No Matter Where You Go, There You Are

“Island of the Lilly”

2011-06-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Wrapping up a sassy-successful voyage. After nearly three weeks, we’ve been able to better absorb and reflect. Funny thing…you tend to idealize coming to a place like Italy. And trust us, there is certainly a hella idyllic scene here. However, you also start to see the raw, real aspects of an old, genuine, diverse and struggling culture. Italy does not solely exhibit the fantasy, Hollywood version of itself (although, that fantasy does certainly play itself out), rather, you take notice of the challenges people face, the struggle between growth and tradition and the unflinching similarities to what other nations and communities are experiencing. At some point, we began seeing more of the similarities than the differences…the aspects that make us all global citizens in the same struggle…in the same party.

Isola del Giglio (“Island of the Lilly”) was our final, full stop of the trek. An outrageously superb recommendation by a friend, that offered us an opportunity to escape the crowds and kick back before we head back. Giglio is a small, relatively isolated island off the coast of Tuscany. Outstanding swimming, loads of quiet roads and trails to hike and amazingly quaint villages. We shacked up at a Gioia Apartamenti run by Maria and her hubby. Newly build, beautiful and ideally located in Porto Giglio. We had small studio apartment on the basement level that was perfect (the upper levels had large patios and outdoor BBQ’s…perfect for a family getaway). Our first night, we grabbed dinner at a hopping seafood joint called Restorante La Margherita. Giglio was a place where Italian tourist went, so very little English was spoken. We just went with it and had a great time struggling through conversations. It was actually refreshing and really enjoyable. Had a great locally produced white wine, spaghetti, Carrie tried an unknown, freshly caught fish and we topped it off with a sweet grappa.

We spent the next two days hiking, exploring and finding the perfect rock to lounge on and swim off of. The water was crystal clear, refreshing and totally romantic. We ventured up an old trail to Giglio Castello, a bustling village that truly did feel like old Italy…children scurrying around the tiny streets, older Italians on benches conversing and gossiping, shop owners tweaking their displays in preparation for the day’s visitors…café owners setting up tables. We found an art and jewelry shop that had some amazing handmade pieces. Central Porto Giglio had scores of shops, restaurants and cafés all with ample opportunities to sit and people watch as boats drifted in. Two nights in a row we ordered scrumptious take out pizza from L’Angolo Di Napoli. Our last full day, we scrambled down some rocks and found a little nook on the corner of a small cove…perfect for lounging and swimming. Spent the whole d

ay there, read, napped and swam. That evening we, grabbed a couple of glasses at Pierina Bar and watched the sun set over the cliff. Giglio also provided the best gelato in Italy. Yep, Bar Fausto…well, maybe tied with the place in Greve. But Oh My Snap, Fausto had some tasty cream.

Our Italian sojourn concluded with one last afternoon/evening in Rome. We bodysurfed the massive crowds to quickly peer in the Pantheon, watched the sun set on the Spanish Steps and grabbed a wicked late dinner at Ditirambo. Yeah, we couldn’t resist. Our first dinner in Italy was so memorable, we needed a repeat. And it did not disappoint. We ended up having the same dishes (Carrie had a fresh ravioli and I had a vegetable lasagna drizzled with a light cheese sauce). Had a stellar bottle of Tenete Silvio Nardi, 2005 Brunello. Sublime way to sign off.

The next day we flew to Dublin for a quick, 22-hour layover and visit. Hung out with Carrie’s stepbrother Charlie who graciously took us on a long walking tour of the city…through Trinity College, past the capitol…long stop at Butler’s Chocolate Café. We ended up at the Ferryman’s for a drink.

It’s difficult to comprehend that we just experienced all this. We are two grateful souls. A seriously funky thank you to our friends and fam for the crazy perfect recommendations…most of which shaped our very successful trip. And most certainly, thank you to our co-workers, whom shouldered the added load.

Fino alla volta prossima…

Charrie

Dialogue as we strolled down a hill in Giglio. Chad: “You are what you eat Carrie.” Carrie: “Well, I have no problems being gelato.”

When a Stroll Becomes a Hike

2011-06-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

Before I delve into our killer time in Cinque Terre, I must give a loud and totally unhinged, jump-up-jump-up-say-YEAH! Congrats to Mr. H.B. Clausen and Liz Laur. That’s right kids; they’re gettin’ hitched. We can’t wait until the party yo. Seriously, congrats you two!

“I proposed while she was befuzzled.” Brian

With the dark days of travel behind us (i.e. driving), we jumped on the train and headed northwest towards the coast. Cinque Terre (I love the fact that Wikipedia’s description includes: “Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development.”) is a group of five ancient towns, the first and last are only 12 km apart. Each town is literally on a cliff, perched over the sea and are all connected by an old, narrow trail. We bunked up at B&B L’Eremo sul Mare, a 20-minute walk up the trail from Vernazza. Seriously, you have to hike up to the place. We were both breathlessly begging for our backpacks at that point, instead of the luggage with wheels nonsense we had. To put it bluntly: We weren’t weelin’ shit that afternoon. All that said, the hike up was o-so-worth it. We were gleefully met by Heda, a sweet, boisterous woman that runs L’Eremo. The place had a large patio overlooking the sea and surrounded by trees. One thing is for sure; we severely lucked out on places to stay during our trek.

We met a younger couple from Australia on their honeymoon and had a good chat. We effortlessly bounced back down the hillside back to Vernazza. All the buildings were brightly painted and haphazardly stacked; yet somehow it felt intentional. The harbor was small and adorned with shops and small cafés. The first thing we noticed as we came into town was the young, beach-town vibe going on. Many people dawning bikinis and flipity-flops. We ate at a random pizzeria with a view and headed back early. Ended up cracking open a bottle and hanging out with the Aussy couple and an older Kiwi couple on the patio until after midnight. Had a fascinating, meandering conversation about travel (do you stick to the travel guide or just have at it?) then onto cultural differences and grazed some hot-button political issues. We love meeting other travelers.

The best way to describe the area is thru pictures. The land is stunning. The water is peaceful and a brilliant blue...it melts with the sky. Our first full day we hiked southwest toward the southern most village, Riomaggiore. The climb was challenging. It was sunny and hot with only an occasional breeze. The flow wasn’t too busy, so we were able to actually hike rather than shuffle (the trail is known to get wicked busy during the touristy times). The vistas were spectacular. I took way too many photos, proven by shrinking space on my hard drive. It took 90 minutes to reach the first village, Corniglia. Picture perfect with tiny, meandering pedestrian streets. We took some pics, bought some fruit and walked down, way down to a small cove. Our first Mediterranean dip. Scrambled up a rock and dove in. Just laid around for an hour or so.

From Corniglia, we went up. Nearly 600 meters up. We must have picked the right time of day (early afternoon and wicked hot), because we saw very few people. The vegetation changed quickly. We went in and out of lush forest, passing stretches of unbelievable, terraced vineyards…reachable only by foot and a steep cart-pulley system. The infrequent breeze was greatly appreciated. We stopped a lot, took copious amounts of pictures and just soaked it all up. By far the most enjoyable stretch of the whole trail.

The trek down to the next village, Manarola, was just as steep. Brutal on my old man knees. By then, it was late afternoon. Warm and pleasant. We strolled through town, checked out the village center swimming-hole (the village essentially encircled the rocks and swimming area) and found a cozy little paninoteca/bar/gelateria. It’s killing me that I can’t remember the name of the place…immediately at the end of the main street, just before the swimming hole on the left-hand side. They served up homemade sandwiches, ice cream and their very own white wine. We tried a chocolate sundae complete with fresh wafers. Delish.

Good and drowsy, we strolled the last 15 minutes to Riomaggiore, connected by a flat, scenic path called “Via Dell'Amore.” The train station in town houses a fascinating mural of local farmers and workers. Hopped the train home and strolled into an outdoor bar overlooking Vernazza halfway up the trail to our pad. The crew was half-blitzed and thumping a mix-tape rocking WAR and Blink-182. Hilarious. Bounced home and took advantage of the patio overlooking the sea. Read, caught up on work and enjoyed another moonlit night.

The next day we hiked northeast toward the last of the five villages, Monterosso with the intention of carving out some beach time. The trail was pretty smooth, but packed. Absolutely packed. We shuffled most of the time. Peered over the edge of some pretty unbelievable cliffs. Hard to imagine theses trails are still handling the foot traffic. With the overcast weather and the ultra touristy beaches looking not so enticing, we scrapped beach time and opted instead for a leisurely stroll through town. A lot going on in Monterosso. Tons of small shops, cafés and restaurants. We found a place serving up fresh focaccias, got a half bottle and enjoyed the afternoon. Took the train back to Vernazza early and hung out at the B&B until late evening.

We capped the 3-night stay with a refreshing, simple dinner at Incadase da Piva (thanks James!), bottle of tasty Chianti, fresh bread and pesto with delicious gnocchi and trenette pasta. Rich, almost pudding-like tiramisu to top it off. Super friendly service and a jovial gentleman (owner?) keeping close watch on the scene.

Bounced, strolled and found an edgy art gallery, Bottega d’Arte Cinqueterre, run by a peppy, charismatic guy named Antonio. Absolutely loved his work…savage, raw, funny and rich. He had a catty laugh and was genuinely charming. So much spunky, fresh artwork. Fell in love with an original that spanked us good and sassy-like…a raw, Ralph Steadmanesque rendering of Vernazza. Couldn’t resist and proceeded to buy it. One of those moments and interactions when you pinch yourself and ask “Did that really happen?” Phenomenal way to end our Cinque stay.

On to Isola del Giglio for our last full stop.

A presto!

Chad

Go With The Flo

2011-06-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

Playing catch-up. We scratched and clawed our way in to Florence more than a week ago now. Thank Raphael we have over 1700 photos to tweak our memories. After reluctantly departing Siena, we wandered and weaved through Tuscany one last time. Stopped in San Gimignano, a busy, scenic and lively village northwest of Siena. Roamed through the Archeological Museum and hiked up the bell tower…providing another sweeping view of the Tuscan landscape. After a full day of historic works the previous day…and all the days previous, we yearned for something modern and found the Museum of Modern Art, which (ironically enough) had a new photo exhibit of old, historic buildings from around the area. Ha! It did house, however, an eclectic and at times perverted exhibit of Giannetto Fieschi. Strolled around the village streets coming across not one, but TWO torture museums. Reminded us of something we would find in the WI Dells. Met a German-born street artist named Kani. Loved his work and bought a couple of pieces. By mid afternoon a troupe of three street musicians began playing folk/jazz/gypsy tunes…haunting, sweet and sublime. Her voice was smoky and deep. We watched for a little while and found a café around the corner. Had a couple of tasty panini’s, a little wine and just took in the pleasantly warm sun as the street music soared.

Arrived in Florence frantically attempting to understand the city layout. Got crazy lost. Gave up, left the car crashed up on a curb and split. No, but the idea crossed our minds. Made it to our sweeeeet apartment (Residenza Il Carmine), thanks to a great recommendation by Marty and Frank…1 block off of Ponte Vecchio, built in 1345 and is the only bridge to make it through WWII German bombings.

We packed our first full day with museum visits starting at the Galleria dell ‘Accademia, which houses Michelangelo’s “David.” Granted, it is an obscenely hyped piece of artwork, but rightfully so. You turn the corner and are immediately struck by the awesome artistic feat. The stature was constructed from a single piece of marble, a piece twice refused by other sculptures because of its supposed inferiority. Mich elangelo was only 29 when he sculpted David. It generated good discussion about the perception of idealistic physical beauty. We also really enjoyed the room of music, which housed numerous Renaissance-era instruments.

We roamed the plazas and recharged for a while, trying to make our own art and found a damn good deli called Ino serving up wicked fresh sandwiches that included a solid glass of wine. We then strolled by the outrageously long lines and popped into the Galleria degli Uffizi (“Uffizi”). Wow, did we ever appreciate making reservations for the museums. If you every go, make reservations for all the major ones…everywhere in Italy. We talked to some travelers that waited 2-3 hours in line. The Uffizi was created by the Medici family and originally built to house the administrative offices. It soon became “Italy’s National Gallery” and houses a massive amount of art, ranging from Greek sculptures to Enlightenment era paintings. We really enjoyed the Botticelli rooms, especially “The Birth of Venus” and “Primavera.” The seemingly endless corridors housed hundreds of busts and portraits. Also, somewhat hidden on the first floor, we took in pieces by Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi, which included “Medusa” and “Judith Slaying Holoferness,” respectfully. Enjoyed a coffee on the museum roof before taking off. And that recaps about 4 straight hours of solid museum madness. We strolled around town for a while, gawking at the wild fashion shops and unsuccessfully dodging thongs of tourists. We stayed in that night and cooked a homemade risotto with a bottle of the “Cont

essa Eletta” from Pian del Giallo. Watched a little Naked Gun 2 ½ in Italian “Frank, se state andando essere soffiato ai bit, voglio essere qui con voi.”

