The Adventures of Dav3 and Em

Home Sweet Home for 5 months

2009-04-07T11:32:00.003-06:00

Well a lot has happened since we last updated this. Back in Fraser Colorado and our 3rd consecutive winter is nearly complete. We are ready for summer, green and no snow!

We are back into the rythym of life, but not without a bit of a rollercoaster in the midst of it all. I have been working back at Boxwell these past three months but today is my last day. I am on to persue my own dream IMAGIN3.

Abit anxious, and a lot excited!

Tigre, Parana Delta, San Isidro Argentina

2008-10-17T10:50:00.004-06:00

Tigre is a gateway to the Parana Delta, silty lands that now claim many weekend homes.
Anywhere From amazing to scary these murky channels lead to some backwoods, bayou shacks and mansions.

We had a great 4 hour trip on a wooden taxi boat. It was interesting to see the folks that live in the delta move to and fro their houses with arms full of supplies.

Getting off for a brief time we sat in the warm, humid air and drank a beer. Returning to Tigre full of wonderment

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We stayed at an amazing B&B, in a turn of the century house and a wonderful family.

Our following morning we enjoyed breakfast and went straight to the fruit market. I really enjoyed this market. The market was full of reed baskets and furniture made from the plentiful reeds on the delta.

Fresh fruit, dried fruit and many different artisan crafts. Luckily we were short on time because I may have spent a ton more money.
Retreating back toward the city we met our friend Pablo and drove out to his farm. Em had pre-arranged an opportunity to ride some argentine show jumpers. She was able to do just that, as well as take her first riding lesson in spanish.

In fact that is where she is right now as I sit and scribe this.

Last night as we re-cap and talk about these past 6 months we both decided if we had our dogs here and Emily’s horse, Chivas we would likely stay much longer. After 6 months we are "over the hump." Our spanish is much better, we are fitting in and meeting new people, we enjoy different aspects of living in a foreign country and feel that there are many opportunities to be had here. That being said we are also ready to return home, as we are now in the home stretch.
I will likely blog upon returning home to recap the trip but I just want to thank those who showed interest in our travels and tell you it was fun to share via this context. I am quite sure this will not be our last trip of this kind but I am happy to past the torch to the next willing soul to wander this amazing planet!!!

We will be home Tuesday October 21st but may not surface until the 23rd. Please call or email us as we are excited to reunite with all of YOU!

Back in Buenos Aires, Argentina

2008-10-17T10:30:00.004-06:00

After a short 18 hour bus ride (not short at all but we are now seasoned long distance bus folk) we arrived back in the big city. We headed directly to Chad and Kori’s (our texas friends living here while Kori attends Chef School) and chilled for the morning.
My hidden agenda had the Argentina vs. Uruguay soccer game in my crosshairs for later that evening. Chad and I went to the stadium to see if we could round up some tix. We were successful, actually we were lucky. In a brief moment of error we purchased two lower level, half line tickets for face value $50. After realizing his mistake he started rapping and steaming in a state of frustration. The deal had already gone down we both said in our best spanish confrentation talk. We quickly headed into the stadium to confirm these tickets were the real deal, hot dog the foreigners won!

The seats were great, the game was a blast! Argentina quickly scored 2 goals and then sat on their heels the rest of the game (I think this is a metaphor for Argentine work ethic?). Uruguay scored early in the second half making the rest of the game interesting.

My favorite chant had the entire stadium jumping and singing "saltan salta saltar a Uruguay" (let's jump, jump, jump on uruguay)

After a few pre game sprinkles we had a beautiful evening, some new futbol chants lingering in my mind we met up with the girls in China town for some grub.
The following day we headed to the antique market in San telmo.

Crazy and touristy we enjoyed another beautiful day. San telmo is a cool, old neighborhood.

We have been shopping and enjoying the high life here in BA this week with our side trip to Tigre.
Some may know some may not: we have returned to Buenos Aires for our last week in South America. WE ARE COMING HOME!

Punto Tombo, Chubut Argentina

2008-10-17T10:12:00.005-06:00

Hello MR. PENGUINO! We drove roughly 2 hours south of Puerto Madryn and arrived via dusty road to Punto Tombo. PT houses a colony of roughly half a million magellanic penguins for a few months a year. Fortunately we were able to visit during their mating time, as well as when the females were laying their eggs.

This place was truly special. We were able to wonder around among wild penguins and watch them in their true state of being.

At first glimpse you cannot believe such a place exists, from the ocean to the surrounding hills there are thousands of these awkward, non flying birds.
The best truly was just watching and walking among them as they were sleeping, constructing/repairing their nests, mating, walking, swimming, grooming, protecting the next generation and just being their funny selves.

It was such a joy to watch and learn how goofy they really are.

Our favorite time was probably watching them gracefully swim to shore and in the violence and turmoil that comes with waves hitting the beach, they stand up and waddle to safety. Absolutely hilarious!!!! I think this strange transition is the only situation in which I think they get nervous? So funny to watch them ponder and wait to pick their perfect moment to fall from grace. We sat and watched for what seemed like hours, wearing permanent smiles.
At times as we walked around always taking care not to step on one, because they are everywhere. Each couple is true to one another for a lifetime and they return to the same spot each year to lay eggs.

Protecting the eggs for up to 40 days until the furry, gray little ones arrive. During that time they take turns protecting the egg and searching for food (in the ocean). I must say the first penguins have the best real estate and the poor saps that ended up and the vast hillsides have a lot more work to simply get to the ocean.
They are so mellow and funny. What a fun place to visit!

We then retreated to Gaiman, a surviving Welsh town for some high tea. Bottomless Tea and postres in a room of relics and stories of survival in times past.
Driving back to Puerto Madryn the pampas awarded us a beautiful sunset as we all snickered about the penguins we came to know and love>

Puerto Madryn and Penninsula Valdez

2008-10-13T14:54:00.005-06:00

Well I am convinced we just visited the sea life capital of Argentina and It was AWESOME! Puerto madryn from Ushuaia was quite a long way and i will spare you the details and dramas of that trip. Arriving in Puerto Madryn at midday we were picked up by our Swiss friends Magali and Sebastien in our rented car. With the freedom of 3 days with our own transportation we quickly headed to Penninsula Valdez. Through dusty, dry and desolate lands we arrived at Punta Piramides. note, the pictures for this place are devoted to what we saw in the water since the land was not really worthy of many pictures

We booked our boat ride into the bay, to view the Southern right whales (ballenas, aqui). Not but a few short minutes later we had laid eyes on our first of many of these massive swimming mammals. Not known for the beauty (pretty ugly actually) they are lathargic and ginormous beasts, amazingly they move with grace and playfulness.

Our 1 1/2 hour trip awarded many closeup oppurtunities to view and watch the whales, actually it was mating season and in a few awkward moments we had witnessed some "whale lovin." My favorite time I recall struggling to find the correct spot to watch (or take pictures) due to the fact we were surrounded by atleast 8 whales!

We stayed on the penninsula that night which allowed us a strategic jump-off to the rest of the area. The following morning we headed deeper onto the penninsula stopping first at the Elephant seal area (as a side note the entire east coast is covered by families of elephant seals so truly we were only able to see a few of the thousands that house here for the season).

This part was really fun to just wait and watch. At first approach you think that these giant blobs of fat are lazy and unimpressive. However after some time and patience you have a chance to recognize the living dynamics. Each "pack" or harem has one dominant male elephant (called this because of their nose) that demands attention from the 10-15 females.

The females had recently given birth to pups whom quickly adapted to their lazy beach life.

The dominant male at this time of year had the job of defending his role as the master, so we witnessed some great fights.

Naturally the young males wanted some action too, but they first must fight the dominant male. Seems like this would be fairly easy due to the fact they are the fattest and slowest, but then again he has wisdom is on his side (and he is constantly in a state of satifaction, which we also witnessed). Needless to say it was fun to "watch nature breath."

After spending a long time in awe, we continued onto another walkway. The sand bar just off shore provided a sanctuary where we were lucky enough (quite rare apparently) to see a family of orcas.

Em was the first to spot them so we quickly poised our cameras. For the next 10 minutes we were alone watching them play in the bay. After that word had gotten out and we were in the mass of camera bearing tourists. We truly had a great time watching them and what we later realized was that the mother was teaching the calves how to ramp onto the beach to feed. They were practicing for the later months when the feed on the pup seals that head out into water as they learn to swim. It was super cool!

Then even further down the road we experienced our first penguin colony. These funny and goofy little birds were a joy to watch and i will tell more about them in our next blog.

The long and dusty road back had a spur along the coast that gave us even more glimpses of the right whales as the sun faded into the horizon.

What a cool place we were able to experience, i am still in a state of wonderment as i write this.

Los Penguinos

2008-10-09T20:01:00.006-06:00

How could you not smile when you meet this guy?

More about our last 5 days soon, it has been full of whales, elephant seals, and Penguins!

Ushuaia, FIN DEL MUNDO Argentina

2008-10-04T15:05:00.014-06:00

Taking a nice 2 hour flight from Calafate, on an otherwise scary plane we arrived at the southernmost city in the world (this is debatable but we are going with it).

Ushuaia is a port town on the shores of the beagle channel and is on the island of Tierra del Fuego. We are truly at the end, as we feel the relentless wind blow and the rapidly changing weather. Needless to say the setting is a bowl shaped city, facing the port to the south with a backdrop of snow capped mountains. Ushuaia is an isolated and volitile place that has seen its share of change.

