond water entry and quick with the BCD trigger to get down and check out the dive site.

The sun rising on my last diving trip in Koh Tao

The views were amazing! Schools of yellowtail barracuda, christmas tree worms, giant anemones and their resident fish, butterfly fish, banner fish, baby harelquin lipped fish, giant groupers, morays, needle fish, angel fish, gobi's and their shrimp, corals, and the list goes on and on... While I didn't take any pictures under the sea you can check out the gallery at Ace Marine Images (http://www.acemarineimages.com/index.php/component/option,com_phocagallery/Itemid,4/id,2/view,category/) All the shots in the marine life gallery are from Koh Tao dive sites.

Above sea, Koh Tao was beautiful. Almost miserably hot sometimes, but nothing a little swim and a cold beer or water couldn't cure. The dogs on the island were hilarious. They'd follow folks around, lay next to you at the beach, and even walk right into the ocean and sit in the water with the rest of the beach goers. The Thai food was amazing and I ended up eating from the same spot almost every night. A walk out from the Sairee village took you to bungalows nestled in the palms, roadside clothes racks (Thai dryers), mopeds darting from place to place, and locals resting in cool spots along the shade.

The Thai dryer

Thanks to New Way Diving for a great first diving experience. If you're headed to Thailand and interested in diving I highly recommend them. http://www.newwaydiving.com/

Ton Sai, Bonzai!

2010-04-27T04:36:00.000-07:00

My first stop in Thailand was a great one!

After taking the night train from Kuala Lumpur, a 5 hour bus ride, a 30 minute long-tail boat ride, and a 30 minute hike/scramble I arrived in beautiful Ton Sai. Sunset would be arriving soon, there were climbers on the beachside rocks and bathers on the beach. Only took one stop to find a good budget bungalow that seemed luxurious relative to some of my recent accomodations.

My first peek at Ton Sai, climbers, beaches, perfect!

The next day I headed out on a deep water solo climbing trip. They basically boat you out to limestone pillars in the Andaman Sea that are good for climbing and have adequate water depth for when you either jump or fall off the rock. You get old and hole ridden climbing shoes and they dump some chalk in a hole near the start, but it comes off quick. It was a blast to be climbing in such a beautiful area and I met the folks I'd pal around the place with for the rest of my time in Ton Sai.

Our first climbing site, 2 ladders out of the water and lots of rock to play on

Me perched beneath the roof

Since I literally tore the skin off my hands deep water soloing, climbing was out of the question for the rest of my time so I took the opportunity to explore the area. Their hikes reflect the climbing vibe of the area though cause not a one of them didn't involve a hand line and steep scrambling. (The locals here climb like monkeys, it's impressive!) Great views, hot and humid weather, what more could you ask for. Afterwards it was time for the beach at Phra Nang, the best beach in the area and home to the phallic Princess Cave. Apparently a mystical sea princess died in the waters just offshore and fisherman go the cave and make offerings that they believe will make them successful in their fishing and safe at sea. The offerings are more representative of fertility though so I'm not sure what to think about this one.

Phallic offerings at Princess Cave on Phra Nang Beach

Met my pals from the DWS trip and we made a trek through a system of caves (in the dark with bamboo ladders and hand lines) to the other side of a huge limestone pillar which looked down on Railey West beach. It was a great little afternoon adventure! The way back we all got caught, clad in our swimsuits, in a downpour so we had to seek refuge at a convenience store and have a Chang to appease the rain gods. It must of worked since we walked the rest of the way back in dry skies.

The view from the cave hike down to Railey West

Night life on Ton Sai was great, not too crazy, but a good selection of things to do. Be it Ping Pong, Pool, taking in a fire show, slacklining, or the occasional live music night (which was amazing!). I was sad to leave, but excited to move to my next local on the East side of Thailand...Koh Tao, to try my hand at Open Water Scuba Diving.

My last images of Ton Sai before hopping a long-tail out

Thievery!

2010-04-22T20:32:00.001-07:00

So I was within 3 hours of leaving Kaula Lumpur on a night train bound for Thailand. Just as a precaution I figured I should go to the internet cafe and print out the paperwork they say you need for a Thai tourist VISA, although they rarely request it. I had my back pack locked up at the train station and my day pack with me for the mission with all my special stuff.

I was just about done. I was cautious with my things taking them with me to the toilet and to retrieve copies. Someone bumps the back of my chair, I turn one way, the guy next to me hastily gets up and I turn to see his head dropping down the staircase. I look down for my day pack that I had at my feet and it was gone.

So there I was, no identification, not a ringit left in my pocket, and stuck now in Kuala Lumpur. While it's a bummer to have lost my camera and a ton of photos, my journal, sunglasses, daypack, and various little things that were precious to me and are probably now lying in a dumpster back in Kuala Lumpur, I was moved by the swift and generous action of people to help get me back on track.

The internet cafe let me use the computer for free to start sorting things out. Jan back home took my call at 4 in the morning and got on the ball to wire some funds. An aussie next me gave me 30 ringgit. The officer on duty at the US Embassy gave me some good advice and his cell number in case I needed anything else. An interesting and generous Malaysian man at the train station helped me sort out a trip to the police station to get a police report and get my bag out of storage without paying a 50 ringgit lost key fee (which I didn't have).

Come morning the ACS officer at the embassy was a wealth of knowledge and helped me out with a typed letter from the embassy so that I could receive the funds Jan sent with just my passport copy. One of the Officers that took my call the night before had me shuffled to his que so he could see how it was all going and gave his contact info should I need anything else before leaving. By just after noon, I was off to the Malaysian immigration office with a temporary 8 month passport in hand. The taxi driver on the way there gave all his tips for not getting ripped off by taxi drivers. The immigration office had closed the line for VISA application, but they let me in the que anyways. And by 4pm that day I was back at the train station with another ticket for the night train to Thailand.

While it took 1 or 2 bad apples to take a bag, it was swiftly countered by the generosity and assistance of many many GOOD people. THANK YOU to all who helped me get up and running again so quickly!

Malaysia

2010-04-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

Note: Pictures are borrowed from various places on the internet. I'll explain later.

I was so confused for a bit about what was Malaysian. In my first 4 hours in Malaysia I'd wandered through Chinatown and Little India and had no idea what a Malaysian looked like, what exactly Malaysian food was, etc. I guess this is part of the beauty of Malaysia. Many cultures and ethnicities living together harmoniously (at least now, history has record of the unfriendly times).

There were mosques and temples abound of Islamic, Hindu, and Muslim faiths. My favorite the Batu Caves. A bit of a jaunt outside of Kuala Lumpur, but worth it. It's teeming with little macaque monkeys that I thought were so cute at first. On the way up the stairs though I watched the little buggers steal a lunch bag out the hands of a girl I met on the bus. They're aggressive and sneaky little buggers. After making your way up the steps you arrive in a cavernous limestone cave with light pouring in from the opening on the other end. Lots of shrines adorn the cave and there are two areas for prayer and offerings.

The Hindu shrine at the entrance to the Batu Caves

Inside the Batu Cave

While in Malaysia I also spent some time in the Cameron Highlands which were a bit more temperate than the sweaty heat of Kuala Lumpur and its surrounds. Did a good jungle tour, visited a tea plantation, strawberry fields, waterfalls, and an Orang Asli (aboriginals of Malaysia) home where the use of a blowdart was demonstrated and a bit of dancing and drumming was done. The main Orang Asli looked a bit like a washed up Mowgli as he pet his monkey (tied to a post with rags) with a cigarette dangling out of his mouth.

The Tea Plantation was cool. As you travel through the highlands you see fields and fields of tea so it was neat to learn a bit about it. Every 3 weeks they trim the plants. By hand on steep slopes and with a machine on gentler slopes. They then allow the tea to wilt a little to remove excess moisture. To promote oxidization they then bruise the tea using these rollers that press the leaves. Next up is more oxidization in a climate controlled area. The amount of oxidization allowed affects the flavor and quality of the tea. To stop the oxidization at the desired time they put the tea through a firing. After all this is done they shape the tea, dry it, sift it, and then it's ready for packaging...or steeping.

Tea fields in the Cameron Highlands

Mel-bin and around

2010-04-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

Note: Pictures are borrowed from various places from the internet, I'll explain later

I quickly learned that Melbourne is not pronounced Melbourne, but rather as Melbin. Oddly enough though the Bourne series of movies is not pronounced as the Bin series. However you want to pronounce it though I had a great time in a fun city and it's surrounds.

Fitzroy was probably my favorite spot in the city. It was artsy, hip, and fun. Folks were riding bikes everywhere with fun baskets attached, lots of good cheap eats, a pretty hopping night scene, and good people.

The Rubik's Cube building at the Melbourne Museum - across from my hostel

I was lucky enough to meet some kind souls local to the area and got to spend some time hanging in the suburbs of Melbourne having a good time. Not spots you'd find on a tourist map, but my time there was most memorable (Thanks Jen and Kath!).

I got in a cruise of the Great Ocean road to see sights such as the London Bridge (the section closest to the shoreline broke off several years ago so it's more like the London Arch now), the Twelve Apostles (of which only 8 remain standing), the Blowhole, Thunder Cave, and numerous other picturesque sites along the way. It was a beautiful drive. (Thanks Jen!)

The Twelve Apostles along the Great Ocean Road

Wee Jasper

2010-04-12T07:34:00.001-07:00

Janet and Bess at the Stables

For Easter weekend I headed out to Wee Jasper to spend some time with Janet (Bryn's Mum) and her partner Neil. Janet owns the only business in town, The Stables tavern, and Neil lives and works on his own sheep farm. There was no shortage of things to keep you busy and I got to learn a bit about taverns and sheep.

After a morning cup of coffee a bit of time would be spent moving sheep from one paddock to another. The young ones were due for drenching (de-worming) so the dogs (Arny and Maggie) would step into action at Neils command and round them up while he helped out the ones that couldn't help themselves. They aren't the brightest of animals. I even got to help pull some heads out of fences. A field full of grass and they need to try and eat what's on the other side of the fence...? Maybe they think the grass is always greener on the other side too?

