Slapdash Adventures

Back to the Dunes

2011-08-21T22:29:00.003-06:00

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve... since 2003.

The highest sand dunes in North America, surrounded on three sides by grasslands, wetlands and shrub-lands and nestled beneath the San Juan mountains.

Daytime on the dunes.

Apparently the sand can reach temps of up to 140 Fahrenheit. Thank goodness, not today.

Just before the dunes, this abandoned building caught the afternoon light... Blue sky, greenery, white washed walls. The discovery of copious quantities of animal bones inside, broke the spell!

Camping here is easy and fun. You would never know that our campsite was one of one hundred!

We only had one hiccup... a torrential downpour that left a lake in the tent... Nothing that couldnt be tipped out, swept out, dried out. :-)

S'mores were involved!

Wandering the dunes at midnight, tripod in hand, it was the perfect night to experiment with the camera.

Its a wonderful, magical place that has always captivated me! What better time to visit that a warm August weekend with a full moon?

The grand campfire muffin experiment of 2011

2011-08-17T18:35:00.002-06:00

It started as an idea... inspired by You-tube, as all good things are.

But what quickly evolved, was a mission to try - no, perfect campfire baking.

Using my Swedish camp cookware and a muffin-in-a-box recipe, I added the wet ingredients and set about cooking.

The batter goes into a ziplock bag, then rests atop of a handy-dandy hot plate which is raised about an inch off the base of the cook pot. The pot gets water filled to the level of the hot plate.

The pot is lidded and placed over heat.

Yes... that would be a camp fire or cook stove normally, but in the experimental phase, its ok to use all available resources. I have found that a new kitchen, complete with granite and a stainless gas range, works very well in a pinch.

And 25 minutes later... OMG, it's steamed chocolate cake in a bag! Delightful!

Ok, so you've noticed... The "hot plate" is a do-it-yourself treasure. You too could make of these... Just open the can and remove the tuna, drill holes in the base and CLEAN it!

I would be lying if I said this didn't taste amazing. Every warm, gooey, chocolatey bite of it!

However, as I mentioned at the beginning, this is a quest for perfection and despite all its deliciousness, I feel I could do better. As such, I am driven to keep "experimenting and tasting" until no further improvement is possible. Life is SO hard.

Everything Rises Must Converge

2011-05-02T22:11:00.002-06:00

Everything Rises Must Converge is a conundrum. Here you'll find a collection of well written stories, blooming with engaging dialog and colorful narratives. History comes back to life in O'Connor tales and old prejudices are featured like myths of a long forgotten South.

Yet I hesitate to recommend this book - to anyone - for all of her stories end in dark, twisted tragedy. This work may have been the inspiration for the Tales from the Crypt. Yes, it's that dark.

Happy endings are certainly not mandatory for a good story, but nine horrible endings in a row is a recipe for depression.

Road Trip to Santa Fe

2011-04-25T11:16:00.005-06:00

Have I mentioned that I like to take motorcycle road trips? Here's last weekend's jaunt to Santa Fe, NM.

Somewhere near Buena Vista

When traveling by motorcycle, it's usually best to go the longest, curviest way possible because it's not just about the destination. Riding is also best enjoyed with buddies. Cowboy and Greywolf joined me on this trip.

Of course, weather can be an issue - which is why I look like the stay-puft marshmallow man in this photo.

Heated Jacket Liner

Layers are helpful, but the real secret to staying warm in cold weather is electric gear. For this trip, I stopped being a cheap skate and bought a Tour Master Synergy Jacket Liner. I was reluctant to buy a Tour Master product because the last item I bought fits like a 70's snowmobile suit, but the jacket liner worked great on this trip.

Ginormous Cinnamon Roll

Road trips are all about eating food you shouldn't.

I picked up the mother of all cinnamon rolls at a roadside restaurant near Buena Vista. Note to self: When patronizing roadside restaurants, observe the size of the proprietor before placing your order.

Stalker Van, Bonnie, Hayduke, Cowboy, and Greywolf

The motorcycle adventuring community is filled with people who will gladly open their homes. garages, and pantries to travelers on the road.

Brewtus

Invite a bunch of hooligans to a party and what do you get? Shenanigans.

Some shenanigans are more entertaining than others. This is why I don't own a trials bike.

Welcome to New Mexico

I woke up next to this lovely spider, inside my friend Rick's house. I think it's a Wolf Spider, but I'm not sure.

Gorditas!

Not everything I ate on this trip was beef jerky and Cheetos. We stopped for authentic Mexican at a roadside restaurant in Taos, NM.

Who wired this thing?

No motorcycle road trip on an old BMW is complete without roadside repairs. My K75 held up pretty well but Cowboy's R1100RT (with 108K miles) had a brake light stuck on. We eventually tracked it down to a stuck micro-switch on the front brake lever.

Believe.

Aliens are a curious cultural mix to roadside art.

There and back again

The ride back from Santa Fe was fun, but a long one. We left a little after 10am, taking the high road to Taos. A very entertaining road, slow but filled with tight twisties and historic towns.

Along the way, we hit some patches of slush and cold rain but it wasn't too bad. After Taos, we kept going north but I split with my buddies at Ft. Garland (they continued on to Salida). I took Rt. 160 over La Veta Pass and then hopped on I-25 to bomb it home. Normally, this is a four hour ride but it took me almost six hours due to wintry, wet conditions for most of the trip.

Overall, it was an awesome long weekend away.

The Gathering Place

2011-04-08T10:55:00.000-06:00

Dallice and I just got back from a little adventure in Hawaii. We had lots of beach time, of course, but we also surfed, snorkled, flew, rode, camped, and hiked our way around the island of Oahu.

Here's a little slideshow.

Feb 25th in Melbourne

2011-02-25T15:52:00.002-07:00

Again the ladies and I woke early. And again I was able to convince mum and Kathryn to run with me.

Sue happily took some “alone time” while the other 5 and I set off for the city without her today.

We caught a tourist shuttle that looped the city, pointing out its highlights and features. First stop.. the Rod Laver Tennis Center. Lynn Marie has a particular fondness for tennis, so this was a must see.

Me taking pics from the crowded bus.

Next we got off in the Italian section. Eyes wide with anticipaton… Lygon St was packed with cafes and restaurants and smelled of all things yummy. Of course we stopped for coffee and cake! Shopping? Who us? Yes, we stopped for a bit of that too.

From here we chose to walk back down to the city center. A half hour meandering through alleys of ethnic stores and sales…. Dodging Uni students with the wheelchair. Nana had no trouble keeping up, but I was feeling tired. (Mental note: sleep in !!!)

Arriving back at the house around 3pm, it was time to chill, snack, have tea and get ready to go out again. We had tickets to Mary Poppins on stage tonight.

Mary Poppins, what a hoot! A colorful, lively, singing, dancing extravaganza which left us laughing and clapping. Mary Poppins exited the stage for the last time, flying upright over the audience, umbrella up …with a wink and a smile. She was perfect.

Lets go shopping!

2011-02-24T13:47:00.004-07:00

I woke at the crack of dawn, or sometime just before.

The sound of the nearby light rail reminded me I was indeed in Melbourne, sharing a bedroom with my mother (who sleeps silently, thank goodness) and about to embark on my first day, shopping in a new city.

It took the seven of us about 30 mins to figure out how the train system worked… despite having a “trial run” at the station the evening before, and it being one of the least complicated and most intuitive rail systems I have personally experienced!

Then… the fun and laughter began. It wasn't long before shenanigans in changing rooms kicked in, not to mention loud, politically incorrect jokes… making fun of each other and ourselves without a care to what onlookers might have been thinking.

The butt of most jokes was Lynn Marie… wheelchair bound and blonde… an easy target and good natured enough to take it… and take it again! Relentless were my mother and aunts, threatening to leave her locked outside stores in her chair, taking the brakes off while on the train/bus and watching her fly forward when it stopped suddenly, telling her to “grab the top rail” to brace herself. No matter how wrong it was, I had to laugh too. Damn funny, especially watching the faces of shocked Australians near us!

We spent most of the day in and out of clothing and shoe stores. Breaking up the shopping only to stop for food and coffee.

Everyone bought something… husbands across the world, be warned.

One of my favorite memories remains the shop that seemed to specialize in outfits with an animal theme. I just couldn’t help myself… the fur vests were hilarious and my day would not have been complete without photos of us trying them on. Watching my mother tie on a feathery shoulder piece while Lynn Marie donned a fur vest and stroked herself like a cat, cracked me up. Tears ran down my face and I doubled over, unable to straighten.

No, I didnt end the day with this long-haired beauty in my bag. Some things are just better left for more adventurous fashionista's. But I did come away with a couple of new dresses... Cute little bargains, my favorite kind.

Heading Down Under

2011-02-24T03:15:00.003-07:00

And so it began. A 1pm bus to DIA, boarding pass already in hand…. I was through security and in flight right on time.

Leaving Colorado.

Arriving into Australia at sunrise.

Sydney has a noise curfew, meaning our large aircraft was forbidden from entering the airspace over the city or landing at Kingsford Smith Airport before 6am and the only solution was to leave LAX a little later. No worries mate!

Once aboard, a quick check revealed the plane was almost full. How on earth I managed to score a row of 3 streets to myself I do not know… but I liked it. My plan, to have dinner then take a sleeping pill with a glass of wine and sleep the night away, was coming together. Except now, I found myself lazily stretched across 3 seats - with 3 pillows and 3 blankets - and once my earplugs and eye mask were in place, I did sleep the night away... Waking shortly before breakfast at approximately 4am and landing in Sydney close to 6:45am

I touched down at my final destination, Melbourne, an hour late and keen to find my mum, grandmother and aunts. As crazy as it sounds, finding them in the airport was easy. Mum and I had reviewed a map of the airport the week before and the plan to meet in a certain area was a good one. Without any trouble, I made my way to the main arrivals hall near their terminal. As I walked right up to nana, she failed to see it was me… and found herself in a hug almost before she knew what hit her!

Its true what they say… you only see what your mind knows is already true. She was not expecting me but thankfully the surprise was a good one.

By noon, the seven of us had arrived at our house for the week. We proceeded to unpack, shop for groceries and explore the neighborhood. The evening was rounded out with gin and tonics - which apparently lead to jumping rope/skipping!!!

Kathryn and Sue skip/jump rope together... or at least give it a good try!

Observing the entertainment... Nana, Pauline and Lynn Marie.

We hit the hay early. Every one of us had seen the early side of 5am.

Embracing The Snow

2011-02-06T14:35:00.004-07:00

It had been snowing the best part of 24 hours. Not heavily, but a light dusting that went on and on... and not everywhere in Boulder either, mainly over my neighborhood and the south Boulder area.

I woke to 6+ inches coating pretty much everything. It was bright white, clean and crunchy, but I knew I only had hours before the (relatively) warm-ish temperature would turn it to a wet, brown slush.

At about 11am I made the quick decision to take in the sights and sounds of this beautiful Sunday morning, with my camera.

First stop... my neighborhood, where it seemed the responsible residents had all made a good effort to shovel the sidewalks already, but most hadn't got as far as digging out their cars, or bikes!

The streets were apparently not as big a priority for plowing on the weekends. No school buses to keep safe perhaps.

I was drawn to one of my favorite south Boulder trails. The thought of open space and snowy Flatiron views were enough for me to mentally push past the lower leg wetness that was gradually creeping upward, and the discomfort that comes with bare fingers on a winter's day.

From the trailhead...

Hellooooo beautiful!

My treat for the day came when some hikers pointed out an eagle, majestically perched above us. He seemed to be keeping an intense eye out for a rodent snack... Or perhaps, just liked having his picture taken!

And finally... A Boulder landmark and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

Going Solo

2011-01-05T17:44:00.004-07:00

December 12th, 2010

The time had come... like I knew it would.

I radio'd a "touch and go" as we approached the runway. Mark immediately radio'd in a correction... It was going to be full stop landing.

This meant only one thing... He was going to get out!

It was time for me to fly solo. (Despite the anxiety!)

