I had been fighting off a cold for several days, but it started to take over in Berlin. We had also figured that things would close down early on the 24th, so we planned a mellow evening in our hotel room getting ready for our return flight. During the day, we went out and procured some essentials for the evening, saw a cheesy American movie, and had an early dinner. I was losing my voice, so I was just fine with the idea of laying low.
Our hotel in Berlin is brand new. It has 'style'. All black and white, very modern. A further look reminds one of Ikea, but for $55 US, we're not complaining. We lit some candles, and watched whatever was on the CNN world feed, the only English channel. It started slowly. First a 'bang'. Then another. Flashes of light. Is this how Berlin celebrates? Is it gunfire? After all of the history we had seen and thought about during our time here, we wondered if we were witnessing some of our own. In the end, we're pretty sure that they were fireworks set off by the predominantly Turkish people in our neighborhood, but we'll never really be sure. In any case, it reinforced our readiness to return home.
The flights we off without a hitch and we are safely home, looking out the front window at the winter wonderland that remains in Seattle.
The next couple of weeks will be busy as well, as we prepare for the Wilsons to arrive next week. We are looking forward to the 2nd Amazing Race, where we hope to rectify the "bush league" contest that we put together last year. After that, Curt has work in Pullman, while I head to Cabo with Susie. It doesn't seem fair, but that's life;-)
We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and wish you all the best in the new year.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Furliche Weinachten von Berlin!
Guten Tag! First of all the keyboard is different here, so please forgive that the y's and z's will be transposed.
Our final daz and night in Prague was enjozable. We found the "Bohemian" side of the night life culture and heard some great music and talked with an Italian living in Prague. The next morning we took the train to Berlin. It was a bit of culture shock at first. We had gotten used to the simplicitz of the slightlz smaller cities. Berlin is huge and modern. Everzthing is spread out and the subwaz\tram\bus szstem is complicated. Good thing I have Wilson. Honestlz, I couldn`t hope for a better companion than him. He ALWAZS knows where we are and where we need to go. I love that about him.
The first thing we did was head to one of the local sportsbooks in the neighborhood of our hotel so Curt could get a little action on Seahawks vs Jets. Farve in the snow in Seattle. I guess that didn#t turn out the waz we had thought. Anzwaz, I was the onlz woman in the seedz place. It was full of Turkish men who looked a little annozed at mz presence. We quicklz exited and wandered to the modern Sonz place to find some food after a long journez.
We spent a good chunk of time at the German historz museum zesterdaz. Verz interesting. We have also wandered through countless Christmas markets but are not buzing much. Everzthing looks the same after a few markets, and mostlz stuff we can get at home. It is still interesting to watch the people and get snacks and authentic bratwurst.
I#ve got to saz that there is not too much to report from Berlin. We´ll head to the airport on Christmas morning and look forward to catching up with everzone then.
Our final daz and night in Prague was enjozable. We found the "Bohemian" side of the night life culture and heard some great music and talked with an Italian living in Prague. The next morning we took the train to Berlin. It was a bit of culture shock at first. We had gotten used to the simplicitz of the slightlz smaller cities. Berlin is huge and modern. Everzthing is spread out and the subwaz\tram\bus szstem is complicated. Good thing I have Wilson. Honestlz, I couldn`t hope for a better companion than him. He ALWAZS knows where we are and where we need to go. I love that about him.
The first thing we did was head to one of the local sportsbooks in the neighborhood of our hotel so Curt could get a little action on Seahawks vs Jets. Farve in the snow in Seattle. I guess that didn#t turn out the waz we had thought. Anzwaz, I was the onlz woman in the seedz place. It was full of Turkish men who looked a little annozed at mz presence. We quicklz exited and wandered to the modern Sonz place to find some food after a long journez.
We spent a good chunk of time at the German historz museum zesterdaz. Verz interesting. We have also wandered through countless Christmas markets but are not buzing much. Everzthing looks the same after a few markets, and mostlz stuff we can get at home. It is still interesting to watch the people and get snacks and authentic bratwurst.
I#ve got to saz that there is not too much to report from Berlin. We´ll head to the airport on Christmas morning and look forward to catching up with everzone then.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Authentic Prague Pub Experience
I know it is hard for some of you to believe, but part of our agenda in Prague was to soak up the pub culture. We consulted our guide books and came up with a couple of choices. The first place we went to was fairly subduded. They on have once choice of beer, Pilsner Urquell, a favorite of Curt's. There were all sorts of folks there, and a nice family sat next to us and were served what looked like a roasted pig head.
Our bravery increased after a couple of beers and we ventured to the second place on our list. It was famed that the Czech president took Bill Clinton here to show him local beer culture. In fact, we saw the photo on the wall. We tentatively entered and looked around for a place to sit. We had also read that it is common for others to join a table, so we asked three men if we could join them. They told us to ask the bartender, and round and round. They were giving us crap, but eventually welcomed us to the table. Here again, there is only one kind of beer, and they just keep coming. He put a slip of paper on our table and wrote down a mark for every beer they brought us. We notcied the tables around us had lots of marks. Mind you, the clientel was 90% male. Big guys. Curt looked slight in comparison. There was one table of older Czech women. They were not to be dismissed either. In fact, one of the women was trying to fistfight an older gentleman. Her friends held her back as she was trying to throw punches and screamed at the man. I would not have messed with her. Things were starting to get interesting...At the other end of the bar there was an accordian player and a group of people singing like a rugby team. The guys at our table got some food. They shared a large scoop of beef (hamburger) with a raw egg on top. Mind you it was all raw, like a meatloaf before the oven. They mixed in onion, mustard, etc, and put it on toast. I guess I won't be eating. A few more check marks into the evening, and the guys at our table started to try out their english and talk to us. They bought us a round. By the way, they had no less than 40 check marks for the 3 of them. We had a good time talking to our new Czech fishermen friends and stumbled home with a bucket of KFC.
Yesterday we made the pilgrimage to Plzen to tour the brewery and the brew museum. One more day in Prague, and we will be off to our final destination.
We've read of the cold and snow in Seattle. Good luck to you all.
Our bravery increased after a couple of beers and we ventured to the second place on our list. It was famed that the Czech president took Bill Clinton here to show him local beer culture. In fact, we saw the photo on the wall. We tentatively entered and looked around for a place to sit. We had also read that it is common for others to join a table, so we asked three men if we could join them. They told us to ask the bartender, and round and round. They were giving us crap, but eventually welcomed us to the table. Here again, there is only one kind of beer, and they just keep coming. He put a slip of paper on our table and wrote down a mark for every beer they brought us. We notcied the tables around us had lots of marks. Mind you, the clientel was 90% male. Big guys. Curt looked slight in comparison. There was one table of older Czech women. They were not to be dismissed either. In fact, one of the women was trying to fistfight an older gentleman. Her friends held her back as she was trying to throw punches and screamed at the man. I would not have messed with her. Things were starting to get interesting...At the other end of the bar there was an accordian player and a group of people singing like a rugby team. The guys at our table got some food. They shared a large scoop of beef (hamburger) with a raw egg on top. Mind you it was all raw, like a meatloaf before the oven. They mixed in onion, mustard, etc, and put it on toast. I guess I won't be eating. A few more check marks into the evening, and the guys at our table started to try out their english and talk to us. They bought us a round. By the way, they had no less than 40 check marks for the 3 of them. We had a good time talking to our new Czech fishermen friends and stumbled home with a bucket of KFC.
Yesterday we made the pilgrimage to Plzen to tour the brewery and the brew museum. One more day in Prague, and we will be off to our final destination.
