The Annapurna Circuit trek has been a hikers dream for decades as it covers roughly 150 miles of varied terrain starting in tropical fruit growing canyons, passing through rice paddies, pine forests, high alpine trails winding beneath some of the highest peaks in the world, over suspension bridges straddling glacial rivers, and culminating in lower elevation Rhododendron forests. The Annapurna Circuit is known as a teahouse trek, or one in which a tent and food is totally unnecessary because the hiker is rarely more than 2 hours from either a village or a lone teahouse staffed by an enterprising local selling tea (obviously), Snickers, and sodas (even though sometimes you order a Coke and you get a re-branded version called Camp-Cola).
Within the old Himalayan villages, the teahouses are mostly integrated into small guesthouses with a few rooms or larger lodges that provide basic accommodations to hikers. The general understanding throughout the entire circuit is that if you choose to stay at a certain guesthouse you are also to take your meals there. Therefore, the price of a room is 0-3 dollars for two people and the food is the real money maker at 2-5 dollars per meal per person. And if you order beer, the price of the meal nearly doubles. Very quickly it becomes obvious that the menus at the teahouses are standardized, offering the same fare at every stop: Dal Baht set meal of rice, curry and lentils, Tibetan noodle soup (Thukpa), many varieties of pastas, pizzas, Chinese noodle dishes, spring rolls, and soups. However, just because a food is listed on the menu does not in any way guarantee it's availability. I witnessed many the hungry hiker asking for lasagna and being kindly but firmly redirected to the core staples. The prices are also consistent between menus and they rise as you head higher up in elevation. So, in general, guesthouses do not compete with each other for business as hikers have a selection of virtually equal accommodations no matter where they are on the circuit. I was not sorry to wave goodbye to those menus after 15 days!
Although it was highly convenient to have lodges waiting for us when we stopped hiking each day we did start judging each room on it's basic features. If there was a hook or even a protruding nail for hanging sweaty clothing or just washed socks, that was a plus. A table of any kind was practically luxury. And a bare lightbulb that actually lit up when the power was working was almost beyond expectation. The bathrooms were mostly shared and located outside and were often a hole in the ground with a bucket of water used for flushing. Heat in the form of a wood fire in the common dining room was provided only for a few hours at the higher elevations just to bring the temperature up above freezing. At the highest camp, Thorong Phedi,a snow storm blew in and we spent the day in a 45 degree dining room drinking enormous quantities of tea and trudging through the snow to use the outdoor toilet which we were unable to flush because the bucket of water was frozen solid.
Quirky lodges and set menus have been a staple of the Annapurna Circuit for years. The system allows many different types of people to experience the high mountains. We noticed many large, organized groups of hikers with guides and porters. There were also a fair number of solo men (and the occasional woman) doing the circuit. Some couples were doing the trek with a guide and porters and a few couples, Brad and me included, were tackling the distance using a map and carrying our own stuff. The incredible number of lodges allows for the flexibility to hike as many or as few miles as you want per day and always be guaranteed a place to lay your your sleeping bag. Once you get into the higher elevations, the daily ascent should be no greater than 1,600 feet to allow for proper acclimatization but even up to around 16,000 feet there are lodges and atop Thorong La pass itself there is a teashop selling the usual fare.
One relatively new aspect to the Annapurna Circuit trek is the construction of two rough jeep roads, one on each side of the pass. They have been in the works for the past decade and in many cases, especially at lower elevations, have completely obliterated the original trekking trail. A guidebook with instructions to a new network of trails that have been created to avoid these roads is available but in many cases these trails are difficult to find or no longer even exist because the area is changing so rapidly. Mostly there are trails and they are beautiful but there are sections of the hike done on dusty roads. And there are still areas where no roads can go and these pristine sections feel remote and they lead right into the heart of the vertical Annapurnas!
Besides the road avoidance we were practicing, we were also playing the snow avoidance game. This year Nepal has seen some of the most and latest snow in something like 30 years. Normally in March, the snows even at the pass are melted and hikers can cross on bare dirt. This year, the week before we left on the trek the pass was still closed to hikers and only opened as we were starting our hike. The beautiful weather early in the trek led to some clouds and light snow in the days leading up to our pass crossing. We continued to gain elevation and prepare for the pass because other groups with knowledgeable guides were doing the same. At the high camp, where we froze in the dining room waiting out the snow, we were fearful that we would need to endure another frigid day there but we awoke at 4:30 the next morning to shining stars and we headed for the pass as the sun rose over the mountains. We felt really lucky that our timing worked out so well even given the snow. Plus I think our photos are pretty bad ass!
After all that walking, Brad and I were excited to thaw out at the lakeside town of Pokhara for a few days before returning to Kathmandu yesterday. And we're ready for something different so we're flying to Bangkok tomorrow!
Friday, April 10, 2015
Thoughts after 23 days in Nepal
We leave tomorrow on the daily flight to Bangkok at 1:30pm. The trip has gone well so far. We came to Nepal with the main goal of trekking through some of the high Himalayas and we returned yesterday to Kathmandu after 15 days of walking and a few recovering in the lakeside town of Pokhara. I began keeping a Journal while I am here and would like to share some of the thoughts that I have written down.
Nepal was a monarchy until 2008. Seven years ago! We are taking king ruling by decree, old school monarchy. The country is very new to democracy and I try to keep that in mind.
