The Windey Road

Always Stay with the Bear Spray

2010-05-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

Big Jim Pleyte and I were finishing off a great day of hiking, trekking on a trail near Specimen Ridge , a favorite area of ours in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone. My suspect body was holding up to the challenges of elevation and a lot of up. What can happen in the wild turned a leisurely hike into an adventure. Midway in the hike, Jim wanted to do a little exploring. I would rest at the dead tree. Jim would continue to a point beknownst to him. After a while, I wandered a bit. I was never more than one hundred yards from the anointed tree but because of terrain and high wind we never saw nor heard one another when he returned. After not finding me at the tree, Jim then worked his way to the road. I stayed put for 1 and ½ hours as boy scout trained and bellowed “Pleyte”!!! ineffectively into the wind. I then spotted a bear like animal on a distant slope. Without bear bell or bear spray a nervous tension gripped my stomach. It was time to leave. I was paralleling our original route up when 50 yards to my left lumbered a grizzly with its distinct hump and confident air of an animal on the top of the food chain. My Pleyte pleas now included arm waving with the idea of looking bigger than my 155 lb reality.
I proceeded out thinking worst case scenarios. Jim was still looking for me in the fading light and approaching snow storm. What would I tell his wife, Flo? Who would pay for the helicopter search for Jim? I waved and yelled in case Jim was glassing the terrain for me.
I soon found out that a search had already been initiated for me, ME!, the seasoned hiker assumed lost, like a wandering old soul with Alzheimer’s. 200 yards from the road, Zula, a black and white collie mix, was the first to find me. A quick excited sniff and back to her handler. “Are you David Maertz?” She asked “Yes, I am. How is Mr. Pleyte? “ “ He is back on the road .” After a greeting and a manly hug, we told our stories. It turned out I wasn’t staying at said tree as instructed. Blame aside, all ended well with the moral of the story- Stay with the guy with the bear spray.

photo of bear by Jim Pleyte

We will helicopter in!

2009-08-29T06:56:00.000-07:00

We will helicopter in!
It was a 6 hour drive to Dreger's cabin, snuggled between the pines and designed to capture view of the panoramic mountains rising from the shores of of Horn Lake. The drive was uneventful except for a forest fire we passed so close to be fogged in by smoke and feel the prickly heat. The action included a helicopter droning to the fire directly above us, delivering a huge water bag bomb. Gerry sped on as I documented the event by rapid clicking pictures like a drive by shootist.
Glenn and Di were used to outdoor drama. Glenn was seasoned to the outdoors, hunting and fishing for sport and a living when he was not teaching the sciences to reluctant and recalcitrant students in the juvenile correctional system. Glenn's life had been full of outdoor adventure, having close encounters with moose, bear and mountain lion which bordered on life threatening. His experience did not have the film crew back up of now popular, in the wild, reality TV shows.
Di also taught the sciences. Her genteel boarding school English background expressed itself in the beautiful botany of her gardens, her talent with water color art. Her love of the outdoors, and her ability to pitch in when a moose needs butchering makes Glen and Di a perfect fit.
Glenn had sketched a plan for our visit to include a resplendent hike in the adjacent Niuts in the Chocoltin area of British Columbia. We knew whatever Glenn planned would be special, but when he wrote, "we will helicopter in and hike out," time was needed to digest the implications. The indigestible part seemed to center around we will helicopter in. This idea stuck in Gerry's flat lander caw.
We slept well at the Dreger cabin that night, supported by the gentle sound of soft pine needles outside our window.
The next morning we arrived at the helicopter service, no security checks there. Mike, our pilot and owner, had a burly , competent look about him. In conversation we found out Mike had been the precision water bomber who flew over us the day before. WE small talked with Mike and his wife, Deborah, before take off. Deborah picked up something in Gerry's body language, which prompted her to ask, "Are you nervous?" Gerry's weak yes was two octaves higher than normal. Deborah assured Gerry that Mike was a top notch pilot. The preflight instructions were as follows. Upon leaving the aircraft, drop to one knee and stay low. The prop can drop to 5 feet. Hang on to all loose objects to keep them from being sucked into the fuselage. He added" That would be bad."
The flight was exhilarating. We rose above the tree line and were dropped in an area with breath-taking barren beauty. The plants have a bonsai quality, trained by mother nature to keep a low profile.
With experience and a GPS, Glenn picked the easiest route back. The seven hour hike was tiring, but worth the effort in views and experience. The only casualties were Glenn's great toenails that objected to the banging received during the steep part of the decent.
Safely back at the Dreger hideaway, the difficulty and strain of the day became pleasant exhaustion, washed away by a quick rinse in Lake Horn, cold Canadian beer and good company.

Bottom 2 photos were taken by Glenn.

Calakmul Xpujil

2009-02-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

This are is one of my favorite parts of the Yucatan. We were there first last winter. It is filled with ruins which are little visited. There are new roads going to this area, but the tourists still have come very little.

I like the picture of the trees and dirt growing on the stairs of the Calakmul ruins because it shows how hidden the ruins are. Supposedly every mound one goes by in the Yucatan is most likely a ruin.The ruins in this area also have incredible detail.

We like to stay at Rio Bec Dreams when we are in this area. It is rustic, but very nice. It is owned by 2 Canadians, Rick and Diane. She is a great cook, another reason to stay there. (As like almost anywhere, there is not much good food in rural areas.) She is a bit touchy, however. We had changed our plans twice, but I always emailed her. Our first morning there, she brought us our bill and said “I have changed my plans and you have to leave.” Dave and I were quite startled. First we were rather angry, but decided we wanted to stay there and therefore a better tactic would be to talk with her a bit to change her mind. We did convince her to let us stay. By the end of the 3 days there, Rick was suggesting we build a cabana there of our own.

I think that is unlikely.

Uxmal ruins

2009-01-29T18:24:00.003-08:00

We headed to Santa Elena to see the ruins at Uxmal. Santa Elena is a small town with few services. Vendors of the type in the photo are common. We had a pretty nice cabin in the town. The night sky was amazing.

Izamal, Yucatan birthday party

2009-01-29T08:27:00.000-08:00

We returned to the Hacienda Chalante on the edge of Izamal, where we have been twice before. We were invited to the owner, Diane’s, 70th birthday party. She had lived there for many years with her American, ex-military husband. She was widowed about 10 year ago and remarried a local, Victor. She is one of the few ex-patriots we have met who seems to have created a happy life for herself and lives in the new culture. It is also interesting that she is older thanher mother in law. Her mother in law is the woman in Mayan dress with the grandkids or great grandkids. They seem to really quiet down around her. Diane is in the cowboy hat in the middle picture with me and our travelling companions, Glenn and Di.

Another reason for the party was Diane's glass bottle church was completed.

The food was interesting- 2 courses of pork, many salsas and corn tortillas. Notmuch for Dave to eat.

Izamal, Yucatan

2009-01-21T14:05:00.000-08:00

Izamal Jan20
We are in Izamal, the yellow city. Yesterday Dave decided we should all take a tour of the convent and church here. The guide was a young man who said he could speak English. However, all we could hear was an odd mix of English, Spanish, and then Mayan interspersed with perfectly clear dates. 1592!! However what the date referred to we had no idea. This must have been common as he herded us around with hands clicking and clapping.