Woke up early the next day and roamed around the sprawling Museo degli Argenti, which included a costume museum and a fascinating porcelain museum that had some amazingly intricate pieces. We took advantage of another beautifully warm day and then walked around the huge garden to the rear of the main building. No shortage of walking this trip. We earned our daily pasta/pizza and gelato fix.

We ate in again that night and went out late for dessert and coffee at Caffe Concerto Paszkowski, on the edge of Piazza della Republica. Amazing coffee drinks, fresh mojitos and the best Tiramisu we’ve had. The waiters were all in black ties and the live music catered to the tourist in all of us…their version James Brown’s “Sex Machine” was actually really good. Took the long way home and enjoyed the plethora of street artists creating until the wee hours. Got home and immediately crashed.

“This room is a thousand years old” Gillian, Tour guide at Castello di Verrazzano.

The next morn we decided to split. Yep, it’s been quite the ride, but that’s it. Time to part ways. Nah…but traveling for two weeks with the same person…I’m just saying. So, I decided to get my bike fix and Carrie dove a little deeper into the city life. After some considerable searching (The Lonely Planet bible steered me wrong!), I rented a bike from the extremely friendly and helpful Bike Florence,

hopped on and proceeded to get very lost through the chaotic and unruly Florentine streets. Back ontrack, I headed south through the Chianti Classico region one last time…for reals...I swear! I love biking through the countryside. Totally different experience…the smells, sounds and sights all seem more vibrant. I was able to go through some small towns we missed during our drives. A lot of silly uphills (in comparison to WI or VT), but not as difficult as I would have thought (I thought too soon). Cruised through Imperiale, a sleepy town with a panoramic view on 3 sides. Stopped in Impruneta for a quick lunch at a small deli. Bizarrely enough, it poured for a short bit while I was eating…perfect weather the rest of the day. I then climbed and dipped, passing hillside vineyards and castles along the way. Traffic was light and the roads were, for the most part, peaceful. For whatever reason, I had Superdrag’s “Keep it Close to Me” in my head all day. Made it back to Greve in Chianti by early afternoon and decided to do one last wine tasting and tour at the Castello di Verrazzano. At that point, I experienced the nutty Tuscan ups. Most difficult hill I ever had to climb on bike. A carful of tour-goers drove by and thought I was absolutely nutz…they later told me during the tasting. By far the most magnificent vineyard and grounds we visited. Gillian, the guide was charming, funny and had a great grasp of history. She talked for a while about Giovanni di Verraza no, who discovered the NYC harbor and parts of the east coast. She also repeatedly teased me for mysteriously flying solo on the wine tour. The walk and tour of the cellars and smoking rooms (they also make extra virgin olive oil, 12-year old balsamic vinaigrette, and smoked meats) were fascinating and included a collection of wine bottles over 200 years old. We tasted some great Chianti Classico and Classico Reserva as well as some Vin Santo with fresh biscotti. It was late afternoon by the time the meandering tour ended. I made a B-line back to Florence and got back late, but just in time to catch up with Carrie and stroll before din.

Carrie took full advantage of a day without Chadler. She roamed the streets, walking up and down the river, Arno. Bounced in and out of some of the shops downtown. Went back to Ino for another tasty sandwich and wine. She then made her way up the crazy-long staircase up to Piazzale Michelangelo and took dozens of photos of the beautiful gardens, street artists hard at work and the tremendous panoramic view of the city…all with one of the two David replicas in the background.

Thanks to Carrie’s find, we had a great destination that evening to people watch and take in the sunset before dinner. We then headed to a place just around the corner from the apartment, Golden View Open Bar overlooking Ponte Vecchio. The place was modern, busy and had a great ambiance. Carrie looked dreamy…candle casting a romantic reflection on the window with a view. Savored fresh Trenette pasta and another great bottle of Chianti Classico from Castello di Rossi. Couldn’t be any more romantic than that. Still pinching…

From Siena to the Sea

2011-06-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

We just watched a pretty stunning lunar eclipse. Early morn now…basking in the majestic glow as the moonlight ripples. It’s still. Barley any sound except some distant, chirping creature and the faint lapping of the waves, 500 meters below. We arrived in Vernazza this afternoon. Part of the Cinque Terre, five ancient towns outrageously nestled alongside the dramatic, jagged Ligurian coast in Northwest Italy. 8 days left. We’re on the latter half of the trek now.

We last left off in route to Siena. We loved Siena. Siena was spunky yet still quaint…historic, trendy and with the right balance of tourist magnet and local charm. Leaving aside the messy traffic coming in and the standard sprawl along the outskirts, Siena was a rad two-day stop. Carrie and I were both unprepared for the nip. It was cold yo. I’m talking the Italians are wearing coats and scarves kind of cold. But, we kept warm by walking, a lot, and commencing our 4-day museum blitz. Our first night we ate at a romantic little nook called Antica Osteria da Divo. Exposed stone walls, candlelight and an exceptional gnocchi. We strolled the city streets, which somehow always led you to where you needed to go. Siena was our first stop where we really noticed the fashion. The friggin’ shoes people were wearing?!! Seriously, it is absolutely impossible to walk on these cobblestone streets in high heels. Not possible.

The next day was all about history, art and architecture. We got rolling early, grabbed some eats at the next-door paneria and bought the “Opa Si Pass” (a very worthwhile purchased that got us in to several museums and sights). We started with the city panorama, with the Duomo to our backs and the seemingly haphazard and old city encircling us. The climb up was dizzying, but once atop, we had the entire city at our fingertips. It was early enough for us to take our time and take it all in.

We then hit up the city museum, which housed some of the most brilliant sculptures we’ve seen thus far. Many of which were originally affixed to the Duomo next door. A fine example of Sienese artistry. Hungry for more, we scampered straight over to the Cattedrale and Duomo. Wow! I mean, wow! The intricacy, splendor and grandeur of the artwork are truly breathtaking. We spent a good 90 minutes roaming,

with an audio guide glued to our ears taking in the history behind each piece of work, thanks to the voice of a jovial Brit colorfully exclaiming each story as quickly as possible.

Completely overwhelmed, we slowly made our way to the Battistero, Cripta and Oratorio to take in more portraits of Jesus being crucified. At some point, we asked ourselves “how many times can renaissance artists be asked to recreate Jesus being tortured?"

It becomes absolutely overwhelming. Fried and jam-packed with visions of sweet baby Jesus and Mary, we napped, readying ourselves for a massive dinner, as we’ve come to expect. Bundled up, we strolled around town, taking in the numerous steep, winding roads and breathtaking architecture. We ended up at Il Carroccio, a quaint, Slow Foods trattori serving up a delish risotto and pesto gnocchi. After din-din, we trolled around ending up at what we think was Sienna College and watched pirates serve up food and drinks to spunky co-eds and not to mention the most bizarre mix of American and Italian music I could possibly imagine. (CCR was somewhere in there).

Thanks to everyone who recommended we spend time in Siena. Crazy enjoyable! Florence, Cinque Terre and Isola del Giglio to come as we wrap up the trek.

Ciao!

Charrie

Berlusconi Gets Spanked

2011-06-15T15:56:00.000-07:00

Exciting times to be in Italy. On Monday, a crucial national vote gave the irreverent Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi a major spanking. Italians came out to stop water privitization, hold public officials (mainly

Berlusconi) accountable for illegal activities and squelched plans to build new nuclear power plants. Here are some pics of what we saw the night before the vote in Siena. Check out the NYT article. Pretty much says it all: "Italian Voters

Out to Overturn Laws and Deliver a Rebuke on Berlusconi"

Siena and Florence updates soon!

Charrie

Castles and Wine

2011-06-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

At present I’m slouched in a comfy chair at the La Perla Hotel in Siena, one block off Piazza del Campo. The Internet doesn’t work in our room, an oddly shaped, stinky (sorry Lonely Planet, but “musty” doesn’t go far enough…this warrents stank) nook on the top floor overlooking both the Duomo and the Basilica dei Servi. It’s late…not to uncommon for travel scribing. The local college boys are roaming the streets proudly belting their fraternity songs and what not…I think school just got out.

We’ve reemerged from a rejuvenating, active and peaceful three days at Tenuta di Spannocchia, just outside of Rosia in Tuscany. Big props to Scott for hooking us up. Spannocchia is an 1100 acre nature reserve, working organic farm/vineyard/olive grove, educational and historical center originally built in the late 12^th century. It is what remains from the share-cropping system that, surprisingly, lasted until the 1950’s in Italy. Our room was in the main building and allowed us to spread out in style.

The days were full of morning jogs, long walks through the adventurous trails, swimming and exploring. The landscape looked quite a lot like Vermont…minus the vineyards, cypress trees and castles. On Tuesday, we did a three-hour, round trip hike up to the “Castiglion che Dio sol sa,” (“Castle that only God knows”) and spent some time exploring a 13^th century castle. Every night at 7pm, all the guest, interns (there are 8 working this summer and a couple of WOOFers) and program participants (there was a group of PhD art-philosophy students there for 5 weeks) met for wine and casual conversation. At 7:30pm sharp, dinner was served, usually lasting 2-3 hours. The food was phenomenal (risotto, veggies, and Wednesday night brick-oven pizza night!)…all the wine was produced on site and is certified organic. Bizarrely enough, yet not too surprising, we met several people with Vermont and Western Mass roots…waxed Vermont Yankee if you can believe it. A crew of interns was either from VT or went to school in VT. We also met and had a fab time hanging out with Suzanna, a farmer from Shelburne, MA spending time at Spannochia to seek inspiration. On our final day, Randall (one of the owners) gave us an historical tour of the grounds. All told, Spannochia was a very cool and unique Italian experience.

On Thursday, we jumped back in the car and took the round-a-bout road to Montalcino, home of the famed Brunello wine…round-a-bout is no joke…we were on dirt roads most of the time. We tooled around the very quaint, but uber ritzy village and soaked it in. We scaled the Fortress to get a 360 degree view of

the area including some of the village’s stunning architecture. We had lunch on the front patio of Enoteca Osteria Osticcio where I had by far the best glass of the trip…a 2004 Brunello from Il Paradis o di Manfredi. Carrie had a very tasty Spumante Italiano from San Crisioforo. After a fun little tasting of more Brunello, we trekked around the village to take in some of the architecture and vistas provided by the hilltop location.

The drives throughout Tuscany have been absolutely breathtaking…rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves, farms and cypress trees. We made two more stops at vineyards in Chianti. The first was at il Molino di Grace, where we really enjoyed their 2006 Chianti Classico. The artwork was weird, but in a fun way. For lunch, we came upon a quaint little village named Radda in Chianti. Had an awesome bruschetta (one of the best thus far) at La Bottega di giovannino finished off with a tasty macchiato and mimosa. Took a lot of great photos here. Finally, we finished off our Chianti vineyard tour at a small place just outside of Costellina in Chianti. La Croce was a small operation. Had a solid Super Tuscan and a great 2006 Chianti Classico Reserva.

We did hit some unexpected turbulence in Siena, not expecting a large, sprawling city, but thank Jasper for roundabouts. They saved our butts on countless occasions…we may have enjoyed them a little too much.

We’ll catch up on Sienna the next go around.

Parma-Olive-Vine Goodbyes,

PS: Favorite quotes so far:

“Americans are always crying and running. Italians laugh and walk.” (Italian woman retold by a 21 year old from Brooklyn)

“How do pregnant women not drink? With all this wine??!” (Carrie)

“I got high once in VT.” (Random Canandian dude after introductions)

Charrie

Random Chianti Moments-June 5

2011-06-05T15:04:00.000-07:00

Cecilia’s big smile and gentle greeting at the bus stop.

The first sip of wine as we looked over the valley upon arrival at the villa.

Rocky and Luna (Cecilia’s dogs) in search for some attention (countless moments).

The warm, early morning walk from the villa to the bus stop along the winding, dusty road en route to Florence to pick up the car…felt like Michael Corleone on his Italian pilgrimage morphed with the memory of hitchhiking in Chili (see “Chili with Staggering Velocity!”).