This is the poorest place I have ever visited. Something like 60% of Nepalis get by on less than $2 per day. This inequity between myself and the people of this country is a fact that necessarily pervades most of our interactions. Less than half the population is literate and the school attendance is very poor. The children are numerous and always about, and keenly interested in us.... We are sitting on a tiered temple wall in a large temple complex in old Kathmandu, eating slightly sweet white bread cinnamon rolls. What do you do with the poor street child who approaches and asks for some of your food? He motions to his mouth that he is hungry and points to the food you are holding. I tell him no. He kneels down and presses Anika's feet to his forehead, a traditional sign of respect. He performs this act repeatedly, insistently but politely requesting some of our food. We will him no, as we continue to eat our pastries, I have more than I really even want and the things cost pennies. All the respectable sources I have read tell us not to give to begging street children. It only makes the lifestyle feasible and more attractive to other children that see their success and seeming independence. Rationally I agree and know the best course is to give some money to organization that get kids off the street or provide education or healthcare. I know this and understand this and agree, and I acted on this foundation. I felt a basic part of my humanity was missing in the interaction and it was hard to come to terms with it that day. That was one of our first days and I am happy/sorry to say it gets easier.
Journal entry from April 7th:
I learned to day that Anika has never, in her memory, ever had a bloody nose! She had her first cavity at the age of like 28. What the hell?
Also from April 7th entry:
-Nepal, so many people hitting rocks with various sized hammers. Hammer beats rock. Big hammer for big rocks, medium hammers for medium rocks, all the way down. It is a hell of a way to make gravel.
-My nose has been running for the past 20 days. I got a cold right after arriving in Kathmandu and everything cleared up except the runny nose.
-Top traveler tip: don't wear the shirt of the country and city that you are in. I see a lot of tourists wearing an "I heart Nepal, Kathmandu" T shirt while walking around Kathmandu.
-Top tip Two: don't cut your nose hairs back in Portland the day before you fly to Kathmandu. You will want them to filter the dust and pollution. No joke, I blew it on the one.
Trash Fires!
There is a lot of trash in Kathmandu, and municipal pick up is less than excellent. Throughout the day, everyone throws their trash on the ground. Plastic bags, chip bags, paper, cardboard, water bottles, tire shards, you name it. Obviously this is unsightly and takes up a significant amount of space on the crowded streets. Trash fires to the rescue. All the debris is swept into small piles in the gutters, then lit on fire. These are smokey smoldering fires that have a high plastic content. Basically a good portion of the time the city smells strongly of burning plastic.
Out in the country, aside from breaking rocks, much of life seems to be moving objects from one place to another. Many of the places we walked through have no road access and a tremendous amount of human effort is expended to bring in all necessities of life. Goods, from bricks to beers are carried on people's backs in woven baskets. A strap of grain bag material attaches to the bottom of the basket on each side and loops up and across the person's forehead. All the the weight rests here, no shoulder traps and no waist belt. I asked one man what his load was. He responded with 50Kg (110 pounds). I am unsure how much to discount this figure for pride, if any. Often I see children, eleven or twelve years old maybe, carrying supplies to building sites, in smaller baskets. Sand and stones all day long, no school.
Books read so far:
Mark Twain's Autobiography
The wondering ramblings of a clever and insightful, if somewhat cynical and crotchety old man. He was in his 70's when he dictated it and his wife and 1 or 2 of his daughter had already died.
Old Times on the Mississippi Mark Twain
His time as a steamboat river pilot provided him with all the material he would ever need for a lifetime as a writer. His memory was honed to safely pilot 1000+ miles of ever changing river in both day and the darkest night. He extended the memory to the events and people he encountered and drew upon it for the next 50 years. Note: the pilot was the real authority on an old river steamboat. The captain was a mostly ceremonial position with duties mainly while in port.
Bunch of others but running out of time.
Temples
I have seen so many temples on this trip. Rama, Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesh, various Hindu gods major and minor beyond my count and reckoning. Then we have the Buddha and all his myriad aspects.(Here my journal digresses as I describe the conversation happening at the table next to me) The people next to me at this lakeside bar/cafe are organizing a multi-day immersive course on how to open your various chakras, harmonize your brain waves and heal whatever it is that you need healed. These things look even more like bullshit when you listen to the behind the scenes planning and pitching. People travel here or to India, a certain kind of person, looking for the answers; thinking there is some kind of special spiritual power in this place. You can be sure they will find people willing to sell them a set of answers. They discuss the best way to hit the vibrating bowl, outside in or inside out, and whether move it clockwise or counter clockwise around the persons chakra point, to most effectively harmonize their energy.
(Back to the temples line of thought)
Such complexity in the face of the most perfect simplicity. All is One. All these religions build their castles in the sky. Buddha never claimed to be anything but a man. His whole point was that he was not unique and his path was available to all. He steadfastly refused to discuss the idea of gods or the supernatural. His wishes and words were respected for some time after his death. It took about 500 years after his passing for the first statues to appear. Now he is deified in 1000's of different forms and places. If a monastery has the means, they have some conical scripture written in real gold leaf. We visited a Buddhist monastery that had been ravaged by a fire two month previous(a bad valve on a propane tank). They were morning the loss of their gold leaf books. I couldn't help but wonder what Buddha would have thought. Life is suffering, especially when you are attached to gold. All the religions seems to turn to it eventually. With enough distance and time the hazy memory of their enlightened founder fades and they find themselves lusting after and attached to that most human and least divine metal. I have seen the cathedrals of Spain where the blood and sorrow of millions in the Americas was transmuted into the silver and gold that coats the walls and anchors their souls. The visit of a free enlightened soul lasts only a moment in the view of history and we are left to build a structure to preserve and share that moment of truth. Invariably we incorporate all our own flaws and end by fucking gilding everything.
Last thoughts
Some of this is pretty negative and judgmental. I have had a wonderful time in Nepal and seen incredibly beautiful things. Much of these entries were written in the last few days. When leaving a country you allow yourself to dwell on the faults you have been accepting of up until this point. It is like breaking up with a woman and saving your heart be convincing yourself she was not that great.