Macan Che has a really nice pool intended to look like a cenote, the underground lakes common in the Yucatan.We are staying at Macan Che, a few blocks from the center of Izamal.
The photo is our cabin.

Friday we are off to stay at a near by hacienda.

Rio Lagartos, San Felipe

2009-01-21T13:55:00.000-08:00

Rio Lagartos, San Felipe, jan 16
We arrived back in Cancun Friday and picked up our rental car. It appeared to be about the first time Speed Rental Car had rented a car, as they had 3 people working on the transaction. We sped off in our Nissan to the Gulf, north of Valladolid to a small town 12 km from Rio Lagartos, San Felipe. Our hotel is right on the water and we have wonderful views.

There are lots of herons about. The heron photo is a yellow crowned night heron in the mangrove .

We found flamingos, lots of them.
This was after we had had many boat operators try to convince us to go out in their boats to find them. Tourism is way down and they seem very discouraged. However, getting up at 630AM for a 2 and ½ hour choppy boat ride does not appeal to me a bit.
Tomorrow (Sunday) we are off to Izamal, the yellow city, for 6 nights. We have been there a few times before.

Isla Holbox

2009-01-21T13:41:00.000-08:00

We had been talking about going to Isla Holbox for over a year, but always did not quite get there. It sounded wonderful, “like Isla Mujeres was 30 years ago” “filled with flamingos and other exotic birds.” The down side is that it is a 3 hour bus ride from Cancun and then a half hour ferry ride. We have also heard rumors of mosquitos and other unpleasant insects being about.
We finally arrived here today. It seems lovely. Quiet. There has been lots of building, but generally the hotels are empty. There have been 2 terrific storms today, so that will probably mean the insects are coming. Our golf cart cab driver said the insects hatch 3 days after the storms, the day we are leaving.

We lucked out and found a great room right on the beach. We are not sure what the
situation is here, but the hotel is unfinished. There is no ac and no hot water. The large restaurant is not open. But we have a huge beautiful room with 2 balconies and a huge wetland nearly adjacent. We can walk out a half block in the ocean and arrive at a large sand bar that extends for miles.

The island has been settled by Italians recently and there is wonderful Italian food.

2009-01-21T13:22:00.000-08:00

January 13,2009
Dave and I arrived in Isla Mujeres last Thursday to our 4 day rental on the ocean side of the island. I found it difficult to sleep because of all the strange sounds of the ocean crashing on the rocks, the wind, the people next door all talking and laughing. I awakened frequently, would adjust the patio doors. During one of these adjustments, a dog startled me as he tried to come into our apartment. Later during the night an unmet neighbor staggered by our door; his wild hair and beaded mustache surprised me.

This was Bill who had been going to Isla mujeres for 3 years. He and his wife never went anywhere else in Mexico. She had done some modeling and was proud of having gotten into Café 21 in New York. He was an ex biker turned government bureaucrat in Pittsburg.
Hot is the best word for Isla Mujeres. It is denuded with white sand beaches. I was there 30 years ago and it was very small with one exclusive hotel (I saw Jim Nabors there) and a few mom and pop motels. The reef, which begins there and extends to Honduras, was beautiful then, filled with large schools of colorful fish you could dive into and swim among. It also contained plants waving in the current of all sizes, shapes and colors. Now, unfortunately, the reef is dead and the entire island is covered with development. It has a very Mexican feel and the ocean is still beautiful. On the north end of the island, where the town is, the swimming beach has intermittent sand bars so you can swim out, then walk . The sand bars break the waves and it is perfect for swimming.

Republican National Convention. St. Paul

2008-09-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

The consensus of the newpapers and commentators appears to be that the RNC security forces did a good job. When I consider how many people were arrested and then released without charges, I think they did a sloppy job. Part of their job seemed to be to intimidate people to avoid any incidents. EMTs were arrested, as was Amy Goodman. IF jounalists did not accept being "embedded" with the police, they were considered fair game for arrest.

The police also did "pre-emptive" arresting and releasing. A group of film makers from New York who film police actions were staying in a duplex in St. Paul with the owner. The police raided the house in riot gear with guns drawn 2 days prior to the start of the convention, hand-cuffed them for 3 hours as they went through all their equipment. The duplex owner was almost crying as he described the incident.

We had 5 days of sirens and sounds of helicopters over head. At the first rally in front of the Capitol the helicopters flew over the rally as if they were trying to squelch it by the loud sounds of the helicopters. There were about 200 protesters, mainly over age 60. There were about 50 cops on horses, 50 cops on bicycles and dozens of cops in cars. The day of the march there were hundreds of cops in riot gears.

The march itself was great. There was a lot of performance artists at the march. Dave and I were "marshalls" to keep the peace at the march. Fortunately, there were few and minor incidents with counter-protesters. One odd aspect of the march was that the marchers all had to go through an enclosed, fenced area almost a block long. Each end of the area could be shut to make it become a large jail. All in all St. Paul had a real police state feel to it.

Hiking hiking hiking....

2008-05-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

The southern part of the park is still under snow due to the harsh winter here in Yellowstone. We have been hiking in the north part, Larmar and around Gardiner. Because of the snow, the animals are low. Buffalo are all about, in roads, parking areas, walking through Gardiner. Fortunately they do not seem agressive. Although they have a growling sound they make frequently which can be heard when one is near them.

We have seen grizzleys, fox, gophers, bluebirds. Lots of elk, mule deer and of course thousands of buffalo. We hiked a lot last year in Hayden Valley- this recent photo shows how inaccessible it is this year due to snow.

Hiking Garnet Mountain

2008-05-17T07:37:00.001-07:00

The weather finally moderated and it was about 70F yesterday. We did a beautiful 8 mile hike near Tower Junction, Theodore Roosevelt Lodge. We saw frequent wolf kills which usually means a bear could be near by. And of course lots of buffalo.

Hiking with friends

2008-05-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

We have met a group of friends, all intrepid hikers, here in Yellowstone. Molly and David, from Seattle ,are both painters. They will return this fall when Molly teaches a painting class for the Yellowstone Institute. Jim and Flo introduced us to Yellowstone in the earlier spring 3 years ago. After being snowed in Billings that year for 2 days, I thought it would turn out badly, but we love it this time of year. Glenn and Di, from Kamloops, are both scientists and knowledgeable about the outdoors. Any birding question, ask them.

Flo was unable to hike this year, so her photo is from a hat she purchased in Turkey.

Hanging with the Herd

2008-05-14T07:35:00.001-07:00

We were hiking a long sloping mountain just inside the northern entrance to Yellowstone. Big Jim Pleyte, armed with eaglescout credentials and 45 years of trekking experience lead our labored quest of animal sightings. I was firmly hushed where as Jim gently explained that these animals are not habituated, which means in simpler terms "This ain't no zoo." At first glance the endless expanse seems empty but as we inspect distant dots, herds of elk and buffalo materialize.Leap frogging brilliant blue blurs are Mountain Bluebirds atypically coralled together by winters persistant grip. Conditions suggest that with a little luck perhaps we will see a grizzley. We locate our bear spray and remind ourselves how to use it. Remove clip, trip to have the wind at your back, shoot for the eyes. If that fails, lay flat, face down, protect your neck.
Some 30 yards ahead Jim was vigorously waving, then pointing with emphasis at something to our lower right. On the left of the mountain below us, big horned sheep with mature full curled horns . We approached the rams with city slicker stealth from below their position. We moved as close as seemed possible and sat down. The rams continued their grazing pattern and moved close to and around us. At one point the alpha male chewed his way to about 10 feet from us. The horns nade me nervous but I was reminded they are only used to beat up the competition. After 20 minutes we moved away with the satisfied feeling of having hanged with the herd

Hiking in Yellowstone

2008-05-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Yellowstone to some pretty bad weather. The first morning we awakened to wet snow and temperatures of about 36degrees F. We went hiking near Gardiner and saw lots of wildlife. Because of the huge amount of snow this year the wildlife is at low elevation.