Late morning to night was spent in the holiday rush at The Stables. The beer was always flowing, bags of ice were flying out the door, and we couldn't cook the pub food fast enough. I got handy with the fryer, learned to make a good quick steak sandwich or lamb burger, and washed my weight and then some in dishes. Definitely the most productive few days I've had in several months.

Janet does a great job of keeping it all running smooth and Neil helps out with anything and everything. They're a good little team and have great set-up out there in Wee Jasper. It was beautiful country and I'm glad I made it out for a visit.

Thanks Janet and Neil!

Sheep country (although they were all in the paddocks obviously not shown in this picture)

The Rest of the West

2010-04-11T02:06:00.000-07:00

of Tas that is.

My tour of Tas - complete!

Last time I blogged I was off to the Hastings Caves which did not disappoint. Stalactites and stalagmites galore and even a few glow worms. There were tons of other intricate cave formations within it. It is one of the few dolomite caves, most in the region are limestone, and it was discovered by timber workers in 1917. After a quick dip in the thermal pools I headed north to line myself up for Mt Field. Got an early rise and decided to head out on the tarn circuit hike. It was beautiful! Chock full of pandani's, alpine likes, and alpine tarns. All the grey-white eucalyptus snags reminded me of Torres del Paine and the pandani groves look like a page out of a Dr. Seuss book, just green instead of pink or blue.

Stalactites in the Newdgate Cave

Twilight Tarn in Mt. Field National Park

I attempted to line myself up for another day of hiking on the other side of the Overland track trail, but it was pricey to camp and you had to ferry out to the good spots so I opted to roll along. I stayed at Burbury lake and met 2 older couples travelling that wanted to feed me and make sure I was warm for the night. They were really sweet. Morning saw me cruising early through the barren hills of Queenstown. A stellar example of what strip mining can do to a place, but it's been gussied up a bit and seemed like a pleasant enough town. Next was beautiful Strahan were I considered a cruise up the Gordon River and passed it up to keep moving along and do some more hiking. The next stop was just outside of Zeehan for a hike along an old mining tramway to Montezuma Falls. The falls were tall and best viewed from a huge suspension bridge across the ravine.

Montezuma Falls

I spent the rest of my time in the Northwest region which is full of picturesque farmlands, shorelines, and forests. The evening of the drive out I got treated to an amazing sunset full of colors. There were lots of little stops along the way here. The lighthouse at Table Cape, Rocky Point National Park, and a hike to the top of the Stanley Nut. I really wanted to slide into the Tarkine Wilderness Dismal Swamp (a 360ft slide into the forest), but rain that day kept the slide closed so I pushed on into more beautiful farm lands to the rugged west coast and walked the beach at Green Point as surfers braved the cold waters.

The lighthouse on Table Cape

The Stanley Nut

Time flew by and before I knew it I was Launceston bound once again to drop off my little rental car, have a shower, and wash up some clothes so I didn't commit any aromatic offenses on the flight back to the mainland.

Green Point

Trading Pedals

2010-03-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry to report that I whimped out. I broke up with my (rented) bike yesterday, traded it in for petrol powered pedals, and have to admit that I'm not that torn up about it. I'd heard horror stories of the climbing on the west side of Tas and with a weather report calling for showers all week I opted not to lug that blessed bike through the rain for the next few days. That said I did get in a great ride of the East Coast and back inland to Launceston.

Speaking of, when I got into Launceston I lucked out and met yet another good natured Dutchmen looking for someone to head to Cradle Mtn. While the weather wasn't the greatest we got in a great hike around Dove Lake and a few other side tracks. With all the rain the rivers and falls were all swelled with water and quite dramatic. I also got in the hiking tracks at Cataract Gorge in Launceston. A beautiful natural feature tucked in right next to the city.

Dove Lake boathouse

Found a cheap cheap car for the week (thanks to a tip from Niek, the Dutchmen) and am out and about cruising the forests and coasts of the west. Covered Mt Wellington outside of Hobart yesterday and this morning found me soaking up the sweet smells of the eucalyptus canopy after last nights rain. It was quite relaxing to cruise through the beautiful forest roads listening to symphonies on the one radio station that still came in. Had a great morning walk through several tracks in the mixed forest, including the Tahune Airforest walk through the canopy. Off to the Hastings caves now...

View down to the joining of the Picton and Huon rivers from the Tahune canopy airwalk

Eaglehawk Neck to the Bay of Fires

2010-03-14T18:32:00.001-07:00

Been rolling north in my exploration of Tas and taking in all sorts of sights.

My last day in Eaglehawk Neck was spent on a cruise to Tasman Island and Cape Pillar. The dolomite cliffs and cave were stunning. Even more so though was the abundant wildlife along the way: dolphins, sea lions, fish, albatross, and various other birds. You could see large tuna breaching the water as they were feeding, dolphins and sea lions chasing schools of fish through the turquoise waters, birds diving for fish, etc...

The next day it rained, it poured, and the old sheep snored. I struck out for Orford and Triabunna in spite of the conditions. A good chunk of the riding was on dirt roads, one of which was closed for a wash out, so there was very little traffic. The Weilengata Forest and Rainforest Walk along the way were beautiful and the mist and rain just added to it. Somewhere along the road between there and Orford I picked up my first leech (sneaky little blood suckers!). The weather finally broke, but not before I made my way into Triabunna for the night so while the ride was wet, I at least had a bout of sun to dry my things.

From Triabunna I was off to Maria Island (pronounced ma-rye-ah) for a night. After a brief ferry ride I rode down to the painted cliffs which are beautiful limestone and sandstone cliffs that have been eroded into all sorts of neat patterns of color. Then it was down the dirt path to Encampment Cove. When I arrive there wasn't a soul in sight, but I had come across someone headed my direction. Lucky for me, he's a very sweet English chap (Chris) and we had an entertaining evening taking in all the wildlife. The place was teeming with wallabies, possums, cookaburras, a few wombats, and I even spotted a tiger snake on the way in.

Painted Cliffs on Maria Island

Next morning I rode the 11k back to the Ferry landing with time to spare so I hit up Fossil Cliffs that hold all sorts of fossilized shells and signs of former sea life. I was on the ferry with an older couple (Anne and Peter) from Launceston that were out as volunteers to keep the island buildings in order. They were very kind and gracious enough to give me a ride up to my next campspot at Mayfield Bay Conservation Area.

From Mayfield I headed north with my sights set on the Freycinet Peninsula. I took a detour to a beautiful berry farm overlooking the sea for a fresh scone and ran into Chris again. I learned that the ferry I was supposed to catch to the peninsula was no longer in operation so Chris gave me a ride around to the peninsula. I stayed 2 days in Freycinet and got to soak up the scenery and beaches with a hike of the full Freycinet peninsula circuit and Hazards beach circuit.

After leaving Freycinet I stuck out for the Douglas Apsley water hole which provided a good days ride along, the coast, a scenic hike to the Douglas Apsley Gorge and a cool dip at the end of it all.

Now I'm in the Bay of Fires Conservation area and trying to decide where to go next, but for now I'm gonna rest for a day or so!

Eaglehawk Neck

2010-03-05T16:29:00.000-08:00

Pedaled to Richmond for Day 1 and landed in Eaglehawk Neck for Day 2. It's pretty much the last town (if you can call it that) before Port Arthur and is known for the dogline. The neck is a narrow land passage connecting Port Arthur to the rest of Tassie. Since Port Arthur was a prison ground they protected the neck with lines of rabid dogs to prevent escapees from making it to the mainland.

The riding so far has been good. My rented steed is definitely below par in performance and requires a maximum amount of effort for a minimum amount of speed, especially uphill. I've been entertained by the wildlife crossing signs and variety of roadkill. This is a carrion eaters dream, an all you can eat buffet of rabbits, foxes, kangaroos, bandicoots, possums, birds, lizards, wombats, and tasmanian devils. Nothing quite like the smell of week old death on a hot day. Guts splayed and eyes no where to be seen.

The countryside here is beautiful and I have to laugh a little about their references to busy roads. Relative to stateside cycling tours this is some of the lightest traffic I've ever seen. Spent some time yesterday checking out some of the geological wonders of the area: the Tasman Arch, Devil's Kitchen, the Blowhole, and Dootown (a collection of homes that are all named something or another with 'doo' in it). Staying at a cute little backpacker/cyclist place with the resident sheep, aptly named 'come here', as my neighbor. It's complete with a recycled rainwater water system and composting toilet that believe it or not does not smell.

The stay so far has been nice, but it down poured all night and morning. Got everything hanging up in the kitchen area to dry while I'm out for the day. I'm chilling at a local hotel overlooking Pirates Bay using their computer for a minute before heading out to see the Tessellated Pavement and Dogline. Was hoping to do a boat tour of Cape Pillar and Tasman Island, but it's not running today so I'll hit it up tomorrow then head out of town the following day. Believe it or not, I'm not heading to Port Arthur. I did a penitentiary church and prison tour in Hobart and that was enough of prison cells and gallows for me. Prisons - No thanks!

Going Tassie!

2010-03-03T16:23:00.000-08:00

Landed in Hobart (Tasmania) Tuesday morning and got everything lined up to launch my next adventure - cycling Tasmania! Got my bike packed up and I'm heading out of Hobart momentarily. It's no 'little blue', but it'll get the job done and the rental came complete with panniers, lock, lights, and helmet so I can carry my stuff and stay safe.

I'll update along the road as I come across internet. Should take anywhere from 3-5 weeks depending on how many sidetrips I take.

For a peek at some maps and routes I'm taking check out:
www.discovertasmania.com/__data/assets/.../CycleTouringMap.pdf

I'm out!

Lucky

2010-02-28T17:59:00.001-08:00

The Luckster and his buddy Wilson (shot taken by my sis, Stacey Gooch)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29536760@N07/4382370793/

My sister Stacey and her family are taking care of my dog Lucky while I'm away. From the looks of it they are doing an amazing job. The other day she captured some good playful moments between him and his new pal Spike, see link below. In spite of how it may look, they are just playing. Thanks Stacey for the great pics and taking such good care of the Luckster! He's a happy and very lucky dog!