I taxi'd back to the end of the runway and took off without him. The plane was lighter and colder, but other than that, not so different with just me in it.

First landing - pretty good, if I do say so myself!

Up I went again.

This time while flying the landing pattern there was little misunderstanding/miscommunication between two other aircraft. I watched, horrified, as they both called final approach to landing. A crash would certainly mess me up.... where would I land?

The second aircraft realized the dilemma and circled back around to land after the first one. I extended my landing pattern and followed in third place. It was a bumpier landing for me... What can I say? My mind was in overdrive!

It was also the landing that Mark and Marijke caught on film. (Thanks to them, I have these pictures.)

All in all I did three take-offs and landings to make up my first solo.

It was a beautiful day and went very smoothly. My anxiety took a vacation while I was in the air and I was surprised how clear everything became.

Back on the ground it was time to debrief...

Endorse the solo section of my logbook....

And get my shirt-tail clipped in "first solo" tradition!

Why the shirt tail?

Traditionally, the instructor sat behind the student in the plane. During lessons, with no (or poor) headsets, the instructor communicated to the student and taught them, by tugging on the back of their shirt. Once the student solo'd, the back of the shirt was cut out... no longer needed for or available to, the instructor.

Mark dated and signed it then handed it to Lori with these instructions...

She did a spectacular job of decorating it before it was hung on the wall at Air West.

I feel very special! :-)

What did I do Tuesday? Hmmm lets see....

2010-12-28T16:54:00.004-07:00

I had the pleasure of a two hour helicopter flight!!!

My friend Dave and I accompanied Doug in his Enstrom 480B on a flight out of Longmont airport, up and into the foothills.

It seats five. Dave took front passenger seat and I sat in between he and Doug, next row back.

Just out of Longmont airport... Long's Peak on a gorgeous day.

Dave got to take control for a while... bringing back memories for him I'm sure!

We flew low over the site of Monday's plane crash. The wreckage now removed. The pilot had called a "mayday" before crashing. Cody and I had seen the smoke as we approached Longmont from Greeley the afternoon before.

This is the area around the plane crash site.

A little joy-riding over Horsetooth Reservoir.

(This is actually a video... but do ya think I can make it work???)

Ice fishing at Red Feather Lakes

(Coming in to land... another video that I can't get to play!)

... But trust me, it's REALLY quite and experience, landing at an airport and completely by-passing the runway!!!

Thanks Doug and Dave for great company and an incredibly memorable afternoon jaunt. :-)

I don't want to jinx it, but...

2010-11-06T14:26:00.002-06:00

Summer temperatures with autumn colors... Nice!

This morning I blew the chiropractors advice right out the window and went hiking. Nothing too strenuous, but liberating and uplifting none-the-less.

Today is proving to be nothing short of gorgeous. With temps in the high 70's, a refreshing (and warm) breeze, barely a cloud in the sky and all mine for the taking!

Marley and I headed to one of our favorite foothill loops, as did the rest of south Boulder and their dogs. Within minutes I realized I was well over-dressed and had stripped down to just one little layer. Note to self: trust the weather forecasters!

Before we even hit the trail head I knew it was going to be a great hiking day.

No idea what sort of plane this is, but he was having fun, enjoying the empty sky and taking in the Foothills as one can only do from up there.

This saturated blue sky is one of my favorite parts of autumn and winter.

Do you think this is funny?

2010-11-05T13:38:00.005-06:00

I have to give the guy an A for effort and the "Entrepreneur of the Year" award for this.

He set up a business as a stalking clown. Hired by parents to scare the crap out of their kids, stalk them, send them messages and finally... shove a cake/pie in their face!

Happy Birthday??? (Not so much!)

But whether I would find it funny or not, if I was the gift recipient/victim, is not something I'm keen to discover.

Let's face it, clowns are creepy on a good day and this one has an ongoing dental hygiene problem to boot!

Full Article Here

Fly away

2010-11-04T17:41:00.003-06:00

What is better than a great flying lesson on a beautiful fall Colorado day? That's right! Another flight! :-)

Today I got the opportunity to fly with friend and neighbor, Dave Paule.

We left in his Cessna 180 from Longmont this afternoon.

And just over an hour later, we were in Salida. This little mountain town has a small airport with sloping runway, very little traffic and .... tumbleweeds!

I love it. Best of all, for future reference, we discovered that they have courtesy cars for pilots and the town (just 2 miles away) has a great breakfast restaurant - or so this random guy claims!

Of course, there was no time today for sight-seeing and soon enough it was time run over the pre-flight inspection for the return journey. Dave was extra-vigilant... knowing I am a student pilot and not wanting to lead me astray! Thanks Dave!! :-)

At an altitude of about 15,000 ft, we needed oxygen - hence the little flesh colored nose pieces. What a difference that makes. For those who have hiked with me and know I don't do especially well at altitudes over about 11,500 ft, you are probably wondering if I should be considering this little set up for hiking too... trust me, it has crossed my mind too.

Dave and I traded jobs on the return trip. I flew (minus the take offs and landings) and he was chief photographer.

I love photography... but flying gives me a bigger buzz, for sure. In fact, still have my perma-grin on!!

Epic, Exhausting, Exhilarating!

2010-10-31T18:44:00.005-06:00

We are 99% done. A few little things remain, but it's time to wrap up the "kitchen remodel" posts and fill you all in on what we do with the rest of our lives!

In under 2 months (just as promised by Josh) we have torn out the old cabinets, flooring, appliances, lighting, window and wall that separated the kitchen from the front living room... and replaced it all with a new, efficient, functional kitchen.

A RECAP OF THE DESTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION:

Original kitchen

The future kitchen island shape... explained with the help of painters tape.

With the beam in place in the attic, the load bearing wall came down.

The cabinets came off.

The new cabinets and refrigerator are installed.

With the hood in place, the template for the island countertop is laid out.

The counter and back splash are installed.

THE NEW KITCHEN:

Island Time

2010-10-20T19:11:00.002-06:00

The day had finally come... the granite guys were back and this time the island slab was not broken! :-)

Due to the large size of the granite slab, it took 4 guys and some very careful maneuvering to get it into the house. A story best told in pictures.

We are so close to being done now.

All we need are island faucets, pendant lighting, paint... blah, blah, blah.

Give me a week, it will be finished, I swear!

Excited! Very excited!

2010-10-14T18:04:00.004-06:00

No... not the hasty containment of a highly infectious disease! This is what a room looks like just before the walls get textured. In theory it protects the rest of the house from flying plaster spray.

A couple of days ago Josh set about blasting the walls, I quickly followed with a little lick of paint around the kitchen area... in preparation for the granite installation.

Today, was granite day! :-)

Luis and his team arrived around 4:30pm this afternoon. The good news is that the granite is nicer than I even imagined and Luis is a master fabricator and we are lucky to have him. The bad news... the massive island slab got cracked enroute today and will have to be replaced. A delay of a couple of days is not the end of the world, but disappointing none-the-less.

The slab for the island is held back in the truck... damaged in the top part of the rounded corner.

It actually looks like a kitchen now. The fridge, microwave and dishwasher are in. Next steps... finish the granite installation, set the sinks and faucets, install the stove/oven.

I can almost smell the home cooked meal, complete with baked dessert!

Stay tuned for next week... when I'm sure I can get the painting and trim work completed.

I know you are all waiting for the last post... the side by side, before and after.

Me too!!!

I Need Some Giga Pudding

2010-10-14T09:48:00.000-06:00

Each day, a little closer

2010-10-08T18:21:00.002-06:00

Since I last blogged "the remodel", we have come a long way. Or should I give credit where credit is due and say Josh and Eric have come a long way?!

(It's fair to assume I couldn't possibly have contributed much while on my mini vacation.)

The kitchen, which recently looked like this....

Has now seen the installation of a tile floor,

new cabinets and range hood.

As of tonight, we have a plywood template, just waiting for Luis, our granite fabricator, to make my dream "rectangular with a bulged corner" shape a reality. It now seems an eternity ago that I was crouched on the floor, tearing off pieces of blue painters tape to outline my idea.

You have to understand... I have envisioned this kitchen, this exact island shape, these efficient appliances and this large counter space for 3 years. When something is this fixed in one's mind, no second guessing is permitted!

Mini Vacation

2010-10-06T23:22:00.003-06:00

Sometimes you just need to run away for a bit.

That time, for me, came last week. So I did.

To unplug and rejuvenate there is, in my opinion, no better place than a small Colorado mountain town... with changing leaves, sunshine, hiking, photography and frequent soaks in a hot tub - preferably while watching a starry sky.

One of my favorite places is Aspen. With good luck and good friends I found myself a lot of the time bikini-clad, belly laughing, overflowing with good food and breathing deeply the clean mountain air this last weekend. (Alright, I admit it... I stayed 5 days, guilt be gone!)

I'm grateful.

These are some of the pics that capture the spirit of the season.

Maroon Bells

We made our way gingerly through a small gap in the barbed wire fence and crouched in the long grass to avoid being seen by local traffic (owner?). Later realizing that we weren't as hidden as we initially thought and it probably just looked like we were peeing in his field... under his "No Trespassing" sign!

Then we laughed 'til we cried... again.

Independence Pass

Thanks Chris, for the much needed break. :-)

Northeast Tour - 3rd Stop

2010-10-03T09:18:00.003-06:00

After a tearful farewell to my sister and family, I hopped on I-95 and headed towards my brother's house.

Third Stop - New Haven, CT.

Riz and Tahera recently relocated to this New England city, a departure from their prior homes in the rust belt cities of Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Since I'd last seen them, they added a newborn to the family tree. I was pretty excited to see my nephews and especially to meet Azeem for the first time.

Arman (Manu) and Azeem (Zeemu), ready for a day out in New Haven.

Turns out that there's a roaming farmer's market in New Haven. A perfect spot to pick up a little cheese and other goodies.

My sister-in-law Tahera and nephew Azeem

Tahera and Arman, at a park overlooking the city.

A delectable afternoon at the beach. There's nothing like the smell of fresh ocean air.

Azeem violating city ordinances.

The look on Zeemu's face is priceless.

I loved seeing Riz enjoying being a parent and connecting with his children. It's a remarkable feeling because, with 5 years between us, I distinctly remember when my parents brought Riz home from the hospital. It really doesn't seem that long ago, and yet, here he with two children of his own.

... next stop, Nantucket.

Northeast Tour - 2nd Stop

2010-10-03T08:02:00.004-06:00

I stayed at my parent's house for a week. It was a great time with friends and family. The car was also resurrected. I was just about ready to roll.

Unfortunately, we had a little issue with getting the MR2 registered. Seemed the title was missing. It would take at least a week for the DMV to issue a new one. Thankfully, my dad loaned me his car - an Infinity G35x. With 300+hp, all wheel drive, and an iPod interface... a nice upgrade from coach to first class.

Time to hit the road.

Leonia, NJ - 2nd Stop

My sister Sadaf and her family were making final preparations to relocate to Bermuda. It was a tough time for me to visit, but I was glad to see them before they left.

My nephews Jordan and Oscar

My brother-in-law Jeff and niece Samina

Jordan, showing us what he thinks of dinner, earning himself another trip to the naughty chair.

Mom and Mina

Grandma Helene and Jordan

Grandpa Michael

My sister Sadaf showing me what parenting is all about.

I spent two days with the Trimarchi's. From picking up the kids at school, to running Oscar to the vet, it was a whirlwind but it was worth it to see them. They're now off to new adventures in Bermuda and I'm waiting for a holiday invitation.

During my visit, I also had an evening with old friends in NYC. I saw Charley Cleaver, Uygar Dogan, and Pat and Marena McCarthy. Good times (but sadly, no pics).

.....Next stop, New Haven, CT.

Northeast Tour - 1st Stop

2010-10-02T18:31:00.005-06:00

Every once in a while, I take a trip back east to visit friends and family. I make the time because life is short and these people are important to me. I'm fortunate, not only do I have good friends who invite me to visit, but I also have an understanding wife, great clients, and a healthy business.