Sharp Tailed Grouse,Arrowwood Wildlife Refuge

2008-05-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

We are in Carrington, ND on our way to Yellowstone. We came here to go to the Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge to see the sharp tailed grouse dance. The down side of watching the mating dance of the sharp tail grouse was resonating with me. We were told by the park reserve ranger we must be in the blind by 5 AM The blind can be described as a green treated plywood box , small door and small operable ports allowing a clear view of the sharp tailed hoedown. The dim light mirrored our mental state as we settled into our nature observatory. My reservations about actually seeing anything were quickly quelled. Small black forms were gathering, clucking and darting about not 30 yards from the blind. Male sharpe tails were pairing off beak to beak. I counted 30 or so contestants preparing to strut their stuff. What happened next was real National Geographic stuff. As if on cue the contenstants began a stiff legged toe tapping, wings outstretched in the cowled position,tail stiffly pointed upward.Darting, spinning, hopping, clucking, all doing the primeval dance to prove their genetic superiority. After 45 minutes, cold setting in with no clear winner, we decided to steal our way out the door and away from the action. There was a click from the opening door latch and with that the grouse disappeared like a magical trick. I was reminded that the exotic display we were fortunate to observe was not for our benefit, but a reproductive tango.

A day in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

2008-02-20T20:02:00.000-08:00

It is the 4th year in a row Gerry and I have come to this most exotic place. At 5AM or so the chorus of jungle sounds begin, led by the hoarse roar of the howler monkeys. Next the scarlet macaws squak and squabble in route to their favorite pecan tree. The parrots also sound mismatched without the benefit of eharmony.We walk the dirt road behind our friends' property, our intent is bird watching. We are looking for the elusive, irridescent Turquoise continga. But we are immediately distracted by curious white faced monkeys oggling us from branches 15 feet above our heads. Their cherub expressions do not change as they break branches and throw wood at us. Malicious intent without accuracy. As we walk along you are taken by the beauty of the jungled hills, as humid misty clouds float and brush the jungle canopy. The bird work began when we reached the river. In a small area we saw egrets, blue , green and tiger herons, kingfishers, northern jacanas, lineated woodpeckers, ibis and toucans. Great birding, but no continga.Now it is 8AM and starting to get hot. Breakfast, beach walk, a hammock, and book are the order of the day. One just goes with the flow down in the Osa.

Tourist Revery

2008-02-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

The tourist has expanded dramtically in the Yucatan. The snapshot of our 3 weeks is a little before and after. The town of Puerto Morelos was sleepy, inexpensive, deregulated, and short on services. Now things have noticably quickened, lots of traffic, restaurants and gringos in golf carts. Everyone is selling property and time shares. My favorite was Lulu, the Olive Oil like massaeuse selling massage and property. We ran into Goyo, real name Greg, a local enterprising hustler. His Indiana Jones look, back then, advertised his jungle adventure tours via the JungleMobile that was always under repair. The new Goyo is now High Priest at his jungle oasis compound where he performs phycical and spiritual cleansing by the Mayan traditional sweat lodge. He gave me his whole energetic spiel. When I asked how much he charged for this service he let me know the fee was based upon the aura and energy he sensed on each potential client. (Hmmm) One has to go south and west to find real vestiges of Mayan culture. Gerry and I went south to Lake Bakalar, a beautiful place. It is also called the lake of seven colors. The swimming was great, marred only by the knowledge that we may be swimming with alligators blown in by the last hurricane. We headed west from Bakalar for Campeche and stayed at Rio Bec Dreams. It was a Canadian´s dream carved from the jungle with quaint screened cabañas and elaborate paths connecting bathroom, bar and restaurant areas. We trekked through Rio Bec property trails and our imaginations soared when we discovered huge footprints. I assumed it was the rare and elusive Tapir. In reality it turned out to be a wandering cow. We were remote though. Rick, the quick tounged owner, first let us know what was not on the menu. The dream was probably a bit tarnished after 8 years of fighting back the jungle. Rick needed little help to reach the subject ¨ Want to buy?¨´The next day, 2 Canadian brothers, Hans and Detter, hitched a ride with us to the remote ruins of Calakmul. From atop the highest ruin, one could span over a sea of green to the southern border of Guatemala. We saw wild turkeys and trees full of Toucans. That night we traded travelling stories and laughs with our Canadian buddies. Hans had travelled extensively and topped all stories with the time he had ignored the Restricted Area signs and slept on the inviting beach. Around 5AM they awakened to a full scale marine beach landing and they were in the middle of it.From there we went north and stayed at the Hacienda San Antonio Chalante. The owner, Diane Dutton, had been an archeologist and with care and detail restored the expansive henequen hacienda. There was a swimming pool- no water problems here. We zipped back to Cancun- hardly any traffic. No one wants to pay for the toll road. We are looking forward to Costa Rica Tuesday where we will hook up with old friends and see new sights.

Rio Bec Nightmares

2008-01-25T07:25:00.000-08:00

After 3 days of rain and heavy wind resulting in a compromised, leaking, thatched roof, we decided to sublease our place.Fortunately, as we went out that morning, 2 young French Canadians were outside looking up at our place. And they were looking for a place for a week. It was perfect! We rented a car and headed to the Calakmul ruins in the S part of Campeche state, almost to the Guatemala border. It is difficult to get to the ruins of Calakmul without a car, as they are 45 miles off the main road on a narrow road with no public transportation. We stayed nearby in great cabañas (outside of Ipujil) that were like being outside, at Rio Bec Dreams. Rick and his wife, Diane, moved from Canada 8 years ago, and built this dream.He had to drill every nail or screw hole because the wood is so dense. Water is a constant problem in the area. It is pumped from 70 miles away and is sporadic. They have buckets of grey laundry water all over for emergency toilet flushing. They drive 1 and 1/2 hours east to Chetumal for groceries. Fighting the jungle back is a continual battle. You must rake out the underbrush constantly to keep away the dangerous spiders, biting ants and snakes. Rick looks tired. When we left he offered to sell us the place. As dreamy of a place it is to visit, staying there would be a real Rio Bec nightmare. Calakmul was wonderful. Birds, toucans, monkeys, all over. The pyramids are huge. You can see the ruins of Tikal in Guatemala from the top of one on a clear day. Only about 10 people were in the whole huge site. On our return drive to Rio Bec Dreams, we saw 3 Wood storks roosting on the top of a canopy tree.We headed North next and stayed outside of Izamal, about 1 hour east of Merida. We stayed at a old henequen hacienda which is still a working ranch. There we saw lots of birds, orioles, matmots, varieties of thrushes. In the evening we heard crashing about in the fruit trees off the porch. There were huge fruit bats (about a 2 foot wing span) flying through the trees, shaking the fruit off, which would then crash to the ground.We headed back to Puerto Morelos. One of our renters was still there, laying in bed as he had ruptured an ear drum by frenquent diving. He had to delay his flight a week for the eardrum to heal. He looked rather lost as he left with his assorted bags. He is an artist using recycled goods he finds for his works. He left a few piles of plastic scraps he had found at the beach.

