three sixty, three sixty five

Getting hardcore in northern Italy then softening up on The World

2010-06-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

For the past month we’ve been spending quality time in two very contrasting worlds. After a few parting tears at the airport near Trieste, Kathy and Glenn’s only request was that we contact them and let them know where we decided to sleep that night, at this point there wasn’t a plan. With a free month at our finger tips and limited Euros in our pockets we decided it was time to WWOOF again. We contacted a dozen farms in Italy, Croatia, and Slovenia and received a lot of responses from people that were really interested in meeting us, but didn’t have need for extra workers at the time. Then we received a reply from a farm in northern Italy that read like this:

“I dont now if our farm the right place it s for you. We are a little farm and we cant say how many hours per day you should help. we like to have people hier thath enjoi want to now, lerning and help in our kind of live that we have choised.”

We knew right away, that this was exactly the right place for us, because, you know... we love: “ to enjoi want to now lerning and we’re intrigued by the live they have choised.”

The decision to join Silke and Nivio for two weeks on their farm/home has been one of our most life changing experiences on this trip. We’ve reached

some pretty serious heights and taken some adventurous routes through undeveloped nations but this was a take home experience. This couple has built up a sustainable farm over the past ten years and they live off the fruits of their labor. With twenty goats, four sheep, two cows, ten chickens, ten bee swarms, a large garden, an orchard of fruit trees and a passion for biodynamics they’ve created a small world of their own. We immediately felt at ease with them as they led us through their daily lives and after only two days we started imagining creating this type of life for ourselves. Did I mention the homemade tiramisu? Well there's that, too. We were meant to stay ten days but that’s just when the weather started getting nice and the actual work started so we stuck around a few more, in the end we ended up living with them for fifteen days. I have no doubt in my mind that we are going to stay in close contact with this couple and pick their brains for the next few decades.

After leaving Silke and Nivio’s world we traveled deeper into the Italian Alps on a week-long self guided bike trip around Trentino and into the throws of Lago de Garda; absolutely breath taking. From there we made our way out of the mountains and down to the sea one last time in search of a different type of world. The grand finale to our backpacking adventure in Europe was spent in fluffy robes, sipping fine wines and eating sushi aboard ‘The World’. This is the true definition of getting soft.

In reflection Italy has been all about getting to know family on another level, whether the separation has been generations, months or states. The most rewarding part of our final Italian leg on the ship, apart from the little chocolate truffles they serve with the cappuccino, was the quality time spent

with my aunt and uncle. Karyn and Geoff have always been a part of my life but I’d never taken the opportunity to spend more than a weekend, a wedding, or an over-crowded family occasion with them. We had a fantastic week with them, wandering the streets of Venice and exploring the many coastal towns of Croatia. We had planned to disembark in Split but were convinced to stay on until Rome, the

convincing took all of about two minutes. Our days were filled with paddle tennis,

excursions ashore and backgammon on the pool deck while the evenings took a

different twist with outdoor movies, endless magnificent meals and ...wait for it.... a vow renewal. My personal favorites were the nights we arranged to sleep out under the stars in the bali beds, a softer alternative to camping. In Rome we reluctantly got our packs out of storage, returned all our barrowed clothes and whittled our packs down to the Ryanair mandatory 15 KG/pack! Reality hits you like a brick.

We headed to the Netherlands to celebrate the retirement of an ex-colleague of Ryan's and a rendezvous with Ade and Barb, a couple we raved about back in Vietnam.

Europe's chapter is coming to a close; one that didn't go so much according to plan, but in the best way possible. Only South America now stands between us and landing back in the USA....and we're going to go out with a bang!

European Vacation

2010-06-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

We said goodbye to the relatives with tearful embraces, boarded a ferry in Brindisi and headed to Greece. There we were scheduled to meet up with friends from Boston. Before entering these weeks of our trip, Annie and I were a little apprehensive about how dramatic our shift in travel style would be. As expected going from the coast of Africa to Europe, and to emphasize the fact Roma, was shock enough to our senses and our wallets, but to add to it a vacation style travel plan was going from 0 to 100 mph on the racetrack of luxury. Hey, you gotta roll with it, right?

Greece is in financial crisis, but their tourism industry seems to be doing alright and everything is so damn expensive...so what gives, where's all that cash going Grecia!? We did the "Greece in a week" iterineray with JD and Jenn...Athens, Santorini, Crete, Delphi and Athens again. Wow, that shit is beautiful and friggin' old. On crete we walked through Knossos, center of the Minoan civilization dating back to 6000 BC or before..... yeah, that there be one of the oldest civiliations known to man. Crazy. And yes of course there was classical period of ancient Greece, with the likes of the Acropolis' Parthenon and Delphi's Sanctuary of Apollo and Athena... gulp. It felt like these guys were doing things before Christ was born that folks in central Africa have yet to figure out (or afford). Hm, strange how civiliations progress at such amazingly different paces.

The week went by too quickly. We laughed... a lot, drank, ate, played lots of cards, relaxed and just caught up on all things back home Boston. It was great and really good to see and spend time with familiar faces that we hadn't seen in a while. Although we all agreed that it didn't feel like 8 months had gone by....

So after a short delay on their return flight (some bs about volcanic ash in the atmosphere or sumthin?!) Jenn and Johnny were off and Annie and I were headed towards Italy again. This time north, to pick up my parents for a week in northern Croatia. We had a one night stopover in a Greek hilltown, beautiful spring meadows anchored sweeping mountains dotted with sheep (I didn't think Greece looked like this) then we got on a two night, thirty-six hour ferry ride to Trieste. We got deck tickets which means pulling out our sleeping pads and sleeping bags and searching the ship for a quiet place to cleep. First night OK, second night... BRUTAL (for me atleast) due to a nice mix of a gently rocking boat and two liters of squeeze bottle vino rosso. Ugh.

It was great to see the parental units, obviously there was lots of anticipation and a tear was shed on arrival. 8 months is a long time not to see people that you love - so darn it, make it a point to visit your loved ones! We jumped in the car and headed to our base for the week, Rovinj, Croatia, just over the Italian, then Slovenian boarder in the peninusla of Istria. I recommend this place bar none as a week or longer destination. Rovinj itself is a charming town, centered around an old city, which was once an island, but has now been connected. Istria is famous seafood, wine, blue water coasts, a fairland type interior with hilltop towns scattered about and truffles. Is this paradise? Pretty close. Much like our time in Greece this week was magic. We enjoyed all that Rovinj had to offer, we spent some time inland, had to sober up at the end of the week and get stitches due to all of the laughing. We had a great time and most importantly to me it got my folks out to see another part of the world. My hope is that this trend for them of exploring new continues... and that Cancun, becomes less frequented.

Our 20 European vacation came to a close at the first of May. Our time reminded us of the great life and community we had before we left and what we'll come back to later this year. We saw some amazing things, but most importantly we spent quality time with some of our closest people in beautiful parts of the world.

Diamonds In the Sole of Italy's Shoe - Our Amazing Week with Family In Puglia

2010-06-02T03:44:00.000-07:00

So.... I've written and rewritten this post several times, never be satisfied that the words did the experience, that we had in Puglia, justice. So if it doesn't come out properly, let it be said here... Annie and I were overwhelmed by the generosity, interest and the degree of unconditional love that the Rendinis and Caliandros showed us during the week we spent with them. We want to say thank you and my hope is that soon, we will again be in your wonderful presence.

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So from the coast of Africa, Europe ... first stop Italia. We flew in and spent a few days in one of our all-time favorite cities, Roma, then headed south, to visit "the Italian relatives". Seeing how this was THE reason that Italy was included in the itinerary, we were super excited. I mean really, how many people get to meet their mother's mother's father's brother's daughter and her family?

So, a little background. My mother, uncle, cousin and their significant others tracked down our distance relatives from southern Italy a few years ago and actually visited them as part of a trip to Italy in 2008. They only stayed two days, but created a lifetime of memories with the Caliandros and Rendinis in that short period of time. We had heard so much about their visit, from the welcome at the train station, the garden walks in the country, to all of the historical towns, and the banquet held in their honor with over 50 guests...overly gracious hosts, overly moved travelers, to the point of tears. It was amazing to listen to the stories, so we wanted to deliver a thank you to the family in person and spend some time with these obviously amazing souls.

We weren't prepared for the experience to come - not even close. From Roma we took an overnight half bus, half train ride down to Ostuni (Puglia, the heal of the "boot" if you will) 15 minutes drive from Casalini - home of my great grandfather's relatives. We were met first by Maria Caliandro and her husband Giuseppe. I met eyes with Maria, we recognized each other... she let out a short gasp, then began the run/brisk walk towards each other, ya know like movie stuff ... a few kisses, a few ciaos, a few hugs, lots of smiles and lots of cryptic Italian... ok, out to the parking lot, where we were greeted by more people (Leonardo, Mariantonietta a.k.a. Mari), a few more ciaos, kisses, hugs, and smiles later we were off to Nino and Dora Rendini's (Mari's parents) cafe/bar, located in a campground on the Adriatic. Guess what ensued? Ciaos, kisses, hugs and smiles. This type of behavior didn't end... for 7 straight days. Annie and I felt like diplomats, ambassadors, being treated to every important luxury afforded in Puglia. We visited every single local town - Ostuni, Cisternino, Alberbello and others further a field - Matera, Otranto, Santa Maria de Leuca (sourthern most point of Italy), we visited farms, churches and castles, we walked the country gardens, groves and vineyards of the families, visited a famous local cave, and we even went on a car safari, to the metro zoo, and saw a dolphin show (all done at a local amusement park). WWhewff... aren't you whipped just reading that?!

However, for us the most enjoyable part of the entire time was mealtime - we sat down together, always being served homemade, traditional food, with loads of local products always on the table (I mean stuff made by them like olive oil, wine, limoncello!) and it all just kept coming (don't ask me to count the courses we ate over the week)... and of course it was all accompanied by broken English, even worse Italian and lots of hand waving. So, Annie and I know exactly how our elder generation felt... and we are so so lucky to have these relatives in our lives. It was also very special to be able to celebrate Mari's brithday with her and members of Dora's family...even taking part in making part of the meal - the pizza! So fun... Nino's got quite a knack for the food stuffs.... Bravo!

So the story must go on... Vermont folks are chomping at the bit to get back over to Casalini to help with the olive and grape harvest, Casalini folks would love to get to America....and they would be hosted like the Kings and Queens that they are. I know that the hosts in Vermont would at least try their best to come within shoutin' distance providing the hospitality shown to them while in Italy.

Hospitality means different things to different people. It could mean anything from answering someones question, to letting someone use your phone, to hosting a dinner for twenty, to any number of other things. In Italy, when you are the host, hospitality is taken very very seriously and I really cannot imagine anyone taking it more seriously than our relatives in Casalini. There was never a question... Annie and I were going to be treated very well, special, because we were guests and that's hospitality. A new standard, that I'd like to live up to.

So it's difficult to put into words for me. From my parent's visit in 2008, I had heard so many things about the "italian relatives", but could all of these glowing blah blahs be true? Hells yeah! And more, beyond your wildest dreams....really...

I'm also so thankful to the crew that made the trip over in 2008. It is hard to believe, but if they had not broken ground with the family in Casalini back then, who knows if the relationship would exist now and if Annie and I would have made the trip. Boy are we lucky.

Grazie mille to the Familia di Casalini! See...still working on the Italian...

Familiar Faces in Foreign Lands

2010-05-02T01:30:00.000-07:00

We landed in Europe just over a month ago, haven't had more than 2 days to ourselves and it's been great. After two days in Roma, awh Rome you hold a special place in my heart, we headed south to meet "The Relatives"... in Puglia region. We spent a week meeting, greeting, eating, kissing (as part of the greeting that is), drinking, eating, eating and being merry with the most gracious family in the World - seriously, we feel like the luckiest people in the world to know, let along be realted to the Caliandro's and Rendini's of Casallini, Italia. More on them and our time there later.