Our first day We spent a great day in the Tierra del fuego national park (last day of the off season and still free) hiking the coastal trail, it was a great day of fast changing weather and water.

Our highlight was probably seeing woody woodpecker in action, in spanish they are called Carpinteros: seems so appropriate!

After a nice adventurous day we went to a converted navy hangar to see a good ol hollywood actioncomedy, Tropic thunder. I must say Emily and I laughed alone through most of the movie, these poor folks miss most of the goods with the translated subtitles.

This is a nice evening shot followed by some KING crab, Em was stoked!

Sharing costs with Magali and Sebastian, we rented a car. Driving north (since further south is not an option) and out of town on the icy roads we summited a mountain pass and dropped down into the flatter, arid valley. We headed about 200km to Cabo San Pablo. Destination: visiting one of the victims of these wild seas that now lays rest on the beach.

OOPs.

Upon our return we stopped at countless beaver lodges in search of the infamous Castor (beaver in spanish ) Seeing only a few actual beavers we saw plenty of their handy work.

The area we were in is home to some of the craziest fungi ridden-hairy trees, many different bird species, wild huanacos (see below) and more sheep than humans.

In route back we stopped at Estancia Tepi for a pre-arranged postre and tea. It turned into about 8 different types of deserts, all good, all consumed and all of us were nearly ill (with delight). We then walked around the working ranch through eery green trees, limitless skies and very cold wind. Our experience at the estancia was very friendly and if i could change only one thing it would be that we all took a nice long siesta there.

Yesterday we went to the fin del mundo museo to make it official, stamping our passports to prove the obvious. Sticking with our theme we then went to the maritime museum, in the converted jail (the end of the world is a pretty good place to house the undesirables).
It was crazy to read and think about the many adventurous souls that both succeeded and lay victim to these harsh waters. My favorite being the map of over 250 ships that have sunk between here and antarctica.

We are quite happy to have finally made it to the southern most point of our trip. Deciding to save Antarctica for another time. We hope not to fall off the end of the earth and begin our return to the north, followed then by our return the the northern hemisphere. In all its glory we have reached Deep Patagonia! Now we search for Penguins.

Chalten, FITZROY Argentina

2008-10-03T14:19:00.015-06:00

We did it! This is the place i have been wanting to see since we arrived in South America.

The FITZROY range was majestic!!!!

We were blessed with two great days in the park and we hiked both days, the first to the foot of Fitzroy and the second to the Laguna Torres (tower). This mountain range is one of the most spectacular i have ever seen. You can decide if you agree based on the countless infatuation pictures (believe me there are more).

I truly just sat at the miradors and gazed upon the rugged, craggy, glacial hanging, snow blessed granite as it cut through the horizon. Sin palabras.

Just playing with the camera as we enjoyed a sunny siesta at the base of Fitzroy.

This is Laguna Torres with a high mountain glacier with the torres towering above.

We continue to travel with Magali and Sebastian from Switzerland, it is so fun to share stories and adventures with another couple.

We booked our flight to Ushuaia, in exchange for about $50 extra dollars we eliminate 4 border posts and about 20 hours on the bus, definately a good trade. Next stop "the end of the world."

El Calafate, Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

2008-10-03T06:25:00.009-06:00

OK patagonia is so fun we have not been faithful to keeping the blog up to date, sorry (not sure anyone out there really minds but i dislike holding so many cool pictures and story from those who do).

Down here is southern Patagonia Chile and Argentina intertwine into a patchwork of confusion. So from Puerto Natales and Torres Del Paine we crossed back into Argentina and traveled north. This part of the trip required some out of the way backtracking. However the rewards were worth it!

Calafate is a dusty windy gateway town to the Perito Moreno glacier. Tourism is in full building mode here and we benefited from some of that. This touristy town was fun wander about and shop for fun "patagonia" stuff. Rejoining our Swiss friends from the boat we hired a taxi to take us to the glacier the following day.

The taxi was a great way to make our own itinerary and with 4 it was cheaper. Arriving at the glacier about 8:30 we had the place to ourselves! This massive glacier is currently sliding and expanding its footprint. The southern ice cap here adornes most of the southern Andes and is one of the only in the world that is currently expanding.

The glacier itself is very active as it groans, cracks and calves into the lakes it touches. AS it grows it blocks one lake from the other, the water pressure builds up over time and breaks through creating a natural ice bridge. As time passes the ice bridge then collapses with amazing force. Strangely this occured back in july this year (winter-time) and we remeber seeing it on the news but did not understand. After a visit we now understand why it was such a big deal, usually it happens only every 4 years and in the summer.

Needless to say the face of this glacier was truly massive and very impressive! The cold face creates weather that is crisp and windy.

Having th place to ourselves we meandered about the walkways taking in all of the prospectives. We tried to get on a boat to take a different viewpoint however the icebergs had blocked the dock and it took them all day to wrangle and clear the docking area.

Returning to watch some of the calving (chunks of ice breaking off and crashing into the water) we were no longer alone, the buses had arrived. So after a while and about 5 good chunks falling we simply took our taxi back to town, made a nice lunch and took a siesta.

We also booked our tickets to Chalten to see Fitzroy!!!!!!!

Torres Del Paine, Patagonia, Chile

2008-09-29T05:39:00.012-06:00

Sorry we have been slacking on the blog, i have a week plus of amazing Patagonian adventure to catch up on. Believe me i have a ton of pictures and these are merely a taste...enjoy.

After arriving in Puerto Natales we enjoyed a day of rest, laundry and planning. We planned a 3 day, 2 night trip into the national park, Torres del Paine. Leaving early saturday morning, we drove the 2 hours north into the park, through glacial valleys and milky green rivers. Arriving in the park to rain and clouds...as well as a plan that would not work. The boat we were told was running decided not to run and that meant hiking in, pero Estamos en Sud america! So we geared up in our best "patagonia" gear and set out in the pouring rain (carrying heavy packs with camping gear and food). We talked as we meanandered through fields of yellow grass, swamp and lengua trees, wet and a bit grumpy.

As the sky stopped and the clouds burned back we were awarded some of the best views of the days to come, calm lakes and almost eery, horn-like and craggy granite, with extreme hanging glaciers, WOW.

This is my favorite picture to date!

After 17 Km and 6+hours we arrived to our destination, Paine Grande. We were able to dry some stuff in the fireplace room, cook some soup on our stove and retire to our tent, and the rain began again and continued through the night.

Waking wet and cold we packed our now Heavier gear (borrowing trash bags for backpack covers) and continued to our next destination, through more patagonian rain. This day was especially dificult, heavy packs, wet everything and feet that were hurting and angry. As we pushed on we tried to remain positive, believe me it was hard... but we were in such an amazing place.

Stopping to cook some lunch we re-energized and continued on to Los Cuervos (the horns), 14.1 KM and about 5.5 hours. Arriving to nicely built Refugio at near dusk the horns were peaking out as the sky cleared.

We stayed in the refugio that night where bunks with no sheets were $40, not thinking of cost we needed to dry out. That night our attitudes changed as we tried to find grace in our situation. Sleeping hard and dry!

We set out about 10 the following day as the fog hung around the peaks we felt the sun wanting to burn through. We quickly shed layers as the sun intensified and did just that, revealing the wonderment towering above us. Walking around this massif was amazing! Our tired feet continued the final 11KM to Los torres, in view of the famous towers (torres).

We decided that we had been baptised by the pure patagonian rain for long enough and wanted to return to Puerto Natales, our missing bus told us different. Returning to los Torres we had a budget burst and stayed in the nice Hosteria at the base and ate a gourmet meal, we deserved it! Sleeping long and hard we rested all day.

Torres del Paine was renamed many different things during our trip... such as "Torres del rain and Torres del PAIN. But truly it was a magical place that we will not soon forget.

Back to Puerto natales and then to Calafate Argentina. God is definately talking to us, patience and persistence will bring glory and humility!

The Patagonian Channel

2008-09-19T18:20:00.006-06:00

We departed from Puerto Montt, Chile late on Monday evening, just in time to say goodbye to the setting sun and the shrinking city.

Our boat was a a converted ice crusher, nothing great but sufficient.The boat was loaded with many different things: Cargo (anything from large containers to horses), staff and passengers. Our route the southern Chilean channels.

We moved into our small, very small room that was suited with 4 bunks and a very nice swiss couple. Our new adventure allowed roughly four options to hangout: the comedor (dining room turned movie room) the room (tiny), the bridge with the captain and the upper deck. Carrying our new camera i suited up in my best patagonia gear and tried to remain up top as much as possible. Dark came quickly and the full moon rose over the wide inner passage.

The food was cafeteria style and not to bad. We met many new friends, many of them from Europe. Sharing funny traveling stories, beers and time, as our boat wisped us south. The second day awarded a nice, cool morning with glimpses of snowy peaks, thickly forested island 2 orcas and lots of different birds. We also saw our share of quickly changing weather, wind and rain. We dove our heads into books and talking with our new friends.