Travels around the Yucatan

2008-01-16T07:48:00.000-08:00

We have been enjoying our beach vacation up to a point. Two nights ago was a large tropical storm. A night passed of torrential rains, windows banging. When the wind became vertical, we realized the windows, while shut, were not blocking the rain. In the morning, with the streets filled with water, and the weather still dark and cold, we hopped a bus for Merida. We are staying in a b and b 4 blocks from the main plaza. It is amazing how the outside street noise is left at the door of our b and b. Merida is relatively unchanged from years ago.

Puerto Morelos has been enjoyable. How can you not like a place filled with Tropical Mockingbirds, Musical Blackbirds, Parrots, Frigate Birds and Pelicans drifting about. The amount of development in the past 8 years is astonishing. We went to a time share presentation. I was curious as it is a huge development 3 miles out of town in a protected mangrove area, so it had been quite controversial, but went through. It is huge. It was started by a guy described as an ECOLOGIST. There is a large painting of him in the lobby with a purposeful resemblance to Earnest Hemingway. It is 2500 units with its own harbor. Big beds are by the pool where you can get a massage or just rest. Large restaurants. We had been told it was low key, no pressure to buy. The whole deal went well until we said we were not buying. Then our agent called her supervisor who began to tear into us, that we needed to open our minds. Dave stood up and said "Enough!" We still received our $100 for our time. On the ride back to town I told the other couple in the van that I had thought Dave and the agent would come to blows. Their experience was similar. The driver started laughing as if his opinion was not too high of the sales agents. NEVER AGAIN!!!We plan to go to Rio Lagartos tomorrow. It is on the Gulf of Mexico in a nature reserve. The area is filled with Pink flamingos. Then back to the beach for about a week.

3:50 pm
Candy ass vacation?A friend of ours recently took the liberty to refer to our so called beach vacation as candy ass. I say, obviously, he is not up to speed on the mryaid of perils we encounter daily. We may be waking to luminous sunrises heralded by exotic song birds but on closer inspection the filmy cage of mosquito netting we peer through is protecting us from malaria, encephlitis, dengae, chagas disease. Then there is the danger of pickpockets, short change artists and sellers of time shares. Such dangers keen the survival instincts. What could be worse than the slow death of the same vacation experience. As we snorkel in incadescent tourquoise waters the tranquil scene is broken by overly curious baracuda and sting rays, smaller but of the same species that killed other great adventurers, including the Alligator Hunter. The beach vacationer also must put up with the ridicule of young punks in low rider pants exhausting their entire English venacular consisting of 'a loo' and 'wazzz apening' on us.As we jog the jungle pathways one must dodge the unmarked potholes and dangerous homemade topes. You get the feeling life is cheap here. Some say candy ass. Others say gritty.

Renting in Puerto Morelos

2008-01-09T12:49:00.000-08:00

Our picture of paridise had arrived. The screened in palapa style rental incudes a kitchenette, small bath and patio. The patio has a view of the ocean, with its different shades of turquoise continuing out to a link of white capped waves indicating a coral reef before deeper water.We are renting from Christina, an energetic Argentine woman with 2 beautiful daughters, 2 dogs. One is small and the other beast is a breed that would be best described as horse. Christina proudly fielded our rental concers in English. Was the little dog a barker? Did the mosquito net indicate an insect problem or only was it a precaution? We found Christina´s English wqas still confusing the positives and the negatives. When Christina said no to was the dog a barker she meant yes. When Christina said mosquitos were no problem, just keep the door closed, she meant yes, there is a mosquito problem. We use the mosquito netting for it also protects against Chagas disease, delivered by a bug that drops from the canopy, bites through the skin and lays eggs next to the bite. The victim then inadvertantly scratches the eggs into the wound. The parisite then causes illness which left untreated causes a painful death.Day one, the lack of water pressure went from weak to none. Christina suggested it was simply air in the line and patience would resolve the issue. Patience ran out - the plumbers arrived the next morning. Their expertise was verified by a wrench in one hand and matching caps with a plumbing logo. Later the problem resolved. Christina accepted my congratulations with the enthusiasm of a landlord having resolved all reasons not to pay the remaining rent.

Prague praha prage

2007-11-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

3 days in Prague was just right. The almost rigid orderliness is in clear contrast to the chaotic blur of Istanbul and Turkey in general. The droning call to prayer has ceded to the chime and clang from spire perched church bells. The Viking River winds through old Prague. Its highest real estate, without surprise, is occupied by church and palace. Except for an occasional blink, the motionless, disciplined palace guards endure the tourist rabble, mugging at their shoulders for photos. The expansive stone paved interspace would have been perfect for the hoop skirted gentry carrying small umbrellas, promenading over the centuries. (But this morning we were shunted aside so a Czech commercial could do its retakes.( Our stay was highlighted by 2 classical music venues. Friday, the Chamber Orchestra was really great. The little willow in the first violin chair got most of the bows, and I learned that if you clap loud enough when it is finished, the group can be suckered into one more selection of their own choosing. Saturday´s performance featured an oboe quartet. As my nature, I turned critic the next night. From a sport perspective, the allegro didn't fly: the violin's timing was off and the oboe wasn't a team player. Actually the grace and stamina to perform for an hour is truly athletic. And now if given a choice I would prefer a concert over Minnesota Wild tickets. Still growing at 61. PS I really appreciate my musician friends. You know who you are.

Hey, How much is a haircut?

2007-10-28T13:21:00.000-07:00

That will be 10 lira, about 8 dollars. Nothing seemed out of the ordinarywhen I entered the barbershop in Selcuk. The barber, the tools, the chair. The 2 twelve something boys hovering about seemed a bit odd. The hair cut proceeded with deft snips, each hair it seemed received individual attention. After 20 minutes, İ was pleased and ready to pay. My cutter, with hand signals, let me know he was not finished. He lit what looked like a medium length candle torch. He then deftly snapped the flaming end into my inner ear. First one side, then the other. The smell of burnt hair filled the air. Next came a thorough hair washing and drying. That is ıt, rıght? Wrong. My barber turned masseuse and worked my stiff, surprised back muscles with a to the bone manipulation. There was a silent command and the two young vagrants leapt to their purpose. Each grabbed and stretched an arm. Oiled biceps, latts, fingers and tendons were pinched and prodded into submission. The whole experience was a leap of faith. Massaged, trimed and singed, İ paid and tipped the trio 5 liras. They seemed pleased and İ felt pampered beyond expectation. İ love it when the ordinary turns into an adventure.