We then ferried over to Greece to meet friends from Boston - Johnny Divincenzo and Jenn "You" Nunes. We spent the next week bouncing around the Greek isles...you heard me, just bouncing around the Greek f-ing isles. We hit Santorini and Crete, combined with some time in Athens and then a side trip to Delphi ... wow - how old is this stuff? And how delicious is their ho-hum day-to-day food?.. olives, feta, oil, gyros, moussaka. We sadly said goodbye to JD and Jenn after a great week and were on our own. For a couple days at least... we headed to the interior to the mountains for a day in Kalabrita - felt more like Tyrol austria - lush green rolling hills, rocky outcroppings, sheep, hearty farmers and husky waitresses.... the good life.

It was short lived as we had plans to meet my folks in Northern Italy, before heading to the Istrian peninsula of Croatia for a week. Another ferry ride (I think we'd be able to navigate the Adriatic with a spoon, some tinfoil, the wind and the stars at this point) had us in Venice, hopped a train to Trieste and picked the folks up. We spent a great week with my favorite parents (I mean people) based out of Rovingo, Croatia. Have you been? Go! It's beautiful, old, on the water, near mountains, has great wine, olive oil, fresh seafood, and is supposedly the world's capital of truffles - but my view may be skewed by the company we kept. More and more and more to write...but now again Annie and I sit here... after dropping of my folks at the airport this AM, on our own. We're used to it, but it's been different this past month... so now we have to getting planning again! Doesn't take us too long...

We're now trying to piece together a 25 day itinerary, since at the end of May we're scheduled to meet Annie's aunt and uncle back in venice... so for starters ...we've just booked travel to vienna to catch a band from the Boston we like and to check out one of the most ornate cities in the world, sooooo that should be nice..then we THINK we'll do 10 days of wwoofing (farming) in northern Italia and 15 days of hiking/biking from the Dolomites down to venice... that's the current plan, but hey...who knows. what do you think?

Coconuts, Cloves, Cassava and Potwe... our intro to the Swahili Coast

2010-04-16T02:03:00.000-07:00

The Swahili coast has been magnetic as we work our way up the coast line one island at a time. We started in Mafia Island and fell in love with island life, the people are a little more relaxed and less likely to try and sell you a safari package. Our initial draw to Mafia was the prospect of fulfilling Ryan’s long time obsession with whale sharks. So the story goes Gramma Sullivan had only two truly good books at her house one was Mike Mulligan and the Steamshovel and the other was Sharks, Sharks, Sharks. The obsession started early with these plankton eating fish that are the size of whales. When we heard it might be our luck that these beautiful animals were in our neck of the woods so B-line for the small undisturbed island of Mafia. Flying as first mate in our twelve seater from Dar es Salam Ryan started his search from 5500ft but it wasn’t until we were inches away swimming next to these massive fish that the obsession became a reality. Really where do you go from here??

…Zanzibar of course. Our initial thought was that the more popular island, Unguja would be too touristy and may have lost its local charm. But we quick found that if you hide away in the narrow streets of Zanzibar town (Stonetown) long enough you can’t escape into the charm of this multi-cultural neighborhood. The Swahili coast has an interesting mix of cultures brought from Africa, Arabia and India and nowhere is that more apparent than the faces, architecture, food, and attire of Stonetown. After absorbing some of Stonetown’s charisma we headed to the islands true draw- its beaches. The sand is so fine it squeaks beneath your toes. At high or low tide you’ve got long spans which extend into crystal waters that you feel you could float in for days. The only ocean we know back home has always been chilling to the bone, this is more like bath water, sometimes even boiling from the mid-day sun.

We thought we must be on to something with this island hopping so why end a good thing? Jumping on the first night ferry north we landed in Pemba at sunrise. Pemba is the answer to anyone’s off-the-beaten-path island hopping dream- sign us up. We instantly felt a part of the small community of Mkwoani, hanging out in the shade of the market and joining a local basketball team for an afternoon game. We found our second home on the island after a random ride with new Italian friends up to the northern part of the island. After going by a makeshift sign on our way back from the beach we made a quick decision to let them carry on without us, while we pitched a tent on the shores of Verani Beach a.k.a. paradise…think breezy nights, evening swims and fresh grilled fish…it all made us question why we would ever leave.

(Over to RyBoy)

Alas… our desire for progress, as it often does, pulled us away. What would we do with our last couple of weeks in Africa? TBD, but we knew the first step would be to get back to the mainland. How to do this was the big question. Backtrack to Unguja, Dar then up the coast to Kenya? If you know us you may know that we hate hate hate backtracking, so that option was out almost immediately. There were two other options - passenger ferry to Tanga Tanzania, then a bus north to the Kenyan boarder OR - talk to local dhow captains headed to southern Kenya and hitch a ride. The dhow is a traditional sailing vessel long used to move cargo around the Indian Ocean… it is the maritime symbol of the Swahili Coast…nowadays dhows come in various shapes, sizes and levels of safety. Can’t you see it now? Annie and I with eye patches fixed, smelling of cloves, cinnamon and ginger.. saying things like “darrrr”, “land ho!” and “matey!”, pulling fish from the sea and gnawing them raw, having the other grisly Tanzanian sailors telling us jokes in Swahili and laughing heartily and slapping each other joyously as we understand every word… well stop picturing that immediately, the actual scene is quite different (but no less of a tale).…. Annie and I sitting atop scrap metal, working to keep all exposed skin out of the sun, trying to drink enough water to stay hydrated, yet holding in pee as the stern shows the only prospect of a toilet, not understanding any conversation although something must‘ve been funny, ‘cause there was plenty of laughin‘, and feeling bad about eating anything we had picked up at the market that morning because no one else seemed to have any food (there wasn’t enough to share among everyone)… and that was the happs.. for SEVEN hours. But did I mention that we saved $20! Score!

Truth be told the trip was ACE (thanks for that Sir Alex) - blue water, dolphins, flying fish, lots of smiles if not good conversation from our mates - and an unforgettable trip which would have been uneventful comfortable and boring otherwise. That’s how you make memories… proactively.

With a week left before our flight out of Nairobi we sat in Mombasa contemplating our next and final move in Africa ….a few more days with animals, some hiking in Kenya, back to city life in Nairobbery or finish what we started on the Swahili Coast? We both decided to finish with a little more island time… off to Lamu. Lamu is a group of islands on the northern coast of Kenya, kilometers away from Somalia.

(back to AO)

We finished our Swahili tour in Lamu, taking in as many white sand beaches, turquoise waters and friendly mixed culture faces as we could in a week. It was great to be in one place for a week and get into the maze of narrow streets at a different level. On our way out of town we ran into a couple we had meet two months earlier on our flight into Nairobi, a interesting cross of paths, they were also leaving Lamu but they had been there SINCE they left Nairobi. They had rented a house and enjoyed the relaxation of staying put, getting to know a place and being able to cook their own food. In that same period of time we had climbed Kilimanjaro, seen the big 5, swam with whale sharks, visited over 5 different islands, traveled by bus, boat, plane, land cruiser and donkey, hiked an active volcano, shook hands with Masaai, and smoked with the Hadzabe… wheeewf… I think we both realized that although we had an amazing time in Africa, perhaps it was time to slow things down a bit. Goooooood luck with that!

Safari Footpath

2010-04-13T05:26:00.000-07:00

guest blogger: Christie Sumner

After our day into, and night overlooking Ngorongoro Crater, we loaded up the “cruiser” with tents, mattresses, pots and pans, and our packs, etc and headed to our next adventure, walking and camping with Good Earth across the Ngorongoro highlands. After setting up camp in a small village of Nanokanoka, meeting our cook, Othman (my personal favorite of all personnel), we were introduced to “our” ranger, Adrian, who took us for a warm-up hike to see Olmoti crater, lake and waterfall. Once he cocked his rifle, we understood we were still in wild territory. On foot, we encountered our first interested village kids, who tag along, but who want money or any other thing we might unload upon them, particularly if we want to take their picture. A few made the entire few hour trek with us and we “got to know” them a bit. First night camping, we settled in, found the outhouse with the hole in it, organized gear, and had a great dinner. Another group arrived and set up as well, and enjoyed a late night (!) in their cook tent. In the morning, after fruit, eggs, toast and peanut butter, we packed up and headed out with Adrian across meadows and through Massai villages, following cattle tracks and, for many hours in the sun, down and across the Embulbul Depression. We came upon a resting group of teenagers from a local village, on their way to Nanokanoka. Several were dressed in the Massai red check wraps, one in modern dress and leather jacket but wrapped in his red check and one just modern dress. Most had cell phones. The two were home on break from secondary school in Arusha. After much discussion regarding their studies, Ryan exchanged email addresses and we all pushed off in our respective directions. We could see our yellow tents set up and six hours later we arrive at a widely spread Massai village, where some children walk up to 12 kilometers to school, carrying a milk-filled calabash or a plastic jug of water. A recess “football” game incorporating most of the 600 students was in full swing when we arrived. Ryan jumped right in and ended up as the spire in the middle of a screaming group of brown heads. Annie got her turn as she lay on the ground in a circle of children showing her their “pretty healthy” teeth! Ryan walked partway with the excited kids after school. As we were in the highlands, it was cool at night, so out came the hats and extra layers. Othman figured out that “Mama” likes her tea at 4pm, so that became the norm, along with popcorn. More great meals followed. Next morning, after a quick stop at the primary school (we hadn’t planned on bringing a monetary donation, and “Mama’s” bag of goodies was left behind, so we didn’t have “comfortable” access) where 600 kids are taught by 2 teachers, we headed out with Adrian and his gun, once again following the cattle tracks over hill and dale, beautiful enormous landscape, to our next campsite. Annie, Ryan and Adrian hiked down to Embakaai Crater Lake. We traveled over dirt road the next day to Naiyobi village. On this trek, we passed several groups of girls/women, who wanted to sell us their crafts. We also happened upon Freddy, about 8 years old, in tattered brown. He was very shy, but turned back and followed us about 3 kilometers to the village. Ryan was able to break him out a bit. As we reached the village, another boy joined us and his name was also Freddy. As a matter of fact, by the time we got to our tents, we’d met about five Freddys. Freddy I hung around that afternoon, and came back in the morning, the only thing changed was the order of his sweater/t-shirt layering. We finally “had” him when we started sharing our pictures and letting the kids take pictures with our cameras. That was, in the end, the way we came to an understanding with the Massai people, by sharing our time: through photography, play, sharing our crafts (knitting) and talents (singing, whistling, drumming). We finally saw them smile, laugh and embrace us.

The final six hour push to Lake Natron involved 3 donkeys piled with our packs and camping gear, 3 Massai men, Othman and us in a caravan through cattle, sheep and goat herds, down from the ash-strewn (from 2007 eruption of Lengai volcano) highlands, where we met our new guide/driver, Joseph, and sorted out the men and donkeys (all Massai and donkeys were turned back for another six hour trek home!).

At this point, “Mama” considered her options: to climb Lengai or not. Heck, we had about six hours to rest before starting up at midnight! There was a full moon. It was billed as a “strenuous” hike, but with the “possibility” of an amazing sunrise! Hmmm. When Elie taps on your tent at 11pm, you really should have made a decision; but barring that, you’re awake, so you might as well go. With full moon, clear night, we rarely needed our headlamps at all. The gradual uphill climb on fairly hard surface was a real fooler for things to come, as the surface became ash/pumice and the grade went quickly from gradual to steep, then steeper. It was pretty much like climbing a sand dune for 4 hours, polle polle (slowly, slowly). We fell into a line with Ryan stamping up sideways, crossing over to make “steps” for Annie and “Mama.” And, “Mama” muttering from time to time: “How are we going to get down?” “Why are we doing this?” After Elie announced that he often takes Americans, and that Chicagoans make it to the top, but San Franciscans usually turn around half-way, well, the challenge was laid down for Vermonters, so the muttering continued, “We are really being stubborn!” At some point, we realized the moon was no longer with us, and, then, about 45 minutes from the top we heard the rain. When it arrived we hunkered down under Elie’s poncho for about 10 minutes, but I guess he knew the trip was over and it was time to get off the volcano as quickly as possible. How are we going to get down? Run! We could hear the rushing water filling the gullies on each side of us (“This is something you don’t tell your mother!”). Headlamps and glasses were of little use in the clouds, fog and rain. Just stay close and follow the person ahead. Sopping wet, back in the cruiser, we still had to cross now-swollen riverbeds. The black water surged as the hikers crashed for about an hour, waiting for a break. Having just heard a story of a guide being swept away in his vehicle and drowning, did not evoke confidence. But, we made it across and back to camp and one of Othman’s great breakfasts. Finding something dry to put on was a challenge, but we did, loaded the cruiser and headed toward our next adventure at Lake Eyasi.