That evening we heard in broken english "now is the time to take sea sick pill" Which meant we were headed out into the ocean. We knew this going into the trip, so we applied our fancy behind the ear patches, and prayed for a relaxed mind over the next 12 hours. I think maybe 4 people ate dinner that night, some lost it before they even had it...yikes. Em and I crawled into our bunks and tried to find our happy places. Needless to say we had a wild night, ebbing to and fro, and up and down. I can very confidently say my dreams (or it may have been real?) were some sort of crazy. We crossed the "golfo de pesas" or translated the bay of pain or sorrow. Rightly named for some on the boat, however Em and i survived with our lunches.

The next morning looking out the window we could see land, which meant we survived and were back into the calmer channels. This day was pretty mellow, and the mornings and late evenings awarded the best weather. The sunrises and sunsets here were great! However i made it pretty far in my new book "the shack" on this day, the rain during the day was a damper on the somber and calm passengers, mostly tired from wild, awake, moving dreams. We stopped at a small Puerto Eden, a remote dependent village midway through our journey. They love to hear that horn. It means they will survive another week.

The third night brought some toasts with our new friends and joking about the different cultures and each others perception of the others, needless to say the US sure opens itself to misunderstanding, yet everyone loves something that comes from the USA. Going to bed late off course was followed by our early and final morning.

The sunrise on the "narrows" was spectacular! The tightest channel surrounded by glacial capped peaks, calm water and beautiful colors. WOW we made it to southern Patagonia!!!!!

Puerto Natales sits on the flat bay south of Torres del Paine, a colorful little town. We were welcomed by an independence day parade and nothing open. This topped are already forming stereo type that South America lives in the midst of a holiday. Regardless we found our way to the Erratic rock, a funny basecamp for the area, chaulked full of local info, the 2 owners from Oregon and lots of gear!

We relaxed and planned, deciding to wait a day before we embark on a trek into Torres del PAine. Tomorrow we will head for the park with our new camping gear (3 day rental) and hope for some good weather and buena vistas of the vertical, chiseled granite spires. I am stoked, and so is Em...but did i tell you i am stoked THIS IS PATAGONIA!!!!!

Puerto Montt and Chiloe, Chile

2008-09-14T22:30:00.005-06:00

Crossing the lake district of Argentina over a mountain pass into Chile we are in the land of cone shaped volcanoes and lots of water. The Port City of Puerto Montt is a bustling bay city, a bit dodgy, but overall a very colorful place. PM is where the main land of Chile stops and breaks up into small islands and super gnarly mountains.

We decided to side trip to Chile's second largest island of Chiloe for the weekend. The island boasts a nice, slow pace of life mixed with farms, forests and water. We crossed the channel on a ferry and made it first to the town of Ancud.

The best thing here was the Curanto, a strange eclectic stew of meat, seafood and potatoes, it was yummy.

A bit further South to Castro we were surprised by the conglomerate of materials used to resemble buildings and houses. Apparently this town has seen its share of earthquakes, fires and tidal waves. Well it seems like they have just collected all the leftover stuff from such events and built squatter shacks of houses on not much at all, even the church is just a tin clad structure. The best were the houses dangling over the water on stilts. On a high note: there is no lack of colorful paint here.

Our quick trip to Chiloe was worth the visit. The pace of life was definately a step back in time, we could all take some advice from their ignorance to our fast paced world.

We are now back in Puerto Montt gearing up for our 4 day boat trip. We stocked up on snacks and tonight we called home (GO broncos!). The boat route travels south through the islands that make up southern Chile. Final destination via boat is Puerto Natales in Torres del Paine. I look forward to our next post from deep Patagonia, sud-sud america!

The Beautiful Lake District, Argentina

2008-09-11T20:15:00.006-06:00

We are both excited to finally be in PATAGONIA! What an amazing place!

Em and I rendezvous'd in Bariloche (in the heart of Argentina's lake district) and we now have an amazing new camera...among some other great treats.

The new camera is A bit bigger than the low profile one we have been sporting, but wow its worth it. The zoom and the panoramic features are my favorite, among many other features still eluding me. I have been a bit snap happy, but as you will see it has already afforded some sweet shots. I will let the pics tell most of the story.

A few pics of the mountain architecture around these hills.

Catching up on sleep we hunkered down together, then we bursted out full of exploration.

First out to a hotel named Llao Llao, cool architecture and a setting to make it worth the umpteen gezellion pesos it costs to stay there, so for us pictures were more affordable.

Then back down penninsula to Cerro Catedral (the place i skied last week). A bit strange to take a tram then a chair lift in winter with our inadequate (and not near as fun) shoes. The top awarded panoramic views that stretched into Chile, down into deepblue mountain lakes and sugar coated peaks. This camera rocks!!!!!

The Andes, One peak in Argentina and one in Chile. This was really far away.

Today we crossed back over into Chile as we prepare for our boat trip through the Chilean Archipelagos into deep southern Patagonia: Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales. We are praying for managable weather and we are stoked!

Bariloche Argentina

2008-09-07T08:24:00.007-06:00

Bariloche the land of lakes and big mountains, much like home. The bus ride to Bariloche was quite confusing, i could have sworn i was near Kremmling, Colorado.
The road is Route 40, next to a big river, dry plateaus and white mountainous background. Bariloche is considered northern patagonia and sits in the spectactular lake district.

Arriving in Bariloche I was a bit taken by how large of a city it is, and bustling with kid groups and tourists. Finding my way to a nice hostal, the supermarket and down to the lake for the alpenglo.

The next day i was up early to go to the local ski area, Cerro Catedral. A really nice sunny day with some new snow to sign. I met a local guy named Feyfey and we skied long and hard all day. There was some great hike to terrain and the south face (not the north like at home) in an area called Laguna was really special.

The ski mountain shares great views of the town, the surrounding lakes, the spiky (cathedral like, hence the name) mountains that seperate Chile and Argentina which is also a national park. Catedral is a really sweet mountain, it is big and it allows for very creative skiing.

After a long day of ripping around the mountain, i retreated to Bariloche. I took A very long shower I put some cream to my rosy sun-kissed nose and headed for some great Argentine steak, ahhh. However the great meal was followed by staying up too late (on energy i did not have) and mingling with tons of people from all over the globe.

Needless to say i then had A lazy day in Bariloche yesterday, laundry and staple stuff. Bariloche has a hidden charm and great access to many great places behind all of the masses of tourists. Headed a bit south today to El Bolson and then returning to Bariloche on Tuesday to meet Em. Back in the mountains and loving it!

Across the pampas to San Martin De los Andes

2008-09-03T19:21:00.008-06:00

Crossing the infinite pampas, i saw a great sunset and sunrise over the flat pampas, with only a few successful pics in the rapidly moving bus

A world away from BA (and 20hours by bus) I arrived in San MArtin de los Andes, in the snow! Quickly soaking my nikes i bought some Welly knockoffs and toured this lakeside town.

Very cool Architecture and i am a bit snap happy at all the different mountain design details.

I met a great lady on the bus who made a quick list to the good stuff, including a guy who hooked me up with some skis for today, right on.

Early this morning i headed to Cerro Chapelco, hoping for good snow i arrived to some of the hardest snow i have ever skied. The top part of the mountain was closed due to fact the snow was like breakable crust that was 18¨deep, yikes.

Needless to say i enjoyed the nice skis, my new goggles and glimpes of the surrounding area. The people in the ski line here are the rudest people i have yet to meet in SA. If i had my skis and these people were stomping all over them constantly with their skis and boards i would have flipped...instead i found my happy place and indulged in my new level of patience.

I miss Em a bundle but we both realize how important it was for her to go home for the week then return (email us for more info if you want to know). Tomorrow i am headed to Bariloche, hoping for a bit more skiing and more lakes flirting with the mountains. Em will meet up with me there next tuesday. Besos, tengo hambre.

Mi ultima dia en Buenos aires

2008-09-03T18:58:00.004-06:00

Well my buddy Chad and i headed down to Boca to tour the greatest stadium in the world (according to boca fans and most argentines) Estadio Boca Juniors! Infamous for Maradona and a long list of greats. The stadium was unimpressive, in fact at one point in their locker room chad said ¨my highschool locker room was nicer than this¨ regardless we had fun! The Boca museum displayed all the hardware they have won over the years and some cool info. And of course the ode to Maradona.

Not but 20 minutes later i met Maradona himself!!!!

Sweet! ¿Barbaro, si?

Well perhaps not really ¨the maradona¨ but he looked exactly like him, so i paid $10 to get a picture with him so i could show all my friends, and my brother. remember when The goal scored by Maradona using his hand was so cool in 1986 World cup that we actually practiced it at soccer practice...funny. They call it the ¨mano de dios¨ the hand of God.

Also i must mention the strangely Chipotle-like burrito i endulged in for lunch...yummy!

THE BUS

2008-08-30T17:02:00.004-06:00

I thought I would write a blog on the bus. We have riden a lot of buses: long, short, day, night, sketchy, safe, comfortable and certainly the opposite. Needless to say they are all an experience.

Documented below is our longest bus ride to date from buenos Aires to Iguazu. It took roughly 16 hours and was probably the most comfortable all around bus ride to date.

The Bus, we took top floor front. Funny because the view is great but it also often scary. We go back and forth about this: seeing is only good if the driver is not a crazy blind passing-speed freak.

A descent meal, comprable to airplane food.

Laying back 180 degrees after some champagne and a small tart.

"our zone" after sleeping.

The bus is a very new concept in our world. For example I have never taken a greyhound bus anywhere...yet here people take the bus to go everywhere. We decided not to calculate how much time we have spent on these bad boys down here, because truly it would depress us...and we are not done here yet. Besos y abrazos.