Spike and Lucky

The full action sequence is at the link below

http://chronicles-of-organized-chaos.blogspot.com/2010/02/wild-kingdom.html

Blue and Green

2010-02-25T18:43:00.000-08:00

The Blue Mountains of Australia and the Green of Fiji.

I landed in Australia after 4 days of planes, trains, and automobiles (literally) and have had a great time mountain biking with kangaroos, hiking the many scenic trails around Wentworth Falls, taking in the good cafes in the area, resting, and catching up with some great pals. My pals Jill and Bryn are professional mountain bike racers that spend the US winter months living and training in Australia. These guys have it dialed and are very professional with their training regiment. I've been lucky enough to cruise along for a few XC rides, play driver for some DH runs, and get an inside look at the daily life of professional athletes. Jill is crossing over from four-cross to downhill racing on the North American circuit this year and Bryn will be tearing up the World Cup circuit. I'll definitely be cheering them on from wherever I might be (www.jillkintner.com).

Bryn prepping for some DH runs

The undercliff trail in the Blue Mountains

View from atop of Ruined Castle

Since Jill is a US citizen (Bryn is an Aussie) she only gets a maximum stay of 3 months at a time so we hit up Fiji for a few days to get her out of the country and get her a new stay. A bit resort-y for my taste, but a good time all the same. Nothing like floating in the ocean and taking in some sun. We rented a car for a day to see a bit of the countryside. All sorts of horses meandering about, cute little villages, beach and forest hikes, and some awesome roadside barbecue.

Jill and I goofing around in Fiji

The tree of lost soles

Playing ball on the beach (with a coconut and driftwood)

A horse with no name

A Fijian firewalking ceremony

Sunset in Fiji

Now I'm back in the Blue Mountains and gearing up to leave Tuesday for Tasmania!

The Avenue of the Volcanoes

2010-02-25T17:48:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not that's me standing there motivating a fellow classmate with the sun coming up behind us and Cotopaxi in the background.

As I mentioned at the tail end of my last post I was heading into Ecuador's Avenue of the Volcanoes for some more play time. This time there was more than just play. I had signed up for IWLS 24 day mountaineering course (originally for Patagonia, but it was cancelled) and was ready to hone my skills and learn some new ones on the great conical mountains of the Ecuadorian Andes. The hit list was impressive - Guagua Pichincha, Illiniza Norte, Cayambe, Cotopaxi, and Chimborazo - but the weather kept us away from the summits and our rummy skills sharp. In the end I got to hike Rucu Pichincha, summit Illiniza Norte, nearly summit Cayambe, and summit Illiniza Sur (almost forgot, jumped off a bridge in Banos too).

Me iced up on Cayambe

Due to glacial recession Cayambe has an impressive set of bergschrund crevasses at it's top that requires a fair bit of ice climbing. We got through part of it, but I called it quits just about 10 minutes shy of the top to ensure a safe descent. Illiniza Sur wasn't on the original list and is an impressive peak to top out on. There was no snow making it an ice climb to the top. Lots of steep ice travel and ice climbing with impressive crevasse formations along the way.

Jared, Micah, and I on the summit of Illiniza Sur

Now, after busing from Quito to Ushuaia and back up over 6 months and exploring a small chunk of the natural beauty that South America has to offer, I'm off to my next destination - Australia. Trading llamas and condors for koalas and kangaroos.

Goodbye quilted hills, golden paramo, majestic mountains, and kind people. Until we meet again...

Sun coming up over Cotopaxi, view from Illiniza Norte

Patagonian Playground

2010-01-16T12:06:00.000-08:00

I spent much of December and a good chunk of the New Year thus far just barely scratching the surface of a playground I've wanted to visit for a very long time. The beauty, vastness, and lure of Patagonia is everything it promised to be and more. Wondering why you didn't hear from me for a while...well to put it simply, I was in heaven.

I had originally planned to spend my time in Patagonia in a 24 day mountaineering course. The course was cancelled and as a Plan B, I signed for Erratic Rocks Patagonian Adventure which included a visit to a penguin colony, Torres del Paine, and Cabo Froward. After a short stop in Ushuaia (pegged as El Fin del Mundo) I headed north to El Bolson where I met up with my friend Kat who was having an amazing time on a WWOOF'er farm. From there it was a short jaunt north again to meet a climbing pal and good friend from home, Charles, for a little more time in the mountains.

Below is a brief recap of all the great recesses I got enjoy in the Patagonian Playground.

First recess: Torres Del Paine - The 'Q' Circuit. (9 days)

This was the longest of my trips in Patagonia. From the bus ride in to the bus ride out I was blown away by the spectacular views, diversity of the park, and general majestic quality of the terrain I was in. Due to trip timing Erratic sent me out solo with my guide Sebastian, who I fondly refer to as Super Seb. He's got a great story and we became fast friends over the course of the trip. He's originally from Germany and after his mandatory 10 months in the military he went to Chile to cycle down to the end of South America (he even built a raft with some fellow travellers and floated a portion of his journey). He was soon penniless and ended up going from farm to farm working before arriving in Punta Arenas. Shortly after arriving he met his partner and mother of his children. That was 10 years ago and he's been here ever since guiding and running a hostal with his partner (Mom and Dad, don't worry I will be coming home).

I took a ton of pictures, but I have admit the best are filed upstairs on my internal memory card. The windswept pampas with golden grasses swaying in the breeze, the spectacular mountain views in every direction you look, the Patagonian winds forming trees and dancing off the water, lakes and rivers in every conceivable hue of blue, the rufous collared sparrows providing a musical accompaniment to snack breaks, southern lapwings announcing their territory as we hike by, the black faced ibis quietly probing away for food with their long black beaks, condors soaring, the vicunas keeping their distance with ears upright and alert, deep skies painted with layers of clouds in all shapes and sizes that shift by the second, dramatic lenga forests, stands of snags weathered grey and hinting of the flora of days past, glaciers that creep and groan on endlessly into mountains and valleys... By the end of my time here: Feet - achy and blistered, Legs - fatigued, Body - slightly weary, Spirit - overflowing!

Second recess: Cabo Froward (5 days)

Cabo Froward is the southernmost point of the South American continental landmass and the route there is over headlands and through forests, but primarily along the rocky coastline and beaches of the Strait of Magellan. This was an adventure complete with black and white Commerson's Dolphins feeding offshore, fields of peat moss, jellyfish, red foxes, tide timing, multiple river crossings (some in our birthday suits), and one head injury. We had an international group headed up by our guide Rustyn (founder of Erratic Rock Patagonia, from Salem, OR). Rounding out the group was Bart from Holland, Pawel from Poland, and myself. We all had some good laughs and great times.

Day 3 was our big day with the 2 largest river crossings (for a total of 4 crossings with the trip back) and a good 12 hours of fast moving that would take us to the point and back. Since we were going out and back we didn't have to take full packs, but we did have to strip down to cross the icy rivers and carry our clothes and shoes overhead. Our head injury occured on day 3 too when Bart ran into a low hanging branch and put a sizable gash in his head. A little gauze and tape though and we were back on our way. The last section before the point was a steep hike where we were awarded at the top with 360 views and the giant metal cross that was erected in honor of Pope John Paul II visiting in 1987 to bless the site of so many shipwrecks and lost lives. A cross was originally built in there in 1913 and then several times after that, but the harsh Patagonian winds had blown down all previous structures. The site is impressive and to be looking out across the Strait of Magellan was surreal. We quickly snapped some photos, whipped up some lunch, and decided to head back as the winds had moved in and we had a lot of ground to cover to hit low tide at the river crossings. In all this was a great and scenic trek to a place visited very little!

Third recess: Glacier Martial (day trip)

Bart, Pawel, and I all ended up travelling together to the end of the world - Ushuaia. On Christmas Eve things aren't open long and I'd be leaving Christmas morning for El Bolson so I wanted to see a bit more of Ushuaia than just the Beagle Channel. Bart and I struck out from our hostal and decided to head up to Glacier Martial.
After an offroute turn we ended up at an RV/Campground full of off road RV's, many of which had travelled from Alaska down to Ushuaia. We got straightened out in our direction and hiked up a broken lift line before tucking into the woods on ski trails. The trail had multiple ski signs, with the skier indicating the terrain by their position, but I was curious to know how one would actually see them while skiing since they were all lying on the ground and would be snow covered before the trails would be skiable. We came across the road up and lost the trail so we hoofed it on the pavement up to the lift. After a long lift ride we arrived to strong winds that would accompany us the rest of our way. We’d hunker when it blew hard as to not fall over and to keep snow and sand from being blown into our eyes. Soon enough we got as far as we could without snow gear and took in the views of the glacier hanging in the clouds and wide open views of Ushuaia, the Beagle Channel, and beyond.

Fourth recess: Cajon del Azul (1 day)

I arrived on a weekend in El Bolson so Kat had time off from her farm duties to get in a hike. Cajon del Azul was the perfect destination. A sizeable day hike and we could hike there and back from the farm. The blues were vibrant and multiple rivers were passed and crossed along the way. I got a kick out of the 1 person at a time suspension bridges that swayed with each step. In the valleys the trails were lined with beautiful wildflowers. As we climbed through the forest we were treated to views of the lush estancias below. The waters ran faster and more blue the higher we got. Finally we arrived at the Refugio Cajon del Azul where we were treated to hot tea in the cutest little refugio by the little old man than oversaw it. It was an idyllic setting to have lunch and warm up before the hike back. I was especially fond of the car stereo (tape deck) mounted below shelves of old tapes and powered by a battery sitting on the floor. It looked exactly like something my Dad would set-up.

Lunch ended all to early as did our time at the Refugio. The walk back was restful and peaceful. Thank you Kat for the great hike, conversations, and company!