We've read of the cold and snow in Seattle. Good luck to you all.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Prague
Yesterday we were good little tourists and went up the hill to the Prague castle. There is a catherdral, several art museums, the palace, and museums with artifacts dating back to 2000 BC that were found in this area. We watched the changing of the guard, and checked out the knights' armor and the torture museum. It was a lot to take in, but very interesting.
After a Czeck lunch (more goulash), we walked across the bridge and through the old town. There is a clock there that does a lot of fancy stuff each hour, and it was chiming just as we walked up. A lady touched me on the shoulder and said 'I knew we'd see you here'. It was one of the Aussies we met on the bus to Bratislava! They came directly to Prauge, so they were a day ahead of us. We haven't really chatted with many English speaking people, so it was nice to bump into them and exchange tips.
Over a couple of beers at a pub that has been pouring Pilsner Urquell since the 1800s, Curt
had the following observations of our journey:
1. Everyone on Romania had dark hair and white skin. No boobs.
2. No boobs in Hungary. A few blondes here and there. There are no fat people - at all.
3. Slovakia - women there have big boobs.
4. Czech - melting pot (of white people). There are a few Japanese tourists, and a small number of Africans. But very small minorities.
We have encountered very few Americans. I think we've only talked to one couple from Iowa - they were at the internet terminal in our Budapest hotel.
The American dollar has slid since we got here. We should have bought more Euros when we arrived!
After a Czeck lunch (more goulash), we walked across the bridge and through the old town. There is a clock there that does a lot of fancy stuff each hour, and it was chiming just as we walked up. A lady touched me on the shoulder and said 'I knew we'd see you here'. It was one of the Aussies we met on the bus to Bratislava! They came directly to Prauge, so they were a day ahead of us. We haven't really chatted with many English speaking people, so it was nice to bump into them and exchange tips.
Over a couple of beers at a pub that has been pouring Pilsner Urquell since the 1800s, Curt
had the following observations of our journey:
1. Everyone on Romania had dark hair and white skin. No boobs.
2. No boobs in Hungary. A few blondes here and there. There are no fat people - at all.
3. Slovakia - women there have big boobs.
4. Czech - melting pot (of white people). There are a few Japanese tourists, and a small number of Africans. But very small minorities.
We have encountered very few Americans. I think we've only talked to one couple from Iowa - they were at the internet terminal in our Budapest hotel.
The American dollar has slid since we got here. We should have bought more Euros when we arrived!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Escape from Budapest
I'm sure the news of the impending Rail Strike was easy to find around Budapest, if you can read or understand Hungarian. We got lucky when the nice folks at the hotel alerted us to the strike when we asked where we could purchase rail tickets. After doing some quick research at the hotel, the following is a thumbnail of our escape in chronologial order.
We successfully located the international bus station, but were not very good at locating the proper line to buy international tickets, after a 30 minute wait in the wrong line, we were directed upstairs to what is best descibed as a complete disaster. Imagine the the lines at the license tab place at the end of a month. We got our number and were shocked to see that our number was called shortly thereafter. But alas, it wasn't so simple, they were calling the previous person with #117. There were 100 people in line in front of us waiting to purchase tickets at one of two windows. Rumours started to circulate that the earliest one could leave was midnight the following night. The final straw was when we saw both ticket agents take lunch at the same time.
At this point, our options were less than pleasant . . .
Take a bus to Sopron, Hungary and walk across the border into Austria.
Go down to the docks and look for a boat going upstream on the Danube (tour boats were not operating)
Wait out the Rail Strike, afterall Budapest was quite nice.
Try to find some 3rd rate bus company we read about at the hotel on wikipedia.
Amy had noticed a couple of signs for this other bus company as we traversed the main bus terminal, so we went in search of "Orangeways". Up the stairs, across the square we went following the little stickers they had plastered on the wall/floor every 20 feet or so. It was like Hansel and Gretel. We eventually stumbled into an empty office and asked where we needed to wait in line to buy tickets. We were stunned when the lady said, "Right here. Where do you want to go ?" We said Vienna, she said the bus leaves tomorrow morning. We said Bratislava, she said fork over 12 euros and be back here in three hours for a 4:30 departure.
We were convinced this was a trick, it couldn't be this easy. Perhaps we would have to get out and push the bus every now and then, or maybe they hired farm trucks to haul us to Slovakia and we would have to ride in back with the animals. Nope, it was a nice bus, with nice seats. We each got our own row. The trip was uneventful, Curt watched some movie with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, while Amy conversed with the hoarde of Aussies on the bus.
As we appraoched Slovakia, we both were dilligent in making sure we had our passports ready to go, and actually wondered what the bus stamp would look like. The well lit border station was quite massive, and completely empty. We never even slowed down.
After getting dropped of at the station in Bratislava, the trip started to get a bit more interesting. We had smuggled some Hungarian wine on the bus, and we had some pilsners while waiting in Budapest, so the booze may have started to cloud our thinking a bit. The only option for transport to Old Town was the city bus. After some grueling map reading, we decided that bus #50 was our best hope. Out to the station we went, after a quick wait, the bus showed up, Amy got on the bus, the doors closed, the bus left, Curt was left standing at the station. Disaster was averted when Amy wisely exited the bus at the next stop and walked backed to the bus terminal. Eventually, we found a cab and discovered that Slovakia was switching to the Euro on Jan. 1, and they paying for the cab was going to be easy.
That night, we explored Old Town and discovered the Slovakian Christmas market is a bit different than those in Romania and Hungary. In Bratislava, the entire town shows up to drink hot wine. The regional treat was a lefse, which both of us had enjoyed as kids. We joined in and had a rather enjoyable night in Slovakia.
We sucessfully got a train to Prague the next day, where we will be for the next few days. We had an interesting conversation on the train with an Aussie couple. It turns out that the guy's family escaped Slovakia when he was nine. They told him he was going on holiday, and they never went home. So many stories. Such fascinating history.
(Curt was the primary author of this post)
We successfully located the international bus station, but were not very good at locating the proper line to buy international tickets, after a 30 minute wait in the wrong line, we were directed upstairs to what is best descibed as a complete disaster. Imagine the the lines at the license tab place at the end of a month. We got our number and were shocked to see that our number was called shortly thereafter. But alas, it wasn't so simple, they were calling the previous person with #117. There were 100 people in line in front of us waiting to purchase tickets at one of two windows. Rumours started to circulate that the earliest one could leave was midnight the following night. The final straw was when we saw both ticket agents take lunch at the same time.
At this point, our options were less than pleasant . . .
Take a bus to Sopron, Hungary and walk across the border into Austria.
Go down to the docks and look for a boat going upstream on the Danube (tour boats were not operating)
Wait out the Rail Strike, afterall Budapest was quite nice.
Try to find some 3rd rate bus company we read about at the hotel on wikipedia.
Amy had noticed a couple of signs for this other bus company as we traversed the main bus terminal, so we went in search of "Orangeways". Up the stairs, across the square we went following the little stickers they had plastered on the wall/floor every 20 feet or so. It was like Hansel and Gretel. We eventually stumbled into an empty office and asked where we needed to wait in line to buy tickets. We were stunned when the lady said, "Right here. Where do you want to go ?" We said Vienna, she said the bus leaves tomorrow morning. We said Bratislava, she said fork over 12 euros and be back here in three hours for a 4:30 departure.
We were convinced this was a trick, it couldn't be this easy. Perhaps we would have to get out and push the bus every now and then, or maybe they hired farm trucks to haul us to Slovakia and we would have to ride in back with the animals. Nope, it was a nice bus, with nice seats. We each got our own row. The trip was uneventful, Curt watched some movie with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, while Amy conversed with the hoarde of Aussies on the bus.