A new view of Buenos Aires

2008-08-30T16:34:00.004-06:00

We have finally figured out how to get around BA, and we are much happier. The city required some some time to capture our attention, well it succeeded. Here are a few cool pics that make it babarao (cool).

Catarates Iguazu

2008-08-29T09:47:00.014-06:00

Lets just say WOW!!!! After a really long 20 hour bus ride we arrived to destination Puerta Iguazu, its in the jungle baby. Deciding to stay a bit out of town at a place we saw as we were coming in. It was very hostel eske but it had a great location and a sweet pool. Quickly unloading and jumping in the pool we plotted out our next day to the falls. We awoke early to get there when it opened and quickly walked to the first catwalk...my favorite part came at first glimpse...sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. Not to mention massive and spread out. I attached a video from the first place we stopped in awe.

The "catarates" are a series of sweeping waterfalls over a massive area.

The river above fans out and calmly trickles its way toward an ultimate downward crash. The delicate balance of serenity and violence is all displayed and acted out within a few feet and over a few seconds. The most impressive area is the Garganta del Diablo (devils throat) see video below, it was mezmerizing! Em and I just stared at it for what seemed like an eternity.

We then took a boat over to an island and were mistified below, it was quite the baptism.

It was great to get back into nature, we treated our few days in the jungle like our summer (since we unfortunately missed it this year) We enjoyed our few days in the jungle, then we returned to the concrete jungle of BA. God has a pretty sweet Imagination!

Punta del Este, Montevideo and Colonia, Uruguay

2008-08-21T14:44:00.009-06:00

Looking back at Buenos Aires...

A swift ferry ride from Buenos Aires, we cross river Plate to Uruguay. Then traveling by bus out to the resort town of Punta Del Este (landscape similar to IOWA). Punta is like the Winter Park of Denver, mainly second homes and definately shoulder season. We had to just dream of warmer weather and hot sunshine, but the winter is in full here very windy and even rainy. We sqweeked out one nice afternoon and rented a moped, yipee.

We had a great time touring the penninsula, beaches and neighborhoods. It was also nice to see pine trees not infected with Pine beetles! Staying at the Days Inn felt 5 star. We Then back tracked into the heart of Montevideo the Capital of Uruguay. Montevideo has a more relaxing feel to an otherwise busy city. Our favorite part was the port market: we indulged in good ol Parrilla (BBQ), Provolone cheese and Medio y medio (white wine and sparkling wine in a 50-50 balance of quick drunkeness).

We then walked the ramble wall seperating us from the chocolatey water of the river. It is cold here and the wind seems to slice through our clothes.

Any city that has an exact replica of me cannot be that bad!

Onto the final town of Colonia and we rented a golf cart. It was really funny to drive in an unknown city in an otherwise inadequate vehicle.

Never mind that it was a perfect way to see Colonia. An old port-fort city, we went to the top of the lighthouse and cruised the stone streets. A hip but touristy town.

Calling Rusty fore his big 4 0 (happy BD man!), we embaked back to the crazy BA, Argentina. Arriving in the thick of friday rush hour we took the longest bus ride ever (not in time but in pure patience). We had a fun week in Uruguay! Now after a great weekend back

in BA, we are headed to Iguazu falls up north for a quick visit.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

2008-08-17T19:59:00.004-06:00

We survived our longest bus journey to the massive and chaotic Buenos Aires, THE People watching capital of this continent. Our plans to move south were deterred due to a package we had stuck in customs. After a day of chasing and retrieving our package (just short of bending over) we found refuge at some friends house we had met in Mendoza. They moved to BA for Kori to attend chef school, while Chad works via internet. Very lively folk from Austin Texas, we have really good fun together. BA is a dizzying place and it helps to have some folks to help us.

Em and I have explored Capital Federal, Puerta Madera and Recoleta, all with the the Air (heir) of Argentine pride. Casa Rosada (arg white house that is pink) where Evita gave famous speeches of inspriation. As i had mentioned the people watching is priceless here, the style of Europe and a sense of world revolvement. I think our favorite are the dog walkers just praying their kanines get along!

Last night we went to a Puerta Cerrada (closed door) restaurant. Essential a cook whom opens his home to have a set menu dinner party. It was like being thrown into an eclectic party of folks from all around the world. Great food, paired wine and a taste of underground secret society.

Today we went to Club Hipico to watch a grand Prix horse event, Em sporting her new boots. All on green grass, high jumps with the roar of the soccer stadium erupting nearby. A great afternoon not quite warm enough to be cozy, however always great to have Em in her element.

BA is a city that will captivate and overwhelm, yet has bits of intrigue and amazing history. Using Chad and Kori's gracious second bedroom we will fan from here to Uruguay tomorrow. Just a quick 5 day visit, a ferry boat to our final new country.

SKI PORTILLO, Chile

2008-08-11T19:44:00.006-06:00

Finally: Ski Portillo. Set high in the andes on the cross roads of 2 countries sits the acangagua valley, lago de inca and Portillo. It is home to a huge hotel housing as many employees as guests, it looked full tilt. We merely went there for the day and spent a lot of money, so a week we can only guess the cost. The skiing also held up to its name, steep and gnarly.

We had a wonderful sunny day, the snow was near new and the temperatures reached almost hot by midday. Our favorite if not craziest experience was on the Roca Jack lift. Specially designed for this steep area the lift is like nothing i have ever seen (most likely would not fly in the US) A brief description is a bar hooked to a cable and ropes like a kite.

5 people share the poma like lift side by side, as it rips up the 35 degree slope over humps and bumps like a bucking bronco.

The flat out scary ride ends at the top by just stopping, no shack, no help just icy exit strategy. Once it stops the slope is still at 35 degrees and your immediate reaction is to turn your skiis to stop from sliding backward, however that is not possible due to the fact there are 4 others trying to do the same or opposite. Needless to say it was not graceful at all! We tried many times and still no grace. An experience that brought stress, laughter, anxiety, vertical and humility. As we also found out there are 4 other like lifts around the mountain, still no grace. Apparently it is a specially designed lift to take folks to the top of very steep slopes. If you survive, the skiing terrain accessed is awesome.

The lifts also go over the highway, which was almost as sketchy as Roca Jack just mix in the massive trucks cruising by. dont drop your glove!

After the sun kissed our noses and we skied 15,500 vert we slipped into the hottub for a relaxing poach. We Bought some patches, t-shirts, hats and stickers and retreated to Los Andes. A fun day and a great place. Skiing in Chile is top notch and worth another visit!

We are back in Mendoza now and headed to Buenas Aires tomorrow, not as planned but necessary. We will update again from the Capital city of Argentina. Suerte

Santiago-Viña Del Mar-Los Andes, Chile

2008-08-11T17:15:00.006-06:00

Our 10 day trip in Chile had so much to offer. CHILE is a very special place! We had great powder just outside of Santiago and then we went to beach! Our side trip to Valparaiso, Viña del Mar and Isle Negra was nice. Valparaiso is set on the hills that lead into a large bay-port.

It was not as pretty as one might think but very interesting. We took an äscensor¨ up to the barrios on the hill which was a maze of mixed up architecture and funky coves of houses, stairs and vistas.

We quickly escaped to Viña del Mar just north and spent a nice evening winding down in the peaceful beachside setting watching the sun disappear into the amazing Pacific.

Traveling south then t to Isla Negra where A very eclectic poet created a beachside paradise on the beautiful coast just west of Santiago. A very fun sidetrip not 2 hours from the mountains we skied just days before.

Back to our apartment living in Santaigo, we bought graceries and acted like we lived there. Taking care of the very few things we have to do and enjoying figuring out the city all while drinking lots of Starbucks and eating our new favorite Telepizza!

Escaping the city north to Los Andes a rural setting based at the crossroads of all these named places. I really would love a big ranch bearing fruit here!

1 hour from everything we set up to go to Portillo and ski our final day in Chile. Alpenglow here was spectacular.

Who else would love one of these BICI-MOTO cruisers? I DO!

El Colorado- BluebirdPOWder

2008-08-03T17:21:00.004-06:00

Well we paid homage to El Colorado. After an extremely sketchy drive to the mountain we arrived to bluebird powder day with about 8-12¨ fresh snow at El Colorado.

We thouroughly enjoyed the fresh, silky powder. We both had longer skis and took some great virgin powder runs, Todo Sonrisas!

The area itself was a cone shape and the ski pistes (runs) all fan from the top.

After lunch we were both feeling a bit lazy. Like powder days at home by one you cannot feel your legs, not to mention the snow was getting much wetter and tougher to ski.

WoW Chile skiing is stellar!

Happy 1st anniversary Jake and Emily, We love you!

Santiago and Valle Nevado Chile

2008-08-01T08:47:00.009-06:00

What an Amazing trip over the andes into Chile. I was pasted to the window the entire time and we had our first glimpse at Ancangagua the highest mountain in the western hemisphere. Our bus driver was crazy, and the border took a long time, but we are backin CHile!

It feels good to be away from ARgentina for awhile and we are enjoying the Capital City of Santigo. We rented a great apartment for the week, it is so hip and nice to be self sufficient. The owners are great and have what so many lack here- forward thinking, creativity and quality. We quickly moved in and set off to explore.