Our conversation and tasting with Alfredo Correani and his wife at Lorenzo’s (named after Alfredo's son), a tiny vineyard just down the road. Alfredo paints all of the wine bottle labels and had just finished painting a wall inside the cellar when we arrived. He spoke broken English, we spoke no Italian, but between the non-verbals and a little Spanish, we had one of the most sincere and cheerful conversations in recent memory…he jubilantly told us about his upcoming exhibit in Florence. Bought a bottle of Chianti Classico and a small bottle of fresh olive oil.

Serving ourselves at Le Cantine…tried our first Brunello.

Early afternoon plucking of cherries.

Curl up in the hammock, cocoon style.

Early morning breakfast in the small courtyard outside our door…fresh fruit, pastries, jam, yogurt, strong Italian coffee and the creamiest butter we’ve ever had.

Our sserendipitous tasting at Pian del Gallo, an organic vineyard and farm on the outskirts of Greve en Chianti. It was pouring rain and near the end of the day. After a short, bumpy ride, we scampered to the front entrance. “Closed.” We then knocked on the door of the residence…waited and headed back to the car. Just before driving off, Hector, the owner comes out with umbrella in hand and welcomes us in. He then spends the next 60 minutes sharing his family’s food, wine and stories. By far, the most genuine, passionate and interesting wine tasting experience we’ve ever had. As soon as he saw our interest in wine and organic farming, he lit up and gave impassioned and descriptive responses to our rapid-fire questions…His homemade sundried tomatoes were unbelievable. We tried 5 wines and their 25 year balsamic vinegar. Their 2008 Super Tuscan “Contessa Eletta” was absolutely fabulous. Hector dabbed a little of the vinegar on Carrie’s hand to taste. Wow! We could have spent hours there, but alas…Hector needed to go to church with his wife (we saw them at the pizzeria later in the evening).

Conversation with Steph and Leon, a couple from Colorado on their second stay at Podere Torre, as more rain clouds rolled over the distant hills.

Chorus of birds signing in the early morning.

Learning a lot about Italian wine and EU organic production. Carrie just started reading “The Girl Who Plays With Fire.” I’m plowing through “The Traveler’s History of Italy.” Of course, there is always the Lonely Planet.

Wine glass reflecting the dim candlelight as I near the end of this entry...

Heading south towards Siena in our drop-top Fiat convertible (total fluke) en route Spannochia.

Ciao!

From Rome to Chianti-June 2 & 3

2011-06-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

Some days just have a way of working themselves out. No planning needed. It’s about 12:30am. I seriously can’t hear a sound. Just me, a dim lamp and half-finished bottle of wine…straight from the grapes of the villa we are staying at. I’ll circle back to that in a moment.

Day two of Rome was all about “The Vatican” …da-da-daaaa. Four marathon hours of breathtaking artwork commissioned or stolen in the name of Truth (I slightly jest). Those Catholics really know how to make a buck! There were no fewer than a dozen gift shops throughout the Vatican Museum, many of which were smack dab in the middle of the most precious pieces of art that will every be created…but I digress.

We had numerous favorites throughout the tour. We both really enjoyed the Carte Geografiche (Map Room) showcasing extremely large, detailed paintings of Italian maps from various perspectives. The most fascinating stories behind the pieces were told in the Raphael Rooms (4 rooms commissioned by the Pope where Raphael painted various scenes depicting faith, truth and triumph). The tapestry room was also quite stunning.

Around hour three, we finally made it to the Sistine Chapel. As we entered, you could feel the old, cool, dark air wash over you. It’s a pretty humbling experience. The crowds were massive and an ironically demonic booming baritone “SILENCE” bellowed from the anxious security guards really detracted from the awesome artwork surrounding us. But we chose to ignore and took it all in. Michelangelo’s nine frescos on the chapel’s ceiling were truly breathtaking.

Our brains melted and our eyesight blurry, we headed back to the city center. We dipped into a cute, street-side trattoria for a rejuvenating late afternoon lunch, and then headed back to the Vatican in an attempt to see St. Peter’s Bascilla…in the end, shunned by the lengthy lines.

After another successful gelato stop, we strolled back to the hotel remarking on the massiveclean-up in progress (June 2^nd is Italy’s “Republic Day,” so there was a day-long parade down the main thruway).

Dinner at Da Lucia in Travesere. Oh my, I have not had fresh parmesan until that night. A tasty meal with a carafe of house wine finished with a scrumptious chocolate mousse and laced throughout with chill conversation. We sauntered around the neighborhood for a while and headed back to the party scene around our hotel.

So, back to the lamp, wine and silence. Today (Friday), we attempted to leave Rome and make our leisurely way to Greve in Chianti, just outside of Florence. It ended up being one of those Charrie kind of days…full of miscommunication, blunders and a great deal of running with luggage (they should make

a sign discouraging that). We missed our first train, couldn’t book a car to get to Greve…in desperation, hopped a bus to the nearest stop where the villa owner, Cecilia, graciously picked us up. But by days end, we found ourselves looking over Chianti, giggling, smooching and sipping wine…in no particular order. Thanks to a brilliant recommendation, we find ourselves cozied up at the Podere Torre Azienda, tucked away amidst the narrow, winding dirt roads 3km north of Greve in Chianti. It’s a working vineyard and olive grove with two old, stone buildings and three dogs. Cecilia is adorable and taking very good care of us. She booked us reservations at a primo restaurant, Villa Bordoni, where they make their own olive oil. A very intimate (14 person) dinning experience. We had asparagus drizzled with a buffalo cheese sauce, followed by a gnocchi with wild mushrooms and fresh herbs and a roasted chicken with a wild mushroom baste. A decedent dessert followed…chocolate mouse between two crispy macaroon wafers, finished with a dollop of coffee crème. Consider ourselves pinched.

Alright. Must sleep. Tomorrow…err, today (Saturday), I head back to Florence to get the car. We’ll hang at the villa, take some walks and explore…ready ourselves for two full days of vineyard exploration and wine chuggin’…I mean sipping. PS: Big vote coming up next week that will again test Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's power here in Italy. This one on whether or not Italy should build new nuclear reactors. Like other European countries, many are phasing this junk out.

Charrie

Italia-June 1

2011-06-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

Charrie is back in full effect. Ahhhh-yeah. It’s on, Italia style. 1:30 am. Carrie just fell asleep. We’ve been rockin’ for 34 hours. Room is comfy as hell. Street party is humming outside. It’s all good.

Crashing at the 2^nd Floor Hotel in Rome…a few short steps away from the Colosseum. It was a total “buck up little camper” kind of day. Planes, trains and it all started out in Natalie’s Subaru.

I have to admit, this is the first time I can recall being absolutely overwhelmed with the staggering sightseeing options before us. We may just wing this whole thing. After a quick lunch and chug-chug double espresso,

we took the inn keeper’s advice and did up the Colosseum, late afternoon style. Two words, “Roma Pass!” Damn…that was worth every 25 € we threw down. Sped by the hour plus line in about a minute. That allowed us to spend two full hours circling the truly impressive house of mayhem. Seriously, what a gruesome idear. Fascinating history in terms of it’s construction, the politics of carnage and the elaborate thought that went into the seriously warped “games” that took place during the “holidays.”Favorite moment during the tour…placing our hands on the sun soaked stone and marble that is nearly two millennia old. Felt surprisingly smooth. Pop, this photos is for you.

Laid out the map and decided to squeeze every drip-drop of adrenaline in order to make a full day out of it. We decimated dinner by starting out with our first true-blue gelato at "Flor." The Romans know how to do gelato yo. Carrie had a double helping of chocolate and strawberry. I opted for the extra creamy vanilla and double chocolate. Next, we wandered and weaved our way through the labyrinthine Roman streets…up through the capitol area and down through what is still called the “Jewish Ghetto” We made our way to an amazing find for wine and a fresh, organic dinner at Ditirambo. An absolutely fabulous bottle of biodynamic 2006 Vendemmia-Sanvalentino from Umbria coupled with freshly made ravioli and lasagna…finished with a fresh strawberry-yogurt dessert…ok, then finished off with an espresso. Yeah, that’s it. We sauntered through Piazza di Navona where the kids and artists where out in full force.

On a completely unrelated note, I think the stewardess on Aer Lingus flight # 136 scolded me for attempting to snag her serving tray. I say “think” because she was quite cheerful as she scolded me.

On a mission to reserve two train tickets to Florence so we can start our two-week Tuscan swing. Today (Thursday), we take on the Vatican and look for some great food in Treverse. Ciao bella!

Charrie

That About Doesr’…

2007-06-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

Wraps ‘er all up. We made it back to the states and are now easing our way into a groove as they say. What a sensational way to close out our travels! This entry will be substantially brief…honest! Well, maybe. We hope we can share stories and pics on a more personal basis now that we are roaming the 48 again.

We spent a majority of our European jaunt in Sevilla, Spain with my bro, currently wrapping up a year of study. He basically dropped everything and gave us a first rate tour of Sevilla…and well, the rest of Spain. We spent a solid early afternoon roaming the immense palace and grounds of Real Alcazar De Sevilla, a finely adorned stop (and home?) for nobility and administrators. We mustered up enough energy to leap fountains. One evening Ryan took us to see quintessential Spanish Flamenco. Something beautiful and quite impassioned.

Our next jaunt entailed renting a Peugeot, a ridiculously large map of Spain/Portugal and poop cookies. We set out from Sevilla late afternoon and headed towards the southern coast of Portugal. We camped out at a very posh camping community in Vila Re al de Santo Antonio, just east of Faro and just west of the border and awoke early the next morn ready to see the coast. But alas, the weather was uncooperative, so we proceeded to head northeast, taking in some amazing scenery along the way. Lots of olive groves, rolling hills and open grasslands. We made our way to the Valle de Jerte, stopping at a few small towns along the way. We camped at the national park in Jerte, about 2 hours drive west of Madrid. We spent the afternoon strolling through the park’s trails and splashing around in the frigid, crystal-clear river about a 30-minute hike from camp.

The plan was to leave from Jerte early the next morn and pick up Mom and Dad from the airport in Madrid. However, Delta Airlines had other plans and their flight was cancel/delayed for a full two days! (We can wax airline industry incompetence and corporate welfare at its worst at some other time.) The three of us made it back to Sevilla to recalibrate our plans. Carrie and I took the next day to roam the fiendishly confusing and beautiful streets of central Sevilla and visit the Inglesa Cathedral de Sevilla …an enormous 12th century cathedral, that houses a spectacular wood-carved choir, beautiful stained-glass windows and the ashes of Cristóbal Colón (Christopher Columbus)…so they say. The three of us also checked out the Plaza de Espana, an enormous palace-esque compound built for the 1929 World’s Fair. (pic of us at plaza de espana).

After some serious brain scratching, we decided to wing it and continue with our plans to meet Moms and Pops in Paris. Paris in 42 hours…GO! Carrie, Ryan and I arrived Friday afternoon and roamed around the Latin Quarter, circled Notre Dame and grabbed some coffee before crashing at the hotel. The folks finally made it to the hotel late that night (2 days of shuffling around the airport!). We celebrated with drinks and a late night dinner at a café around the corner.

Saturday, our only full day, we awoke, threw together some plans and got after it. The first stop was the Eiffel Tower and the long walk to get there. It’s one of those landmarks that borders on a large hunk of iron and grand splendor. (After its construction for the 1889 World’s Fair, many Parisians wanted it taken down). However, once you can get close enough to enjoy the staggering engineering feat, it’s pretty spectacular. After ogling and snapping pics, we strolled across town towards the Latin Quarter and had a tasty bite to eat at a Lebanese joint named Al Dar. From here we skipped across the River Seine wander Notre Dame de Paris (second link) and admire the premiere example of French Gothic architecture. The stain glass windows were absolutely breathtaking. And those flying buttresses! Afterwards we shared some enormous chocolate crapes and proceeded to relax before being completely overwhelmed. Welcome to the Musée du Louvre my friends. Possibly most famous for housing Leonardo da Vinci’s peculiar and moving Mona Lisa, but maintains over 35,000 pieces spanning several centuries. We checked out the Mona Lis, some Greek sculptures, a room full of Louis XIV’s extravagances and called it quit-sees. A truly amazing experience, but utterly overwhelming. (pic of triangle at Louvre) Here’s a pic of the pyramid in the center of the Louvre created by I.M Pei

By then it was about 10 pm and time for some dinner. So we consulted the all-knowing guidebook and found a terrific, classic-French restaurant called Vins Des Pyrenees. What a perfect way to celebrate the rents retirement, their anniversary and a spontaneous family vacation. Great wine, fantastic food and chipper people.

The next morn we loaded all our gear and headed back to Sevilla. Carrie and I had a full day left and then it was time to head back. Mom and Dad had another five days to explore. The five of us took a leisurely stroll through town until we found ourselves at a cozy outdoor eatery. Ryan made sure we all had a chance to enjoy a Spanish tapa dinning experience.