Fifth recess: Lago Puelo (day trip)

Kat had recommended I check out Lago Puelo with my time in El Bolson and I was glad she did. A short bus ride takes you out the lake where a network of trails awaited. There was a bit of flooding at the time which made some inaccessible, but I got my fill in. After a loop through the botanical gardens to see a variety of trees I made my way up to a Mirador. En route I got to go through a variety of terrain, some with a ‘Watcher in the Woods’ quality (Stacey, Mindy – you know what I’m talking about), others lined with wildflowers. The hike to the Mirador was brief, but rewarding and gave a better perspective on the size and beauty of Lago Puelo.

Sixth recess: The Frey area (5 days)

After leaving El Bolson I met up with Charles in Bariloche. After ringing in the New Year with a nominal amount of debauchery some climbing in the Frey was next on our list. Route info and gear needs were hard to come by in the states so we climbed with our guide Walter for the first 2 days of the trip. Walter was amazing and made everything look so easy! A true spiderman on the spires and peaks of the Frey area.

We had amazing weather both days. After our hike into the Frey Refugio and camp area, we headed up to spires that Walter referred to as the Frey TV. The spires lie in perfect view of the refugio and visitors can watch climbers ascend like ants up the rock. It was good to get back on the rock and after 2 good multi-pitch climbs to get us warmed up for Cerro Principal the next day, we were all smiles and ready to rest up for the next day.

Cerro Principal was about a 2 hour hike down the valley from camp, but it went by fast. Soon enough we were on the rock and treated to great views of Mt. Tronador which was next on our list as well as our route for the next day’s hike. Four great pitches, the last of which was a challenge with high exposure and not much to hold, past old school anchors of pitons and wood and we found ourselves atop Principal (the highest peak in the Frey climbing area). The route back was a treat with a sizeable snow field to run down as condors circled overheead. Such beautiful (not to mention huge) birds, and we got some good close up views.

We parted ways with Walter that evening and the next morning struck out for the Refugio Jakob camp area. It was good day that tallied up 3 valleys, 2 passes that were good and steep, and of course great views once again. Our last obstacle before arriving at camp was a river crossing complete with boggy shores. I opted for the barefoot approach while Charles put his trust in Gore-tex. Both methods worked. That night we got our first real rains and little yellow let a little moisture in. A sunny morning allowed everything to dry up real quick. After a few hands of cards in the Refugio, Charles and I set out to see Lago Los Tempanos and possibly scramble up Cerro Cella. Winds, rain, snow, and hail kept us away from Cella, but we did hike to the top of the next pass for a peek at the route we wouldn’t be travelling.

The next morning everything was frozen, but blue skies and a blazing sun still greeted us. The weather held for a great hike down the valley to the road into Colonel Suiza where we would camp for our last night before heading back to town. Lots of feria’s and artisan goods were abound and we settled for empanadas, fries, artisan beers, and topped it off with fresh icecream instead of the dehydrated potatoes and chili we had back at camp. The next morning we were treated to a scenic bus ride through part of the lakes district and back into town to prepare for the next leg of the adventure.

Big thanks to Charles for a great trip and the introduction to the ‘F’ scale and to Walter for making some great climbs possible, keeping the ‘F’ scale low, and introducing us to his own ‘interesting’ scale.

Seventh recess: Mt. Tronador (3 days)

Mt. Tronador is named “The Thunderer” for the great thunderous echos created by the hanging glaciers sloughing off into the valleys below. We held great hopes for a summit attempt and kept a close eye on weather forecast while we were in town. While an improving trend was anticipated it wasn’t to be had. The hike to base camp at the Otto Meiling Refugio was rewarding enough though. Great views as we ascended out of the valley, but as soon as we hit the snow line we were hit with the rain and wind that would remain for most of our time there.

Since little yellow is not a 4 season tent, we opted to stay in the Refugio the first night for some much needed sleep in a dry place. It was quickly nicknamed the refugee camp. It consists of 42 mattresses butted together on the floor and as many folks as possible crammed onto them. Quite the chorus of noises in the night as well. The morning brought a sun break in which we optimistically put up little yellow and built snow walls to provide shelter from the winds. The rains started in again so we retreated to the attic (camp refugee) to go over our rope set-up and crevasse rescue techniques, by the time we returned to little yellow the snow wall amounted to little more than a pile of snow, the vestibule was torn, and it was taking on water - fast. We used it as a dinner shelter since we couldn’t cook in the refugio then quickly tore everything down and retreated once again to the refugio where the ongoing rummy battle continued.

That night we came to terms with fact that a climb wasn’t possible. While it was a bummer sometimes the weather windows just don’t work out. Once again we had a morning sun break and we began to wonder if a climb might have been possible. The weather in the valley was beautiful, but Tronador remained shrouded in clouds for the remainder of the day. The hike out was good and we were able to dry out some gear and continue the rummy battle while we waited for the bus back to Bariloche.

Thanks Charles for yet another great trip even if we didn’t climb!

So that sums up my foray into Patagonia this time. I’m coming back for sure as there is so much more to see and do. One could spend a lifetime and not tire of or even see all that Patagonia has to offer. For now, I’m back in Quito and headed to another mountainous playground – The Avenue of Volcanoes!

I’m scrambling to get all the photos up…some are there, other sets coming.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/

Feliz Navidad!

2009-12-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

(From El Fin del Mundo - Ushuaia, Argentina)

Got lots to update, but in the meantime I just wanted to wish all my friends and family Happy Holidays. Off for a Navidad fiesta at the hostal. Hope you all are enjoying the Holiday season too!

12/24/09 At Glacier Martial in Ushuaia, Argentina with the Beagle Channel in the background

Southbound

2009-11-30T07:53:00.000-08:00

After the Mototaxi Junket and leaving the guys in Puno I´ve been steadily moving south. First a 7 hour bus ride to Arequipa where I stayed for a day then took another 7 hour bus to Tacna, a border town in Peru. In Tacna I stayed long enough to grab my things and walk over to the international terminal where I could catch a collectivo taxi to the border of Chile. Imagine 6 adults stuffed in a sedan with no AC on a very hot day with all the windows down and spanish love songs blaring on the radio. I got the lucky spot of center front.

We officially left Peru and then we were dropped off in what was the madness of an employee strike at the border of Chile. I arrived at approximately 3:00pm. I officially passed into Chile at 9:52pm. All I can say is that I was glad to have a book and to have met someone close by that spoke a little English. After bombing into Arica on another collectivo, this time I got to ride in the backseat (with windows down and music blaring again), it was too late to catch a bus so I grabbed a cab into town and found a place to stay.

I had been trying the previous few days to buy a ticket with Sky Airlines down to Santiago on the internet with no success. The Chilean that spoke english at the border said he got the same errors trying to buy a similar ticket. Sky is a domestic airline in Chile that has really cheap tickets if you can actually buy them in advance. There was an office in Arica so I went there as soon as it opened and since I was trying to buy the ticket so soon to the travel date the price was quadruple what it was 5 days earlier when I began my futile attempts. So defeated in that department I picked up my things and got a ride to the bus station where I boarded the next bus to Santiago. It´s billed as a 27 hour bus ride, but mine turned out to be 34 due to various delays. The main delay came at a checkpoint a few hours out of town where employees were striking once again. While they watched movies on the computer in their offices we milled about for 3 hours then they came out, briefly perused the contents of our luggage, and we were on our way again. Far less intimidating than the armed pat down stops in Ecuador, but still mildly annoying given the delay.

Santa Lucia Park in Santiago - Anyone Home?

Finally landing in Santiago was great! It´s a beautiful city with modern amenities and a great hub for travelling to nearby towns. Next stop was La Serena, a few hours north. After being disappointed by their condo clad beach front it was back on a bus to head to the sleepy fishing and beach town of Guanaquerous. Peaceful, empty, and a great beachfront - it was exactly what I was looking for. A few days of loafing on the beach served me well.

Yay for beach time!

After Guanaqueros it was back up to La Serena for a day trip to the Humboldt National Reserve. The tour group arrived oceanside, hopped in a little wooden boat, and braved the swells and winds of the Pacific Ocean. Lurching stomachs and salt beaten faces were well worth the sights of the islands and wildlife. Among the cute little penguins we saw countless other bird species, sea lions both napping and playing, bottle-nose dolphins teaching their young how to feed, and little black lizards on Damas Islands. We scanned the edges of Choros for some good wildlife viewing first, even getting to see the climbing penguins in action, then headed off to Damas island where we were joined in route by the feeding dolphins. At Damas we got to get off the boat and cruise the island for an hour which gave us an opportuniy to climb to the lighthouse and to see the delicate yellow flowers that bloom once every 6-7 hours. The sea lions took to the water and saw us off as we returned to the port.

Sea lions hanging out at Choros Island

Next it was off to Valparaiso for some good small city time. I loved it there! It´s full of art and funkiness and the port side location reminded me of home. Valpo was full of city walks, taking in the outdoor mural museum, kayaking, and eating lots of good hearty salads. My time there came and went fast.

Colorful house in Valpo, a hostal I stayed at is at the end

Now I´m in Punta Arenas, deep in the South of Chile. After Valpo I returned to Santiago for a 10 hour bus ride to Osorno. I landed in Osorno on a rainy Sunday and believe or not I quite enjoyed it. It felt like the northwest with it´s grey skies, rain clouds, and overall greenness. I stayed at a little hostal owned by a little old woman that kept the place smelling of fresh bread and warm fires. The break from the bus was good, but Osorno doesn´t have much to keep a visitor occupied. Punta Arenas was a 28 hour bus ride from Osorno, but I wouldn´t have guessed. The time passed quick with all the amazing views of needly peaks, snow capped mountains, green trees, and grazing wildlife. The route there actually goes through the eastern side of Argentina for most of the trip as that is where the main roads are. No strikes this time and all the crossings went smoothly.

After travelling all that way I´m ready for some Patagonia trekking!

More pictures are on my flickr photostream at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02

A quick catch up

2009-11-14T05:38:00.000-08:00

Resting on my laurels in Santiago and getting ready to head off to the coastal town of La Serena for some much needed beach time. Just wanted to give a quick update on where I´m at and what I´ve been up to. More pictures and posts coming soon...