The city itself is massive, with tons of moving parts. It reminds us of NYC. I think they vacuum the streets and grease the subway axles every night, everything is so clean and so smooth. They have many US influences-Starbucks, all of the fast food chains and a Hooters? However we had Tele pizza last night which is Chilean but tastes very American. We like this city.

Yesterday we ventured out of the city to Valle Nevado, a ski area near here. IT WAS AWESOME! There was a fresh 6¨and it was bluebird. We rentedsome great equipment, in fact i rented some skis that i have at home. We had a really great day, in fact we were saying that it was possibly one of the best we have had while we have been down here. It is raining here today and snowing big in the mountains! This is CHile we were hoping for.

Penitentes, Mendoza Argentina

2008-07-28T07:43:00.013-06:00

Mendoza has grown on us after spending 2 weeks here. Spanish classes, meeting new people, visiting all of the plazas and venturing out of town this place has a lot to offer. Not to mention it has the best Mullet spottings i have ever seen! The guys here are infatuated with mullets and rat tails, they all have them and love them! Sometimes Em has to tell me that we are not in a time warp.

We had a great week of Spanish class, went to the zoo, looked at caballos de salto (jumping horses), indulged in great local MAlbec, cooked our dinners and ran in the nearby park often.

Yesterday we rented a car and drove to ski Penitentes a ski area about 200km from Mendoza near the Chilean border. WOW it felt good to drive, i really miss it. Certainly not for the faint at heart (EM) but great fun for me. The vineyards backed by snow capped mountains is quite a wonder.

Driving-skiing-driving made for a long day, but the skiing was fun. There is not a tree in site and the wide expanse of white is super flat light and makes it difficult to see, but all in all very cool experience. Not to mention it is July and we are skiing in the ANDES!

Em fashioning her Argentine gear, Muloc hat, Montagne gloves and goggles from the star wars set. We are missing our gear so much!!!!!

Just when we were wondering where all the rear entry boots, straight skis, one piece ski suits and just flat bad style, it is HERE! It was like living 80´s day and acting like it was really hip? You decide. Sorry no mullet-ski digs pics, but believe me we saw plenty.

A quick drive to the Chilean border to see Punta de Inca. A wild sulpur pool where an old spa existed above the river, pretty cool.

As for now we are nursing sore backs and ski muscles (of lack of), enjoying our coffee and off day. The B&B we have been staying in thinks we moved in, but it is so comfy and non-moving so we have kinda moved in. Spanish is becoming more and more fluent, we are in the thick of past tense now, but talking to about everyone whom is patient enough to listen-teach us. The people here are always into socializing more than work, which is good for spanish bad for trying to accomplish anything.

We are finally headed into Chile tomorrow, excited for a change of pace and country

Mendoza Argentina

2008-07-22T17:04:00.004-06:00

Well I wish we were more excited to share news of an awesome apartment, an amazing city and our instant web of new friends...Sorry we are still a bit somber ourselves. Mendoza lacks a certain vibe, energy, something that we both thought it would definately have. Dont get me wrong the city is nice to stroll in and has great big trees, bottomless wine but no vibrant life. I do not want to wrong you in that the city is no good, but as most things here they are not what they seem or what we built them up in our heads to be? (this seems to be our constant dilemma, so with advice from our new savvy traveling friends, ¨just expect less¨). However, I envision the summers and fall here to be awesome.

SO We are in full swing with spanish classes and are enjoying more structured learning, i am still convinced talking, talking and more talking is the best way to learn! We are in a sweet hostal, surrounded by good folk and comfort. Tonight is also officially the 7th night in one place!!! A record for this trip which is hard to believe but wow we need to relax a bit. Our classes contradict this place as a whole, late dinners mixed with a bottle of wine, then awake before sun to walk in the cold to class. Someone needs to share the daylight savings concept to these folk as well as a nice dinner spot for a 7pm dinner (not 10-12). Also not much snow here, no until next week in Chile we will wait to ski. I should cheer up, i have a new guacho hat and i am madly in love with my travel partner !!!!

Cordoba, Jesus Maria, Argentina

2008-07-13T19:13:00.008-06:00

We are fitting into the city of Cordoba it is a very hip city. Today we had a chance to visit an artisan market and bought our new wedding rings. I endulged in some cotton candy and later had a sugar crash

Yesterday we went on a wild goose chase, walking a lot. We finally found the Criollos La Rural and horse event. Very Rodeo, but the Guachos here are so cool! We had fun watching and ended up staying in Jesus Maria.

The things we see here seem to be very inspiring, frustrating and intriguing all at the same time. I am so ready for some consistency...hopefully Mendoza brings that this week.

Our 5th ANNIVERSARY, Cordoba Argentina

2008-07-12T06:47:00.006-06:00

We did not quite make it to Mendoza so our real celebration will be next week. However 7-11 was our 5th wedding anniversary. We bought ourselves some new running shoes and went for a nice run. Last night we had a great meal and watched some live music. Today we are headed a bit north to watch a horse cutting (or similar?) event with a guy we met. Then we are hoping to visit a few farms with jumping horses. Em is excited and i hope she gets to ride a bit. Cordoba is nice, but very big and busy. Next week we head to Mendoza (wine and mountain country) and will probably be there for awhile, skiing, etc.

I started a new Facebook account, so look me up...a fun way to connect to old friends.

ARGENTINA!

2008-07-09T10:54:00.007-06:00

After a short trip to Chile we have moved east to Northern Argentina. We felt an instant change in security, infrastructure and enjoyment. Not that we have not enjoyed the countries we have been to, but Argentina already feels the most like home. Our first city Salta was pleasant. We rode a gondola to the top of a nearby hill and walked about the city.

I quickly enjoyed my first Argentinian beef for lunch, yummy! After a ong day of walking We decided to indulge in a fancy dinner. Here they eat dinnar no earlier than 10 pm, so at 11 we arrived to a packed house of merry, singing and eating folks. A bottle of nice Malbec, salad bar, a steak and Chicken for Em cost us $35!!! Finally We are in the land of good livin´ The steak was AWESOME and i send a shot out to anyone in my family whom loves the steak we get from Iowa ( and the traildust) this was quite possibly better and definately cheaper!

AHHH steak! Do not be deceived it is cooked to perfection.

Further south we are now in Tucuman, the city is full of people celebrating the Argentinian Independence day today. Just moments ago we had a chance to see the our first women president. The architecture is cool and the people are for most part very nice.

We are headed to Cordoba tonight and will probably be there for our 5th Anniversay on friday. However, destination Mendoza will soon as well, there we plan to settle for a bit, immerse ourseves, do some skiing and probably more spanish classes.

Happy birthday Brad!

Southern Bolivia into Chile

2008-07-05T21:45:00.014-06:00

Well we survived our 4 day adventure via train and Land Cruiser. Arriving in Uyuni we felt the cold air immediately. We booked our tour and left at 10 Bolivian time, meaning noon. A quick stop at the train boneyard and then off to the solar de Uyuni, the worlds largest salt flat.

A crazy desolate, flat, hard, mesmerizing, not mention salty place. Hard to describe the vast nature of this place? We took a few trick pictures and enjoyed our time with the 2 french, 2 italians and 2 bolivians (our driver Sebastian and our cook his wife Luisa).

We drove for miles with nothing arriving at our first place to stay, yikes. The only thing i will say is that Em and I slept together in a twin bed with as many blankets as we could find, super cold. The stars however were as close to God as I have felt this trip!

Our Cocinera Luisa, the food was Awesome!

Our next day we traveled further south stopping at different colored Lagoons, my fovorite Laguna Colorada, which was red with white borax on its shores and flamingos waltzing around.

Our driver was freakin crazy and about midday our side seemed to be a bit soft, thinking flat tire we stop, Sebastian climbs under to cruiser to take a look and says MUERTA. He digs into his tool kit and climbs back under, a few minutes later and punctured shock gets tossed aside. Just as we were wondering if you can drive where we are headed without a shock he yells VAMOS. Unfortunately Em and I were on that side of the truck, but fortunately it slowed him down!

The second night was much the same as the first, we shared a twin bed, but this time everyone was in the same room. We awoke and visited some geysers at 15,500 feet! It was super cold and we were exhausted.

To our final lagoon, skating on the solid ice, we then drive to the border. Em and I are the only ones who decided not to return to Uyuni 8 hours back on the roughest road you can imagine. Transfering to another bus we are now in Chile!

Only for a short time in San Pedro de Atacama, tomorrow we take a bus to Salta Argentina! I did do some sandboarding today which was quite interesting? We both have colds which means we are moving a bit slow but we are in good spirits. We both were feeling homesick yesterday on the 4th, missing family,friends and BBQ. So please email us some good photos of the 4th, we missed you all. Buenas noches.

Mountain Biking Bolivia

2008-07-01T10:18:00.008-06:00

Since we delayed our trip south we had some days to play in and Around La Paz. We have also decided pictures are easy to take than buying things (for example the Che Homero shirt, amazing!) Che Guevarra is loved here, rumor has it that the CIA apparently killed him here in Bolivia. Maybe that explains why only US citizens have to pay to get in to Bolivia?

We signed up for Mountain biking the ¨World´s most dangerous road.¨ Well it may be dangerous for trucks and buses but for mountain biking it was great! First of all it felt good to bike, secondly Emily and I were the rippers in the group, always up front and Thirdly, the road is not used like it once was for all traffic into jungle. ***if anyone has the email that circulated this spring with pictures of the road with truck traffic please forward to me.