First stop - Catlin, NY.

Visiting my parents was a trip down memory lane. I saw family (my parents, aunt, and uncle) and several old friends (Mark Cotton, Matt Oldfield, Brett Powell). I also resurrected my old MR2 from storage in my parents barn.

It was important to get this car running again, because I planned to drive it back to Colorado. It had been in storage for about a decade, last registered in 2001.

Here's a pic of the car in my parent's barn.

After extracting it from the barn with a little help from my dad and his John Deere, we pushed it into the garage. As it turned out, it needed less work than I expected. New plugs, coolant flush, oil change, and a fresh battery. Sadly, mice or chipmunks had taken to nesting in it, which meant lots of vacuuming and cleaning.

Here it is in the make-shift workshop (my parent's garage).

Here's the timing belt, exposed for a careful examination. The belt, by the way, looked great but I bought a spare, just in case.

Many thanks to my parents for storing this car for me and much appreciation to those who helped me get her running again.

I spent an afternoon visiting my old friend Mark Cotton. From his place in Corning, it's a short walk along the river to downtown.

Here's Mark:

Here's Corning:

Meanwhile, Brett was nice enough to invite me to view a few old cars at the Vintage Car weekend at Watkins Glen.

....Next Stop - Leonia, NJ

Aspen Farmers Market... the good life.

2010-10-02T12:10:00.002-06:00

Taking a much needed break and seeking to enjoy the golden leaves of autumn, we arrived in Aspen yesterday afternoon.

Just in time to go out for for dinner, go several rounds of cards with Greg and Chris and ... my favorite.... soak in the hot tub, watching the stars, as the sound of the river echoes behind us.

This morning we hit the farmer's market.

Down town Aspen, streets closed, food galore and sunshine. I would be greedy to ask for more.

Kettle corn, hot from the "kettle".

Croissants!!! Yum! There is nothing like fresh pastries.

Osman and Marley chill, as Chris browses inside the glass art gallery behind him.

Next stop... Maroon Bells. I have my camera ready!

Hello laundry room!

2010-09-27T22:16:00.002-06:00

It's fair to say I spent a good portion of my weekend debating (with myself) the color of my new laundry and powder room.... then the rest of the time prepping and painting.

The progression...

Laundry room is drywalled and texture is sprayed on. I paint a number of swatches on un-primed walls on Saturday morning, to get a feel for color. It doesn't work.

Walls and ceiling of the powder room are primed on Saturday afternoon. It's a nasty stinky job, but somebody's got to do it. Later that evening I spend time painting the powder room blue-green... then painting it again... just green!

Sunday is my day to paint the laundry room, but I run out of time and energy to complete the job. Falling into bed exhausted and speckled from head to toe, I set my alarm for dark-o'clock.

With less than minutes to spare, I finish coloring the laundry room as Eric arrives for work this morning. (Although you can't tell in the picture, the white looking walls actually have a hint of gold in them.) I have been up for hours, my hands are blistered, my head foggy with paint fumes and my stomach crying out for breakfast. Very tempted to go back to bed and at the very least could do with a hug!

Eric sets to work, fixing some kind of rock-board to the floor in preparation for the installation of cabinets and laying of tile.

Up go the cabinets. I can see I still have some painting to do!

The sink from the kitchen will be recycled in here, but because the "cabinet" it sat atop of was really not a cabinet, more of a facade, we need to engineer a base for it.

Ok, so we still have a ways to go... but trust me, it will begin to look more "normal" in the week to come!

Wind beneath my wings

2010-09-26T20:23:00.002-06:00

Everyone has a bucket list. Mine's not that long.... since I'm a "why wait?" type of girl. However, learning to fly had been on my list for a good 15 years... which I realize does call into question whether I am truly a "why wait?" girl after all!

Anyway, this year Osman decided I needed a little encouragement... and booked me my first lesson, introducing me to Air West and my training plane, a Cessna 152. Cute huh?!

I have been learning for about 6 weeks now. The anxiety that comes with practicing stalls and learning to land, is for the most part, much less than a couple of weeks ago.

Meet the man responsible for this... Mark.

(Also known as Plan B, should anything go wrong while I'm in control!)

Then there is always Plan C!

Kidding! Plan B seems pretty reliable! :-)

Most importantly, I'm really enjoying my new passion, the challenges, the feeling of freedom and the connections I am making.

All my flying dreams are coming true!

Blue sky mining

2010-09-24T23:25:00.002-06:00

Another gorgeous night in Boulder...

Nothing else to say.

Thanks Marijke and Loki!

2010-09-23T21:40:00.005-06:00

This evening I had the pleasure and priviledge of a sunset flight in Marijke's plane, Loki.
Fun, fun, fun!!!

We took off about 6:30pm... just as the sun set and the moon rose. Almost a full moon in fact. Large, yellow and beautiful.

I sat in back... but was allowed to touch the controls! :-)

Gorgeous colors, twinkling lights, serenity.

Thanks Marijke... for the flight and the conversation. I'm looking forward to spending more time with you. :-)

OMG!

2010-09-23T16:57:00.003-06:00

The question is... Did we hit rock bottom today, far as mess, chaos, destruction and kitchen mayhem go... or do I still have a little way to go???

At this point I'm not really sure. Or am I just not sure it matters anymore?

We MUST be close now.

8am:

Josh, Eric and Josh's dad turned up to work! Yep... Josh takes his dad to work when he is visiting!!! The day started out fairly efficiently but stepped up considerably as it went along, turning my house into a crazy hive of activity.

The laundry got its second and third coats of mud.

The kitchen had its insides turned outside.

More electrical and plumbing to reconfigure for a dual fuel stove, under cabinet lights.

And up came the linoleum, revealing (no surprises here) some thin and decidedly mushy plywood that needed replacing.

The cabinets arrived and spent the day enjoying the view from the driveway - until there was room inside to store them.

3:30pm: An exhausted Eric, Josh and his dad pulled away from my house. I was not long home from my own crazy day, but really glad to hear them say they would be back tomorrow. :-)

I believe we are texturing walls tomorrow... So that Saturday I can paint!

Stepping out

2010-09-18T12:03:00.002-06:00

The weather forecast called for clear skies and a balmy 70-something. Yeah...Not!

With low visibility and high humidity, I cancelled plans to head to higher altitude to hike today. Marley and I set off to South Boulder Trail Head instead.

It has been quite a while since I hiked this trail and had NO Flatiron view.

We stopped briefly to take pics and admire the wildflowers - although they are nearing the end, I could almost see them smiling as the mist enveloped them. Then it was time for a rest on a flat rock. Just a minute or two to listen to the cricket-song and give the mandatory doggie hug. (FYI: Hugging a decidedly damp golden retriever is not as cute as it sounds!)

It was a good way to start the weekend though. Now for Home Depot and an afternoon of painting, followed by flight study. With a mug of hot tea, I call it an almost perfect day!

Running on fumes

2010-09-15T16:20:00.003-06:00

Today (Day 2 of head cold) I formulated the brilliant plan to mix Sudafed with paint fumes, to clear the sinuses. Not only did it work, but I found myself to be amazingly productive. Well, at least compared to yesterday, when I sat on the sofa most of the day!!!

That would be me... sitting on the kitchen floor, spraying TSP all over the place, wiping off years of grime and filth in order to paint our kitchen cabinets a serene shade of sage green. But believe it or not, I do find it therapeutic.

Yes... I'm the photographer too and it only took a dozen shots to get myself somewhat in focus! Meanwhile, my paintbrush was drying out and I was having difficulty keeping the paint off myself.... such is life.

Where is Osman again??

No going back now!

2010-09-11T21:53:00.004-06:00

Who would have thought that our heavy wooden cabinets were attached to the wall by two screws and a couple of nails? Not me!

And while it's not something I would ever attempt again, for 55 years these cupboards have been jam-packed with plates, glasses and cookware...And I'm pretty sure we are not the only household to stack all manner of over-sized item on top of them either.

Today I spent way too long unpacking them and boxing the contents, preparing for the task of cabinetry removal.

Eric arrived at 3pm to aid in the actual removal. They are too heavy for just little old me to pull down - and luckily he had done this before.

Apparently the last time this cheery apple green paint had seen the light of day was indeed 1955. Since then at least 3 other colors had found their way into the kitchen - but never behind the cabinets, just around them.

Now all that is required is a decent shower in TSP to loosen the grime and grease of a thousand dirty hands, a very disposable rag to wipe them clean.

Tomorrow I paint!

These cabinets are being recycled to the new laundry... but that's going to be another post.

Fleeting Beauty

2010-09-08T14:52:00.002-06:00

This little guy has been visiting us in the morning and late afternoon all summer.

The bright red and pink bell shaped flowers are his favorite.

I love to hear his shrill whistle as he breezes through.

Smokey Joe loves to snooze at the base of the plants. The hummingbird seems to enjoy flirting with him.... Even following Smokey Joe under the eaves of the house when the rain set in and hovering just inches from him!

It's like camping... except colder and dirtier!

2010-09-03T14:55:00.005-06:00

Hmm.... Where do I begin?

Remember when I said there were some smaller projects that had to be dealt with before we could really begin the kitchen?

Small Project #3

Our 1955 house still exhibits it's original windows - single paned and metal framed. Aside from being horrible little heat sinks, they are NOT pretty. At some point (soon, I hope) we will endeavor to replace them all. For now we are content to "learn" good window replacement technique, guided by neighborhood wisdom and a whole lot of experimentation. It's a process that might resemble tearing, gouging and smashing out the kitchen window to the untrained eye!

Before we begin...

The little cuts you already see in the frame allowed Osman to accurately measure the "window hole" for ordering the new window. Thanks for the tip Ned!

The theory being that taping the glass first would result in less spraying of shards...

But alas, shortly after this picture and even more shortly after I almost lost an eye, we taped sheaths of cotton sheet over the window too. Safety first! (Or at least a close second)

And once the frame for the actual glass was removed, it was just a matter of grappling with a powered saw until the steel frame was successfully cut open enough to allow a pry-bar in!

And presto! A gaping hole in the house that timed itself perfectly with overnight lows close to 50 degrees last night.

Like I said....Just like camping, only colder... and dirtier!

Opening up... it's good for the soul

2010-08-26T22:35:00.003-06:00

Since the day we signed a lease to rent this house, I envisioned an open kitchen.

After we bought it, I longed for, prayed for, begged for an open kitchen!!!

All it took was a large beam...

The expertise of our neighbor, friend and contractor, Jim...

And LOTS of load-distributing wooden structure in the attic, before we could hack that kitchen wall into pieces and drag it out of the house.

Before:

The blue line is my best effort and demonstrating the shape I would like the new kitchen island to be.

During:

This is harder than it looks!

After:

Aside from some minor inconveniences - ducts, electrical outlets, old TV antenna wire and our programmable thermostat, the deconstruction was a piece of cake!

The dust and debris that was akin to a bomb going off in the house was not super ideal, but I still maintain it was worth it, just to get this far.

Let the good times roll

2010-08-25T17:20:00.005-06:00

It's a love-hate relationship... Home improvement.

I love the anticipation. Watching something grow out of nothing, evolving into what could only be an improvement - given what we are starting with!

I hate the mess and of course the expense. There is nothing like a front living room full of "stored items" from the garage to encourage feelings of chaos and filth.

Ah-hmmm, that is bicycles, the cat's transporter box, a watering can, storm windows and plenty of extra t.p that you see :-(

It was this exact time last year that our back room was remodeled. And as I write, we are embarking on our biggest project yet....

Our 1955 kitchen, complete with aging washing machine behind a green curtain, dysfunctional in every other way, needs much more than a face lift! Someone (a man?), in their infinite wisdom, designed it with no dishwasher, few usable cabinets, lighting that comes from another room and little counter space.

We are redesigning it and it WILL be good!

But before I put the cart before the horse, we needed to work on a couple of pre-kitchen remodel projects.

That washing machine deserved a laundry room... somewhere to hang with the dryer and where its chattering vibrations could be closed off.