The first ever Mototaxi Junket went off with a few hitches, but it was still amazing. I got to cross the Andes in a Mototaxi with a great group of new friends all while knowing that with your support I was spreading the word about Operation Smile and helping to support their work down here in Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay. For a blog of the event go to: www.mototaxijunket09.theadventurists.com/wondermoto. General news of the Junket can be found the homepage http://www.mototaxijunket09.theadventurists.com/

A tremendous thanks to everyone for their support in this event!

Before racing to Huancayo for the Junket delay I got to enjoy a wonderful time on Lake Titicaca and Amantani Island (Post coming soon) after finishing the Lares Valley trek to Machu Picchu. I finally have pictures up of both excursions at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622504272671/ - Lares Valley and Machu Picchu
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622726596652/ - Lake Titicaca

It´s been quite the month in Peru - a real planes, trains, and automobiles (buses, minivans, taxis, and mototaxis) experience. I travelled by bus down to Lima from Ecuador, then to Cusco, then rode the train from the end of the Lares Valley trek to Aguas Calientes, took a bus to Puno, boated to Amantani Island, then in one day boated the 4 hours back, caught a minivan to Juliaca, a taxi to the airport, and flew back to Lima so I could catch yet another bus to Huancayo. From Huancayo I rode my mototaxi back to Puno where I then started my voyage southward to Santiago by bus (42 hours worth of bus). Quite the zig zag route back and forth across Peru. Why not fly you say...Well as Paolo Nutini put it, "I´m short on money and long on time, slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine." So bus it is!

Chile so far has been a breath of fresh air (aside from the many hours by bus it took to get here and multiple border and checkpoint strikes). It´s more expensive than Peru and Ecuador, but more modern as well. I´m staying at a shabby little place next to the beautiful Santa Lucia park before hitting the coast. Looking forward to some beach time before heading south into Patagonia for a spell.

Cheers!

Mototaxi Junket...a sputtering start

2009-10-28T06:27:00.000-07:00

So the junket has been faced with a major hiccup (Honda Peru backing out of the deal to deliver the moto´s in less than 2 weeks before the launch). They found a backup, but the motos are coming from everywhere (even by boat from the Amazon) and being thrown together quickly. Waiting on all the vehicle docs as well and they will hopefully arrive today.

Instead of launching Sunday, we´re all still in Huancayo plotting and planning how we might be able to still get to Asuncion with the time left. I´ve saddled up with a fantastic group of chaps from the UK and Scotland - Mental Militia (aka Mental Matilda), Gavin and Neil, and Pirate´s Nest, Simon and Phil. They´ve all acquired fake leather biker jackets and look a bit like Hell´s Angels relative to the locals. They´ve even convinced me to adorn my jacket a bit with some stripes and a lightning bolt. It´s going to be a grand time!!!

Be on the lookout for updates at our team pages and you can read the latest new from The adventurists as well at http://www.mototaxijunket09.theadventurists.com/

Team pages:
www.mototaxijunket09.theadventurists.com/wondermoto
www.mototaxijunket09.theadventurists.com/piratesrest
www.mototaxijunket09.theadventurists.com/mentalmilitia

Pic: Simon at the helm, with Neil hanging off the back for better cornering.

The bikes are rickety at best and being tossed together so quickly that I´m sure we´ll be spending the first 100k or so picking up all the nuts and bolts. They are as gutless as they promised and steer worse than a stubborn donkey. We´re well stocked with tools, spares, and wild ambition to take them as far as they´ll go!

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

The Lares Valley and Machu Picchu

2009-10-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

While Machu Picchu is an amazing site, the hike through the Lares Valley, the great people on the trek, and amazing trekking service made this trip more memorable than a visit to the ruins alone.

Most folks go for the standard Inca trail. Hearing stories of a crowded trail that makes you feel more like you´re walking a 5k charity event rather then trekking an ancient path, the alternative trek sounded ideal. It promised to be off the beaten path and it delivered.

I want to elaborate on the whole trip, but I´m super short on time as I´m in Huancayo getting ready to launch for the Mototaxi Junket. Andina Travel, the agency I went through, has a great itinerary that´s pretty true to our trek save for a few minor deviations. http://andinatravel.com/0621-lares-valley-circuit.html

Our guide, Jorge, became a fast friend and even met up with the group of us for dinner in Cusco and later Lima. Great guide and even better guy. He´s worked for an NGO in the area and done lot´s of studies and educational research on the local communities and the impact, both good and bad, that the tourism industry has.

The rest of the Andina crew was great too! From our radio weilding chef extraordinaire Isaac and his graceful indigenous flute playing assistant Feliciano to our timely and efficient wranglers Domingo, Daniel, and Manuel - the service and hospitality was amazing. Can´t say I´ve ever been woken in my tent by a fresh cup of hot tea and bowl of hot water to freshen up. This trip might have spoiled me.

In addition to the crew, we had an absolutely spectacular group of people to trek with. Dave and Agnes from Cornwall and Poland kicking off their 9 month honeymoon and Roly and Renny from the Netherlands putting in 6 months on the road before getting hitched this December.
Last and certainly not least, my pal Sara who came down from Seattle to join in the adventure for a bit.

Thanks everyone for a fantastic trip!

Pics coming. Internet ain´t what it is in the States.

Welcome to the Jungle!

2009-10-07T14:10:00.001-07:00

(and definitely not in an Axl Rose kind of way)

Where to even begin... This is one of those unplanned side trips that blew me away and makes me so thankful to have the opportunity to travel and see such amazing things. I decided to stay out of the mountains for the time being, even though Ecuador has many that I would love to stand atop of, and headed down into the Cuyabeno Reserve in the Amazon for a real life episode of Planet Earth.

We were very lucky to have ideal conditions and a stellar guide, Luis, who was not afraid to pursue any wild animal. I got to see an anaconda, a black caiman, a spectacled caiman, a pink river dolphin, yellow spotted amazon river turtles, several types of monkeys, many different birds and insects, and flora that was just amazing.

A few highlights (in addition to all the great sightings listed above) include:

Fishing for piranha´s
Seeing the lekking (mating dance and song) of the Golden Tipped Manakin
Almost getting bombarded by a herd of White Lipped Peccaries (wild pigs)
Hearing the Red Howler Monkeys howl
Having Squirrel Monkey´s cross the river in front of us as we paddled down stream
Swimming at sunset in Laguna Grande
Seeing the full moon rise while the sun set, all against the back drop of a giant and full rainbow
Paddling across the lake on a beautiful day in a wooden canoe in my underwear (it was really hot, and my undergarments have more coverage than my swimsuit)
Learning about the symbiotic nature of many species in the Amazon
Having a shaman ceremony performed on me
Learning how to make casabe
Having a wild tarantula in my room

I have pictures posted (http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622427378297/), but they don´t do the place justice. It was an experience for all your senses...the smells, the sounds, the sights, the tastes, and textures.

I could go on and on, but I won´t. If you ever find yourself in South America near the Amazon, go! It´s amazing!

http://www.samona-expedition.com/

2 wheels + 4,265 ft of downhill = Perma-grin fun

2009-09-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

I had the fortune of meeting a couple of Norwegians (Magnus and Jan) at the climbing area in Quito. On the way to Old Town that night they asked if I wanted to join them on a mountain biking trip in Cotopaxi at 7am the next morning. Was I game...? Of course!

We got to drive through the park with stunning views of Cotopaxi, the world´s highest active volcano, Rumiñahui, Loma Gorda, and Pamba. There is a lot of flat grassland (paramo) with stunning peaks rising up to incredible heights. Not like the mountain ranges in Washington at all.

We had a brief stop at the museum for a little info on Cotopaxi and the park where we were all informed that Cotopaxi is overdue for an eruption, but not to worry as we had bikes. Apparently there are 50 to 100 seismic events a day that they monitor and warnings are issued if they think it´s going to blow. The big risk to everyone is not lava flow, but water running off the mountain (glacial melt) and picking up all kinds of debris along the way. They believe that the last time it blew, the water took only 24 hours to reach the Pacific Ocean, which is really far away...exactly how far I´m not sure, but it´s far.

When we arrived at the parking lot, 100 meters below the climbers refuge, the wind was blowing so hard you had to lean into it to stay upright. After a brief conversation about do´s and don´ts (like don´t go flying into a blind corner because we´re sharing the narrow road with cars) the fun began, and oh did it ever.

We did 8km of good downhill to the first flat then got off the main road for a little singletrack action. After about 16km, we stopped near a picturesque river with wild horses grazing for lunch. After lunch we wrapped up the riding with another 16km of mostly downhill and flat terrain. I was pumped for it all and had so much fun! It´s great when your guide says stay between mountain x and mountain y.

Big thanks to team Norway, they sure know how to have a good time.

Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622484413256/

Bugs, medicine, and a mild pain in the arse

2009-09-26T07:34:00.000-07:00

So medical treatment here in Ecuador is a little different. As you may have seen from my photos on El Cristal I was eaten alive by every known bug in Intag. They have multiple types of Mosquitoes, tenacious fleas, and a few other little hungry buggers that I have no known name for.

So I ended up with bites up and down my legs, on my feet, arms, chest, stomach, and back. Just about everywhere. This made sleeping and sitting still in general a bit difficult with all the itching. After several restless nights and the discovery of fleas in my bed (they stopped feeding long enough to have a hop onto my book to see what I was reading) I told Blanca that we had to do something. She seemed offended at my suggestion of fleas so the next night I killed a few to show her and the next afternoon I found myself in Penaherrera at a Cabina/store. Blanca did most of the talking and insisted I was having a reaction to mosquito bites. After some back and forth I was ushered into a back room for an injection. After fishing around in my arm for a proper needle position in my vein, the doc or whoever she was told me the injection would have to be given in the booty. Given the constant itching, I didn´t care. A bit of a tingle later I walked out the door with some supplementary pills and my pockets $2.15 lighter. Before leaving I was also instructed to put all my bedding, mattress included, in the sun for the day, and I was to stay out of the sun and take no hot showers. Hot showers? I had to laugh at that one, there´s no hot water, let alone a shower.