From Ugly American to Pathetic American

2007-10-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 27th, 2007

From Ugly American to Pathetic AmericanWe took a day cruise from Kas to swim and see ruins. There were many Austrailians on the ship and we talked about world current events. They seemed more up on US politics than most people in the US. They knew every detail, particularly one retired toy manufacturerer, Tom, who had travelled in the US yearly for work. After talking a while Tom said ''We all feel sorry for you Americans. You are known for your engineering but your bridges are falling down. Your currency is falling.'' He and his friends seemed to truly mean this. İt was not the kind of reference to the falling US dollar we have become accustomed to getting during this trip, which usually comes with a little glint in the eye like you guys are getting yours.We were hiking the Lycian Way and ran into a German fellow lounging on the beach we were crossing. He had been in Dalles selling metal platforms to Exxon and Chevron in the year 2000. He actually leapt up to his feet to tell us the following: He had asked some of the Exxon executives who would win the close Gore-Bush election. They responded with a laugh that Bush would win. ''We have bought this election'' they stated.

Ticking off the Turks

2007-10-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

Travelling can become difficult when communication breaks down because of language or other subtle ingredients. The recipe was complete at the Gol Pensıon in the lake and mountain region of Eğirdir. The Gol was comfortable, and tightly run by 2 sisters and their mother whose instabilities, the story goes, were held in check by the affable father and husband who had died two years earlier. After his death , control of the pension was seized by the savant like older sister, who was pleasant as long as nothing out of the ordinary happened. Out of the ordinary reared quickly, which is the nature of business. It seemed the computer system went down and because of their ignorance of low tech matters, they decided to blame Gerry, who had recently used it. The next morning we asked about the computer? The head savant sister told us ''No computer this morning, this afternoon, tomorrow, or EVER!!'' For the rest of the day, the sisters glared at us while mom pulled her head scarf lower over her eyes and lost herself in the comfort of the Koran. The head savant sister had geared herself for private battle with us. Early afternoon we were told to hold our voıces down because of other guests who were sleeping? They sqeezed us out of the common area by inserting family and friends who watched TV and also scowled at us. That night we were asked to come and go by the side door. Something was wrong with this picture. We and our travelling companions, Jim and Flo. decided to leave a day early. After breakfast we asked for the bill. We expected to see a total of 180 lira plus 10 lira for laundry. The head savant scribbled out a bill of 210 lira, saying in verbless English ''10 lira extra for laundry, 10 lira more for excessive Nescafe drinkıng.!'' Big Jim, an attorney with much courtroom experience and a low resonant voice to match boomed ''No way! This is unacceptable!'' The tenacious savant immediately positioned herself for a toe to toe exchange. Both sides of the story became jumbled together. Jim complained and pounded on the table while Savant kept yelling and pointing at the near empty Nescafe bottle. About then, Ghingis, our cab driver, translater and tout, showed up. He had recommended this cuckcoo's nest of a pension and had a reluctant responsibility to intervene. After a time the bill was slightly lowered with a slashing motion of a pen. I do not know if they understood our threat- the Lonely Planet and Rough Guıde will hear about this. But I am sure of this - Don't tick off the Turks.

1 infidel, 2 infidels, 3 infidels, 4

2007-10-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

In Goreme, before the 5AM call to prayer during Ramadan, there would be a drummer walking through Goreme. The drumming would change in intensity. It sounded like a prelude to an execution. This noisy curtesy call actually was to get people up to eat before sunrise. Our Infidel ears said ''Shut up!''We are now ın Konya, a traditional city. The shop window displays are very interesting. They compete for women's attention-some have very flashy clothing on the manequins. Next door will be manequins in more conservative clothing with headscarves on. Another solution to the head scarf issue seems to be having no head on the manequin at all.Konya is very busy tearing down all its historic areas and replacing them with high rise apartments and shopping malls that look modelled on Soviet Union architecture. Not a pretty sight.

2007-10-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, October 16th, 2007
3:52 pm
Do the Derv, Do the monster dervwe are in Konya, located in a high plain. At first glance , the chaos of commerce is crammed together within a maze of narrow streets. After closer inspection, order and reason can be seen by the centuries of doing. The cloth, hardware, tools, and food sales are clustered together. Competition is good business. We would stop and look at the odd, bizarre, and curious scenes as they presented themselves. On the walk in front of the cheese and olive store sat what looked like a 60 pound ball of fur. This was odd. We were about to leave when the proprieter came out, knife in hand. He cut a small flap and prıed out pieces of feta cheese from within. Good packaging- but İ felt a little queasy remembering that my piece of feta had been pressed up against a fairly fresh sebaceous goat tissue. Konya was also the birth place of the Whırling Dervish. This was a powerful 12th century religious group whose monastic trade mark was to twirl endlessly in an almost ballerina fashion. They did the Dervish until it was outlawed by Ataturk in 1922. The pılgrims and the curious flock to the Dervish museum. İnsıde are the caskets of the founder and other famous Dervishes. The uniformly draped caskets are crowned with a tall, trademark, camel colored fez whose base is wrapped in a funerary shroud. İ won't poke fun at this one step dance that survived the centuries. İ was a Scientologist for a month.

A day in Goreme

2007-10-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

We have flown and bussed our way to Goreme. Now we are talkıng Bıblıcal. I had heard about the cone shaped geology that people lıved ın, but dıd not realıze ıt had been goıng on for 2000 years. For those who remeber the Caravan Serai restaurant, the name defınes a place where travellers and merchants could stay and rest theır camels ın enclosed safety. Our Caravan Seraı ın Goreme ıs the kookaburra Pensıon, run sıngle handedly by our sober, but blurry eyed ınnkeeper, Ishın. Hıs casual veneer hıd a bıt of a perfectıonıst who would sweep up stray breakfast bıts and announce 'Dıd your mother not teach you how to eat!' It ıs a great place though, wıth great vıews of the cıty. From the terrace we drınk our nescafe and count hot aır balloons drıftıng slowly ın the stıll early dawn.What strıkes me most about Cappadocıa ıs ıts lack of color. Its bone dry exterıor hıdes a robust agrıcultural system. They know how to optomıze water use. Fruıt, melons,fıgs,corn are abundant. But the real vegetable ıs the Cappadocıa potato. It seems the potato grown here ıs by McDonalds standards, perfect. Potato growers are doıng quıte well wıth many new homes ın the regıon. Our guıde descrıbed the stop at the rug co-operatıve only. Informatıon quıckly went ınto sell mode. In a large room rug handlers tumbled out rugs at an easy but kınetıc pace formıng a lovely decopage of cotton,wool and sılk. Our salesman was a Francoıs Truffeut look alıke. He easıly quoted prıces of 1000 to 8000 dollars all the tıme, laudıng the qualıty of the Turkısh double knot rug. There were not enough knots to handcuff us ınto any kınd of a deal. We eased out, havıng throughly enjoyed the experıence.

ISTANBUL!