All told, Carrie and I had a bang-up time. Looking back on it, it already seems as if we dreamt the whole thing up…the places, sites, history, people. We hope you all enjoyed the random updates and we look forward to chatting and sharing in person whenever and wherever.

What’s next? Well, Carrie and I will be heading back to Brat at the end of July. Carrie will be returning to work with Woodward Design and I hope to continue working on energy, environmental and advocacy projects. We’ll be cruising the state of WI throughout the rest of June and July visiting fam and friends. Stay in contact, virtual or otherwise.

Paz!

Carrie and Chad

Can't Shake the Cold

2007-06-01T16:36:00.001-07:00

Holy candlesticks Superwoman! Surely the Pink Panther is jesting when he says we now exist in the June, 2007! Hope the one and all of you are preparing for sun and fun up thar’ in the north. We have been shivering and huddling side by side avoiding at all costs the chill in the air, not to mention sucking back on copious amounts of Vitamin C beverages in order to ward off this silly, lingering sickness.

Oh my, my...HURRAH, HURRAH to the recent SIT capstoners and grads!! Carrie and I are damn happy and missed you all last weekend... taking that long walk off the edge of Black Mountain and back into the frightening world of serene capitalist bliss. Apply and reflect, so it goes.

Of course, huge, obnoxious shouts out to Mum and Dad Simmons for wrapping up their careers and cracking open a finely aged bottle of “retirement.” Carrie and I are so proud and can’t wait to celebrate. I suppose it’s about that time to barrel-role down the new path you two have in front of you.

Carrie and I have played it pretty mellow the last three weeks making only two stops. We wrapped up our short stint in Cordoba, but not without putting our legs to work. Our last afternoon, I finally had a chance to check out the regional historical museum, which included a good deal of information about the deep Catholic influences and the genesis of the city’s scholarly reputation. We couldn’t leave town without returning to a fantastic gastronomical find, Mandarina!, a Italian and Asian fusion joint(super-duper for vegetarians).

We then took the 16 hour, ultra uncomfortable, but ùber cheap train to downtown Buenos Aires. Now, we will be the first ones to admit that we did not initially “get” BA during our first four-day stay. We crashed at the HI affiliated Milhouse Hostel located in the city center. This was a cool place to stay if you enjoyed the stale stank of week-long frat parties and ear-numbing, drunk, open-mic sessions. Our dorm room resembled a typical freshman dorm...musical bunk-beds yo. So many we met here traveled half-way around the world to sleep all day and stay blissfully numb until 9 am the following morn. This place was honestly our first big disappointment of the trip.

We pretty much tried visiting the sites, museums, cafès around the city center, but had a difficult time figuring out when the city came alive. Seems as if the big cover up is that while yes, BA can be a thumping disco queen, they make up for it by sleeping until 5 pm the following day. We were hard pressed to find museums, cafès or stores open during daylight hours in the city central (primarily between Plazade Mayo and Plaza de Congresso).

On the brighter side, we did take some fantastic walks, enjoyed the amazing 18th and 19th century architecture and enjoyed some stellar coffee at some of BA`s most notable and historic cafès (outside the center). Here Carrie ignores the musical advice of Evita and sobs uncontrollably in front of Casa Rosada at the helm of Plaza de Mayo (more about Evita, Argentina’s social revolution to come).

On Saturday night, we decided to splurge and find out why BA is the Tango capital of the world. We were not disappointed. We joined an eclectic group of other tango novices and headed to Complejo Tango. We began the unforgettable night by actually learning how to tango. These two were our instructors and by Jove, did they emphasize the sexiness of tango. After substantially dirtying Carrie’s shoes, we enjoyed a very tasty meal with Andrea, a fellow traveler from Holland. Dinner was then followed by a very intimate and stunning tango performance. Musicians above played beautiful tango classics while the dancers amazed and awed us below. It’s no wonder there is such a romantic allure to this dance. The performance itself consisted of numerous skits, large, grand numbers, as well as quiet, intimate pieces. I have to admit, I am a sucker for the accordion.

Probably our favorite afternoon was on Sunday, when we took a stroll through the Plaza Dorrego Antiques Fair. The street closed it’s outlets to vehicles and opened up to hundreds of street vendors selling antiques, crafts, artwork and not to mention a plethora of tango performers, musicians and street artists. By far our favorite street performer was a couple posing as mad city slickers. (Ask us to show the other pics...they are hilarious). I also had a chance to speak at length with a woman from the Sam Telmo neighborhood cooperative “Asambleas del Pueblo,” an organization working to improve the economic situation of people in the area through small business assistance and local activism. It was really interesting to hear about their work since the economic collapse of 2001.

We spent a better part of the day camped out at “Plaza Dorrego Bar y Cafè,” enjoying great coffee, the tango performance just outside our window and a whole lot of people watching. (I added a picture at the end of this entry). We chatted for quite some time with a couple now living in Chicago, but looking to retire in Uruguay. It’s no wonder why the cafès of BA are so well renowned...you walk inside and are instantly slugged with a rich sense of history and their significance as pillars in their respective neighborhoods. Here Carrie and I relax at another, Cafè Tortoni

Longing to return to warmer days, we decided to make an extended trek (two weeks!) to Puerto Iguazu, home to the Iguazu National Park and Iguazu Falls. The falls sit in the far northeast corner of Argentina, in the Missiones region, bordering Brazil and Paraguay. It is part of the Paranaense rainforest, a fiercely protected area...and rightfully so. We had both been anticipating this visit well before we left, as brother Ryan had visited the park a few years back and passed on to us it is certainly a must see.

(The blue spec is Carrie). Our first of two visits was wet and cold, but completely worth it (it rained the first 8 or 9 days of our stay in Puerto Iguazu!). We called this one the behemoth...it coupled with its little sister were actually called “Salto Dos Hermanos.” The main draw was certainly “Garganta del Diablo” (Devil’s Throat), where the force of the water is truly unbelievable. The falls were created over 200,000 years ago by an abrupt split in the below fault where the Iguazù and Paranà rivers meet (today now referred to the three corners...where you can see the corners of the three bordering countries). The park as a whole is a fantastic trip, where you can stroll through a maze of trails and elaborate catwalks weaving through the diverse forest and dizzying amount of raging rivers and falls. We had a chance to roam with the surprisingly friendly Coatis. At the end of the day, we watched a very playful Brown Capuchin monkey and his buddy enjoy an orange and roll his/her eyes at the growing number of on-lookers. We also met a farmer from New Zealand traveling through a farmer-to-farmer exchange program. We had a great chat with him about GMO’s (illegal in New Zealand, but he seemed to be a fence sitter on the issue), food production, and food security.

The second day at the falls, one week later, was much more pleasant and there was a whole lot more water to watch. Some parts of the park were closed due to flooding. I must have taken 75 pictures or more...how often to you get a chance to get a raging river, a tropical forest and magnificent falls in one shot?!

Puerto Iguazu was all about recouping, roaming around town, catching up on movies, reading, cooking, and splurging on a daily basis on moka´s and chocolate mousse cake. We stumbled across a quaint little cafè and quickly became regulars...Cafè D’ Melanìo (for those of you in the San Fran vicinity, check out the sister local... 1314 Ocean Ave. Apparently the coffee is just as good, they have a good variety of food and tango performances), We ended up staying at a super little find, Residencial Uno

After two full weeks in Puerto Iguazu, we were ready to once again take on Buenos Aires and see where we went wrong the last time. It all made sense the second time around. Upon arrival, we found a quaint hotel in the San Telmo neighborhood. We then stuck soley to the cities eclectic and diverse neighborhoods and found our niche. We took a long stroll through the La Recoleta cemetery. The cemetery is the final resting place for hundreds of famous Argentines...presidents, poets, colonels and the very wealthy. No joke this cemetery rivals some small villages. Some grave plots have their own mini cathedrals. From here we made our way to the National Art Museum, honestly one of the best art museums I have been in...and it was free! Aside from works by renowned artists such as Renoir and Degas, there was also a fantastic Argentine display including two feature displays.

The following day we spent the afternoon in the park-abundant Palermo neighborhood. Here, we visited the Evita Museum and took a deeper look at the life and work of Eva Marie Parón (Evita). In the few short years she acted as first lady of Argentina, she pushed enormous social programs through her foundation, focusing on worker rights, women’s rights, health and education...taking a very non-backseat approach to her position...more like a presidential position. She is an immortal icon here in Argentina. Carrie and I found interesting the slight differences between her actions and life and the myth surrounding her dramatic journey through political and social ascent. We ended the afternoon with a walk through the botanical gardens and Palermo Woods.

The past couple, we’ve been revisiting our favorite haunts and reflecting on the events and experiences of the past four months. Today was a perfect way to sign off from South America...a leisurely stroll through the Plaza Dorrego Antiques Fair and appreciating the first warm day in what seems like months.

What’s next? Well, before we head back to the states, we thought, you know...what the hell...why not visit bro? Who knows how long he’ll be there and I don’t see my bro enough. So...the states must wait and Spain, are you ready? Plus...ding, ding, ding, Mums and Dads will be visiting around the same time, so it all works out yo. We’ll be kicking it with bro and fam for two weeks and then, we assure you, we will be making our way back. Honestly, we are badly missing our people back home.

Enjoy the Democratic debate Sunday! I’m sure many significant issues will be discussed...caving on Iraq policy, non-existent environmental policy, no health care, unattainable education...Close your eyes and make a wish. Better yet...let's not vote them into office!

We hope you all were entertained by our scriblings and photos...we had a great time putting it all together. I have not yet decided whether to keep the journal going or not...Maybe one from Spain, yeah?

Merry June!

Carrie and Chad

Quality Time with Mama Earth

2007-05-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

Check out our little buddy we met at Yacu Yura.

Brrrrrrr…We are certainly feeling the chill of fall this week. Today feels like an early November day in Wisconsin/Vermont…bone-chilling temps, drizzle and an all-around dreary ambiance. We are currently shacked up in the bustling college town of Cordoba, Argentina located in the north-central part of the country. We have yet to explore the plethora of historical and natural haunts, however, I hear Lockheed Martin operates a large military aircraft factory here. Do you think they would allow me to video record during the tour?

We just wrapped up our week at Yacu Yura and feel quite centered and refreshed. Essentially, YY is an “eco-village” with an “eco-tourism” slant. (This in no way slights the purpose of Yacu Yura). The community blends spirituality, consciousness, sustainable living, and a belief there is a dynamic relationship between people, spirit and the earth to create a multi-faceted experience for visitors. It is located about 100 km (60 miles) northwest of Cordoba in over 400 hectares (over 1000 acres) of protected land. Getting from the nearest village, Cruz del Eje, proved to be an interesting task, as many taxi drivers were hesitant to drive down the narrow, rocky trail leading to the entrance. Upon arrival, we were gleefully greeted by James and Gabby (permanent residents and the individuals guiding the community’s activities) and 8 other globe-trotters calling YY home for various amounts of time. We were struck by the utter serenity of the area, the dynamic wildlife (oodles of birds), the diversity of the vegetation and the unfathomable amount of vegetables, herbs and other eatable plants.

During the week, we spent a large portion of the morning exploring the connections between the spiritual, human and natural realms…wondering conversations about consciousness and development. We then spent a good 3 to 4 hours engaged in various projects. Carrie spent most days working the land and supplying the sprawling gardens with much needed hydration. I tried a few activities, but really enjoyed helping Carlos with the maintenance and expansion of the village’s solar panel system. On Friday, Carrie and I spent several hours digging and snaking electrical cables from one building to the next. I suppose the big event of each day was lunch. Every morning, volunteers would prepare an amazing, diverse feast for all to enjoy. Of all the ridiculously fantastic food we have enjoyed thus far on our journey, the meals during the past week by far took the cake as well as the post-dinner drink. Here Carrie enjoys some of that scrumptious food with Sandra (fella Midwesterner) and Ido. We had a fantastic chat with Ido about his experience in the Israeli army. He also makes a wicked-good apple pie. The afternoons were left open for taking advantage of the collectively organized activities such as drumming and dance as well as enjoying the beautiful surroundings. Our favorite part of the day was most certainly our late-afternoon cat nap… enjoying the chatter of the insects and the numerous bird songs ...or was it lunch?

Quite the experience indeed. We both appreciated the tranquil surroundings. I was also intrigued with the overall philosophy of the community, utilizing an “Integral” approach… bridging the spiritual, human and physical worlds and attempting to use as much about reality as we know to pursue it’s purpose. Check out the link above if you are curious about Integral (I suppose I am a tad partial to this approach in part because of my experience with it while at SIT).