Enter Josh and Eric... To the rescue again. :-)

Once the back end of the garage... as if by magic, almost overnight we have a floor joists for the raised floor, framing in place for the laundry room and half bath (new addition, decided on the fly!) waste and other plumbing lines in.

Today was actually Day 3 of the project. We now have an insulated floor and walls in the new laundry room and a fire-stop door from the laundry room into the remaining garage. (Building code has changed since 1955, when things like stopping the spread of fire into the house or insulation in the walls of a house were considered unnecessary luxuries. Don't even get me started on grounding outlets, I KNOW they had appliances and lightning in the 50's!!!)

So far so good! It certainly looks like a room now.
They will be back to help finish the install in a little bit... stay tuned.

Hikes and Rides

2010-08-09T10:20:00.003-06:00

I'm getting a bit behind in posting our adventures.

Grays and Torreys are popular 14ers. Here's a pic from a recent hike.

More pics are in the slideshow.

Last week, I hiked Mts. Sherman, Cameron, Lincoln, and Democrat. Here's a summit picture:

And another slideshow.

Yesterday, I capped off the weekend with a road ride to Rabbit Mountain.

We watched Inception and had dinner with good friends afterward. Great movie, very creative and thoughtful. Dinner at Zucca in Louisville left something to be desired, but the conversation and the company more than made up for it.

Fireworks

2010-07-07T10:03:00.001-06:00

A few pics from our Independence Day hike

Into Thin Air [Mt. Evans]

2010-07-02T18:25:00.005-06:00

"Fourteeners" are mountains with peaks that exceed 14,000 feet above sea level. Colorado has 53, the most of any state. At 14,264 feet, Mt. Evans is the 14th tallest.

The hike started with a ride, actually. A 2 wheeled ride.

Bleary eyed, I rolled out of bed at 4:15 am, made last minute preparations, and was rolling at 5:00 am sharp.

Here's I am on my KLR 650.

Here's my buddy John with his 1150 GSA.

There are several ways to the top. We chose the West Ridge from Summit Lake route, a distance of 2.2 miles with 1,900 feet of elevation gain. It's considered a difficult class 2.

The trail never looks steep in pictures. Remember that.

Can you see the tiny spec on the horizon just to the right of the first big outcropping? That's a person.

Here's another view of the trail as it hugs the mountainside.

Here's the view I enjoyed over lunch.

While 1,900 feet of gain might not seem a lot, it's slow and difficult going. Every movement requires concentration.

As the elevation increases, it becomes more difficult. I admit, I felt a little woozy as I climbed past 14,000 feet. I also found that I needed to stop and rest frequently, sometimes after only taking a dozen or so steps.

I had the company of good friends on this hike. Here's Charles.

Here's John again.

Here's the group at the summit of Mt. Evans: Left to right - Charles, Marc, Me, Cliff, and John.

The U.S. Geological Survey Marker at the top.

And finally, the mandatory "long arm" solo shot from the peak.

Initially I was griping about the road that takes people so near to the peak. It didn't seem fair that drivers get to enjoy the same view as those that hiked.

Yet lighting and hail makes for a quick attitude adjustment. We hitched a ride back down with some tourists from Texas.

By the way, this was my very first fourteener. It might take a few years, but eventually, I'll climb them all.

More pics from Marc.

Camping at Rainbow Lakes

2010-06-25T21:14:00.005-06:00

It was my first camping trip of the season and coincided nicely with the hottest day this year. So nice to be up at altitude, enjoying natures own air conditioning!

We joined our friends Kris and Charles, who got to the campsite a little earlier and did a great job setting up... and cooking the most delicious steak dinner! It's a good life :-)

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast we hiked the Arapahoe Glacier trail - or most of it.

The men went a little further along the trail as Kris and I hung out with our PB&J sandwiches, marmot friend and delicate wild flower carpet. I got to 12,200 feet... my highest ever. :-)

The hills were alive with the sound of music! Birdsong, cricket chirps and marmot calls.

Mauled by a tiger!

2010-06-06T21:37:00.001-06:00

The don't come any cuter than this tiger cub!

While his siblings yowled impatiently, awaiting their turns to be cuddled and photographed, this little one did his best to chew on my hand.

Those teeth certainly know what they are doing... but it was worth it!

This weekend was the last opportunity to handle the cubs. They have now retired from a life of public appearances and can be viewed safely from the other side of a cage. They are maturing rapidly under the close watch of staff and volunteers at Serenity Springs Wildlife Center.

Serenity was missing from my life

2010-06-05T21:54:00.002-06:00

I took the day off!

At 6:30am this morning, Heather and I stepped outside of Boulder.

After a later-than-planned start, a long and somewhat unusual detour off US36 and a stop for gas, we arrived at our destination. And for those of you still convinced that I drive like a grandma... we shaved at least a half hour off the estimated time by Google, even with the detour!

Destination: Serenity Springs Wildlife Center

A safe haven and retirement community for wild cats. Featuring tigers, lions, cougar, bobcat, leopard and so much more. Each animal rescued from a bad or illegal home, show biz or unfortunate circumstance. This non-profit provides great companionship, healthy food and veterinarian care for animals that otherwise have nowhere to go.

This tiger was ready to greet us before the 9am tour... one of many tigers who live here, but significantly more active than most of the others.

Sleeping in on the weekend.

And there were the tiger cubs... happy (and lively) little accidents. I couldn't wait to give one a cuddle!

This lioness was a movie star in a former life... you might recognize her from Second Hand Lions. Unlike actors and actresses of the human variety, big cats are retired fairly young - at least before they have a chance to grow bored or cranky!

As we walked around Serenity Springs, we were joined by the smallest cat resident here. A domesticated house cat with a passion for visitors and a hankering to taunt the larger residents with his black and white tail as we passed each cage.

This mountain lion perked up, big time. That little cat had "snack" written all over him!

A black leopard

last but not least ... some non-cat residents, to mix it up a bit. These are coutimundi. Kinda related to to raccoons.

Sun and Surf in San Diego

2010-04-27T07:48:00.006-06:00

I visited an old friend in San Diego last weekend, my first trip to California (LAX doesn't really count).

Here's the view from across the Harbor. What a beautiful place.

Who needs a mommy van when you've got pedal power. Nice carry rig Brian!

Here's Ari and Shiraz, hiking along Haunted Trail in Balboa Park.

Brian took me out to La Jolla, a little enclave along the coast. Hello ocean, I missed you.

Another little outing took us to the Botanical Gardens.

I surfed, ran, and biked during my stay. This shot is from the Bayshore Bikeway, a 24 mile loop around the harbor.

A sunset ferry ride completed the bikeway loop.

Much appreciation to my hosts Brian and Ari for putting me up in a cool little guest cottage, keeping me happily entertained, and well fed.

The mighty hunter!

2010-04-22T13:12:00.001-06:00

It was a warm day and more of a work-out than both of us had anticipated. Marley (lucky dog) was able to cool off in the streams as we passed by. There were plenty of them and he didn't mind a bit that I changed his name to "Mr Filth".

Once cool enough, it was time to hunt - for a suitable rock companion.

The aim is to use surprise to stun it so it doesn't get away!!! Marley pounces!

Then stops to clear the water from his nose, in the only way he can.

Victory.

This rock is coming home with us... another 1.5 hours riding in Marley's mouth should see us there. And no, I didn't teach him this.

A walk in the woods

2010-04-22T13:10:00.001-06:00

Marley and I headed out for a couple of hours of hiking. We began at the South Boulder Trail head and headed west toward the Flatirons, aiming for the Mesa Trail which would take us to Chautauqua - in about 6 miles.

Those foothills are further than they look and it took us an hour to get to Mesa Trail.

Most of the trail was uphill and apparently I am not in the shape I thought I was!

We were never to going to make it to Chautauqua this afternoon, on time for my next client appointment.

Luckily for us, Osman was on-call for a pick-up and an hour later we pushed our sweaty and exhausted selves up the last hill to NCAR (the National Center for Atmospheric Research)and to the waiting 4-runner.

I may not be in the best shape, but was definitely not expecting to be sore for 3 days after this moderate 2.5 hour hike.

It's hard to say if my butt or ego was hurting more in the following days... Actually, it was definitely my butt!

These are a few of my favorite things...

2010-03-21T21:21:00.002-06:00

Just like whiskers on kittens and brown paper packages tied up with string, I love shoes, sunshine and outdoor adventures with friends.

It was almost 60 degrees today. The ground, still thick with snow from Fridays vicious storm, sparkled and crunched as we exited the car at Bear Lake. Just perfect for my very first snow-shoeing experience!

Osman and I joined our friends Kris and Charles for a three and a half hour jaunt through the forest, up a moderately steep trail, across frozen Nymph and Dream Lakes to the heights of Emerald Lake.

The view at the top (and most of the way up) was gorgeous!

Under a bright blue sky, we paused for lunch. Sheltered by the rising peaks and well planned layers, from the sharp wind and blowing snow. Rewarded with dark chocolate almonds, PB and J sandwiches and a flask of hot chai.

Then a quick stop to commune with wildlife... Birds that not only seem unconcerned by our proximity, but that take advantage of our good nature by greedily demanding food!

Does life get any better?

Sunset over Jodhpur

2010-02-12T09:30:00.000-07:00

... And as the sun set over Jodhpur, it was time to collect our things and head for the train station.

From here we had a 12 hour train journey to Delhi, 14 hours in Delhi, then flights to Abu Dhabi, JFK and Denver.
Home in approximately 65 hours!

It was time, and we were ready.

Together Again... In the Blue City

2010-02-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

Here we are, back together after 10 days... And it's great!

With just under a week left in India we found ourselves in Jodhpur, otherwise known as the Blue City.

Because you can never have enough of the Forts of India, we decided to pay a visit to the Jodhpur one today. Besides, it towered over our hotel, high on the rocky hill, and seeing it out the window of our room just made it more irresistible.

Away, we went, up the steep and uneven streets, breathless and hot by the time we got there at 9:30am. The entrance fee included an audio tour and the camera fee. Nice! Surprising what makes you happy at the end of the day isn’t it? We also noticed it was not yet flooded with tourists. Even better.

The Jodhpur Fort is really pretty nice. The audio tour is narrated by an older Indian gentleman, his voice is deep and smooth and tinged with a British accent. I felt full to overflowing with good, interesting information!

View over Jodhpur from the fort.

This gorgeous building is none other than the Royal Crematorium. Built of marble thin enough to let the sun light through, it also looks over Jodhpur.

The Jodhpur Fort.

Heed the Signs

2010-02-12T08:12:00.001-07:00

Sometimes it's the little things in life that give us the most amusement. I, for one, loved the signage in India!

You know exactly what they mean though - except the "LAYsWAPERS" one!

What happens if a man tries to buy something here?

Noticing the disturbing lack of leaves on this basil plant, I have to assume it's an ongoing problem.

My favorite. Because you know they wouldn't have posted this sign unless it was a recurring issue!

Junagarh Fort

2010-02-12T07:37:00.003-07:00

Junagarh Fort was actually quite impressive on the outside. But what was more impressive, was the inside. What a place to live this must have been! Beautifully laid out, luxurious in every way and with views of the grounds and city that were certainly more than enviable.

Every wall was hand painted with flowers, windows and doors had ornate screens, and stained glass and Chinese art abounded. But it was the murals of the life of the Maharaja that really got me. Stunning!

The Fort was dotted with friendly older Indian men who spoke some broken English. According to a notice I read, they were considered “Servants of the Fort” - free guides. Nice touch. Completely unexpected considering the handful of other city forts I now had under my belt, which made you pay for a guide upfront or spend 20 minutes trying to get rid of one that had adopted you and would later demand payment.

On two occasions one of these guides would open up locked areas of the fort, rooms not open to the public, and gesture us inside. At first we wondered why we couldn’t be seen going in or out - one made us wait inside, silently, until some other tourists passed before he would let us out!. All the while being told to take pictures of this and that, not to miss certain details or explanations of the hand-painted murals.