2007-10-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

We arrıved in İstanbul, stıll jet lagged and tıred from our late nıght dınner and bottles of wıne the nıght earlıer wıth Pieter and Monıca. We walked from our hotel to the Blue Mosque, whıch was teemıng wıth people. It ıs Ramadan and people congregate at the Mosques ın the evenıng after they break theır fast at sundown.İ was puzzled by the call to prayer beıng broadcast from the mosques 5 tımes a day, one tıme very ınconvenıently at 5AM. Dave and İ would fınd ourselves sıttıng uprıght ın bed as we were surrounded by loud chantıng at 5AM. The chant has long pauses between the hypnotıc phrases. You thınk ıt ıs over, but, no, the sıng song contınues. We went ınto the Blue Mosque one mornıng around 7am. It ıs very beautıful wıth acres of Turkısh carpet ın a large cathedral type buıldıng. You must leave your shoes outsıde. Women must cover theır haır. Men poınt east and bow 3 tımes 3 tımes. It ıs ıntense.We met for Ramadan dınner wıth Nurı, Sadyr and theır mother. Sadyr had been a foreıgn hıgh school student ın 1978 ın Hollıster, Calıfornıa. Our frıends, Jım and Flo (who we are travellıng wıth ın Turkey) knew the famıly they stayed wıth there and were put ın contact wıth them. Ramadan dınner- the table ıs full of food and you sıt untıl the sun sets to eat, then have many courses. Both Nurı and Sadyr had been educated ın England and spoke perfect Englısh. Nurı had marrıed a Brıtısh woman and had a daughter there. After a mılıtary coup ın Turkey ın the early 1980s he was called back to hıs compulsory mılıtary servıce for 18 months. The alternatıve was to lose hıs Turkısh cıtızenshıp. He returned to Turkey agaınst hıs wıfe's wıshes. She remarrıed whıle he was gone. Two years later the Turkısh government offered a deal where you could buy off your mılıtary servıce you dıd not show up for. Nurı seemed to feel he had ruıned hıs lıfe by thıs decısıon.

2007-10-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

Amsterdam 10-2-07We had a great time ın Amsterdam. We arrıves about 1030AM-customs ıs a breeze.(Europeans are sayıng they wont travel ın the US because customs ıs such a hassle although wıth the cheap dollar they wıll probably start to more.We went by lightrail to our hotelö Van Onnaö by the Anne Frank house ın the Jordaan dıstrıct. Georgie and Dave showed up rıght after we arrived fortunately and kept us awake the rest of the day. They also knew theır way around. Next evenıng, still jet lagged, we met Pıeter Slager for dınner. We had met Pieter ın El Salvador doıng electıon monıtorıng ın 2002. He ıs an eye surgeon who has volunteered his servıces all over the world doıng cataract repaırs. The patıent would be on a cart wıth the surgıcal erquıpment and the paralyzıng eyedrops on theır chest. The surgeons would go patıent to patıent doıng up to 40 cataract repaırs each a day. Pıeter was wıth hıs new girlfrıend, Monıca, who was vısıtıng from Senegal where he has worked. Monıca ıs a lawyer who was hired by Paul Wolfowıtz to the World Bank She makes $300/month, more than enough ın Senegal.

Goreme Cappadocia

2007-05-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

We are now ın Goreme stayıng at the Kookaburra Pansıon. Thıs ıs a pretty basıc place wıth a rather ırrıtable owner, Ishın. (We are hopıng he does not kıck us out sınce the whole area ıs full for the post Ramadan festıvıtıes. But he ıs fastıng,after all.) However ıt has these wonderful terraces where we can watch the remarkable geology. There are also cave dwellıngs somewhat sımılar to those ın the southwest US, but they extend for a huge area. The whole area ıs a World Herıtage Sıte. Hotels have been buıld ınto some of the cave dwellıngs, but most are empty and erodıng. Every mornıng we awaken to lots of colorful hot aır ballons drıftıng over the area.

Going Batty

2007-01-27T13:36:00.000-08:00

The Lake City High School's mascot is the Tigers. There are no tigers in Lake City, but, boy, are there bats. No one's team mascot name is ''The Bats''. Mascots are meant to sound fierce, not to give you the willies. The first of many bat encounters was during our Oak Street remodelling project. The bats were as disoriented and ornery as many of my clients during construction and reconstruction. The confused bats would fly in the house instead of out. Our Mexican help, sleeping there, assume them blood-sucking. They took turns standing guard and swatting as many as possible. The poor little bug eaters' corpses would be lined up for my inspection. There was no disuading them. They, like most people, do not judge bats on the merit system. Joyce Packard was our first tenant. She called one morning and told me she had a bat. Her husband had left before dawn. That is when the bat did its swooping. She panicked without male protection, and called the police. Lake City's best could not find the intruder, nor could they when called the following night. I riffled the yellow pages and appropriately found ''The Bat Evictors.'' $500 got us a 2 year guarantee and a little bat condo, placed next to the dormer, for the little evacuees. Everything was quiet for almost 2 years. We had new tenants. Don called to let us know, the bats were back. It had flown around the bedroom, out the door and came to rest on the window side of the curtain at the bottom of the stairs. They had readied a small step ladder next to the curtain so I could reach up with gloved hand and cup the critter. Don and his partner, Jerry, stepped back as I closed in on the bat's silouette. Jerry announced he would scream like a girl if I failed. I clamped down on the bat and wrestled him out the door and unto the lawn. When I released him, the bat looked right at me with a ''I'll get you look.'' Well, get us, he and his bat buddies did.We had the Bat Evictor back 3 more times, looking for their secret entrance. Over the 2 week period, Don and Jerry became less and less understanding. The bats kept coming, night after night. Jerry called one morning. His voice went up a few octaves when he told me they had not seen the bat, but there was bat poop on the bed. Gerry and I did all we could. We would bring lawn chairs at dusk and sit in their yard looking for bats coming out. Don called one morning to let us know Jerry was in the hospital with chest pains. There wasn't yet a diagnosis, but Don was sure it was a heart attack caused by the bats. It turned out to be an anxiety attack caused mostly by his stressful job and maybe in some small measure caused by the bat willies. The bats were finally evicted, but our connection with Don and Jerry became more tenant-landlord like. In retrospect, being landlords, and living in Lake City was losing its luster.

Another Glance in the rear view mirror

2007-01-22T13:39:00.000-08:00

Anna Nadeau was a loud, imposing woman. In spite of having diabetee and a weight problem that made her semi-blind and immobile, except for her 3 wheeled, electric bike. Anna took the governor off and could crank it up to 15 MPH or so. Anna prowled the neighborhood in her 3 wheeler, looking for opportunity or conflict. She enjoyed both. We had met Anna briefly and then again at the grocery store. She recognized our voices and on that recognition, she said¨Do me a favor,¨then reached into her imposing bosom and fished out a hundred dollar bill. ¨Get me a 6 pack and bring the change to my house,¨she demanded. We agreed, wanting to be neighborly. What Anna lacked in social graces, she made up for with wiley aggressiveness. If Anna wanted something she persisted and was not afraid of a fight. Gerry and I were remodelling our Oak Street property and decided to put a FREE sign on the rusted tin shed that came with the property. We thought somebody may want it. That somebody was Anna. she braked hard when she saw this shed and yelled, Ï´' ll take it!¨ Her voice was suddenly sweet when she asked if it could be carried by our Mexican helpers the block to her house. I already sensed that acquiesing to Anna was a slippery slope and told her she would have to find her own means of transport. Sweetness now gone, she now growled, I will be back at 6¨.¨ We left for town, not forseeing any problems. Benjamin B Quiroz, as he likes his checks made out,has lived in the US for 45 years, but his English is still marginal. For Benjamin, learning English fell far behind his real interests- his car, Mexican food, snappy clothes and women, in that order. Benjamin is friendly to a fault and a pleaser. When Mariem, the next door neighbor asked if she could have and shed, and could they lift it over the fence, Benjamin of course said, ¨si.¨ He was not aware of our deal with Anna. Mariem had also buddied up to them in her small town way, by giving the Mexicans, loaves of tasty bread and used clothing.She was doing the Christian thing and assumed them starving and thread-bare. They showed polite and confused appreciation. How could Mariem have known of their preference for tortillas. The stage was set. Just as the shed was being lifted over Mariem's low picket fence, around the corner wheeled Anna. Anna bellowed, ¨Put down the God Damn shed. It was promised to me.¨ Mariem was no match with Anna Nadea. AFter a short confrontation, the rust bucket of a shed was lowered back into the yard. Anna´s determination and loose use of profanity had shaken Mariem. AS the shed was being carried away,Mariem had gathered herself for one last verbal blow. Anna´s husband had died 2 weeks earlier. Armed with this information, Mariem yelled to Anna´s back Änd another thing Anna, we all know you killed your husband.¨Anna just sneered a look that said, is that the best you can do? A week later the shed had another free sign on it, except in Anna´s driveway. Anna must have squinted a better look at her find.