-they have 5 rupee bills that are worth 5 cents. 5 cent bills!
-all the main tourist places have generators as the power works about 50% of the time
-in 2001 the crown prince murdered 9 members of the royal family, including the king and queen and then himself. Wikipedia it. These were the people ruling the country at the time, not just figure heads, wild stuff.
Talk to you later everyone.
All the Best,
Brad
Nepal was a monarchy until 2008. Seven years ago! We are taking king ruling by decree, old school monarchy. The country is very new to democracy and I try to keep that in mind.
This is the poorest place I have ever visited. Something like 60% of Nepalis get by on less than $2 per day. This inequity between myself and the people of this country is a fact that necessarily pervades most of our interactions. Less than half the population is literate and the school attendance is very poor. The children are numerous and always about, and keenly interested in us.... We are sitting on a tiered temple wall in a large temple complex in old Kathmandu, eating slightly sweet white bread cinnamon rolls. What do you do with the poor street child who approaches and asks for some of your food? He motions to his mouth that he is hungry and points to the food you are holding. I tell him no. He kneels down and presses Anika's feet to his forehead, a traditional sign of respect. He performs this act repeatedly, insistently but politely requesting some of our food. We will him no, as we continue to eat our pastries, I have more than I really even want and the things cost pennies. All the respectable sources I have read tell us not to give to begging street children. It only makes the lifestyle feasible and more attractive to other children that see their success and seeming independence. Rationally I agree and know the best course is to give some money to organization that get kids off the street or provide education or healthcare. I know this and understand this and agree, and I acted on this foundation. I felt a basic part of my humanity was missing in the interaction and it was hard to come to terms with it that day. That was one of our first days and I am happy/sorry to say it gets easier.
Journal entry from April 7th:
I learned to day that Anika has never, in her memory, ever had a bloody nose! She had her first cavity at the age of like 28. What the hell?
Also from April 7th entry:
-Nepal, so many people hitting rocks with various sized hammers. Hammer beats rock. Big hammer for big rocks, medium hammers for medium rocks, all the way down. It is a hell of a way to make gravel.
-My nose has been running for the past 20 days. I got a cold right after arriving in Kathmandu and everything cleared up except the runny nose.
-Top traveler tip: don't wear the shirt of the country and city that you are in. I see a lot of tourists wearing an "I heart Nepal, Kathmandu" T shirt while walking around Kathmandu.
-Top tip Two: don't cut your nose hairs back in Portland the day before you fly to Kathmandu. You will want them to filter the dust and pollution. No joke, I blew it on the one.
Trash Fires!
There is a lot of trash in Kathmandu, and municipal pick up is less than excellent. Throughout the day, everyone throws their trash on the ground. Plastic bags, chip bags, paper, cardboard, water bottles, tire shards, you name it. Obviously this is unsightly and takes up a significant amount of space on the crowded streets. Trash fires to the rescue. All the debris is swept into small piles in the gutters, then lit on fire. These are smokey smoldering fires that have a high plastic content. Basically a good portion of the time the city smells strongly of burning plastic.
Out in the country, aside from breaking rocks, much of life seems to be moving objects from one place to another. Many of the places we walked through have no road access and a tremendous amount of human effort is expended to bring in all necessities of life. Goods, from bricks to beers are carried on people's backs in woven baskets. A strap of grain bag material attaches to the bottom of the basket on each side and loops up and across the person's forehead. All the the weight rests here, no shoulder traps and no waist belt. I asked one man what his load was. He responded with 50Kg (110 pounds). I am unsure how much to discount this figure for pride, if any. Often I see children, eleven or twelve years old maybe, carrying supplies to building sites, in smaller baskets. Sand and stones all day long, no school.
Books read so far:
Mark Twain's Autobiography
The wondering ramblings of a clever and insightful, if somewhat cynical and crotchety old man. He was in his 70's when he dictated it and his wife and 1 or 2 of his daughter had already died.
Old Times on the Mississippi Mark Twain
His time as a steamboat river pilot provided him with all the material he would ever need for a lifetime as a writer. His memory was honed to safely pilot 1000+ miles of ever changing river in both day and the darkest night. He extended the memory to the events and people he encountered and drew upon it for the next 50 years. Note: the pilot was the real authority on an old river steamboat. The captain was a mostly ceremonial position with duties mainly while in port.
Bunch of others but running out of time.
Temples
I have seen so many temples on this trip. Rama, Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesh, various Hindu gods major and minor beyond my count and reckoning. Then we have the Buddha and all his myriad aspects.(Here my journal digresses as I describe the conversation happening at the table next to me) The people next to me at this lakeside bar/cafe are organizing a multi-day immersive course on how to open your various chakras, harmonize your brain waves and heal whatever it is that you need healed. These things look even more like bullshit when you listen to the behind the scenes planning and pitching. People travel here or to India, a certain kind of person, looking for the answers; thinking there is some kind of special spiritual power in this place. You can be sure they will find people willing to sell them a set of answers. They discuss the best way to hit the vibrating bowl, outside in or inside out, and whether move it clockwise or counter clockwise around the persons chakra point, to most effectively harmonize their energy.
(Back to the temples line of thought)
Such complexity in the face of the most perfect simplicity. All is One. All these religions build their castles in the sky. Buddha never claimed to be anything but a man. His whole point was that he was not unique and his path was available to all. He steadfastly refused to discuss the idea of gods or the supernatural. His wishes and words were respected for some time after his death. It took about 500 years after his passing for the first statues to appear. Now he is deified in 1000's of different forms and places. If a monastery has the means, they have some conical scripture written in real gold leaf. We visited a Buddhist monastery that had been ravaged by a fire two month previous(a bad valve on a propane tank). They were morning the loss of their gold leaf books. I couldn't help but wonder what Buddha would have thought. Life is suffering, especially when you are attached to gold. All the religions seems to turn to it eventually. With enough distance and time the hazy memory of their enlightened founder fades and they find themselves lusting after and attached to that most human and least divine metal. I have seen the cathedrals of Spain where the blood and sorrow of millions in the Americas was transmuted into the silver and gold that coats the walls and anchors their souls. The visit of a free enlightened soul lasts only a moment in the view of history and we are left to build a structure to preserve and share that moment of truth. Invariably we incorporate all our own flaws and end by fucking gilding everything.