Mama-traveller makes for menage-a-trois for four weeks in Tanzania: Safari

2010-04-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

Guest Blogger: Christie "Mama" Sumner

CIA-type investigation at kilimanjaro airport comes up empty as mama-traveller goes undercover to arusha with the u.n. envoy. all were reunited in a tearful, ecstatic gathering, in anticipation of "things to come." first, striking out in 4-wheel drive to tarangire to find the big game. find it we did: elephants, baboons, giraffes, zebras, thomson gazelles, smaller types, and to amazement of our guide, aaron, a lion in a tree, not generally found in tarangire. next, off to serengeti, which gave us more of the above, and many lions, both male and female, and some very sickly year old cubs, giving us a first look at natural survival. we saw our first leapord and then a very grisly stop at three cheetahs on a wildebeest kill (another first for our guide, the wildebeest kill by cheetahs) which we watched for an hour, as they took turns feasting and resting, as the scavenger storks, vultures, etc were at bay at some distance, waiting their turn with the 'beest! pictures and video to follow. by now, we are totally engrossed in the safari experience, appreciating the experience of our guide, if not his gregariousness despite ryan's best efforts. the landscape is different from any. the animals drawing our attention on a fairly regular basis. okay, so what about this wildebeest? look it up online, as a matter of fact the wildebeest migration should show up on youtube, and we came up right in the middle of it as we crested a hill on our way to ndutu, southern serengeti. think buffalo herds in early america. we are utterly entranced. the wildebeest, along with zebra, migrate in a clockwise pattern following the feed as the rainy season circles the serengeti. we continue through the herd where we can go off road and they are all around us, making their way across the rivers. our first "tented camp" is right "out of africa." we have two nights there, with game drives during the day. the second day, we are treated to another exciting event. we have observed a couple of very lazy male lions in the dry riverbed and soon realize there are a couple of females in the grass, not far away. we go back and forth, watching each group, when the males struggle forth and saunter toward the females who also have a kill of some sort. as the males come closer at one point about 2 feet away, one of the females strikes out at them. they are easily cowed, and back off, at which point the female struts out her three 3-week old cubs directly in our view, about 10 feet from the jeep. our next area is ngorongoro crater, one of the largest volcanic craters in the world and home to many animals, some of which are a first for us: flamingos and black rhinos. we get up close and personal with annie's favorites, the elephants, as well as a pool of "laughing" hippos. our accommodation for the night is on the crater rim with a view, a long view, of the whole panorama. after 7 days of riding and game viewing from our 4-wheel, it is time to stretch out and start the walking and camping portion of this 14-day journey.

An African (Love) Affair

2010-03-23T01:19:00.000-07:00

A year ago we sat in our Brookline apartment staring at a map of the world and plotted our extreme adventure of what we’ve now learned to call a ‘gap year’. Being a big picture thinker this was the only way I could even grasp what we were about to set out to do. Each night placing another push pin into a new exotic place we learned about during the day we came up with a rough itinerary. One place that always made the top of my list was Africa. I’ve always been drawn to uncharted territory and Africa presented itself with a world of unknown to me. After having been here for six weeks it has over exceeded expectations of variety and we’ve only explored one country, Tanzania. We’ve spent time in the hills (Mt. Kilimanjaro and Lengai), the highlands (and depressions of volcanic craters), the expansive sky of the Serengeti and pristine beaches of the Swahili coast.
One of the highlights of this portion of our trip was to be able to spend a month with my mother and we kicked off that time with a two week safari. The animal’s performed as expected, exceptionally well - to be able to join their world without iinfringing on their lives was truly amazing. You just don’t see giraffes walking down Comm Ave. It’s hard to imagine this becoming a bore for someone that’s lived here their whole life as we order our guide to stop the truck at the first sighting of zebras and impalas. It’s a little clique to say our safari was a dream come true but it’s the only way to describe my stunned expression that lasted the entire two weeks.
In comparison our trip up Kilimanjaro wasn’t even a desire until the morning we reached its summit. I’m always willing and normally able for a new adventure but climbing Kilimanjaro wasn’t ever a life long dream or goal. The enormity did however shock me as I witnessed the sun slowly shed light on all of Africa after climbing straight up hill for six and half hours in the darkness of this mountain. Ryan’s most memorable quote from the journey came from the depths of altitude disorientation with such clarity, “how could they ever have thought the world was flat?” We’d decided on a route and a guide in Arusha two days before we left and set out on the biggest mental test of our lives without ever questioning our gear, physical ability, or purpose.
After safari my mother wouldn’t stop hounding us for a little beach time (easiest to blame it on her) so we followed up game drives and a rather grueling attempt at summiting an active volcano in the pouring rain, with one of Tanzania’s best kept secrets, Mafia Island. I have a wise older brother that has pointed out the strong similarities between my mother and I and one that I’ve seriously developed is my draw to the water. The water of the Swahili coast is the color of glacier ice but the temperature of a warm bath, wouldn’t you be drawn as well?
Having hit the tri-fecta of Tanzania we again realize that we haven’t really seen Africa but rather tasted a fragment of something much bigger and need to return.

A day with the Thai Elephants

2010-03-05T03:35:00.000-08:00

With only a little over a week left before we had a flight out of Bangkok we decided to make the most out of our Thailand time. We were able to visit with some family friends, take a Thai cooking class, rent a moto bike for a Pai excursion (one of the most chill places on Earth) but the highlight for this chick was the day we spent as elephant owners. This is no elephant in a zoo or on television, this is your own personal elephant that you get to take care of for the whole day. It's a big job to care for an elephant. The day started with us checking to make sure they were healthy by inspecting their droppings to make sure it was moist enough and they were drinking enough water, their toe nails to make sure they're sweating and checking for dirt on their sides to make sure they laid down to sleep the previous night. Then we took them in the stream to scrub them up, they get baths everyday. After that we climbed up and rode them out to the river where they all took a swim and we jumped in too. It was so amazing! I've always felt that these animals are so large and graceful but also so untouchable, this experience brought us closer to them in an unthinkable way.

The 4,000 Islands = Heaven on Earth...on a River

2010-02-16T03:54:00.000-08:00

Along the southern boarder of Laos, bumping up against northeastern Cambodia there's a group of islands, smack dab in the middle of the Mekong River. The mass is named after the sheer quantity of islands... supposedly 4,000, but I wouldn't know, I stopped counting after 12. Of the 4,000 islands you only hear about three of them and we chose to spend our time on Dong Khon, the southernly most island.

The highlight of the islands is that there is no highlight. It has to be the most relaxed and chilled out place we've encountered on our entire journey (perhaps only usurped by Pai, but we'll get to that later). We spent 4 relaxed days mainly on our bungalow's porch overlooking the Mekong watching life go by, when not catching up on reading and writing (who am I kidding, I didn't write a word) but seriously folks, the place was a small sleepy fishing and farming village, with just enough tourism comforts to be convenient without being tacky or overrun. It was magic... and in addition the people were spectacular! The place we stayed at was a small operation, four bungalows total. Three generations lived on the premasis, which was perfectly set right on the river, as well as being adjacent to the island's only wat (Buddhist Temple).... that's how I spell p-e-a-c-e-f-u-l. Most interesting about the family as well as the majority of households is that tourism is not the main source of income. They're all doing other things in order to make ends-meat... for most the main source was fishing. The fishing market ended up being across from our accommodation. When I say market I mean people congregate with their last night's catch (mostly catfish) on the ground, it's weighed out, people are paid appropriately, some is immediately sold to interested parties, and the rest is stacked into baskets and carried to a boat which is headed to the mainland. On good mornings, I'd get back from a run to see the guys celebrating with the local beverage of choice called laolao, rice whiskey... yeah that's at about 7:30 AM, and of course you can't say no to celebrating Laos gents.

But that was it. We spent time with the family, one night sitting around husking nuts used with betle, which once husked only gets them about $2 per kg.. NOTHING! and spending time with the kids of the family... throwing a cd back and forth was a good one, until we gave the boys a tennis ball, which they loved.

We actually did do one touristy thing... we went to see the fresh water dolphins. There are supposedly under 40 left in the world and this set lives right along the Laos, Cambodian boarder. You take a 30 min long nose boat ride out to the viewing area. We chose to pay the extra $1 to run aground on the Cambodian side of the river have a couple of Beerlao and watch the dolphins from ashore... just as the sun set. It was magic and a great way to start our last evening. We then proceeded to be invited to the boat driver's beach side restaurant for dinner with his family. It ended up being a type of hot pot with fish and vegetables, oh and laolao of course. It was so quinessential Laos, making it difficult for us to leave.

But alas plans called and we had to head north. Luang Prabang was our next stop and our party was about to grow to 4, then 6. We said good-bye to Dong Khone with fond memories and the hope that this fairly unspoilt spot would keep its charm and innocence until our next visit, in a few years.

Temple Time in Kampuchea

2010-02-07T21:44:00.000-08:00

After spending some quality time in Vietnam we realized if we wanted to taste the other three countries on our itinerary we would have to skip some intricate exploration. Entering Cambodia we realized right away that we would have to return to get a the full flavor of the lives these people live and decided to make Siem Reap our focus after a brief stop in Phnom Penh.
Siem Reap is conveniently set up for tourists and backpackers making their way through Cambodia. So not to get confused they've even labeled a street 'Pub Street' with happy hours from open to late with buy one $.50 draft get a second free. The town has a carefree Southeast Asia feel to it with night markets selling silk, silver and just about anything you can write Angkor Wat on. There are many western comforts lining the streets from pizza and hamburgers to massage tables and convenient stores. The true attraction and often why so many people stop in this town is because less then 10km outside of town lies the lost city of Angkor.
What was once a bustling city is now only remnants of the finest artisans in history. The carvings that remain in the sandstone and plaster describes their lives in amazing detail and tell stories of gods that these people devoted their lives to. Angkor is the most hands-on experience you will ever have with art from thousands of years ago. You feel mischievous as you climb over large pieces of sandstone with elephants and buddas carved into them, almost as if you snuck into the museum after hours and crossed the velvet rope. In the land of Angkor nothing is off limits as you wander through the Khmer world.
Although we had an incredible time exploring this piece of Cambodia's past it pains me to look around and realize that everyone my age and older has lived through one of the most horrific periods in our worlds history. We know that we must return to this beautiful country to get a deeper feeling for the battle these people have had to fight in their lifetime. There is so much beauty in Cambodia and the people are amazing in their generosity as we travel through a land that is so foreign to us. It makes me step back and think about how solid the ground is in our country and how shaken it has been for so many to this day.

Doing It Justice

2010-01-25T21:22:00.000-08:00

We heard a lot of negative things about Vietnam, before, during and after our trip there. Mainly people had an issue with how the Vietnamese prey on tourists. There's the relentless hassling of touts in every touristic area, then there's the tourist price vs. the local price. Those two things, added to the fact that Vietnam can easily be a package travel type country seems to have turned a bunch of people off.