It truly was fun...we drove to La Cumbre (summit in spanish) and put on our gear, super cold at 8:30 in the morning. We descended on asphalt for about an hour and then forked off onto the crazy road. On Queue the mist and clouds hovered and we were instantly muddy!!!! I have never actually biked with goggles but it is the only way here. The road drops off vertically down to a deep river canyon. Brakes were crucial! We did have nice full suspension bikes with disc brakes, and that did pay off.

This is however a great oppurtunity to quote Che Guevarra, ¨Bolivia: todo possible, nada seguro¨ Which means: yes, Bolivia is full of possibilities, but nothing is truly safe.

After 11,190´of descent we are basking in the humid warm sun of the jungle! We were both quick to change into flops and drink a beer, finding out later that the mosquitos there are invisible until about a half our later when our legs are riddles with bites...still itching today, errrr.

We have now escaped La Paz, barely. Yesterday our bus was driving on roads not even my 4x4 truck should due to road blocking strikes? This place is so backward thinking and it is amazing how they survive?

We are now awaiting our train to Uyuni, where we plan to take a jeep tour for 3 days in some amazing salt flats and Lagoons. At that point we cross the border into Chile.

Have an AWESOME 4th of July, and if you need any fireworks the kids sell them here (with beer and cigs of course) and everyone lights them for no reason...so really everyday is the forth for us here in Bolivia! Love and miss you all tons, Dave and Em

La Paz, Bolivia

2008-06-27T07:18:00.013-06:00

Well we did not think we would like La Paz, however we do! It is a crazy beautiful city shaped like a bowl. The lower basin is the downtown and it is surrounded by houses and structures clinging to the hills. The Cordillera Real are all around us and i am already planning a return trip with my buddies to climb some of these 6000m+ peaks.

We decided to stay here a bit longer and downhill bike the worlds most dangerous road on saturday. We are staying in a high class hotel that Em found that tops out at $55 a night for the suite! It happens to be really close to the Sooccer stadium, so we have attended two games already! Em loves Futbol now, well maybe not but she is a good support so i do not have to go alone. The fans are nuts and it is really fun to watch!

Lake Titicaca and Isle Del Sol, Bolivia

2008-06-27T07:18:00.006-06:00

A beautiful island in lake Titicaca, Island of the sun. We did a day trip to the island, and walked the ridge trail. It felt good to hike and the island was very dry admidst this massive lake that looks like the ocean. It was relentless however how much they try to tax you to use everything, left a bit of a sour taste in this great place.

Bolivia!

2008-06-22T16:15:00.006-06:00

Our 5th day on the bus today brought us to the border of Bolivia and into the town of copacabana. We were both a bit worried about the border crossing, but as soon as we flashed $100 each, we were in! The Peru-Bolivian border here strandles the huge lake Titicaca (go ahead laugh Beavis and Butthead). The altitude here is right at 12000 feet, so it may look tropical but it is certainly fleece weather. Check out the foosball setup right on the beach!

We are happy to be on new frontiers and Em has booked us into a great little place above town! Our corner room will help us unwind from our past week. Then onto La Paz. Congratulations Joe and Haley Married Yesterday!!!!

All over the map Cusco-Arequipa-Cabanaconde, Peru

2008-06-22T15:41:00.010-06:00

As you can see Jesus is watching over us, good thing because it has been quite a week! I indulged in the local custom of Cuy, aka; Guinea pig! It was not very meaty and it tasted of dry turkey, however the head and legs were the daunting part. I managed to slice, dice and consume the loveable household pet. We ended our time in Cusco riding horses in the hills, stopping at a few Incan ruins in the area. Em loves Horses as captured by this pic, love her smile!

We then chased what we thought would be a very cool adventure, starting on our first night bus...it was a prelude to a ton of effort for very little reward. Arequipa in the south of Peru is busy, dirty and crowded. The main Plaza is nice, and our hostal was a great refuge. We did however get to visit a frozen Incan Girl found high upon a mountain 15 years ago, funny how she did somehow acheive eternal life...as long as the power to her freezer does not go out (sorry no pics allowed).

We then took a gruelling 6 hour bus trip, loaded with people standing, and the stench was something else. Not to mention the road was not paved...all in a quest for a canyon deeper than Arizonas Grand...I call Bologna. It was kinda cool but nothing like the grand canyon, so we hiked along the edge for awhile in the blistering sun, tired and dusty.

And what goes out must come back, repeat bus ride. Yikes we are wiped from merely chasing, and we both are the first to admit we could have done without that trip!

Yesterday, our 4th straight day in some sort of bus brought us to the end of Peru. Not feeling very social we retire very early to watch our bootleg sex in the city movie. We are both ready for a new country!

MACHU PICCHU!!!!!

2008-06-15T17:04:00.020-06:00

INCREDIBLE! After one of the shortest-longest nights of our lives we awake at 4:30 am to catch the first bus to Machu Picchu! Arriving before daylight we feel our way into this magical place. The dull morning light feels calm and pure. A warm spiritual sense washes our thoughts at our fist glimpse of Machu Picchu. We spend the next 2 hours in the morning glow exploring the labyrinth of the planets most amazing architecture, by ourselves.

The massively steep mountain jungle capture the green and abundant terraces, framed and bisected by stacked gray granite rock, into the vibrant feeling of being ALIVE! Then Comes the SUN.

A grand spectacle reveals the mass and the soul of the layout. I would love to see this place bustling with life (other than camera carrying pasties) the energy had to be phenomonal. After a short breakfast break we head directly to Huayna Picchu the mountain that towers in the background. After a steep, stair riddled hike we reach the top of the peak. There is also ruins that hang from the flanks of this sheer peak.

After taking in the surroundings we continue down to the great caverns along the backside of the pueblo. A long and often sketchy descent we arrive to some jungle caverns, the Incans must have been sure footed, strong, stocky, patient and many.

The amount of work and energy it had to of taken to buld what we have seen these past few days...incomprehensible.

After a three hour hike we have returned to the main Ruins. It is nearly noon now and the place is packed with what we knew was inevitable, Tourists by the hundreds. We quickly dart through the pueblo as if we lived there for years to the vista overlook. It is such a shame the bearded Spanish conquered the Incans, the world would be a better place with them still around. They were forward and intelligent thinkers. They also chose pure life, living and working in such great environments.

We get our token pics and weave the flooding tour groups to the exit. We are flat worn out, content and in awe. The Peruvian government has really done well with Machu Picchu, it is clean and well kept. You have to pay for everything here. Even the bathroom¿ they have that kind of power because you are truly at their mercy.

We meander down, stopping at a great museum and relaxing by the urabamba river. Back to Aguas Calientes to catch the train back to Cusco. A long slow slog, with a few catnaps. Whew what a day!

Happy fathers Day! We love you Dad´s.

The Sacred Valley Peru

2008-06-15T16:36:00.010-06:00

From Cusco (the navel of the Incan World) there are many different Incan Ruins. We awoke early on thursday and began exploring the sacred valley. First stop Pisac, a great example of the many terraces built for farming. An immense area of terraces, barrios (neighborhoods) and temples. The Incans grew so strong due to their ability to distribute water and terrace steep mountains for farming. We baked in the sun as we explored our first taste of Incan life.

On down valley through Urubamba to Ollantaytambo. Another small gem of a village with ruins towering high above. These ruins are famous for the massive rocks that were somehow transported to the top of the mountain to form a temple. All these ruins are pinched among massive peaks and deeply carved valleys.

The blessing in all of our travels are the funky, hip tranquil places we stumble upon. This place had awesome food and no tourists, whew, breathe.

Finally ending our grand day boarding the Perurail train to Aguas Calientes (the overpricedand uber-touristy) gateway to Machu Picchu.

Lima and Cusco

2008-06-11T14:23:00.009-06:00

We finished our time in Lima, cloudy all days except saturday. A busy city center but amazing architecture. We had our first SA flight on Tuesday flying to Cusco. A quick one hour flight over mountains that blew my mind! Arriving in Cusco we were met by many "guides" and others that will gladly help us for no money but doop us in the end. Finding our way to a great secluded hostal we relax. Off to explore the city we decide first thing is figure out our trip to Machu Picchu! We figured out a great route using trains buses and feet! Tomorrow we set off to do just that! Cusco is very hip and funky, in fact some of you my have been here. Obviosly tourist driven but not that bad. We are currently missing the big Clingman fmily reunion in the ozarks, but feel that Machu Picchu is a trade off. Next post MP pics!!!

Lima, Miraflores Peru

2008-06-08T18:26:00.010-06:00

We are done with the north coast now, enjoying Trujillo and Chan chan ruins. We have made it south to Lima arriving late friday evening. We had an awesome bus ride on a great company Cruz del Sur (cruise the coast) it was a crazy site, i have never seen so much sand. A friday traffic taxi to Miraflores and by the looks of things it was going to be a busy friday night. We found a place right off the plaza and close to a STARBUCKS. We went out for pizza and a walk in the plaza. Our seemingly great location meant a very noisy night, it was the first time i have slept with earplugs? I awoke early to the noise and went down and got us starbucks, which was a nice taste of home! Miraflores is a really nice area with a ton of tourists, a wonderful plaza and lots of activity. We walked along the coastal overlook where we found quite a few parks (Parque de amor, oooh lala) and a very clean area. We walked all over town and found our way to a movie theatre and saw What happens in vegas (very funny). We also ate at Chilis! Overall it was a very U.S. day, so good sometimes to have things from home. Today we moved to a quieter hostal and went and met or friend Yolandas family. We had a great afternoon with them, talking and eating. Very good Spanishpractice and they are Truly a great family! Tuesday we fly to Cusco.