Last thoughts
Some of this is pretty negative and judgmental. I have had a wonderful time in Nepal and seen incredibly beautiful things. Much of these entries were written in the last few days. When leaving a country you allow yourself to dwell on the faults you have been accepting of up until this point. It is like breaking up with a woman and saving your heart be convincing yourself she was not that great.
-they have 5 rupee bills that are worth 5 cents. 5 cent bills!
-all the main tourist places have generators as the power works about 50% of the time
-in 2001 the crown prince murdered 9 members of the royal family, including the king and queen and then himself. Wikipedia it. These were the people ruling the country at the time, not just figure heads, wild stuff.
Talk to you later everyone.
All the Best,
Brad
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Kathmandu
I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to start my post and the sound of flutes, drums, and singing from a street festival reaches my ears. The sounds filter in even as I am inside of the hotel in the old town of Kathmandu where we are staying. Since we arrived 4 nights ago I have been aware of the constant commotion all around. Kathmandu is a wild city that took me totally by surprise even after reading about it's eccentricities in the guidebook before we got here.
Our flight got in at 10pm and we negotiated the on arrival visa situation with some bleary eyed difficulty having been awake for something like 35 hours. Our taxi flew through the dark streets, generally on the left side of the road (steering wheel on the right) without care for traffic signs and signaling it's proximity to pedestrians, stray dogs, and cows eating trash by honking incessantly. We arrived without incident to our guesthouse and slept.
We emerged the following morning in search of breakfast with some nervous excitement based on our experience in the cab and were greeted with further madness. The shop-lined streets are one lane wide with gutters but no sidewalks and the traffic goes in two directions. There are taxis, large vans, motorcycles, water trucks, bicycles, and rickshaws competing for the space along with crowds of people traveling on foot on both sides of the road. There are traffic rules but none are followed even in the presence of the police. Vehicles weave in and out of traffic going both directions on both sides on the one lane road. Walking is an exhausting exercise in vigilance so as not to be run over while trying not to step in the plates of food offerings that people leave in front of their shops and while deterring a barrage of hawkers peddling tiger balm, miniature chess sets, musical instruments, and drugs. The taxis slow down in front of you, blocking your path in order to try to convince you that you need a ride and the rickshaws pedal slowly next to you asking where you are from, thinking it will entice you in. And the honking never stops!
Despite the chaos, Brad and I managed to find a delicious rooftop breakfast so we could observe the streets from above (through an immense jumble of electrical wires) and plan our next move. We made our way to Durbur Square, the heart of old town Kathmandu, passing an array of Hindu temples and shrines and people making offerings to them. Some shrines are covered in marigolds, others receive a smearing of orange vermilion paste, and others are rewarded with a bowl of grains. Durbur Square is a huge complex where the city's kings were crowned and from where they ruled so it is an opulent mixture of white palaces and Hindu temples, some dating from before the 17th century. As we toured the palace museum the power went out (a daily occurance in Kathmandu) and nobody reacted. They just leaned closer to the exhibits in order to see them without light!
The first full day here was extremely overwhelming and I went to sleep that night wishing we could leave the next morning for our trek. But the next day I was less tired and more capable of smiling at the impossibility of the wild streets and noticing colorful details around me. I especially love the incense wafting from the shops and the smell of cardamom steeping in tea and cumin simmering in curries.
We are currently in a holding pattern in Kathmandu because Brad has a bit of a cold and we figure it's best not to start a trek under the weather. While he has been resting, I have been exploring and I am even enjoying the treacherous wandering. And I haven't been run over yet! I do appreciate the rooftop terraces atop almost every building that allow escape from the noise and a bit of breeze after breathing the dusty air. The Himalayas are mostly hazy but every once in a while they show a bit and it makes me excited for the days to come!
Love Anika
Monday, March 16, 2015
Countdown to Nepal
About 2 years ago, over coffee and breakfast at Juniors cafe in Portland, Brad and I made a somewhat nebulous pact to strike out on an extended travel adventure. Only one aspect of this pact was definite: we would leave before the younger of the two of us turned 31. And that's how we find ourselves today, one week before my 31st birthday, with our bags meticulously packed, anxious to leave in less than 24 hours.
Our impending trip has evolved somewhat in the last couple of years but not much. For starters, we have a destination: Nepal! We have a departure date: March 17th. We have booked our first 2 nights in a Kathmandu guesthouse. But that's where reservations end. Of course we have ideas about our next steps including a trek in the Annapurna range of the Himalayas, lots of aimless wandering (my favorite activity) among temples and city streets, reading (Brad's favorite activity) on rooftop porches, and eating delicious Nepalese food. A bit further along, we hope to make it to SE Asia, probably beginning in Thailand or Vietnam. And we'll probably end up back in Portland sometime in June, just in time for summer!
So, from mountains to beaches and lots of anticipated in betweens means we had to pack for all the different conditions. We've done our best to prepare but I know we'll end up throwing stuff out and acquiring more useful items along the way. Here are our bags:
I'm excited to get started and see what's out there! Though Brad and I have some experience traveling together from our time in South America, I'm sure this trip will be entirely different. I anticipate a large challenge will be the language barrier. Both Brad and I speak Spanish so South America could be decoded to varying degrees from communicating what we needed to understanding the culture we were seeing and experiencing. I am nervous that I will feel much more isolated in countries where I won't be able to understand the spoken language let alone even recognize the lettering on signs. I will try to be patient, open, and curious and hopefully that will be enough!