Glancing in the rear view mirror

2007-01-19T13:41:00.000-08:00

The last few months have been hectic. We left Lake City and moved into our new place in St. Paul. We did the holidays and now are in Patzcuaro, Mexico. Feeling relaxed and content, it is easy to reflect with a chuckle where we hve been. Living in Lake City had its moments. It was a warm day last summer when the phone rang. It was Juanita Glander, the next door neighbor, of our tenant, Gary Kuchinka. Juanita skipped the how are yas and went right into her side of the story. Gary and Juanita,s husband, Don Glander, had an ongoing property line dispute. Gary, the vetrinerian, had a big Mastif, versus Glander´s yippie poodle. Gary let the fence vines grow wild and Glander´s yard was chemlawn perfect. Glander killed all plant life on the property line and complained that Gary´s damn vines kept crepping into his yard. As if Gary had instructed them to do so. Tensions mounted, then erupted, when Gary caught Don yanking on his vines well over the property line. Gary´s testimony to the local police was that Glander said he was going to get his 45 and shoot him. Juanita assured me that this was ridiculous- Don did not even own a 45. I tried to sound sympathetic while Juanita suggested that all insanity was on Gary Kuchinka´s side of the fence. Juanita painted her Don as even to mild tempered. But Fred, the neighbor, who knew Don since high school, described Don as self-serving, and a bully. He said he was particularly nasty when he was the city zoning administrator. Fred attributed his ill temper to his having lost his right arm as a young man, while waving too vigorously to a passing car. With Solomon like wisdom, I suggested a 6 foot high fence to separate the combatants, and to shield Don´s eyes from the offensive foliage. All agreed, but Glander said he would prefer an 8 foot fence. The 6 foot fence was built without incident. All was quiet, but later that month, I heard that Glander had found fault with the fence. He had mentioned to others that birds would sit on the damn fence, and poop in his yard. I don´t think an 8 foot high fence would have made any difference.

Stones Falling Through Water

2007-01-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

The spacious grounds where we are staying are often used for other venues. The property manager, a pert, energetic American woman from Faribault, MN, had posted a Tai Chi class on the big gate to our house.Gerry, Elizabeth, and I showed up for what was the last of 10 classes. We met Marie, a retired school teacher from Onamia, MN. She had exchanged living in a remote area near Lake MilLacs for a remote area near Lake Patzcuaro. Bob, our instructor, was next to arrive, a little late. I assumed it is Zen not to be encumbered by time. Bob was a round man, not overweight, but he had a body without sharp edges. Bob spoke in the soft even tones of a monastic and appeared to glide when he walked. Bob was your prototype Tai Chi teacher, except that he was a realtor in real life from San Francisco. Tai Chi is a martial art of self defense where you use your opponent's energy against them.Bob proceeded quickly into teaching us the slow motion movements. Like many such disciplines, Tai Chi has a language of its own for the many different movements. For example: Tiger Over Mountain, Bear Walk, Turning Over Budda, and my favorite, Stones Falling Through Water. Bob`s hour long instruction went by like a cat nap. Bob told the class we will review the 20 movements you have learned. Would you like me to show them to you one more time? Two of the regular, graduating women in the class, begged Bob to show them one last time. Their request projected the twittering affection of Grateful Dead groupies. Bob proceeded- Bear Walk, Chicken Walk, Tiger Over Mountain, opening, closing, Turn Over Budda. (Slow down Bob, it,s our first class.) But the reality is, how could he go any slower? It,s Tai Chi. Bob left us wanting more. We gave each other this great, below chin, hand over hand, bow, and then all floated off to our next life experience.

You Bet'cha

2007-01-05T14:34:00.000-08:00

We did not equate the name of the place we were going to stay as anything significant. In Mexico, gigante (giant) or increible (incredible) this or that are used loosely. How big a place could it be for the price we were paying? Gerry and I caught a cab from the Patzcuaro bus depot. We gave the driver the address, 80 Libertad. He responded, Oh, Casa Grande! I thought they have him fooled. We wound through ridiculously narrow streets. Only small doors broke up continuous walls of white painted adobe. After 10 minutes or so, we took a left and stopped in front of a very large gate. We walked through. On the right was a small house and beyond, a very large house. The fountain and gardens were impressive. It is amazing how they can shape deciduous bushes into images of camels and llamas. We stepped into a very large foyer. Stretching expansively beyond lay 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchen, dining room, 3 fire places, sitting area,and solarium. There was a large patio past the kitchen door that looked out on 4 acres of gardens and fruit trees. Our friends, Bruno and Elizabeth,popped out of their chosen bedroom and said, your bedroom is at the end of the hall.Jorge, the gardener, was there, to give us the lay of the land, fire starting instructions, and assured us there was hot water for showers 24 hours a day.
Well, the skeptic was knocked out of me.
Casa Grande? You bet'cha.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

2006-05-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Guess who is coming for dinner?
Gerry sleeps lightly and hears well.. “Dave, there is something outside the tent ”I carefully looked out the tent flap. Gerry had heard a 2000 pound buffalo. The tender grass where we put our tent was on the menu. We froze in the tent, our hearts racing. Not only the enormous size, but the sound of the buffalo eating was paralyzing. “Whoosh, chomp, whoosh, chomp,”as he grazed directly towards the tent. All the warnings raced through my head. They are wild, dangerous and run 3 times faster than humans. Our plan was don’t move. The buffalo munched by the side of the tent, then moved to the front . All Gerry could say was, “I.’m scared.” The chomping moved to the other side of the tent, then slowly away. We fled to the car, cold, but safe. We stayed in the car for about an hour.. Feeling safe, we moved the tent to the bare ground next to the car. Snorting, whooshing, chomping continued through the night. The rest of the night was serene. The buffalo ate and slept at a safe distance. Wild horses also grazed near by. Lesson learned? Don’t put the tent up next to the salad bar.

Arequipa

2006-01-25T08:55:00.000-08:00

''When the moon separated from the earth, it forgot to take Arequipa.''