The Servants of the Fort reminded me of the older men working at McGuckins, (A reference to a Boulder hardware store that specializes in service). I loved to see how proud they were of their city treasure, their knowledge and their history.

Once back outside, the day had heated up and it was time for chai and a snack. Nothing like a high end restaurant, filled with a bus load of aging white tourists to break the monotony of Indian culture!!! We enjoyed it for what it was, anyway.

Destination... Rat Temple

2010-02-06T04:55:00.001-07:00

Bikaner… not what I really imagined.

Yes, a city of 600,000 people in the middle of nowhere, but very, very not touristy. A small handful of restaurants dot the main street, one internet café, with one computer that we could find and not a lot else.

Why come here? About 20 miles away, in a town called Deshnoke, a nationally famous temple exists. From the time I heard about the Rat Temple (it does have a proper name too) I was obsessed. This temple is filled with tens of thousands of rats, and they are worshipped! I had to go there… and was well aware that the 6 hour train ride each way, followed by the 45 minute rickshaw drive did seem a little much. That’s the very definition of obsession. Besides, I was not the only one. When I met Rhys in Delhi, he was making for the same place… and so were the French couple we met on the train to Bikaner.

After convincing a rickshaw driver that four hundred rupees (less than $10) was a good price to have him ferry us to Deshnoke and also the National Center for Camel Research, we were off.

Did I mention that you have to take your shoes off to go into the temple? Or that the rats have no problem running right across your feet as you stand amid the food offerings, pee and rat poop? Minor details. I must be getting used to India, it’s filth and it’s charm, because this really didn’t bother me at all!

What an amazing place. Large bowls of milk, sweets and something that looks like birdseed dot the floor. Rats of various sizes scoot back and forth. The marble temple is one big rat house. Little holes are cut into the floor and walls accommodate them. But surprisingly, it doesn’t smell that bad. At least, not as bad as I thought it would. In fact I almost find them endearing… in a Rat-a-touille sort of way!

2010-02-06T04:52:00.001-07:00

Rats, Rats Everywhere

2010-02-06T04:45:00.001-07:00

Story has it that there is a white rat living among the thousands of ordinary brown ones. If you see it you will be lucky the rest of your life and anything you wish for in the temple will come true. Most of the Indian visitors I saw at the temple (and it wasn’t crowded) were sure to mention “white rat, lucky”.

I searched everywhere... all the little cubbies and crevices...

However, I left with the same luck I came with. Since I never considered myself unlucky to start with, I am not heart-broken - but it would have been nice to see it.

Mr Desert

2010-02-06T04:33:00.001-07:00

Indian Model and Safari Operator all rolled into one!

Once upon a time there was a young man. A truck driver in the Thar Desert. Uneducated and not super ambitious either. While hanging with friends at some point, it was suggested to him that he might want to try a different job. Perhaps head into the nearest city, Jaisalmer, and try his hand at a business geared for tourists. They went on to suggest being a travel agent of some sort, since he would not need to have his own guest house or camels to get started.

The young man rented a small store at the base of Jaisalmer Fort, hung a sign and waited for the tourists to find him and chose his services. They didn’t. After recognizing his failing in this business he informed his friends that he was not able to make a go of it and was going back into the desert. “Have you tried meeting the incoming trains at Jaisalmer Station and selling yourself to the tourists as they come in?” his friends enquired. “That is the way to get business.”

Off he went. On entering the station and witnessing the dozens of safari operators and guest house owners harassing the tourists as they disembarked, he felt out of place. According to him, accosting people in this way just wasn’t in his nature and therefore, he once again felt the tourism business was not his calling.

A day later and quite by chance, two freelance photographers found him in his office and requested he sit for pictures. They set a time to come back the next day and he agreed to pose for them.

About 10 days later he received word that the largest cigarette company in India wanted his face on the front of the their product and all their advertising. He received a modest amount of money for this. Shortly thereafter another 4 or so large corporations also selected him - among them Coco Cola, India! He went on to make several more ad’s and took a minor role in a movie too.

One day two tourists walked by his office and noticed the cigarette ad, laminated and hanging above his desk. He sat below it. Intrigued, they came in to chat and ended up booking a camel safari with him. Within a week, their rave reviews back at their hotel had earned him another six customers. From there his business grew… just pure and simple word of mouth. The way he liked it.

In the early nineties, the Desert Festival was just getting started. One of the many competitions was the

Mr Desert contest. I gather it to have been some sort of beauty contest for men. The young man in his colorful turban, impressive Rajasthani moustache and striking green eyes won. He won four years in a row… until it was decided a change of rules was needed. They crowned him Mr Desert and granted him the lifetime title, but from that point forward decreed the winner could not enter the contest again in future years. He was instead to be a contest judge, gong forward.

The man we now only know as Mr Desert has had a thriving camel safari business of 23 years. Never once has he advertised or harassed tourists. You will find him behind the same desk in the same office he started with. The laminated advertisement, now heavily faded, still hangs behind him on the wall, but he pulls out another, in better condition for photographs if you ask. Along side it are numerous travel magazine covers, featuring him.

He won our business in the same, simple way he wins all his business…

He is recommended by pretty much every foreign guide book.

His practice is to give you info on a customized trip and a fair price. Then encourage you to go away, check out others and think about it. Come back if you are happy!

He treats his employees fairly and sends only the most experienced, English speaking ones out with his customers. Guaranteeing a successful trip, that is both great value and tremendous fun.

I, for one, highly recommend Safari Travels and Mr Desert. I would again request Mr Bangali and his trusty camel, Rocket the next time I make it to Jaisalmer. And I really do hope to return!

Chapati Lessons

2010-02-06T04:23:00.001-07:00

If I was paying more attention, I would actually have taken notes too... But this will have to do.

Using not much more than chapati flour and water, you make a dough. Flour from the back of a sweaty camel and murky well water is fine.

Grab a small handful of the dough, remove any debris or stray hairs, before going any further.

Slap and knead it into a disk, then gradually flatten into the shape of the chapati.

Cook over medium campfire heat. Making sure to stoke the fire regularly and turning when characteristic brown patches indicate this side is done. Eat while warm for best results.

Taking Care of Business

2010-02-04T01:52:00.001-07:00

In the Thar desert, many kids never get the chance to attend school. From an early age instead, they shepherd goats and sheep. At about 12 years old, if lucky, they might find a safari operator to employ them. Mr Bangali explained to me that at that age, with no English language, the boy is paid about 500 rupees per month ($10) for his help with the camels and tourists. After about 2 years, having picked up substantial English (and other languages) from the tourists, the young man may find a camel owner to rent camels from and start his own safari business… getting about 1500 rupees per month from the safari operator in Jaisalmer to take their customers out. The goal at this point is to save up for their own camels. Each camel costs between 20,000 and 50,000 rupees. This is a huge sum for these people, but its not the end of the cost.

Right now this area of Jaisalmer and the Thar Desert is in drought. They have not had rain for 3 years and where once the desert was farmed, with plenty of food for the villagers and their animals, now the land is dry and mostly just sandy. Fewer people live here and memories of the monsoon time (July-August) are just that - memories. Life is extremely difficult. Yes, there are still wells… but they have to actually buy in food. Food for a single camel cost 200 rupees/day ($4 or a bit more). The camels HAVE to work with safaris in order to pay for themselves.

Mr Bangali is 24 years old. Not yet married, although I get the feeling his parents have started looking. Until recently he owned 3 camels - Rocket, Robert and Lalu. Unfortunately Lalu died suddenly a few months back. I can see hurt in his eyes. She was more than just a huge investment for him. She was his friend. He takes very good care of his camels, telling us that if you treat them right, not overwork them, feed then good food (not just desert bushes!) and water them without stressing them too much, they will live 25-27 years. Otherwise, not so long.

On day two in the desert we stop to water the camels. Using a simple pulley system, three men drag the rope attached to an inner-tube bucket, up from the well. Water spills down a chute and into the camel trough. Each camel can drink up to forty gallons!

Sunset and Sunrise in the Thar Desert

2010-02-04T01:40:00.001-07:00

Moving On...

2010-02-04T01:26:00.001-07:00

We continue on, making camp on some sand dunes and meeting a British couple, Tania and Matt, who were to join our safari for the next 2 nights. As the sun went down, the 4 of us sat atop a dune, drink in hand, toes buried, chatting lazily. And then … dinner was ready. Mr Bengali had help now. Another 2 men and a young boy of about 15 had joined the group. The had set up 4 little beds (blankets and pillows in the sand), cooked the meal and were now singing. The boys voice was absolutely beautiful… soulful desert folksongs always on his lips as he tended to the camels and generally made himself useful.

Our next day is a mix of camel riding, laying under a tree in the hot sun and eating. I have taken sooo many pictures and I’m not done yet! The desert, to me, seems like a magical place. From sunrise to sunset, it is warm with a slight breeze, quiet and very much deserted. At night, right now, there is a full moon or near enough so never gets pitch black. Our shadows dance across the dunes as we wander and explore after dark. Stars fill the sky and I am in good company.

Refilling the jerry cans. Yes the water was kinda murky, but it was only used for cooking. We had bottled water for drinking.

The well is one of many scattered across the desert. The villages are abandoned but if you have your own vessel and rope it is possible to help yourself to the water way down below.

Tania and Matt are 25 and from London. They have been dating for almost 9 years and really are like two little peas in a pod. Quite the little team, they know each other well yet still have what looks like a great appreciation for each other. They are a welcome addition to the group and the 4 of us get along great.

This little guy, one of so many, felt the need to meet us up close and personal.

This generally didn't both me, but I was acutely aware of all the beetle tracks in the sand around my bed the next morning - which is something I'd rather not think about!

First Class Service

2010-02-04T01:19:00.001-07:00

Mr Bangali, as it turned out, was a fantastic cook. Everything from scratch.

We rested under a large tree (not so easy to find) as he made us chai, then curried vegetables with rice and REALLY great chapati’s. The sun was hot and we were not going anywhere until about 3:30pm, when the tourists were less likely to die in the desert!

Laying on a camel blanket, my head protected by a very cool turban-like scarf, I pulled out my book and relaxed. Not a tooting horn or voice to be heard. The air was fresh, fresh, fresh. I was in heaven. How long had I waited to be warm, clean and quiet? Too long!

Going Rogue - with Mr Bangali

2010-02-04T01:08:00.005-07:00

Not in any way similar to Sarah Palin's adventures!

We arrived at the middle-of-nowhere, where our camels awaited us. Our camel guide, Mr Bangali, introduced me to Rocket, my camel. Rocket is huge, a lighter color and obviously has had a working class life. His face droops to the right and his immense lower lip hangs open …never quite able to close his mouth. My first thought was... Stroke? He appeared like a gentle soul though and there seemed absolutely no chance this camel would be endangering me with speed or antics.

Rhys was saddled with Robert. What a handsome camel! Younger, golden and spritely in nature, Robert was very quick to stand up when asked. In fact, perhaps a little too quick! Within hours a surprised Rhys had been dumped from Robert as he exuberantly jumped to his feet before Rhys was quite in the saddle!

Oh yeah! He was definitely going to have the last laugh...and the first too.

Quite Literally Deserted!

2010-02-02T06:03:00.002-07:00

We paused briefly on our way to start the Camel Safari, to visit one of about 83 abandoned villages.

It is undergoing some restoration work by folk from another village and from time to time is borrowed as part of a movie set.

Kuldhara was once the home to a wealthy man, a trader on the silk route and the father of a very beautiful girl. The visiting Maharaja had eyes for her and a plan to make her his 5th wife. However, her family was several castes above that of the Maharaja and her father said no…resulting in, of course, much resentment from the Maharaja. He used his power to punish the businessman, affecting his business and that of another 82 villages in this desert area. The villagers all chose to move away, in support of (or perhaps out of reliance on) the businessman and his beautiful daughter. They went elsewhere to resume their lives and trades.

To this day these villages, for the most part, remain uninhabited… and in various states of disrepair.