Northern Peru

2008-06-04T07:46:00.011-06:00

Well we did not want to leave Mancora, it was overall a nice place to relax and be by the ocean! However we packed up and took a sketchy bus to Piura, lessons learned there. One night in dirty, busy Puira (despite the city we did see Indiana Jones at a nice cinema all inclusive popcorn and tickets $ 11) we travelled further south to Chiclayo. A nice Hostal (a mix between hostal and hotel and our average is 2 star) we joined the sunday crowd at the insane markets, what a crazy way to shop? Monday we sorted out laundry and tuesdays tours. Yesterday we went to 2 museums and one archeological site. This area houses ruins from the pre inca SIcans and Sipans. They were gold crazy and it was quite interesting to see what they thought was a good way to bury there rulers. Sican was buried upside down with his head cut off? They amazing part however is the amount of time the archeologists spend recreating and displaying the burial garb. Amazingly intricate jewelry, masks, weapons etc. Sorry no pics in the museums. The pyramids had turned into eroding piles of mud and rock, i guess when we hear of el Ñino they get it bad here!

Peru has its ups and downs, and i have never seen so many shady mini taxis in my life. We both love to watch the major intersections that have no signage, lights or control, every car for himself. Fun to watch but scary to cross! Also the hairles dogs are quite interesting.

Em is not feeling so great this morning so we will slowly continue to Trujillo from here. Bypassing Cayamarca (sorry Yolanda, too much bus time) and then heading down to LIma for the weekend.

Crossing the border and Mancora Peru

2008-05-29T12:44:00.008-06:00

Well we have officially made it into Peru. A good trip overall, we were glad to be safely in a nice bus to cross the border! We arrived in a northern surf town of Mancora, Peru. A nice Swiss guy helped us at the bus stop and we joined he and his Peruvian wife to their new bungalows above town. We have now been here for 4 days and really enjoy it. The bungalows are special, they overlook town and a great view of the ocean and surf break. The first day i decided to try kite surfing (i have wanted to try for a long time) it is even expensive here but truly a great rush. After only 3 hours i was standing on the board and riding! One more lesson tomorrow and i am equipped with the knowledge for kite surfing=skiing! I describe it like this: similar to slalom skiing behind a boat with a crazy driver that you have total control over. We decided this place promotes doing nothing but relaxing and observing! Also our Spanish is really improving. We move south on Saturday, until then i´m going surfing.

Cuenca and Guayaquil Ecuador

2008-05-25T13:02:00.006-06:00

We finished Spanish school in Cuenca and feel really good about our skills. Come to find out they had a huge festival starting on thursday and we got a taste. They have tons of sweets and candy for sale all over and at night they light off these crazy towers of fireworks. The fire was raining down into the crowd and everyone loved it. We personally felt in danger but smiled along with them. The city was an awesome place to learn, great architecture and atmosphere. I even went to a futbol match! It was a crazy fast busride over the mountains and We are now near the coast and ready to cross into Peru tomorrow. Guayaquil is busy and huge but they have a great walkway along the river where we currently are.

En Cuenca Por Escuela de Español

2008-05-20T12:48:00.002-06:00

Emily and I have enrolled in a week of seperate one on one spanish classes. 4 hours a day in the afternoons.

We started yesterday and it is amazing how much i learned once but have forgotten. We both feel it is a great investment in our travels.

We will post pictures of this really cool city with great architecture and very nice people. Cuenca is however very busy! We moved hostals this morning, to be closer to the river and not in the middle of the buses and taxi´s at 6 am.

Baños and Puyo EC

2008-05-17T06:48:00.012-06:00

Let me just say it is not afraid to rain here! Nearly every night and morning it is raining, then the sun will come out and it is hot and HUMID!

On Thursday we hiked high above the town of Baños to a small village, it was a tough hike, but good for both of us. After buying groceries we ate and i was asleep by 6pm through the night...i guess i was tired?
Yesterday we rented a MOTO and drove the route of the waterfalls on the Pastaza river all the way to Puyo. Puyo is the gateway into the jungle where there are no raods. The airport was busy with little airplanes taking people and supplies into the jungle. We got wet going down there but the sun was warm on the edge of the jungle. We then continued to a little zoo with jungle animals and my favorite was definetely the monkeys. We saw birds, snakes, turtles, large rodents (capybaras) and pig-like creatures, Em knows the names?
The long road back confirmed that this would be a tiring way to travel all the time (at conception of this trip i wanted to buy motorcyles and travel all the way south).

We again went to the hot springs last night to sooth our weary bums, and good old pizza was the perfect food for a long but adventurous day!

Baños Ecuador

2008-05-14T17:44:00.005-06:00

We have descended down to 6000´to the town of Baños (baths). There is an actve volcano above us which we saw the smoke from as we descended, however today there were clouds and rain. We walked the town yesterday, bought some bootleg DVD´s (all for $1 each) and watched Juno. We decided that the movies will help us survive from becoming home sick. The place we are staying is amazing! Last night we stayed at a mediocre place with my new nemisis the rooster next door. I thought they only crow at sunrise but that is not correct, this one did it all night? So we moved into a great place further into the hills, below a waterfall and a nice quiet area. We are fresh off of a $25 massage and a thermal pool visit. We hope the weather holds for a hike or bike tomorrow.

Happy Birthday MOM!

COTAPAXI!

2008-05-12T14:48:00.011-06:00

Well I made it! The highest i have ever climbed 5897meters (19,460´) It was a cloudy drive in and i was bummin a bit. However as we arrived at the north approach to the Refuge the clouds parted and we got our first look! It is a very round looking mountainand an active volcano with a glacier cap. We drove to 4500m and then hiked up to Jose Rivas Refugio at 4800m. The afternoon consisted of carb loading, pictures and lots of tea. The refuge is quite big, but simple with bunk beds and a few tables to eat. Baño was sketchy, but most of them are here. I tried to sleep from 7-12 but with limited success due to excitement and ever calling bathroom calls (i drank a toñ of water and tea). There were 5 of us 2 Gias and 3 climbers, One swiss the other an Aussie. We geared up at about 12;30 am and were hiking by 1;15. We hiked to the glacier, put our crampons on and then up, up and more up. I was roped with a guide and the Aussie, we were all in great shape and passed the few other guides that started before us very quickly. All crampon climbing, with a climbing axe. The air was thin and crisp and the stars were incredible! We hiked so fast we made it to the summit 5897m in 3hours17min! Even the guide was amazed. But that did not fit the sunrise schedule we were hoping for, it was before 5am and we needed to be there at 6. It was cold, windy and all of our gear was coated in humid sugar. We could not stay there for an hour it was too cold, so we descended. About 300m down we saw the swiss climber and our other guide, i decided to join them for round 2 hopefully for the sunrise. Well the second time was the one, we saw the sun coming to life and got some great pics. Not enough light to see into the volcano crater but iwas a beautiful morning. A long slog down with great vistas and cold everything. We were truly blessed with awesome weather amd great guides.

Emily hung back at papaguyo, read and rode horses. Naturally i had the camera.

All in all it was an awesome experience, but that is enough mountain climbing for awhile, on to the thermal pools at lower elevation.

IGOR

2008-05-10T08:03:00.001-06:00

A shot out to Emily´s cousin Matt Parker whom has been working on a movie that releases in September. Watch this trailer! And go see the movie in Sept!!!!!

http://movies.yahoo.com/premieres/7714044/standardformat/

Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador

2008-05-10T07:30:00.008-06:00

We have been thoroughly enjoying our time here at the farmhouse Papaguyo. Yesterday we took a guided trip to an amazing crater lake. The drive there was very exciting with passing buses and major commerce happening on not so great roads! We had a fun group, a guy from New York, a Scottish bloak and an Isreali gal all with our guide Fernando in our old-school land cruiser. The drive through the high mountain valleys, with idigenous towns and steep farmland was breathtaking. The actual Laguna was super cool with steep cliffs dropping right down into the emerald lake. The hike down was enough to inspire Emily to Hire a burro for her lift out. I climbed out as a I am anxiously getting ready for Cotapaxi climb Sunday night.

I hope you Enjoy these pics, this place was beautiful!

Papa Gayo Ecuador

2008-05-09T07:07:00.010-06:00

Well we have finally headed south from Quito, We spent 2 days planning our next steps and have found our way to a cool 150 year old farmhouse in Avenue of the volcanoes! We are here so that Emily can ride horses and i can acclimitize for my hike up Cotapaxi 5897meters Sunday night. Yesterday we did just that; I climbed Illiniza north (times 3.3 for feet, my watch sais 16,250 but i think the calculation is greater) It was a mixed climb on rock and ash (sand and pummeled rock) as well as some snow. It was super windy and cloudy at the top but Either way that is the highest i have ever climbed! Emily rode horses here at the farm, up into the hughlands. It is great to have a little fire in our chiminea and warm up at night and in the morning. Today we are going on a guide trip to a lago encime de volcan.

Ecuadorian SURPRISE

2008-05-06T10:47:00.006-06:00

Even this little Ecuadorian boy was surprised at what this doorway had to offer!