As we appraoched Slovakia, we both were dilligent in making sure we had our passports ready to go, and actually wondered what the bus stamp would look like. The well lit border station was quite massive, and completely empty. We never even slowed down.
After getting dropped of at the station in Bratislava, the trip started to get a bit more interesting. We had smuggled some Hungarian wine on the bus, and we had some pilsners while waiting in Budapest, so the booze may have started to cloud our thinking a bit. The only option for transport to Old Town was the city bus. After some grueling map reading, we decided that bus #50 was our best hope. Out to the station we went, after a quick wait, the bus showed up, Amy got on the bus, the doors closed, the bus left, Curt was left standing at the station. Disaster was averted when Amy wisely exited the bus at the next stop and walked backed to the bus terminal. Eventually, we found a cab and discovered that Slovakia was switching to the Euro on Jan. 1, and they paying for the cab was going to be easy.
That night, we explored Old Town and discovered the Slovakian Christmas market is a bit different than those in Romania and Hungary. In Bratislava, the entire town shows up to drink hot wine. The regional treat was a lefse, which both of us had enjoyed as kids. We joined in and had a rather enjoyable night in Slovakia.
We sucessfully got a train to Prague the next day, where we will be for the next few days. We had an interesting conversation on the train with an Aussie couple. It turns out that the guy's family escaped Slovakia when he was nine. They told him he was going on holiday, and they never went home. So many stories. Such fascinating history.
(Curt was the primary author of this post)
Monday, December 15, 2008
Oops
Rail Strike in Hungary has thrown our plans into chaos. Instead of a leisure 3 hour train ride to Bratislava today, we will now spend the afternoon in Budapest plotting our escape from Hungary. Austria might be back on the table for us. We've got our fingers crossed.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Four Magyar Observations from the Old Man
First, Burger King is king in Budapest. Their fast food joints are quite flashy with flat screen tv's, and other devices to entertain. Meanwhile, McDonald's usually has the lesser locations on side streets.
The second observation can be summed up with one word . . . teeeeekit. We've become experts in riding the Budapest subway. But we quickly discovered that you must always have your validated ticket at your ready to display to any of the numerous "ticket" police. We've been hounded on every trip at several places. In spite of this constant pressure to always have ticket ready for inspection, the system is very efficient and easy to use. Curt plans to wite Mayor Nickels and explain him that he doesn't need some fancy multi-billion dollar system. Just copy what the Hungarians built in 1896, small stations, small trains, and frequency that never leaves you waiting more than 3 minutes.
Thirdly, if you were presented with these clues about an attraction, what would you do ?
it's not listed on any of the tourist maps.
it does have a nice advertisement on those maps, but fails to mention the price.
it's 30 minutes away.
no other former eastern bloc country has such a display.
you can't access it very easily with public transportation.
it provides it's own transportation from a bus stop jammed with tour buses.
you are informed that you will be at the attraction for 2 hours if you take their bus.
and lastly, you discover the inflated price before the bus leaves.
All we had to do was get off the bus. That's it. No harm, no foul, and we could go on our merry way. But noooooo, we were hellbent on going to "Statue Park". For some reason, we both just had to see all the communist statues that had been torn down throughout the city following the peaceful revolution in 1989 and placed in nice park on the edge of town. The park was a nice gravel lot with a few red brick facades, it was raining, it was cold, and it took about 15 minutes to slowly walk through it and read all the placards. Thankfully, "Statue Park" had an accompanying "museum" in which we could learn all about the secret police that roamed Budapest following the uprising in 1956. The museum consisted of the nice photos that highlighted the events of 1956 and 1989 that took another 15 minutes to read, and then it was onto the highlight of this sidetrip . . . a one hour docementary on the aforementioned secret police. But wait, there's more. This wasn't a traditional film, it was a compilation of training films that the secret police produced in the 1960's to train new recruits. Even though it had that "grade school film" quality, it was the first real thing we've seen that cast some light on what it was like around these parts before 1989.
Lastly, we finally found the Hungarian meal that we were craving in a place called Rustico. We ordered two bowls, one with chicken smothered in paprika sauce over dumplings, and the other a very thick beef stew with a hearty paprika sauce, over potatoe wedges.
Even though our 1999 Budapest guide book gave us a few options, we were not able to find the Seahawks game at 7:00pm.
The second observation can be summed up with one word . . . teeeeekit. We've become experts in riding the Budapest subway. But we quickly discovered that you must always have your validated ticket at your ready to display to any of the numerous "ticket" police. We've been hounded on every trip at several places. In spite of this constant pressure to always have ticket ready for inspection, the system is very efficient and easy to use. Curt plans to wite Mayor Nickels and explain him that he doesn't need some fancy multi-billion dollar system. Just copy what the Hungarians built in 1896, small stations, small trains, and frequency that never leaves you waiting more than 3 minutes.
Thirdly, if you were presented with these clues about an attraction, what would you do ?
it's not listed on any of the tourist maps.
it does have a nice advertisement on those maps, but fails to mention the price.
it's 30 minutes away.
no other former eastern bloc country has such a display.
you can't access it very easily with public transportation.
it provides it's own transportation from a bus stop jammed with tour buses.
you are informed that you will be at the attraction for 2 hours if you take their bus.
and lastly, you discover the inflated price before the bus leaves.
All we had to do was get off the bus. That's it. No harm, no foul, and we could go on our merry way. But noooooo, we were hellbent on going to "Statue Park". For some reason, we both just had to see all the communist statues that had been torn down throughout the city following the peaceful revolution in 1989 and placed in nice park on the edge of town. The park was a nice gravel lot with a few red brick facades, it was raining, it was cold, and it took about 15 minutes to slowly walk through it and read all the placards. Thankfully, "Statue Park" had an accompanying "museum" in which we could learn all about the secret police that roamed Budapest following the uprising in 1956. The museum consisted of the nice photos that highlighted the events of 1956 and 1989 that took another 15 minutes to read, and then it was onto the highlight of this sidetrip . . . a one hour docementary on the aforementioned secret police. But wait, there's more. This wasn't a traditional film, it was a compilation of training films that the secret police produced in the 1960's to train new recruits. Even though it had that "grade school film" quality, it was the first real thing we've seen that cast some light on what it was like around these parts before 1989.
Lastly, we finally found the Hungarian meal that we were craving in a place called Rustico. We ordered two bowls, one with chicken smothered in paprika sauce over dumplings, and the other a very thick beef stew with a hearty paprika sauce, over potatoe wedges.
Even though our 1999 Budapest guide book gave us a few options, we were not able to find the Seahawks game at 7:00pm.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
The Wurst
Budapest is a big, clean, efficient, lovely, vibrant city. We had a nice day wandering around, but that doesn't make for the most interesting read. We walked around the castle district and the hills of Buda, across the Chain Bridge to Pest and through the Christmas market. By then, the smells of the food vendors were intriguing. I selected a cup of gluwein (hot spiced red wine) and a fried potato concoction - think pancake batter mixed with shredded potatoes cooked in a vat of oil served with sour cream on top - yes...healthy. Curt immediately got himself a long hunk of grilled mystery meat. It was so big that it curled around the paper plate twice, served with a small hunk of bread and a generous dollop of mustard (dijon). I sampled a few bites, and it tatsted ok. Nothing special. The pool of grease that grew around it was intimidating to me. Of course, it was not as scarey as the dark red/purple/black hunk of mysery meat that the Hungarian guy across from us was eating (blood sausage). Curt managed to eat the whole thing. For the rest of the day, and into the evening, I kept smelling that smell. Eventually, I busted him. Burps! Stinky sausage burps!! As disgusting as it was, I kinda felt sorry for him having to taste it all day. The 'snacks' filled us up for a good long while and Curt wasn't too interested in eating again. A few beers into the evening, I was starting to get peckish. We couldn't find anything appealing, so we ducked into McD's. It is something that I try to avoid during international travel, but sometimes you just want to know what you're getting. It is also interesting to see the differences - like Royale w cheese. We recall the McPink in Florence. Well here, the unique menu item was McFarm. What the hambone is THAT?!? I stuck to the tried and true McChicken and we were back on our way.