I'll admit there are times you get quite sick of saying 'no thank you' or as my cousin Pat's favorite 'Thanks, but I already have one of those', but we didn't let it get to us to the level of having it be the first thing we say about Vietnam. Often times I took it as an opportunity to have a conversation. You'd be amazed how quickly the 'touter' can be come the 'touted' if you just respond with a simple question. How's business this year? Where's this place? Where is this stuff made? All different ways to get the focus off of you buying something.

Same thing with the prices. We accept the fact that tourists will pay more, but like anywhere, if you come into a buying situation with some information about what you're buying, you'll come out alright in Vietnam. Sure there are always exceptions, like that $15 chopstick set we bought, then saw a local buy for $2 (may or may not have happened), but you grit your teeth, say 'you've won this battle, but the war's not over' and move on.

The level of orgnization around tourism in Vietnam can get overwhelming and slightly annoying for the typical do-it-yourselfer. It seemed often times you can't get any information about a place without the first thing being 'but we have a tour for that, please look, here.' But again, diligence can be rewarded here in spades.

Halong Bay is a good example. Halong Bay is northeast of Hanoi, in northern Vietnam, absolutely beautiful backdrop of limestone karst mountains jutting out of the ocean. A 'must-see' for any Vietnam trip. Most people see Halong Bay through a 2 or 3 day tour with companies out of Hanoi, which includes one night on pretty tacky replica junk boat and often a second night on the largest inhabited island in the area Cat Ba. But with just a little more effort we heard stories of at least 3 groups finding a ride out to Halong Bay (town) then getting ferried directly over to Cat Ba island - on some pretty local forms of transport - and spending all of their time on the Cat Ba, perhaps not even seeing the "true" Halong Bay, but undoubtedly getting a good view of the surrounding landscape and enjoying everything that Cat Ba had to offer - including day trips into the waters from there, a national park, good cycling and hiking etc.

We actually opted for a tour which included a night on the boat, kayaking for a day and a night on Cat Ba. The highlights for me were 1) kayaking, 2) the place we stayed on Cat Ba and the sunset that evening 3) the people we met on the boat. We met Adrian and Barbara, a Dutch couple, there, then again later in the trip and had a really nice time with them. It never would have happened if we had done the do-it-yourselfer thing... So there you go as is the case always, there's good and not so good in every situation you're in. It's up to you to make the decision, then make the best of the situation, because in the end everything will turn out alright.

We really enjoyed Vietnam and I can bet that our great experience was in large part due to the fact that we did take our time and 'did the place justice'. Lovely.

Little Plastic Chairs

2010-01-21T19:42:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the plastic chair society. We've been traveling through Vietnam for about three weeks now and taking in the culture of yet another Asian society. At first glance you see similarities, the ability to fit whole families on motor bikes, the fashionable face masks and the dedication to farming. However, one thing that Vietnam has perfected is its ability to set up a restaurant on any street corner. All you need is a creative heating vessel and a stack of red and blue plastic chairs. You see locals with the whole set up on the back of their bike and then two minutes later they have twenty people sitting at their make shift restaurant eating delicious creations. Don't go looking for a menu though, often times there's only one thing being served and it's usually dependent on the time of day. It makes the ordering process pretty easy, "how many would you like?"
For me Vietnam has always been the name of a war my father fought in and didn't talk much about. I came here expecting to be overwhelmed with signs of the War and to see massive destruction. Instead I found that people have moved on with their lives and the next generation knows a new world. They'll still talk about the "American" war and the pain that it caused their uncles and brothers but as a whole people are much more focused on themselves and their family's future, then holding a grudge towards Americans or any of the other historical occupiers of their lands. Most are now very supportive of the reunification of their country. We've visited some areas that were severely destroyed during the war and tunnels that were someone's only hope at safety but there has been a lot of rebuilding and growth that hides these battle wounds.
My new vision of Vietnam is kids riding double in uniforms on their way to school, communities of farmers all working together on the next phase of cultivation and street corners with blue and red plastic stools waiting for the next "I'll take two."

Catching Up on China

2009-12-30T20:02:00.000-08:00

So, we spent three weeks in China this Fall, broken up by a that month long side trip to Nepal. Annie posted early on in our time here, but we wanted to do at least more more post on our experience in this amazing country. Here goes...

China was tough to love at first. Coming from Japan, an ultra-evolved society, China and specifically Beijing felt like a work in progress. We expected this, but I think we had become quite comfortable with the superbly clean side walks, professional construction sites, western style public bathrooms, and civilized rules of the road. Things in China started off along those same lines, first in the newly constructed international terminal at PEK airport and also as you're whisked into town on the brand-new airport express light rail line. Then you get out of the subway at Fuchungman station and it hits you like a tonna bricks: bikes, buses, construction, vendors... all at dusk. It was slightly overwhelming... especially because I don't think we were all that weathered in developing countries at that point in October.

Our Beijing accommodation was northwest of Tian'amen. Place was cool, and COLD. Google "beijing hutong", look at pictures and you'll get an idea - door off an ally opens to a stone courtyard, lined with bedrooms and dorms. Our place also had a common room, free wifi and a staff - mainly this one lady, Juju who wouldn't quit with the hospitality, which really made the stay worthwhile.

We did the sites in Beijing, slowly becoming accustom to the style. Then we headed to Shanghai on an overnight train. Which, once we got into the Beijing train station - holy shite it felt like the entire city was trying to catch an urgent lift out of town that night - proved to be a very comfortable experience. It included complimentary slippers - which I can't get enough of and a bunk long enough for the tallest of travelers.

Shanghai was very very interesting. We had a great set up at a former colleague's place, who went above and beyond to secure bikes and touristy info for us. We did the biking thing, the pearl thing, a night out which included a twelve dollar, hour long massage at 11:30 PM and we were even able to meet up with a Medullan colleague, in town as part of her own China vacation. So Shanghai had all that going for it, but Annie and I both got a bit into the history of the place - western cultural and architectural influences, role in historical international trade, involvement in the Opium Wars, role in governmental struggles between Nationalists and Communists, its new found position as the economic powerhouse of China and its continued focus on outward perfection as it works to host the 2010 World Expo. The beauty for us was the ability to still walk through its old city and find the noodle shops, fruit, antique and book markets which have stood for centuries. We strolled through parks watching men and women play card, chinese chess and mahjong. Combine these things and you've got an exciting and interesting atmosphere that deserves some time.

We then spent 3 days in what's described as Shanghai's beach weekend getaway, a group of islands southeast of the city called Zhoushan. Unremarkable. Best part of the 3 days would have to be the food. Fish and other sea creatures sit in tanks, you point, negotiatevprice... once you're settled on your choice, it's pulled out of the tank, if necessary it's batted over the head a couple times, then steamed, poached, fried or grilled to perfection..add a vegetable, some rice and a few beers and you've got a meal. Delic!

Then back to Beijing...throw a failed attempt to get to Xi'an in there and it's back to the same hostel. This second trip was all about getting back to fly to Nepal, and getting to the Great Wall. We did and it was awesome! A lot of the historical significance was lost on us... 7th century BC, unified the sets of fortified walls already built around villages and states, modified, rebuilt, extended for centuries after that, mostly what you see now done done during Ming Dynasty, blah blah blah... What we took away from the day was that the Wall is a work of art and a pretty hefty hike. We walked the 12 km Simatai to Jinshanling section, which was gorgeous with numerous watch towers and a good stretch of natural, unrestored wall. It was surreal to see the wall meander through the hillside as far as the eye could see. Very worth the 3 1/2 hour bus trip out of Beijing.

During those last few days in Beijing we also spent some time in ArtSpace 798. It's blocks of galleries and studios for artists, west of city center. It was something I would have not expected to see in Beijing or China for that matter - a place for artists to express themselves and attempt to make a living from their freedoms of artistic creativity. In that way, Beijing impressed me and made Annie I both feel as though it would be a very interesting place to get to know better.

After a month long intermission in Nepal we made our second touch down in the region this time further south. Flying into Hong Kong just isn't what it was ten years ago when the landing strip was in the middle of the city but when a flight is uneventful I guess that's a good sign. Leaving the land of power shortage and chaotic streets of Nepal we found ourselves in one of the most affluent, lit up, organized cities in the world and right in the middle of the Christmas rush. We found Hong Kong to be beautiful and worth a second visit at some point in our lives but also felt the less populated southern Mainland call our names.

A horrific night bus ride north, left us in the middle of Yongshuo (southern guangxi province) in the middle of the night. Not calculating the trip time perfectly left us on the city's streets at about 4 AM with the only respite being an internet cafe with a dozen teenage dudes, smoking cigarettes, drinking red bull and playing online games . No worries- we know how to kill time online. Our time in Yongshuo was some of the trip's best due to our comfortable accommodations at the Giggling Tree and our love of peddle bikes on flat roads in the country. The landscape is flat farmland except for massive limestone peaks that rise fast and high. Needless to say we stayed longer then we expected.

Our time in China didn't start with love at first sight but it ended with a promise to return and explore further. It was time to move on to Southeast Asia and look under the covers of Vietnam.

Merry Christmas to All!

2009-12-24T15:58:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays from the Highlands of Vietnam. We've been enjoying all the local attractions from the hundreds of personal tailors in Hoi An to our new best friends the Easyriders We'll spend Christmas this year on the back of their motorcycles as we wind our way through coffee fields and the hills around Dalat.

This whole backpackers concept is much more appealing when you get to strap it on the back of a motorcycle. We love you all, may this post reach you in good health and in the warm home of friends and family.

Mother Nature's Finest

2009-12-17T21:25:00.000-08:00

I totally agree with Annie's discussion about the people and places we visited while trekking the Annapurnas. It feels as though you're taken back in time centuries, to when life was simpler, which can mean easier in many ways. Certainly not in a physical sense - these people work hard! I do however feel the need to reiterate just how beautiful the landscapes were on this trek and the emotion that invoked.

After 4 months on the road, we've seen some pretty amazing places, but for me, nothing creates awe like white, ice capped peaks - in this case around the Annapurnas. It's difficult to describe with words, but for me it proves, yet once again how amazing and beautiful our natural world is. For some reason I always think of seeing snowflakes form under a microscope for the first time and being amazed at its beauty. Although very tangential, this is yet another (and for me arguably the most beautiful) landscape the natural world can provide...

So the second half of pictures from Nepal focus mainly on the mountains...however there are the other typical things thrown in there, including a few shots from our days after the trek in Pokhara, then our visit from Scotty Rokis, which included a rafting trip (with the Swedes) and a then a trip to an ancient town outside of Kathmandu.

Currently sitting in Hoi An, Vietnam, it's raining - as it typically does here in December, but this place is really neat. The city was spared from massive destruction of the "American War", so the French and Japanese influence of colonial times lives on. Oh and you can get a suit tailor made for fifty bucks!

We're now working on where to spend Christmas and the turn of the New Year. Fun fun!

Everyday People

2009-12-11T02:06:00.000-08:00

Updated with Nepal.

Here's where we'll try to capture glimpses of people around us throughout our travels. We're both fascinated with what everyday life is for folks in different parts of the world. How different is it from ours, what themes and similarities we find between them? We see faces, expressions and body language as universal truths which tell an individual's tale, no matter who or where you are. We really enjoy this, hope you do to.

Nepal

Alaska and Japan

Seeing More Than Just Mountains

2009-12-07T22:13:00.000-08:00

The best way to see Nepal is with a little elevation. The Himalayan mountains run the length of this tiny country and make up a good deal of its hot spots. We were able to spend some quality time in the heart of them while circumnavigating the Annapurna mountains and then making our way into base camp surrounded on three sides by some of the highest peaks in the world. The beginning of this trip started with some careful planning in Kathmandu to determine a route and most importantly a suitable guide. After interviewing four guides, we're very thorough you know, we found our match and were feeling good about a twenty two day time frame. Now we just had to do it.