At first there was a mild relief from the itching, but I continued to get bitten so the next week I walked the hour and half to Penaherrera and was told that the woman that gave me my previous shot wasn´t there so I needed to go to the Medico 2 streets over. In I went, armed with by basic Spanish. Given the visual nature of my condition it wasn´t too difficult to get across and everyone had response similar to, ¨Ay, moscoes.¨ After 3 hours in the small waiting room I got my turn with the doctor. She spoke a few english words and seemed to be excited to use them. After getting another shot in rear, more pills, and some vitamin supplement she thought would help I was given a cheerful good-bye with instructions to return in 2 days. Much to my surprise, this was a free clinic so no charge.

In 2 days time I would be back in Quito, so I found the medical services I thought would most likely have an English speaking doctor. No such luck. The Internacional Medico was all spanish speaking and more of a hospital, no general services. I was given the location of a clinic down the road and bit and so off I went. Medical services are slightly more here (I´m getting reimbursed 100% by my travel medical so no biggie). After a $22 charge and a 2 hour wait I found myself in front of another doctor. The examination was a little more thorough and he sent me on my way with a slew of prescriptions.

I found a Farmacia on my way back to the hostal and was mildly surprised by the needle and vial I was given. Apprently this shot would be a DIY affair. So back at the hostal I pulled out an anteseptic wipe from my first aid kit prepped the area and got it over with.

I´m happy to report that I am nearly sleeping through the night and don´t seem to be getting new bites. I had all my clothes laundered in hot water to kill off any stowaways, which I noticed a few fleas had hopped aboard for the trip to Quito. Here´s hoping that the sitatuation is remedied in full within the next few days.

I fought the shower...

2009-09-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

...and I WON!

Being in El Cristal for so long I was seriously jonesing for a nice hot shower. I was hoping to get one in my brief stop at Picalqui, but the water was down at the Hacienda again. After arriving in Quito I made my way back to Old Town and while in route to the Hostal I stayed at before spotted an advertisement in a hostal window that caught my eye. Private rooms with bathrooms, Hot Showers, Kitchen, Free Internet, and Free Coffee and Tea - all for the bargain price of $6 a night. I was sold at Hot Shower, however this proved to be one of those instances where my irrational optimism overrode my logic that for $6 bucks it´s very likely to be a tepid shower at best.

After my evening of errands I stripped down and was ready for my long awaited shower. A turn of the handle created a sputter of ice cold water that burst forth from every side of the shower head but down. I turned the handle a bit more each way to see if anything changed...nothing. I´m in a $6 a night hostal so I figure repairs are not likely to be instant or very good. Not wanting to be denied the shower I was longing for I decide to go MacGyver and fix it myself.

In my birthday suit and armed with a small safety pin and my trusty 2¨ swiss army pocket knife I took on the electric Automatica Relajacion shower head. After removing the plastic sprayer cap it was quickly obvious that the holes were all clogged or melted shut due to the cheap plastic construction. I could see where someone had tried to fix it before by applying a bead of silicone around the circumfrence, but that obvuisly wasn´t working. I turned the shower on with out the sprayer cap and got a nice hot stream of water so I knew that at worst, the hot stream would do.

I cleaned the holes that were clogged with the safety pin and cut open the rest. After a good rinse I replaced the sprayer cap and Voila! My hot shower was on, complete with a happy dance and song!

Life in El Cristal

2009-09-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

23 days and now my time in El Cristal is complete and I return to civilization bitten, but not broken, with a more solid appreciation for some of the modern amenities we are accustomed to in America, and a sense of gratitude for the beauty, simplicity, and people of El Cristal.

I´ll miss my early morning walks to school or the fields that gave me the opportunity to see the sun rise and spill onto the lush hills of El Cristal, the clouds that arrived in the afternoon to lend a mystique to the area, and the people and animals that greeted you on every path. The terrain in the Intag region is beatiful and the hills roam on majestically and tirelessly. Blanca and her family were generous hosts and I´ll miss them. Especially little Alexis who became my sidekick and Moreno (one of their dogs) who loyally followed me to the bus on the morning of my departure and searched for me after I boarded.

A few ways in which my time was spent in El Cristal:

Harvesting Beans - It was the time to harvest the beans that were planted earlier in the year and that meant lots of 5 and 5:30 am departures for the fields (all of which were at least 45 minutes away by foot and at the bottom of a...um...steep hill). The beans dry on the vine for the most part and you have to pick as many as possible before the sun gets too strong and the beans burst open at the touch. For frijoles de tierra, you can pluck the entire plant from the ground as there isn´t much but beans left of them. For frijoles de palo, the beans are more vine like and growing amongst downed trees. You have to scale the trees and brush to hand pick them and collect them in your canasto (a woven basket you wear on your back and use to transport things).

After the harvest you bring all the beans to a central location that you prepare that encloses the beans in a plastic lined space. The beans are then spread out to be dried by the sun. During this time you hear the constant snap crackle pop of the shells bursting open and releasing the beans. After an ample amount of solar drying long sticks are used to wack the rest of the beans free from their shells. This goes on for quite some time and there is a pause mid wacking to turn over the layer of beans and give the ones on the bottom a chance at brief sun laden freedom.

Next you pick through the shell remants for any whole pods and shake out any loose beans before discarding the shells. Once the top layer of shells is gone you hand what´s left into mounds then scoop them into bags. After this the beans are cleaned, with the help of a little wind power, by repeatedly pouring them from one canasto to another from about shoulder height. As the beans pour down loose non-bean matter is blown away by the wind. After this is completed you then pick through the remants again to get all the beans out as quite a few don´t make it into the other canasto.

The frijoles de tierra harvest yielded 650lbs of beans which they were able to sell for $38/100lbs. Thankfully the horse carried these (not all at once) out of the harvest area.

The Molienda - I had the great fortune of witnessing a molienda on my last day in El Cristal. The week before I had just finished a memoir by Lisa St. Aubin de Teran called The Hacienda about her experiences in Venezuela on a hacienda that produced panela (the product of a molienda) so I was very excited to see it in real life.

I was without a camera at this point so the photos are ones I found of similar trapiches. The one I saw was a slightly smaller operation.

Vicente Mariano ran the molienda. He was a handsome, fit, and generous gentlemen of about 50 that donned a constant smile and a contagious excitement about panela production. On my arrival I was greeted with fresh glass of cane juice straight from the crush.

It all starts with harvesting and stripping the cane for the crush. Mounds of cane are piled up just outside the bodega, ready to be fed through the crusher. Their leaves have been set aside for drying and will be used later to wrap the final product. As the cane is fed through the juice runs into a small holding tank with multiple filters that empties into a pipe that directly feeding the first of the heated vats of cane juice. The cane remnants are collected, dried, and later used to fuel the fire which cooks the cane juice.

Once in the vats the evaporation process begins. They have names for the resulting liquid at different stages, but I can´t recall what they are. Someone stands at the vats and scoops liquid from one vat to the next as it is ready using a large ladel made of a dried gourd. Once the liquid in the final vat has reached the deisred consistency they pour it into a long vat made from a hollowed out tree. They stir the liquid with a big wooden spoon to cool it and prevent a crust from forming on top. After a few minutes they scoop in into the large ladels and then pour it into molds where it cools and hardens into a disk.

After 30 minutes the panela is hard enough to be plucked from the mold and wrapped (two together) in cane leaves. Ertoful seemed to be the master wrapper in El Cristal and had wrapped well over 100 bundles before I arrived. Once a good mound was ready, we all lined up from the bodega to the truck, Ertoful threw them out of the bodega, and we tossed them to the person next to us until they had all arrived in the back of the truck. I must say it was a very efficient and fun way to get them all on the truck.

The trapiche, site of the panela production, was tucked away in the hills of the cane fields. Over the several hours I spent there many people from the community stopped by for an opportunity to dip their fingers into the fresh panela. They LOVE their panela here (from the looks of it more than their teeth). Most people never use sugar and Blanca claims that panela is much better as it staves off hunger and allows you to work strongly for longer periods of time. I can´t say I´m a big fan of it. It´s good in small doses on occasion, but that´s not the way it´s been fed to me here in El Cristal.

Ertoful with the finished product from a molienda earlier in the year. Each bundle like this is 3 kilos of panela.

La Escuela/The School - Teaching another language to young children when I had a limited ability to use their own language was a rewarding challenge. There were no materials or support so I just had to wing it and draw up my own lesson plans for some basic english vocabulary and phrases. I taught multiple grades, often at once, so the content had to be easy enough for the younger students and interesting enough for the older students. I can´t say that I always achieved this balance.

After the first class of 6-9 year olds I thought, what did I get myself into! They wouldn´t take their seats, they ran around hitting and kicking each other, and were just generally out of control. The rest of the classes that day went much smoother as many of the older students seemed to have a desire to learn some english or at least a curiosity in the strange foreigner fumbling in Spanish before them. I spoke with the head profesora, Rosa, at the end of the day and explained the hitting and kicking going on in the earlier class and asked about whether they had any classroom rules. She rectified the problem with a small lecture and reminder to all the students about proper behavior at the school. Each day thereafter I had 2 to 4 classes that either consisted of one of 5 smaller groups of students or 2 large groups that would combine the smaller groups for a single lesson. In total I had aboout 35 students that ranged from about 6-12. School runs from 7:30 to 12:30 with about an hour of breaks.

My most trying day at the school was with the youngest of the students. Rosa came to that morning and asked me to watch and instruct the little ones (2-5 yrs) as their profesora didn´t show up that day. I gladly offered a yes and asked what they would be doing. Drawings, followed by tearing up tissue paper to make little balls that would then be glued to their drwaings. Sounded fun! Wrong, I didn´t have the language skills to understand or reign in the little terrors. From Saul the Savage manically riding the rocking horse when he wasn´t busy hitting, kicking, yelling, and stabbing (with a pencil, and yes he drew blood which landed him in Rosa´s office) the other students and myself when I trid to stop him, to the silent kid in the back that supplemented his constant flow of snot with glue (yes he was sucking on a glue bottle all day). They weren´t all bad and their were some very sweet kids who were very concerned about doing their work properly.