We've got another full day here, but need to continue plotting our journey. The next stop will be Bratislava, Slovakia. We've got convenient internet access, so I will probably post again before we go.
Have a great weekend everyone! Curt tells me you are in for a cold front in Seattle, so keep warm.
We've got another full day here, but need to continue plotting our journey. The next stop will be Bratislava, Slovakia. We've got convenient internet access, so I will probably post again before we go.
Have a great weekend everyone! Curt tells me you are in for a cold front in Seattle, so keep warm.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Good Morning from Hungary
It is 7:52am, and we just finished breakfast in Bucharest. It is nice not to be hungry in Hungary anymore. The train ride yesterday was 9 hours, and it was not the nicest coach in Europe. Although Curt asked for 1st class, we got 2nd class tickets. That did not end up to be a problem since the whole train was a pile. At least we had a compartment all to ourselves, although I tried not to touch much. We did have success in navigating the train station and the subway directly to our hotel. We arrived late and were not able to locate food in the neighborhood. It tricky when you are beyond hungry, in a new city, know nothing of the language (and this one is weird!) and they have a propensity for lard in a bowl. We are 'splurging' on a nice hotel here since we found a great internet rate. Curt claimed the buffet was the best he's ever had this morning.
Back to Transylvania...The 2nd town we stopped in was Shigisoara. It was a very small and medieval place, with the "old town" being quite similar to how it was in the 15th century, with the exception of electricity, plumbing, the random, vehicle, and of course the maruading Turks were absent. We walked from the train station, across the river and up the stairs to the town wall . . . sounds simple, right ? Yes it is, if one can find one of the few entries/exits through the city wall. We eventually found a dirt path that led to the Shoemakers gate. Apparently, this town required each of the local guilds to build and then man each of the 13 battle stations in this town that literally surrounded by a steep 100 foot hill. None of the roads were paved, and since we arrived after dark, it was a cool and creepy adventure. We stolled around and eventually stopped in a pool hall for a beer - even the slot machines had a cheezy 'dracula' theme. Seeking to escape the bad disco music (more on this later), we moved on to the "Dracula Inn" for a nightcap. The building was actually the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, and the whole place was a frightening homage to him - there were no less than eight busts, paintings etc. of the local hero. The evening ended early due to a lack of nightlife in the sleepy village, and the only thing that bit me was a bit of food poisoning.
We got up early and walked up the hill to the church tower. The local high school was also on the hill, so we found ourselves walking the 172 steps with the youth. We kept their pace, and even passed many of them as they stopped for cigarettes along the way. Good to know the tobacco industry is set for the future. Shigisoara had a wonderful old world charm. We'll need to post photos to convey it.
We're starting to notice a theme with the music, if you can find an ice rink or a pub/bar with the lights on, you will also find a horrid combination of american disco and euro techno electronica. This is not confined to the Eastern Bloc, Curt confirms the same thing happened in Austria and Switzerland when he was working there.
We're starting to figure out the train system a bit, the key to success is to find the train that's pulling cars from the western most country. For instance, our train rides in Romania were aboard a train that was eventually going to Prague (even though we rode two legs in Romania). On the first two trips, we had nice seats in a clean car with ample beverage service. Then, as we waited for the third leg (Translyania to Budapest), Curt informed me that we were due to get a train with Hungarian or Czech cars since the first two legs had been on Romanian cars. I failed to note that he didn't explain how he knew the first two legs were on Romanian cars. After we boarded it was very clear that we were now getting our first look at Romanian cars, the temperature control was very simple and very effective . . . too hot, or too cold. And it was easy to adjust, just open the window in your compartment on a nice 30 degree day. The "high speed" Intercity trains in Romania ramble along at speeds approaching 50 mph with frequent stops in the middle of nowhere for no apparent reason. After crossing the border into Hungary and successfully navigating two border checks without uttering a word of English, it was off to Budapest with no stops and high speeds.
One last tidbit on Romania, the vestiges of Communism were a sight to be seen. During this journey, we passed the two most obnoxious coal plants that either of us had ever seen. Huge complexes with those infamous looking towers like you see in nuclear plants and rotting structures surrounding them, and an unearthly glow of smog hanging in the valley.
Budapest was a culture shock, we took the subway into downtown after arriving at the train station, so we didn't really get a feel for the city until popping out of the metro station in front of the opera house. We had been magically transported from the 15th century top the 21st century. This part of Budapest was more similar to Manhattan than Transylvania. Today, we're going to check out the castles, the christmas market, and I suppose I'll have to allow Curt a little time in one of the pubs that will be showing NFL games.
Back to Transylvania...The 2nd town we stopped in was Shigisoara. It was a very small and medieval place, with the "old town" being quite similar to how it was in the 15th century, with the exception of electricity, plumbing, the random, vehicle, and of course the maruading Turks were absent. We walked from the train station, across the river and up the stairs to the town wall . . . sounds simple, right ? Yes it is, if one can find one of the few entries/exits through the city wall. We eventually found a dirt path that led to the Shoemakers gate. Apparently, this town required each of the local guilds to build and then man each of the 13 battle stations in this town that literally surrounded by a steep 100 foot hill. None of the roads were paved, and since we arrived after dark, it was a cool and creepy adventure. We stolled around and eventually stopped in a pool hall for a beer - even the slot machines had a cheezy 'dracula' theme. Seeking to escape the bad disco music (more on this later), we moved on to the "Dracula Inn" for a nightcap. The building was actually the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, and the whole place was a frightening homage to him - there were no less than eight busts, paintings etc. of the local hero. The evening ended early due to a lack of nightlife in the sleepy village, and the only thing that bit me was a bit of food poisoning.
We got up early and walked up the hill to the church tower. The local high school was also on the hill, so we found ourselves walking the 172 steps with the youth. We kept their pace, and even passed many of them as they stopped for cigarettes along the way. Good to know the tobacco industry is set for the future. Shigisoara had a wonderful old world charm. We'll need to post photos to convey it.
We're starting to notice a theme with the music, if you can find an ice rink or a pub/bar with the lights on, you will also find a horrid combination of american disco and euro techno electronica. This is not confined to the Eastern Bloc, Curt confirms the same thing happened in Austria and Switzerland when he was working there.
We're starting to figure out the train system a bit, the key to success is to find the train that's pulling cars from the western most country. For instance, our train rides in Romania were aboard a train that was eventually going to Prague (even though we rode two legs in Romania). On the first two trips, we had nice seats in a clean car with ample beverage service. Then, as we waited for the third leg (Translyania to Budapest), Curt informed me that we were due to get a train with Hungarian or Czech cars since the first two legs had been on Romanian cars. I failed to note that he didn't explain how he knew the first two legs were on Romanian cars. After we boarded it was very clear that we were now getting our first look at Romanian cars, the temperature control was very simple and very effective . . . too hot, or too cold. And it was easy to adjust, just open the window in your compartment on a nice 30 degree day. The "high speed" Intercity trains in Romania ramble along at speeds approaching 50 mph with frequent stops in the middle of nowhere for no apparent reason. After crossing the border into Hungary and successfully navigating two border checks without uttering a word of English, it was off to Budapest with no stops and high speeds.