Pradip became our third, crucial, wheel for the next few weeks, a local Nepalese man that has taken a number of groups into the mountains and claims that they have all returned safely. He became our best friend and best local knowledge as we blindly jumped into the world of trekking and up to elevations that our bodies have never experienced. One of the other beautiful things about Pradip was that he carried some our belongings. We did try to keep it to a minimum but when you put Ryan's 80 ltr backpack onto a five foot Nepalese man it looks unproportionally large.... try telling that to other trekkers carrying all of their own stuff! (Brian, Graham, Jen, and a host of others quickly called us out on the trail)

The two greatest aspects of the Annapurna Circuit are 1) hiking through some very old traditional Nepali towns and 2) meeting the people that inhabit them. Every town has its own distinct character and community feel. The building style changes from timber to stone as you get closer to the Tibetan boarder and rise in elevation and the farming style changes
depending on the climate and terrain. We passed through warmer valley regions with lush vegetation and mountain sides of rice terraces, fields of fruit trees. But as we gained elevation the land turned dry and desert like, the vegetables became scarce and hearty yaks took over the countryside. It was neat to watch this climate change in such a short amount of time and how people of these diverse areas lived. Everyone makes the most of what they have. The houses are very minimal with kitchen, bedroom, living space all being in one small area and all generations of families living together. By our societal standards you'd say they are poor and needy but, everyone had a smile on their face and time to look up and say "Namaste." The children seemed to have the best imaginations. When you don't have outside stimulation to rely on, the little things are what keep you entertained. Sometimes a plastic bag full of plastic bags turned into a hacky sack or rocks and marbles make for hours of fun.

On our very last night of the trip we ended up being the only guests at a family's guesthouse in their little riverside town of Syauli Bazar. We joined them in their kitchen to observe the preparation of our meal and chat with them about their lives. So although I was initially more excited about the scenery and aesthetic in store for us along our trek, getting that true glimpse, however short, into the lives of the native Nepalese and their homes, was the real rewarding part of this trek for me.

Nepalese Transport...A Great Way to Start Our Adventure

2009-12-07T04:40:00.000-08:00

After spending a couple of days in Kathmandu we had settled on a trekking guide and were on our way. Our trek "began" with a 6 hour bus ride from Kathmandu to Besisahar and the Annapurna Circuit trail head. We were booked in a microbus and we were told that although it might be less of an authentic experience, the bus will be more comfortable and take less time to reach our destination. So let's see... our experience included 20 people being fit into 12 seats, more weight on the top of the van than inside the van - as you can guess, raising the vehicle's center of gravity and creating an interest rolling effect, hindi music (the norm) blasting through every speaker, an interesting discussion about muslims, christians and hindus living together in Nepal, a cock finding its way into Annie's lap (a rooster folks!) , a road side lunch consisting of samosas and pakoras, school children climbing up and riding home from school on top at no charge and not surprisingly no less than 4 turns where I felt at least two of the van's wheels lose contact with the asphalt. I'd say we got an authentic experience! An added benefit of our speedy driver was that an uncomfortable 6 1/2 hour trip was completed in 5 1/2 hours.

Great, so were in Besisahar... but our vehicle adventures were not over. We checked in with the trekking officials in town, then walked a km before jumping on to a 4x4 bus, which would bring us the next 5 km or so to Bhulbhule. Here the walking actually began. This bus, was more tank than bus, getting us through what many would consider an impassable road; potholes varied in size from stones to station wagon, and this began, what became a common theme in our trip - our guide Pradip road the entire way... on the roof. That's Pradip's profile on top there to the right.

Our tank topped driver guided the rugged machine, often without looking, or without both hands on the wheel (often fiddling with the tape player, at one point having to flip the tape once the side ran out..haven't seen that done in a while), coming ever so close to the road's edge. We're talking 60-100 ft drop into the river below. Annie couldn't bear it, so wasn't looking, I was checking on Pradip and the other roof riders periodically. Everything turned out fine, just another commute in Nepal.. these guys are professionals. We jumped off the bus, our walk began, and we were all excited to reach our first night's destination - Ngadi Bazaar.

Kathmandu First Experience

2009-12-04T03:10:00.000-08:00

Our first impressions of Nepal came quickly as Annie and I grabbed luggage at the airport and walked out front to grab a cab. I had expectations of the scene, several folks vying for our business, wheeling-and-dealing for a good price. If unprepared this can be your most vulnerable moment - not knowing how far from your accommodation you are, how much it should cost, if this guy is legit, it's all quite an experience. Kathmandu, no different, but I had armed myself with a bit of info so was ready for whatever was coming my way.

I had read stories about taxis taking unsuspecting passengers to "preferred lodges". "Hey Pally, no no strings attached, just come see this lodge, it's very nice!" ... what the dude doesn't tell you is that if you stay at that place, then he gets a hefty commission. I had booked accommodation beforehand and armed myself with some info on average taxi prices into town, so felt pretty good about that. Now, it was just a matter of identifying someone honest....for that you just have to go with your gut.

As we exited the airport we passed the fixed price taxi counter, where "airport officials" try to get you to pay, what we found to be, at least 1.5x the price you could get outside. They insisted their price was fair, but we moved outside, into the lion's den.

Once outside, the onslaught began. These guys LOVE tourists with big packs, especially those that look clueless. Even when I'm well prepared I can give off the impression of being clueless, so it was on like Donkey Kong. No less than 15 people touting their services rushed to our side "Taxi?...Thamel?....You need guesthouse?"

Surrounded, the group looking up at me...I said... "Already have a place, thanks. Need to get to Kathmandu Peace Guesthouse. 400 Rupees" ... some moans "400? No!", some laughs - I got lots of laughs throughout the month in Nepal, but one guy, in the back, looked, pointed and said "400? OK."

Now, once one guy agrees to a price, the rest start to denounce him. "Oh, he's not licensed, he's not official, he's not in the association, he's not in queue" At that time, I didn't know and didn't want to get into a pickle... so I started to ask others. "OK, so who IS official?" Oh boy, what a mistake. I got everthing from driver's licenses, to taxi licenses to Member's Club cards thrown in my face. OK, bad idea, how do I decipher? I didn't have to. Seconds later some dude, in something of an official uniform, perhaps airport police?! came by and told the guys to back off. I asked the uniformed 16 year old with a gun.... "Are any of these guys legit? Can we go with anyone?" He said yes... so I looked back at the first guy, who was still sitting back a ways, not getting up in my face and said "Let's go."

We started walking with intention and the angry mob saw that they had lost the deal, game over ... and we were on our way.

Still a bit shakey we climbed into the van and off we went to Peace Guesthouse.

It was late, it was dark, we passed stray dogs, street side fires and an occasional lit street lamp. We took, what appeared to be back roads, which at the time felt like... roads leading to our impending demise. "Did we get the character call wrong on this guy? are we being brought to that preferred lodge of his?" Not lots of english exchanged, so couldn't get a good read, until 15 minutes later...we arrived, safe and sound at Peace Guest. We were both relieved. We had gotten through the first encounter. I was so relieved that the guy played us straight that I gave him 500 Rupees just cause. He had made our first trip in a new country a good and safe one.

So we checked in and laid down with good thoughts in our heads. Not only were we preparing ourselves the trek we had been looking forward to for months, but we had a good feeling about the people of Nepal... perhaps prematurely, but that's exactly what happens when you start a country off with a good experience.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T07:18:00.001-08:00

Hey Everyone!

Annie and I are back to civilization here in Kathmandu after 20 days trekking the Nepalese Himalaya. I think Annie O will agree with me that the trip met or exceeded all of our expectations and has to be the top highlight of everything we've done thus far. I shouldn't speak too soon though, as as we're headed out, with friend Scotty Rokis, who dropped in on us from India, to spend our Thanksgiving on the Bhote Kasi, one of Nepal's most famous white water rivers. Thanksgiving indeeeeeeed! Before headeding out we wanted to wish everyone back home and abroad the very best this Thanksgiving holiday - may your time be spent surrounded by laughter and loved ones.

Talk again soon, to catch up on China and the haps here in Nepal.

Love you.

They have the Internets in hilltowns of Nepal?

2009-11-13T05:52:00.000-08:00

I'm writing with Annie watching over my shoulder from a remote town in Lower Mustang Province, Nepal called Marpha. This is the closest this country gets to Tibet outside of forbidden Upper Mustang territory). It's full of Tibetans and their cultures. Very interesting how that land has bled into this country...more like it's interesting how country borders were drawn without regards to cultures and the people
who inhabited the lands. OK, more later, but wanted to let you all know that we're really enjoying ourselves, we've crossed Throng La..the 5400 meter (over 17.5K foot) pass and we're on our way down...oh, until we go back up again to the Annapurna anctuary - should be a blast. Ten more days until we're back in contact.... hope all is well with you. We think about everyone very often, post again soon.

A taste of China

2009-11-01T03:31:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that we've made it all the way through China and didn't post once, I feel like time is speeding up. China was amazing, a bit of a shock at first but then it completely grew on me. We arrived in Beijing to a dust storm and pushy tourists that have no consideration to ones personal space. At first you feel taken back by it, but within a few hours I was just one of them, giving a little elbow when needed and joining in the game of queueing up at Mao's mausoleum. What an experience that was, seeing Mao Zedong's body - of course a little freaky - but being in the rat race to get in, was the true Beijing experience.
My favorite part of China would have to be the hotungs, small ally ways filled with fruit stands, steamed dumping shops, and anything you could possible imagine 'on a stick.' You can also find your tailor, your bike maintenance crew and probably the best rice, noodle or dim sum dish you've even had. These little side streets are where it all goes down in China, and they're everywhere. I've decided that in my next lifetime I want to come back as the lady that sells the kettle corn in the hotung near our hostel, such a big smile on her face as she passed out on-the-spot popped bags of goodness, what's not to love about that?
We made our way through the northeast China, but only scratched the surface of something much much more. Visiting the Great Wall on our last day gave us some perspective of what this country is about, showing grandeur and art with a massive stone wall that never provided much protection. China is huge and they want you to see them as dominating, but really, this country has a long way to go before they actually fulfill the image they're showing the world.

We have arrived....

2009-10-30T00:31:00.000-07:00

...in the land of the magical Himalayas. We're in Kathmandu, Nepal and wowsa! If you thought Beijing was busy, think again. We're here, we're talking to trekking companies and gearing up the Annapurna Circuit. It's fun and exciting. But this place has so many little sanctuaries as well, you can see how people get "stuck" at Base Camp for days longer than expected, "sipping hot chocolate, growing a beard". We've got a few days, but we're ripping to get on the trail. More later!

I'm not liking this 2 game losing streak by the GMen. Back into form against the Eagles this weekend - let's go big blue!

The Great Firewall of China... does it again

2009-10-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

So perhaps you've heard... that the Chinese government censors internet traffic in and out of any computer within its borders. Their "off limits sites" include vehicles of dissident such as Facebook, YouTube and yup you guessed it, Blogger, the site which hosts our blog - so that's the reason for the radio silence.

Needless to say we're still here, still ok, and in fact doing very well. We're celebrating our last full day in China tomorrow with our first view and hike of China's actual Great Wall - a modern and man made (many many a man) wonder of this world we live on. We've been all over the east coast and can't wait to talk more about it, but until then... enjoy the recently posted pictures of our last weeks in Japan. That's one wonderful nation. Oyasuminasai... Sleep well.

Japan Reflection and Lessons

2009-10-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

As we sit on our 70 min trip from Ueno Station to Narita on the Keisei Line, our entire Japan experience flashes before my eyes, as if a part of me is dying. The images run chronologically: The delirium combined with enthusiasm at our first Japanese baseball game immediately after arriving in Tokyo, the awe inspiring lights of Shibuyu and Shinjuku, the entrance ceremony of the world's best sumo wrestlers, the harmonica-esque shape of Kichijoji 's outdoor food proprietorships, our first Japanese meal with not one word exchanged, our overnight bus rides, the teen dance and singing expo at Kyoto Station, starting a circle pit at the Osaka Rancid show, Casey's free personalized bowling ball - a gift from our karaoke joint, the glass eyed Kanazawa sushi chef, Kanazawa's unassuming Oyama Shrine, being dumb-struck by the atomic bomb museum, the quite walk through Miyajima, the view of the Kita Alps from our ladders in the Nakamura Orchard, exchanging words, looks and laughs with grandmother Nakamura, our first snow of the year-at 2600 meters-atop Jiigatake. I'd say we've seen more of Japan in this one month than many Japanese have seen of their own country. Doesn't it always end up like that?