We'll miss you! Write to us!
Our impending trip has evolved somewhat in the last couple of years but not much. For starters, we have a destination: Nepal! We have a departure date: March 17th. We have booked our first 2 nights in a Kathmandu guesthouse. But that's where reservations end. Of course we have ideas about our next steps including a trek in the Annapurna range of the Himalayas, lots of aimless wandering (my favorite activity) among temples and city streets, reading (Brad's favorite activity) on rooftop porches, and eating delicious Nepalese food. A bit further along, we hope to make it to SE Asia, probably beginning in Thailand or Vietnam. And we'll probably end up back in Portland sometime in June, just in time for summer!
So, from mountains to beaches and lots of anticipated in betweens means we had to pack for all the different conditions. We've done our best to prepare but I know we'll end up throwing stuff out and acquiring more useful items along the way. Here are our bags:
I'm excited to get started and see what's out there! Though Brad and I have some experience traveling together from our time in South America, I'm sure this trip will be entirely different. I anticipate a large challenge will be the language barrier. Both Brad and I speak Spanish so South America could be decoded to varying degrees from communicating what we needed to understanding the culture we were seeing and experiencing. I am nervous that I will feel much more isolated in countries where I won't be able to understand the spoken language let alone even recognize the lettering on signs. I will try to be patient, open, and curious and hopefully that will be enough!
We'll miss you! Write to us!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Trip Stats
Countries visited: Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Canada(for a few hours).
Total # of days: 203
Most days in one country: 62, Argentina
Fewest days in one country: 10 Columbia
Most days in one place: 18 La Luna, Otavalo, Ecuador
Highest point: Chachani summit, 6075 meters(19,931 feet)
Most elevation gained in one day on foot: (Only Anika) 1935 metes (6348 feet)-Piedra Grande camp to summit of Vallecitos (5435 meters or 17,831 feet).
Longest bus ride: 34 hours, Ushuaia to Puerto Madryn, Argentina.
Sick days: Brad-6 Anika-2
Pairs of shoes worn out: Brad-3 Anika-0
Sunglasses lost or broken: Brad-3 Anika-0
Total number of cups carried: 1, Lost in Quito(day 32) and never replaced.
Modes of travel used: Feet, bike, taxi, van, bus, train, airplane, tram, ferry, hitch hiking, subway.
Total Number of taxi trips: 7
Longest trek: Torres del Paine loop, 102km (63.4miles). 6 nights 7 days.
Total number of different overnight treks: 11
Most distance covered on foot in one day: 28km (17.4miles) 1st day of Torres trek.
Total number of nights spent in tent: 85 (41.9%)
Most consecutive days in tent: 22
Night spent at highest altitude: Chachani base camp 5300meters (17,388 feet)
Nights spent on transportation: Bus-17 Train-1 Airplane-2 Total 20 (9.9%)
Bus ticket purchased furthest in advance: 5 days. Easter Sunday bus ticket to BA 2 days before our flight leaves for home.
Number of MP3 playing devices broken: 2
Sample list of products containing beef lard: Wheat crackers, scones, oriental flavor top ramen, vegetable empanadas, vegetable broth cubes, chicken broth cubes, dry vegetable soup mix, croissants.
Days before Anika realizes this: 195
Number of books read by Brad: 48
Books read per week: 1.66
Number of Books read by Anika: 36
Total number of pages: 11,894
Average number of pages per day: 58.6
Books read by Brad:
1. Walking Across America
2. Bel Canto
3. The Old Man and the Sea
4. Left for Dead
1st 100 pages of Marching Power
1st 100 pages of The End of Mr. Y
5. Journey to the Center of the Earth
6. The Yearling
7. Starship Troopers
8. The Martian Chronicles
9. Animal Farm
1st 75 pages of Patagonia, History, Myths, Legends
10. The Three Musketeers
11. Dune
12. The Da Vinci Code
13. To Kill a Mocking Bird
14. Dune Messiah
15. Congo
16. The Joy Luck Club
17. Sphere
18. The Clan of the Cave Bear
19. The Green Hills of Earth
20. The River Why
21. Lord of the Flies
22. The Chosen
23. Of Mice and Men
24. Stranger in a Strange Land
1st 100 pages of Oliver Twist
25. Gates of Fire
26. Around the World in 80 Days
27. The Silmarillion
1st 300 pages of The Green House
28. Narcissus and Goldmund
29. Last 250 pages of Marching Powder
1st 100 pages of Walden plus Poems
30. The Autobiography of Malcolm X
31. The Red Tent
32. Tai-Pan
33. Pirate Latitudes
34. The Way West
35. The Last Step
36. The Three Daughters of Madam Liang
37. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
38. The Good Earth
39. The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
40. The Book Seller of Kabul
41. An Elegy for Easterly
42. Eva Luna
43. The Journey to the East
44. The Dragon in the Sea
45. The Sea Wolf
46. The Perfect Storm
47. Water Method Man
Total # of days: 203
Most days in one country: 62, Argentina
Fewest days in one country: 10 Columbia
Most days in one place: 18 La Luna, Otavalo, Ecuador
Highest point: Chachani summit, 6075 meters(19,931 feet)
Most elevation gained in one day on foot: (Only Anika) 1935 metes (6348 feet)-Piedra Grande camp to summit of Vallecitos (5435 meters or 17,831 feet).
Longest bus ride: 34 hours, Ushuaia to Puerto Madryn, Argentina.