One last tidbit on Romania, the vestiges of Communism were a sight to be seen. During this journey, we passed the two most obnoxious coal plants that either of us had ever seen. Huge complexes with those infamous looking towers like you see in nuclear plants and rotting structures surrounding them, and an unearthly glow of smog hanging in the valley.
Budapest was a culture shock, we took the subway into downtown after arriving at the train station, so we didn't really get a feel for the city until popping out of the metro station in front of the opera house. We had been magically transported from the 15th century top the 21st century. This part of Budapest was more similar to Manhattan than Transylvania. Today, we're going to check out the castles, the christmas market, and I suppose I'll have to allow Curt a little time in one of the pubs that will be showing NFL games.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Romania
We arrived in Bucharest without incident. Curt is a really good navigator, and got us from the airport, on the correct bus, off at the correct stop, and walked a few blocks directly to our hostel. Not bad since neither of us knew a single word of Romanian. We resisted the temptation to nap and headed out to explore. We quickly found a central square that was lined with huts of vendors selling Christmas crafts and foods. One of the few things we wanted to make sure to do in Bucharest was to eat the grilled 'mystery meat' featured in the Anthony Bourdain Romania episode, and lo and behold, there it was. We enjoyed a couple of the selections which ended up being our meal that night. I think we paid less than $1. Since we were tired from travel, we barely made it to 7pm before calling it a night. Of course, I was wide awake agian before midnight. I turned on the light to read for a while and we were both up for several hours. The sleeplessness was not helped by the HARDEST bed I have ever slept on. It was a long painful night, but we managed.
After a less than satisfying breakfast - soft boiled eggs, hot dogs, and salted kiwi - we explored the city on foot. The overall impression was better than I had expected. There is a quaint older quarter with lots of interesting architecture, although the roads are ripped up and it doesn't seem like anyone is working on them. If they ever finish it, it will be nice. We also checked out Revolutionary square, where the people rebellled communist leadership in 1989 and the publically hung the dude a few days later. There many dull grey buildings that were obviously a product of communist times, which juxtapose against the old baroque styles, and then a smattering of shiny new buildings. A bit of everything. We were awed by they way the cars were parked every which way, and the number of stray dogs wandering the streets. On the other hand, the cars were nice and new, and no one was asking for handouts.
We caught an afternoon train to Brasov in Transylvania where I am writing now. This is a very enchanting place. We had a great little room overlooking the town square and the Christmas tree. We are skipping the tourist trap of Dracula's castle, since he didn't even live there, and we saw it on tv.
This afternoon we will head to Sighisoara, another Transylvanian town, where we'll explore the creepy cemetary under a full moon. I wonder if my next post will include a real life vampire story?
After a less than satisfying breakfast - soft boiled eggs, hot dogs, and salted kiwi - we explored the city on foot. The overall impression was better than I had expected. There is a quaint older quarter with lots of interesting architecture, although the roads are ripped up and it doesn't seem like anyone is working on them. If they ever finish it, it will be nice. We also checked out Revolutionary square, where the people rebellled communist leadership in 1989 and the publically hung the dude a few days later. There many dull grey buildings that were obviously a product of communist times, which juxtapose against the old baroque styles, and then a smattering of shiny new buildings. A bit of everything. We were awed by they way the cars were parked every which way, and the number of stray dogs wandering the streets. On the other hand, the cars were nice and new, and no one was asking for handouts.
We caught an afternoon train to Brasov in Transylvania where I am writing now. This is a very enchanting place. We had a great little room overlooking the town square and the Christmas tree. We are skipping the tourist trap of Dracula's castle, since he didn't even live there, and we saw it on tv.
This afternoon we will head to Sighisoara, another Transylvanian town, where we'll explore the creepy cemetary under a full moon. I wonder if my next post will include a real life vampire story?
Saturday, December 6, 2008
November
Its hard to believe we have been home for 5 weeks. At first, I was antsy and didn't know what to do with myself. But, as those who have experienced the life of leisure had assurred me, I got used to it. Get up, have coffee and read the paper, make breakfast, go for a walk or a bike ride, visit with family and friends, grocery shop, yard work, build shelves and make curtains, etc etc etc. Oh, and search online for travel bargains...
Which leads us to the next adventure. We're using miles to go to Europe...on Monday. We'll fly into Bucharest, Romania via Amsterdam arriving on Tuesday afternoon. From there we'll take the train to Transylvania and eventually on to Hungary, Czech Republic, and Germany.
Probably not the most prudent thing for one of the many recently unemployed to do, but we're going to take the opportunity while we have it. The justifications I used are these:
Seats are going unused on airplanes - tragic.
The dollar is much stronger vs the Euro than it has been in a long time.
The worldwide economy wants me to keep the $$ flowing.
Empty hotels = cheap rooms
I want to check out the Obamavibe during the engagement period. Before the luster wears off from the corrosive climate.
From my research, we should have good internet access along the way to post on this blog. But, we're packing light and Curt won't bring his laptop, so we may not be able to post photos. If anyone has a suggestion or request, please let us know.
See you all upon our return!
Which leads us to the next adventure. We're using miles to go to Europe...on Monday. We'll fly into Bucharest, Romania via Amsterdam arriving on Tuesday afternoon. From there we'll take the train to Transylvania and eventually on to Hungary, Czech Republic, and Germany.
Probably not the most prudent thing for one of the many recently unemployed to do, but we're going to take the opportunity while we have it. The justifications I used are these:
Seats are going unused on airplanes - tragic.
The dollar is much stronger vs the Euro than it has been in a long time.
The worldwide economy wants me to keep the $$ flowing.
Empty hotels = cheap rooms
I want to check out the Obamavibe during the engagement period. Before the luster wears off from the corrosive climate.
From my research, we should have good internet access along the way to post on this blog. But, we're packing light and Curt won't bring his laptop, so we may not be able to post photos. If anyone has a suggestion or request, please let us know.
See you all upon our return!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Mile 4444
We started at the Shell station behind our house with the trip meter at zero, 27 days later, 4444 miles had passed. Here's the final tally . . . .
4444 miles
242 gallons of gas
most expensive gas . . . 4.62 per gallon in Death Valley
least expensive gas . . . 2.80 per gallon in Tremonton, Utah
overall average for a gallon of premium gas . . . 3.66 (FJ needs the high octane stuff)
18.4 miles per gallon overall
We did manage over 20 mpg on the slow legs (Yosemite & Oregon with the speed limit of 65)
27 nights on the road
18 nights in a tent
2 nights with friends/relatives
7 nights in a hotel pushed our average cost to 44.74 per night
Death Valley offered the most economical lodging, less than 7 dollars per night
We had our average cost of lodging down to 20.50 until checking into a hotel in Pasadena
1 Flat Tire
No accurate tally on the beers consumed
14 meals in 27 days/nights that we didn't prepare (a nice cost savings)
114 points scored by the WSU/UW opponents in the final leg of our trip
0 points by the Cougars and Huskies in those games
Interstates driven on (in order)
5, 205, 5, 80, 10, 210, 5, 8, 15, 215, 15, 84, 82, 90
4444 miles
242 gallons of gas
most expensive gas . . . 4.62 per gallon in Death Valley
least expensive gas . . . 2.80 per gallon in Tremonton, Utah
overall average for a gallon of premium gas . . . 3.66 (FJ needs the high octane stuff)
18.4 miles per gallon overall
We did manage over 20 mpg on the slow legs (Yosemite & Oregon with the speed limit of 65)
27 nights on the road
18 nights in a tent
2 nights with friends/relatives
7 nights in a hotel pushed our average cost to 44.74 per night
Death Valley offered the most economical lodging, less than 7 dollars per night
We had our average cost of lodging down to 20.50 until checking into a hotel in Pasadena
1 Flat Tire
No accurate tally on the beers consumed
14 meals in 27 days/nights that we didn't prepare (a nice cost savings)
114 points scored by the WSU/UW opponents in the final leg of our trip
0 points by the Cougars and Huskies in those games
Interstates driven on (in order)
5, 205, 5, 80, 10, 210, 5, 8, 15, 215, 15, 84, 82, 90
Heading Home
Following our 'rest day', we planned another hike up one of the canyons on the west side of Zion. However, the blisters we both have from the West Rim Trail make it prohibitive. With the first sprinkles of the trip falling, we decide to head home.