But what are we really taking away? So many things, but, a just a couple boil up at this moment.

First, is something that I'm going to steal, from a fellow wwoofer we met on the Nakamura farm, Paulo Whitehouse. It goes something like this: "I love the countryside and I love metropolises, but I hate everything in between." I identified with that line immediately. And although on the surface it appears to be a total contradiction, it doesn't have to be right? It really boils down to character. Character of a neighborhood, a street, its people, its food, the community - what's it's really able to deliver and give to others. It's also about how you feel in those places. Suburbia is not my thing - regardless of how big of a house I can buy there and how "accessible" it is to whatever city. Exceptions, always, but as a rule... I'm a city guy, or a country guy.

Secondly, is about communicating on different levels. Annie and I entered Japan knowing one word of Japanese, Konnichiwa ... although we had no idea that you used it for Hello AND the greeting in the afternoon (morning, evening and night have their own). We left Japan knowing only a dozen or so additional words, but we made it. We made it because of the obvious ability to "get by" with hand gestures and nodding, but that's about it. And it's amazing how much you can understand just by facial expressions and the reactions of others. I laugh really does say a thousand words. On the Nakamura farm we did our best to get to know our hosts, it was difficult with only the mother of the house knowing a few bits of english and Annie and I knowing less Japanese. But even with that standing in our way, we learned a ton. Not only Japanese traditions such as at the table it goes rice bowl closest to you THEN miso soup bowl, you use the opposite end of your chopsticks to serve yourself from a common dish, and the proper way to pick up chopsticks, but also a couple lessons from Keiichiro-san, the father of the family said plainly and translated even more plainly that make you know these are good people and make you long to get to know them better.

1) You don't need money to raise a happy and healthy family, the environment that you create for your children and family is the most important thing you can do
2) Divorce is the single most disruptive thing that can impact a family, it's devastating

Those to anecdotes, plus the way he explain how to wrap the cellophane around the lilies, the smile he gets as he looks at the October foliage of the Alps, and the way he plays with his grandchildren, makes me know he appreciates life, the finer, most important points, and it makes me want to appreciate those as well.

So there you go, Japan... I'm sure there will be references, even further posts about this amazing country, but for now, we bid you adieu and move on in this incredible journey.

These Days will also Live in Infamy...

2009-10-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

In Tokyo Annie, Emily and I spent a few hours in the Japanese War Museum or the rough equivalent of. It walked you through the ages of the Japanese Military, with a major emphasis on World War II. Among the exhibits was an entire wall dedicated to the back and forth communication between Japan and the US, attempting to agree upon terms which would end the War against Japan and thus preventing any further actions by Allied forces. The exhibit basically aims to show that Japan did everything in its power to prevent the ordeal, short of agreeing to the Potsdam Declaration in its state. The exhibit then moves on to the remainder of the War, which includes the dropping of atomic bombs on first Hiroshima, then Nagasaki, the first of their kind.

To stand in that museum and read, along side of hundreds of other Japanese, was a pretty moving experience. To know that the actions of your country's government and military, in two simple actions, is responsible for the deaths of over 280,000 people, with tactics never before seen in the history of mankind, is humbling. It was difficult and my immediate reaction was... I want to stand on a box in this room and apologize. Dumb, I know, but that's raw emotion. And yes yes yes, there are many considerations, Japan was not being an "angel", forced laboring, other mass murder, and deaths as result of the causes of the War, but at that moment, it's as if the dropping of the atomic bomb, regardless of whether it was invoked or necessary, was the single worst thing anyone could do.

We wanted to know more. So we included a quick trip down to Hiroshima, to take in the environment, the A-Bomb Dome and the Atomic Bomb Museum. I tell you....that place will knock you on your ass. Not only seeing first hand the utter and total destruction caused by a bomb with this much power, heat, residue, but also how the War up to that point was impacting families of Hiroshima and other cities and towns in Japan and then the aftermath of the bomb and how difficult it was for Hiroshima to get to its feet once again. The museum has interesting macro-level information as well as micro, very individual stories and how webs of people were impacted by the events of August 4, 1945. A couple things are very vivid: the stained white walls with black rain, the melted coins from people's pockets, the hand drawn pictures of the scenes of melting flesh and people jumping in rivers done by survivors, and Yuichiro Sasaki's photography exhibit - outlining the days and years in Hiroshima after the bomb was dropped and how difficult it was to actually decide what to do with parts of the city which are now dedicated to memorializing that faithful day.

So....lead by example America, disarm and believe that others will see the light and follow suit. If you can do that Barak, then you'll be deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize.

Travis and Sarah got a girl!!

2009-10-11T01:23:00.000-07:00

From half way around the world we are celebrating the new arrival of Lila May Sumner- born on October 3rd at 7 lb. 11 oz. We are so excited to meet her in person next August but until then Skype will have to do. We love you Ms. Lila- sleep well- for your parent's sake.

Typhoons, Earthquakes, Eruptions....Oh My!

2009-10-10T05:02:00.000-07:00

So it seems that Mother Nature and the good folks of planet earth are having it out with Japan at the mo. Not only did the main island receive its worst Typhoon in 10 years earlier this week (it came right through Nagano prefecture, where we're currently farming), but we also experienced an earthquake last night! Well when I say "we" I mean, at roughly 4:10 AM JST this morning I woke up and felt a rattling... a bit of a hum and shake. Now, at the time I couldn't tell you if I was dreaming, awake, half way in between or what, so I recorded the thought and went back to bed. 6 AM rolls around, Annie and I are up early to do a hike on our day off and I ask "Annie - O, did you feel the ground shaking last night?" "Nope" was the response. So I said, must've been a dream. But I couldn't let it go, so after breakfast I googled "Japan earthquakes 2009" ... sure enough... look at this ish: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/3/20091010041944391-100414.html

It wasn't an f-ing dream! So there you have it... two natural phenomena in less than a week. Phfeww... I say let's get them out of the way now and keep them harmless. And yeah, no eruptions.......... yet.

Did I ever tell you I love sumo wrestling?

2009-10-05T06:55:00.000-07:00

Well I do, big whup, wanna fight about it? I remember staying up late nights watching tape delayed sumo tournaments on ESPN2 throughout high school and college. It fascinated to me. The size, the strength, the outfit (or lack there of). What else I was drawn to was the candor and demeanor of the wrestlers. No matter if in victory or defeat these giants be gentle(man). They'd help each other up, keep a straight and mellow face, and go about their business - kicking ass. I'm sure it all starts with the polite, subdued Japanese culture, add to it aspects of traditional sumo and and I've always admired the individual athletes for how they carried themselves.

So after knowing that Japan was a stop on our world tour, I knew exactly what I wanted to do, if provided the chance - watch a sumo tournament.

Come to find out, you can get sumo tickets at your local convenient store. Talk about convenient, is there anything you can't do Family Mart!?

So after a few emails with our Tokyo host, Emily Erwin, we were in business. We had a box for four at day 11 of September's 15 day tournament.

First, the box. It's a one and a half meter by one and a half meter square raised floor space, with four pillows. There are no seats, so deal. Great view of the doyo, but not spacious to the point of comfortable.

So, what I wasn't seeing growing up watching these shortened televised broadcasts was everything that happens in between the 10-30 second matches - two biggest things being the ritual and the showmanship.

In addition to traditional entrance ceremonies, personal colors and outfits, each wrestler goes through upwards of 6 min of ritual before each match. Traditional stances, throwing salt onto the doyo, drinking water, washing up ... all of it very interesting to see, because each wrestler does it a bit differently. And this is where the showmanship comes in. These rituals are also a time of the dudes to intimidate, stare down and basically 'get into the head' of the his opponent. And boy does the crowd love the show. Yokozuna (highest ranking wrestler) Asashōryū was a standout... bending lower than his opponent, staring him down in the pre-match stance practices, and his energy, really got the crowds support. In an event which has lots of down time, if you're NOT into the ritual, that showmanship is just what you're looking for.

So, we did it. Went to sumo, crammed into our box, had our bento boxes and watched giants, scantly clad throw each other about. It was..... AWESOME. Check out the Tokyo pics to get a taste.

Everything in Tokyo is backwards (including me) 139 degrees

2009-09-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

We've been in Japan for about a week and a half and I just realized that I've been peeing backwards. Everytime you enter a bathroom it's a new experience. We arrived in Tokyo from Vancouver and proceeded directly to a basball game in Tokyo with some friends from my Mount Abe days. Great game, great spirit, amazing excitment and fortunately some adrenaline rushing through our jet lagged bodies. Just needed to use the bathroom, so I took a chance. Now I had heard about "having to pee in a hole" possibility on this trip but wasn't fully expecting a japanese ballpark to be the time or place. But, if you know me, I take it for what it's worth and do was the locals do (later I find out the locals do it facing the other direction but give me a little credit.) Traditonal Japanese style toilets are quite simply a basin in the floor that you squat over and try your best to aim properly. Coming from the outdoors of Alaska actually helped in this situation, I was well practiced in my backcountry stance.

From my first run in with the culturally shocking women's room I've become quite facinated with this piece of Japanese tradition. In my time here I've come across the automatic lid lifter, the flushing sound effect button, the blacklight backdrop, the apricot cleanser spray, the preflush, the bum washer and sometimes, if you're lucky, it's all rolled into one. And of course, clearly stated "Please use cleanly".

Japan is completely different from anything I've ever known culturally, this just being one small piece of the puzzle but a fair representation of my culture shock. Ryan and I have prepared ourselves by going into these experiences with an open mind and appetite for a challenge but Japan has been an amazing test.

Vancouver (along with Cleveland) Rocks - Longitude 123 degrees

2009-09-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

If you've never been you should go- we had a very short stay but took advantage of every waking moment we had there. Vancouver was basically built yesterday so everything is very new and doesn't have that old brownstone, Boston feel. They did however learn from others and protected an amazing amount of open space when they drew up plans for this wonderful city. Stanley Park, 1,000 acres or 500,000 trees, is at one end of the city and has a great seawall that goes all the way around the outside with a one way bike/walking path that's five and a half miles long. We were able to borrow bikes from friends and made the trip around, views of the ocean and the massive mountains in the back ground made for some amazing sights. We stayed with Jamie and Beth who have been living there for a year and a half and absolutely love it. They say the best part is that you can get to the mountains for a few runs in about twenty minutes and then hop back home and go to the beach for a swim. As we were riding the bikes around through the farmers market, arts communities and plethora of green space we looked at each other and said there's something just a little too quaint and perfect, what gives?
Part of all the new growth is in preparation for the 2010 winter Olympics and it's everywhere. They just built a new section of above ground train out to the airport and a whole Olympic village right on the waterfront. They've cleaned up some of the shadier parts of town and put in whole new blocks of stores. This place is going to be hopping come February. Look for Jamie and Beth at the women's curling event.

All in all a great stop on the tour, one of those that we didn't really plan as a destination but it did make itself on the list of places to come back to. We've passed through a few spots like that that we've decided require more exploration. So thanks Jamie and Beth- we'll be back.

Finishing Up with Seward's Folly

2009-09-22T05:46:00.000-07:00

We closed out our Alaska visit with a quick stop in Skagway, over to Sitka, then a few days in Juneau.

Skagway was a blur, highlighted by our day trip to Laughton Glacier. A quick train ride (short gauge yukon pass train of Klondike fame) gets you to the trail head. The 3 mile hike up to glacier was specatcular, with a rushing river of glacial water as your guide and views of the glacier soon into the trip. Annie and I beat the majority of the other hikers (a couple of tours and some independents) up to the ice, so we basically had the entire monstrous beauty to ourselves. We then had a super fun, walking day in Skagway with Rosie.