At recess I told Rosa, ¨No mas.¨ She said after today no more and gave me another activity for the students which consisted of poking pins into an outline of a drawing and cutting paper into small squares. I thought the idea of giving an unruly class of kids pins and scissors was asking for trouble so I asked her to come down and restore some order while I drew the drawings they were to outline with the pins. They rest of the day went by and the kids decided to self dismiss themselves a half hour early. I couldn´t have been more relieved.

The last day I filled with review and games. Bingo for the older kids, 1 game with numbers the other with basic words they had been learning, and Simon Says for the younger ones. Bingo was a big hit, which put a smile on my face because I could see that they actually learned something and those Bingo cards took a long time to make. Simon Says was met with less success, but the kids had a ball and they now know a few words for directions and body parts. The classes ended with chupas I picked up for them and I got some good ol´ english good-bye´s and thank you´s. I was happy. I survived and was even able to teach them a few things.

Walking - Very few people in El Cristal have automobiles and a handful have motorcycles so walking is the primary mode of travel for all nearby destinations. Some folks have a horse or two to help with the heavy lifting of things like gas tanks for the stoves, larger harvests, and other odds and ends. For the most part though you hoofed things from place to place with a canasto.

I´ve carried my share of heavy packs up mountains and into the wilderness, but I tell you...even the most uncomfortable pack is bliss next to 40+ lbs in a canasto. Back padding, none. Shoulder padding, none. If I was lucky I got one with thicker rope that cut less into my shoulders and/or collar bones. I hauled with canastos strapped with the netting of a bulk produce bag, old electrical wires, and nylon rope. I hauled things I never dreamt I´d be carrying and given the location of their house the loaded trip back was always up hill and no less than a 45 minute trek. I carried beans, yucca, potatoes, camote, a piglet (that squealed, squirmed, and crapped the whole way), an old truck tire (to make a feeding trough for the new piglets), panela, plastic sheeting, and groceries.

While the canasto was uncomfortable, I was happy as a clam to be walking about and didn´t mind the loads at all. The paths were always scenic, you got to see other folks in the town, and I was always amused at the plethora of farm life I´d come across. Be it a new mother hen and her fleet of chicks, various cows, horses, or a pig on the loose - it was always a sight.

Food - I´ve probably eaten my weight in beans, rice, and potatoes while I was there. Solid and starchy foods that put a nice layer on you after a while. Breakfast here is eaten early and generally consisted of empanadas with cheese and instant coffee or tea loaded with panela. When there wasn´t cheese it was plain fried bread or thick homemade french fries. Lunch would be had after I returned from teaching (about 1pm) and this was the biggest meal of the day. I´d arrive to a plate mounded with beans, rice, and a little cabbage salad. I always felt like it was too much to put away, but I knew that dinner wouldn´t be until 8 or so I proceeded to clean my plate. Dinner was similar to lunch on rare occasion, but most often it was a soup with potatoes, rice, beans, and some chunks of meat complete with gristle and bones if they had any on hand.

I decided to offer a little of my culinary culture to them and prepared a breakfast for the family one morning. I whipped up an egg scramble with onions, garlic, cilantro, tomato, and topped with fresh tomato and avocado. As a side there was oatmeal topped with fresh bananas and their favorite, panela. The oatmeal seemed a bigger hit than the eggs (the panela may have saved me here) and Jonatan didn´t like either and left for school without having more than 2 or 3 bites. While I would have loved for them to enjoy or like it, I accepted that they didn´t and the next time a got a gristle covered bone with a spot of meat on it I didn´t hesitate to pass it off to a more enthused consumer.

3 things I have a greater appreciaton for after living in El Cristal:

1) Plumbing, and not just plumbing, but a reliable flow of water when you turn on the spigot. Intermittent water was an issue at Blanca´s and at the Hacienda in Picalqui. Having a single water source at the outdoor lavabo (wash station, see photo on the right) meant that you washed dishes, clothes, yourself, and anything else by scooping out buckets of water onto the washing platform. The toilet had a garbage can full of water just outside and a smaller bucket for flushing should you need to.

2) English. Aside from the small vocabulary of kids at the Colegio (Highschool) in Penaherra, I think I taught the only other English spoken in town at the La Escuela de Leon Tolstoy to 6-12 year olds. It was a quiet time and while I learned a lot of Spanish, it still didn´t feel like enough. Conversations were fun, interesting, and challenging. Lots lost in translation for sure. Many folks spoke with a little different dialect which was a challenge for someone like me learning textbook spanish. For example the ´ll´being pronounced like ´y´in Spanish in El Cristal is pronounced like the ´gs´in Gsa Gsa Gabor. While I fully embraced the spanish language and respect that it is their langauge, 3 weeks as the only foreigner in town (I did travel twice to meet up with other volunteers) makes me appreciate the comforts of conversation with other Gringos in Quito.

3) Toilet Paper, towels, and soap. Toilet paper is priceless here. I pack my own roll now and use it sparingly. I quickly learned that the school and most any other place has a BYOTP thing going on. There´s no soap anywhere, in spite of the clinics recommendations to wash your hands after using the bathroom. And towels I found to be pretty non-existent so I pack along my handy bandana for hand drying and face washing. What I wouldn´t give for a roll of Charmin Ultra Soft Double Ply right now.

Thanks to Cody, who brought his old camera to donate to his host community and generously lent it to me before doing this, I was able to capture some moments in El Cristal. Thank you Cody for the great and much needed company, America night in Otavalo complete with a movie in English, and the use of your camera! Buena suerte en El Paraiso!

Pics at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622287058691/

Cerro Negro, Mojanda, etc

2009-09-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

I got to do my first official hike in Ecuador Saturday and it was amazing. In spite of being just a few hundred feet short of Mt. Rainier, it was covered with tall grass and interestingly spongy plant life. We met at the Bakery in Tabacundo about 8am then set off for the hills .

Cerro Negro is the peak we summited and Laguna Mojanda is a set of 3 lakes nestled amongst the surrounding peaks. The largest is used for trout farming. It was a bit of huffing and puffing to get to 4,200m from 2,500m, but a few empañadas, candybars, and barbwire fences later – we made it! (Hauling potatoes and yucca up the hills in El Cristal was paying off on this trip)

We got to do some descending in my favorite fashion…by laying down some a$$ tracks. It was grassy, but steep and slick enough to work. While it´s much warmer than glissading down a snow field, the slivers of grass in your pants for the rest of the day are a little uncomfortable.

In all a great day with views of Cayambe, Cotopaxi, Cotocachi, and the Pichincha´s.

Pics, thanks to Cody: http://www.flickr.com/photos/40997171@N00/sets/72157622285676334/

I´m in Otavalo right now wandering around and doing some last minute things before the bus leaves for El Cristal. This morning I got to visit the comiseria in Tabacundo to get a denuncia for the theft of my camera and I felt like I had stepped back in time.
An old Señor pulled out a very antiquated looking typewriter, 3 sheets of plain white paper, and 2 sheets of carbon paper for copies. He loaded them up into the typewriter and wrote an account of what happened and what was lost. Signatures and stamps were doled out on each copy, then out the door I was.

Cuye!

2009-09-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Angela (Muchas Gracias!) I have some cuye photos to share from our lunch last Sunday (9/1 I think).

Gimena had invited us over to her house for a cuye lunch and it was quite a treat. Can´t say I´ve ever killed something then consumed it within an hour or two. (Not counting vegetables)

Cuye Preparation:

1) Catch the little bugger.
2) Hold firmly by neck and smash it´s head in, nose first. Try not to lose your breakfast over the sound of the crunch and green goo dripping from the nose.
3) Dip in scalding hot water and pull hair from skin.
4) Burn any remaining hair off via the flame from the gas stove.
5) Cut off teeth and anus.
6) Cut mouth until head lies open and flat.
7) Cut belly and open main body cavity…find the little sac that can ruin the meat, remove, then remove remaining organs.
8) Bend and break bones until body lies flat.
9) Season with flour, ahí, and various other spices.
10) Place in boiling pot of water with onion and cilantro.
11) Remove from pot and season with lemon juice and mustard.
12) Fry in oil.
13) Chop into 3rds and serve.

Seeing that I had a hand in its death I was determined to eat every bit of it whether I liked it or not, but it was actually pretty good. We had it served over a bed of mote with potatoes and salsa. Aside from the difficulty of stripping meat from such little bones, I enjoyed my first cuye.

While Gimena shared cuye, I brought and made my own version of stovetop kettle corn for them that seemed to be a hit. Andrew said she even made it herself a few days later, albeit with salt this time.

Gimena´s husband Luis makes bread each day to sell to the markets so after lunch we got to watch him and his apprentice ´Maestro´make huge batches of bread rolls on the table. After watching Angela make some at the hacienda I could really appreciate the skill these guys had. They were quick and efficient. Unlike us, Maestro did no rolling or globbing of dough onto the baking sheets. He simply kneaded and threw in perfect round balls of dough.

In all, it was a great day in Picalqui.

Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622286337084/

El Cristal

2009-09-04T16:58:00.000-07:00

I finally got to El Cristal Monday night after 5 + hours of bus travel from Picalqui. It was dark by the time I arrived and my host family lives a good 30-45 minutes from the main and only road in town. (This is such a sleepy little town that the dogs take up residence in the potholes on this road.) The primary method of travel is on foot and they live up on a hill so you follow a path lined with grazing cows and pigs for a bit then hike up a little trail to get to their house.

The family is Ertufol (59), Blanca (49), Jonatan (14) their son, and their grandson Luis-Alexis (7). They have 5 chickens, 3 dogs, 2 pigs, a cat, and a horse. It´s pretty cute to see Alexi go storm down the hill barefoot, only to return moments later bareback on the horse singing at the top of his lungs.