Sick days: Brad-6 Anika-2
Pairs of shoes worn out: Brad-3 Anika-0
Sunglasses lost or broken: Brad-3 Anika-0
Total number of cups carried: 1, Lost in Quito(day 32) and never replaced.
Modes of travel used: Feet, bike, taxi, van, bus, train, airplane, tram, ferry, hitch hiking, subway.
Total Number of taxi trips: 7
Longest trek: Torres del Paine loop, 102km (63.4miles). 6 nights 7 days.
Total number of different overnight treks: 11
Most distance covered on foot in one day: 28km (17.4miles) 1st day of Torres trek.
Total number of nights spent in tent: 85 (41.9%)
Most consecutive days in tent: 22
Night spent at highest altitude: Chachani base camp 5300meters (17,388 feet)
Nights spent on transportation: Bus-17 Train-1 Airplane-2 Total 20 (9.9%)
Bus ticket purchased furthest in advance: 5 days. Easter Sunday bus ticket to BA 2 days before our flight leaves for home.
Number of MP3 playing devices broken: 2
Sample list of products containing beef lard: Wheat crackers, scones, oriental flavor top ramen, vegetable empanadas, vegetable broth cubes, chicken broth cubes, dry vegetable soup mix, croissants.
Days before Anika realizes this: 195
Number of books read by Brad: 48
Books read per week: 1.66
Number of Books read by Anika: 36
Total number of pages: 11,894
Average number of pages per day: 58.6
Books read by Brad:
1. Walking Across America
2. Bel Canto
3. The Old Man and the Sea
4. Left for Dead
1st 100 pages of Marching Power
1st 100 pages of The End of Mr. Y
5. Journey to the Center of the Earth
6. The Yearling
7. Starship Troopers
8. The Martian Chronicles
9. Animal Farm
1st 75 pages of Patagonia, History, Myths, Legends
10. The Three Musketeers
11. Dune
12. The Da Vinci Code
13. To Kill a Mocking Bird
14. Dune Messiah
15. Congo
16. The Joy Luck Club
17. Sphere
18. The Clan of the Cave Bear
19. The Green Hills of Earth
20. The River Why
21. Lord of the Flies
22. The Chosen
23. Of Mice and Men
24. Stranger in a Strange Land
1st 100 pages of Oliver Twist
25. Gates of Fire
26. Around the World in 80 Days
27. The Silmarillion
1st 300 pages of The Green House
28. Narcissus and Goldmund
29. Last 250 pages of Marching Powder
1st 100 pages of Walden plus Poems
30. The Autobiography of Malcolm X
31. The Red Tent
32. Tai-Pan
33. Pirate Latitudes
34. The Way West
35. The Last Step
36. The Three Daughters of Madam Liang
37. The Cat Who Walks Through Walls
38. The Good Earth
39. The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
40. The Book Seller of Kabul
41. An Elegy for Easterly
42. Eva Luna
43. The Journey to the East
44. The Dragon in the Sea
45. The Sea Wolf
46. The Perfect Storm
47. Water Method Man
48. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
First 300 pages of the Mater and Margerita
Books read by Anika:
1. Middlesex
2. Bel Canto
3. Marching Powder
4. The Famished Road
5. We'll Meet Again
6. The Bell Jar
7. The Three Musketeers
8. To Kill A Mockingbird
9. The Joy Luck Club
10. Congo
11. Sphere
12. The Clan of the Cave Bear
13. The Lord of the Flies
14. The River Why
15. In the Time of the Butterflies
16. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
17. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
18. Women in Love
19. Narcissus and Goldmund
20. The Red Tent
21. The Autobiography of Malcolm X
22. Gabriel Garcia Marquez Short Stories
23. La Hija de La Fortuna (in Spanish)
24. The Last Step
25. The Three Daughters of Madam Liang
26. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
27. The Good Earth
28. The Bookseller of Kabul
29. Eva Luna
30. The Water-Method Man
31. Journey to the East
32. The Perfect Storm
33. The Catcher in the Rye
34. Robinson Crusoe
35. The Sea-Wolf
First 300 pages of the Mater and Margerita
Books read by Anika:
1. Middlesex
2. Bel Canto
3. Marching Powder
4. The Famished Road
5. We'll Meet Again
6. The Bell Jar
7. The Three Musketeers
8. To Kill A Mockingbird
9. The Joy Luck Club
10. Congo
11. Sphere
12. The Clan of the Cave Bear
13. The Lord of the Flies
14. The River Why
15. In the Time of the Butterflies
16. Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
17. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
18. Women in Love
19. Narcissus and Goldmund
20. The Red Tent
21. The Autobiography of Malcolm X
22. Gabriel Garcia Marquez Short Stories
23. La Hija de La Fortuna (in Spanish)
24. The Last Step
25. The Three Daughters of Madam Liang
26. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
27. The Good Earth
28. The Bookseller of Kabul
29. Eva Luna
30. The Water-Method Man
31. Journey to the East
32. The Perfect Storm
33. The Catcher in the Rye
34. Robinson Crusoe
35. The Sea-Wolf
36. Elegy for Easterly
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Buenos Aires, Iguazu and Salta
It´s Saturday morning in Salta, Argentina, a long way from where I last posted in Puerto Madryn! We´ve traveled a long distance since then as well and we have seen a huge variety of climates and landscapes. First, we spent about 4 days in a cute little mountain town called Sierra de la Ventana. I´m not entirely convinced that it is a legitimate mountain town since most of it´s surroundings are beautiful grasslands, fields of sunflowers and rolling hills but the closest thing in the Buenos Aires province to a mountain, the 3,720 foot Cerro Ventana, is also nearby. Of course, since I´m always looking for the views, I climbed up the steep rocky slope to the large hole in the rock face known as the Ventana that opens up amazing vistas to the countryside.