On to Sitka where the heavens seemed to open in a gush of rain. Luckily we had secured accomodation before hand, so it was the perfect time to be sopped in. We spent our nights at the Jamestown Bay B&B, owned by Gary and Connie McCanty. Gary we met on our first day in Ketchikan, he also was on our Bellingham ferry. During breaks in the rain we did the typical exploring and hiking. Sitka was billed as the "San Francisco of Southeast Alaska". There was certainly some charm and you could tell that there was a decent community (the last farmer's market of the season was a treat) but we just didn't get the time or the vibe to substatiate any claim of that caliber. I'm thinking a return trip is in order.

Our last ferry ride brought us to Juneau. Annie fell head over heels for the capital. She can't pinpoint why, but I think after the build up for Sitka and the negative press Juneau had received, I think she wanted to route for the underdog. Our second day in town happened to land on opening day of the NFL season. We watched the New York Football Giants beat Washington at the Imperial Saloon, with a dozen other Giants fans, free chili and hotdogs, and Alaskan beer on tap. Straight up local! In Juneau we were also in touch with Patty Collins, one of those dad's coworker's, wife's, brother's wife connections, which turned out to be terrific. Patty and husband Bill weren't able to spend much time with us, but they offered up bikes, which we used to the fullest - tooling around to different places in the area. With bikes we were able to see Perserverance Theater's performance of By the Skin of our Teeth (Douglas, AK), get to Mendenhall Glacier Ice Caves and get out to the nearest hatchery for two salmon fishing sessions (you're damn right, caught a nice silver, legally even). We also did some hiking, enjoyed a free movie at a local bagel shop and met another cast of characters, including Bruce and Judy, a couple we first met in Skagway.

A 4:15 am cab ride to Juneau International and we said so long to the 49th state of the Union. So, thanks for the folly Mr. William H. Seward... we've enjoyed your icebox immensely.

Konnichiwa!

2009-09-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

Quick post to let everyone know we've made it to the Land of the Rising Sun! We finished our time in AK, spent a few night's with Jamie and Beth in Vancouver and landed here Saturday afternoon. From Narita Airport we ditched our bags in a railway station lockers and b lined it to Tokyo's Jingu Stadium to watch the Yomiuri Giants take on our Tokyo Yakult Swallows. What a start! More to come... Until then all the best.

The way we travel the Southeast - Longitude 135 Degrees

2009-09-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

Southeast Alaska. Part one of our year long adventure is drawing to a close as we pack up in Sitka and hop aboard the Alaska Marine Highway one last time. Our time here has been amazing in many ways but the two things that stick in my mind the most are two very different modes of transportation, hiking and ferry rides.

One day we were walking in the woods, actually a lot days we walked in the woods, and I looked at Ryan and asked "Did you know we were going to be doing this much hiking in Alaska?" I guess I knew that you go to Alaska to see the outdoors and the beauty of mountains but I really didn't know it was going to be the center of our journey to climb everythig we could get our hands on. It has however made for some amazing views and frequently quality time just the two of us. It's not like hiking up to sunset rock in Lincoln where you're bound to come across three or four groups along the way, we often walked alone. I cherish our time on top of those mountains as the wind creates sound and all you can see are more peaks. We've also found that the Alaskans are not afraid of a good pitch. When creating these trails, they get to 3000ft in a hurry. It's been great to get out in the wild and get our bodies ready for whatever comes next.

Our other most popular mode of transportaion has been the lovely Alaskan Marine Highway and if we can be a little partial, the Columbia ship specifically. We've made a home on these vessels as we meander our way between islands, through narrows and across open water. We've learned well the whereabouts of the solarium, in which we set up our little beds on old white plastic lawn chairs and create our little piece of heaven. You're often on the boat for days at a time as we top out at 25 knots or so, but quite frankly you don't want them to. It's nice to be on the water snuggled in your sleeping bag in southeast Alsaka. There's something a little adventurous, a little homey, and a little romantic about these ships.

Alaska has been a great stepping stone for us as we settle into our packs, our budget, and each other. I think we're figuring it out and Japan will test that in a little over a week as we enter a new culture, land and mode of transportation.

Our home away from home, Haines, AK

2009-09-11T23:37:00.000-07:00

Haines, AK is like home to us.

Here's why:
$5 ocean front lodging - Portage Cove Campground

Met another Vermonter immediately - First afternoon we were there we met Kelley, works at the local bike shop: Sockeye Cycle. He's working at Bike Center in Middlebury VT next summer...true story.

The wildlife - we saw feeding brown bears, black bears, bald eagles, mountain goats

Access to Canada - we rented a car and took a day trip to the Yukon.... you hear me, the Yukon... like Yukon Cornelius from the animated classic "Land of Misfit Toys"... well that's what it should've been called named

Fireweed - with their amazing specialty pizzas and calzones and carbonated beverages (see "Their beer") This place also held an open mic, with local musicians doin' their thang.

Their beer - Haines Brewery boasts a nice IPA and Red, plus their own delectable Spruce Tip Ale. Annie-O's favorite. Served at all the local establishments around town and the brewery had $10 growler refills, 1 1/2 mile walk outside of town.

Friends - Met a nice lady, Rosie, who is traveling to all 50 states in a year. She's on thirty something, but after Hawaii, her drive back to the Midwest will get her to fifty. The she plans on getting a graduate certificate in urban planning and helping Detroit become self sustaining..how 'bout that!?

More Friends - Met a couple, Annie from Maine, Paul from DC, during a 10-mile. Annie from Maine, was carrying a Red Sox hat with her and a simple "BoSox fan, eh?" turned into a rendezvous later that evening at none other than Fireweed. Turns out these two have spent a lot of time conserving and protecting the trail we were hiking when we met them. They sat down, we shared a couple pitchers and agreed to see them again. Later in the week, we brought a growler of IPA and a growler of spruce tip to their house, near the town's salvation army and chatted and sipped for an afternoon. Just great stuff - they're headed back to Maine for their yearly Autumn trip..six weeks to see the leaves change, then back to AK! Paul, accommodating to a fault was the one who told us to go up to the Yukon. He wanted to do it himself.."Annie, we should really take a drive up there with these two tomorrow. We haven't been there in a while." Annie, knowing they had plenty to do before heading back East listened and let it go for a while, but eventually said, "Paul, now, now I have to say something... we just have too much to do and don't have the time." Put a smile on my face, both Annies always level headed and calculated

Trails - We had our best hike in Haines: 7-mile saddle, to 3920, to Mt Ripinsky north peak, then south and down, a ten mile jaunt that took us to uh...3920 ft above sea level, but had us gain more than 5000 ft total...and our worst in Haines: Mt Riley. River trails, mountain trails, great variety.

Their rivers - Chilkoot and the Chilkat, very different, unique habitats and fun to explore

Sea kayaking - in the fjords, e'nuff (z'nuff) said

Their coffee haunts - Ripinsky Roasters at Mountain Market was the beez neez.

Their public library - open until 9 PM, donation based internet access, a large supply of movies

Their pie - Northern Light's blueberry pie was ridiculous

When you find yourself really enjoying a place it's interesting to stop and ask why. Why am I liking this place better than others? When the result of your question is a list the length of the one above, you know you've found a fit. You also begin to see, through repetition what's really important for you in a community and place to live. For us, it's never been a secret... mountains, waters, wildlife, food, libations and people are the key. But experiencing the importance of an active public library in Haines opened my eyes a bit. It's something I've always taken for granted. I can't tell you the last time I was in the Bixby Library (public library in Vergennes, VT). I don't know what they're doing for the community or to what level it's being taken advantage of. After seeing the large role the library plays here and in other small Southeast Alaskan towns, it makes me want to ensure that the community we end up in, has these types of resources available. If not, then we should work to make them available and ensure people know what's out there.

Petersburg: Short and Sweet

2009-09-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

We ended up spending just under 72 hours in Petersburg, but boy did it leave a mark. It's a town of around 3,000 people built on the proper combination of fisheries (mostly), logging (minimal), tourism (minimal). It sits a'top (northern most point) Mitkof Island and is accessible from the south through the Wrangell Narrows - an impressive waterway, which when navigated by the ferry we arrived on I liken to boating up otter creek to the Vergennes falls.... shits tieeeeght! One of the Narrow's best parts, besides its natural beauty, is that it doesn't allow the large cruise ships through, thus no cruisers (ah yes they have a name) clogging up Petersburg streets throughout the summer. After Ketchikan (three to four boats a day) that was amazingly refreshing.

It's a fishing town with north, mid, and south docks lined with trollers, seiners, gill-netters and charter fishing boats... the docks are awesome. We actually met a born and bread Petersburg fisherman, Mike, through our Petersburg host (owner of Alaska Island Hostel, Ryn). After meeting Mike at the Hostel Saturday afternoon noon, we saw him again that evening on his boat, as he prepared for a three day silver (coho) salmon trip. The trip are all regulated by the state to maintain sustainable fish populations. He super nice, loved answering questions and sharing knowledge of the art. Talking to him you realize, in these parts...everyone fishes. You don't have to work for a company, you are the company and everyone sells their catch back to the local cannery. Mike's been doing it himself for years, with side gigs here and there. I was this close to heading out with him, little first mate, deck hand action, but wasn't in the cards; just means we'll have to return. We've got a picture of his boat which we'll post once we get wifi back. Just awesome stuff.

While walking the docks Sunday (the next day) we saw two of the kids that were on our original ferry ride up from Bellingham, WA. They were twenty somethings, decked out in rain gear obviously now assigned to a boat and workin away. It was the first realization of how small the Southeast Alaska community could be if you traveled throughout it at any length. I wonder how often people travel outside of their town or borough, to other parts of SE Alaska... my guess is not much.

On Sunday, we also followed, what seemed like, everyone's advice and partook in a local greasy spoon favorite: Halibut Beer Bits at Coastal Cold Storage; a small deli slash fresh and frozen seafood joint on Nordic Ave (the main drag). It was deeeeelic, sided with fries... which were also very good. Annie said it was like they had "hand picked the best McDonald's fries and put them in one basket". Don't act like you don't know what we talkin' about!

So... to sum it up: good people, good scenery, still, calm waters, 3,000 foot spruced peaks, boats galore, good food and - although we didn't talk about it - an interesting fashion statement centered around 16" tall rubber boots (wait for the pictures), it's spectacular.

I'd like to come back here, jump on a boat and learn more about the lifestyle of a commercial fisherman. It seems like everyone knows a bit more about the crabbing and fishing industries of AK now with the Deadliest Catch (out of Dutch Harbor, AK) and the other reality shows cropping up... I'd like to see a show like that turn to a Mike, to teach us more about the trade, rather than focusing on the greenhorn who is pissing off the captain and not doing his job right. These guys know so much about the ocean, the weather, and wildlife (fish and other). I'd like to learn more from them, rather than see the soap opera. I guess that's why we've got the history channel, NatGeo and Discovery, no!?

Aaaaaaanyway (that's a shout out to my friend erik hausler), been a GREAT few days here in Haines. Did the 10 miler yesterday - 5,100 ft of total elevation, was incredible. Tested us both physically and mentally, but was so well worth it. Can't wait to post about it soon.

"Catch" you in a bit... wow, that was awful.

Take care folks.

Our ship has sailed...on to Haines

2009-08-31T20:43:00.000-07:00

Another quick one, but logger post within the next couple of days... promisimo.

Did Raven's, was awesome, good hike, neat cabin, low cloud with limited breaks... but got some good views of Wrangell Narrows and Fredrik's Sound. Hike back into town the next day and spent two nights in Peterburg. Loved it. Fishing village, proud (like most of AK), friendly, tasty, blah, blah. But alas we moved on... to greener waters (no really) and north to Haines. Did the overnight ferry through Juneau and arrived about 12 noon today.

This place is spectacular. Taller, more rugged and shit... the first blue sky we've seen. This afternoon we hopped on bikes out to Chilkoot River/Lake and caught our first bear... a male black, feasting on sockeye salmon. What a start!