Prior to our stop at YY, we held up in Mendoza, Argentina (Argentina’s wine country). For a relatively large city, Mendoza seemed surprisingly relaxed. We took it easy most of our stay here… taking long walks along the wide, colorfully tree-lined streets; making headway on our respective novels, and sprawling out in San Martin Park. Here, we share a delicious bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon during a day-long picnic on a particularly spectacular fall afternoon. Of course, our stay did include a visit to the very nearby Maipù wine region…two in fact for me. Carrie was trying to lick the sickness that has yet to take a hint, so I decided to scope out the area for an inevitable return visit. I hooked up with a little business named Bikes and Wines started by a couple of guys with a love for, you guessed it…bikes and wines my friends. The bikes were by no means comfy, but that’s not the point, ey? I started out at the historical La Rural where I had the opportunity to explore a fascinating museum detailing hundreds of years of wine-making practices throughout the region. It was also here where I met up with several other dyads of wikers (winos+bikers=wikers). We all milled around, tasted some wine, shared travel tips and proceeded to form a rather boisterous biker crew.

Our next stop proved to be a delicious surprise. Historia Y Sabores is a small liquors, chocolates and conserves producer and wow, were they tasty! After a short tour of the family operation, the owner brought us to his tasting room where we enjoyed loads of liquors (my favorite was the “Tia Marie,” a Jamaican-rum concoction), conserves (my fave had to be the eggplant spread), and dozens of various chocolates (it would be perverse of me to only choose one).

Guilt free, we peddled south towards lunch and had our first opportunity to take in the phenomenal view of the Andes to our west. We crashed the gates of the very swanky Almacen del Sur, a little hideaway serving a scrumptious tofu/vege kabob in a perfect tranquil setting. We were all energized and alive. We polished off a few bottles of tasty Trivento Tribu Malbecs, engaged in a dizzying array of conversations and took off to the next local.

Tempus Alba turned out to be our favorite winery, offering a perfect sun-soaked patio, great views and a ridiculous number of good wines. My favo had to be the Cab Sav...or the Malbec...or the Tempranillo.

Our last stop of the day was the small Viña el Cerno located just across the street from Tempus. They did a good Syrah. We pulled up a few benches, struck up some more conversation and meandered back to the shop in time to see the sun fade. We hitched a ride back to central Mendoza with a really chipper gentleman (what a sight to see a gang of 10 pack into a covered pick-up). Carrie and I met the whole crew later that night for dinner, drinks and a whole lot more conversation. It simply is so refreshing to encounter perfect strangers from all over the globe and be able to hit if off as we did that day.

Two days later Carrie and I retraced the route, this time adding another winery, Bodega Carinae. The tour here was fascinating as it was one of the smallest producers we had visited. Here the two of us try a solid Prestige 2004 Malbec/Syrah

Have you had enough of the wine tours yet? Well...I’m not sure if we have, but I suspect there just may be other activities/places/people to enjoy over the next month. We’ll be enjoying Cordoba for another day or two then off to Buenos Aires for some sick night life and tangos. After that, Iguazu Falls, a spectacular array of really, really, really big water falls. Brother Ryan enjoyed them a few years back, so we thought we would see what all the hoopla was about. Looks like the last lag of our journey will be trekking back up to Perù to venture around the central and possibly northern parts of the country. So much, so much.

Of course, of course we are soaking up ever milli-second of this excursion, but truthfully, we are also looking forward to summertime back in the states…loads of concerts (we are already missing Arcade Fire, Bjork, Bloc Party, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Andrew Bird…), fam, friends, hikes, bikes and the like…live in the present I suppose.

Time to spend some quality time searching for a scrumptious local restaurant to fill our bellies.

Paz yo,

Carrie & Chad

CHILE WITH STAGGERING VELOCITY!

2007-04-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

(i´ve been reading dave eggers as of late)

Crisp, fresh air… the smell of radiantly-painted leaves as they crinkle beneath our feet…the gleefully dizzying panoramic of the desert, the Andes, the glaciers and the pacific. Chile in autumn, yo. Apologies for the somewhat lengthy hiatus. April is rolling by and I have been anti-tech for awhile. We both read about and saw the events at Vtech...Our thoughts go out to the families and friends attempting to maintain.

The end of March and, well, most of April have been chalk full of painfully long bus rides and rambunctious moments with family and friends. One week left in April!!? We must be in a space/time slingshot.

After a short jaunt back to Arequipa to enjoy some of the night life, we descended and weaved our way to Tacna, Peru, a great place for long walks and acclimating ourselves to the fiendishly dry Atacama desert, which makes up a large portion of northern Chile. We also found our way to a local bodega (winery) just on the outskirts of town called Bodega Don Miguel. The wines were harsh, but that didn’t stop us from a chill afternoon in the desert roaming through the small vineyard and watching a fùtbol match between local cab drivers. Here Carrie attempts to engulf an entire stem full of grapes. She almost pulled it off.

From Tacna, we took a humble, old train straight from the 50's two hours south to Arica, Chile.
Two hours of sand and a beautiful sunset. Pretty much as soon as we arrived, the stark differences between Perù and Chile spanked us nice and sassy like: many more personal cars, rapid-fire Spanish and wallet-thumping prices. We cracked open our Lonely Planet travel bible and found a cool little backpacker joint near downtown called Hostal Jardin del Sol… a little hiatus until the next bus to Viña del Mar. Arica brought us back to the global world... McDonalds, blockbuster, etc. Aside from a raging coastline and some beautiful plazas we also enjoyed "El Morro de Arica", a 110 meter cliff that juts out from the city and provides a spectacular view of the valley and the coast.

From Arica, we braved a 30-hour bus ride to Viña del Mar to meet up with our pals Clay (Fellow PIM) and Petra (fella PPIM) and Jennifer (Carrie´s sis) and Christian (Jennifer's beau). We then unleashed a tourista fiery I doubt Chile has ever witnessed. Carrie, Jennifer, Christian and I took a mellow bus ride up the coast to a Viña suburb called Concòn to prance amongst the dunes over-looking the Pacific Jim Morrison-style. The low point of the afternoon involved Christian and I barrelling down a particularly steep dune, tasting fresh sand by the end. At it´s peak, we buried ourselves in the sand, sipping on Merlot and surveying the Burning One as it met the horizon. We continued our exploration of Viña del Mar and Valaparìso,
locating some tucked away eats and fantastic walks.

Next, we met up with Jen and Christian (apologies J & C, best pic we had) camped out in a little cottage 45 minutes south of Viña in a place called Quintay. From here, we dressed to the nine (cut-off khakis and t-shirts) and headed to the Casablanca Valley, best known for its white wines. The valley benefits from both the cool, damp coastal weather and the dry, warm mountainous weather. Our first stop was at the ultra-fine Casa del Bosque where we enjoyed a scrumptious lunch, a great Sauvignon Blanc and a yummy Cabernet Sauvignon. I took away a bottle of the Merlot Reserve for later consumption. We spent plenty of time here soaking in the intense sun and hearty breeze. We promptly bounced south to the commanding Indomita winery and zigzagged through the enormous vineyard to the entrance of the “castle.” I will be the first to admit, I was duped by the website´s flowery description…expecting a rustic, traditional winery. Instead, we found ourselves dwarfed by the castle-like façade and ford-factoryesque production layout. The tour, however, was fascinating as it is currently harvest time, so we got to see winemaking in action. The tasting itself was a bit disappointing…three mediocre premium wines, so we respectfully said our good-byes and headed south once again (We did meet a super-cool couple from England on holiday).

We ended the afternoon after a short bout with misdirection at the Emiliana vineyard, a beautiful, quaint vineyard that produces several lines of organic (this link is very western-centric and does a poor job describing “organic” from an indigenous or non-industrial perspective, but it was the best I could do) and biodynamic wines. Sadly, there was no tour available that late in the afternoon…so…golly-drab, we were left to try the outstanding wines, stroll through their impressive main house and take in the sun-soaked vineyard surrounding us. We all really enjoyed the Syrah/Mourvedre and Chardonnay, both under the Novas label…yeah, we got a couple of bottles for later consumption. We headed back to the cottage and cooked up a raging dinner, re-enjoying our favorite wines from the preceding afternoon. Yep, a delectable day indeed. The next morn, Jen and Christian headed to Santiago for their final Chilean memory.

Meanwhile, back in Viña, the nightlife stood at a standstill. We put a fierce stop to that and shook that dance floor like an anxious earthquake (we experienced our first earthquake last week). Of course, we were on Chilean time and didn’t return until the early morn. I awoke a couple of hours later and joined Clay and Nathan (Clay’s bro visiting from D.C.) in Santiago, where we commenced what seemed like a week-long voyage to “Monumento Natural el Morado,” a small park hovering on the Chilean/Argentine border showcasing a mesmerizing view of Cerro el Morado (a mountain jutting 4,490 meters (14,800 ft) above sea level) and its accompanying glaciers. We experienced an other-worldly sunset, waxed geology and sipped a couple of bottles of red to keep us warm.

After a full day of strolling down a practically deserted road and hitchhiking back to the nearest town, we joined the ladies for a stroll through the Concha y Toro winery and once again enjoyed some spectacular wine. By far our favorite was the 2004 Casillero del Diablo Carmenere. Here, the five of us toast to safe travels, our good fortunes, close family and friends.

A thought about winemaking…although I greatly enjoy a good glass of wine, our experience through Chile has dramatically reaffirmed how obnoxiously wasteful and unsustainable winemaking is. While many varieties of grapes need little water to grow (especially red grapes), large scale irrigation systems are utilized to provide the bone-dry, expansive vineyards with the necessary saturation, draining local aquifers. Waste water from the immense use of fertilizers and pesticides (winemaking utilizes more chemicals that many other forms of agriculture) and subsequent filtration process litters the valleys with tons of toxic water. The oak barrels used to age the reserve wines come from primarily American oak (South Dakota apparently ??) and French oak (how big can these oak forests in France be anyways?). Some trees take anywhere from 60 to 120 years to grow. Additionally, many of the vineyards are enormous and tend to push out small, local farmers with precedence given to the cash-crop-producing wineries over the subsistence farmers. All this put a bit of a damper on the whole thing. My hope is that consumers and governments will put pressure on wineries (especially the large-scale, wealthy ones) to practice sustainable, biodynamic, organic and earth-friendly winemaking practices in the future.

Over the past few days, Carrie and I ducked away from the bustling beach-front to the nearby “Parque Nacional La Campana” where we confronted the challenge of “La Campana,” a 1455 meter (4800 ft) climb straight up from camp with an unreal panoramic of the Andes to our East and the Pacific to our West. By far one of the most difficult hikes, the last 1.8 km took us over 2 hours to complete and finally relish.

From here, we’ll spend a couple of more days in Chile, possibly visiting one or two more vineyards, parting ways with Clay and Petra until wedding day 2008 (Ooooh-Yeahhhh!) and heading east. Our first stop will be to Mendoza, Argentina where we hope to partake in a couple wine tours via bicycle, enjoy some regional Malbecs and buck-up for our organic farm/eco-village volunteer gig at Yacu Yura, a burgeoning eco-village in need of help with eco-building (the use of adobe, cob, recycled materials and otherwise sustainable building methods to blend the natural world with our living needs…more or less), permaculture and organic-gardening. Yacu Yura seeks to combine earth-friendly living practices with a personal and spiritual connection with our one and only. It is a project of the Latin American Institute for Ecological and Sustainable Development, that seeks to build a coalition of ecological-conscious communities throughout Latin America. I’ll add more about this endeavor the next go-around.

John McCain…what a putz. Screaming bomb-Iran as a presidential anthem before one realistic thought of ending our current war has even been uttered (click HERE to view McCain make light of war). This coming from an ex-POW…gee, I am absolutely mesmerized by this “new” cowboyesque, GI-Joe leadership candor looking to take the nation in a new direction. Not 3 days after another school-shooting, amidst youngster-ravaging violence in Iraq (yeah, I can say youngster considering a good percentage of the US-troops dying are nearly a decade younger than myself and the Iraqi’s being mortally impacted the most are kids), and a $500 billion-and change price-tag (that we know of...) somebody is paying for… one would think this “presidential” hopeful would have something new to “joke” about. Ha-ha-ha, what a joke that your only born son is viciously killed when shrapnel pierces his skull more or less because a large percentage of Americans value an Iranian life less than their own. It’s hard for me to imagine an ex-POW has such a predilection for human destruction. This sad man needs to lose the primary in a big way to a pill-popping Rush Limbaugh cardboard cut-out and an adulterous Bill Clinton Blowup. Blahhh-not so funny. How refreshing it would be to read about a “representative” not foaming at the mouth to bomb the urine out of something…There I go again. Sorry for the expected diatribe. Maybe Argentina will bring hap-hap-happier news from states.