Using the well water they mix mud and paints.

Me with my scarf tied by our guide, desert style!

It kept the sun off my face and staying in place all day.

The floor is a mixture of local dirt, cow dung and water. The women spread it by hand and when it dries they have a hard, durable floor for the houses.

Lost in Jaisalmer Fort, City of Sandstone

2010-02-02T05:37:00.001-07:00

Jaisalmer is Jaisalmer because of the fort.

If Agra didn't have the Taj Mahal, nobody would visit, in the same way, if Jaisalmer lost it's Fort, tourism here would die. Or as one Indian man told me, the tourists would come for another year, to visit the ruins of the Jaisalmer Fort, then no more. He and his friends laughed out loud, but many a true thing is said in jest and I could see they truly understood their livelihood was tied to the Fort too.

And yet, every year they do lose a little more of the Fort. About 6000 people live inside its walls. They own stores and run hotels. The resulting water and run off is eating away at the sandstone and the Fort will one day no longer be.

For this reason, I chose to stay in a hotel outside of the Fort. But everyday I walked inside its walls, exploring the narrow alleys, marveling at the cows, dogs and people that make the Fort their home.

A good example of the delicate and intricate carved buildings that are typical here.

The view over Jaisalmer from high upon the Fort walls.

And at night, it glows over the marketplace outside it's walls.

A local point of view

2010-02-02T05:30:00.001-07:00

A quick wander through the less than savory parts of Jaisalmer gave us a good glimpse into life everyday. Life that goes on, even in the middle of the annual Desert Festival.

Competing barbers chat side-by-side.

A blacksmith is hard at work, hammering out something useful with tried and trusted methods.

His young son, at age 3 is already following in Dad's footsteps.

And then there are the dogs... this baby flea-bag with his begging eyes, almost found himself in my backpack and en-route to a better life in the US!

Heating up the desert

2010-02-01T08:27:00.001-07:00

As I sat on red fabric, thoughtfully laid out on the dusty sand in the stadium, I took in quite a view.

I was in an area labeled "foreign tourists". Apparently we are quite special. A guard stands at the entrance and our area is roped off. Locals lean over the barrier, I'm not sure whether they are watching us (about 200 white people) or the festivities!

I'm definitely watching the festivities.

Only here could you see a moustache contest...

and a turban tying contest - for foreigners. What a laugh!

And to round it all off, this girl defied gravity while carrying pots of water on her head, and swaying wildly, side to side.

Desert Festival 2010

2010-02-01T08:08:00.001-07:00

I got lucky... The Desert Festival in Jaisalmer coincided with my visit!

And as we all know, there is nothing like a parade with music, dancing and costumes to kick off a festival.

So, this was how I started my January 28th...

From the top of Om Restaurant, where we were partaking in a leisurely breakfast, I heard them coming. The parade had started from the lake, was coming through town and going on to the stadium.

No-one knew exactly when they would get here... I was told "Madam, this is India. It will come in Indian time." You can imagine the accent.

And for 30 mins a procession of dancing beauties... perhaps not even women, drum playing men in wagons pulled by camels, bagpipers (yes! even in India) and performers skipped by. I was mesmerized. It was a peek at what was to come from the stadium later...

Missing... One magic carpet

2010-01-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

I knew I had found it when I saw my room - The “Pink Maharani” room. Aside from being clean (and most are here) it was hand painted, Indian style. Bright colors, pieces of mirror and postcards decorated the walls. Five little windows with shutters that open over window seats, curtains of chiffon and gold thread. It was magical! I might have to refer to myself in the third person, as Princess Jasmine from now on!!! (Iknow, I know… she wasn’t Indian, but Disney is yet to collide with Bollywood and Jaisalmer does have more of an Arabian feel to it.)

It is from the silk cushioned window seat that I now write. It does still feel like I am riding the rails, but Im sure that feeling will subside. For now I’m showered, relaxed and soaking up the sun. From my open windows I see the Fort, markets, children playing in the streets… and it is not too noisy here either.

I made it. My own little slice of yellow sandstone heaven lies before me. Welcome to Jaisalmer, Princess Jasmine!

Going it alone

2010-01-28T09:15:00.003-07:00

This journey really began when I left Osman at Haridwar Junction on the evening of the 24th of January. He, making his way north on the express to Amritsar then heading for the Wagar (Pakistan-India) border and me catching a later (almost midnight) train, overnight to Delhi.

I traveled first class, mainly because it was the only class left when I booked. First class has it’s ups and downs. I shared a lockable, clean and nicely outfitted cabin with a 37 year old Indian man and a 61 year old Californian (turned Indian) woman. The conversation was intelligent and pleasant, I got a great nights sleep, much good advice and perhaps most importantly, they both knew exactly when I should exit the train. This is a small matter that means so much here, as the stations are poorly sign-posted, the trains are never running to schedule and the porter, when speaking in English, is barely understandable with his thick accent.

So what’s the down side to First Class? I now know what I am missing in second and other lower classes and it’s hard to go back!!!

Once in Delhi I made tracks to the railway station cloakroom. The plan was to stash my large pack there for the day and come back for it before my next train early this evening. At the cloakroom I had the good fortune to meet Rhys. An Englishman with the same plans. His next train leaving 2 hours after mine and going in the same direction, his day as roughly laid out as mine.

Rhys and I spent the day walking around Parahganj, winding through the maze of markets, fighting off rickshaw drivers and resting in the only park that seemed to be open on a Monday. Yes, even the parks, with simple grass for sitting on, are closed one day a week.

At approximately 4:30pm I decided I should head to the station for my 5:40pm train. It had taken us about 10 minutes by rickshaw this morning to get here, so I’d allow double that to get back and still should have time to collect my things from the cloakroom and find my platform… right? Wrong! So wrong!

No rickshaw wanted any part of us. A surreal feeling after spending the day (indeed last 2 weeks) fending them off with a stick. Apparently the traffic was bad and it would take 45 mins to get there. Uh-oh. I ran for the Metro, my last hope. The line to be scanned (as India seemed to be on Amber alert too) was about 150 people long!!!! Another entrance revealed 2 lines. Men and women. The women’s line with just a handful of people in it. The only way to get to the station on time was to leave Rhys and run through. Luckily he had the time to deal with this crisis and we agreed to meet in Jaisalmer in 2 days.

Also luckily, I found a ticket agent who explained the system to me and directed me to the appropriate train, platform and my destination station. Ten rupees and ten minutes later, feeling more like a canned tuna, I was exiting toward the railway station. Phew!

Next stop… cloakroom. It was packed with people! If the Metro had taught me anything, it was pushing and shoving is acceptable behavior. So I did. And pretty soon I was not 30th in line, but I was 2nd! Guilt be gone, I had a train to catch and what if it was actually on time today?!

When the Delhi-Jaisalmer Express did arrive, only 1 hour late, I was ready. Myself and my new English friend Tanya, separated into our respective carriages for the 20+ hour journey. It was getting dark already and I was pretty tired. If only I could find the conductor and confirm my seat number…

One look at his chart confirmed I was actually in the wrong carriage. Second class, air conditioned yes, but apparently this train split in two just down the track and the carriage I was in would be heading to who-knows-where, while the back part of the train, including the other second class carriage, would go to Jaisalmer. Oooops! But how the heck is anyone supposed to know these things? His advice (to me and the other 2 people who had made the same mistake) was to jump out at the next stop and walk 6 carriages down and get in again. Easier said than done.

The train stopped and we jumped out onto the platform. People everywhere, running in all different directions, pitch black and within 30 seconds the “all aboard” whistle was being blown. WTF! I still had at least 4 carriages to run! The race was on… we did our best then dived into the nearest carriage just as the train began to move again. How do these people live like this? After walking through several more carriages I found another conductor, received directions to my berth and collapsed with relief and exhaustion. I had to ask myself if I was really meant to be going to Jaisalmer?… It did seem the universe was conspiring against me.

Lucky again with the company I was to keep, I had landed next to a 24 year old Indian man who lived in Jaisalmer, was a camel safari guide for 14 years and now ran a small guest house. His English was fantastic. (I took his word for it that he also spoke a good deal of French and Korean.) Amin was born in the Thar Desert to a poorer family, he had never attended school and is basically illiterate - but due to his constant tourist contact, has a worldly way about him. We became friends…then I fell asleep.

Seventeen pleasant, but noisy hours later, the train pulled into Jaisalmer Station and I had arrived.

Rishikesh...A world apart

2010-01-26T23:23:00.001-07:00

Without a doubt, the people and culture of Rishikesh is different to the rest of India that we have seen.

Everywhere you look they are improving the city. Sweeping, removing cow dung, patching peeling plaster and repainting signage. They mean it when they say "post no bills"... and men with blades are actively removing the violations.

Along the river where the water has eroded at the steps, repairs are underway.

It is a pleasure to be here.

More Monkey pics... because I can!

2010-01-26T23:12:00.001-07:00

I never get sick of photographing these guys. And the babies seem to like the attention.

There are two types of monkey here in Rishikesh. The black-faced and the redder ones. The black-faced ones seem to be bigger, but gentler. The red ones have a nasty streak. Most the time they ignore us, but stare to long or give them the wrong impression and they turn aggressive.

We were exiting a rather nice organic cafe one day and a large female with a packet of cookies in hand, stood between us and the street. She glared at me and as I took step forward bared her teeth and took on an attack-like stance... I was scared! In the end a kindly older man had to chase her off with a stick so we could pass.

We were told that it would have been much worse if she had been a male.

Cookie Time

2010-01-26T22:51:00.001-07:00

A quiet walk along the back streets of Rishikesh inevitably lead to the fresh cookie cart. Unbelievable to think this man mixes dough, forms cookies and bakes them in his little fire-heated oven, all right there!

I wanted ONE. But buying one apparently means buying about a dozen - as they are sold by weight. So 2 minutes later, with a mouthful of cookie, I was a one-handed photographer... the other hand grasping a newspaper bag of cookies that I had no idea what to do with!

I tried offering them to beggars and homeless alike. No luck.

Then we ran into this guy. Hanging out near the bridge, certainly looking hungry!

He was very grateful for a cookie. His black-faced monkey paw gently reaching out and taking it. Deliberately measuring each bite, savoring the taste and leaving crumbs all over his face.

Why be Vegetarian in India?

2010-01-23T05:00:00.001-07:00

There are soooo many good reasons. Many of which you have to see to believe, but trust me, neither Osman or I have any inclination toward meat here!

The chickens peck aimlessly among the garbage, sewage and who knows what! It is the only life they know but even eating eggs has been a larger decision for us after seeing this.

Bear in mind that they could still be considered free range/cageless, antibiotic-free and probably in some sick way, organic too.

The ducks are semi-clean... but again they live here, so they have to work darn hard at it.

And why did someone paint them pink?!

Perhaps it's just the cute factor, but when I look at these little piggies, I can't see chops or bacon!

And my final thought... It's someone's pet! This is as close to being a member of the family as any animal will get in India. Quite an accomplishment for a goat!

(PS: Yes, I'm well aware that meat-eating in the US has it's own special yuck-factor too.)

Take a walk on the wild side

2010-01-22T09:09:00.001-07:00

Take a walk on the wild side

What an eye-opener! It started out as a walk to the archeological museum, but then we decided to follow some monks who looked like they knew a shortcut. Technically they did. But what a shortcut it was! We found ourselves amongst kids, goats, dogs, cows and everything else we are now used to. However, the road led us through the residential neighborhoods that are well off the tourist path.

We witnessed women washing clothes together, threshing wheat or something else I’m ignorant of and almost everything else that a “normal” day in Bihar might entail. Just for the record, you should know that Bihar, the state/province we are in (at Bodhgaya) is one of the poorest in India. The fact that the people can smile, play and work so efficiently is a mystery and constant source of admiration for me. They seem to lack every aspect of infrastructure that I thought was necessary to function. But they manage well and for the most part are modest, friendly people who freely gave permission to be photographed.

2010-01-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

Got to admire this little guy!