After packing up camp and hitting the highway, I feel panic setting in. I have learned to adapt very well to travel, but I have no idea what is next for me. As long as we are on the road, I don't have to think about it. What am I going to do with myself and my time? What is next for me? I fumble to find a notepad and make a list of things to do. Better yet, maybe we should make a right turn and go to Moab.
I take a few deep breaths as Wilson continues to drive north...I guess it is time to figure this out.
After packing up camp and hitting the highway, I feel panic setting in. I have learned to adapt very well to travel, but I have no idea what is next for me. As long as we are on the road, I don't have to think about it. What am I going to do with myself and my time? What is next for me? I fumble to find a notepad and make a list of things to do. Better yet, maybe we should make a right turn and go to Moab.
I take a few deep breaths as Wilson continues to drive north...I guess it is time to figure this out.
Zion
We landed in the somewhat familiar territory of Springdale, Utah and Zion National Park. We had been to Zion twice before, but the weather is great and we have a few things we want to do there.
The next day, we will take it easy! We'll ride the bikes in the valley and go on a photo safari. Here are some of the highlights:
We spotted a very rare California condor. This bird has an eight foot wing span. And we later learned that it's the rarest bird on the world, only 156 are known to live in the wild.
Zion is one of my favorite places. The park system does a nice job there, making it a pleasant place to be.
We re-establish the camping routines and decide to hike the West Rim Trail. It is the longest day hike I have ever attempted - 16+ miles, but most of the elevation is down. Like 5000 feet down.
For some reason, Wilson thought it would be a cool shot, if he held himself up by a small tree while peering down an 1800 foot cliff into the Virgin River canyon. Around mile 10 - I suspect that I may have a blister brewing. I put it out of my mind and enjoy the fall colors as we begin our rapid decent into the valley. The maples are spectacular!
For some reason, Wilson thought it would be a cool shot, if he held himself up by a small tree while peering down an 1800 foot cliff into the Virgin River canyon. Around mile 10 - I suspect that I may have a blister brewing. I put it out of my mind and enjoy the fall colors as we begin our rapid decent into the valley. The maples are spectacular!The final two miles are a relentless descent on a paved path. Our joints are begging for mercy, but we push on.
The next day, we will take it easy! We'll ride the bikes in the valley and go on a photo safari. Here are some of the highlights:We spotted a very rare California condor. This bird has an eight foot wing span. And we later learned that it's the rarest bird on the world, only 156 are known to live in the wild.Zion is one of my favorite places. The park system does a nice job there, making it a pleasant place to be. Breeders Cup LA style
Obviously we are still behind in the blogging, but in the interest of telling the whole story, we will continue chronologically.
We rolled in LA, dirty, dusty, and stinky with only a few hours to prepare for the big chindig. While Curt unloaded and cleaned the car, I made my way to Colorado Blvd. to pick up some necessities to finish off my outfits. I was overwhelmed by all of the things I could buy. Suddenly, I became aware of all of the things that I could have - cupcakes, gelato, lotions, clothes, etc etc etc. Things that I had no desire for when they weren't presented before me in attractive store windows. I resisted (for the most part) and stuck to the necessities. Susie had a fabulous dress to meet Maroon 5. Check it out in its fringey action!
The party was a perfect display of LA's excesses. The young socialites attempting to work their way into the VIP areas, looking way older than their attire suggested. The band never really connected with the audience and the party never really connected to horse racing. However, a good time was had by all as we got to know some of Susie's favorite people who would become recurring characters for the weekend.
We drove through Las Vegas and never once considered stopping. Between Lake Tahoe and the Breeder's Cup, I think we were both gambled out. After three solid days of gambling, we had broken even. That felt like a victory, so we let Las Vegas slowly slip away in the rear view window.
We rolled in LA, dirty, dusty, and stinky with only a few hours to prepare for the big chindig. While Curt unloaded and cleaned the car, I made my way to Colorado Blvd. to pick up some necessities to finish off my outfits. I was overwhelmed by all of the things I could buy. Suddenly, I became aware of all of the things that I could have - cupcakes, gelato, lotions, clothes, etc etc etc. Things that I had no desire for when they weren't presented before me in attractive store windows. I resisted (for the most part) and stuck to the necessities. Susie had a fabulous dress to meet Maroon 5. Check it out in its fringey action!
The party was a perfect display of LA's excesses. The young socialites attempting to work their way into the VIP areas, looking way older than their attire suggested. The band never really connected with the audience and the party never really connected to horse racing. However, a good time was had by all as we got to know some of Susie's favorite people who would become recurring characters for the weekend.Friday was ladies day at Santa Anita, so we donned our dresses and talked about the fortunes to be made. 
Curt made some $$ on day1, and hope abounds for the 'life changing' bets that will surely come in on Saturday. Susie and I honored our outfits and started a show parlay based on polka dotted silks. This is not a sound betting strategy, but it would have been fun if it had worked.
We had a lovely evening of paella, sangria, and live music until the screaming chick took the stage. This was enough for us to retreat for some rest beofre the big day. After all, Curt still has studying to do.
Saturday morning came early and we were back at the race track.
We enjoyed the day of championship horse racing. We actually took this picture. After wandering around the infield during the heat of Saturday, we headed back to main grand stand and decided to watch the next race from the rail. While waiting, the starting gate pulled up, and we were in perfect position to watch the horses load and start for the Dirt Mile.
Susie worked it, and before we knew it we were all in a VIP area. We were graciously welcomed by many of the 'fans of Susie' and enjoyed their anecdotes. I was as intrigued by the celebrities within my midst. There was Pierce Brosnan, Dennis Hopper, Bobby Flay, and Turtle from Entourage was holding hands with Meadow Soprano, Jamie Lyn Seigler. (Now that we have caught up on our Entourage episodes, we see how they must have met. It was also cool to see the 'joshua tree' episode.)
At the end of the day, the only winning ticket Wilson had was at In and Out where his number was called ahead of the others around him. Nontheless we had a great time.
The next morning, two of our favorite things . . . coin op laundry and packing the car. With the chores done, we pointed the FJ south on the 5 for San Diego. Wilson hoped to surf, but the afternoon winds picked up, so we settled for cold beers on a roof top deck at Pacific Beach. At this locale, we overheard a fairly drunk guy proclaim . . . "If only we knew someone in the TV business who knows how to get a show on the air and also has time on their hands" No kidding, this group of people was sitting right next to us and wanted to pitch a fashion show, but didn't really know the who's and where's of how to get this done. I exchanged numbers with them and we agreed to chit chat when they were sober and I was ready to focus on something other than my walkabout.