See you all east of the Andes. Happy Earth Day spring birds!!! Much love to all the peeps organizing and partaking in Youth Service Day activities this week!!

Carrie & Chad

ps. Sorry about the iffy layout. The website differs depending on one's computer and offers limited functionality. Please let me know if any of the hyper-links are incorrect

Lake Titcaca, Arequipa, Mollendo...Big Lake, Big City, Big Beach

2007-03-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

Well, we are approaching the ½ way demarcation of our South American sojourn and what a better way to recharge our batteries than burying our feet in the sand. Currently, we’re shacked up in a little beach community in the south of Perù named Mollendo (between Arequipa and Tacna). It’s mainly a simple vacation spot for Arequipans. Our simpleton Spanish is more evident here...a lot of blank stares and missed explanations. Mollendo is a ways off the Gringo Trail, so there are very few foreign travelers here. It’s been a good spot to figure out our next move and save some loot. We’re preparing for the price shock once we hit Chile.

We begged off from the Cusco/Machu Picchu area on the 10th and headed south east to Puno and the Lake Titicaca area. The lake is either the first or second largest lake in South America (depending on the source), the largest lake above 2000 meters and the tallest navigable lake in the world....which makes for some unique ecological and cultural attributes. We joined a group of other travelers and took a full day boat tour of two islands. We first stopped at the Islas Flotantes “Floating Islands” of the Uros. While the whole experience was made possible only for tourists, it was fascinating to see how the people of these islands have been able to survive for hundreds of years on floating islands made of reeds. The Uros use “totora” reeds to build large, mobile islands on the lake just east of Puno. Primarily, they survive through tourism, fishing and hunting. Most all of their homes, boats and crafts are made from the reeds. Carrie caught this darling girl prancing around while make friends with the group.

From Islas Flotantes we made the two hour boat ride to the second island, Islo Taquile. This island had gorgeous panoramic views of the bluish/gray lake and was home to a small population of farmers and crafts people. The women wore beautiful, elaborately embroidered dresses and the men could be distinguished by their colorful, long hats (men wearing red hats were married and men with red and white hats were single...the bar scene pretty cut and dry). Between the two islands, we spent every cent we had on crafts from a cooperatively run shop and local artisans. A group of us sat on the top of the boat on the way back to Puno and shared our traveling adventures. That night we all went out and had a raging conversation about global economics and politics over countless rounds of drinks (no kidding, it was the Irish dude’s fault). If we all had not run out of loot, we probably would have stayed up all night. There was one free-market junkie amongst the lot of us, so it made the conversation quite colorful.

The next day we headed to Arequipa, a city of a million peeps towards the south west coast of Perù. Arequipa sits on the edge of the Andes and the insanely arid Perùvian desert. We really enjoyed Arequipa...tons of great restaurants, museums and two enormous mountains/volcanoes surrounding the city (Mt. Misti and Mt. Cotahuisi). No worries, there hasn’t been an eruption since the 15th century. We spent an afternoon roaming around the Monasterio de Recoleta, a large Franciscan convent for aspiring nuns that opened in the late 1500's . It had an enormous collection of religious art, primarily originating from the Cusco School of Art.

We also took in an exhibit describing the ancient Incan sacrifices that took place atop of the nearby mountains. Numerous remains of ornately dressed girls sacrificed to the mountain gods along with dozens of valued gifts have been found over the years. The tour and the exhibit was one of the best we’ve scene thus far.

That morning, Carrie had a few hours to kick back and stroll through town while I went on a little mountain biking excursion through some of the surrounding mountains. I hired a guide to show me around the area. Interestingly, my guide was Aldo Peña Altamirano, a three-time national cross-country mountain biking champion. He took me around the city, up into the small mountains sprinkling the city limits and through some spectacular countryside. It made me want to get back into mountain biking once we get back. We talked most of the way about Perùvian politics, economics and ecology. He had just seen An Inconvenient Truth and got pretty worked up about the lack of interest the U.S. has in doing anything about it.

Speaking of An Inconvenient Truth, did anyone catch the Oscars last month? Aside from nearly wetting myself after watching the musical-skit by Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reily, the big news was the big wins and big speeches for the movie. If you haven`t scene it yet, definitely go out and rent it. Regardless of the personal saga and baggage surrounding Gore, the content discussed needs to be common knowledge for all of us. Now if we could only get the dems and repubs to stop squabbling over how many more kids to kill in Iraq or what millionaire will "represent" us in 2008, and start taking some legitimate action. Check out the website above. It has some seriously good stuff on there, and most importantly, things we can do.

On Saturday we met up with two other trekers and our guide Pepe and began a grueling two-day hike through the Cañòn del Colca. This is the second deepest canyon in the world and exhibits a diverse ecological landscape. Saturday was a seven-hour, all downhill, 1200 m (3600 ft), switchback hike to the Calca River. We only saw one other group hiking, so it was amazingly tranquil. There were tons of birds, numerous kinds of cacti and we walked through several abandoned villages. That night we actually stayed in n oasis...no lie. It was this small, emerald green spot just off the river, sporting several thatch bungalows and a main hut for eating, drinking and what not. Seeing we had been up for 20 hours at that point, we crashed straight after dinner. We awoke at 5 am the next morn for the 1200 m hike... straight up. We were running behind to catch our bus, so our stops were just long enough to keep us from passing out. Once we conquered the cloud covered canyon, we took a bus to Chivay and spent an hour in the public pools fed by hot-hot springs.

The very next day...we love our adventures, was all about whitewater rafting. The two of us joined five others and rafted down the Chile river, a few clicks out of Arequipa. What a load of fun and damn what a beautiful day! We all stripped down and threw on some old wetsuits (very necessary for the frigid water) and goofy pink helmets. The guides did most of the work, we just tried to stay in the boats. For the most part, the river was raging, so there was a lot of excitement going on. They told us that some of the rapids were class 3’s and 4’s, but that may have been a bit overstated. Along the way, we chatted for awhile with two construction workers from Alaska. We ended up hanging out with them for awhile here in Mollendo.

We’ll be sticking around here for a few more days until we head to Chile. We may possibly wonder on back to Arequipa next weekend...who knows.The first week of April we’ll be rushing down to Viña del Mar (on the central coast of Chile) to visit our pals Clay and Petra and meeting up with Carrie’s sis Jen and her man. We still need to figure out our approach to Argentina. I’m looking for an organic farm we can volunteer at through the “World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms” . We also want to head to Buenos Aires and the Iguacu falls...not to mention the wine region surrounding Mendoza (what do you think? At least a week, yeah?) A lot to see, a lot of people to meet and a whole lot to learn. We’ll touch base in a couple of weeks. Happy spring up north gang! Say hi to the flowers for us.

Chad + Carrie = Charrie

Backpackin’ Inca Style

2007-03-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

Oooooh, my knees! Back to bustling city-life straight from Machu Picchu. All told, it was an absolutely amazing experience…something that will be difficult to pass along by pictures and words. Although, I may be able to adequately sum up how wiped we were after finishing the hike. I’ll do my best to recap the 4 ½ day experience. So sit back, enjoy a nice cup o’ jo and start scrollin’!

What can I tell you about Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail? The Inca Trail is a part of the elaborate Inca road system that can be found connecting various communities across the Andes. The trail in particular was believed to be the primary route for the Incan ruler Pachacutec coming from Cusco to Machu Picchu. Interestingly, little is actually known about the circumstances of the majestic city’s construction, who actually stayed there, what its true purpose was and when it was abandoned. It seems the preeminent theory is that Machu Picchu was a destination for pilgrimaging rulers and used as a religious and administrative center. From what we saw, the description from the guide and what I’ve read, MP was obviously an extremely important place and it’s hard to imagine it was constructed, occupied, deserted and forgotten in less than 100 years.

Day 1

The day started early...ready to roll by 6 am. We ended up driving around Cusco for a couple of hours picking up other trekkers, porters and guides, so we didn’t even depart until 9:30. We then made the beautiful, dizzying drive from Cusco to KM 82, the current jumping off point for the trail (the original trail actually starts at KM 88). We had a chance to meet our eclectic group of trekkers and have a tasty bite to eat before setting off. There were six of us in the group, including Carrie and I. We also had one guide, Resel, one cook and four porters. Two trekkers were from Holland that just happened to meet while traveling in Perù. The other two, from France, also just happened to meet while bouncing around Perù. We were all quite an odd bunch. No language was predominant, so the conversations jumped around from Spanish, English, French to Dutch. Unfortunately, Reuben from Holland got quite sick about an hour into the hike, so he and his friend had to be escorted back by the guide. Just the four of us for the rest of the trek…Marie, Pierre, Carrie and I.

The trail starts off crossing the mighty Vilcanota River, Indiana-Jones style at about 2750 m (9000 ft). We had some balmy, sunny weather to work with, so spirits were high. Those crazy love birds from France said they were “just friends” bouncing around Perù before they head back to school in Aug, but the amount of flirting going on led us to think otherwise. After some relatively easy up and down and some fantastic views of the surrounding valley, we made our first short scramble up the trail…only for about 15 minutes. At the top, there was a small gathering of huts. Carrie and I looked at each other, out of breath thinking “oh snap, this is going to be rough!” Another 30 minutes down the trail, we made our one and only big ascent of the day.

At this point, there was a long line of hikers making the scramble up, so it was quite a sight to look back and see 50 porters and trekkers staggering towards the top. Once you got to the top, you had an astonishing panoramic view of a grand mountain directly in front of you and several snow-capped mountains in the distance. A few minutes down, we took in the most significant ruins of the day, Llactapata and Wilkarakay.

Llactapata was a semi-circle shaped community used primarily for agriculture and religious purposes. In the far corner, stood a well preserved building used for astronomy. It was difficult to see from as high up as we were, but the community had elaborate hydraulic and irrigation systems constructed utilizing the nearby river. To our left and looming over Llactapata was Wilkarakay, a military base used to protect the below community. Wilkarakay was strategically built on a ridge at the intersection of two rivers.

From here, we pressed on the longest section of the trail for the day. Just before 4 pm, we came across a small village just off the river. As we neared the village, you could smell the enticing, comforting campfire smoke floating from several houses. Resel explained that indigenous peoples still live off the Inca Trail even though the area was designated a national sanctuary in 1981 and is extremely remote. Most people rely on subsistence agriculture and tourism to survive.

We reached camp by 5:30 had some tea and crashed for a bit. The camp was located in a small village (about 3 or 4 homes), named Wayllabamba and in the middle of an enormous valley with a raging river below. Dinner was a fantastic, large 3-course meal of soup, potatoes, vegetables and fruit. We were in bed and out cold by 8:30…rest for the grueling day ahead.

Day 2

Day 2 started early… pancakes the size of a basketball, steaming hot mate de coca and on the trail by 7 am. Today, it was all about the wicked-ups and the painful downs. The trail started straight away with an intense climb and for the most part followed the river below. After about a 2 ½ hour climb, the vegetation changed from tall grass and shrubs to a dense, vibrant and ancient cloud forest. You couldn’t help but stop every 5 minutes and snap several pics.

We chatted with an older couple from Vancouver and continued to wobble up the enormous steps. Just as we were coming out of the cloud forest, the drizzle began and the temperature dropped quite a bit. We took a short break and started up the last 1 ½ hour ascent to the first and tallest pass (Warmiwañusca ¨”Dead Woman’s Pass” at 4,215 M or about 13,900 ft). Carrie and I had to keep cracking jokes in order to keep our minds off the brutal climb…I was stopping every 5-10 minutes. We started chatting with a father-daughter duo from Connecticut about hiking the White Mountains and her volunteer project in Cusco (She is considering going to SIT for graduate school next fall…small world but far from flat). We finally made it to the top, only to find it was absolutely frigid, windy and the visibility was next to zero. We snapped a couple of victory pics and headed down, down, down. Carrie and I chatted about our future plans and the weather started to clear…allowing us to see small waterfalls, tall grass and enormous boulders dotting the valley.
I wish I could say I was able to physically handle the downhill, but two-plus hours straight down just ravaged my knees. We made it to camp around 4 pm and I crashed. I had a wicked-sick headache. I woke up for din-din and a round of poker and crashed. It rained for several hours that night, so we didn’t get the best sleep.

Day 3

I awoke feeling surprisingly better, although my knees were stiff as 2X4´s. Our campsite was situated half-way up a relatively steep mountain and between two towering ridges. As we set off on what would be the longest day, the clouds floated through us, making for a spectacularly majestic view.