We flew from Lima to Arequipa, a lovely white colonial city at 7000 feet elevation. At that altitude the plane has to land at a higher speed and hit the brakes hard.
We are staying in a beautiful hotel. The rooms are made of volcanic stone blocks, hardwood floors with high rounded ceilings to protect against the frequent earthquakes. The courtyard leads to a stunning garden. For the curious, $25/night, breakfast included.
We did a tour to Calca Canyon, 100 miles from Arequipa. It was a nervous trip for Gerry there and back. Narrow, winding road with hair pin curves next to 1000 foot drop offs. (Dave would tell me, don't worry, if we went off the road, I think we would be fine, we would roll to a stop.) The road winds up and up to a high pass of 15,000 feet elevation. You feel woozy, but the stark landscape is home to llamas, alpacas, and wild vecuñas. We stayed in the town of Yanque. A guide took Gerry and me hiking through town and into the countryside. It is a rough existence for these mountain people. They farm by hand in fields terraced ever higher up the mountain sides. The terracing was made first by the Incas. We saw pre Inca ruins and then hiked to a hot springs and soaked our aching muscles.
The next morning we headed to the canyon. We were looking for condors. They nest in the 2 mile deep Colca Canyon. It wasn't Condor season- too much rain, and too little wind. The tour people made no guarantee. All was quiet until one of the hundred or so hopefuls yelled ''Condor!'' They really are majestic in flight but their vulture genes don't provide for good looks.
It was a touristy but fun day. We had little kids doing traditional dances in traditional garb. Vendors plyed their alpaca clothing and for a small fee you could pose with a variety of birds and llamas. I chose the large hawk on head shot- a crowd favorite.
Back to Arequipa- Gerry clutching my arm for security, us sucking on coco leaves to ward off altitude sickness. Our driver seemed in a hurry to get back, but slowed down when we passed a crash site. A large bus had rolled onto its side, on a straight way. We found out later that the blanket covered lumps were indeed bodies.
We don't plan to bus it much.

Sorache

2005-02-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

I wanted to put in an update that we have not written because we have been suffering from Sorache, or altitude sickness. There is actually a word for it in Peru and Bolivia. 2% of people can not tolerate high elevation, and apparently that includes both Dave and me. We were ok in Cuzco, but once we were really high at Lake Titicaca (over 12000 feet) and then La Paz, we were suffering from it. It gives you a certain malaise which made us unable to do the journal. We are now en route to Lima, and then a few days at the beach for some R and R. Lake Titicaca and La Paz are the most exotic places we have ever been. Just too damn high. Our friends we were travelling with are still there, and are fine. More later.

Where's the Road?

2005-02-05T09:25:00.000-08:00

Where´s the Road?
The bus ride up to Machu Picchu was one of those! Steep and a zillion switchbacks. The higher we went the harder Gerry clutched my arm. I assure Gerry that even if our impaired driver missed a turn we´d surely survive the crash. In my book, a white lie.
(They all look impaired when we are nervous.)
We made it! Through the gates we go to look at the real deal, not the photo image known to everyone. Will we be let down somehow. We sat on an upper terrace. It´s a clear day except for puffs of clouds that softly bump into the mountain. What strikes you first is how did they do it? Machu Picchu is nested about 3000 feet above the valley floor.
The other feeling is that this is a special place that evokes reverence.
At the end of the site the sacred mountain juts up another 1000 or so feet. At the top of this are more ruins and terraces. The route up looked trecherous. Scary, in fact but I figured it wouldn´t be easier 5 years from now. Everyone signs in before the ascent. There is a head count at the end of the day.
I came to a fork in the path. A word, do not follow the big arrow. After doubling back I hooked up with two other independent hikers. Pavel, from the Czech Republic and Christy, a 22 year old Canadian. With group courage we worked our way to the top. Our reward, a 360 degree panaramic view. Below us was a rainbow. I headed down. We were both relieved when I found Gerry at the bottom. We exited and found a bus back down.
Having gotten used to the withering heights, going down seemed easier. We passed a group of waving young Peruvian boys at the first corner. One of those boys waved and yelled at each corner going down. Boy against bus. We ride, he runs down the stairs and then looks for a tip at the bottom. He made out well.

Sacred Valley, Peru

2005-02-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

Sacred Valley, Peru
We are now in Ollantaytambo. I count on Gerry to get the spelling right. The amazing Inca ruins here are just a taste of what Machu Picchu promises. The grandeur of Inca construction is mind-boggling. Stone terracing designed for agriculture with a half mile of steps almost to the top of a 1500 foot mountain.
It is Sunday night. All the hill people, after the market is over, let off steam drinking chicha, a saliva based whitish corn alcohol. The locals sell it and advertize by sticking a bamboo pole out in front of the house with a gob of red plastic on the end. Monday morning people walk and ride back to their mountain villages. The beautiful tipica outfit seems to have faded a little.
Monday morning we hop on Peru rail. Our car is the vista dome. We have a 90 minute ride to Aguas Calientes. Hirum Bergum found Machu Picchu in 1911. He said the breathtaking mountains in the region were indescribable. I agree. As we twisted down the mountain valleys, the Urubamba River raged on our left. Well placed defensable ruins could be seen embedded in the mountain sides. We chugged into Aguas Calientes. Surrounded by sheer cliffs, the town has a shanty look and feeling. Stacked cement buildings topped with corragated tin roofs. We are staying at Gringo Bills. Bill, from Michigan, built the hotel and then left the business to his wife about 10 years ago and went surfing. She said ''He'll die on the beach.''
Today, Machu Picchu.

Cloistered

2005-01-25T09:13:00.000-08:00

Cloistered
Dave and I went to see two 300 year old convents in Arequipa. I had never really understood the concept of cloistered. A cloistered jury- temporary. Joining one of these two convents is a permanent seperation from the world. Once admitted, the nuns receive goods and comunnion through sightless turnstyles. They may receive a monthly visit from their family, but they sit behind a wooden screen with a blind across it.
The convent of Santa Theresa is built around a flower-filled courtyard with 14 rooms full of beautiful religious paintings and artifacts facing the courtyard. (Will there never be enough representations of the Virgina and the Crucifixion?) 21 cloistered nuns live here along with 6 in training. They make soaps and baked goods for sale, make lunches for poor children, and sing a king of religious chanting at the attached church at 7am and noon, in a room separated by a covered wooden screen.

Deja Boo

2005-01-04T15:02:00.000-08:00

It has been a year since we were robbed in Granada, Spain. My little boo ¨pet name¨ was surrounded by Gypsys. We still remember the fierce determination, after the fact, of the two women´s faces as they very professionally penetrated Boo´s velcro defenses and made off with money, cards, and worst of all passports. The journal to cancel and report the theft and secure new passports took us all the way to Lisbon, Portugal. I would like to add that I was very good about the inconvenience. The finger could easily have been pointing at me.December 31, we landed in Zijuatenejo about 3PM. It had been a long day. Our alarm had gone off at 3AM. Travel days have a way of stretching your emotional wires, add on the excitement, blast of warm air after landing and culture shock, and Gerry and I were both zonked.We made it to our hotel without inceident. I fell into bed as Gerry emptied her luggage. The pitch of Gerry´s voice was like a screäm going off when she said Ï can´t find my passport.¨ Gerry´s careful search became more frantic. I know the passport was right here!! After she emptied her pack and more, I thought could this be happening. It was Daja Boo all over again. Gerry´s body language was of the losing team. She said weakly, with resignation, ¨Could I have been robbed?¨ We stayed quiet, Gerry looked into her big luggage on a long shot. Suddenly, Gerry´s hand shot into the back of the luggage. With joy and relief she said Ï found it¨ We were too tired to celebrate long. We slept well that night. No Deja Boo.