We met up with Greg when he finished work. It was awesome to spend the evening with him at a few of his favorite local establishments. We crashed his apartment and I marveled at his teal stove.
On Monday morning, we had to make a decision . . . head south for Baja, stay in Dan Diego, or head north. We chose the latter, and about 6 hours later, a very strange thing happened in the northbound lanes of I-15 . . .
We drove through Las Vegas and never once considered stopping. Between Lake Tahoe and the Breeder's Cup, I think we were both gambled out. After three solid days of gambling, we had broken even. That felt like a victory, so we let Las Vegas slowly slip away in the rear view window.Sunday, November 2, 2008
Joshua Tree
We exited the south end of Death Valley and traversed the Mojave towards the fabled Joshua Tree. Honestly, I didn't know anything about the park, but love the album. I also am fond of the Seuessian looking yucca. Our favorite tree photo is actually this one that we took on the way into Death Valley. 
With fresh supplies, and a stop to drop off the drycleaning in the weirdly militant town of 29 Palms, we made our way into the park and settled in to a nice camp spot. I know it is completely cliche', but I played a little U2 while setting up the tent.
The next morning, our neighbors asked if they could join our hike that day. Although I was somewhat skeptical, it was nice to talk with Lincoln and Katie that day. Lincoln showed interest in Curt's gagets and gizmos. They also did not subscribe to our 'marching' pace, so it did give us a fresh perspective on the activity and an outlet for us to share some of our tales thus far. It made me somewhat reflective when I noticed the "middle finger" rock.
Honestly, if it hadn't been for them, Susie would have been exhausted by our stories in LA.Curt also befriened the local wildlife. The first night, he spotted a mouse boldly running across our picnic table. It sought protection in my empty plastic wine cup. Or so he thought. Curt flipped the wine glass on top of the mouse, and flung it off the table. The next evening, the mouse was digging around in the recycling...not the garbage. It seems that the two mice that inhabit our camp site like to booze and are not shy.
Its funny. We've been in the cold, and the heat, but hadn't really noticed the wind...until the Santa Anas rolled in. They're exhausting. We decide to make a quick pilgrimage to Palm Springs to find somthing to wear to the big events in LA that are next on the agenda.
Its funny. We've been in the cold, and the heat, but hadn't really noticed the wind...until the Santa Anas rolled in. They're exhausting. We decide to make a quick pilgrimage to Palm Springs to find somthing to wear to the big events in LA that are next on the agenda.We hike up to Ryan's Peak and look backdown at camp before departure and make our way to Pasadena. 
Monday, October 27, 2008
Two Days In Death Valley
A warm morning, no fire, and we sought the shade at the crack of 8:00am. Death Valley is exactly what our chilled bodies needed. Even though the FJ carries a real tire as a spare, it doesn’t carry a 6th tire in case you have two flats. With another cross country journey ahead of us (traversing the Mojave Desert later in the week), we decided it might be wise to get the flat tire fixed. We headed to civilization, Death Valley style, and found ourselves in aptly named Furnace Creek. 
The guy at the “next services in 126 miles” gas station came through on that promise and made quick work on our tire. While we waited, we checked out the camping scene in Furnace Creek, and quickly located a spot that was a substantial upgrade over the gravel parking lot at Stovepipe Wells.
With the daily chores completed, we ventured off to the narrows of Fall Canyon.
It seemed like it was a flat hike, the canyon walls stayed about the same, relative to the floor, but we kept getting tired and needed a rest in the shade. Hmmm, it must be the heat. After a 3 mile slog in loose gravel, we checked the GPS and discovered we had climbed 1500 vertical feet. Those alluvial flows can be tricky. The full scope of our ascent became crystal clear when we began the descent and could see just how far we had climbed.
Next on the agenda, the marble walls of Mosaic Canyon. For the first time, we hiked with no packs and carried a simple water bottle. Hmmm, so that’s what it’s like with 20 less pounds on your back. 
The next day featured more heat, and another chance for us the underestimate the amount of vertical feet the trail had in store for us. We chose to venture into Golden Canyon and work our way up to Zabriske Point where we had left our bikes earlier in the day. Sorry to disappoint you film buffs, it was too hot for any of that scandalous behavior, but Wilson did pay homage to Richard Wright by listening to “Us and Them”. We checked the GPS when left the bikes, and checked again at the trail head. We were in for a measly 600 foot ascent, no problem. We started up this dry sandy wash and eventually wound our through the badlands to the base of the red cliffs in the distance. 
The narrow slot canyon at the base of the red cliffs provided ample shade and chance to relax.
More on the hair in a minute, there is a very reasonable explanation. After taking the spur trail to the red cliffs, it was time to tackle the rest of the trail to Zabriske Point. Amy is all smiles here, knowing that we have already beat the heat and just need to put another 400 vertical feet behind us. 
Yep, just over that ridge, and down the bad lands, and up the bad lands, and down. You get the picture, we climbed that 400 feet at least 5 times in the last two miles.
Our obsession with gathering firewood has been replaced with one to cool our drinks, and cool down down the shower water so it’s bearable. Yes, we said “shower”. In the Texas Springs campground, we have devised our very own shower, complete with solar heated water and strategically placed branches.
Wilson is no longer wearing a hat, so the hair goes where the hair wants to. We met some more fine folks in Death Valley, the camp ground host and her dread locked husband were there for the winter, and some old timers who had just arrived for a six week stay for the 44th straight year. We liked it enough to put it in for consideration on any future trips through the Southwest. One last image from Death Valley that made us think we might be high in the Atlas Mountains of Morroco.
The guy at the “next services in 126 miles” gas station came through on that promise and made quick work on our tire. While we waited, we checked out the camping scene in Furnace Creek, and quickly located a spot that was a substantial upgrade over the gravel parking lot at Stovepipe Wells.With the daily chores completed, we ventured off to the narrows of Fall Canyon.
It seemed like it was a flat hike, the canyon walls stayed about the same, relative to the floor, but we kept getting tired and needed a rest in the shade. Hmmm, it must be the heat. After a 3 mile slog in loose gravel, we checked the GPS and discovered we had climbed 1500 vertical feet. Those alluvial flows can be tricky. The full scope of our ascent became crystal clear when we began the descent and could see just how far we had climbed.Next on the agenda, the marble walls of Mosaic Canyon. For the first time, we hiked with no packs and carried a simple water bottle. Hmmm, so that’s what it’s like with 20 less pounds on your back. The next day featured more heat, and another chance for us the underestimate the amount of vertical feet the trail had in store for us. We chose to venture into Golden Canyon and work our way up to Zabriske Point where we had left our bikes earlier in the day. Sorry to disappoint you film buffs, it was too hot for any of that scandalous behavior, but Wilson did pay homage to Richard Wright by listening to “Us and Them”. We checked the GPS when left the bikes, and checked again at the trail head. We were in for a measly 600 foot ascent, no problem. We started up this dry sandy wash and eventually wound our through the badlands to the base of the red cliffs in the distance. The narrow slot canyon at the base of the red cliffs provided ample shade and chance to relax.More on the hair in a minute, there is a very reasonable explanation. After taking the spur trail to the red cliffs, it was time to tackle the rest of the trail to Zabriske Point. Amy is all smiles here, knowing that we have already beat the heat and just need to put another 400 vertical feet behind us. Yep, just over that ridge, and down the bad lands, and up the bad lands, and down. You get the picture, we climbed that 400 feet at least 5 times in the last two miles.Our obsession with gathering firewood has been replaced with one to cool our drinks, and cool down down the shower water so it’s bearable. Yes, we said “shower”. In the Texas Springs campground, we have devised our very own shower, complete with solar heated water and strategically placed branches.