We again started off on an intense climb up to our first of four archeological visits. Carrie was feeling a bit ill from the altitude, so we took it pretty slow that morning. (All four of us got a little sick or physically struggled at some point during the trek). The first stop was at Runkuraqay, a small, clover-shaped complex overlooking the vast valley below. Just in front of the complex and just off the trail, we stopped to give a gift of coca leaves to the Mountain God of the same name.

This was customary for both Incas and present day locals alike in order to ask for good travels ahead. After about another hour of a relatively gradual ascent, we made it to the second pass at 3,900 m (12,870 ft). As the group cooled off on a group of boulders, I scampered up a small ridge and took in some remarkable ridgeline views. We made our way down towards the second site, Sayacmarca. The rain was pretty constant at this point and visibility was almost non-existent. Sayacmarca was a community primarily for agricultural workers and some nobility. The Incan empire was essentially a federalist system, ruled by a king (the Inca), with a class of nobility (engineers, administrators) below the king and farmers, builders and general workers at the bottom. Sayacmarca demonstrated the elaborate ingenuity of Incan engineers and how they housed a great number of people in small, hard to reach locations. As we descended from here, the rain picked up and the vegetation turned to thick jungle, showcasing various types of bamboo, orchids, and palm trees. We stopped for yet another gourmet meal and made our way to the third and final pass at 3600 m (11,880 ft). We were all pretty wet and already looking forward to camp (another 3-4 hours from here!!). We took a quick breather and prepared ourselves for about 3,000 steps…all downhill. I was so very happy. About 200 steps into the descent, we visited our third site, Puyupatamarca, an impressive, heart-shaped complex housing primarily Incan nobility. One interesting quality of this location was the unique door hinges carved into the massive rocks used to protect important rooms. Steep terraces and stairs led to numerous levels of the complex.

We then continued on down the remaining 2,800 steps as the trail twisted through dense vegetation and amazing views of the surrounding mountains. I can’t adequately describe the enormity of the Andes…Everything around you is beyond grand. It’s difficult to put it all in perspective. With each 100 m down we trekked, the temperature slowly started rising and the rain began to finally slow. By about 3 pm, the rain had stopped and the sun started to peak. We finally made camp around 4 pm. This was the biggest camp on the trail and the last one before Machu Picchu. The village was quite a bit larger than others and offered a discoteca for the relieved hikers to celebrate. After a quick nap, we hobbled to the final and most spectacular ruins of the day, Wiñaywayna.

This was an enormous complex used primarily for growing a diverse range of crops from coca, sweet potatoes and corn. From top to bottom measures and staggering 1000 m (3,300 ft.). The connecting city offered a labyrinth of houses, an astronomical building, rooms for sacrifices and spiritual cleansing, and a sun temple. It was hard to imagine how the Inca’s built such a complex with the mountainside’s steep terrain and the surrounding valley’s inaccessibility. Waterfalls plastered the surrounding mountains.

After leaving Wiñaywayna as the sun slipped beyond the mountains, we headed back for our last dinner and celebration for the porters. Unfortunately, the evening ended on a sour note, as we found out the porters rely heavily on backpacker tips…come to find out, they are not paid as well as the agencies had led us to believe. Resel, our guide, suggested we tip each cook and porter (5 in total) about $15 per porter per person. This put us in a ridiculously awkward position as we all felt the porters deserved that much and more, but each one of paid around $200 to make the journey and felt cheated that this was an unspoken expectation at the very end of the trek. (come to find out, most other backpackers went through this same situation, despite the laws supposedly protecting porters from being screwed out of fair wages). We all decided to tip the porters whatever we had in cash (which wasn’t a lot) and write a stern email to the company asking them to pay the porters a fair wage. This put an unfortunate damper on the day and we all headed to bed early…as the rains started.

Day 4

3:50 am…up and adams kiddies!! The scramble to Machu Picchu started wicked early with some chocolate covered pancakes, mate de coca and a drenched trail. The four of us were still a bit miffed at the events of the last evening, but we marched on through the drenched jungle. It had rained straight through the night and did not stop until about 5:30 am. The first clearing on the trail offered a spectacular and amazingly close view of a nearby snow-capped mountain…freshly snow-capped. The trail resembled something out of an adventure story…an ancient, uneven stone trail, surrounded by vines, palms, and exotic flowers. Admittingly, I was anxious to see MP and I seemed keenly aware of all around me…the mud sticking to my boots, the thick, damp air and the trees dripping from above. Five minutes quickly turned into nearly an hour. We finally reached the insanely narrow and steep steps of Inti Punku (“Sun Gate”) and there it was, the city of Machu Picchu, nestled on the seemingly uninhabitable ridge below…surrounding by towering mountains. Inti Punku was built so that on the morning of each summer solstice, the sun would shine through a tall rock formation and strategically strike MP to create a magnificent and exact ray of light. After joining the mob of other trekkers in some insane picture taking, we headed down the awesome final approach to the city. I caught myself stopping every few just overwhelmed with the enormity and brilliance of our surroundings. By now, the sun was bright and made everything shimmer. Thin clouds would pass through the city making it somehow look like a hallucination…or was that the coca I was chewing??

We arrived at the boundary of MP, took the standard county fair first-prize pics and headed down to the checkpoint to start the tour. At this point you could see the day tourist waltz in, decked to the nine looking like they were about to go out to brunch. Maybe it was just the fact we had been on the trail for over three days and smelled rotten. Well, Carrie didn’t…she always smells marvelous and pretty!

Resel took us on a 2 ½ hour, fantastically interesting tour of the enormous complex. Machu Picchu was “officially” discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham as part of a National Geographic excursion in search of the lost cities of the Incas. The complex had an enormous urban center, with the sun-temple at its center. Directly underneath, was a tomb where supposedly Pachacutec and his family were mummified and laid to rest. The stone work around the sun temple and tomb were amazingly precise and very well preserved. We completed the tour at the “energy wall” were the Inca’s would pray and seek spiritual energy. Carrie and I said our goodbyes to the crew and walked around for another hour, checking out the various sections of the city. It was hard to leave, as there was so much to see and the weather was stellar…but now it was time to relax and recoup…

We took a bus to Aquas Calientes (the city below Machu Picchu off the commanding Urubamba). Admittingly, we pampered ourselves once we got to town…We stayed in a little place called “Gringo Bills” (owned by a guy named Bill from Michigan and his wife, a native of Perù). I chatted with Margaret (Bill’s wife) for a little while and we settled in for a day of complete pampering.

We took full advantage of the Jacuzzi…my knees were Clay Akin for a soothing bath. I watched the sun dip past the enormous mountains from our balcony as I caught up on some reading. The next day we just bopped around town. We spent a couple hours at the natural hot springs…although it looked like something you’d see in the Dells, it was mad relaxing. We met a dude from Tennessee and his son on an extended spring break excursion and chatted for awhile. We also chatted for awhile with a couple from Argentina about some great places to hit up there next month. As the afternoon whizzed by, we caught the train back to Cusco and marveled at the always spectacular Urubamba valley. We chatted with a couple of girls from England who just wrapped up university and on a round-the world voyage.

Wow…again, that was a lot. Hope you had enough coffee, juice or whatever tasty beverage to get you through it. We’ll be back with further updates to our travels. Off to Puno, Arequipa, Cañòn del Colca…Chile. All to come.

¡Chao!

Tourists? Us?

2007-03-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

We had a bit of fun with these two...As we sat soaking in some rays at the Plaza and taking in a bit of local festivities, we just couldn’t help but notice this couple. No joke…matching shoes to boot.

We wrapped it all up. Three weeks of Spanish done and gone. The last week was ridiculously busy. I finished up my language project for SIT (does that mean I’m done?). Carrie and I scrambled to see all the museums we could and prepare for our trek to Machu Picchu (we leave tomorrow at 5:30 am!!) All told, I think we are in a good place to bounce around South America for another 3 months. Both of us had hoped our vocabulary would be stronger than it is, but we’ll be practicing and reviewing as we go along.

This whole experience has made me think a lot about language; the doors it opens and the barriers it creates. Specifically, you begin to understand how difficult it can be to express yourself. Carrie and I both lamented how our thought processes were disrupted because we had a very minimal vocabulary mix to choose from. Many times only a fraction of what we wanted to communicate was transmitted. Non-verbal communication obviously played a significant role, but even then, there are only so many thoughts you can get across. For me, it was a practical incarnation of the ideas discussed by Paulo Freire… the role language plays in the liberation of oppressed peoples. I can not even begin to imagine the intricate barriers language poses for those with no power. Here in Cusco, I can see the vast differences in opportunity and power when differentiating between those who only speak Quechua (the native language of the region), Spanish and English.

Thursday night, Carrie went out with some peeps for dinner and dancing (poor Chad was left sulking at home scrambling to finish his project…boo-hoo). Carrie, two girls from Germany, a girl from Iceland and a dashing man from England took in dinner with several professors at a chill café called Troamundos overlooking the Plaza de Armas (They have fantastic coffees and a chilled-out atmosphere). After that they took in some tango and live music.

Friday, I was finally a dude on the loose, no more projects!!! The same gang (minus the striking English chap…Carrie was sad, yes) all went out for drinks and some late night dancing. (pic Carrie and Lilja). Here Carrie and Lilja share a moment. We actually hope to meet up with Lilja in Buenos Ares sometime in April. We had some time to chat politics and travels. It’s interesting…Carrie and I have in numerous occasions found ourselves in the awkward situation of clarifying our political/social beliefs…specifically, making the stark difference between the people and the policies of the U.S. Frankly, it has been a bit embarrassing. Many we have met hold a lackluster opinion of the states…more specifically of our economic/military policies and brash arrogance and ethnocentrism (perceived or real). How do you defend the decision of our home country to move forward with a new generation of nuclear weapon technology (as the U.S. regrettably and ridiculously did on Friday) when some you are conversing with don’t even have a military…higher education is a right and is predominately paid for…health care is a right and provided to all its citizens?? But alas, we toasted to peaceful days ahead and took delight in the opportunity to converse and learn.

Saturday, Charrie took it easy, sleeping in a bit and venturing to another museum in the afternoon, The Church of Santo Domingo
(also the Incan Temple of the Sun). This was by far our favorite museum visited thus far. It detailed the Incan worship of the Sun and stars, had some striking, well-preserved Incan walls and artwork and also included hundreds of Spanish/Catholic artifacts and paintings. Outside, the remains of the grand Incan walls made for a spectacular view and also contained a brilliant garden and terrace. (pic of Carrie)

Sunday, we had a fantoobilly little trek back to Pisac. Here, Carrie does some business with a local artisan. Although it rained most of the time, we had a blast chatting with the local venders and watching the whole market unfold while eating lunch from a small café.

Monday,we finally made it to the Inca Museum and roamed around thousands of years of history. The museum actually took you through pre-Incan cultures dating back to 5000 B.C. The artifacts allowed you to see with a bit more precision how the Incan empire expanded and grew to a population of nearly 9 million at its height. Additionally, there was some great information on how the Inca’s experimented with the creation of differing varieties of crops in very diverse climates. The museum had an exception collection of qiru puyñu (glass pitchers), ceramics and artwork/gifts to the gods.

So…Tuesday (about 8 hours from now) we leave for Machu Picchu. We are really stoaked about the trip, regardless of if it rains. We hope to have a good assortment of pics to share upon our return on Saturday. Admittedly, we are both also looking forward to the 4th night in Aguas Calientes. We decided to treat ourselves and stay in a little suite with a balcony overlooking the town and a Jacuzzi. Totally gringo yes, but hell after 4 days and a peak altitude of nearly 14,000 ft., we’re game. The whole process of locating a reputable, trekking agency has really made me think about the whole notion of being a “tourists.” There are so many decisions that can be made and each one has an impact on the people, local economy and politics. For instance, the other night we were chatting with our host parents about the policy changes that have taken place over the last few years in Machu Picchu and the Incan Trail. In 2001, the government made it mandatory that all hikers must hire a private, licensed trekking agency to oversee all hikes, and limit the amount of hikers on the trail (this is mainly due to studies showing that there were so many people hiking the trail and visiting, that there could be concern for a major landslide to occur, devastating the fragile ruins). Additionally, prices to see the famed Incan ruins have jumped dramatically since then. Currently, the government is talking about raising the fee just to see the ruins to approximately $100 per person!! Obviously, most Perúvians would have a difficult time affording this...spit, most people would? It begs to question the impact tourism has on the local economies and what an individual tourists can do to lesson the adverse impacts of tourism (pricing locals and indigenous peoples out of many economic choices, infrastructure stress, cultural shifts) and increase the positive (global learning and sharing, economic advancement and opportunities, advancements in infrastructure).