Next stop, Buenos Aires, by way of a very cheap, very interesting train. Brad and I decided to be super cheap and go with the first class tickets in order to have reclining seats but no other services. The train itself was marked by grafitti and had no numbers to describe the cars or the seats so we made our best guess as to where we needed to sit and spent a very long night trying to sleep under ever blaring flourescent overhead lights and beside windows with a film of dirt so thick that even when the sun rose it was hard to tell. But it was fun! And we made it safely to Buenos Aires and Meghan was waiting for us at the train station to take us back to her cute, comfortable apartment in a very neighborhoody area of the massive city. I know I have mentioned before that big cities are sometimes a bit difficult for us as travelers but when you have friends who can also be tour guides, big cities are made much smaller and much more attractive! Meghan and her boyfriend, Pablo, created space in their packed work and study schedules to show us all of the best corners of Buenos Aires and of course the sights that all tourists must see as well. The center of the city choked with cars, buses and a mix of business suited men and women, tourists, students and protesters milling about in the famous Plaza de Mayo and the tree lined streets shading adorable sidewalk cafes was frenetic and exciting. The shopping streets in the trendy neighborhoods of Palermo and Villa Crespo were fun to explore and a great place to observe the beautiful fashionable people who live there but actually making purchases was out of the question because prices were high! I fulfilled my long standing desire to actually buy things by visiting outlet stores along Cordoba and Corrientes streets and among the street vendors at several outdoor markets. The weekend was a whirlwind of activity that ranged from wandering the relaxed hippie market and the famous Recoleta cemetary where Evita is buried (Brad and I somehow stumbled upon her very simple, unassuming tomb) to discovering antiques and clothing by young designers and street performers dancing the tango in the bohemian San Telmo area of the city. Thursday evening found Brad, Pablo and I at an important River vs San Lorenzo soccer game at the huge stadium where fans shouted and sang their devotion to the team for hours until River came out victorious in the end. The weekend nights started late, usually after a 7pm nap, a 10pm dinner and then drinks or dancing at hidden jazz clubs or techno clubs which kept us out until the sun came up and we found our weary selves on a bus back to Meghan´s apartment and to our beds until at least 2pm! We had fun visiting with some friends that Meghan has made in the city and we spent Sunday evening at their apartment having a large and delicious asado with meats, salads, breads and famous Argentine wine.
Buenos Aires is so huge and there are so many people who live there that activity and action are on every corner at every hour. I definitely could spend more time there especially hanging out more with Meghan! This wish will be granted because on April 5th, Brad and I are hopping on a flight bound for Vancouver BC (the cheapest destination close to home) that leaves from Buenos Aires. So we will definitely try to return to the city a couple of days in advance to spend every last minute possible with Meghan and Pablo and to do a few more exciting things in the capital. It feels funny putting a cap on our trip that for so long has be indefinite but it also feels pretty good to be thinking about heading home to be back in Portland just as the good weather is rolling in (hopefully)!
After spending one week in Buenos Aires Brad and I got an 18 hour bus ride up to the northeastern most corner of Argentina to see Iguazu Falls. The minute we stepped off of the bus and were immediately drenched in sweat caused by the stifling humidity of the rainforest we realized that we were very far from the bustling capital city, the windswept Patagonian planes, the sunny beaches, and the mountainous lakes district that we had experienced in our other Argentine destinations. This part of Argentina is bordered by Brazil and Paraguay and, in fact, there is a park from where you can see all three countries divided by 2 rivers that converge at the junction. The lifestyle is very laid back and slow, appropriate to the oppressive heat. Iguazu Falls is made up of hundreds of waterfalls of various sizes and levels that thunder over grassy cliffs and between gorges in the landscape creating spray so dense that often the bottom half of the falls is not even visable. It was an impressive experience to stand on the catwalks and balconies that are built sometimes directly over the edges of vast cascades and it took us the entire day to get our fill of one of the largest waterfalls in the world. We even got to take a short boat ride to more closely observe a couple of the waterfalls but the main purpose was to get completely drenched when the boat drives directly into the crashing spray! It was a great relief from the heat!
Two days in Iguazu was all we needed and then we were off on probably the last over 20 hour bus ride of the trip. Our destination, Salta, is in the northwestern corner of Argentina and we have been enjoying our time here wandering around the beautiful plazas and ornate churches that characterize this city. But more than the sights, I am loving being back in a more Andean feeling city. We are very close to Bolivia here and it is obvious in the darker skinned residents, the woven artisan crafts, and the hectic mercado central scene packed with musicians, fresh fruit, cheap food stands selling tamales with spicy hot sauces, and odds and ends that keep you entertained for hours. We will spend a bit more time here in Salta and then use our last 3 weeks to make our way down through the central part of Argentina until we end up back in Buenos Aires in time to fly home.
And now my time is up on the computer and I´ve gotta head out!