Wilson is no longer wearing a hat, so the hair goes where the hair wants to. We met some more fine folks in Death Valley, the camp ground host and her dread locked husband were there for the winter, and some old timers who had just arrived for a six week stay for the 44th straight year. We liked it enough to put it in for consideration on any future trips through the Southwest. One last image from Death Valley that made us think we might be high in the Atlas Mountains of Morroco.
In search of warmth
The warmest place on the planet is some 200 miles away, so we decide to go for it. Death Valley. We get fresh supplies, and buy our first bag of ice since Oregon.
And this is us.
Too bad the high lift was buried under all of our stuff. Curt made quick work of the flat, and we are on our way to camp at Stovepipe Wells.
Just south of Bishop, CA we made a left turn into the desert and passed an ominous sign 'next services 126 miles'. The tunes are blaring and we are having fun with the camera and the fresh sights. Almost exactly 63 miles later, this is the view behind us.
This is where we are going.
And this is us. Too bad the high lift was buried under all of our stuff. Curt made quick work of the flat, and we are on our way to camp at Stovepipe Wells.We were successfull on two accounts. First, it is warm. Secondly, we adjusted our perception and made the ugliest campground seem better when we turned the other direction.
That night, we explored the nearby sand dunes under the moonlight. It was awesome. We slept in t-shirts. Overnight low was 74 degrees.
Devil's Post Pile
What is Devil's Post Pile National Monument? Never heard of it, but we are in the area. It turned out to be this pile of basalt columns. Looks a lot like eastern Washington. 
We set camp at June Lake after leaving Yosemite. Finally, a vista! We had been in the trees so long it was nice to see some sky. The moon is bright enough to render our newest camp toys - head lamps - somewhat unnecessary. The coyotes howl though the night. We are still at about 8000 ft, so temps are not exactly warm. However, the morning sun makes us believe that 40 degrees is comfortable.
We decide to stay another night and head for Mammoth for laundry and some sort of adventure. After Wilson does a bit of hot dog down hill riding, he selects a portion of the PCT to hike, and we leave our bikes at one end and the car at the other. Since my quads are still recovering, I accept his 4 mile 'flat' hike as a viable option.
We set camp at June Lake after leaving Yosemite. Finally, a vista! We had been in the trees so long it was nice to see some sky. The moon is bright enough to render our newest camp toys - head lamps - somewhat unnecessary. The coyotes howl though the night. We are still at about 8000 ft, so temps are not exactly warm. However, the morning sun makes us believe that 40 degrees is comfortable.We decide to stay another night and head for Mammoth for laundry and some sort of adventure. After Wilson does a bit of hot dog down hill riding, he selects a portion of the PCT to hike, and we leave our bikes at one end and the car at the other. Since my quads are still recovering, I accept his 4 mile 'flat' hike as a viable option. Guess what! We end up doing 6.6 miles on the trail with a big ascent to get out of the canyon. We are against up against dusk again, and have the pleasure of riding our bikes back to the car in a cold valley, downhill. Upon completion, I suggest stopping for dinner instead of heading back to camp. I think this is our first restaurant meal since Chipotle in Southcenter Mall. We were encouraged on the drive back that it was only 52 degrees. However, in the last 3 miles of the journey it dropped 10 degrees. We don't have firewood, and not enough motivation to gather any. It is freaking cold at camp and we go straight to bed.
That's it! We are going to find someplace warmer.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Yosemite
We arrived in Yosemite (following the detour we described in an earlier post) in time to get a look at the valley before dusk set in. 
The camping here was not what we are used to. The sites are small and right on top of each other. I guess we were fortunate to get the site we did, since it was one row from the end of the campground. We could actually see beyond the seemingly endless rows of campers and tents. The first night I could hear three men snoring. There was Curt, the 'snoring man' from the next site over - he started early to acquire that moniker - and the guy who came to be known as 'wood guy'. They each had their own style, but of course, Curt's was the most endearing. Close quarters made socialization part of the experience. We also met 'the bano couple.' They were unfortunately positioned directly in front of the bathroom. The guy had worse hair than Curt, and the girl spent her mornings fashionably dressed in her white terry cloth robe at camp. 'The wood guy' and his wife had a nice camp set up and left us a huge stack of wood and lighter fluid (for the burning impared) when they left. There was also John and Jean from Tahoe. She was a very chatty nurse and John a retired teacher and they gave us a tour of their camper trailer and some tips about some of the destinations on our agenda. I guess it may not be all bad to live amongst other fellow campers. I really wanted to photograph the scene, but we never got around to it. I would also like to mention that it appears that many campers employ the 'bin system'. It is further enhanced in this state by the fabulous 'bear bins' that are in every camp site. Very handy.
We hiked our butts off the next two days. The first day we took the John Muir Trail up to Nevada Falls and back down the other side of the valley. 
The second day we drove to a trail head on the Glacier Peak side and made it to the top of our first dome, Sentinel Dome, elevation 8250. 
Nice views, but our uncanny ability to put ourselves in a race against dusk made it feel like a bit of a march. I was already stiff from the elevation gain on yesterdays' hike. I knew the next day would be worse. We were treated to a spectacular view on the way back down to the valley. The full moon rose between El Capitan and Half Dome.
Nice views, but our uncanny ability to put ourselves in a race against dusk made it feel like a bit of a march. I was already stiff from the elevation gain on yesterdays' hike. I knew the next day would be worse. We were treated to a spectacular view on the way back down to the valley. The full moon rose between El Capitan and Half Dome. Camp is still very cold. The sun never hits our camp site and the obsession to collect firewood is bordering ridiculous. We pack up to destination unknown and embrace another new found pleasure...coin operated showers.
Amy Gets Cracked
The Lake Tahoe portion of our journey got off to a good start, nice weather, and cell service for Curt to make his all important conference call.
Northern California has many options for those needing cell service, we chose to follow the "cold' instead of the "warmth". The following morning, Amy announced, "We won, we beat the sub freezing temps in a our 2nd night of camping". Shortly thereafter, Amy found a ray of sunshine and a camp fire in her quest to start the day.
Then it happened . . . frozen tooth paste, on top of slush in the water jug, and the final straw.
Snow falling from the sky. Amy was officially cracked at this point. The car was quickly packed and pointed in a southerly direction towards the comforts of potential hotel rooms on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe. If only it was that simple. We made it half way before the CHP put the brakes on our escape. The only road around the lake was closed due to heavy snow, an accident, and a prescribed burn. So back around the lake we went in the opposite direction. At this point another lesson was hammered home to us . . . do a little research before jumping in with both feet. We had camped in the NW corner of the lake, along side a busy highway, within earshot of a construction site, and where lake effect snow is common. Not exactly the recipe for a successful outing during cold weather. After being forced to backtrack, we discovered the Nevada side . . . Sunny skies, temps in the mid 40's, no wind, no houses, and camp sites on the lake (far removed from the highway). After the some dilligent shopping, we landed in a delightful Best Western on the south shore, within walking distance of the casinos.
On that Saturday, the snow covered FJ reamined anchored in the parking lot, the casinos were calling our name. After all, it was a college football saturday, and we needed to make some money to finance the rest of our trip. Surprisingly, this idiotic plan worked. South shore also included a new favotite activity of ours, coin operated laundry. After two warm nights in Tahoe, we headed for the warmer confines of Yosemite Valley.
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