2010-01-22T08:49:00.001-07:00

From the meditation garden I watched this little kingfisher in action. Beautiful!

Again and again he dove into the emerald green pond, returned with a mouthful, then stopped to shake off and enjoy the sunshine too.

Another day in Bodhgaya

2010-01-22T05:37:00.001-07:00

It’s all starting to make perfect sense to me now. Meditation is the only antidote to the noise and chaos that is everyday life here. Without it, even a reasonable person might find the only other way out of this constant assault on the senses, is death… but then again if you believe you will simply be reborn back into this place…

We started today with a flood in the hall outside our room. Waking at 7am to the sound of straw brushes swishing water around haphazardly and other guests yelling to each other about it - right outside our not-so-sound-proof door. Then the water in our bathroom shut off (predictably) and it was shortly followed by the toilet backing up and over-flowing. Sadly, this was almost predictable too!!! The real question was, how long could I hold it and could we find an even half-clean public bathroom in the next few hours? Unlikely. Luckily, I have a remarkable bladder and easily managed to down a soupy breakfast and plenty of chai before first checking email, then finding a relatively clean public facility.

Next stop, travel agent. We purchased some outrageously priced “emergency” rail tickets last night after discovering all trains out of Gaya were booked for days to come and we needed to pick them up from him today. The man was a crook! We discovered this morning that although we asked for a train that left on the 20th from Gaya, he actually booked us on the train that left Calcutta on the 20th and stopped to pick us up on the 21st!!! Non-refundable. And he we go again for another night in Bodhgaya! I could have strangled him. He knew it too and I watched as his eyes pleaded with Osman to control his wife. No such luck, I let him have the full (loud) wrath of my anger and stormed off. His voice calling “madam, madam… madam!…” in the background. In truth, if I had thought he made a genuine mistake I would have gone easier on him, but last night he made a big show of taking cell phone calls and trying to sound important as we sat in front of him. He interrupted us and yelled past us to one of the young boys working there to bring him chai. What an ass! Negligent and incompetent, but still with his large ego intact.

Last chore for the day… find a new hotel. An UPGRADED one. We found one a good deal cleaner, quieter and sporting a 1980’s style TV too. Hello BBC!
There was just enough time left in the day to visit the meditation garden, watch a beautiful blue kingfisher in action and let go of all of the days annoyances. The yelling I had done had given me a sore throat anyway.

To know how lucky you are...

2010-01-18T22:34:00.001-07:00

As we took time out in our hotel room today, escaping the tooting horns, construction noises, free-running animals and general mayhem, I was homesick. Missing the feeling of walking in a bathroom without flip-flops on, yearning for hot water and fruity smelling soaps and lotions. Thinking wistfully of my memory foam mattress as I struggled to find a position that didn’t aggravate my aching bones - a product of the thin mattress and wood underneath.

Yet when I thought a little harder, I recognized that most people outside the hotel don’t have a bed to sleep in or the privacy of a room at all… let alone one with connected bathroom that has “almost hot” water.

Last night Osman and I ventured down a side street that seemed to be filled with candlelight. As we drew closer we realized what we were seeing was a makeshift (or permanent?) home for some of the people that, by day, were street venders. They had pulled their carts down the alley, placed them against a wall, covered the fronts with plastic or sheets, and crawled inside. The lights we saw were little fires. The fires consumed all sorts of garbage and the people who lit them sat mere inches from the flames, their legs wrapped around them. They probably dreamed of a dirty, cramped hotel room with clean-ish running water… as I dreamed of a three bedroom house with central heating and memory foam bed.

Very Enlightening!

2010-01-18T22:14:00.006-07:00

Bodhgaya is the place where Lord Buddha achieved enlightenment (under the Bodhi Tree)… and where hopefully I can walk away with a little more patience and gratitude.

These monks travel from far and wide to walk in Buddha's footsteps, come closer to their own enlightenment and apparently to buy all the same chatchka that tourists are supposed to want.

Prayer flags adorn the temple.

For some, this is a life (and appearance) changing experience and I was very appreciative of being able to share the moment, up close and personal.

India in general, is definitely the place to come if you want to be slapped in the face with dysfunction, filth and wanting. And if you can’t recognize how easy and privileged your American lifestyle is while here, I think you never will, sadly.

Shoot me now!

2010-01-17T01:30:00.000-07:00

How did a 5 hour train journey from Varanasi to Gaya turn into a 12 hour mess? Well, it starts with the train running a bit behind. Then late, then much later. We left 3 hours behind schedule - which is by all accounts, not that bad for India.

Our sleeper car was packed with all sort of people. Kids wailing, couples sitting silently and backpackers like us. Peanut husks, amongst everything else, littered the floor. I don't even want to think about the wet spots. At every stop the train was swamped with beggars - quickly in, then quickly out again. Not content to simply put out a hand, these ones grabbed a leg and tugged on it ... right about the time my book was getting really good and I had almost blocked out the smell of the nearby toilet I was brought back to consciousness!

Stop the train! We want to get off!!!

While it did appear the open doors were a safety hazard, I was pleased with the cross ventilation and it was, after all, another option if things got really bad!

Another "express" train races past the open door.

We soon found ourselves in Gaya and after banding together with several other US tourists, managed to get a very respectable looking SUV to drive us all to Bodhgaya, about 18km away... our final destination tonight.

Varanasi, here we come

2010-01-17T00:44:00.005-07:00

Actually I expected more trouble arriving at the main Varanasi train station. Lonely Planet (the travelers Bible) seemed to think we would be tricked, robbed and harassed to death, shortly after exiting the train station. Or at the very least, long before finding our guest house in the maze of vehicle-free (in theory) alleys that are designed to get you lost and invite you to buy colorful, but needless things.

But after being dropped off by our auto-rickshaw about 10 minutes from the guesthouse and having several attempts at getting directions, we finally found Eden Halt and met our delightful host, Sanjay. His 4 bedroom guesthouse is family owned and overlooks Raja Ghat, a relatively peaceful temple on the banks of Mother Ganga (The Ganges River).

Time to take in the chaos that only a Hindu festival on the holy river could provide.

A view from the water aboard Shiva’s boat was next for us. I feel bad even saying it, but it was a peaceful break from the dozens of beggars. Young and old women alike, touting sickly looking babies and pinching them for the “extra-unhappy” effect. Kids pulling at our sleeves and trouser legs, hand to mouth, gesturing hunger and demanding we remedy the problem. Meanwhile puppies, skinny and itchy, squeal underfoot, cows and their calves yield to no one and one eye must always, always be on the ground…just in case the smell doesn’t alert you first!

Varanasi is alive. From the diverse people, their intensely colorful garb to the funeral Ghat, or as Shiva referred to them; the burning bodies. Despite the cold, cold water, men and women are dunking themselves repeatedly in the river that looks like it needs cleaning more than they do. Yes, for the most part this is religious and ritualistic, but for those without water at home, it really is a daily bath too. The Ganges also provides dish and laundry washing facilities, and the shores for which to float off your candle and flower offering.

If you are Hindu and lucky enough to die right here in Varanasi, you can be assured that you are now free from rebirth!

I am quite sure there is no other place like this on earth and the 16 hour train journey back to a place that captured my imagination in 1998 was definitely worth it.

The next day...

How can a day of wandering, shopping, eating and people watching be so tiring? I am exhausted, but in my defense we did start the day at crack-o-dawn. Umm-Hmmm…Before the sun rose we were down at the Ganges watching other people bath, chant and add to the pollution.

Highlights included; Those that got up before us; Those that bathed, despite the cold;

The needy and disadvantaged; And of course...tasty street food.

(My cast iron stomach is still in tact, touch wood.)

Goat Designer Wear Update

2010-01-14T08:12:00.001-07:00

And what blog post would be complete without my goat apparel report? This one sported 3 layers and actually seemed to be better prepared for the weather than I am! Who would have thought?!

Not only that, but he had a family of servants and was having his meal chopped into bite-sized pieces as we wandered past.Now that's just spoilt!

Suspicion on the Varanasi Express

2010-01-14T08:09:00.002-07:00

It strained our “getting it together” skills but we did manage an early morning today and left Agra at around 8am, bound for Delhi. A final road trip with trusty Bilu and his little white Suzuki.

Not much to report except a delicious aloo parantha and chai, roadside, for breakfast. Then a brief stroll through Chandni Chowk (crazy, local textile market) before it was all aboard the sleeper train for Varanasi.

I write from my top bunk! Not a bad way to travel.
Osman and I find ourselves sharing a 4 berth sleeper area with just 1 other person. Mr Grumpy.
I named him that based on his behavior towards a young man who works on the train. He has not been grumpy to me… just a bit leary.

I think Mr Grumpy works for the government… he has some sort of name badge and carries a locked briefcase - chained to his hand. He has obviously dyed his beard - it’s orange. I know! I thought it must have sensitive documents or tons of cash inside too… perhaps the secret codes needed to blow something up or another 5 passports, each with different nationality and name, but the same photo inside?

Alas, from my perch, I was able to get a good look inside when he opened it. It contains only several average items of clothing, a fist full of 10 rupee notes and what looks like toiletries. Bor-ing!

But since I have nothing else to keep me occupied, am all hopped up on sweet, sweet chai and I do have laptop power up here, I decided to treat you with a pic of the briefcase … so you can see I was not exaggerating about the lock-to-wrist thing.

In the words of my brother…Bored much? Yes, just a bit... But then so are you if you are still reading!

Yes, since you noticed; Those are his trousers with belt on top of the case. He left, without them, to go to the bathroom!!!

The Taj and Us

2010-01-14T07:42:00.001-07:00

Mandatory picture... worth the queue for the good spot. And eventually worth the wait for the guy who didn't try to change the settings on our camera!

Agra... the two-faced city

2010-01-14T07:23:00.007-07:00

As a city, Agra definitely has its problems. Of course there is the usual stuff that goes along with poverty…

Open sewers. Read this as too many people who pee and poop all over the ground, against every wall and into every gutter. And when a public restroom is provided, it gets the same treatment!
No waste and rubbish disposal system. Again, too many people who think it is thoroughly acceptable to throw anything and everything on the street, in the drains, gardens and other public places.
And full-on harassment by those who have little or no other option for feeding their families and see us (tourists, foreigners etc) as having plenty to share. Completely understandable, yet undeniably and unfortunately, barking up the wrong tree too.

It’s a city that is tiring. Over-stimulation and exhaustion quickly results from the daily struggle to understand the language (body language mostly), avoid becoming road kill, and perhaps most surprisingly, to stay warm during the coldest temperatures that most can remember here.

It sounds funny, since obviously Colorado gets way colder and we have just left snow and ice, so we should be feeling kind of balmy at 40-50 degrees. But consider this; In Colorado we have heated homes and we eat inside! Yes, that’s right… no heat here and the one portable heater we managed to con out of our hotel kept blowing the fuse in our room… which has no windows and more than enough other scheduled and unscheduled power cuts. I could say its really hard to dress and get ready in pitch black, but the truth is, with no hot water (which is dependent on the electricity) I’m having trouble finding the motivation to change clothes anyway. Besides, like most things, filth is relative and I’m still doing ok in India!!!
As for the eating outside thing. I have no explanation, except that perhaps in order to capitalize on the stunning view of the Taj Mahal from the top of many of the buildings, or maybe to rise above the smell of street life, many (or all) of the restaurants in our adopted ‘hood were indeed outside or at least were missing vital walls and doors. And I am getting a much better understanding as to why the women mostly cover their heads here. It may have more to do with staying warm than being modest I suspect.

Agra Fort... a place to imprison thy father, after he annoys you, and of course after he has built the Taj too.

This is what a monk looks like when he is impressed with the Agra Fort. (And in all fairness it's also what he looks like at the time he is suffering from in-your-face-cell-phone monk photography!)

So why did we come here? The Taj of course! And despite a foggy start to the day, we had an awe inspiring time wandering the grounds and taking in one of the worlds most breathtaking sights. On top of it all, we both seemed to have cemented ourselves as the “go to photographers” of the Agra sights - as voted by Indian and foreign couples alike. Yay us!