We're back to camping - awesome place 3/4 a mile outside of town for $5 a night. Cha-ching!

K, time at the library is running out... we're going to do a 10 miler and get to 4,000 feet above this place tomorrow. Should be great and be in the high 60's. Wow!

Talk again, soon.

Love - a+r

Headed to Raven's Roost

2009-08-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Ferried up to Petersburg last night. Dropped in on the Alaska Island Hostel for a quick snooze (arrived around midnight, walked 1.5 miles, in bed by 1 AM). Now headed to Raven's Roost for the night... a National Forest Service Cabin about 2000 ft above sea level just behind Petersburg. Suppoda be great views of the area and if it's clear (cross your fingers y'all) a great place to see the northern lights this time of year!

Talk soon. Thoughts and prayers to all of those impacted by the fires in southern CA. We know a few.

Ketchikan 131 degrees longitude

2009-08-26T19:28:00.000-07:00

Now that we've sewn the US and Canada together (Vermont to Montreal to New York to Vancouver to Washington to Canadian Waters to Alaska) we've finally found a home in Ketchikan for a few days. We've been trying to mix with the locals but it's hard to find them amongst all the cruisers as there are as many as five ships in town a day. Luckily they leave pretty promptly by four o'clock. Our second home to our wet tent has been 'The New York Cafe' were we sit for a couple of hours each morning reading, catching up on e-mail and basically drying out and planning the day. We've chatted with a few people that are passing by Ketchikan but one that stood out to me was a man sitting with his wife and two beautiful girls. They were on one of the ships celebrating his sisters 40th birthday but looking at us enviously as we talked about our coming travels. He said that they've traveled quite a bit in their yester years and he says it's the people that you meet that make the most impact as opposed to the places you go.

That statement holds very true for our Bellingham visit, the Washington town we left out of five days ago. Although it was short we meet an amazing person that I truly believe kicked this trip off to a good start. After finally finding our way into town from the airport we decided the best way to save money and play too was to rent bikes to get us to the camp ground instead of paying for a taxi and then renting bikes. At first it sounded like a great idea but after loading fifty plus pounds on our backs the idea lost some charm. At first it was a laugh out loud experience of trying to balance the weight and ride the bike- picture a clown with three clowns stacked on his shoulders- quite a sight. The experience went from looking pretty ridiculous to silence as we tried pumping up the hills. At one point Ryan got so pissed off that he decided to loose weight where ever he could and started dumping all of our water on the side of the road. It was right about this time that our Savior MaryAnne pulled along side and offered to help. We willing accepted and dumped all of our belongings (passports, wallets, cameras, computers, the whole lot) into the back of her truck and she said she'd meet us at the camp entrance which was right around the corner. First of all note to self- think twice about giving up all valuable belongings. It turned out that MaryAnne was a bonified angel and ended up helping us return the packs when we needed to catch the ferry and even packed us some survival homemade zucchini bread for the boat trip. If I could shrink MaryAnne and put her in my pocket she would be my one allotted Luxury item.

Sleeping with the fishes

2009-08-25T21:57:00.000-07:00

On our 37 hour ferry trip from Bellingham, WA to Ketchikan, AK we met numerous people. The open arrangement and common living environment demanded that you get to know your neighbor. That, added to the fact that a majority of us would crowd around the aft facing decks to view scenery and possibly see marine life - we were a tight bunch. (FYI, saw our first breaching humpback, a few pods of porposes and a pod of orcas all on the way up. But back to the people.) Annie and I spent a lot of time with Brianne, a Coloradian from Telluride, who was headed up to kayak with a friend in Prince William Sound near Seward/Valdez. However the person we met which had the most immediate impact on our stay in Ketchikan was a retired AMHS second steward named Steve. He lives in Ketchikan with his family, one kid still in high school the others either in college or married off. After speaking with him (read: listening to him tell some of his amazing stories) he offered up his back yard as a place to pitch our tent while in Ketchikan.

Free lodging? Yes, please!

So Sunday AM we jumped off the boat... a 7 AM arrival, and set off to Steve's. In the van was Steve, his son Tuvia, Steve's old friend Dave (who had come for a visit on the same ferry), Dave's daughter Alice, 3 boxes of supplies which Steve had brought back from Seattle, Annie and I. OH and all of our shit (!) which is not an immaterial amount. Annie lapped it with me and off we went.

A quick trip from the ferry terminal, through downtown Ketchikan got us to Steve's place and a look at our digs... not a back yard as much as a back porch, set 15 feet away from the (raging at the moment) Ketchikan Creek... and what else did we see, but thousands upon thousands of salmon circling in the pools behind us. Oh yes, late August finds us smack dab in the middle of the Pink Salmon run, where salmon abandon the cushy life of the ocean and use their noses to meander their way back to their original birthplace to lay eggs and die. Crazy sight... straight out of the NatGeo or Disc Channel, our jaws dropped, we sat in amazement. This was homebase for the nex 4 days!

We pitched the tent, made some oatmeal, and headed to town to explore.

Now three days later we're getting the feel of Ketchikan, a town of 12,000, ruled by the cruise ship schedules and the fish cycles. It's been wet... really wet. That;s the norm here in Southeast Alaska and especially in Ketchikan where a typical August nets the town close to 11 inches of rain and where the yearly total is measured openly in the middle of town. This summer has been a bit different, drier than usual... that is, until Annie and I entered the state. We've done our best with what we've got - trying to channel the inner Ketchikanian attitude. NOAA says it is supposed to let up a bit tomorrow, so we'll see. We originally expected to get our kayaking fix here, but it may have to wait. Instead, if the forecast holds true for tomorrow we're planning a 4/5 hour hike up Deer Moutain and onto Blue Lake. We'll see how it pans out.

Talk in a bit. Much love.

Airports provide down time - 73 degrees longitude

2009-08-19T17:25:00.001-07:00

This morning started out with one of the longest Lincoln showers I've taken in years. It was one of those showers that you take when you really don't know when the next one might come your way. Clean head to toe and all packed up, the crew left Lincoln in route to pick up Kathy and head to Montreal for our first leg. I found there to many last minute throw ins and loose ends to tie but the one that's been on many lists for weeks now was to learn how to knit. Wouldn't you know that the car ride from Williston Central School to Trudeau, Montreal provides almost enough mother/daughter teacher/student time to learn the craft. I say almost because it was looking pretty good until I continued after our tearful goodbyes. I'll keep trying mom- hold me to it.

It's hard to believe that we've been out of work for two and half weeks- probably because this is one of the first times I stopped moving. It's been a mix of emotions as we pack up our life and try to fit it into an internal frame pack. My excited thoughts of what are to come in this journey are so overpowering my fear and sadness of leaving a place I love so much. I was thinking back to previous long term trips I've taken and realized that this one is different in one important way, we're doing it together. There's something comforting about that.

A longer than usual goodbye - 73 degrees longitude

2009-08-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

We’re a family of long and often multiple goodbyes. Most family functions include so many people that it takes a good 30 min for someone to do a proper farewell. If out at a restaurant, there will be the typical goodbyes said at the table, once the meal is complete, there will be the goodbyes as we all walk out of the restaurant and to the parking lot, then there will be juuuust a bit more conversation before someone finally breaks down or gets the group together for one, final, lasting, culminating …. “see ya later, alligator”.

Annie and I have bee saying goodbye, it seems like, for a month and a half. We’ve been talking about our trip for a while and have seen a lot of folks multiple times since first discussing the trip. Everytime the topic comes up, Annie and I both light up and people really seem to enjoy hearing about it. Then the conversation typically meanders through to the ultimate question "When you leaving, again?" ... "Aug 19th" ... "Oh shoot, well I'll see you before then. See ya later." Annie and I are ready... ready for the "alligator" part.

That being said, the last two and a half weeks since leaving Boston and Medullan have been great. A week in Vermont with family and friends, then a week on Block island, pulling together a wedding (Annie's cousing Jessica and her Beau Paul)...all the while enjoying the sights, sounds and of course when meeting new people, talking about the trip.... talking through our plans (or lack there of), learning about people's experiences with the places we may visit, and hearing about the friend, who knows a guy, who knows a guy, who lives near the area that we may visit. So with all that talk, comes the further yearning to get going, to start the adventure and start walking the walk.

One thing Annie and I have both been able to do recently, before taking off, is visit our grandparents. My trip to see gram was last, happening just this morning. I was lucky enough to roll in to find my dad's sister, aunt sue there (she takes care of gram a bit during the week). We had a few laughs while catching up on all the big doin's - she got a great perm (!) and is doing her best to enjoy the company she keeps at the elderly group she meets with three times a week, and that she prefers the walker to the cane (keep pushin her Momma!) . It was one of those invaluable 20 minutes, the perfect "see ya later, alligator".

So now we're ready to go and I KNOW that people are ready to see us off. So although it may have been a long goodbye, even by my family's standards, it seemed about right to me and the perfect send off to this adventure of a lifetime.

Sitting In An Empty Apartment

2009-07-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

It's interesting to be sitting in our apartment that we've spent three years furnishing and making exactly the type of home we wanted to spend time in and now it's all packed up and moved away. You go through life with different missions- there was no buying of accent pieces or kitchenware this weekend. That phase it over for the time being. This weekend was spent in REI and EMS- a new focus on life. We leave for our trip in less then a month and it's finally starting to hit me. To travel around the world is something people talk about and dream about but to actually pick a departure date is another thing. I feel pretty lucky to say "we're traveling around the world"? THE WORLD IS HUGE- or is it?

Getting the blogspot up and runnin'....

2009-07-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

So, t-minus 5 1/2 weeks before the we take off outta Canahdaduh... and it's gonna fly by. I don't have another chill weekend (in Boston) from now until go time. Gonna be great though, making it a point to meet all sorts of folks I haven't seen in a while before we take off. The most interesting finding ... I'm meeting up with people now who I haven't seen in over a year, seeking them out like I will not seem them FOREVER, but in reality.. I won't see them for, most likely, the amount of time I have already not seen them... you know what I'm sayin? I don't.

Our Treks

2009-03-01T00:27:00.000-08:00

So we're finding that we're doing a lot of hiking... yeah sure, makes sense, we love to do it. We thought it'd be neat to put together a page that lists all of the hikes, walks, treks, climbs, etcetera that we do over the course of the year... so here it goes.

The start of something big...

2009-02-16T16:23:00.000-08:00

First blog post in the 50+ combined years that Annie and I have been alive. I love that term x+ ... it has so many answers.

So, I'm hoping this becomes a place for annie and I to share experiences, our thoughts, our advice and most importantly our adventures with anyone and everyone who could benefit. This web 2.0 stuff is pretty fantastic and I'm interested to see how our own experiment with it takes off.

So more to come, but that's all for now. Speak soon.

Contact Us

2006-01-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

Get in touch with us while we're on the road. We're going to need all sorts of support from people we know and love, so bring it!

You know, since we won't be able to read the Addison Independent on Tuesdays and Thursdays we're gonna need the local new reel from the likes of you all.

Our Trip

2006-01-01T20:25:00.000-08:00

Starting planning at the start of 2009. Wanted to get out of the 9-5, starting a family soon, so gotta bust out while the bustin' is good.

Here's the itinerary...

Aug - Sep Alaska
Sep - Oct Japan
Oct - Nov Northern China
Nov Nepal
Dec - Feb 2010 Hong Kong to Bangkok
Mar Tanzania
April - May Italy, Eastern Europe, Scandanavia
June Argentina
July Peru
Aug Central America, Los Angeles
pick up cousins in CA, then drive back east

Shit... that's ridic.

Trip Calendar

2006-01-01T19:21:00.000-08:00

This is the calendar that we'll try to keep update while on the road. A bunch of folks have dremt, thought or talked about meeting us at some point on our journey. We hope this gives everyone the opportunity to look ahead a bit and decide where you want to come join the adventure... take a look a keep us posted!