Snap, I’ve got to call it quitzees. Be well peeps. We’ll touch base again before we head further east…passing over the Andes and visiting the Lake Titicaca area.

!Hasta Lluego!

Charrie

Here's a pic of the fam...We'll miss you Judy and Ciro!!!

Balloons in Your Face!

2007-02-26T18:59:00.000-08:00

Ha-ha! Carrie got drenched and had to walk all the way downtown soaking wet. Sucka! We had to watch our back yesterday as droves of kids armed with water balloons, buckets of water and confetti searched for their next victims...Busloads of chuckling kids pelted unattentive passersby with confetti. I wish I could say I made it unscathed…but I had an facefull of confetti when all was said and done. This is all part of the Carnaval celebrations

Howdy doody folks! It’s been an exhausting couple of weeks thus far. Carrie and I wrapped up two full weeks of Spanish and commenced our final week today! It’s been a struggle and I think both of us are frustrated with our level of progress, but regardless, we press on!! Much more time to practice! There has been a modest amount of time to venture out, see the sights and unwind. More of that below…if you’re curious about some of the jazz I’m blabbing about, click on words that are hyper-linked (highlighted).

The two of us have eased into a bit of a routine now. Breakfast and early morning conversation with Judy (our host momí), then it’s off to class at EXCEL for 4 hours. Afterwards, we have a ridiculously huge lunch, usually 3 courses and chat some more with Judy and Ciro (host pa). Yesterday we tried singing the theme song to Popeye in Spanish. Fun people yo. The afternoons this past week were chalk full of 2-3 hour study sessions, writing papers for my language requirement (I’m getting closer!!!) and embarking on the arduous task of locating a stellar trekking company to guide us on the Inca Trail towards Machu Picchu. We had finally decided on an agency that was committed to social and environmental awareness surrounding the preservation of the trail and Incan culture, but once we met them in person, it all seemed a bit shady (I’ll write about this another time). Inevitably, we decided to go with K’intu Expeditions. The excursion is a 4 day/3 night trek following the very same path the Inca’s created to reach the secluded city of Machu Picchu. The 4th night, we’ll spend in Aguas Calientes, a small little village 8km bellow M.P…Lucky for us, there is a large natural thermal hot spring in town so we’ll be able to recoup some, oooh yeah.

Last Friday night, we ventured out downtown and found a chill little joint called Kamikaze where we took in some good song and dance by the band Pueblo Andino . Oh yeah, we also tried the native Perúvian drink Pisco Sour. Somewhat like a margarita with eggs. Odd, but surprisingly tasty.

The next day, we grabbed our minipacks and headed towards Sacsayhuamán for a full day of hiking and observing more Incan ruins. Sacsayhuamán was once a mighty Incan fortress overlooking Cusco. It had both religious and military purposes. From afar, you can see how the Inca’s strategically constructed it so as to make it nearly impossible for enemies to penetrate. Probably the most incredible characteristic is the absolutely immense size of the stones that they used to construct it (as Carrie is so wonderfully depicting).

Each stone (or mountain side, however one would describe it) was specifically cut to fit into each other. Surprising, only about 20% of the original structure remains. The Spanish took all but the largest stones to build their own structures…lazy.

From Sac, we headed up the road (up, up, up) to Q’enke where we passed this amazing grove of trees. We attempted to find two other locals, but in true Charrie form, got turned around and, well, a bit lost. But not to fret! We did end up stumbling across this exciting labyrinth.

We bounced around here for awhile and tried to find Museo Municipal de Arte Contemporáneo and took in some beautiful paintings.

We were both super jazzed about Wednesday…we took in our first “Fútbol” (soccer in the states) match. Cienciano del Cusco played Toluca, a team from México. Cusco lost 1-2, but it was an amazing experience. As the first whistle blew, a massive crowd of fans (called “la Barra”) stormed the south bleachers and began dancing, chanting and shooting fireworks…I’m talking serious fireworks. Very similar to a UW Madison football game…only with fireworks. Here’s one of the only pics that turned out…Carrie, myself and the fam.

This past weekend, we took it easy and slept a bunkload. On Saturday, we did venture to La Cathedral. As you walked in…you could smell the history. The building itself resembled a cross and had three sections, with the primary cathedral in the middle. (Click here to see some pictures). There are dozens of brilliant wall-sized paintings. By far the most striking characteristic is the ornate and grand design of the numerous alters (The Cathedral has the largest collection of religious, colonial artifacts in the country). It seems almost everything is plated in gold leaf. My favorite part was the word-carved choir and pulpit located directly in the middle of the main church. Each chair surrounding the alter had a unique design. We stayed for awhile longer and watched a small Gregorian choir with organ accompaniment.

And you thought this one would be shorter…you should know better. When have I ever been pithy?? Gotsta get back to the writing and studying yo. By the end of this week, I hope to be officially done with SIT obligations/assignments… Carrie and I will be done with classes… Looking ahead. We’ll be in touch prior to our trek to Machu Picchu (March 6).

¡Paz!

Chad Y Carrie

¿How do you say…?

2007-02-16T15:51:00.000-08:00

And a fine buenos tardes to you all back in whatever universe you are “bloggin'” from. Charrie is back at it, Perúvian style. Can I just be frank for a minute? Sweet biscuits, are we seriously in Perú!!?? Two weeks ago, I was up to my earlobes in Nuclear Free Vermont, citizen participation and advocacy synthesis…Carrie was scrambling to get everything in order and see all her fam and friends before taking off…last week I was trying to shake a cold while kicking it in Florida…Madness I tell you!!

Here it goes…entry one from Perú. This one may be a bit long…apologies. Others won’t be nearly as verbose. The arrival into Cusco was, as you can imagine, spectacular. About 30 minutes before touch down, we could begin to see the enormous, larger-than-life Andes mountains…some lush green, others rocky and snow capped. We arrived in town (Cusco is in the south-central part of Perú) at around 7:30 am, but the city was already bustling. The city has approximately a population of 350,000. One can see both Spanish and Incan influences. Cusco was the one of the foremost cities of the Incan empire…more on this in a later entry. We’ll be visiting the Museo de Inca within the next week. Carrie and I live with our host family, Judy and Ciro, about a 15 minute taxi drive from the heart of the downtown. These two are some fun-lovin’ people, let me tell you. Neither one speaks much English, so I was pulling out my choppy Spanish straight away at 8:00 in the morning after about 20 hours of traveling…honestly, I was quite impressed with myself (bow here.) Judy showed us around their house…let’s just say we’re not “roughing it.” As part of the home stay, we get three meals a day and our own bedroom. The food is absolutely fantastic…No worries about Carrie and I coming back home all skinny and what not. The other night it was “Tortilla de Español” and yesterday afternoon ( for dia de amor…) it was “Crema de Maíz y Sufloa de Rocotose” and wine…everything is vegetarian and all organic. Most of it comes from Ciro’s farm, located about an hour drive south west of town…hopefully, we’ll be able to visit next weekend.

I should back up…Carrie and I are currently in a three-week Spanish language immersion course. As part of that, we have class for 4 hours a day each morning in downtown Cusco and have the opportunity to stay with a host family for the entire 3 weeks. Part of the “immersion” is that you have the opportunity to converse with your host family while at home…and converse we do! Each meal lasts anywhere from 30-60 minutes. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, and often last nearly an hour….All meals except breakfast includes 3 courses. Needless to say, we have a lot of time to chat. Ciro is hilarious. He cracks jokes and pokes fun at my clumsiness…their good people. Judy is a retired school teacher and Ciro is an engineer for the city (Judy now helps out at his office). They have 4 children, two in Italy, one in Lima, Perú and the other lives here in Cusco.

Obviously, the language barrier is the big frustration at this point. I know enough to get around (take a taxi, buy groceries, order food, etc.) but having a significant conversation is not in the cards. Carrie is currently in a class all by her lonesome taking beginning Spanish and I am in upper beginning class with two others (although it feels like intermediate.) Carrie is really cranking out the vocabulary and I am struggling with past and imperfect tense use. This afternoon, we had a big water fight during descanso (break). The hope is to learn Spanish well enough to travel comfortably for the next 3 months as well as to have some good chats with others as we travel.

Last Sunday we joined other tourist in a little trek to “Valle Sagrado” (Sacred Valley). This area surrounding Cusco was given its name because of the immensely fertile land and its religious importance to the Incas. We first stopped at the Pisac Market, a thriving weekly local market with hundreds of Incan and local venders selling everything you can imagine. By far the most popular items are alpaca clothing, blankets and other accessories…most hand woven before your eyes. It’s quite amazing too watch. In the center of the market is a bustling produce market where you can buy dozens of types of potatoes, maíz (corn), rice, herbs and fruits. Monsanto hasn’t tainted this market. This is the part of the world where many of the first types of potatoes and corn were cultivated. From Pisac we leaped back on the “autobus de touristas” and scooted on over to Inca Pisac, a hilltop citadel overlooking Pisac and the valley below. This was our fist look at the famous and unbelievable terraced mountain sides. The peoples of the Andes did this in order to stop landslides and erosion and you can frequently see various animals grazing amongst the enormous steps. The temples (now ruins left from the Spanish) had religious, military and governmental uses. It’s really amazing to see how the Incas used the sun to construct buildings, cultivate crops and plan social events…more about this after we visit the Incan Museum.

Next we visited Ollantaytambo, a quaint little town about 30 miles north of Cusco. Again, we were able to see how the Incas constructed their cities, temples and farm land. From atop of the temple, you can see how they strategically used the land and the changing angle of the sun. I was blown away by how well they integrated their subsistence needs with the natural environment. The irrigation systems were exceptionally elaborate and didn’t seem to infringe on the landscape. I would like to come back here once I learn a bit more Spanish.

From here, we were rushed off to the bus for our final voyage and destination, Chinchero. The bus ride was about an hour long, so we had ample time to ogle at the insanely twisty roads, enormous mountains, and small villages along the way. Chinchero is a small village atop one of the numerous ridges surrounding Cusco (about 400m or 1300ft above Cusco) at this point, you can really feel the altitude…Carrie and I especially since this was our first full day in Perú. (FYI: Cusco’s elevation is about 11,000ft. Some of the mountains surrounding Cusco reach nearly 18,000ft). At the very top of the village, sits an old Spanish church dating back to the early 1600’s. One interesting thing I would like to look more into is how Perúvians have continued the Catholic practices of the Spanish, while simultaneously steadfastly embracing the Incan heritage. Just below the church in a large common area, the late afternoon remnants of a local market continued. Here we stopped to say hi to this gentlemen diligently working on a hat. Our tour guide explained that a hat such as this could take anywhere from 2-3 months to complete and cost around 300 soles (about $95). From here, we enjoyed the 30 minute twilight drive back to Cusco.

Honestly, since last Sunday it’s been all about the studying…4 hours of class, a very necessary nap, 2-3 hours of studying, a walk, dinner/conversation and maybe some reading if we’re up for it. On Wednesday, we did muster up some energy to go out, look around some art stores and have a drink. 10:30-11pm and its bedtime man.
Ok, this is by far enough for one week I promise I’ll keep it shorter next week and put in some more pictures. Tonight, a break from studying and some dancing at a downtown discoteca! Peace yo!

P.S. Today we had a wicked crazy water fight at school during our break. I mistakenly wore my change of clothes...so I sat through 2 hours of class soaked...

Apply & Reflect

2007-02-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

Chad and Carrie here. From this point forward, known as Charrie. First crack at this "online journal" silliness. (I'll hurl snowballs at your knees if you call this a blog...jk folks, this is a violence free space).

Carrie and I head out to Peru tomorrow afternoon. We still haven't wrapped our heads around the whole thing, but off we go. Four months of struggling with language, venturing on spectacular trails, checking out fantastic historical and cultural locals, and most certainly...a good amount of getting lost. It's bound to happen yo.

The last few days, we've spent hiding from the chill of the midwest and northeast down here in Florida...hanging with my aunt and uncle just outside of Ft. Myers Beach. Sorry suckas! It's been sunny and mid 70's the last few days. Good thing too, all the frigid air set me up with a wicked cold...one I couldn't imagine heading to Peru with.

This post will be short...much more nonsense and pics to follow. Now it's time to apply all that graduate malarkeyand reflect on the significance...apply and reflect...on and on.

By all means, send us emails along the way. Get a load of Chad at cbtossin@yahoo.com and Carrie at carrieawsimmons@yahoo.com.

Yum-yum,

C & C