The view from the restaurant atop of our hotel.

What we came to see!

Just so you know… these pics don’t even come close to doing it justice.

Unguided Jaipur

2010-01-12T08:13:00.001-07:00

Both Osman and I were far more interested in the daily market life, goats wearing sweaters and monkey antics.

My favorite monkey duo… a mother and infant who posed for me for a minute before the mother decided she no longer wanted her baby photographed, and prompted covered its head with her massive monkey paws!

The Pink City

2010-01-12T08:09:00.004-07:00

After a hotel breakfast of aloo parantha, yoghurt and banana and of course, chai, Bilu picked us up. He had a plan already. We had a full day ahead of us, first stop was the local snake charmers!

Then we were off to Amber Fort.
Under a heavy shroud of fog we ascended. Walking alongside colorfully painted elephants I stopped to give one a scratch on the trunk. He swung his left foot lazily, almost coyly as I spoke to him.

Our guide spoke enthusiastically about the fort, its history and place in the area. His name was Rajish and this was his weekend job, while he was a student of tax. The fort was originally the home of the king and his 2 queens… and each queen had her own rooms. One for winter, one for summer and another for the monsoon season. No detail was left undone and the architects had built in primitive, but effective air conditioning systems, places for the queens to watch from - without being seen, and ramps for their wheelchairs. I guess when you are delicate and wear traditional garb weighing in at 14 kg, walking is not always an option!

Then lake palace and cenotaphs.

We ended at the City Palace in the downtown (walled) part of Jaipur. At this point we were both sight-seed out. Our audio guided walking tour became a speed-walking abridged tour as we made tracks to find food outside the palace.

Karol Bagh

2010-01-09T21:06:00.002-07:00

Our hotel was located in the neighborhood of Karol Bagh. A lively, colorful community engaged in hard manual labor, enjoying comradeship and cricket, against the backdrop of intense poverty and mind blowing filth!

We wandered aimlessly, enjoying home cooked Indian desserts and the attention of playful children - apparently we were a novelty for the adults too. Not surprisingly, we didn’t see other tourists in this maze of dark alleys and interesting smells. And it seemed all too quickly that we hailed a cycle rickshaw to head back to our hotel for checkout.

We were heading of Delhi to Jaipur. The chaos of this enormous city was overwhelming and the forts and palaces of relatively more peaceful Jaipur were beckoning.
Unfortunately (or fortunately) our flip-flop decision making process didn’t allow for fully booked trains and we found ourselves in a private car with driver Bilu, for the 7 hour journey. Bilu agreed to be with us for the next 4 days as we traveled to Jaipur, then Agra and back to Delhi before heading to Varanasi.
Note: Half the drive time to Jaipur was actually escaping the Delhi traffic. Holy cow! (completely appropriate here.) Im not going to miss the pollution and dust levels that only come with 11 million people jibing for space on roads without lanes , rules or common courtesy.

Hello Jaipur

2010-01-09T10:38:00.003-07:00

Despite the city's best attempt to hold us hostage with a lack of train service (no sir, this is not possible), we've escaped to Jaipur. 6 hours or so by private car, with only one unwanted tourist trap diversion. It's nearly midnight here. Time for bed.

Final Inflight Thought

2010-01-08T16:01:00.004-07:00

I had to laugh at this...

According to Etihad, should the plane take a nose-dive into a hill, you might want to lean forward to protect your head!

Don't forget to hold your kids down by the neck too!

Up in the air

2010-01-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

Getting there is half the fun, no?

Um, yes and no. I guess it depends where you are going and how you get there! For us, the 15 hours of flying, broken with an Etihad Airlines stop-over in Abu Dhabi, was a mixed bag. The aircrafts were modern, featuring state of the art entertainment systems and really, really good food. The company we kept was … interesting.

Out of JFK I was lucky enough to be seated in front of a woman who thought if I raised the armrest between Osman’s and my seats, putting the seat controller buttons tantalizingly in front of her, it meant I wanted her to use them.
Not so much!
In fact I thought we were making a bee-line for the ocean floor the first time she decided that my seat needed to be bolt upright - as I lay unconscious in it at 3am! The hostess looked mortified as I flew upright and she managed a weak apology on behalf of Ms Inappropriate behind me.

From Abu Dhabi to Delhi I shared a 3 seat row with a pint sized, 150 year old Indian lady with no boundaries, no respect for airline safety procedure and no inkling that I didn’t understand her when she jabbered to me in her language. Once I had safely kicked her out of my seat (and no she didn’t care what her boarding card said) she spent the rest of the flight nudging me for favors.
I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom… as did 10 other people. The line was long but the bathroom conveniently located near my seat! After a 20 minute wait, I finished in the bathroom and headed back to my movie and book. Just after I had reseated myself, put back on the seatbelt, blanket, earbuds, opened my book and restarted the movie, I got a poke to the arm. She had a pointy, wrinkled finger in the air like she had had a brilliant thought…In fact I could almost see the light bulb going off over her head. She motions for me to go stand in the aisle so she can get out and use the bathroom! Osman and I burst out laughing.
But my favorite “old lady moments” were when she screwed with the flight attendants. They would come by and demonstrate again and again, how to do up the seat belt and to stow her (larger than her) handbag under the seat in front of her for landing. Then she would ask me to help her undo the seatbelt and up would come the handbag. I really believe that she thought she was immortal anyway, and given her apparent age, I might have to agree.

Etihad... ?

2010-01-07T17:16:00.007-07:00

Neither Dallice and I had ever flown Etihad before, the national carrier of the UAE. Turns out it was a fantastic experience, more like riding in the back of a luxury car than being crammed in an airline. Instead of shelling out for goodie bags of corn syrup candy, we dined on tasty lamb cabobs and chicken makhani. The in-flight, back of the seat entertainment was superb too, with a large screen and an array of movies or television. The video feed from the front and beneath the aircraft was a real surprise.

On the long flight to Delhi, we had a two hour layover in Abu Dhabi. This airport was an oasis of style constructed of pristine white marble. Everywhere I looked were signs of opulence including staffed marble bathrooms at every other gate.

Wireless internet was free in the airport, quite a contrast to Brooklyn where clerks working various restaurants seemed to have never head of it. Of course, this wasn't the states. Here's a screenshot of the censorship blocker I ran into when I tried to upload pics to Flickr:

And We're Off!

2010-01-07T10:30:00.005-07:00

On a little adventure to India, that is.

Before we left, we had a nice visit with family in NYC. Here's a few pics:

Our amazing hosts, Sadaf and Jeff:

They treated us to a fantastic dinner. Great sushi in Times Square? Who knew!

At breakfast the next morning, the children were dutifully fed and bundled off to school. Here's our neice Mina:

And our nephew Jordan:

Sadaf had the kids dressed, fed, and ready to roll to school with military precision.

And we had a few hours to wander around Manhattan before our late night flight:

It was cool seeing where Big Sis works and having a little lunch.

Next stop, Abu Dhabi!

Our back room renovation is "mostly" complete

2009-11-16T13:11:00.002-07:00

I know, I know.
Given that it has taken me another 2 months to update you with progress on the back room, you would expect it might be actually done. But no.

Very close though. And when we manage to organize and hide the tv and DVD cables and get a new back door, there will be a couple more pics. Don't hold your breath.

Before:

After:

Sunday Brunch... Danish Style

2009-11-15T15:42:00.004-07:00

What better time to try out my new Ebelskiver pan than a snowy Sunday morning?
A breakfast of Danish, filled pancakes with neighbors sounded perfect after playing with Marley in the yard and watching Osman diligently shovel the front walk.

A good excuse to avoid doing laundry...

Buddha looks quite comfortable in a shroud of snow!

It's all fun and games until someone gets cold feet.

Lemon curd and cream cheese stuffed Ebelskivers...

Followed by chocolate and strawberry Ebelskivers.
Complete with home-made warm dark chocolate sauce and fresh strawberry sauce.

Today's Ride...

2009-11-12T17:52:00.001-07:00

Old Stage - Lefthand Loop
Find more Bike Rides in Boulder, Colorado

Which one is more domesticated?

2009-11-10T13:19:00.002-07:00

Just when I thought it would be a boring day...

I looked out the window to see a deer in my neighbors yard. Curious, since we don't normally get deer in our yards here and also because Marley had just come in from outside and he didn't smell it? Hear it? SEE IT???

I headed out with my neighbor, Doug to watch it tear into his shrubbery. Marley came too. He took a position, stealth-like, amongst the evergreens, atop of the back yard.

Despite his best efforts not to obvious, the deer spotted him and came over to chat.
Marley stood his ground, tail wagging, not wanting to venture closer than 3 feet!

They gazed into each others eyes a few moments then the deer moved on to my front yard, for some "fall clean-up". Only then did Marley step forward to sniff the fence where the deer had been.

2009-09-21T19:43:00.001-06:00

Here's a couple pics from Sunday's brunch at the Brown Palace with Dallice's parents. First Dallice and Sandra:

Here's Dennis and Me:

And here's Bananas Foster with some devilish mousse like dessert, served in an eggshell. Every breakfast should have dessert, right?

A Visit to Rocky Mountain National Park [Parents]

2009-09-14T10:42:00.004-06:00

Last week, we took Dallice's parents to visit to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Here's a few pics:

Sandra, Dennis, and Dallice

I'll toast to that!

Views from Fall River Road

Dennis and Sandra contemplate a dangerous water crossing

The end of a hike offered this view over Emerald Lake

Dennis and Sandra Tylee

Beautiful reflections

On an evening hike.

Dallice and Sandra

Nearing Completion [The Back Room Remodel]

2009-09-07T22:30:00.003-06:00

I'm pleased to report that the back room remodeling project is nearing completion!

To bring us back to where we left off, here's Dallice's parents, Sandra and Dennis taping the seams of the under layer.

Here's Dallice and her dad cutting and installing the pieces:

After it's the floor was put down, Dallice installed the trim:

Marley laid on the floor, it was his only defense:

Can you believe this is the same room?

Final Stages [The Back Room Remodel]

2009-09-03T16:11:00.004-06:00

After our trip to Las Vegas and several National Parks, the back room remodeling project continues. This time, we brought in reinforcements - a.k.a. Dallice's parents.

Before we got started, we the insulation contractor come out and finish the job they started. Here's the insulation guy working over my brick wall, Jack Bauer style. He said, "Dude, this is the toughest wall I've ever drilled." I'm so proud (and better him than me).

Step 1: Lay out this weird blue gym mat. It's supposed to act as a vapor barrier and provide insulation. That what they said anyway. I would have skipped this step, personally.

The next step was to force Dallice's parents to work as a team to tape the seams. Here they are, working together. TOGETHER!

It took several beatings, but they did a darn good job. There's no way an insulation "pro" would have been this exacting. It was a perfect installation.

I could have left it this way for a couple of weeks but Dallice insisted that after we were done taping, it was time to lay the floor. That's not how we do it in our family, but OK. Then Dallice disappeared at this point. Something about having to show some houses or something. So I helped out a bit (stood around and watched) as her dad expertly ripped boards on our neighbor's table saw.

Here's a look at Sandra and Dennis Tylee's craftsmanship (in progress):

More later.

Dog day at the pool

2009-08-22T13:11:00.005-06:00

Of the 3 of us, it is Osman and I who probably look forward to this day all year... but it is Marley who has the most fun!

Every year, as the swimming season draws to a close, Scott Carpenter Pool, in Boulder, opens for a dog-only weekend. As you can imagine, the Labs and Golden Retrievers dominate the pool, but let's not kid ourselves... their owners (and anyone in the general vicinity) are going to get soaked too!

This pretty much sums up our 2009 "dog day at the pool"...

Who needs a diving board when you can walk on water?

Happy to retrieve that ball over and over and over again.

Check out those paws. With toes spread and tail acting as a rudder, he cuts through the water!

Perhaps a little over-enthusiastic at times.

You know it's time to go home when he can no longer pull himself out of the pool.