We are headed south now,I may attempt to climb COTAPAXI at 5897 meters, that would be far beyond any height i have climbed!

Mitad de Mundo (Middle of the world)

2008-05-06T10:36:00.005-06:00

Well it was not the easiest place to get to but we successfully walked on the equator. There are two location so we made sure to walk both. Apparently the French made a monument, about 250 meters from the true GPS location, (i guess it is true you cannot trust the French). Regardless it was fascinating! They did the water experiment, no swirl on, counterclockwise in Northern hemisphere and clockwise in the south. We were also both successful in balancing a raw egg on a nail? Check out our trans-hemispherical kiss!

FuyaFuya, Ecuador

2008-05-06T10:25:00.007-06:00

Sunday Emily and I (and a group of 5 others) climbed a local dormant volcanoe FuyaFuya. Only Emily and I summited both peaks, which were roughly 13,500 ft. There was an amazing lake at the trailhead with some great rocky spines above. The hike was not bad but the return was super wet! At the summt our guide told us that Fuya meant cloudy, well fancy that it was cloudy!

Otavalo Ecuador

2008-05-03T09:36:00.009-06:00

Well we made it out of Quito by the skin of our teeth, we envisioned buying tickets, standing in a queue and getting on a bus...no,no...instead our taxi raced in front of the bus with otavalo stuck to the front, and we jump out, jammed our bags underneath and sit down in a frenzy. Greatest lesson learned however is not to get caught up in the pace and insanity, but rather to move with poise and intention. Naturally all of the hurrying led to many stops and waiting, so regardless we were fine to just relax! Breathe

So Otavalo bus ride was beautiful, many valcanoes, rivers, canyons and towns along the way. Once we arrived we found another simple but comfortable hostel. The day eventually had rain, so we ate empenadas (fried goodness stuffed with things like chicken, cheese, etc) and bought some beers to relax on our terrace and read. Very relaxing and energy boosting.

After Enjoying a siesta we went down to the restaurant for some live Andean music which was super cool. A great dinner, authentic music, a game of checkers (Emily whooped me) it was a nice day.

We came to Otavalo for the Saturday market, which we are currently escaping from. These people are so tiny and content, and amazing artesians! We quickly busted our budget with very unique items, some of which you all will benefit from.

All in all we are finding our stride, and learning to work together to travel, buy, eat, speak spanish, and Conquista la aventura!

We are now to hike up to a lakeand waterfall nearby.

QUITO Ecuador

2008-05-01T19:15:00.005-06:00

Well we made it to Ecuador late last night, the rain made for a relaxing sleep in our basic, clean room. picture on the left is from our room. This morning Emily was a little overcome by the sacrifices and discomforts we will experience down here, there is no doubt this is certainly not home! We walked both old and new town in the rain today, bought a paragua, umbrella and climbed an amazing church tower, picture to left. it was sketchy but proved to be an amazing perspective of the city.

We decided that big cities are not so much our style and we plan to go north to smaller towns with mountains, markets and cloudforests for the weekend.

Crazy thing about ecuador is that everything is US dollars, which makes things easy!
chao, dav3

April Planning for SA trip

2008-04-26T07:17:00.001-06:00

Well April has been busy for Emily and I! I know my brain has been bouncing all over the place trying to close-out life here for awhile, plan what may happen when we return and get ready for life in South America.

We traveled to California early May so we could look at San Luis Obisbo (SLO) and for Emily to ride Chivas (her horse) one more time before we leave. We flew into San Jose and Drove down HWY 1 to SLO, beautiful! SLO is central coast between San Fran and LA and we really liked it! We are pursuing the option of relocating there upon our return from South America. SLO has many possibilies for horses, building, designing, furthur education and good wine. We then went to east bay to see Emily's horse, Chivas. She had a chance to ride him 4 days and say goodbye for a little while. We had a good trip and feel the pull from the Pacific ocean, and the warmer CA weather.

On that note we are cleaning our house packing our bags and saying our goodbyes to all our friends here in Fraser, all while it is windy, snowy and cold! For my goodbye to Colorado i climbed and skied MT. Bierstadt yesterday with my buddy Jeremy. It was enduring but proved that i love Colorado and that God has an amazing imagination!

Our next post will be from Ecuador, we fly there on the 30th of April. We are both excited and look forward to God lighting our path and protecting us. This Adventure is so GREAT for both of us in the journey of life together.

We hope you all check in with us and bring us love and prayers from home. Ciao for now, Dav3

Alaska Ski Trip

2008-04-02T18:15:00.000-06:00

Well i turned 30 in AK, and courtesy of my beautiful wife i heli-skied to celebrate. It was awesome! Em and i skied Alyeska together on the bluebird 28th, i heli-skied on the 29th, lazily watched snow fall the 30th, skied Alyeska powder on the 31th and snowcat skied on the first. We are still trying to recapture the sloppy sleep on the plane last night, but are in good spirits. AK is Colorado on steroids with an epic 800" snowpack. From the heli I skied 22,000 vert and the highlight was "proud papa" a 55 degree 4500 vert top to bottom creamy leg burnin sweetness that is engrained into my very core for ever! The weird thing about alaksa is that when it snows you get upset (no flydays) where as at home we get really excited for snow, it is backwards yet so very addictive. I do hope to return with some friends, it is an amazing experience! I guess 30 is looking bright...until next time.

Home sweet home

2008-03-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

Well we have been back in Fraser for over one week, our bed feels great the cold feels, well cold. Emily's birthday was on Saturday and we went cross country skiing at devils thumb, and enjoyed being together at home. The skiing has been great! Emily and I skied today and hiked back into the Cirque, we are now both moving very slow, it was a big day. All and all it feels good to re-group and get ready for our next adventure to ALASKA at the end of March. So until then...

La Mision, Mexico

2008-02-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

We went south of the border last friday for a long weekend with Matt and Julia and another couple. The house was pretty nice, but the beach was great! We enjoyed long beach walks with the dogs, drinking beers and peaceful sunsets. Saturday took us into Puerto Nuevo for some langosta (lobster) and we stumbled accross some old time,house distilled tequila with an almond flair (2 bottles were purchased and later that night one was nearly gone:). We had a fun evening out and the boys continued into the night, making for a late sunday morning awakening. Thank goodness for beach walks at a slow,quiet pace. Lazy days and Mexico go side by side. Monday we packed up and headed north, a brief lunch stop in Rosarito and onward to california bound traffic. We did have some trouble with a certain Federale butch b***h. After thinking i might spend the night in jail, we got away. Needless to say we were glad to cross the border to the US. We then drove back to thermal, worn out, and tired!

LA

2008-02-21T10:46:00.000-07:00

What a busy place, so many people, so many cars! We had a chance to visit the Weisman foundation, which is a private home in which an amazing collection of art exists...Rothco, Kadinsky, Giacometti, Warhol, etc. We also then cruised the hills or Beverly, all while driving the dually. Everything that has to do with vehicles in LA, the truck makes it 10times more difficult. I then really wanted to walk Hollywood BLVD and check out the sidewalk stars and concreted hand signatures. Graumans Chinese theatre at dusk made for great timing. Amazingly enough the Oscar band stands were already being setup. We did experience some trouble getting into a restaurant on V-day but we made the best of it back in Venice and unwound from our day.

Venice California

2008-02-13T18:34:00.000-07:00

We have moved west towards the coast and are staying right on the Venice beach boardwalk. The people watching here is world-class with moments of pure jaw dropping wonderment. Emily's cousin Matt lives here with his wife Julia and their two hound dogs. Today consisted of a morning walk (all walks have 3 sniffing,curious,bewildered doggies leading the pack) on topanga beach (Daisy heaven and a Val Kilmer sighting), a pleasant lunch on 3rd street (a diesel store visit) and another walk around the venice canals. The canals provided a nice stroll through eclectic architecture, creative landscaping and a refuge from the hectic pace of california. We are enjoying Matt and Julia's company and look forward to our weekend together south of the boarder...viva en Mexico para la fin de semana!

Joshua tree

2008-02-11T21:26:00.000-07:00

Finally after coming down here for the past 5 years we committed to visiting Joshua Tree National Park. From the horse show grouds if we peer east we see the desert mountains of the park. The park is a "transition" zone between the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert, with two distinct regions. The Joshua tree is very dr Suess-like (or the other way around, an inspiration for the Dr). Not only the trees but the rocks were quite fascinating, andworth a visit! As we continued through the park the topography changed and the trees turned into cacti. I think if we ever go back we will probably bring rock climbing gear and no dog. God has such a vivid and wild imagination, in fact we both discussed how in heaven we hope God shows us how he created such places!

Salvation Mountain

2008-02-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

Emily and I have been touring the southern california deserts. We went down to visit the salton sea area yesterday and we went to Salvation mountain and slab city. We recently saw the movie "into the wild" and Chris mcCandless spent some time down there so we thought we would go down to see it. It does seem that the mix of sun and an ample amount of free time brings out some strange characters down here. Makes us smile and wonder if we will ever resort to squatting in the desert and pouring large amounts of paint on the sandy earth?

Thermal California

2008-02-09T13:34:00.000-07:00

Emily has been down in Thermal for the last few weeks training and showing her horse Chivas and am here now with her. Today is the last day she will show Chivas before we travel to South America. Chivas will live in Livermore California until we return. It is beautiful and warm here!