The only water source is in the wash basin outside and electricity is intermittent. There are allegedly 100 families in the community, but as Stuart says, ¨you´d be hard pressed to find them all.¨ It´s a subtropical climate, the hills are very steep and green and homes are spread out all over amongst them. Being subtropical they have some serious blood drawing mosquitoes that I am feeling the affects of. Deet seems to be only a minimal deterrent.

I´ve gotten to harvest lots of beans, yucca, potatoes, and peas. It´s likely I´ll get to teach english at the primary school while I´m here too. Life is definitely much slower which can make me a bit antsy at times, but it´s good.

As for the cuisine in this area...it´s interesting. This community and the people in it are for the most part very poor. My host does a great job giving me mounds of food, which I feel would be rude to turn away. Most of it good and very palatable, but I´d be lying if I didn´t admit to choking some of it down. When they are really excited about certain novelty foods, I´m even able to do it with a smile.

I came back to Picalqui to do some hiking with the other volunteers and will head back on Monday to El Cristal until the 23rd of September so I may be offline for a bit.

Up and Downs

2009-09-04T16:49:00.001-07:00

I was excited to load and post about killing and eating my first (and most likely only) cuye - otherwise known as a guinea pig, my host family in El Cristal, and all the beauty and primitiveness of life in the Intag region. Unfortunately, on the bus back to Picalqui I missed my stop since I fell asleep and had to catch another bus back north. Distracted by watching for the little kilometer signs that would indicate just where I was a sneaky thief got my camera out of my bag. I thought it rather peculiar he exited the bus so quickly in the middle of nowhere and it made sense later as I went to download photos and discovered I had no camera.

Life on the road I suppose. I have the rest of my bag and contents though and my trip will go on camera or not, thefts or not. Comes with the territory. Was a little disheartening as the camera I brought had a life ending lens malfunction the first day so this was a new one. Not sure when I´ll be able to get to a town for another, but rest assured I will sooner or later.

La Fiesta de San Pedro

2009-08-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

Gimena invited us to join in the fiesta of San Pedro (St Paul) yesterday evening and I have to say it was quite the experience. In chatting a bit with Andrew, one of the other volunteers, we both decided that we didn´t think you could convey this experience by words or pictures alone (I have video, but can´t get it uploaded yet due to the file size).

The dancing and traditions of the fiesta come primarily from indigenous ways, but the event has been overlayed with catholicism. The original date of the festival is June 29th, but they continue on with celebrations for several more weeks. This was one of those continuations.

After a valley/ravine crossing and wandering up and down the dirt streets of the Picalqui community we arrived on quite the scene...

Indigenously dressed men and women dancing in circles and singing. Musicians in the center with a ring of dancers around them and a pole of 13 chickens danced around them by 2 more dancers. In this initial dance we saw an elderly woman led the chicken dancers around and around. Then in a procession like fashion, with the chicken trio leading, the dancers filed into the hall for yet more dancing and singing.

Mulitple community dance groups came an went during the night and as we were leaving at midnight a new group was on it´s way.

Time between groups was passed with sopa, chachi, and elviado or canalaso (no one was quite certain). The chachi and elviado were like sweet hard alcohol (the elviado was hot too). There were folks with buckets of it that would go around scooping it out in a small cup and serving it to everyone.

As the night progressed, the party revved up. The little kids ran around wild like while the adults danced the night way or watched on. Quite the event!

Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622188905450

La Hacienda Picalqui

2009-08-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

After a few misunderstandings about where to catch the bus to Picalqui, I was excited to be dumped off on the side of the road a few hundred meters from the Hacienda. I arrived much later than intended, but still had a dash of daylight left to get me there.

My arrival felt festive as I had come on the perfect night. Cody and Angela, the two other volunteers at the Hacienda, and Stuart, the volunteer coordinator, were gearing up to make homemade pizzas in the brick oven outside. All the vegetables were organic and fresh from the garden, with the exception of some olives Cody and Angela picked up at the market. Six delicious pizzas (of the 8 total made) and several cervezas later we were all satiated and ready to hit the sheets.

The next morning was an early rise to go watch and help with the milking. Eladio tends to the milk cows and his sons Manual and Jonathan come to help and play donning their Batman and Superman capes. They are quite cute and full of energy. After milking it´s back to the hacienda for breakfast followed by 4 hours of work in the garden and various other parts of the farm. They grow over 50 types of vegetables and raise sheep, cows, chickens, guinea pigs, and on ocassion pigs (none right now). We break a little early to cook lunch for the crew, which is generally about eight people then I dive into 4 hours of language lessons which feel more exhausting than the mornings work. This has pretty much been the schedule for the week and I´m enjoying it.

The evenings have been a lot of fun, be it playing soccer, heading into Cayambe, or just cooking and hanging around the fire with Cody and Angela. They have really made this experience amazing, be it helping me get acquainted with the ways of the hacienda, giving me the proper Spanish words for things, or just being good company and cooking companions. Cody is a journalist and has written a few articles about some archealogical sites and environmental issues in Ecuador while he´s been here. Angela has just wrapped up her second year with Americorps (impressive!) and will be heading back to the states for school in a couple of days.

The weekend has arrived so we get some rest and free time. I took my first shower in a week this morning and struggled to get the balance between pressure and temperature just right. Ecuador uses electric shower heads that heat the water as it flows through the head. Same concept as our on demand/in-line water heaters back home, but not nearly as flawless in performance. If the water pressure is too high, the water is cold so you end up with a warm to hot dribble. Adding to things is a water system with inconsistent pressure and for the better part of the week we had either no water, or an intermittent flow. Seems to be back on track now though. You kinda take water for granted until there is none. We worked around it all with no problems though.

This evening we get to attend a local feista and tomorrow is a guinea pig feast hosted by Jimena, whom we work in the garden with. She´s very knowledgable about the local indigenous ways and even taught us how to make corn bread earlier in the week.

FBU (http://www.fbu.com.ec/fbu_ecuador.htm) is the organization which provides for volunteer stays at the Hacienda and with family´s in Pichincha communities. They seem to be doing some great work and I´m excited to head out to my family in La Crista on Monday. I hear I´ll be getting to do some farm work and teach some English at the local school.

Pics http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622051861877/

La Capilla Del Hombre

2009-08-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to get in a trip to La Capilla Del Hombre (The Chapel of Man) in Quito yesterday. It is the master work of Oswaldo Guayasamin who was a Quechua native of Quito. He dedicated his life to art that depicted the cruelty and suffering of man, and the potential humankind has for greatness. He referred to his painting as pictures of souls, not portraits. Many of his works were inspired by war, famine, and injustice.

The place was amazing and the art moving. To read up of Guayasamin and see a few pics see the links below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guayasamin

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622007326945/

The First Stamp

2009-08-24T06:51:00.000-07:00

After a little luggage shuffling to make weight and a mild paranoia that I wouldn´t be able to enter Ecuador (thanks to nearly every airline employee I spoke with in the US and American Airlines refusal to check my baggage to Quito) I sputtered out of the US and was welcomed, no questions asked, into Quito. Passport stamped!

A quick cab ride and I was in my hostel having cervezas on the terrace overlooking Old Town. The city here is bustling. I much prefer Old Town to the touristy Mariscal district. There is a lot of activity of all kinds going on. For example you´ll find a bakery next to a welding shop, next to an internet cafe, next to a import clothing shop, etc.

Near the hostel are many local places to eat and a bullfighting arena where we got to see a free exhibition...although no bulls were killed. It was pretty nifty and quite a dance those matadors put on.

Today I leave Quito for Picalqui where the volunteer Hacienda is. I´m excited to get out into a more rural part of Ecuador and get a flavor of the culture. While the hostel has been great I feel like I´ve been immersed in British and Australian culture with all the travelers. It´s been pretty fun hearing some of their stories and getting tips on future travels though.

Note: On day one my camera broke so pictures are minimal and hopefully coming soon. I was fortunate enough to find a replacement before heading out of Quito so I should get some good pics of the Intag region.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14158549@N02/sets/72157622132070492/

Departing

2009-08-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

Finally leaving.

The house is rented, the dog is in a happy new home, and all my worldly possessions are stowed away. Ready or not, I'm off for the year of my life.

First Stop - Quito, Ecuador for a little hostel living and language lessons that will be much needed. Then it's off to the Hacienda on Monday for some farming lessons and more language lessons before arriving at my host family's farm for a month.

More to come, gotta get to the airport for now.

Officially Unemployed!

2009-07-31T15:23:00.001-07:00

Yippee Skippy! The long awaited last day of work has finally arrived.

Things I won't miss -

Sitting at a desk in front of a computer 8+ hours a day
Ironing my clothes every morning
Standing in line for the elevator at 8 am

What I will miss -

All the great people I had the opportunity to interact with and learn from (Thanks everyone!)

First leg officially booked

2009-04-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

After much scheming I've decided to go with individual flights and a South America pass instead of a round-the-world ticket. If you've never heard of a round-the-world ticket it's essentially a ticket priced according origin of travel, number of continents, mileage, and class of travel. The idea is that you leave your destination and travel in a single direction for up to 1 year before returning. There are 3 alliances of airlines that make up round-the-world networks and offer tickets: SkyTeam, Star Alliance, and OneWorld.

Sounds ideal, but when you dream up your itinerary there may or may not be airlines within the alliance that serve the area you want and some ping-ponging from continent to continent may occur which adds up miles (i.e. if you want to go from Capetown, South Africa to Livingston, Zambia you may have to fly through London). You are also limited in the number of flight segments you can take, both overall and within a region.

So after being told I had to go back to the drawing board and rethink my travel desires I decided to take matters into my own hands (with the help of the Internet of course). Thanks to amazing fare search engines like Kayak.com and Mobissimo.com and a regional fare pass from OneWorld, I was able to line up a set of fares to where I want to go and when that are comparable to an RTW ticket, but without the restrictions. I've booked the first leg and the rest will come later as I nail down more definitive time lines. You do run the risk of increased fares, however, with fare monitoring and flexible travel dates you can minimize any potential impact.

Fly on!

...and so it begins.

2009-04-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

With 142 days to send-off the planning stage is ripe with ideas and peppered with tasks. Blog, check.