Love, Anika
Next stop, Buenos Aires, by way of a very cheap, very interesting train. Brad and I decided to be super cheap and go with the first class tickets in order to have reclining seats but no other services. The train itself was marked by grafitti and had no numbers to describe the cars or the seats so we made our best guess as to where we needed to sit and spent a very long night trying to sleep under ever blaring flourescent overhead lights and beside windows with a film of dirt so thick that even when the sun rose it was hard to tell. But it was fun! And we made it safely to Buenos Aires and Meghan was waiting for us at the train station to take us back to her cute, comfortable apartment in a very neighborhoody area of the massive city. I know I have mentioned before that big cities are sometimes a bit difficult for us as travelers but when you have friends who can also be tour guides, big cities are made much smaller and much more attractive! Meghan and her boyfriend, Pablo, created space in their packed work and study schedules to show us all of the best corners of Buenos Aires and of course the sights that all tourists must see as well. The center of the city choked with cars, buses and a mix of business suited men and women, tourists, students and protesters milling about in the famous Plaza de Mayo and the tree lined streets shading adorable sidewalk cafes was frenetic and exciting. The shopping streets in the trendy neighborhoods of Palermo and Villa Crespo were fun to explore and a great place to observe the beautiful fashionable people who live there but actually making purchases was out of the question because prices were high! I fulfilled my long standing desire to actually buy things by visiting outlet stores along Cordoba and Corrientes streets and among the street vendors at several outdoor markets. The weekend was a whirlwind of activity that ranged from wandering the relaxed hippie market and the famous Recoleta cemetary where Evita is buried (Brad and I somehow stumbled upon her very simple, unassuming tomb) to discovering antiques and clothing by young designers and street performers dancing the tango in the bohemian San Telmo area of the city. Thursday evening found Brad, Pablo and I at an important River vs San Lorenzo soccer game at the huge stadium where fans shouted and sang their devotion to the team for hours until River came out victorious in the end. The weekend nights started late, usually after a 7pm nap, a 10pm dinner and then drinks or dancing at hidden jazz clubs or techno clubs which kept us out until the sun came up and we found our weary selves on a bus back to Meghan´s apartment and to our beds until at least 2pm! We had fun visiting with some friends that Meghan has made in the city and we spent Sunday evening at their apartment having a large and delicious asado with meats, salads, breads and famous Argentine wine.
Buenos Aires is so huge and there are so many people who live there that activity and action are on every corner at every hour. I definitely could spend more time there especially hanging out more with Meghan! This wish will be granted because on April 5th, Brad and I are hopping on a flight bound for Vancouver BC (the cheapest destination close to home) that leaves from Buenos Aires. So we will definitely try to return to the city a couple of days in advance to spend every last minute possible with Meghan and Pablo and to do a few more exciting things in the capital. It feels funny putting a cap on our trip that for so long has be indefinite but it also feels pretty good to be thinking about heading home to be back in Portland just as the good weather is rolling in (hopefully)!
After spending one week in Buenos Aires Brad and I got an 18 hour bus ride up to the northeastern most corner of Argentina to see Iguazu Falls. The minute we stepped off of the bus and were immediately drenched in sweat caused by the stifling humidity of the rainforest we realized that we were very far from the bustling capital city, the windswept Patagonian planes, the sunny beaches, and the mountainous lakes district that we had experienced in our other Argentine destinations. This part of Argentina is bordered by Brazil and Paraguay and, in fact, there is a park from where you can see all three countries divided by 2 rivers that converge at the junction. The lifestyle is very laid back and slow, appropriate to the oppressive heat. Iguazu Falls is made up of hundreds of waterfalls of various sizes and levels that thunder over grassy cliffs and between gorges in the landscape creating spray so dense that often the bottom half of the falls is not even visable. It was an impressive experience to stand on the catwalks and balconies that are built sometimes directly over the edges of vast cascades and it took us the entire day to get our fill of one of the largest waterfalls in the world. We even got to take a short boat ride to more closely observe a couple of the waterfalls but the main purpose was to get completely drenched when the boat drives directly into the crashing spray! It was a great relief from the heat!
Two days in Iguazu was all we needed and then we were off on probably the last over 20 hour bus ride of the trip. Our destination, Salta, is in the northwestern corner of Argentina and we have been enjoying our time here wandering around the beautiful plazas and ornate churches that characterize this city. But more than the sights, I am loving being back in a more Andean feeling city. We are very close to Bolivia here and it is obvious in the darker skinned residents, the woven artisan crafts, and the hectic mercado central scene packed with musicians, fresh fruit, cheap food stands selling tamales with spicy hot sauces, and odds and ends that keep you entertained for hours. We will spend a bit more time here in Salta and then use our last 3 weeks to make our way down through the central part of Argentina until we end up back in Buenos Aires in time to fly home.
And now my time is up on the computer and I´ve gotta head out!
Love, Anika
Friday, March 5, 2010
Yo te quiero, no importa nada.
Anika and I went with Meghan's boyfriend Pablo to Buenos Aire's largest stadium to watch River play against San Lorenzo. It was an impressive experience; the energy and passion were beyond anything I have seen at any sporting event. The cultural differences were equally fascinating and are on display in the video.
The fans from the different teams are separated by seating section and there was a large crowd for the visiting team as well. The two groups of opposing fans take turns singing insulting songs to each other. In the USA, when have you ever seen tens of thousands of men, sober men (no alcohol sold plus searches and breathalyzers upon entry), singing to each other? Here in the video the home town fans are singing to their team. The text of the song is roughly -
Ole ole ole
Ole ole ole ola
Jugando bien
O jugando mal
Oh yo te quiero
No importa nada
In english: Playing well or playing badly, I love you, nothing else matters.
It must feel good as a team to have tens of thousands of fans sing that to you. Our team, River, won with the only goal of the game coming late in the second half. When the game was over all the home team fans stayed in their seats and waited another half an hour for the visiting fans to leave, to ensure that they do not mix on the streets outside the stadium. I hope the post and video give a small impression of this magical experience.
-Brad
Ole ole ole ola
Jugando bien
O jugando mal
Oh yo te quiero
No importa nada
In english: Playing well or playing badly, I love you, nothing else matters.
It must feel good as a team to have tens of thousands of fans sing that to you. Our team, River, won with the only goal of the game coming late in the second half. When the game was over all the home team fans stayed in their seats and waited another half an hour for the visiting fans to leave, to ensure that they do not mix on the streets outside the stadium. I hope the post and video give a small impression of this magical experience.
-Brad
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